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UPDATE: 9:30 PM CET
UK Warns Ships over Iranian Attempts to Divert Vessels into Own Waters
The UK has warned sailors in the Persian Gulf over apparent attempts by Iran’s military to order ships to enter Iranian waters. In a notice published on Friday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) said there had been “several incidents involving VHF radio challenges to vessels”, some of which included “demands to alter course”.
The UKMTO said it believed the incidents were related to a large-scale military exercise being carried out by Iran’s Islamic Republican Guard Corps (IRGC), called Great Prophet XVIII.
UPDATE: 1:00 PM CET
Ships With Missile Propellant Ingredient Set to Sail From China to Iran, FT Reports
WASHINGTON, Jan 22 (Reuters) – Two Iranian cargo vessels carrying an ingredient for missile propellant will sail from China to Iran in the next few weeks, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing intelligence from security officials in two Western countries.
The reported transactions could make the Chinese entities involved subject to U.S. sanctions aimed at curbing Iran’s weapons programs, as the two Iranian vessels are already under U.S. sanctions.
The FT said the Iranian-flagged ships, the Golbon and the Jairan, were expected to carry more than 1,000 tonnes of sodium perchlorate, which is used to make ammonium perchlorate, the main ingredient for solid propellant for missiles.
Ammonium perchlorate is among the chemicals controlled by the Missile Technology Export Control Regime, a voluntary international anti-proliferation body.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET
Commemorating The Victims of Iran’s Criminal Judges
January 24 marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of Jafar Kazemi and Mohammad Ali Haj-Aghaei, two PMOI supporters who were executed in 2011 by Iran’s regime. They were among the thousands whose execution was carried out under the decree of cleric Mohammad Moghiseh, the criminal judge who was killed a few days ago. Mohammad Ali Haj-Aghaei, who was also imprisoned from 1983 to 1988, wrote in one of his final letters to the then-UN Secretary-General in January 2011:
“I am Mohammad Ali Haj-Aghaei. I have been sentenced to death by the judge of Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. Judge Moghiseh is the same interrogator and torturer who, during the 1980s, subjected me and my friends to severe torture and interrogation. Now, he has issued death sentences not only for me but also for several of my friends…”
2025: A Year of Reckoning for the Iranian Regime
Fear has gripped the Iranian regime in 2025. The return of Donald Trump to power in the United States has created a nightmare scenario for the Iranian regime, leaving Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei with dwindling options. Trump’s stance on Iran remains uncompromising: confront a weakened regime or dismantle it entirely. With the re-imposition of UN sanctions and mounting internal crises, the regime faces an unprecedented challenge.
The Iranian regime’s regional influence has crumbled. The loss of Syria and Lebanon as reliable allies, coupled with its disastrous economic situation, paints a bleak picture. These setbacks coincide with the return of its fiercest adversary, Donald Trump, to the White House, marking a decisive turning point.
Iran’s Regime Tightens Grip on Internet Access through Cyber Partnership with Russia
Iran’s authoritarian regime has intensified its repression of free internet access by deepening cyber ties with Russia. A recent agreement between the two heavily sanctioned nations focuses on increasing control over the digital space and suppressing independent online activity.
The agreement, signed last Friday in Moscow by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, aims to enhance cooperation in cybersecurity and internet regulation. The pact, described as elevating “friendly interstate relations” to a new level, underscores the shared goal of both regimes to curb free access to information and monitor online activity.
European Parliament Condemns Human Rights Violations in Iran
The European Parliament, in its plenary session, adopted a resolution addressing the systematic repression of human rights in Iran. This resolution, passed by a significant majority of 556 votes in favor, 6 against, and 42 abstentions, calls for immediate action to address ongoing human rights abuses by the Iranian regime. MEPs strongly reiterated their opposition to the death penalty in Iran, urging the regime to establish an immediate moratorium on its use and work towards its full abolition. The resolution specifically condemns the death sentences handed down to human rights activist Pakhshan Azizi and humanitarian worker Wrisha Moradi, calling for their immediate and unconditional release. Furthermore, it highlights the plight of at least 56 other political prisoners currently on death row.
