CounterVortex

Iran

‘Black rain’ falls on Tehran amid US-Israeli strikes

United Nations officials said that US and Israeli airstrikes on fuel depots in Tehran have released large amounts of toxic pollutants, producing acidic “black rain” across parts of the capital. Officials from the World Health Organization warned that the burning of depots has released hydrocarbons, sulphur oxides, and nitrogen compounds into the atmosphere. The released pollutants have caused darkened skies in Tehran, prompting authorities to adviseresidents to remain indoors due to respiratory risks and potential water contamination. (Photo: Mehr via Wikimedia Commons)

Africa

Mali: al-Qaeda franchise in new ‘war crime’

Human Rights Watch confirmed that an al-Qaeda-linked armed group summarily executed 10 long-haul truck drivers and two teenage apprentices in late January in southwestern Mali as part of the group’s attack on a fuel convoy and deemed the acts “apparent war crimes.” Mali’s truck driver union staged a nationwide strike in response to the attack, demanding recovery of victims’ bodies to ensure their families can have proper burials. The group responsible for the attack was Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), which describes itself as the official branch of al-Qaeda in Mali. (Map: PCL)

Watching the Shadows

Anthropic sues Pentagon over ‘risk’ designation

Artificial intelligence company Anthropic sued the US Defense Department (“Department of War”) after the Department declared the company a “supply chain risk” and threat to national security. Anthropic maintains that it has no ties to any adversary and has gone to great lengths to prevent adversaries from using its technology. The company asserts that the designation is arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedures Act, and actually constitutes retaliation against Anthropic for exercising its free speech rights in deciding how its technology will be used. (Photo: Pixabay via Jurist)

Greater Middle East

‘Politicized’ trial begins for Istanbul mayor

Istanbul mayor and Turkish opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu went on trial, accused of establishing an “İmamoğlu Criminal Organization for Profit” that operated parallel to and was concealed by his official duties. Critics of the trial say that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is politically influencing the proceedings as part of a broader judicial campaign intended to impede the ability of İmamoğlu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) to function as an effective opposition party, and to prevent İmamoğlu and other CHP officials from exercising their rights to political participation.The case is part of a mass trial involving more than 400 co-defendants, most of whom worked for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which İmamoğlu has headed since 2019. (Photo: Hunanuk via Wikimedia Commons)

Iran

Iran urged to lift restrictions on internet access

Human Rights Watch urged authorities in Iran to lift restrictions on internet and communication services, citing concerns that civilians will be left unable to access potentially lifesaving information in the midst of the armed conflict with Israel and the US. Back in early January, when widespread protests and severe government repression were intensifying, the Iranian regime had similarly restricted access to internet services, with an estimated 92 million citizens cut off—virtually the entire population. This pattern of blocking reliable access to the internet has been criticized by activists as a form of digital isolation, with similar incidents occurring in 2019 during protests and again in 2022 after anger erupted over the murder of Mahsa Amini. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Syria

UN Commission on Syria: protect civil society

The UN Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry on Syria (COI) announced that it completed an in-country mission to Damascus as it prepares to brief the Council in Geneva. The commissioners said they were encouraged by the growth of Syrian civil society organizations, including groups returning from exile. Still, they noted continued barriers and fears, and urged conditions that would allow civil society to operate “without restriction.” There remain legal questions about whether and to what degree authorities will tolerate independent documentation, advocacy, and victim participation, which are needed elements for credible truth-seeking, reparations design, and institutional vetting. (Image: Damascus protest against Israeli intervention in Syria. Credit: The Syria Campaign via Facebook)

Palestine

UN report: Gaza genocide ‘spills into West Bank’

A group of UN experts warned that the genocide in Gaza is spilling into the West Bank as a wider war engulfs the region. The experts argue that Israeli policy is designed to coerce Palestinians to leave in both territories. The report also covered occupied East Jerusalem, finding: “Israel is accelerating measures that alter Jerusalem’s demographic composition, religious character and legal status, destroying the remnants of the pluralistic fabric that Jerusalem has represented for centuries, for Muslims, Christians and Jews… What is being done to this world symbol of spiritual coexistence and shared heritage is irreversible.” (Photo: RJA1988 via Jurist)

Afghanistan

New Taliban criminal code threatens women, minorities

Amnesty International condemned the recently adopted “Criminal Procedure Regulation for the Courts” in Afghanistan, saying that the legislation violates the rights of women, girls and minority groups in the country. Among critical aspects of the new law is its decriminalization of domestic violence in cases where a woman does not actually have visible injuries or broken bones (Article 32), and its imposition of a three-month prison sentence for a woman who undertakes to visit relatives without permission from her husband and does not comply with a court order to return home (Article 34). Under Article 34, women and girls in abusive situations will have less recourse to seek refuge with family, Amnesty found. Article 26 also officially designates Shia Muslims, who make up some 15% of the population, as “heretical.” (Photo: ArmyAmber/Pixabay)

North America

Ninth Circuit: Trump may suspend refugee admissions

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that President Donald Trump has the power to suspend refugee admissions to the United States, though the court provided some relief to refugees who had already been conditionally approved before the policy was implemented. Refugees and refugee resettlement organizations filed the lawsuit challenging a January 2025 executive order signed by Trump, which suspended refugee resettlement programs in the United States. The lawsuit, filed in a federal district court in Washington state, won a preliminary injunction requiring the government to continue aspects of the refugee program. The government appealed the decision, stating that the refugee program was within the president’s legal authority. The dispute may ultimately reach the US Supreme Court if the parties seek further review of the Ninth Circuit’s decision. (Photo: Grace Deng/Washington State Standard)

Africa

Ethiopia accused of backing Sudan’s RSF

Sudan has accused Ethiopia of allowing drones to be launched from its territory to carry out attacks against Sudanese government forces. This marks the first time Sudan has directly accused its neighbor of involvement in the three-year civil war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In a statement, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry warned of unspecified consequences. The drone accusation follows reports of the construction of an RSF training base in northwest Ethiopia, paid for by the United Arab Emirates. (Map: PCL)

Iran

US Congress rejects war powers resolution on Iran

The US Senate turned down a War Powers Resolution (WPR) in a 47-53 vote, declining to impose limits on President Donald Trump’s ability to wage war with Iran. If it had passed, the resolution would have required President Trump to seek congressional approval prior to any continued military action. The vote mostly fell along party lines, with only two senators crossing the aisle—Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) voted in favor of the resolution, while Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) voted against it. Later, the House of Representatives also rejected a WPR, which would have directed President Trump to cease all military action against Iran unless authorized by Congress through a formal declaration of war or authorization to use military force (AUMF). The vote tally was 212 to 219. Four Democrats—Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, Maine Rep. Jared Golden, Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman, and California Rep. Juan Vargas—joined Republicans in opposing the resolution. (Photo: bones64/Pixabay)

Greater Middle East

UN demands civilian protection amid Middle East escalation

The United Nations urgently called for civilian protection amid growing violence and instability in the Middle East—and particularly in regard to the ongoing US and Israeli military operations against Iran. The UN urged a thorough investigation into a deadly strike on a girls’ school in Iran, and requested the disclosure of all relevant information. The attack in the southern coastal city of Minab reportedly killed 168 people. According to Iran’s Ministry of Education, the overwhelming majority of the slain were schoolgirls aged seven to 12. The strike came on the first day of coordinated US and Israeli airstrikes officially targeting Iranian infrastructure and military facilities. (Photo: Mehr via Wikimedia Commons)