THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 11:00 PM CET
US Condemns Iranian Regime’s Support for Houthis at UN Security Council
The United States has strongly condemned the Iranian regime’s continued military and financial backing of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, calling it a direct violation of the UN-imposed arms embargo. Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on Yemen, U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea stated that Tehran’s “unprecedented provision of weapons components, financial support, and training and technical assistance to the Houthis over more than a decade violates the arms embargo this Council imposed on the group.”
Shea highlighted the regime’s central role in enabling the Houthis’ “reckless and egregious attacks” against international shipping and regional security. She warned, “It is this body’s responsibility to respond to Iran’s flagrant violations of its resolutions and arming of terrorist groups.”
The ambassador urged all Security Council members, especially those with direct ties to Iran, to pressure Tehran’s leadership into halting its military and financial support for the Houthis. “Without Iran’s backing, the Houthis would not be able to launch attacks that disrupt navigational rights and freedoms and put innocent civilians in harm’s way,” Shea emphasized. “Iran must bear the costs of enabling these reckless and egregious attacks.”
Shea further revealed that the Trump Administration has initiated the process of designating the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in response to their continued aggression. She called on international partners to disrupt the Houthis’ illicit revenue streams and their growing ties with other extremist organizations such as al-Shabaab.
Additionally, Shea urged the Security Council to “strengthen the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism” to prevent the regime in Iran and other actors from smuggling arms to the Houthis. She emphasized that UN member states must increase funding to improve monitoring capabilities and curb illicit arms transfers.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Iran Is Rearming Its Missile Program and A Ship of Supplies Just Arrived from China, Western Sources Say
The first of two vessels carrying 1,000 tons of a Chinese-made chemical that could be a key component in fuel for Iran’s military missile program has anchored outside the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Thursday, ship tracking data shows. It could be a signal that Iran’s missile production is back to business as usual after the devastating, and embarrassing, attacks by Israel on key factories last year.
The ship, Golbon, left the Chinese port of Taicang three weeks ago loaded with most of a 1,000-ton shipment of sodium perchlorate, the main precursor in the production of the solid propellant that powers Iran’s mid-range conventional missiles, according to two European intelligence sources.
Europe Must Invoke ‘Snapback’ Sanctions on Iran, US Lawmakers Say, as Trump Resumes ‘Maximum Pressure’
The bipartisan legislation calls on the U.K., France and Germany to invoke “snapback” sanctions on Iran through the UN Security Council immediately – and follow the U.S.’s lead under President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” executive order to isolate Iran over its nuclear activity.
“Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism, and their actions have led to the murder of American servicemembers,” said Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., the number two Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and lead sponsor of the bill, which has 11 cosponsors in the Senate.
“Iran’s possession of a nuclear weapon would threaten our security and the security of our allies. Snapback sanctions are key to ensuring that President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign is successful.”
Power Outages and Economic Paralysis Deepen Iran’s Crises
Power outages and the electricity crisis have exacerbated the suffering of people across Iran, especially as many regions are already paralyzed due to air pollution or struggling with heavy snow, icy roads, and road closures. According to the regime’s media, on Wednesday, February 12, schools, government offices, and banks were closed in Tehran and 25 other provinces. Widespread power outages, despite all the problems they bring, are just a small part of the people’s suffering. The lack of electricity cripples daily life, forcing factories and businesses to shut down, leading to heavy financial losses.
A simple example is bakeries, which provide daily bread for people in every city and neighborhood. With power outages, they are unable to serve customers, and even the dough prepared for baking goes to waste.
Soaring Food Prices and Economic Collapse Are Pushing Iran into Silent Famine
Inflation has long been a structural and fundamental problem in Iran’s economy under the rule of the mullahs. Meanwhile, the inflation rate for food has alarmingly outpaced general inflation, further affecting the livelihoods of the poor and middle classes.
Based on official statistics from the Statistical Center of Iran, the point-to-point inflation rate in January 2025 reached 31.8 percent.
What seems more worrying than this figure is the direct impact of these price increases on low-income families and the country’s economic structure. With the dramatic increase in the prices of essential goods, the class divide has deepened, and Iran, under the rule of the mullahs’ regime, is more than ever on the verge of a hunger crisis.
