Iran Regime Change Tout Spews NSFW, Misogynistic Abuse When Asked Merely to Stop Spamming

It’s revealing, and never in a great way, when those that attempt to wrap themselves within the mantle of peace, right here calling for violent change of a democratically elected authorities in Iran¹ by way of “peaceable protests.”, present their appreciable hatred, and pronto too.

The difficulty at hand was a media marketing campaign to advertise rallies held in a number of cities on February 14 by the Iranian diaspora calling for modifications in Iran which might necessitate the removing of the present authorities. In case you doubt the purpose, the son of the previous Shah, Reza Pahlavi, held up because the potential chief of a brand new authorities in Iran, was the shifting pressure behind these demonstrations and spoke on the one in Munich.

I’m publicizing an change over my request to cease being spammed with one of many promoters of this effort, as licensed by the sender Brett Raad,² to indicate the abject hypocrisy of Iran regime change advocates and their incapacity to defend their trigger. Any consultant who behaves this badly deserves to be referred to as out.

One would possibly marvel why I trouble responding spam messages to ask merely to cease being spammed. In truth, yours really will get tons of spam, from phishing messages to weird e-mails asking for worth quotes and specs on companies completely distant from something now we have ever completed, to pitches for numerous enterprise companies like payroll companies, to varied types of PR, together with political activism. A number of the latter two classes aren’t spam underneath the US CAN-SPAM Act by advantage of getting the required handle of the sender and an unsubscribe hyperlink.

Curiously, probably the most skilled unsolicited messages, that are additionally those which are occasionally helpful (from publicists on a subject of curiosity) nearly all the time have an unsubscribe choice and I fortunately unsubscribe. For the remainder within the latter two classes, when I’ve time (as on solely often) and it seems as if the message got here from a bona fide handle, I ship numerous kinds of “go away” replies, utilizing a finely gradated hierarchy of tartness primarily based on how lame the e-mail was.³

On this case, the type of this supposed media outreach was off the charts novice hour and counterproductive in different methods. One factor that set my enamel on edge was the way in which the promoters repeatedly uncovered the e-mail addresses of all of the recipients.⁴ The lists clearly overlapped closely, given the ADHD degree of frequency with which I obtained them.⁵

There have been 5 completely different message sorts even then with excessive commonality of textual content, from 20 completely different names and e-mail addresses.⁶ However even with a sort, some had typos others corrected; there have been additionally variations in formatting for messages of frequent content material.

7 out of 10 Individuals already oppose US navy motion in Iran over the protest crackdown in early January. Persistent rudeness to lowly normal media group inbox managers and extra senior writers by larding up their inboxes with repetitive messages goes to show them off. And that’s earlier than attending to different clown-show components, like sending messages soliciting protection of the rallies after that they had occurred, or asking for media consideration to them after the very fact, however nonetheless containing textual content asking for reporters to attend.

In different phrases, if these organizers/promoters thought their trigger was essential, their lack of professionalism, discourtesy, and disorganization mentioned the reverse.

Now to the forwards and backwards:

From: Yves Smith
Topic: STOP SPAMMING ME
Date: February 14, 2026 at 1:15:12 PM
To: Brett Raad

Your message makes a number of violation of the CAN-SPAM Act, ,which supplies for fines up as much as $16,000 per e-mail per recipient.

As well as, it’s extremely unprofessional by way of exposing the e-mail addresses of recipients.

From: Brett Raad
Topic: Re: STOP SPAMMING ME
Date: February 14, 2026 at 1:26:39 PM
To: Yves Smith

Come eat me 🍆

From: Yves Smith
Topic: Re: STOP SPAMMING ME
Date: February 14, 2026 at 2:30:41 PM
To: Brett Raad

Oh, you need me to publicize that that is how Iran regime change publicists function, that you’re regulation breakers, rank amateurs and assholes? What a very good look.

From: Brett Raad
Topic: Re: STOP SPAMMING ME
Date: February 14, 2026 at 2:45:54 PM
To: Yves Smith

I don’t give the slightest fuck about you or something you stand for, you nugatory bitch. You’re clearly a type of Ayatollah-loving, Hamas-supporting items of trash — typical shitty liberal. Fuck off, and inform your buddies to do the identical.

