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UPDATE: 3:30 PM CET
UK Should Back Tough Trump Sanctions on Iran, Report Says
The UK should back Donald Trump’s expected maximum economic sanctions against Iran as part of an effort to encourage nationals to end their support for the current regime in Tehran, Mark Sedwill, the former cabinet secretary, argues in a report published on Monday. He writes: “It is not for the West, let alone the UK, to determine who rules Iran. That is for the Iranian people. But we can make clear that the right choice will bring benefits just as the wrong one will bring more of the same.”
He suggests in a foreword to a Policy Exchange pamphlet that the UK should show leadership against Iran by backing what he regards as Trump’s likely policy of a return to maximum economic sanctions against the regime.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CET
Iran at A Crossroads: Advocating Resistance and Democracy in 2025
On Saturday, January 11, a conference on a new policy toward the Iranian regime was held in Paris. The speakers highlighted the devastating consequences of appeasing the mullahs’ regime and emphasized the necessity of supporting the Iranian people and their resistance as a crucial part of a sound policy. At the start of the conference, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), stated, “Today, the balance of power in the region has shifted against the regime. The foundation of the mullahs’ blackmail diplomacy on the international stage and their efforts to preserve the policy of appeasement have largely decreased… Khamenei and his IRGC were unable to preserve the Syrian dictatorship, and they certainly cannot preserve their regime in the face of organized resistance and uprising. The regime will be overthrown… Unfortunately, over the past three decades, when the regime was on the brink, Western governments sided with the mullahs… This policy led to the spread of fundamentalism and warmongering in the region, under Tehran’s direction. It also encouraged the mullahs to pursue their nuclear weapons program.”
Removing Zero from Iran’s National Currency: Economic Stability or A Showy Act?
Under the corrupt rule of the mullahs, Iran’s economy is facing deep, complex, and worsening challenges, including chronic inflation and the sharp devaluation of the rial to the rising growth of liquidity. These factors have severely weakened the national currency and reduced the purchasing power of the people. In such circumstances, the government’s proposal to remove zeros from the national currency, which is celebrated by the administration, raises this question: Can this policy be an effective solution to the economic crisis, or is it merely a superficial, hollow action and deceptive propaganda?
In the complex world of modern economies, currency is recognized as a symbol of stability and trust in financial systems. When the value of a national currency declines due to overwhelming inflation and economic instability, governments seek solutions to restore confidence and stability to their monetary unit. The policy of removing zeros from the national currency is one such solution that has been employed by various countries throughout history.
Examining Iran’s Misery Index: A Stark Reality of Poverty and Inflation
A closer look at the misery index across Iran’s provinces reveals alarming disparities in economic and social well-being. With rampant inflation and a decline in purchasing power, at least 15 provinces experience misery index levels above the national average, highlighting the severe impact of poverty and unemployment on millions of Iranians. According to the latest reports from Iran’s Statistics Center, Ardabil province recorded the highest misery index in the country during the fall of 2024, standing at 45.3 points. This figure stems from an inflation rate of 35.2% in December and an unemployment rate of 10.1%. Such conditions reflect the dire state of welfare and livelihoods for Ardabil’s residents. Similarly, Khuzestan and Kerman provinces followed closely, with misery index levels of 44.1 and 43.5, respectively, placing them among the provinces with the worst living conditions.
Age of Smoking in Iran Drops to 9 Years
According to Mohammadreza Sohrabi, Deputy of Health at Beheshti University, the age of smoking initiation in Iran has dropped to 9 years. He emphasized that the younger a person starts smoking, the harder it becomes to quit.
The state-run Mehr News Agency quoted Sohrabi as saying, “The worrying statistic is the rising prevalence of smoking among women. In 2016, the smoking rate among women was 2.4%, and by 2021, it had increased to 4.2%.”
Sohrabi stressed that 20 years have passed since the enactment of the anti-smoking law, and there is a need for legal reforms in this area.
Iran’s Power Plants Waste $30 Billion in Fuel Amid Energy Crisis
Malek Shariati, a member of the Energy Commission of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament) has reported that Iran’s power plants consume $30 billion worth of fuel annually due to their low efficiency.
Malek Shariati told Mehr News Agency on Saturday, January 11, that the efficiency of Iran’s power plants is very low, around 37%, which results in the wastage of a massive amount of fuel.
More than 90% of Iran’s electricity is generated from thermal power plants that run on natural gas, fuel oil, diesel, and coal. Last year, Iran’s power plants consumed approximately 84 billion cubic meters of natural gas, 10 billion liters of diesel, 6 billion liters of fuel oil, and some coal.
MEK Supporters Organize Exhibition in Paris to Denounce Human Rights Violations by Iran’s Regime
Paris, France – January 10, 2025: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized an exhibition featuring photographs and books. The event aimed to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution and denounce the regime’s escalating use of executions.