THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 5:00 PM CET
Iran Won’t Compromise on Nuclear Issues Unless Forced
As an Iranian activist, I have seen this show time and again. Meetings for the sake of meetings. Endless negotiations while the mullahs and Muslim clergy, are inching closer to the bomb. The International Atomic Energy Agency said in its latest quarterly report in November that the Islamic Republic now has enough highly enriched uranium to fuel multiple nuclear warheads if enriched further.
The prospective meeting hinges upon collective optimism about the possible re-implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear agreement signed between the world powers and the Iranian regime.
But now, even the E3, which has not yet come to terms that the nuclear deal has been on life support for too long to be revived, is casting serious doubts.
UPDATE: 11:00 AM CET
France Summons Iranian Ambassador over Hostages
PARIS, Jan 10 (Reuters) – France summoned Iran’s ambassador on Friday to protest over the case of three of its citizens whose detention conditions the foreign ministry said were akin to torture.
The ministry described the French nationals as “hostages of the state of the Islamic republic of Iran”.
“Their situation is unbearable, with undignified detention conditions that, for some, constitute torture under international law,” it said, reiterating that French nationals are advised not to travel to Iran.
Officials in France have hardened their tone towards Iran in recent weeks over issues like Tehran’s nuclear programme, regional activities and the detention of European citizens. They say that conditions for progress on talks with Iran on bilateral or multilateral issues will be dependent on the release of the hostages.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CET
Conference on a “New Policy toward the Iranian Regime” with Distinguished Political and Military Figures
Maryam Rajavi’s speech: “Three key factors have shaped this situation: First, harsh suppression, economic bankruptcy, deep social crises, and widespread government corruption have brought society to the brink of explosion. The 90% boycott of the two elections in 2024 demonstrated that the regime lacks any social base in Iran. The second factor is the regime’s defeats in the region, including Hezbollah suffering a crushing blow, and the overthrow of Syria’s dictatorship, the regime’s most important ally. And third, the expansion of the organized resistance, which is preparing for an uprising and the overthrow of the regime.
“Allow me to share a few points regarding recent developments: First, the religious dictatorship had extended its influence through Syria and Iraq to the Mediterranean Sea and Lebanon. With this strategy, Khamenei created a protective shield for the regime and a tool for blackmail.”
PMOI Resistance Units Carry Out Anti-Regime Activities during Pezeshkian’s Visit to Sistan and Baluchestan
Coinciding with the visit of Iranian regime president Masoud Pezeshkian to the province of Sistan and Baluchestan, the region witnessed a notable escalation in the activities by PMOI Resistance Units. These activities focused on putting up banners, graffiti writing, and distributing leaflets expressing the people’s anger and protest against the regime’s oppressive policies and rampant corruption. These actions extended to the cities of Zahedan, Chabahar, and Konarak, where clear demands against the regime and its policies in the region were prominently voiced.
Zahedan
"Pezeshkian have some shame, let go of Baluchestan" pic.twitter.com/CdwxXMMLiO— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 11, 2025
In the city of Zahedan, the Resistance Units carried out a series of protest activities that garnered widespread attention. These activities included graffiti with slogans such as: “Pezeshkian, leave Baluchestan” and “Death to Khamenei, hail to Rajavi.” These messages reflect the extent of popular anger against the president’s visit and affirm the rejection of the oppressive policies imposed by the regime in the region. This type of activity represents a direct challenge to the regime in one of Iran’s most sensitive areas, where the people suffer from economic and political marginalization.
68 Political Prisoners Demand the Reversal of Three Death Sentences in Iran
A group of male and female political prisoners detained in Evin, Ghezel Hesar (Karaj), Lakan (Rasht), and Greater Tehran prisons has issued an open letter urging international organizations and institutions to use their full capacity to take effective action to halt the execution of three political prisoners: Pakhshan Azizi, Mehdi Hassani, and Behrouz Ehsani.
On January 8, 2025, Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentences for Pakhshan Azizi, Behrouz Ehsani Eslamlou, and Mehdi Hassani, all imprisoned in Evin Prison. The Revolutionary Court of Tehran, under Judge Iman Afshari, had previously sentenced them to death.
Tehran’s Astronomical Expenditures in Syria
On January 8, Ali Khamenei, the Iranian regime’s supreme leader, made a public appearance to speak about the collapse of his strategic depth in Syria. This marked the fifth time within a month that he had addressed this issue. He made significant efforts to bolster the morale of his disheartened forces with deception and manipulation. However, media outlets and government-affiliated circles remain filled with protests and regret, lamenting statements such as, “What costs and resources were wasted in Syria!” and “What blood was spilled in vain!”
The strategic blow of Bashar al-Assad’s fall in Syria has wide-ranging and multifaceted consequences for the regime. Here are some of the enormous costs the regime has incurred in Syria, leaving it entangled in the aftermath of the collapse of the Syrian regime.
Iran Faces Nationwide Shutdowns Amid Energy Crisis
On Saturday, January 11, 2025, provincial energy consumption management working groups ordered the closure of approximately half of Iran’s provinces. Authorities cited “optimal energy consumption” as the official reason, marking the second nationwide shutdown since autumn due to the government’s inability to meet energy demands. The affected provinces include Tehran, Alborz, Fars, Hamedan, North Khorasan, South Khorasan, Golestan, Semnan, East Azerbaijan, Kermanshah, Kurdistan, Mazandaran, Qom, and Qazvin. Notably, these closures come despite forecasts predicting temperatures above freezing in many areas, including Tehran, and no significant temperature drops in others.
