Tuesday, February 11, 2025
HomeIran News NowIran News in Brief – January 20, 2025

Iran News in Brief – January 20, 2025


Protest gathering of retired Central Alborz Steel and Mining workers on January 19, 2025

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS

UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET

Incredible Photo of Iranian Smiling Moments Before His Execution

mail-online-logo-cropped-version

An incredible image of a brave Iranian smiling with a noose around his neck moments before being hanged has resurfaced after two Supreme Court justices were shot dead.

The photograph of Majid Kavousifar, 28, captures the man’s final moments before execution after he and his nephew Hossein were convicted of the murder of Judge Masoud Ahmadi Moghaddasi.

Majid and Hossein Kavousifar were both publicly executed by hanging in central Tehran in August 2007. Moghaddasi was one of several judges of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court allegedly responsible for the mass execution of political dissidents in 1988.

Read more


UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET

Former Border Police Official Killed in Khash Shooting, State Media Downplays Controversy

On Sunday, January 30, 1403 (January 19, 2025), Colonel Shamskhani, identified by Iranian state media as a “retired” deputy commander of Saravan Border Police, was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen near the Khash cargo terminal. The attack, occurring around 2:00 PM near a gas station, left Shamskhani and other occupants of his vehicle dead, according to reports.

While regime-controlled Fars News Agency described Shamskhani as a retired officer and claimed ignorance of the attackers’ motives, local sources paint a different picture. Shamskhani was widely resented for his controversial activities in the region, including alleged abuses of power and exploitation in border areas. These actions reportedly fueled deep hostility among residents.

The killing reflects an ongoing trend of targeted attacks in Sistan-Baluchistan, where unresolved shootings by unidentified assailants have increased. Many view such incidents as a direct consequence of local anger toward regime figures, further challenging Tehran’s fragile grip on the region.


PMOI Resistance Units in Zahedan Intensify Calls for Regime Change in Iran

In a powerful display of defiance against dictatorship, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) Resistance Units in Zahedan have renewed their calls for regime change, signaling a growing momentum for freedom and equality. The slogans and statements emerging from this movement reflect the unwavering resolve of the people of Baluchestan to reject both monarchy and clerical rule.

Prominent among their chants was the resounding call: “No to Shah, no to mullahs, yes to freedom and equality.” This sentiment underscores the people’s demand for a democratic alternative to both past and present forms of oppression. They also assert: “Down with the oppressor, be it the Shah or the mullahs,” and “No to the crown, no to the turban, the mullahs’ regime is done.”

Read more


Tehran’s Deadlock over FATF Regulations

The FATF blacklist amidst various economic and social crises has dangerous consequences for the mullahs' regime.

The political and economic crisis stemming from the inability of Iran’s regime to make decisions regarding the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) bills is a clear manifestation of its structural and managerial deadlock. The repeated postponement of reviewing these bills, which has now stretched over several years, reveals the depth of a crisis rooted in the fundamental contradictions of the regime. The FATF is an intergovernmental organization established in 1989 by the G7 to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. Its goal is to enhance transparency in financial systems and curb illegal activities. Being placed on this organization’s blacklist, as has occurred with Iran’s regime, signifies the country’s economic isolation within the global banking and financial systems.

The FATF’s expectations of the regime’s leaders include the ratification and implementation of the Palermo and CFT conventions, aimed at combating transnational organized crime and terrorism financing. For a regime that consistently provides financial support to armed proxy groups and smuggling networks, the ratification of these bills poses an inherent threat, and the regime refuses to comply.

Read more


The Exodus of Foreign Investors from Iran: A Warning Sign for the Economy

Irans-regime-is-aiming-to-fill-its-pockets-at-the-expense-of-unfortunate-investors

The convergence of economic crises, political instability, severe currency fluctuations, investment risks, rampant inflation, and declining purchasing power has created an inhospitable environment for foreign investors in Iran. The recent exodus of foreign firms highlights the escalating severity of these challenges, as investors assess the economic and political conditions as increasingly untenable. In recent months, prominent international companies have chosen to withdraw their investments from Iran. One notable example is the Saudi Savola Group, which controlled over 50% of Iran’s edible oil market.

