
THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CEST
Drone Strikes Shut Oilfields in Iraq’s Kurdistan, Cut Output by Up To 150,000 Bpd
BAGHDAD, July 16 (Reuters) – Drone attacks for a third day on oilfields in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region have slashed crude output by 140,000 to 150,000 barrels per day, two energy officials said on Wednesday, as infrastructure damage forced multiple shutdowns.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attacks, and no group has claimed responsibility.
Several oilfields halted operations due to significant infrastructure damage, the Kurdistan region’s Ministry of Natural Resources said, adding that the attacks also aimed to threaten the safety of civilian workers in the energy sector.
Iraqi Kurdistan security sources said initial investigations suggested the drone came from areas under the control of Iran-backed militias.
On Monday, two drones fell on the Khurmala oilfield near Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, damaging water pipes at the field.
US Military Says Yemeni Force Seized Iranian Arms Shipment Bound for Houthis
July 16 (Reuters) – The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X on Wednesday that a military group known as the Yemeni National Resistance Forces (NRF) seized a ‘massive’ Iranian weapons shipment bound for Houthi militants.
The NRF is an anti-Houthi force in Yemen led by Tarek Saleh, nephew of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and is not formally part of the internationally recognised government.
Yemeni forces “seized over 750 tons of munitions and hardware to include hundreds of advanced cruise, anti-ship, and anti-aircraft missiles, warheads and seekers, components as well as hundreds of drone engines, air defense equipment, radar systems, and communications equipment,” it added.
How Will Iran’s Divided Opposition Remove the Bloody Mullahs—And What Comes Next: Democracy or Another Shah?
Now that Israeli airstrikes and American bunker-busters have severely damaged the power of the ruling Iranian regime, led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, two questions arise: who will bring an end to the mullahs’ rule, and what comes afterward?
The answer to the first is often: “the Iranian people”, and to the second: “a democratic Iran.” Understandably, the U.S. government is not launching a ground offensive. Israel may at most succeed in sending Khamenei to the next world. But what—and where—is the Iranian opposition?
For decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran orchestrated violence across the Middle East through a so-called “arc of terror”: Assad’s Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen. The goal was to strangle the West in general—and Israel in particular—in a vise grip.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CEST
Message to the Conference at the UK Parliament, “Third Option: Change by Iran’s People and Resistance”
Maryam Rajavi’s message: “The twelve-day war, with all its dimensions, has brought to light an undeniable truth: the solution to the crisis in Iran lies neither in appeasement of the regime, and the continuation of this regime, nor in foreign military intervention. The real solution is the Third Option—championed for years by the Iranian Resistance—namely, regime change by the Iranian people and their organized resistance. The decisive battle that will shape the future of Iran and the region is the struggle of the Iranian people against the ruling religious fascism.
“Since two years ago, when Khamenei escalated his regional warmongering, his primary objective has been to block the path of uprisings inside Iran. Immediately following the recent war, the regime responded to this looming threat with a new wave of repression. Among its swift actions was the passage of a repressive new law in the regime’s parliament aimed at accelerating executions.”
A decade of deception: How the JCPOA’s failure vindicates the Iranian Resistance’s warnings
Ten years ago, on July 15, 2015, the Iranian regime celebrated the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which its then-president Hassan Rouhani hailed as a “great political victory.” Today, that supposed victory lies in tatters. As the deal marks its grim tenth anniversary, European powers are openly warning of activating the snapback mechanism, a move that would reimpose all international sanctions and deliver the final blow to the agreement.
The French Foreign Minister stated on July 15, “France and its partners are … justified in reapplying global embargos on arms, banks and nuclear equipment that were lifted 10 years ago. Without a firm, tangible and verifiable commitment from Iran, we will do so by the end of August at the latest.”
Iranian Authorities Try to Abduct Political Prisoner Saeed Masouri, Signaling New Wave of Terror in Prisons
In a brazen act of desperation, the Iranian regime’s security forces launched a violent raid on Ghezel Hesar prison on July 16, attempting to abduct one of Iran’s longest-serving political prisoners, Saeed Masouri. According to a harrowing report from the Iran Human Rights Society (HRS), the regime’s henchmen stormed the political prisoners’ ward without a judicial warrant, intending to move Masouri to an unknown location. The plot was only thwarted by the courageous and collective resistance of his fellow inmates, who forced the guards to retreat.
The HRS report warns that a heavy security atmosphere now suffocates the ward, with special guards deployed in the prison courtyard, signaling the imminent danger of another attack. This event is a clear indicator of a new, brutal wave of repression sweeping across Iran’s dungeons, orchestrated by a clerical regime terrified of its own people’s dissent.
Women’s Retirement Made Tougher Under New Social Security Law
In a fresh wave of regressive reforms, the Iranian regime has significantly tightened the conditions for women’s retirement under the amended Social Security Law.
According to a report by the media outlet Kartaban, the new law, which came into effect on July 24, 2024, introduces harsher requirements in terms of age, years of service, and retirement benefit calculations—effectively making retirement more difficult and less accessible for working women across the country.