Tehran’s Widespread Power Outage Exposes Deepening Energy Crisis
The massive power outage in Tehran on February 11, coinciding with the anniversary of the 1979 revolution, has once again highlighted Iran’s ongoing energy crisis. What began last summer with electricity cuts in industrial zones has now reached the capital, plunging residential areas, businesses, and highways into darkness. In some parts of the city, even mobile networks were disrupted, leaving residents disconnected.
Sudden and widespread power failures have severe economic and social repercussions. Traffic lights, subway systems, and public transportation grind to a halt, leading to gridlock and chaos. Factories, workshops, and small businesses reliant on electricity suffer losses, while residential buildings experience water shortages and disabled elevators and electric garage doors. The consequences of these blackouts extend beyond inconvenience, threatening livelihoods and public safety.
Sharifeh Mohammadi; Death Sentence Reissued for the Labor Activist!
Despite the Supreme Court’s prior annulment of Sharifeh Mohammadi’s death sentence, the Second Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht has once again sentenced the imprisoned labor activist to execution.
According to the newly issued verdict, which has been officially communicated to her legal representatives, Sharifeh Mohammadi has been sentenced to death on charges of “Baghy-e” (armed insurgency) through alleged membership in an opposition group. This comes even though her initial death sentence—issued in July 2023—had been overturned by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court in October, leading to the case’s referral to a parallel court for reconsideration.
Iran Ranks 151st in Global Corruption Perception Index Among 180 Countries
In Transparency International’s 2024 report, the Iranian regime ranked among the lowest in the “Corruption Perception Index.”
According to the report, Iran ranked 151st out of 180 countries in terms of corruption, scoring 23 points—one point lower than last year—making it one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
Countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Iraq, and Pakistan performed better than the Islamic Republic of Iran in terms of corruption.
Transparency International ranks 180 countries and regions worldwide based on the “perceived level” of public sector corruption. Scores range from zero (highly corrupt) to one hundred (very clean).
Iranian Oil Shipments Stranded at Sea Without Buyers
Following the intensification of U.S. sanctions against Iran and Russia, the volume of oil stored in tankers by these two countries has reached its highest level in recent months, leading to an increase in global crude oil prices.
Reuters reported on Wednesday, February 12, citing trade sources and analysts, that as sanctions have tightened, the number of available tankers for transporting Iranian and Russian oil shipments has decreased, and buyers have shown less willingness to purchase these cargoes.
According to the report, since October 2024, Washington has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on vessels and entities linked to Iranian and Russian oil, disrupting their trade with China and India, their traditional customers.
Iranian Regime Arrests Two British Citizens on “Security” Charges
Iranian state media reported that regime officials have arrested two British citizens accused of security-related crimes.
The regime’s official news agency, IRNA, announced on the evening of Wednesday, February 12, that the two British citizens are being held in a prison in Kerman Province, without disclosing their identities, the exact charges against them, or the circumstances of their arrest.
London has not yet commented on the matter, but IRNA stated that Hugo Shorter, the British Ambassador to Iran, met with these “two British nationals accused of security offenses” at the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Kerman.
Qezel-Hesar Prison, Karaj – Part2
Qezel-Hesar Prison in Karaj is one of the largest and most notorious prisons in Iran, where the conditions are in stark violation of international human rights laws and standards. In the second section of this report, we will address the following aspects of Ghazal Hasar Prison:
- Deprivation of fundamental rights (including family visits and communication)
- Denial of legal representation and unfair trials
- Extrajudicial executions and human rights violations
- Forced labor and exploitation of prisoners
- Riots, protests, and state repression
- High-security wards and the detention of death-row inmates
- Isolated wards and the treatment of Foreign National Prisoners
Child Soldiers: The Shocking Truth About Iran’s Recruitment Practices
February 12 marks the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers. While there are no official statistics on child soldiers in Iran, experts warn that the Iranian regime actively trains children to suppress protests, raising international concerns.
The regime’s use of child soldiers is not a new phenomenon. It began during Khomeini’s war with Iraq and has continued ever since.
During the eight-year war, the Iranian regime sent thousands of children to the battlefield, leading to the deaths of countless minors. According to a report by the state-run newspaper Javan Online on September 24, 2022, during the Iran-Iraq war, more than 550,000 students were repeatedly sent to the frontlines, and over 36,000 of them were killed.
International Media Coverage of the Massive Iranian Resistance Rally in Paris on February 8, 2025
February 2025: In the following, we see further coverage of the massive rally of freedom-loving Iranians in Paris on February 8, 2025, as reported by various international media outlets.