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Iran News in Brief – January 17, 2025

Workers of Pania Parto Kahroba Company in Andimeshk, southern Iran, held a protest rally on January 16, 2025

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS

UPDATE: 5:00 PM CET

US Airstrikes Target Houthi Positions in Yemen Amid Escalating Tensions

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According to al-Arabiya, the United States launched five airstrikes on Houthi positions in the Harf Sufyan region of Yemen’s Amran province on Friday, following renewed threats from the Iranian regime-backed group to escalate attacks in the Red Sea. According to Houthi media reports, the airstrikes targeted areas in northern Sana’a. These actions come in response to remarks by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi group, who warned on Thursday of continued aggression if Israel fails to uphold its ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

The Houthis have launched missile and drone strikes and targeted cargo vessels in the Red Sea since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict in October 2023. The United States, in coordination with the United Kingdom, has also increased military actions in the region. Washington has framed these strikes as efforts to protect global trade and ensure the safety of maritime routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, critical waterways for international shipping.


UPDATE: 2:30 PM CET

Iran, Russia Enter into Trump Crosshairs for New Oil Sanctions

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The oil revenues of Iran, Russia, and Venezuela have come into the crosshairs of President-elect Donald Trump, who is preparing a wide-ranging sanctions package that could have dramatic effects on energy markets. While plans are still in the early stages, advisers say the measures are being formulated to blunt three diplomatic thorns that have stuck in the side of multiple US administrations. Trump wants to end Russia’s war on Ukraine, which next month enters its fourth year. He said last week he’s open to meeting Vladimir Putin and getting a deal done. Trump is also keen on increasing pressure over Iran’s nuclear work while punishing Venezuela because of its anti-democratic turn. But imposing new sanctions on three of the world’s largest oil producers would be challenging.

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UPDATE: 1:30 PM CET

As Iran’s Economy Collapses, Mullahs Blame Others

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The tyrants who have repressed the people of Iran for almost five decades are teetering on the edge of a cliff. The Iranian currency, the rial, is in freefall, reaching 570,000 to the U.S. dollar; an 8% drop in less than a week. Iranians will soon need a wheelbarrow full of currency to buy a loaf of bread.

Inflation at 34.5% is spiraling. Unemployment is out of control, with youth unemployment particularly severe in a nation where around 40% of the 91 million population is aged under 35. Despite its vast reserves of oil and natural gas, Iran is also facing an energy crisis, causing even greater rising discontent. Widespread power cuts, gas shortages and city shutdowns have disrupted daily life, crippled industry and fueled public anger.

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UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET

PMOI Resistance Units Persist in Their Activities Despite Repression by Iran’s Regime

The PMOI Resistance Units continue their anti-regime activities across various cities in Iran, reaffirming their commitment to achieving democratic change. These activities include distributing leaflets, displaying pictures of resistance leaders with their quotes, and spreading anti-regime slogans on walls and banners in urban areas. Below is a summary of their recent efforts:

In Isfahan, banners carried slogans such as “Let the world know Massoud Rajavi is our leader,” marking the anniversary of the Iranian Resistance leader’s release from the dungeons of the Shah dictatorship in 1979. They also installed banners with the slogan “No to executions, political prisoners must be released,” reflecting their opposition to the regime’s oppressive policies.

In Hamedan, banners displayed slogans like “Khamenei, you murderer, we will bring you down. We support Mrs. Rajavi’s 10-point plan for a free and democratic Iran” and “Down with the oppressor, whether the shah or the mullahs,” emphasizing their defiance of all forms of tyranny.

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Tehran Is Losing Its Grip in Iraq

Qassem Soleimani, along with members of the Fatemiyoun troops (a Shiite militia affiliated with the Quds Force of Afghanistan) in Syria

On January 15, 2025, the state-run newspaper Setareh Sobh, published an article titled “Opportunities in Dangerous Days,” discussing shifts in the region’s “geopolitics,” “geostrategy,” and “geo-economics,” triggered by Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023. It argued that this event paved the way for Israel and its allies to initiate their long-standing aspirations. The article outlined five roadmaps or plans designed for the Middle East: Plan A Gaza, Plan B Lebanon, Plan C Syria, Plan D Iraq, and Plan E Iran. The newspaper warned that out of these five plans, the first three—devastation and killings in Gaza, destruction of Hezbollah’s infrastructure in Lebanon, and the downfall of Bashar al-Assad—have already been realized, leaving the remaining two plans to be implemented.

Some of Iran’s regime-affiliated newspapers implicitly or explicitly acknowledge that the regime’s influence in Iraq is nearing its end. On January 5, the state-run newspaper Ham-Mihan published an article titled “Iraq, Iran’s Last Stronghold,” stating, “Iran has completely lost Syria, and Hezbollah has been severely weakened…

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How The Iranian Regime’s Negligence Is Taking Its Toll on Patients Across the Country

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The shortage and high cost of medicines in Iran under the mullahs’ regime have become one of the country’s incurable crises. Currently, many patients face serious challenges in accessing essential and specialized medications.

Thousands of people endure unbearable pain and hardships, confined to their homes or hospital beds. According to the news, specific medications are becoming scarce or excessively expensive. Images of children and the elderly in desperate need of these drugs have become all too common. Why does this happen?

Because addressing the lives and issues of the Iranian people has never been and will never be a priority for this regime.

