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Peeling Back the US Information Operation in Iran

By Larry C. Johnson | SONAR21 | February 18, 2026 

As part of the US campaign to engineer a regime change in Iran, the US military and intelligence community are using Operational Preparation of the Environmnet aka OPE. OPE is defined in joint publications (e.g., JP 3-05 Special Operations) as non-intelligence activities conducted prior to or in preparation for potential military operations to set conditions for success. It encompasses shaping the operational environment through intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, information operations, civil affairs, psychological operations, and other preparatory actions—often in denied or politically sensitive areas.

I believe that one of the major OPE efforts is to convince the US public that the overwhelming majority of Iranians despise the Islamic Republic and want it overthrown. In my opinion, a major player in this OPE is a polling outfit known as GAMAAN. GAMAAN (Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran) collaborates with Psiphon VPN, which is widely used across Iran. GAMAAN findings have been consistent in painting a picture of massive opposition to the Iranian regime:

According to GAMAAN polls taken prior to 2025, a significant majority of Iranians — around 70% — oppose the continuation of the Islamic Republic. The highest level of opposition, 81%, occurred during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising in late 2022. Support for “the principles of the Islamic revolution and the Supreme Leader” has decreased from 18% in 2022 to 11% in 2024. Opposition to the Islamic Republic is higher among the youth, urban residents, and the highly educated. An overwhelming majority of Iranians (89%) support democracy.

Only about 20% of Iranians support the continuation of the Islamic Republic. When asked about preferred alternatives, about 26% favor a secular republic and around 21% support a monarchy. For 11%, the specific form of the alternative system doesn’t matter. About 22% report lacking sufficient information to choose an alternative system.

But what are the funding sources for GAMAAN and Psiphon VPN? Let’s start with GAMAAN. GAMAAN describes itself as an independent, non-profit research foundation registered in the Netherlands. It emphasizes its academic credentials (e.g., founded by scholars at Dutch universities like Tilburg and Utrecht) and innovative online methods (e.g., anonymity sampling via VPNs like Psiphon) to overcome self-censorship in authoritarian contexts.

GAMAAN operates under the supervision of a board including Dr. Ammar Maleki (founder and director), assistant professor of comparative politics at Tilburg University, and Dr. Pooyan Tamimi Arab, associate professor of secular and religious studies at Utrecht University. Maleki is an assistant professor of Comparative Politics and a self-described activist for democracy in his native Iran. Tilburg University Critically, he does not hide his political stance — his Tilburg University profile explicitly states that he is “a pro-democracy activist and political analyst of Iranian politics” and that he tries “to have an impact on political debates around democratization of Iran.”

This is where the picture becomes more contested. GAMAAN has relied on US government-funded VPN provider Psiphon to disseminate its surveys; collaborated with the USAID-funded Tony Blair Institute; and collaborated with and received funding from historian Ladan Boroumand, co-founder of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, which is in turn supported by the US government-funded National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

Psiphon is owned and operated by Psiphon Inc., a Canadian corporation based in Ontario. Psiphon was originally developed by the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, with version 1.0 launching on December 1, 2006, as open-source software. In early 2007, Psiphon, Inc. was established as a Canadian corporation independent of the Citizen Lab and the University of Toronto.

It has a notable funding history. In 2008, Psiphon, Inc. was awarded sub-grants from the US State Department Internet Freedom program, administered by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. In 2010, Psiphon began providing services to the Broadcasting Board of Governors (US), the US Department of State, and the BBC. More recently, in April 2024, the Open Technology Fund (OTF) announced increased long-term funding for Psiphon, with subsequent OTF awards totaling US$18.54 million for 2024 and US$5.87 million for 2025.

The Open Technology Fund (OTF) is administered by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent federal agency of the US government. USAGM provides OTF with its primary funding through annual grants, which originate from Congressional appropriations under the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs budget. OTF operates as an independent nonprofit corporation (since 2019) but remains a grantee under USAGM’s oversight and governance, as authorized by Congress (e.g., via the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act).

So while Psiphon Inc. is technically an independent Canadian company, it has historically been substantially funded by the US government and other Western institutions — a fact worth noting given its role as the methodology partner for the GAMAAN polling inside Iran. In other words, it is a cut out that, in my opinion and based on my experience, is supporting a CIA information operation to portray Iran as a country on the precipice of overthrowing the Islamic Republic.

