THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CEST
Treasury Sanctions Global Network Supporting Iran’s Military UAV Program
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating five entities and one individual based in Iran, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China for their procurement of technology in support of OFAC-designated Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA). HESA is a state-owned subsidiary of Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) that manufactures Iran’s military aircraft and Ababil‑series unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have been employed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Today’s action is being taken in furtherance of National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which directs that Iran be denied asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities, and that the IRGC and its surrogates be disrupted and degraded.
Mayor of Farigliano Joins Rudy Giuliani and Maryam Rajavi in Rome: “Stop the Violence in Iran!”
On Thursday, July 31, Rome hosted the major international summit Free Iran 2025, bringing together former heads of state, political leaders, institutional representatives, and activists from around the world to reaffirm support for the Iranian Resistance against the clerical dictatorship. Organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the conference focused on the theme “Neither war, nor appeasement – Change by the Hands of the Iranian People and the Organized Resistance.”
The event, marked by strong emotions and a spirit of civic commitment, featured prominent figures from international politics, including Charles Michel, former President of the European Council; Maryam Rajavi, leader of the Iranian Resistance in exile; Rudolph Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City; and Matteo Renzi, former Italian Prime Minister, who delivered a clear message: “This is the time for democracy, justice, and peace. Europe cannot turn its back.”
At EUR, the Third World Summit for a Free Iran. Maryam Rajavi: “The Dawn of Democracy Will Soon Arrive”
World political leaders, lawmakers, human rights defenders, and members of the Iranian diaspora gathered yesterday at EUR in Rome for the Third World Summit for a Free Iran, issuing a unified call for regime change and the establishment of a democratic republic in Iran.
Among the attendees were Charles Michel, former President of the European Council; Matteo Renzi, former Italian Prime Minister; Michèle Alliot-Marie, former French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Interior, and Justice; James Cleverly, former UK Foreign and Home Secretary; Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City; Ingrid Betancourt, former Colombian presidential candidate; U.S. ambassadors Stephen Rapp and Carla Sands; as well as members of the Italian Parliament and Senate and representatives of Iranian communities from across Italy.
Terzi: “No one should side with the regime”
“Since its inception in 1979, the Iranian regime has been a terrorist state that uses executions as a tool of repression,” said Senator and former Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi. “It should have no place in the international community. But change must come from the resistance of the Iranian people. Aligning with the regime is a betrayal of human rights. Our demand is that no one stand with them.”
Repression Intensifies in Iran: “The Regime Is Fighting for Its Survival”
The United Nations has called on the clerical dictatorship in Iran to immediately halt the use of the death penalty. Every day in Iran, three people are executed. Since the start of 2025, the country has reached the grim record of 612 executions—more than double the figure for the same period last year (297 executions).
According to the UN, 40% of those sentenced to death were arrested on drug-related charges, while 10% were accused of “enmity against God” or “corruption on Earth”—charges often used as pretexts to imprison political opponents and members of national or religious minorities. Currently, 48 people remain on death row.
Three days ago, the exiled opposition movement, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), denounced the execution of two of its members as a “barbaric crime.” The two men were reportedly tortured, then sentenced to death on charges of “disturbing public order and endangering innocent citizens.”
Maryam Rajavi, president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), called on the United Nations and all its member states to “take firm action against this barbaric crime,” adding: “It is time to make concrete and effective decisions against this regime of executions and torture.”
UPDATE: 1:30 PM CEST
Statement On State Threats from Iranian Intelligence Services: 31 July 2025
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US condemn the growing number of state threats from Iranian intelligence services in our respective territories. We are united in our opposition to the attempts of Iranian intelligence services to kill, kidnap, and harass people in Europe and North America in clear violation of our sovereignty. These Services are increasingly collaborating with international criminal organisations to target journalists, dissidents, Jewish citizens, and current and former officials in Europe and North America. This is unacceptable.
We consider these types of attacks, regardless of the target, as violations of our sovereignty. We are committed to working together to prevent these actions from happening and we call on the Iranian authorities to immediately put an end to such illegal activities in our respective territories.