From: Yves Smith
Topic: Re: STOP SPAMMING ME
Date: February 14, 2026 at 2:49:00 PM
To: Brett Raad

I’ll publish your messages.

You don’t care in any respect about Iranians. You might be both a idiot or a Zionist. As now we have seen in Iraq and Syria and now in Cuba, regime change operations immiserate residents on a mass scale and profit solely the US hegemony and arms markers.

From: Brett Raad
Topic: Re: STOP SPAMMING ME
Date: February 14, 2026 at 3:03:59 PM
To: Yves Smith

Then Publish this one too, I obtained a pleasant one particular to your present state of affairs: Fuck you, you silly fucking cunt motherfucker—choke on a dick and die.

From: Yves Smith
Topic: Re: STOP SPAMMING ME
Date: February 14, 2026 at 3:07:26 PM
To: Brett Raad

You don’t even faux to have a rational case to your Iran regime change assist. Your hysterical response is proof you don’t have any reasoned foundation to your PR.

From: Brett Raad
Topic: Re: STOP SPAMMING ME
Date: February 14, 2026 at 3:15:28 PM
To: Yves Smith

This convo’s getting outdated actual fast. I’m sleepy and also you’re not price staying up for. Discover another person to hit on—I’m out of your league.

From: Yves Smith
Topic: Re: STOP SPAMMING ME
Date: February 14, 2026 at 3:18:48 PM
To: Brett Raad

Oh, I used to be having fun with seeing you proceed to problem unhinged and self-sabotaging messages.

I’m positive my readers will too.

Thoughts you, these promoters not solely haven’t any concern concerning the well-being of Iranians, however in addition they don’t seem to have thought of that a US or Israeli regime change marketing campaign now has the excessive odds of setting off a superpower battle.

For sure, I’m not giving abusers free PR by posting the physique of those messages, or a consultant one. However in step with the amateurism of their course of, so too was the physique of those messages sorely wanting. The senders appeared to imagine that each one they needed to do was successfully say “Iran regime dangerous,” “human rights abuses.” “hurt to protestors, ladies, docs” and that might be taken as gospel. The conventional follow with this type of marketing campaign is to quote authoritative-seeming information tales, organizations, and/or specialists. However it isn’t as if the Reza Pahlevi is a paragon of advantage:

The US press will virtually by no means point out the salient proven fact that Reza Pahlevi’s safety forces, the SAVAK – educated by the US, UK & Israel – tortured many individuals, together with present Iranian chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei!

Think about Trump had been tortured by Iran!

Particulars at hyperlink 👇 pic.twitter.com/BnQngbDZ7L

— Jeffrey Kaye (@jeff_kaye) January 12, 2026

The e-mails additionally tried to argue for the significance of Doing One thing to “Western safety pursuits”. It repeated the trope that Larry Johnson has repeatedly debunked, and apparently has to maintain debunking. From his put up right now, The Massive Lie About Iran’s Help for Terrorism (emphasis authentic):

US policymakers, notably underneath the present Trump administration (as of February 2026), constantly describe Iran because the world’s main or foremost state sponsor of terrorism. This characterization has been a cornerstone of U.S. coverage towards Iran for many years, with Iran designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism by the U.S. State Division since January 19, 1984—the longest-standing designation on the present record (which additionally contains Cuba, North Korea, and Syria).

However what does the info truly present? My outdated workplace — i.e., the Coordinator for Counter Terrorism, which is now often called the Bureau of Counter Terrorism — has printed an annual report on worldwide terrorism since 1990 that was titled, Patterns of World Terrorism… The 1990 report, which was mandated by Congress, coated incidents for 1989. Patterns of World Terrorism was changed by a brand new title, Nation Stories on Terrorism… That annual report covers yearly from 2004 through 2024 (word: the 2025 report is due in April 2026).

Though the State Division’s Statistical Annexes don’t present a selected sectarian breakdown (Sunni vs. Shia vs. different) of terrorist assaults, the overwhelming dominance of Sunni extremist teams within the perpetrator information means that roughly 90% or extra of recognized terrorist assaults between 2004-2023 had been carried out by teams or people with ties to Sunni extremist ideologies, notably Salafi jihadism. Primarily based on the out there information from 2004-2023, roughly 85-95% of terrorist assaults within the State Division studies had been carried out by Sunni extremist teams or people. The highest perpetrator teams every year (Taliban, ISIS, Boko Haram, al-Qaeda associates, al-Shabaab, TTP, and many others.) had been all Sunni. In different phrases, these are teams with no affiliation or assist from Iran. In truth, these teams view Shias, not simply Iran, as heretics and goal them.

