THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 11:30 PM CEST
Is a New Season of Peace Settling in the Mideast?
The pursuit of peace in the Middle East is the most important development in this turbulent region in the past 50 years. Iran, given its geopolitical position, can only play a significant role in ensuring peace in the region by having a democratic government. Let’s believe in the arrival of a new season — one of peace and renewal. A gentle breeze of peace is beginning to blow through the Mideast. Let’s place our hope in the sunflowers that turn their faces toward the sun of peace.
Following a half-century of war and destruction, signs of a new beginning are finally emerging. As U.S. President Donald Trump rightly observed, if the Iranian regime had acquired a nuclear bomb, peace in Gaza would have been impossible.
UPDATE: 5:30 PM CEST
Iran’s Execution Rate Tops 1,000 This Year as Death Row Inmates Launch Hunger Strike
The regime in Iran was described as being on an “unprecedented execution spree” by the United Nations. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said the Islamic Republic of Iran carried out more than 1,000 executions since the start of the year.
With as many as nine executions each day at the time of their report, OHCHR said that victims were primarily accused of murder and drug-related crimes.
In an effort to raise worldwide awareness of their situation, some 1,500 Iranian prisoners on death row in Ward 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison staged a hunger strike on Oct. 13. Among them were 17 members of the Iranian dissident organization Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK).
UPDATE: 3:30 PM CEST
Iranian Kurdish Dissident Shot Dead in Turkey’s Istanbul: Reports
An Iranian Kurdish dissident was shot dead while walking home in Istanbul, Turkish media reported on Wednesday, in what rights groups described as a political assassination.
Masoud Nazari — known for his criticism of Iran‘s clerical establishment and military, was attacked by an unidentified gunman in the Arnavutkoy district at around 1730 GMT on Tuesday, according to the private DHA news agency. The assailant fled the scene.
Nazari sustained serious injuries and later died in hospital, the reports said.
He had moved to Istanbul a decade ago due to his opposition to the Islamic republic, said the Haalvsh rights group, which is based outside Iran and specialises in issues of the country’s Sunni minority, and the Norway-based Hengaw, which focuses on Iranian Kurds.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Reaffirms Commitment to State Monopoly of Arms
The Lebanese government is committed to bringing all weapons under state authority, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Monday, Anadolu reports.
“The government will proceed with implementing its decision to ensure that weapons are solely in the hands of the state across all Lebanese territory,” Salam said during a meeting in Beirut with Arab Parliament Speaker Mohamed Ahmed Al-Yamahi.
“Strengthening state sovereignty is one of the fundamental pillars of Lebanon’s stability,” he added.
Talks between the two sides dwelt on developments in Lebanon and the region, and ways to support Lebanese institutions, according to a statement from Salam’s office.
The premier said Lebanon’s stability “is no longer only a Lebanese need, but a collective Arab necessity in light of regional challenges.”
New Zealand To Re-Impose Sanctions on Iran
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced New Zealand will re-impose sanctions on Iran in line with the United Nations.
The UN Sanctions take effect from Saturday and are being imposed as a result of Iran not complying with the terms of the internationally-recognised nuclear deal signed in 2015.
They will introduce a range of restrictions including an asset freeze and travel bans for sanctioned persons as well as import and export bans on certain nuclear and military goods.
It will also require New Zealanders to exercise vigilance in dealings with Iran.
Iran: UN Member States Must Urgently Press Authorities to Halt Executions After Horrifying Increase
Ahead of the presentation of the UN Secretary-General’s report on Iran on 16 October 2025 and the combined briefings of the UN Special Rapporteur and the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly on 30 October 2025, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Hussein Baoumi, said: “UN Member states must confront the Iranian authorities’ shocking execution spree with the urgency it demands. More than 1,000 people have already been executed in Iran since the beginning of 2025 – an average of four a day. Since the Woman Life Freedom uprising of 2022, the Iranian authorities have increasingly weaponized the death penalty to instill fear among the population, crush dissent and punish marginalized communities. This year, executions have reached a scale not seen in Iran since 1989.
“The use of the death penalty for drug-related offences continues at a horrifying rate, in blatant breach of Iran’s obligations under international law. Executions are being carried out following grossly unfair trials held behind closed doors, amid widespread patterns of torture and forced ‘confessions’.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CEST
Female Resistance Fighter Speaks Out as She Vows to Not Stop Until ‘Bloodthirsty Regime Is Overthrown’
An Iranian female resistance fighter has said that despite the Ayatollah regime executing her friends for simply writing anti-government slogans, she will ‘not stop until this bloodthirsty regime is overthrown’.
