Saturday, June 21, 2025

Iran News in Brief – May 17, 2025

Iranian Resistance supporters protested rising executions outside Belgium’s Foreign Ministry, May 14, 2025.

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS

UPDATE: 8:00 PM CEST


Addressing a Conference of European and Canadian Dignitaries and Representatives

Maryam Rajavi: “This regime has taken the freedom of the Iranian people, the peace of the Middle East, and the security of the world hostage. In the last 40 years, the issue of Iran has been one of the most difficult problems in the world.

“During this time, those who appeased the religious dictatorship have sacrificed values such as standing for human rights and firmness against terrorism and hostage taking for their economic or trade interests. They claimed that they would contain the regime, but in reality, they helped to close the way of change in Iran. History has shown that you have supported the right and most responsible policy.”

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Paris Rally Condemns Iran Executions, Calls for Abolition of Death Penalty and Release of Political Prisoners

Paris, May 13, 2025 – Supporters of the Iranian Resistance, including members of the NCRI and MEK, gathered at the Esplanade des Invalides to protest the alarming surge in executions and ongoing human rights violations in Iran under the presidency of Masoud Pezeshkian. Since he assumed office in July 2024, over 1,145 executions have been reported.

They condemned the death sentences issued against political prisoners affiliated with the PMOI, particularly Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, who face imminent execution.

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Brussels Rally Condemns Executions in Iran, Urges Belgium to Blacklist IRGC as Terrorist Group

Brussels, Belgium – May 14, 2025 – Supporters of the Iranian Resistance, including members of the NCRI and MEK, gathered outside the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protest the alarming rise in executions in Iran. As nuclear negotiations continue, demonstrators condemned the Iranian regime’s escalating domestic repression and called on the Belgian government to urgently designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC ) as a terrorist organization.

They condemned the death sentences issued against political prisoners affiliated with the PMOI, particularly Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, who face imminent execution.

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PMOI Resistance Units respond to Pezeshkian’s Kermanshah trip with anti-regime activities

As Iranian regime president Masoud Pezeshkian carried out a propaganda visit to Kermanshah Province, PMOI Resistance Units delivered a clear and unequivocal message on the ground: this regime holds no legitimacy, and its agents have no place in the cities of a rebellious people.

In a bold defiance of heavy security measures, widespread surveillance cameras, and patrols by the Basij and the Iranian regime’s forces, the Resistance Units in Kermanshah launched a field campaign that included the posting of banners and slogans across city streets and walls, conveying powerful messages to both Pezeshkian and the regime at large.

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Iran’s Rebellious Youth Show Solidarity with Political Prisoners, Attack Regime Targets

Protesters attack regime building associated with financial corruption in Tangestan | Iran protests

Iran’s rebellious youth, saluting the steadfast political prisoners in Evin Prison who confronted the regime’s henchmen and chanted revolutionary slogans to protest the regime of torture, execution, and massacre, carried out a series of operations against the mullahs’ centers of suppression and crime as follows:

  • Four incendiary attacks against the Imam Sadegh center of fundamentalism and crime in Qaem Shahr
  • Two incendiary attacks against an IRGC Basij base in Kermanshah
  • An incendiary attack on the Fatemeh Zahra center of fundamentalism and crime in Islamabad-e Gharb
  • Targeting the IRGC recruitment center in Kerman
  • Attacking the IRGC’s foundation of corruption and plunder in Tangestan
  • Setting fire to an IRGC Basij unit in Mashhad
  • Setting fire to an IRGC battalion in Behshahr
  • Setting fire to an IRGC Basij base in Mehrestan
  • Setting fire to government banners, posters, and billboards with images of regime founder
  • Ruhollah Khomeini, regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and terror mastermind Qassem Soleimani in Kermanshah, Maragheh, Birjand, Malayer, Islamabad-e Gharb, Abhar, and Saravan.
IRGC Basij base burning in Mashhad | Iran protests

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Meeting with Emanuelis Zingeris and Senator Joe O’Reilly, Vice Chairpersons of the Group of European People’s Party at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)

Maryam Rajavi met with Mr. Emanuelis Zingeris from Lithuania and Senator Joe O’Reilly from Ireland, Vice Chairpersons of the Group of European People’s Party at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
During the meeting, she elaborated on the major crises engulfing the ruling clerical regime in Iran and the deadlock it faces. She emphasized the explosive state of Iranian society and highlighted the readiness and activities of the rebellious youth and the organized resistance.
Mrs. Rajavi pointed out that, especially after suffering significant defeats in the region, the regime has resorted to increased executions and brutal repression in an attempt to prevent its downfall. Simultaneously, it has intensified its efforts to acquire a nuclear bomb.