There is an alternative polling database that paints a radically different picture of the mood in Iran with respect to the Islamic Republic… The Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland has conducted a separate series of surveys using phone-based methods, which show more moderate results. Their findings from 2023 and 2024 found that about 75% of respondents expect Iran’s constitution and political system to be about the same in ten years, and only 17% agreed with protesters’ calls for the Islamic Republic to be replaced. However, three in five now think the government should not be strict in enforcing Islamic laws, distinctly up from 2018, and support for demands that the government fight corruption has been consistently near-unanimous since 2018.

On the protests themselves, asked in 2024 to think about waves of demonstrations over the past ten years, two thirds say their main objective was to demand that officials pay greater attention to people’s problems, while only one in five think their main objective was to demand greater freedoms or bring about change in Iran’s system of government.

President Pezeshkian, based on the polls from 2024, was viewed favorably by 66% of those polled at the start of his term… and 70% expressed confidence that he would be an honest and trustworthy president, though only a quarter were very confident. Majorities expressed some confidence that he can improve relations with neighboring countries and protect citizens’ freedoms, notably women’s rights, but majorities are not confident that he can lower inflation or improve relations with the West.

There have been no new polls in the wake of Israel’s surprise attack on June 13, 2025. Based on my conversations with both Nima Alkhorshid and Professor Marandi, the reaction in Iran has been similar to what happened in the United States in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks… National unity increased.

The failed color revolution launched on December 28, 2025 by the United States and Israel has reinforced support for the Islamic Republic. President Pezeshkian has openly admitted his government’s failures on the economic front and he has taken some steps to institute reforms. A more important development was the signing of the Trilateral Security Agreement with Russia and China at the end of January. Those two countries are now providing more resources and support to stabilize the Iranian government and improve the economic lives of the Iranian people.

Donald Trump’s threats to attack Iran are backfiring among the majority of the population in Iran. Yes, there are some Iranians who still want to bring an end to the Islamic Republic, but they are dramatically outnumbered. Remember the boost in popularity that George W Bush enjoyed in the aftermath of 9-11? He even picked up support from Democrats who had previously despised him. That same phenomena has happened in Iran. Prior to the June 13, 2025 attack, Iranians under the age of 50 had no vivid memory of Iran/Iraq war — where Iran was attacked with the encouragement and support of the United States. The June 2025 attack, coupled with the foreign instigated late December 2025 protests and violence, have awakened a new sense of nationalism among the Iranian public that has strengthened support for the Islamic Republic.

The belief in the West that Iran is more vulnerable now than at anytime in the last 46 years is the creation of a US funded propaganda campaign that relied on an ideologically biased pollster to produce results that have been used to convince most Americans that Iran is yearning to breath free… All we have to do is kill off the leadership in Iran.

February 18, 2026 Posted by | Deception, Mainstream Media, Warmongering, Video, Wars for Israel | , , , | Comments Off on Peeling Back the US Information Operation in Iran

Ian Proud: Economic Reset with Russia to Save Europe

Glenn Diesen | Feb 15, 2026

Ian Proud discusses why an economic reset with Russia is required for a stable peace and to prevent Europe from becoming a weakened relic of a unipolar past. As a former British diplomat, Proud performed a number of roles, including the Economic Counsellor at the UK’s embassy in Moscow between 2014 and 2019.

The Peacemonger: https://www.youtube.com/@IanProud

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February 15, 2026 Posted by | Militarism, Russophobia, Video | , , , , | Leave a comment

The Sordid History of the CIA – Part 2

Tales of the American Empire | February 12, 2026

Tales of the American Empire produces short historical videos about the American empire, like the “Sordid History of the CIA”, which is linked below. Most viewers are interested in the American CIA, so this is another episode about videos detailing the evils of the CIA. Some CIA officers work with murderous dictators and criminal organizations involved in the drug trade, arms dealing, and government contract fraud. These evil deeds are sometimes uncovered by the media but receive little attention.

There are YouTube videos that provide insight into covert CIA operations. This is far too much material to condense into a short video. Here is a quick review of more great YouTube videos about the CIA with a link to them below. If the link no longer works, the content has been removed. Two videos from the first part of this series have since disappeared. They may be found on smaller video hosting websites like Rumble, Bitchute, or Odyssey.