Fattaneh, 38, told the Daily Mail that, as a woman, she has no choice but to fight back against the regime in Iran, which has clung to power since 1979, even if it aggressively cracks down on dissident action.
She said: ‘From the moment we choose to stand up to the regime, we face many dangers, because the regime opposes any form of resistance against it – from writing anti-regime slogans to distributing leaflets.
‘I have had many friends who were arrested, tortured, imprisoned, and even executed just for writing slogans, and who were executed for their steadfastness and commitment.
Conference Held in Church House Condemns Executions of Political Prisoners In Iran
A CALL to halt the execution of 17 political prisoners in Iran was issued at a conference in Church House, Westminster, on Saturday.
The conference marked last Friday’s World Day Against the Death Penalty and was organised by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
A press release from the organisation — a coalition of dissident groups led by the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK), designated a terrorist group in Iran — said that the 17, charged with affiliation with the MEK, were “at grave risk as the regime intensifies its campaign of repression”.
Iran’s Death Row Revolts: Ghezel Hesar Hunger Strike Exposes Regime’s Execution Frenzy and Ignites Nationwide Defiance
From within the dark corridors of the clerical regime’s notorious Ghezel Hesar prison, a powerful cry for life is echoing across Iran and the world. On October 15, 2025, a massive hunger strike by 1,500 death row prisoners in Ward 2 marked its third day. This is an act of defiance against the regime’s machinery of death, turning the very dungeons designed to crush the human spirit into a frontline of resistance. The prisoners are courageously choosing to fight for their lives, exposing the brutality of a regime that rules by the gallows.
The strike was ignited by an inhuman escalation in the regime’s execution spree. The protest began on Saturday, October 13, after prisoners in Ward 2 witnessed 11 of their fellow inmates being transferred to solitary confinement for their imminent executions. This was the final straw in the face of a horrifying wave of killings.
4th Day: Mass Hunger Strike of 1,500 Death Row Prisoners in Qezel Hesar Prison
Approximately 1,500 prisoners sentenced to death in Qezel Hesar Prison near Karaj have entered the fourth day of a collective hunger strike. The protest began on October 12, 2025, in response to a new wave of executions and the transfer of inmates to solitary confinement. Despite pressure, threats, and deteriorating health conditions, the prisoners continue their strike, demanding an immediate halt to all executions and the abolition of the death penalty.
According to verified sources, the hunger strike began after 16 death row prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement for imminent execution. Soon after, chants of ‘No to execution’ echoed through multiple wards, and prisoners collectively refused food. At least eight prisoners were executed during the first two days of the protest, prompting widespread anger and solidarity among other wards. The strike has now expanded to Wards 2, 3, and 4 of Ghezel Hesar, involving even elderly and ill prisoners.
Kafieh Qobadzadeh Executed in Shiraz; Two Women Hanged on Wednesday
On the morning of Wednesday, October 15, 2025, Kafieh Qobadzadeh, a female prisoner, was executed in Shiraz Central Prison, known as Adelabad.
Kafieh Qobadzadeh, originally from Isfahan, had spent seven years on death row. She was only 23 years old at the time of her arrest, accused of killing her husband. Her husband was reportedly violent and constantly suspicious of her, which ultimately led to a confrontation ending in his death.
She was the second woman executed on Wednesday. On that same day, Nahid Hemmati was hanged in Nahavand Prison, located in Hamedan Province.
Since the beginning of the week, three women have been executed in Iran. On Monday, October 13, another woman named Zeinab Khodabandeh was hanged in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan.
Zahra Shahbaz Tabari Held in Limbo for Seven Months in Lakan Prison
More than seven months after the arrest of Zahra Shahbaz Tabari, a 60-year-old resident of Rasht, this political prisoner remains detained in Lakan Prison under uncertain conditions and without trial. Despite her deteriorating physical and mental health, she has been denied access to legal counsel and medical care. In April 2025, security forces raided Zahra Shahbaz Tabari’s home in Rasht, arresting her after a full search of the premises. During the raid, officers confiscated her and her daughter’s electronic and communication devices. The arrest was carried out without a court warrant, and her family was kept in the dark for weeks about her whereabouts and the reason for her detention.
Zahra Shahbaz Tabari faces the vague and politically motivated charge of “propaganda against the State,” an accusation frequently used to suppress political activists, civil society figures, and women’s rights advocates. Despite months of detention, no court hearing has been held, and her lawyer has been denied access to her case file. According to sources close to her family, she suffers from chronic health conditions, and the lack of adequate medical care has seriously endangered her wellbeing.
Public Distrust Deepens as Iran’s Regime Faces Crisis of Legitimacy
In recent years, public distrust toward Iran’s ruling regime has grown to unprecedented levels. This erosion of confidence is rooted in persistent economic mismanagement, disregard for the population’s real demands, violent crackdowns on protests, and a surge in human rights violations and executions. Together, these factors have led to a dramatic decline in political participation and a widening rift between the Iranian people and the state.
According to the state-run Jahan Sanat newspaper, “The relationship between the people and the parliament in Iran has become deeply rift and distrustful due to the disregard for the real demands of society and economic problems.” The paper further emphasized that the current divide “has emerged as a result of public distrust” and represents one of the most pressing sociological issues of the time.
Iran’s Passport Weakens Further as Neighbors Expand Global Travel Freedom
The latest data from the Henley Passport Index highlights a growing divide between Iran and its neighbors in global travel freedom, underscoring the country’s deepening diplomatic and political isolation.
According to the 2025 Henley Passport Index report, the Iranian passport ranks 98th globally, granting visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 41 countries. This places it among the weakest passports in the Middle East and Central Asia—well below almost all of Iran’s neighboring states.
By contrast, the United Arab Emirates continues to dominate the region, ranking 8th in the world with visa-free access to 184 destinations. This makes the UAE passport the most powerful among Islamic nations and a global symbol of diplomatic mobility.
Iran’s Regime Prepares Massive Gasoline Price Hike Despite Public Anger and Economic Strain
A new wave of public concern is rising in Iran as regime officials signal a drastic increase in gasoline prices—potentially up to five times the current rate. The move, which many fear could ignite unrest similar to the deadly protests of November 2019, is being justified by the government as a response to “imbalances” and “sanctions,” even as inflation surpasses 50 percent and household budgets collapse under mounting pressure.
The debate was reignited after Mohammad Mehdi Tabatabaei, Deputy Director of Communications and Information at the Presidential Office, stated in an interview that “gasoline must become more expensive.” Soon after, several members of parliament confirmed that the decision had been finalized and that a major price hike was imminent.
Amir Hossein Sabeti, a Tehran representative, openly criticized the plan in a parliamentary session on Wednesday, October 15. He revealed that the government intends to introduce a “third gasoline price” that would represent a 300 to 500 percent increase compared to current rates. “Now the discussion of triple-price gasoline has become serious,” he said. “Do you want to run the country or mess everything up and put pressure on the people? There are non-price ways to solve the problem.”
More Than 20 Deadly Plots by Iran’s Regime Against Dissidents Discovered by MI5
Ken McCallum, the head of the United Kingdom’s domestic intelligence agency (MI5), announced that the country faces an increasing threat from hostile states such as Russia, China, and Iran’s regime. He said that the agency has tracked more than 20 potentially deadly plots supported by the Iranian regime. On Thursday, October 16, McCallum stated that the number of individuals under investigation for activities related to state threats has increased by 35%, and hostile nations are increasingly resorting to brutal and violent methods usually associated with terrorists.
He said that his agency had disrupted a stream of hostile espionage operations from Russia and had tracked more than 20 potentially deadly plots backed by Iran’s regime.
Rally in Gothenburg Urges End to Iran’s Executions and Freedom for Political Prisoners
Gothenburg, Sweden – October 11, 2025 — Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered in Gothenburg to mark the World Day Against the Death Penalty. The demonstrators condemned the Iranian regime’s ongoing executions and called for the immediate abolition of the death penalty, the release of all political prisoners, and urgent international action to prevent imminent executions.
Rally in Dallas Urges End to Iran’s Executions and Freedom for Political Prisoners
Dallas, Texas – October 12, 2025 — Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered in JFK Plaza to mark the World Day Against the Death Penalty. The demonstrators condemned the Iranian regime’s ongoing executions and called for the immediate abolition of the death penalty, the release of all political prisoners, and urgent international action to prevent imminent executions.
Rally in Vienna Urges End to Iran’s Executions and Freedom for Political Prisoners
Vienna, Austria – October 11, 2025 — Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered in Vienna to mark the World Day Against the Death Penalty. The demonstrators condemned the Iranian regime’s ongoing executions and called for the immediate abolition of the death penalty, the release of all political prisoners, and urgent international action to prevent imminent executions.