Statement by the International Commission against the Death Penalty
The International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP or Commission) expresses its deepest concern over the escalating use of the death penalty in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which already carries out one of the highest number of executions. The UN Human Rights Office estimates that at least 612 executions were carried out by authorities in the first half of 2025, when the number of executions during the same period in 2024 was estimated at around 297 executions. Minority communities continue to be disproportionately affected by executions.
On 27 July, reports reaching ICDP suggest that the executions of two men 70-year-old Behrouz Ehsani and 49-year-old Mehdi Hassani were carried out, by hanging, in secret after being sentenced to death on politically motivated, vaguely defined charges of “armed rebellion against the state” (baghy), “corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel-arz) and “enmity against God” (moharebeh) in relation to alleged affiliation with the banned opposition group, People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI).
Lebanese President Vows to Disarm Hezbollah, Calls for Constructive Dialogue
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, addressing Hezbollah and its allies on Thursday, called for a return to state legitimacy as the foundation of national resilience. In a speech, Aoun demanded the disarmament of Hezbollah and extension of the Lebanese state’s authority over all its territory. Addressing the militant group on Army Day, he said: “To those who have confronted aggression, and to their honorable national community, your reliance should be only on the Lebanese state. Otherwise, your sacrifices will be in vain, and the state, or what remains of its institutions, will collapse.”
The Lebanese president stressed the precarious moment the country faces, describing the region as suspended between chaos and opportunity.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CEST
In Rome, Iran’s Biggest Dissident Group Again Calls for World to Increasingly Isolate Iranian Regime
The head of Iran’s biggest dissident group on Thursday renewed calls for the global community to increasingly isolate the Iranian regime, while key U.S. and European figures backed the push for a secular, democratic alternative for the country.
Speaking at the Free Iran World Summit in the Italian capital, National Council of Resistance of Iran leader Maryam Rajavi called for the current Islamic theocratic government in Iran to be toppled, but warned against a return to a monarchy, which ruled Iran until its fall in 1979.
“For 120 years, the Iranian people’s resistance has waged a persistent struggle for freedom, against both the Shah and the mullahs,” Rajavi declared to a full auditorium at Rome’s Palazzo dei Congressi, referring to the deposed Iranian king and the clerics now running the country, respectively.
Don’t Look Away from Iran’s Execution Machine – Support the Iranians Who Resist
The execution machine of the Iranian regime keeps running. Since the 1988 massacre, 2025 is shaping up to be the deadliest year yet. Don’t look away, urges Hassan Kamali, a former political prisoner.
In recent weeks, we once again commemorate one of the darkest chapters in modern history: the mass killing of the summer of 1988 in Iran. In just a few weeks, around 30,000 political prisoners were executed on the orders of Ayatollah Khomeini.
The overwhelming majority of them (over 90 percent) were young men and women affiliated with the main opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK). This atrocity is often referred to as the largest post-World War II massacre.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CEST
Iran: Change and a Democratic Republic with the Iranian People and Resistance
Maryam Rajavi’s speech: “Dear Compatriots, Distinguished Friends of the Iranian Resistance, We hold this summit as the religious dictatorship, through the execution of heroic PMOI members Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, is laying bare its desperation in the face of the people and the organized resistance. These were heroes, who never bowed, and said no to the executioners. Hail to these steadfast PMOI members, who—after three years of enduring torture, pressure, and threats—remained proud and unwavering, honoring their pledge to God and to the people. In his final message, Behrouz Ehsani wrote: “Under no circumstances will we ever surrender to this bloodthirsty and criminal regime.
“Mehdi Hassani declared: ‘I pledge myself to all the ideals of the proud organization, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), and I affirm that until my very last breath, I will not bow even slightly to the reactionary regime.'”
Forough Khosravi, School Teacher in Behbahan, Arrested by IRGC
Forough Khosravi, an elementary school teacher with a PhD in Education, was arrested on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, in the city of Behbahan, Khuzestan province, by agents of the IRGC Intelligence Organization and transferred to an undisclosed location. Her arrest came after a previous incident on June 20, when six IRGC intelligence agents raided her home without her presence and without presenting any court warrant. During the raid, her phone and several personal items were confiscated. According to reports, Ms. Khosravi’s daughter was home at the time and witnessed the raid, which created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. On the morning of July 29, an unknown caller contacted Forough Khosravi and summoned her to appear at the courthouse. She refused, citing the lack of any formal notice or summons.