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Related Tale: “The Sordid History of the CIA”;    • The Sordid History of the CIA  
“The 1964 CIA Coup in Brazil”; Tales; November 11, 2021;    • The 1964 CIA Coup in Brazil  
“The CIA, Money Laundering, and Organized Crime w/ Economist Michael Hudson”; Our Hidden History; May 25, 2020;    • The CIA, Money Laundering, and Organized C…  
“The CIA’s Cocaine Corridor”; Tales; November 25, 2021;    • The CIA’s Cocaine Corridor  
“The U.S. Plan to KILL Its Own Citizens: Operation Northwoods”; Forgotten History; May 9, 2025;    • The U.S. Plan to KILL Its Own Citizens: Op…  
“The Empires 2021 Coup in Guinea”; Tales; September 16, 2021;    • The Empire’s 2021 Coup in Guinea  
“Hector Berrellez (Unreleased Full Interview)”; a career DEA agent; djvald; December 24, 2023; this is set to start when he talks about the CIA murder of a DEA agent;    • Hector Berrellez (Unreleased Full Interview)  
“The CIA in Angola”; Tales; February 2, 2023;    • The CIA in Angola  
“Story of a Whistleblower Jailed for Exposing CIA”; Spy Diaries; July 3, 2025;    • Story of a Whistleblower Jailed for Exposi…  
“The 1954 CIA Coup in Guatemala”; Tales; August 4, 2022;    • The 1954 CIA Coup in Guatemala  
“Part 1: Kevin Shipp, CIA Officer Exposes the Shadow Government”; Kevin Shipp; February 19, 2018;    • Part 1:  Kevin Shipp, CIA Officer Exposes …  
“The Empire’s 2009 Coup in Honduras”; Tales; October 29, 2020;    • The Empire’s 2009 Coup in Honduras  
“Max Blumenthal exposes CIA-cartel connections”; The Grayzone; December 10, 2025;    • Max Blumenthal exposes CIA-cartel connections  
Tales’ playlist: “The CIA”;    • The CIA  

February 13, 2026 Posted by | Corruption, Deception, Timeless or most popular, Video | , , | Leave a comment

Col Doug Macgregor: America’s Back to ENDLESS WARS

Daniel Davis / Deep Dive – February 11, 2026

Col Douglas Macgregor argues that Trump ran on ending “endless wars” and prioritizing America First, yet instead presides over a massive, unaccountable $1.5 trillion defense budget and a widening set of military confrontations. Rather than reducing foreign interventions, U.S. policy is escalating tensions—especially with Iran and Russia—while failing to end the war in Ukraine.

They criticize U.S. seizures of Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil tankers as symbolic, economically trivial, and strategically pointless actions that risk provoking Russia without meaningfully weakening its war effort. These moves are framed more as political theater and economic self-interest (boosting U.S. oil exports) than serious strategy.

The discussion rejects claims—circulating in European media and think tanks—that Russia would quickly attack NATO or the Baltics after a Ukraine ceasefire, calling such scenarios absurd fear-mongering designed to justify perpetual conflict and sustain Cold War–era institutions. The argument is that Russia lacks both the interest and incentive to expand westward and would prefer normalized economic relations.

Overall, the segment contends that Washington, European leaders, and influential think tanks are more invested in maintaining hostility and ongoing wars than in pursuing negotiated settlements. Trump’s instincts may lean toward ending conflicts, the speaker concludes, but he has failed to act decisively, allowing wars and tensions to continue despite campaign promises to the contrary.

February 12, 2026 Posted by | Militarism, Video | , , , | Leave a comment

Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘one single cause’: Israel

The Take | Al Jazeera | February 10, 2026

What do we know about Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to Israel? We talk with Craig Mokhiber, who spent decades inside the UN system, about what millions of newly released files reveal about Epstein’s effort to reshape the Middle East in Israel’s favor, why this story remains underreported, and what it means for how power operates globally.

In this episode:

Craig Mokhiber (@craigmokhiber), Human Rights Lawyer and Former UN Official

View on Rumble

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé, Chloe K. Li, and Tamara Khandaker, with Melanie Marich, Maya Hamadeh, Tuleen Barakat, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhemm. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

February 11, 2026 Posted by | Deception, Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Illegal Occupation, Video | , , , , , | Leave a comment

China’s new canal, Baltimore’s new bridge, and NYC’s wheelchair ramps: The GDP problem

