THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 1:00 PM CET
Iranian Oil Tankers Using Forged Iraqi Documents, Iraqi Oil Minister Says
BAGHDAD, March 24 (Reuters) – Iraq’s oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani has said Iranian oil tankers seized by U.S. forces in the Gulf were using forged Iraqi documents.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has restored “maximum pressure” on Iran, reviving a policy that seeks to isolate the country from the global economy and eliminate its oil export revenue in order to slow Tehran’s development of a nuclear weapon.
Abdel-Ghani was asked if he had received messages from the United States over the possibility that state oil marketer SOMO could be subject to sanctions itself over the violation of Iranian sanctions.
UPDATE: 12:00 PM CET
Congress Probes Princeton University Over Professor’s Alleged Ties to Iranian Regime
The influential House Committee of Education and the Workforce on Thursday launched an investigation into the role of a former Iranian official, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, at Princeton University. It is claimed that he is suspected of advancing the interests of Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism.
Twelve Republican committee members sent a letter to Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber with detailed questions about the influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran via Mousavian’s activities on the campus of the New Jersey-based Ivy League institution.
Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., who along with Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., spearheaded the letter to Princeton, told Fox News Digital “Higher education has bowed down to the radical left and enemies of America for far too long, and the mere fact that a former member of the Iranian regime is given a platform at Princeton is proof.”
UPDATE: 10:00 AM CET
Iran Regime’s Hostage Diplomacy and Attack On It’s Opposition
Recently, reports emerged that Olivier Grondeau, a French citizen, had been liberated from captivity in Iran, having endured nearly half of a five-year sentence levied on him by the Iranian regime ’s-controlled judiciary.
While Grondeau’s release is a welcome event in its own right, it casts light on a persistent and troubling pattern of hostage-taking by the clerical regime. This practice shows no signs of abating or nearing a genuine resolution.
The issue is more significant than a mere humanitarian concern since it is intertwined with the policy on Iran in general and the attitude towards the opposition in particular.
A Year Of Setbacks: How Iran’s Regime Lost Ground In 1403
As Iran marks Nowruz 1404, it faces a critical juncture, marked by severe political instability and escalating challenges to the mullahs’ regime ruling the country. The past Persian year, 1403, witnessed profound setbacks for the Iranian regime, deeply undermining its political legitimacy, economic stability, and regional influence. The regime, reliant on coercion, ideological control, and regional interference, encountered unprecedented crises, signaling a significant erosion of its authority both domestically and internationally.
The year began under the lingering shadow of the revolutionary uprisings of 1401, which had already dealt significant blows to the regime’s authority. Regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s earlier strategy, epitomized by his 2019 “Second Step of the Revolution” manifesto, promoted a systematic effort to purge the political and administrative structure of any voices perceived as insufficiently loyal to the ideological foundations of the theocracy.
Khamenei Sets His Eyes on What Little Is Left of Iranian People’s Wealth
The crushing crisis of livelihood and the unbridled inflation in Iran has pushed people’s lives into severe hardship. This pressure has become so intense that regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei was forced to make a confession on March 20, 2025, the first day of the new Persian calendar year. He admitted that “economic problems have engulfed the people,” and the annual tradition of naming the new year with grand slogans turned into a farce. Khamenei said, “The slogan we gave last year… was not fulfilled.”
These confessions are obvious to the people who feel the burden of rising prices in their daily lives. Even the regime’s official media and news agencies are forced daily to reflect glimpses of this inflationary monster with headlines like: “The Market Under the Boot of Inflation,” “Soaring Prices and Empty-Handed People,” “People Struggling with Price Hikes Before the New Year,” “Inflation Rampant,” and “Market Stagnation Amid Crowds Without Buyers.” They warn about a new wave of inflation in the coming year, with headlines like “Tighten Your Belts!” (Khabar Online).
Khamenei’s False Pretense of Non-Interference in Iran’s Economic Crisis
The recent statement by Iran regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, asserting that he does not interfere in the government’s economic planning, has sparked widespread reactions.
This declaration stands in stark contrast to his extensive history of direct involvement in economic decisions—ranging from banning South Korean household appliance imports to implementing adventurous, sanctions-inducing policies. At a time when the country’s economy is nearing bankruptcy, Khamenei appears to be distancing himself from the crisis, attempting to absolve himself of responsibility.
The West Must End Its Shameful Appeasement of the Iranian Regime
The Iranian regime is on the brink of collapse. Every day, it faces widespread protests, outraged citizens, and public discontent over rampant corruption, injustice, and brutal repression. How does the clerical regime respond to these grievances? With daily executions, savage torture, arbitrary imprisonment, and widespread oppression. This is the grim reality of Iran under the rule of the mullahs. Yet, despite the regime’s deteriorating situation, Western governments persist in their failed policy of appeasement. While the theocracy in Tehran is imploding from within, the West continues to offer lifelines through concessions and blackmail payments instead of standing in solidarity with the Iranian people and their organized resistance.
Increased Pressure on Mahnaz Tarrah in Evin Prison: Leave Request and Appeal Rejected
Mahnaz Tarrah, a political activist imprisoned in Evin Prison, continues to face mounting pressure from security forces as she enters her 16th month of incarceration. Her request for temporary leave was recently denied following intervention by the IRGC Intelligence Organization.
The Supreme Court rejected her request for a retrial in January 2025. Earlier, in November 2024, the IRGC Intelligence Organization had also opposed her request for conditional release.
Mahnaz Tarrah was violently arrested by security forces on November 13, 2023, in the streets of Tehran. She was initially held in the Ministry of Intelligence detention center, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison, before being transferred to the women’s ward on December 3, 2023.
Kobra Taherkhani, A Teachers’ Union Activist, Sentenced to Three Years in Prison
Kobra Taherkhani, a school principal and teachers’ union activist in Qazvin, has been sentenced to three years in prison and a three-year travel ban by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Qazvin. The verdict, issued in March 2025, is based on charges of “insulting Khamenei” and “propaganda against the state.”
The alleged offenses include posts on her Instagram account and a report linked to the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC in Qazvin.
Kobra Taherkhani was previously arrested in December 2024 at her home by IRGC intelligence forces.
The Ongoing Electricity Crisis in Iran
As the Iranian regime continues to struggle with the challenge of supplying electricity, Abbas Aliabadi, the regime’s Minister of Energy, called on the public to invest in Iran’s electricity industry projects as a way to escape the power crisis.
On Saturday, March 22, Aliabadi referred to the Iranian New Year’s theme designated by Ali Khamenei, the regime’s Supreme Leader, as the “Year of Investment for Production.” He stated that the Ministry of Energy is implementing “a specific program to attract small-scale public investments alongside large-scale investments.”
He added that with the establishment of an investment fund in the electricity industry, people will be able to participate in implementing electricity projects, including “major and strategic renewable energy projects,” by purchasing shares in the fund.
Paris Exhibition Sheds Light on Iran’s Human Rights Violations and Resistance Movement
Paris, March 22, 2025 – Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized an exhibition in Paris to expose the Iranian regime’s worsening human rights abuses and express solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution.