THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 7:30 PM CEST
Trump Envoy Demands Iran Eliminate Nuclear Programme in Apparent U-Turn
Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has announced Iran must totally eliminate its nuclear programme, seeming to reverse the policy he had articulated on Fox News only 12 hours earlier that would have allowed Iran to enrich uranium at a low level for civilian use. The switch to a more hardline policy is likely to make it much harder for the US to reach a negotiated agreement with Tehran, bringing back the threat of an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites.
In a further switch, it was agreed that the next round of indirect US-Iran talks, due to start on Saturday, will continue to be in Oman and the venue would not switch to Italy as proposed by the US.
In a statement posted to social media on Tuesday Witkoff said: “A deal with Iran will only be completed if it is a Trump deal. Any final arrangement must set in place a framework for peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East – meaning that Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponisation program. It is imperative for the world that we create a tough fair deal that will endure, and that is what President Trump has asked me to do.”
UPDATE: 1:30 PM CEST
Iran Is Playing for Time in the US Nuclear Talks
Over the weekend, the US and Iran held opening talks in Oman on Teheran’s nuclear programme. With the first round concluded, the Iranian regime’s position on the negotiations is becoming clearer. The Islamic regime, which prides itself on its strategic patience, intends to buy time while avoiding any major and irreversible concessions. Whether Donald Trump’s administration will prove willing to accommodate Iran’s demands is another matter entirely.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ismail Baqaei said on Sunday that Iran would refuse to discuss anything other than the nuclear programme in the talks. Tehran, Baqaei said, ‘will not have any talks with the American side on any other issue.’
One of the major criticisms of the 2015 nuclear deal (known as the JCPOA) negotiated by Barack Obama’s administration was that it failed to address other aspects of Iran’s drive for regional hegemony. Specifically, the Iranian ballistic missile program and Tehran’s support for an array of proxy political-military organisations across the Middle East were left out of the discussion.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CEST
UK Sanctions Swedish-Based Iranian Criminal Network Over Plots in Europe
LONDON, April 14 (Reuters) – The British government on Monday sanctioned what it said was a Swedish-based Iranian criminal network and its leader, citing the group’s role in attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets across Europe.
Britain imposed an asset freeze on the group known as “Foxtrot Network” and an asset freeze and travel ban on Rawa Majid, who the government said was in charge of the network.
“The UK has targeted this criminal network and its leader, Rawa Majid, due to their involvement in violence against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime. The UK will not tolerate these threats,” Foreign Minister David Lammy said in an emailed statement.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CEST
Congresswoman Tenney Leads Letter Praising President Trump’s Commitment to Countering Iran’s Nuclear Proliferation
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today led eight of her colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump, commending his efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The letter also expresses support for the President’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 and the renewed Maximum Pressure Campaign against Iran.
Additional signers of the letter include Representatives Derek Schmidt (KS-2), Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Rudy Yakym (IN-2), Abraham Hamadeh (AZ-08), Burgess Owens (UT-4), Michael Baumgartner (WA-5), Mike Bost (IL-12), and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1).
This letter comes as the Trump administration prepares to engage in nuclear talks with Iran over the weekend of April 12, 2025. It reaffirms Congressional support for the President’s position that Iran can never be allowed to acquire or continue developing nuclear weapons.
Khamenei’s “Maximum Readiness” Rhetoric: A Hollow Display Amid Secret Talks with the U.S.
Amid negotiations with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program, the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appeared before top commanders of his armed forces on April 14, 2025, calling for “maximum readiness” and praising what he described as “unparalleled national progress.” But behind the theatrical tone of defiance lies a regime shaken by international pressure, economic collapse, and growing internal dissent.
Khamenei’s speech, published on his official website, reflects a clear contradiction between reality and rhetoric. While claiming that “the enemies are frustrated by the Islamic Republic’s advancements,” he simultaneously admitted to “serious problems in the country’s economic sectors”—a rare acknowledgment of the dire domestic conditions crippling the regime’s foundations.
U.S. Senator Cory Booker: “You Are Not Alone—We Will Bend the Arc Toward Justice”
On April 8, 2025 in Washington D.C., in a powerful show of bipartisan resolve, senior U.S. lawmakers, military leaders, and national security experts gathered in the U.S. Senate for a high-level policy luncheon titled “Iran Policy.” The event highlighted growing congressional support for the Iranian people’s right to resist dictatorship and marked the formal introduction of Senate Resolution 145, co-sponsored by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), recognizing the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and assembly and legal political activities and the protection of residents of Ashraf 3, home to the organized Iranian Resistance in Albania.
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen: “The Iranian Regime Is Weaker Than It Has Been in Decades”
On April 8, 2025, in Washington, D.C., in a powerful show of bipartisan support for the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom, senior U.S. lawmakers, diplomats, and national security experts convened on Capitol Hill for a high-level policy luncheon titled “Iran Policy.” The event marked the formal unveiling of Senate Resolution 145, introduced by Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), recognizing the rights of the Iranian Resistance and affirming support for the residents of Ashraf 3 in Albania.
Zahedan Resistance Sparks a Bold Cry for Freedom in Iran
In a striking display of defiance, the PMOI (People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran) Resistance Units in Zahedan have launched a wave of anti-regime activities, challenging the authority of the Islamic Republic despite an environment saturated with surveillance and repression. Operating under the watchful eye of the regime’s Revolutionary Guard and Ministry of Intelligence, these activists distributed leaflets and emblazoned city walls with powerful slogans rejecting both theocracy and monarchy.
Their actions, carried out amid intense security pressure, reflect not only boldness but a growing determination among Iran’s youth and marginalized communities to demand sweeping change. The Resistance Units’ slogans—such as “Neither Mullahs nor Shah — But Freedom and a Democratic Republic”—resonated deeply, speaking to a broader national desire to break free from all forms of dictatorship.
The Iranian Regime’s Desperate Justification for Executions Exposes Its Fear, Not Its Strength
In yet another attempt to whitewash its crimes against political dissenters, the Iranian regime has issued a 12-page report to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in a futile bid to justify the death sentences of two political prisoners: Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani. Cloaked in legal jargon, the report is nothing more than a desperate effort to legitimize state-sanctioned murder and suppress voices of resistance.
Both Hassani and Ehsani are political activists whose only “crime” is their unyielding commitment to freedom and justice. The charges against them—ranging from “membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)” to “shouting anti-regime slogans” and “sending videos to opposition media”—read less like legitimate legal accusations and more like a paranoid regime’s checklist for silencing dissent.
Selling Hair to Survive: How Poverty Drives Iranian Women to Sell Their Hair
In today’s Iran, poverty has pushed countless women—especially heads of households and students—into desperate measures to survive. One of the more heartbreaking yet growing trends is the sale of natural hair.
While once a symbol of beauty and personal identity, long and healthy hair has now become a commodity. The hair trade is booming, not as a fashion choice but as a silent indicator of economic despair. Beneath the glitz of beauty salons and social media advertisements lies a grim reality: Iranian women are selling their hair to put food on the table.
The Exchange Rate for Importing Medical Equipment in Iran Increased Sevenfold
Amid reports of a new wave of rising healthcare costs in Iran, Mehdi Pirsalehi, head of the regime’s Food and Drug Administration, announced that starting this year (which began on March 21), the 42,000-rial exchange rate per US dollar for importing medical equipment has been eliminated. This decision effectively means a sevenfold increase in the exchange rate used for importing medical equipment. It is worth noting that the current market rate for one US dollar in Iran is approximately 1,050,000 rials.
On Sunday, April 13, in an interview with Tasnim News Agency—affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—Pirsalehi stated that the 42,000-rial (or 4,200 toman) exchange rate for importing medical equipment will be replaced with a new rate of 285,000 rials, marking a sevenfold increase.
After 4.5 Years, Vahid Afkari Transferred from Solitary to Prison Ward
Vahid Afkari, political prisoner and brother of Navid Afkari, the executed protester from the 2018 demonstrations, has been transferred to the general ward of Adelabad Prison in Shiraz after spending 1,679 days in solitary confinement. On Sunday, April 13, 2025, Saeed Afkari, Vahid’s brother, shared this news on social media, stating that Vahid was able to make a phone call to their mother for the first time in four and a half years.
Vahid Afkari was born on June 21, 1985. He was arrested along with his two brothers, Navid and Habib, in September 2018 by security forces in Shiraz. Their arrest was connected to a case the judiciary linked to the killing of a security guard from the Shiraz Water and Wastewater Company during the protests of August 2018.
Rally & March from the Capitol to the White House
WASHINGTON, DC, DC, UNITED STATES, March 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — As Washington navigates its Iran policy, thousands will rally and march from the Capitol to the White House, calling for the full enforcement of the maximum pressure policy on Iran’s regime and standing with the Iranian people’s struggle for regime change. Demonstrators will urge the administration to recognize Iranians’ right to overthrow the regime amid an escalating nuclear threat and a dramatic surge in executions, over 200 since January.
Last week, over 150 bi-partisan lawmakers sponsored a resolution to support the Iranian resistance’s Ten Point Plan for the Future of Iran and expressed support for the Iranian people’s desire for a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic in Iran by recognizing “the rights of the Iranian people, the protesters, and the Resistance Units to confront the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and repressive forces to bring about change.
Silent Scream: Almost 50 Political Prisoners Sentenced to Death in Iran
In the shadowed corridors of Iran’s prisons, a chilling silence prevails—a silence that echoes the cries of 50 political prisoners currently facing execution. These individuals, emblematic of resistance against authoritarianism, are ensnared in a judicial system that weaponizes the death penalty to quash dissent.
Among them is Verisheh Moradi, a Kurdish women’s rights activist, whose unwavering commitment to justice led to her arrest in August 2023. Subjected to solitary confinement and denied legal representation, Moradi was sentenced to death in November 2024 on charges of “armed rebellion,” a verdict that has drawn international condemnation. Or Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani face imminent execution after being convicted in trials marred by allegations of torture and coerced confessions. Their sentences have drawn international condemnation, with human rights organizations highlighting the grossly unfair nature of their proceedings.
Iranian Resistance Supporters in Berlin Condemned Iran’s Regime Executions
Berlin, Germany – April 12, 2025 – Freedom-Loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally and exhibition to highlight the escalating human rights crisis in Iran, with a particular focus on the alarming rise in executions of political prisoners. The event drew special attention to the recent execution of five political prisoners at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.
MEK Supporters in Cologne Held a Rally to Condemn Iran’s Regime Executions
Cologne, Germany – April 12, 2025 – Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to highlight the escalating human rights crisis in Iran, with a particular focus on the alarming rise in executions of political prisoners. The event drew special attention to the recent execution of five political prisoners at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.
MEK Supporters in Oslo Held a Rally to Condemn Iran’s Regime Executions
Oslo, Norway – April 12, 2025 – Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to highlight the escalating human rights crisis in Iran, with a particular focus on the alarming rise in executions of political prisoners. The event drew special attention to the recent execution of five political prisoners at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.
Iranian Resistance Supporters in Malmö Held a Rally to Condemn Iran’s Regime Executions
Malmö, Sweden – April 12, 2025 – Freedom-Loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to highlight the escalating human rights crisis in Iran, with a particular focus on the alarming rise in executions of political prisoners. The event drew special attention to the recent execution of five political prisoners at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.