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Marco Rubio’s Vision on the Iranian Regime: A Clear-Eyed Approach

WATCH: Rubio says weakened Iranian regime cannot have nuclear weapons | Trump confirmation hearing

At his confirmation hearing as Secretary of State nominee, US Senator Marco Rubio delivered a speech outlining his perspective on the Iranian regime, emphasizing a critical distinction between the people of Iran and their ruling clerics. Rubio’s remarks highlighted the regime’s vulnerabilities, its destabilizing ambitions, and the path forward for U.S. policy.

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The Impact of U.S. Sanctions on Iran’s Oil Industry

The Bonita Queen a new tanker filled with Iranian oil is on its way to Syria in a violation of current U.S. sanctions.

Since October 2024, the Biden administration has imposed stringent sanctions on Iran’s oil sector, resulting in significant disruptions to the regime’s crude oil exports. Notably, shipments to China, which purchases nearly all of Iran’s oil, have decreased by 25%, dropping to 1.3 million barrels per day. Simultaneously, the loading of Iranian oil tankers continues, leaving approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil stranded at sea, primarily near the coasts of Malaysia and Singapore, according to The Economist.

For most of his presidency, Joe Biden largely overlooked Iran’s expanding oil trade. However, in October 2024, his administration reversed course by blacklisting 55 oil tankers linked to Iran. This constitutes about a third of the so-called “dark fleet,” which clandestinely transports Iranian crude. Data from Kpler suggests that this move marked a significant escalation in efforts to curb Iran’s oil exports.

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Iraq’s Economic Partnerships Signal the End of Iranian Domination

Recent developments in Iraq indicate a gradual erosion of the Iranian regime’s influence in a country that has long served as a critical theater for Tehran’s regional ambitions. A significant milestone in this shift was marked by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani’s recent visit to the United Kingdom, where he secured a trade and investment deal worth £12.3 billion (approximately $15 billion). This agreement not only dwarfs the total bilateral trade between the UK and Iraq from the previous year but also highlights the increasing determination of Western powers to curtail Tehran’s grip on Iraq.

The comprehensive package includes British investments in Iraq’s struggling water and electricity infrastructure, defense support, and the reconstruction of Qayyarah Airfield West. British Petroleum, a major player in Iraq’s oil sector, will also deepen its presence in the country. Moreover, the deal extends to strategic defense cooperation and addressing critical issues such as immigration, security, and climate change.

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IEA Weighs in on The Impact of New U.S. Sanctions on Iran’s Oil Exports

U.S. imposes sanctions on Iran regime's space agencies

The International Energy Agency (IEA) states that recent U.S. sanctions on the “shadow fleet” of Russia and Iran will likely have a “significant” impact on the oil revenues of both countries.

The report adds that approximately one-third, equivalent to 500,000 barrels per day, of Iran’s oil exports in 2024 were carried out using tankers that have recently been added to the U.S. blacklist. After Iran’s second missile attack on Israel, the United States sanctioned 35 tankers belonging to Tehran’s “shadow fleet.” Last Friday, it also imposed sanctions on more than 160 tankers involved in Russian oil exports, eight of which were also engaged in smuggling Iranian oil.

The “shadow fleet” or “ghost fleet” refers to a network of oil tankers that evade sanctions by turning off their automatic identification systems and falsifying documents to smuggle sanctioned oil. So far, nearly 500 tankers linked to Iran’s shadow fleet have been identified, with half of them already sanctioned.

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State Media Slam Pezeshkian for NBC Interview, Call for Retribution Against Trump

Following reactions to Masoud Pezeshkian’s interview with NBC News, Hossein Shariatmadari, the representative of Iran’s regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the Kayhan newspaper, wrote that raising the issue of negotiations with the United States was beyond Pezeshkian’s authority and that his duty was to work toward the killing of Donald Trump. On Thursday, January 16, Shariatmadari described retribution (execution) and death as the “minimum punishment” for Trump and his former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, addressing Pezeshkian by writing: “Your duty as an honorable Iranian and Muslim is to carry out this divine ruling, not to negotiate [with him].”

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UN Experts Challenge Death Sentence of Iranian Political Prisoner Pakhshan Azizi

UN human rights experts have expressed deep concern over the confirmation of the death sentence of Iranian political prisoner Pakhshan Azizi.

On Tuesday, January 14, UN human rights experts issued a statement expressing deep concern over the Iranian regime’s Supreme Court’s confirmation of the death sentence for Pakhshan Azizi, a human rights activist and social worker. The experts described the ruling as a blatant violation of international human rights laws and called the charges against her entirely baseless.

According to UN experts, Azizi’s arrest and conviction were solely due to her lawful activities as a social worker, particularly her support for refugees in Iraq and Syria. She has been sentenced to death for her civil activism.

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MEK Supporters Host Exhibition in Paris to Condemn Iran Regime’s Human Rights Abuses

MEK Supporters Organize Exhibition in Paris to Denounce Human Rights Violations by Iran’s Regime-15

Paris, France – January 14-15, 2025: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held an exhibition in Paris to highlight the Iranian regime’s escalating human rights violations and express solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution.

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Gothenburg, Sweden – January 14, 2025: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity with the ‘No to Executions Campaign’

Gothenburg, Jan 14, 2025: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity with the ‘No to Executions Campaign’.

Gothenburg, Sweden – January 14, 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 seventeenth consecutive week of the movement. This campaign responds to the executions carried out in Iranian regime prisons.

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Also, read Iran News in Brief – January 16, 2025