The company unexpectedly divested its capital, transferring its shares to another firm. This development was soon followed by reports about the potential departure of the Emirati conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim, the investor behind the Hyper Star chain of stores.

Read more


German Authorities Investigate Al-Mustafa Institute for Suspected Extremism

The Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution has recently designated the “Al-Mustafa Institute” as a “suspected extremist case,” raising concerns about its connections to the Iranian regime. Media investigations have revealed troubling links between the institute’s administrators and the Iranian regime, casting doubt on its stated purpose as a religious educational institution.

Founded in 2015, the Al-Mustafa Institute operates in Berlin as a non-profit limited liability company. Despite its official mission to provide educational courses in Islamic theology, German authorities have grown increasingly suspicious of its activities. According to reports by Stern magazine and RTL television, the institute has been under scrutiny for its alleged involvement in recruiting operatives and spies for the Iranian regime. These accusations have been denied by the institute’s leadership, yet evidence points to its deep connections with high-ranking officials in Tehran.

Read more


Escalating Repression: Women’s Rights Activists and Political Prisoners Under Threat in Iran

The clerical regime has intensified its crackdown on women’s rights activists and political prisoners, targeting individuals with arrests, prolonged detentions, and harsh sentences. Among the cases highlighting this repression are the violent arrest of Aida Amouei, a women’s rights activist, and Taekwondo coach in Sanandaj; the prolonged uncertainty faced by physicist Elnaz Ahmadi, detained for nearly three months in Evin Prison; and the denial of a retrial for political prisoner Mahnaz Tarah, who remains incarcerated under severe conditions. These cases underscore the regime’s continued efforts to silence dissent and stifle advocacy for freedom and justice.

Read more


Endless Wave of Price Increases Continues in Iran

iran-tabriz-grand-market-e1649921691618

Reports from Iranian domestic media indicate that almost every day, some goods or services become more expensive, and in some cases, such as dairy products, official price hikes have occurred several times a year. Many analysts believe that due to its direct impact on people’s lives and well-being, surviving in Iran is gradually becoming a “luxury” trend. The recent wave of price increases has affected many goods, with dairy products experiencing the most noticeable surge compared to other items.

The government-affiliated website Eghtesaad24 wrote, “The country’s dairy industry has increased the prices of some products; a price hike that, following previous policies, is set to deprive another portion of the population of consuming dairy products.”

Read more


1,500 Classrooms Without Heating and Cooling Systems in an Iranian Province

Education-in-Iran-3

Underdevelopment and poverty are two major characteristics of Sistan and Baluchestan Province in southeastern Iran. Statements by the provincial Director General of School Renovation, indicating that 1,500 classrooms in the province lack heating and cooling systems, highlight the authorities’ disregard for the plight of the Iranian people. Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with Iran’s security apparatus, quoted Meysam Lakzaei as stating that there is a significant gap between the province’s per capita educational resources and the national average.

Mohammadreza Vaezi Mahdavi, an advocate for students, stated on January 9 that 46% of girls in the province drop out of school due to the lack of educational facilities.

Read more


Hezbollah’s Weapons Caches: Over 100 Discovered by UN Peacekeepers

Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, announced during a visit to the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the town of Naqoura, southern Lebanon, that more than 100 weapons warehouses belonging to Hezbollah and other armed groups had been discovered in the area. Guterres called on Israel to cease occupying Lebanese territories where military operations continue despite the ceasefire agreement. On Friday, January 17, 2025, following his arrival in Lebanon, Guterres referred to the presence of Israeli military operations within the UNIFIL area of operation. He emphasized that Israeli army activities inside Lebanese territory must be ended.

Read more



Also, read Iran News in Brief – January 19, 2025