Thursday Report on Tousi

 Nadene Goldfoot                                           

                                                

• This pertains to a filmmaker named Mahyad Tousi (born 1973),  That would make him  53.  He doesn't look it;  looks much younger to me.   His father is still in Iran though he and his mother live in England.   
• Police Interview (April 2026): In April 2026, reports indicated Mahyar Tousi was required to attend a police interview in the UK regarding his reporting on demonstrations, leading to fears of arrest. However, subsequent updates suggested police backed down.
• Background: Tousi is a vocal critic of the Iranian regime (Ayatollah's) who fled Iran as a teenager and resides outside the country.  IA evidently gets things mixed up!!!  It was the shah of Iran who was driven out of the country with his wife and son.  
• The son, the Crown Prince; Reza Pahlavi (born October 31, 1960) now 66 years old,  is the last Crown Prince of the Pahlavi dynasty of Iran. He is the eldest son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Empress Farah Pahlavi. He has lived in exile in the United States since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, serving as a prominent opposition figure calling for a democratic transition in Iran.
• Background on the Current Situation:
  The current instability follows a brutal crackdown on nationwide protests that began in late December 2025, sparked by a collapsing currency and economic mismanagement. These protests, which turned into demands for regime change, were met with severe repression.  The people rebelled.  

Key Developments in Iran (April 2026):

• War & Diplomacy: Iran is evaluating a U.S. proposal to pause the conflict and resume nuclear negotiations, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi engaging with Russia. However, direct talks are strained, and the U.S. is "cooling" on Iranian offers that do not address nuclear issues.
• Strait of Hormuz Blockade: A "dual blockade" of the Strait of Hormuz by U.S. and Iranian forces has nearly halted shipping, leading to soaring global oil prices and bringing gas prices in the U.S. to their highest point since 2022. 
• Internal Struggles & Repression: Following a severe economic collapse in early 2026, the regime has maintained control after brutally suppressing mass protests that resulted in thousands of deaths. The government remains under intense pressure from high inflation and a devalued currency.
• Military Status: Third U.S. aircraft carrier has arrived in the region to support the blockade, while reports suggest major Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, has been severely weakened. 
• Other reports, not by IA,  are that Hezbollah has hit a very 
• special Israeli
• Unit not known to be taken by surprise,  who were in a tunnel
• at the time.  A large death count of IDF was counted.  It could 
• be a rumor .