IRGC’s “Rahiyan-e Quds” Exercise: A Show of Force Amid Mounting Internal and External Challenges
After a week of intensive propaganda, the Mohammad Rasulullah IRGC Base of Greater Tehran, one of the two primary forces responsible for protecting the Iranian regime and suppressing popular protests, held a military exercise called “Rahiyan-e Quds.” According to the IRGC, 110,000 people participated in the event, during which livelihood packages, dowries, and school supplies were distributed among the attendees. Iranian state media reported that the exercise aimed to “demonstrate the comprehensive readiness of the Basij to counter any threat and showcase their level of preparation, cohesion, and professional skills in rescue, defense, and counterterrorism operations nationwide.”
During the event, some military equipment and replicas were displayed. Participants also carried cardboard cutouts of slain figures aligned with the Iranian regime’s regional agenda, including Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hezbollah; Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, leaders of Hamas. These displays underscored the regime’s narrative of solidarity with allied groups and its broader geopolitical ambitions.
Tragedy in Karaj: Three Teenage Girls Attempt Suicide, One Loses Her Life
On the evening of Thursday, January 9, 2025, three teenage girls in Karaj simultaneously attempted to end their lives by jumping from the roof of a residential building.
Thanks to the quick response of onlookers and firefighters, two of the girls were rescued. However, the third girl tragically jumped before she could be stopped. Despite being rushed to the hospital, she succumbed to her injuries due to the severity of the trauma.
The identity of the deceased teenager remains unknown at this time.
Iranian Authorities Silent on Patient Deaths from Contaminated Dialysis Solutions
Saman Eshaqi, spokesperson for the Health Commission of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (Parliament), criticized the judiciary’s approach to handling the case of patient deaths caused by “contaminated peritoneal dialysis solutions.” He stated that the judiciary has not provided any response on the matter, and the Thamen pharmaceutical company has not even issued an apology. Speaking to the state-run ILNA news agency, Eshaqi questioned why, despite nearly a year having passed since the incident, “the judiciary has not clearly announced the criminal responsibility of those accused in this case or the actions taken against them.”
The Majlis member emphasized that, based on “credible reports” and “expert opinions,” pharmaceutical products from Thamen, which operates under Astan Quds Razavi, led to the deaths of at least 70 people, possibly more.
Iranian City Faces Shortage of Specialists in 48 Medical Fields
As the human resource crisis in Iran’s healthcare system continues and warnings about the consequences of medical staff emigration intensify, Behrouz Karkhanei, the president of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences announced that the province is facing a shortage of specialists and subspecialists in 48 medical fields. The state-run Khabar Online website quoted Karkhanei as saying: “The per capita physician-to-population ratio in Hamadan province is 0.95%, whereas the national average is 1.6%.”
Meanwhile, the state-affiliated newspaper Etemad warned on January 10 about a shortage of skilled doctors in the next three years, reporting that training each general practitioner costs 10 billion rials (approximately $20,000 at market exchange rates).
IRGC Once Again Announces the Unveiling of a “Missile City”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has unveiled an underground missile city, while at the same time, the streets of Tehran witnessed an armed Basij parade under the banner of the “Rahiyan al-Quds Exercise.”
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the release of a video titled “Missile City” and the Basij parade in Tehran occurred at a time when Tehran’s allies in the region have been weakened and as Donald Trump is about to enter the White House.
On the night of Friday, January 10, Iranian state television broadcast a video showing IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami visiting “a missile city deep inside a mountain.”
Prisoners in Haviq-Talesh Prison Join the “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign
Prisoners in Haviq-Talesh Prison have announced their participation in the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign. They declared their intention to join the weekly hunger strikes starting next Tuesday to protest the use of the death penalty. With the participation of Haviq-Talesh Prison, the number of prisons involved in the campaign has reached 31. The prisoners have stated that they are standing in solidarity with their fellow detainees in 30 other prisons across Iran. Every Tuesday, they will go on a hunger strike to voice their opposition to the implementation of death sentences.
Haviq-Talesh Prison, also known as the Haviq Rehabilitation Camp, is located in the Aghajani Boulevard area near the Lisar-Haviq road, approximately 10 kilometers from Talesh city in Gilan Province.
Berlin, January 9, 2025: MEK Supporters’ Exhibition Highlights Human Rights Violations in Iran
Berlin, Germany – January 9, 2025: In cold and snowy weather, supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a photo exhibition and book display to shed light on human rights violations in Iran. The event focused on the country’s dire human rights situation, with particular attention to the plight of political prisoners facing death sentences.
Manchester Exhibition Condemns Iran’s Human Rights Violations and Death Sentences for Political Prisoners
Manchester, UK – January 9, 2025: Iranians, members of the Academics in Exile Association supporting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), organized an exhibition in England to condemn human rights violations in Iran.
Dorchester, UK – January 9, 2025: ‘Academics in Exile’ Exhibition Highlights Iran’s Human Rights Violations and Calls to End Executions
Dorchester, UK – January 9, 2025: Freedom-loving Iranians and academics supporting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a book and photo exhibition to protest the death sentences imposed on political prisoners associated with the PMOI. They also spotlighted the grave injustices of Iran’s regime: over 1,000 executions in 2024, including 18 carried out on New Year’s Day alone.
Gothenburg, Sweden – January 7, 2025: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity with the ‘No to Executions Campaign’
Gothenburg, Sweden—January 7, 2025: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally in solidarity with the “No to Executions Campaign,” marking the sixteenth consecutive week of the movement. This campaign responds to the executions carried out in Iranian regime prisons.