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France to File Complaint Against Iranian Regime at International Court of Justice

France has announced that it will file a formal complaint against Iran’s regime at the International Court of Justice in protest over the continued imprisonment of a French couple, Cécile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris, who have been detained on espionage charges for the past three years.

France stated that on Friday, May 16, it will submit a formal complaint against Iran’s regime at the International Court of Justice. According to Christophe Lemoine, spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry, this move comes in response to the ongoing detention of two French citizens in Iran.

Cécile Kohler, a 40-year-old literature teacher, and her partner Jacques Paris were arrested on May 7, 2022, during the final day of their tourist trip to Iran.

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Electricity Theft by Iran’s Bitcoin Mining Mafia: Sanction Evasion Under Khamenei and the IRGC

Iran is facing a deepening electricity crisis, not simply due to overconsumption or poor infrastructure, but as a direct result of state-sponsored cryptocurrency mining. Behind this crisis lies a powerful network often referred to as Iran’s “Bitcoin mining mafia,” which operates under the auspices of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Under the pretext of evading international sanctions, this mafia has siphoned off vast amounts of electricity, plunging the country into darkness and hardship.

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Iran’s Soaring Theft Rates Expose Deepening Economic Crisis

According to reports from Iran’s Statistical Center, the rate of theft in the country has increased nearly fourfold compared to the late 2000s. This alarming surge reflects broader socio-economic challenges gripping Iranian society.

On Thursday, May 15, while Iran’s regime leaders launched a coordinated media campaign to denounce Donald Trump’s recent criticisms of Iran’s economy, the Judiciary held a meeting on “Crime Prevention.” During this meeting, Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir admitted that approximately 80 percent of crimes in Iran stem from inflation and rising prices.

Citing research on the underlying causes of crime, Jahangir emphasized the critical role economic pressures play in fueling criminal behavior. He also warned that crime patterns are evolving, with cyberspace and digital communication platforms contributing to new forms of social harm.

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Systematic Violation of the Rights of Ethnic Minorities in Iran

In the Iranian Regime, ethnic and religious minorities have long endured structural discrimination, widespread deprivation, and severe political and security repression. Kurds, Baloch, Arabs, Turkmens, and religious minorities such as Sunnis and followers of other faiths are subject to severe social, economic, and cultural restrictions. Mass arrests, destruction of religious sites, denial of the right to education in one’s mother tongue, and exclusion from access to public resources form only part of the systematic discriminatory policies they face.

A stark example of targeted repression is the violent assault by security forces on the village of Bandar Kolahi, located in a Sunni-majority area of Sistan and Baluchestan.

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Inside Iran’s Hidden Crisis: Power Cuts, Protests, and Public Outrage

We roam the alleys and backstreets of Iran with our shoes worn down, knocking on every door. Now, in the spring of 2025, we see that the memory of fallen protesters and war martyrs remains etched in the pavement and on the walls of cities.

We know that inflation is suffocating families, unemployment is widespread, and financial hardship burdens millions as the new year begins. Yet beneath the surface, Iran’s cities are restless. Tensions are rising, and the regime under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei seems cornered, with no solution or escape route in sight.

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The Phenomenon of Air Pollution Weighs Heavily on the Daily Lives of Iranians

It only takes a visit to the rooftop of a high-rise apartment to witness the impact of air pollution—visibility over the city becomes so poor that one can barely distinguish the urban landscape. This bitter reality has become a daily occurrence in Tehran and many other major cities across Iran.

Prolonged exposure to polluted air in 57 cities across the country has had a statistically significant impact on mortality rates. It has also imposed both direct (medical) and indirect (lost productivity) economic costs.

According to a recent study, the damage caused by urban air pollution—manifested through nine physical and mental illnesses as well as premature death—is estimated to equal 5% of Iran’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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

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