Iranians in Gothenburg Rally Against Executions in Iran, Marking 79th Week of “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign
Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered in Gothenburg to mark the 44th consecutive week of local participation in the global “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign. The movement protests the Iranian regime’s escalating wave of executions and systematic repression.
Human Trafficking of Iranian Women and Children under IRGC Control: A State-Stamped Crime
July 30 is recognized internationally as the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. It serves to warn against one of the most heinous forms of modern slavery and calls for immediate international action. Human trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of individuals through threats, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or the exchange of payments or benefits for the purpose of exploitation. The core element that distinguishes it from other criminal acts, such as migrant smuggling, is the intent to exploit the person. This crime is strictly prohibited under international law.
Under the rule of the mullahs’ regime in Iran, the country ranks among the worst global perpetrators of organized human trafficking. Iran serves as a source, transit, and destination country. It lies on one of the principal routes for trafficking young women from Asia to Europe and the Gulf states. Iranian nationals are also trafficked to the Caucasus, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and neighboring Gulf countries.
Iran’s Oil Industry Faces Fresh U.S. Sanctions After 12-Day War
On July 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced its largest sanctions package against Iran since 2018, targeting over 115 individuals, entities, and vessels involved in Iran’s oil and shipping industries. The primary focus of these sanctions is the shipping network operated by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, son of Ali Shamkhani, a senior political advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader. According to the Treasury Department, Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani has leveraged his father’s political influence to establish a sophisticated network of shipping companies, shell corporations, and vessels. This network facilitates the transport of oil, petroleum products, and other commodities from Iran and Russia to global buyers, generating billions of dollars annually. The operation employs covert tactics, including shell companies, foreign passports, and flag-hopping, to conceal ties to Iran and Russia.
Hunger Strike of Political Prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison Enters Sixth Day
The collective hunger strike by political prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison has entered its sixth day. Despite being under extremely harsh conditions and intense pressure in solitary confinement, they continue to resist the wave of executions, forced transfers, and violent repression. The hunger strike, which began on July 26, is a response to the brutal raid by special guard forces on Hall 4, the beating of inmates, their forced transfer to solitary cells, and the secret execution of two political prisoners, Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani Eslamloo.
These two prisoners were active supporters of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign and were accused of being members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Their death sentences were carried out without the process of a fair trial and without informing their families. Judicial officials have even refused to reveal the location of their burial—a pattern previously observed in the cases of other executed political prisoners.
U.S. Lawmakers Condemn Execution of Iranian Political Prisoners
Congressmen Cohen and McClintock denounce regime’s brutality, call for solidarity with Iranian people. On July 30, 2025 — In a strong bipartisan condemnation of Iran’s ongoing human rights abuses, Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Congressman Tom McClintock (R-CA)—co-chairs of the Congressional Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus—issued a joint statement denouncing the recent execution of two Iranian political prisoners, Behrooz Ehsani, 69, and Mehdi Hassani, 48.
The executions, carried out on Sunday, July 27 in Ghezel Hesar prison, were described by the lawmakers as a “horrifying display of brutality”, reinforcing the regime’s determination to quash dissent at all costs.
“This act of repression underscores the regime’s relentless assault on human rights and its unyielding commitment to suppress dissent,” the statement read.
U.S. Treasury Launches Largest Sanctions Action Against Iran Since 2018
Washington targets Shamkhani family’s global shipping empire fueling regime wealth and repression. On July 30, 2025 — In the most sweeping Iran-related sanctions initiative since 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned more than 50 individuals and entities and over 50 vessels linked to a powerful regime-affiliated oil smuggling and money laundering network led by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader.
The campaign, carried out by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), targets what officials describe as a “vast and corrupt shipping empire” that has generated tens of billions of dollars in revenue for the Iranian regime through illegal oil and cargo shipments—primarily to China and Russia—while disguising its true origins.