Inside China Business | February 10, 2026
Purchasing Power Parity is a tool to standardize GDP measures across economies, to account for large differences in cost in different countries. China is opening a new $10 billion canal, that will transform trade routes in Southeast Asia. The project includes 27 new bridges, and capacity for 5,000-ton cargo vessels that will dramatically cut shipping times and costs for China’s interior provinces. Closing scene, Wuhan
Resources and links:
How China built a giant modern canal in just four years https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-02-02…
China has plans for grand canals https://www.economist.com/china/2022/…
Are we measuring China’s GDP wrong?    • Are we measuring China’s GDP wrong?  
Maryland officials release timeline, cost estimate, for rebuilding bridge https://apnews.com/article/baltimore-…
Maryland more than doubles cost estimate on rebuilding collapsed Baltimore bridge https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/…
China nears opening of $10 billion canal, linking heartland to Southeast Asia https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-ec…
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Network https://www.nyc.gov/site/mopd/publica…

February 10, 2026 Posted by | Economics, Video | , | Leave a comment

What is AZAPAC? Why is it important?

If Americans Knew | February 6, 2026

AZAPAC Founder Wants to “De-Zionize” The U.S. Government.

Author Michael D. Rectenwald is the founder of AZAPAC (The Anti-Zionist America PAC). Ana Kasparian interviews him on The Young Turks.

See the entire interview here:    • AZAPAC Founder Wants to “De-Zionize” The U…  

Read more here: https://www.aza-pac.com/

“Zionism has taken over the U.S. government, as the constant subservience to Israel in word and deed makes eminently clear. Opposing Zionism in America means ridding the government of Zionists who serve Israel over the United States. This demands, among other measures, confronting and competing with entrenched lobbies like AIPAC, CUFI, and J-Street. These groups bend U.S. policy to favor foreign agendas. Zionist influence drains American resources, undermines U.S. sovereignty, and runs counter to the interests of the American people.”

Join AZAPAC, IAK, and the many other orgs in the VAB coalition.

It’s time to hold our elected officials accountable and make them stop sending our tax money to Israel!

Sign the pledge. Share the pledge: https://votersagainstbillions.org/

February 8, 2026 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Video, Wars for Israel | , | Leave a comment

General Harald Kujat: NATO’s Attempt to Defeat Russia Destroys Ukraine

Glenn Diesen | February 6, 2026

General Harald Kujat is a former head of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) and the former Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee. Having held the top military position in both Germany and NATO, General Kujat offers his expertise on how the West and Russia ended up fighting a proxy war in Ukraine. General Kujat warns that NATO’s obsession with defeating Russia will result in the destruction of Ukraine.

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February 7, 2026 Posted by | Militarism, Video | , , | Leave a comment

I might get killed for posting this

Harrison H. Smith | February 3, 2026

February 6, 2026 Posted by | Full Spectrum Dominance, Video | | Leave a comment

China’s top universities are opening to foreign students. That’s a big problem for US schools.

Inside China Business | February 4, 2026

Chinese universities dominate the global rankings in hard sciences, Engineering, and Computer Science. Many of them now accept international students, and are marketing their schools in foreign countries. US schools already face serious financial challenges, from the steep decline in international student enrollment. Foreign families typically pay full tuition and room and board, and American colleges rely on those higher fees. Chinese universities pose an existential problem, going forward. They are qualitatively superior, even in Western surveys. And the over cost of attendance is a mere tenth of going to a top American program. Closing scene, Shanghai Container Port

Resources and links: Mapped: How China Overtook the U.S. in Global Trade (2000–2024) https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/h…

Fewer international students are enrolling at U.S. colleges, which could cost the country $1 billion, reports find https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/30/inter…

The College Conundrum: Chasing International Students And Full-Pay Families https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottwhi…

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) https://stubard.com/blog/admission/be…

Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) https://apply.china-admissions.com/un…

Best Global Universities for Engineering https://www.usnews.com/education/best…

Best Global Universities for Computer Science https://www.usnews.com/education/best…

International college students bring billions to the US. Here’s why that may change. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/e…

U.S. Economy Could Suffer a $7 Billion Loss from Precipitous Drop in International Students https://www.nafsa.org/about/about-naf…

February 5, 2026 Posted by | Economics, Video | , | Leave a comment

Douglas Macgregor: Russia, China & Iran Seek to Contain U.S. Military

Glenn Diesen | February 4, 2026

Douglas Macgregor is a retired Colonel, combat veteran and former senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Col. Macgregor explains how the military adventures of the U.S. are incentivising greater military cooperation between Russia, China and Iran.

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February 4, 2026 Posted by | Militarism, Video, Wars for Israel | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment