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UPDATE: 10:00 PM CET
Deputy Director Of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Alireza Jafarzadeh, Discusses the Ongoing Challenges Posed by the Iranian Regime
Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director, National Council of Resistance of Iran discusses with John Solomon on this Podcast Episode the ongoing challenges posed by the Iranian regime, particularly regarding its funding through proxies and oil sales. Alireza shares insights on the importance of cutting off resources to Iran, the implications of Iraq’s political landscape, and the potential impact of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on Iran’s actions.
UPDATE: 6:00 PM CET
Swedish Foreign Minister Accuses Iran’s Regime of Destabilizing the Region
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard has accused the Iranian regime of being the primary destabilizing force in the region, warning that Tehran’s actions extend beyond the Middle East and pose a security threat to Europe.
Speaking at a foreign policy session in the Swedish Parliament on Tuesday, February 25, Malmer stated that the regime, through its proxy groups, is involved in terrorist activities that endanger Sweden’s security. This marks the first time Sweden has publicly accused Tehran of such actions, signaling a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Her remarks come amid a series of recent security concerns, including the impending deportation of Mohsen Hakimollahi, an Iranian cleric and head of the Imam Ali Islamic Center in Stockholm, which is linked to Tehran’s influence operations in Northern Europe.
UPDATE: 11:00 AM CET
Trump and Macron Unite Against Iran’s Regime, Vow to Block Nuclear Ambitions and Regional Aggression
At a joint press conference on February 24, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed their commitment to preventing Iran’s regime from obtaining nuclear weapons and curbing its destabilizing actions in the region.
Macron stressed that France will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear arms, calling for a coordinated approach with regional partners to counter Tehran’s threats. He also warned about the regime’s ballistic missile program, citing its role in fueling instability across the Middle East.
Trump vowed to restore maximum pressure on Tehran, recalling his first-term sanctions that crippled Iran’s economy and weakened its proxy forces. He criticized past diplomatic efforts, insisting that the only way forward is to hold the Iranian regime accountable through decisive action.
Both leaders emphasized the importance of Western military presence in the Persian Gulf, warning that the regime’s expansionist policies in Syria and Iraq could embolden terrorist groups. Macron reiterated that the West cannot allow Tehran to continue its destabilizing activities unchecked.
With growing concerns over Iran’s nuclear advancements and regional interference, the two leaders signaled a renewed transatlantic effort to confront Tehran’s threats head-on.
Readout of Secretary Hegseth’s Meeting with Saudi Minister of Defense
On Feb. 24, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth received the Saudi Minister of Defense, His Royal Highness (HRH) Khalid bin Salman at the Pentagon, where he reaffirmed the critical defense partnership between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The leaders committed to deepening and broadening that relationship, consistent with both countries’ interests, as an anchor for shared security and prosperity. The Secretary welcomed the Minister’s perspective on a range of bilateral, regional, and global priorities, and confirmed President Trump’s commitment to prevent Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon and to work with partners in eliminating Houthi capabilities that threaten regional security and commerce.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CET
Political Prisoners Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani at Risk of Execution
On Sunday, February 23, 2025, the Supreme Court of Iran’s regime rejected the request for a retrial of the death sentences of political prisoners Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, and thus they are in danger of execution.
Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani were sentenced to death on September 16, 2024, by the executioner Judge Iman Afshari, the head of Branch 26 of the Counter-Revolution Court of Tehran, on charges of “rebellion, waging war against God, corruption on earth, membership in the PMOI, collecting classified information, assembly and collusion against national security, and illegal possession of weapons and ammunition.” These criminal sentences were upheld on January 7, 2025, in the Supreme Court of the Mullahs.
Behrouz Ehsani, 70 years old, who was a political prisoner in the 1980s, was arrested on December 6, 2022, in Tehran and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, where he was tortured.
Iranian Security Forces Destroy Homes of Impoverished People; The Youth Respond
On Saturday, February 22, 2025, Iranian regime’s suppressive State Security Forces destroyed two shops under construction belonging to Baluch citizens in Sarzeh village (Sistan and Baluchestan province), and several homes of impoverished people in Qaleh-Sefid village of Najafabad (Isfahan province). Prior to that, on February 18, the regime’s forces had destroyed homes of impoverished people in Isfahan, Zahedan, Sirjan, and Chabahar.
In response to these anti-popular and inhumane crimes, which are continuously perpetrated by the mullahs and their criminal IRGC guards, on Thursday, February 20, Iran’s rebellious youth struck centers of suppression and looting, centers of fundamentalism and crime, and IRGC bases in various cities.
The Worsening Crisis of Slums and Marginalization in Iran
The Deputy Minister of the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Roads and Urban Development has sounded the alarm over the critical state of slums in major cities, including Tehran, Mashhad, Bandar Abbas, and urban centers in the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan and Khuzestan. According to Abdolreza Golpaygani, CEO of the Urban Regeneration Company, slums have become a serious and widespread issue in Iran, with an estimated 6.5 to 7 percent of the population living on the outskirts of cities. However, some sociologists argue that the actual number is much higher.
Golpaygani highlighted that various factors contribute to the formation of slums. He warned that informal settlements in certain provinces have created a particularly dire situation, with Khorasan Razavi (primarily Mashhad), Sistan and Baluchestan, Hormozgan (Bandar Abbas), Khuzestan, and Tehran experiencing the most severe crises.
Iran’s Regime Prioritizes Lebanon’s Reconstruction While Ignoring Domestic Crises
As Iran’s crumbling schools remain on the verge of collapse, millions suffer from a housing crisis, and vast regions lack basic amenities, officials of the Iranian regime are pushing for reconstruction projects—not in Iran, but in Lebanon. In his latest remarks, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, emphasized the need to initiate rebuilding efforts in Lebanon. This comes at a time when the Iranian regime repeatedly cites budget constraints as an excuse for neglecting critical domestic infrastructure.
One of the most pressing domestic issues in Iran is the dire state of its deteriorating schools. Official statistics indicate that more than 30% of the country’s schools are unsafe, with structural failures leading to fires, roof collapses, and even student injuries and deaths. Despite this urgent need for reconstruction, the Iranian regime refuses to allocate the necessary funds, yet it remains willing to divert billions of tomans to Lebanon’s rebuilding efforts. This is particularly concerning as Lebanon, unlike many Iranian regions, receives significant international financial aid and support from foreign governments.
Imprisoned Teacher Massoumeh Asgari Sentenced to Three Years in Prison
February 24, 2025– Massoumeh Asgari, an imprisoned teacher and political activist, has been sentenced to three years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. The charges against her include “collaboration with anti-regime groups” and “membership in opposition groups.”
Massoumeh Asgari was arrested by security forces in August 2024 and was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison after completing her interrogation in Ward 209.
Asgari, who is the sole breadwinner for her family, has been enduring a series of health issues. She suffers from chronic conditions such as diabetes, kidney and liver problems, and neurological disorders.
Iran’s Negative Agricultural Trade Balance
Reza Nourani, the head of the Iranian regime’s National Union of Agricultural Products, told the state-run ILNA news agency that the country’s agricultural trade balance remains negative this year.
Referring to the 10-month statistics up to January 2025, he stated that agricultural imports have significantly exceeded exports.
According to Nourani, during this 10-month period, approximately 8.356 million tons of agricultural products worth $6.662 billion were exported from the country. In comparison, during the same period last year, exports amounted to approximately 6.834 million tons, valued at $4.946 billion. Therefore, export volume increased by 22%, and its value rose by 34%.