Shia teams like Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias are usually not included in these statistics as they primarily goal navy forces (which can be excluded underneath the definition of terrorism used). The Houthi motion (Ansar Allah) in Yemen is the primary Shia-affiliated group showing in latest studies, however represents a small fraction of whole assaults.

A French suppose tank — FONDAPOL — studies comparable outcomes, solely their timeline covers 1979 through 2024. From 1979 to April 2024, the highest 5 deadliest teams had been answerable for 81.8% of all Islamist terrorist assault victims:

Al-Qaeda (14,856 deaths) – Sunni

Taliban (71,965 deaths) – Sunni

Islamic State/ISIS (69,641 deaths) – Sunni

Boko Haram (26,081 deaths) – Sunni

Al-Shabaab (21,784 deaths) – Sunni

Regardless of these details, Israel persists in pushing the lie that Iran represents the most important menace of terrorism. I addressed that lie in my piece printed virtually two years in the past utilizing the info posted by the Israeli Overseas Ministry

Johnson continues by presenting quite a lot of further information, which I encourage you to overview. However this extract alone ought to make the purpose.

The opposite principal geopolitical argument was that Iran was destabilizing the Center East, this after the US campaigns that created destabilizing failed states in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and is backing Israel in wrecking Lebanon. Even oil-rich states which have robust financial pursuits to align with the US and Israel now acknowledge that even they’re in danger.

A brand new YouTube dialogue between Daniel Davis and Trita Parsi of Accountable Statecraft covers Why Arab States Now See Israel — not Iran — because the Area’s Main Destabilizer. And American Conservative in a brand new article, Who’s Afraid of an Iranian Refugee Disaster?. factors out {that a} regime change in Iran would produce but extra chaos by way of mass exodus.

I may say much more, however this group and its mission doesn’t deserve extra consideration.
___

¹ Chas Freeman, the previous ambassador to Saudi Arabia, has argued that Iran has a directed democracy, by which sure subjects are outdoors public dialogue and affect, and that’s not very completely different to the way in which the US operates. So these strains aren’t as tidy as these within the Anglosphere would have you ever imagine.

² I assume not an actual identify however even when so, he requested to have the change posted.

³ Along with calling out my huge pet peeve, the CAN SPAM Act violations by US senders, I’ll add when relevant descriptions of different methods by which the message is unprofessional.

Sure, one can query the deserves of this follow. Nonetheless, I imagine in altruistic punishment, a habits present in all social species. From Nature:

Human cooperation is an evolutionary puzzle. Not like different creatures, folks continuously cooperate with genetically unrelated strangers, usually in giant teams, with folks they’ll by no means meet once more, and when popularity beneficial properties are small or absent. These patterns of cooperation can’t be defined by the nepotistic motives related to the evolutionary idea of kin choice and the egocentric motives related to signalling idea or the idea of reciprocal altruism. Right here we present experimentally that the altruistic punishment of defectors is a key motive for the reason of cooperation. Altruistic punishment signifies that people punish, though the punishment is expensive for them and yields no materials achieve. We present that cooperation prospers if altruistic punishment is feasible, and breaks down whether it is dominated out. The proof signifies that unfavourable feelings in the direction of defectors are the proximate mechanism behind altruistic punishment.

⁴ The addresses had been a mixture of normal inboxes for media organizations plus these of people. One record had 212 names. One had 209. One had 192. The one despatched most frequently had 189. One had 78. One had 79, one 78, and one, 68. After my criticism of this abuse, a only a few stared utilizing a BCC for recipients.

As an instance, taken from the change underneath dialogue:

To: “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” <[email protected]>, “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]” , “[email protected]”

⁵ February 14 4 occasions
February 15 3 occasions
February 16 5 occasions
February 17 10 occasions

⁶ That too seems supposed to cease media organizations to cease the spamming the brute pressure means, by having future messages from the sender filtered to trash. So this bunch was violating not simply the letter but in addition the spirit of the CAN-SPAM Act.