THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:00 PM CET
Over 150 Lawmakers Lend Support to Resistance Movement Inside Iran as Regime’s Proxies Fall
A bipartisan group of 151 lawmakers is rallying around a resolution to support the Iranian resistance movement ahead of a hearing with an opposition leader.
The resolution, led by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., expresses support for the Iranian people and their stated desire for a “democratic, secular and non-nuclear” Iran through regime change.
“The developments of the past year have left no doubt that the source of terrorism and warmongering in the Middle East region is the theocratic Islamic Republic of Iran,” the resolution reads.
It calls out the Iranian regime’s oppressive practices, voices support for the opposition and calls on global leaders to continue imposing sanctions.
UPDATE: 6:00 PM CET
US Targets Firms in China, Hong Kong over Alleged Role in Iranian Drone Procurement
WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) – The United States imposed sanctions on six entities based in Hong Kong and China on Wednesday that it accused of being involved in an Iranian drone procurement network, as the Trump administration implements its “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran.
The U.S. Treasury Department said the entities engaged in the procurement of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) components on behalf of an Iranian firm under U.S. sanctions, Pishtazan Kavosh Gostar Boshra, and its subsidiary Narin Sepehr Mobin Isatis, adding that the firms were key suppliers of Iran’s UAV and ballistic missile programs.
Reuters could not immediately reach PKGB or NSMI for comment.
“Iran continues to try to find new ways to procure the key components it needs to bolster its UAV weapons program through new front companies and third-country suppliers,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
Iran’s Near-Bomb-Grade Uranium Stock Jumps, IAEA Reports Say
VIENNA, Feb 26 (Reuters) – Iran’s stock of uranium close to weapons-grade has jumped since it announced a dramatic acceleration in enrichment in December and there has been no progress on resolving outstanding issues, two reports by the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday.
The stock of uranium enriched to up to 60% fissile purity, close to the roughly 90% of bomb-grade, has been a long-standing concern for Western powers, which say there is no civil justification for enriching uranium to such a high level. Iran says it seeks only peaceful nuclear energy.
While U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has said it plans to pressure Iran over its nuclear programme, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said time is running out for diplomacy to impose new restrictions on Iran’s activities.
UPDATE: 1:30 PM CET
Alabama Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Violating U.S. Sanctions on Iran
Ray Hunt, also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh, and Rahman Natooshas, 71, of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, has been sentenced to five years in prison for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In July 2024, Hunt pleaded guilty to conspiring to export U.S.-origin goods to the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of U.S. trade sanctions.
According to court documents, in May 2014, Hunt registered Vega Tools LLC with the Alabama Secretary of State, listing the nature of the business as “the purchase/resale of equipment for the energy sector.” He operated Vega Tools, including purchasing, receiving, and shipping U.S.-origin goods, from locations in Madison County, Alabama. Beginning at least as early as 2015 and continuing to the time of his arrest in November 2022, Hunt conspired with two Iranian companies located in Tehran, Iran, to illegally export U.S.-manufactured industrial equipment for use in Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical industries.
U.S. Envoy at UN: “Iran’s Malign Influence Continues to Plague the Middle East”
At a United Nations Security Council briefing on the Middle East, Ambassador Dorothy Shea, the U.S. representative, delivered a sharp condemnation of the Iranian regime’s role in regional instability, stating that Tehran remains the driving force behind terrorism and violence across the region.
“The Middle East continues to suffer from the nefarious influence of Iran, which continues to sow chaos,” Shea said. She reiterated the United States’ firm stance against Iran’s nuclear ambitions, vowing that Washington will not allow Tehran to manufacture or acquire nuclear weapons. “Through nuclear weapons, the regime would seek to render itself immune from external pressure,” she warned.
The U.S. envoy also addressed broader security concerns, calling for increased regional cooperation to counter the Iranian regime’s influence.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CET
Mullahs’ Destructive Policies Lead to Energy Crisis and Rising Anger in Iran
The mullahs’ regime has destroyed the country’s infrastructure for years with its destructive policies and systematic corruption. Today, the result of this plundering is clearly evident in the energy crisis—a crisis that, in addition to paralyzing industry and people’s livelihoods and causing fear and concern among regime insiders, increasingly risks overflowing the people’s cup of patience and erupting into anger and an uprising of a frustrated people.
On February 24, Ahmad Moradi, a member of the regime’s parliament, addressed the Iranian regime president Masoud Pezeshkian, whose job has been reduced to empty promises, reciting poetry, and praying for the long life of regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Moradi shouted: “Mr. Dr. Pezeshkian, the increase in inflation, exchange rates, and gold prices has broken the backs of the people.
Iran’s Energy Crisis: Widespread Shutdowns Signal Deepening Economic and Infrastructure Failures
On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, Tehran and 26 other provinces in Iran were forced to shut down due to a severe power and gas shortage. The closures affected government offices, banks, and schools, with some provinces transitioning to remote learning in response to the crisis.
According to Iranian news agencies, the provinces affected by the closures included Tehran, Isfahan, East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Khorasan Razavi, South Khorasan, North Khorasan, Alborz, Markazi, Golestan, Mazandaran, Fars, Zanjan, Semnan, Hamedan, Qazvin, Qom, Kermanshah, Ardabil, Kurdistan, Gilan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Sistan and Baluchestan, Kerman, Lorestan, and Ilam. Only Khuzestan, Bushehr, Hormozgan, and Yazd remained exempt from the shutdowns.
Sakineh Parvaneh Denied Phone Calls for Six Months in Evin Prison
Sakineh Parvaneh, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, has been denied the right to make phone calls to her family for nearly six months.
Since September of this year, Sakineh Parvaneh’s phone access has been cut off. Despite repeated efforts by both her and her family to restore communication, the restriction remains in place, with no official explanation provided by the authorities.
This denial of communication comes as Ms. Parvaneh is also unable to receive in-person visits due to the significant distance between the prison and her family’s residence. Her elderly parents are unable to endure the long journey required for visitation, effectively severing all contact with their daughter since the phone restriction was imposed.
New Wave of Protests Brings Heat to Iran’s Cold Streets
On Monday, February 24, 2025, protests continued across Iran as various social groups took to the streets. With only a few weeks left until Nowruz 2025, cities nationwide witnessed demonstrations by retirees, and defrauded investors, nurses, healthcare workers, laborers, and other groups. These protests occurred amid soaring inflation and skyrocketing prices, making life increasingly difficult for the people. Meanwhile, Iran’s ruling regime has not only failed to pay bonuses, benefits, and even legally mandated wages but has also allocated national resources to costly propaganda events, such as the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, its proxy leader in Lebanon—an act that has sparked widespread public outrage.
MEK Supporters Rally in Brussels, Condemn Executions, and Urge EU Action
Brussels, Belgium – February 24, 2025: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered outside the European Union Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels to protest the Iranian regime’s escalating human rights violations. The demonstrators strongly condemned the surge in executions, particularly targeting political prisoners.
MEK Supporters Rally in Brussels, Condemn Executions, and Urge EU Action #StopExecutionsInIran #FreeIran2025 #HumanRightshttps://t.co/DCDGMq3h9a
— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) February 25, 2025
Protesters specifically called for an immediate halt to the death sentences of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, two political prisoners at imminent risk of execution. The rally served as a platform to amplify international demands for justice and human rights in Iran.
MEK Supporters in Geneva Condemn Death Sentences for Political Prisoners
Geneva, Switzerland – February 24, 2025: Iranian dissidents and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered at Place des Nations in Geneva to protest the Iranian regime’s increasing use of executions as a tool of repression. The demonstrators denounced the death sentences issued against political prisoners, calling for international intervention to stop the regime’s systematic human rights abuses.