53% Inflation in Imported Goods: Economic Crisis and Governance Failure in Iran
The Iranian regime’s Statistical Center, in its latest report, announced that the prices of imported goods increased by 53.8% in the four quarters leading up to autumn 2024 compared to the same period the previous year. This figure, which reflects an unprecedented rise in inflation in the imported goods sector, is yet another clear indication of the economic crisis and the failure of the Iranian regime’s economic management.
According to this report, the overall price index for imported goods reached 827.2 in autumn 2024, marking a 15.1% increase compared to the previous quarter and a 64.8% rise compared to the same season last year. This surge in prices has occurred despite repeated claims by the government that it has control over the market, yet economic realities contradict these assertions.
Iran’s Power Outage Crisis and Its Impact on Industry and Employment
Frequent power and gas outages in Fars province, like in other provinces of Iran, have created serious challenges for producers and workers, especially in the industrial sector.
What was previously an issue during summer has now extended into winter, leading to factory shutdowns and workforce reductions. According to the state-run ILNA news agency, power outages have forced many industries—especially energy-dependent sectors such as steel, petrochemicals, cement, and food production—to partially or completely halt their production lines.
Iran Executes at Least 14 Prisoners in Multiple Prisons
Over the past week, Iranian authorities have carried out a wave of executions across multiple prisons in the country, executing at least 14 prisoners. The executions took place in prisons in Ahvaz (Sepidar), Kerman, Qorveh, Gonbad-e Kavus, Qezel-Hesar, Birjand, Bushehr, Mahabad, and Isfahan. On Thursday, February 20, 2025, authorities executed Babak Hajipour in Sepidar Prison, located in Ahvaz. The 49-year-old man, a native of Masjed Soleyman, was initially arrested in 1994 on murder charges but was acquitted and released after four years. However, he was re-arrested for the same case in 2014 and ultimately sentenced to death.
On Tuesday, February 18, 2025, Yousef Kovaroui was executed in Kerman Prison. He had been arrested four years ago on murder charges.
Salar Taher Afshar: Arbitrary Arrest, Family Unaware, and Issuance of Summons for Conviction
In an incident that raised human rights concerns, Salar Taher Afshar, a young protester from Urmia, was arrested at his workplace on February 17, 2025, by the Urmia Intelligence forces. According to the obtained information, he was transferred without any explanation or prior notice from the authorities—first to an undisclosed location and then to the Tabriz Intelligence Office. Afshar’s family was unaware of his arrest and transfer, and they now find themselves in a state of confusion and deep worry.
Three days after his arrest, his family received an official notice stating that he must report to the Execution Department of Criminal Sentences at the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Region 33 in Tehran to serve a five‐year prison sentence at Evin Prison. It is noteworthy that this sentence was issued in a case where he was charged with “conspiracy and collusion against national security” and follows an earlier conviction in which he received a six‐month custodial sentence for performing politically charged rap music.
Prolonged Uncertainty and 28 Months of Detention for Political Prisoner Jasem Moghaddam
Political prisoner Jasem Moghaddam remains in detention despite completing his sentence in September 2024. While his first case has been closed, his second case remains unaddressed after four months of uncertainty.
His new case was initiated by the IRGC Intelligence Organization, accusing him of supporting opposition media outlets. Moghaddam has denied these charges, but his case has been referred to the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court.
Jasem Moghaddam was arrested by security forces in Ahvaz on October 20, 2022, and taken to the 30-Metri Lashgarabad police station. During interrogation, he was subjected to severe torture and beatings, resulting in a broken nose and injuries around his eyes and eyebrows.
MEK Supporters in Stockholm Protest Executions, Call for Closure of Iran’s Embassy
Stockholm, Sweden – February 22, 2025: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in front of the Foreign Ministry. They condemned the death sentences of political prisoners affiliated with the PMOI, particularly Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, who face imminent execution. Protesters also called for the immediate release of all political prisoners.
Gothenburg Rally Highlights Human Rights Violations in Iran and Honors Alireza Madanchi’s Legacy