Under the revised Article 76 of the Social Security Law, women can now retire at three different ages—42, 45, or 55—but each option is subject to new, more complex requirements that impose additional burdens and delays on women in the workforce.
Winterthur Exhibition Denounces Iran’s Human Rights Violations, Calls for Global Response
Winterthur, Switzerland – July 16, 2025 – Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized an exhibition in Winterthur to denounce the Iranian regime’s worsening human rights abuses, highlighting the surge in death sentences imposed on political prisoners.
Participants strongly condemned the mass executions carried out by the clerical regime and called for the immediate release of all political prisoners. They urged the international community to hold Iran’s leaders accountable for crimes against humanity by prosecuting them in international courts.
Brussels Rally Backs Maryam Rajavi’s Third Option for Iran: No to War, No to Appeasement, Yes to Regime Change
Brussels, Belgium – July 16, 2025 – Supporters of the Iranian Resistance, including the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), gathered outside the European Parliament in Brussels to voice their opposition to the clerical regime in Tehran and advocate for a democratic alternative.
The demonstrators rallied in support of the “Third Option” proposed by Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the NCRI, which calls for democratic change led by the Iranian people and the organized resistance movement. Rejecting both foreign military intervention and appeasement of the regime, they promoted this path as the only viable solution for a free and stable Iran.
Report on the State of Human Rights and Criminal Justice in Iran
July 17 marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute in 1998 and is celebrated globally as the Day of International Criminal Justice. The establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was a major step toward ending impunity for the gravest crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. While many countries have taken steps toward these goals, the ruling regime in Iran remains a stark example of systematic disregard for international criminal justice.
The Iranian judiciary is not independent. It is fully subordinate to security and intelligence bodies such as the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and the Ministry of Intelligence. This structural subjugation has led to:
Iran’s Regime Negotiates with Four Countries to Import Water as Crisis Deepens
Amid growing warnings about water shortages and the Iranian regime’s failure to manage the drought crisis, Abbas Aliabadi, Iran’s Minister of Energy, stated that importing water from neighboring countries is on the agenda and that negotiations have already taken place with Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. On Tuesday, July 15, Aliabadi noted that Iran has been suffering from drought for more than five years and said, “Our rainfall is down 31% compared to last year and 44% below the long-term average.” In response to a question about the water crisis, the Minister of Energy said, “There is no water now. We have to consume slowly to make it last longer.”
PMOI Supporters Given Double Death Sentences by Iran’s Regime
As part of the ongoing wave of repression and political executions, the judiciary of Iran’s regime issued harsh sentences against five political prisoners on Saturday, July 12. Three of them—Farshad Etemadifar, Masoud Jamei, and Alireza Mardasi (Hamidavi)—were each sentenced to two executions and one year in prison. The other two, Saman and Davood Hormatnejad, were sentenced to 12 and 15 years of discretionary imprisonment, respectively.
These sentences were issued by Branch One of the Revolutionary Court in Ahvaz, presided over by Judge Adibi-Mehr. The official charges include “waging war against God (moharebeh),” “assembly and collusion against national security,” “membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK),” and “propaganda against the regime”—charges frequently used against political prisoners to justify harsh sentences.
EU and US Escalate Pressure on Iranian Intelligence Over Human Rights Abuses and Transnational Crimes
The European Union and the United States took coordinated but distinct actions this week to intensify pressure on Iran regime’s intelligence apparatus, accusing Tehran of a sweeping pattern of human rights violations, extraterritorial assassinations, and hostage-taking operations. On Tuesday, the European Council announced sanctions against eight individuals and one entity under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, citing their involvement in serious human rights abuses committed on behalf of Iranian state bodies outside the country. The move comes amid growing international concern over Iran regime’s use of transnational repression and proxy agents to silence critics, dissidents, and journalists worldwide — including within the EU itself.
Iranian Regime Leaders Voice Deep Fears Over Internal Collapse and Foreign Infiltration
As cracks widen in the Iranian regime’s security and legitimacy, officials issue conflicting statements revealing panic, disorientation, and persistent fear of regime overthrow
As the Iranian regime emerges from the shadow of a 12-day war with Israel, its senior political figures—across factions and branches—are increasingly vocal about the fragility of the regime’s internal foundations.
Statements from top officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, his advisors, and former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, paint a picture of a leadership engulfed in paranoia over espionage, popular revolt, and geopolitical isolation. Despite public reassurances of stability, these admissions suggest a regime operating under intense pressure, and possibly at its most vulnerable point in decades.
Internal Discord and Espionage Scandals Expose Cracks in Iran’s Security Structure
Conflicting statements among Iranian regime’s officials reveal deep confusion and vulnerability amid escalating foreign intelligence operations
As the Iranian regime grapples with mounting internal crises and growing external pressures, a series of contradictory statements from members of the Iranian parliament have revealed the regime’s escalating internal confusion and insecurity. The public discourse now reflects not only deep institutional disarray but also an intensifying struggle over how to respond to perceived infiltration by foreign intelligence services. In one striking statement, MP and IRGC member Ebrahim Abnoosh, who serves on the regime’s National Security Commission, called for a sweeping purge of “infiltrators and undesirable elements” within state institutions.