Tehran Municipality’s Controversial Allocation: Funding Ideological Projects Amid Critical Needs
While claiming insufficient funds to modernize Tehran’s deteriorating transportation fleet, the Tehran Municipality has controversially allocated 550 billion tomans to a project aimed at sending clerics to schools and “connecting schools to mosques.” This initiative called the “Arman Aliverdi” project, operates under the municipality’s Education Camp programs.
Arman Aliverdi was a member of the regime’s Basij forces who died during the nationwide protests of 2022 while participating in violent crackdowns against demonstrators. The project named after him is part of the regime’s broader efforts to ideologically influence youth through schools.
The Banks of Iran: Serving the Economy or Corrupt Capitalism?
The chaotic state of banks in Iran is one of the main causes of the country’s economic crisis. Instead of playing a supportive role in production, they have become tools serving the ruling establishment. This shift has led to an increase in debt and inflation.
The latest list of major bank debtors, dated mid-December 2024, was recently published by the Central Bank. According to the report, the overdue claims of banks have exceeded 7,890 trillion rials (approximately $9.85 billion). This figure is the result of large loans taken by state-owned, semi-state-owned companies and influential individuals.
The resources come from public deposits. The uncertainty in the repayment of these debts harms the public rights of the Iranian people.
The Bankruptcy of Industries in Iran
Gas and electricity outages in Iran’s industries are one of the serious economic issues that have affected production and employment in recent years.
Manufacturing industries require continuous access to energy to maintain production stability. However, in practice, frequent electricity and gas outages have halted production lines and reduced efficiency. This issue has imposed heavy costs on industries and decreased product quality.
Furthermore, the persistence of energy carrier outages indicates that the energy infrastructure is incapable of meeting industrial demands. Even with financial resources, industries cannot return to stable production, disrupting the entire economic cycle.
General Strike in Kurdish Cities Protesting Execution Sentence for Pakhshan Azizi and Varisha Moradi
Following a public call for a strike in Kurdish cities to protest the death sentences issued for Pakhshan Azizi and Varisha Moradi, Kurdish-populated areas have launched a general strike. Baneh, Eslamabad-e Gharb, Kermanshah, Divandarreh, Bukan, Mahabad, Sanandaj, Saqqez, and Marivan witnessed widespread participation. Additionally, citizens in other parts of Iran expressed solidarity by writing slogans on city walls to support the Kurdish population.
According to reports on social media, many shopkeepers in Kurdish regions closed their businesses and joined the general strike on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. This collective action was organized as a practical measure to save the lives of two civil activists sentenced to death.
Paris Exhibition: Condemning Iran’s Human Rights Violations and Promoting the February 8, 2025, Demonstration
Paris, France – January 21-22, 2025: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held an exhibition to shed light on the Iranian regime’s escalating human rights violations and to express solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution.
Geneva, Switzerland – January 21, 2025: Rally by MEK Supporters in Solidarity with ‘No to Executions Campaign’
Geneva, Switzerland – January 21, 2025: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally and exhibition in solidarity with the “No to Executions Campaign” campaign. This campaign is a response to the executions carried out in prisons by the Iranian regime.
Lugano, Switzerland -January 20, 2025: MEK Supporters’ Exhibition Condemning the Mullahs’ Regime Crimes in Iran
Lugano, Switzerland – January 20, 2025: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized an exhibition to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. The exhibition also protested the rising wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime and called for the immediate release of all political prisoners held in the regime’s prisons.
Lugano, #Switzerland -January 20, 2025: MEK Supporters’ Exhibition Condemning the Mullahs’ Regime Crimes in #Iran#StopExecutionsInIran #FreeIran2025https://t.co/0ewTW5fQdg
— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) January 23, 2025
Iranian community in Lugano expressed their solidarity with the “No to Executions Campaign” in response to the executions taking place in Iran’s regime prisons. MEK supporters in Lugano demanded the trial of the mullahs’ regime leaders for crimes against humanity, in an international court.