THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 11:00 AM CET
Trump’s Victory Spells Defeat for Iran’s Mullahs
The historic re-election of Donald Trump as America’s 47th president will have sent shivers down the spine of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader. News that the FBI has arrested 3 people charged with plotting to assassinate Donald Trump under direct instructions from the Iranian regime’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), will have further enraged the president-elect. During his previous term in office Trump cracked down hard on the theocratic regime. He unilaterally withdrew America from President Obama’s deeply flawed nuclear deal with the Iranians. He ramped up sanctions with his ‘Maximum Pressure’ campaign, and he ordered the elimination of Iran’s warmongering mastermind, Major General Qassem Soleimani, one of the most powerful terrorist figures in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Trump made it clear that he would not follow the UN and EU appeasement policy when it came to dealing with Iran.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET
US Carried Out Strikes Against Iranian Linked Targets in Syria
WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) – The U.S. military said on Monday it had carried out strikes against nine targets associated with Iranian groups in Syria.
In a statement, the U.S. military said the strikes were against two locations in Syria and a response to several attacks on U.S. personnel in Syria in the past 24 hours.
The U.S. has occasionally carried out strikes against targets linked to Iran in both Iraq and Syria. In February, the U.S. launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and militias it backs, in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. troops.
A Turning Point for The Iranian Regime’s Terrorist Activities in Europe
The attempted assassination of Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a prominent Spanish politician, on November 9, 2023, in central Madrid shocked the world and quickly drew international attention. Vidal’s miraculous survival after a hired assailant targeted his head at close range, along with his courage and decisiveness in immediately identifying Iran’s regime as the perpetrator, highlighted the unique significance of this event. This terrorist act was a complete failure and humiliation for the regime, producing outcomes entirely contrary to the Iranian regime’s intentions.
In his first press conference in Madrid in February, Professor Vidal-Quadras said that he believed the Iranian regime ordered the attack because of his support for the National Council of Resistance of Iran and stated, “Let them hear me in Tehran – they didn’t achieve their goal. I’ve miraculously saved my life and I intend to continue this fight for the rest of my life.”
Iran’s Military-Security Budget to Increase by 200 Percent
In conjunction with the ratification of Iranian regime President Masoud Pezeshkian’s budget proposal in parliament, the spokesperson for the government announced that the country’s military budget would see a 200 percent increase. She stated, “Every effort has been made to address the country’s defense needs, with special attention given to this matter; consequently, the military budget will experience a 200 percent increase.” This increase effectively triples the military budget of the clerical regime.
Economist Ahmad Alavi views the 2025 budget as rooted in rent distribution among the nation’s political and economic players. One defining feature of Iran’s economy is the divide between inclusive organizations, which promote economic growth and development, and extractive institutions, which function to capture rents and serve the interests of a small elite, the oligarchy that holds power.
Iran’s Dilemma with Energy: Power Shortages, Air Pollution, and Public Frustration
In recent months, Iran’s state-run media has framed President Masoud Pezeshkian’s order to halt mazut (heavy fuel oil) burning in power plants across Arak, Karaj, and Isfahan as a major achievement for the government. Yet this decision comes with a significant downside: cutting back on mazut use, while it may reduce pollution, is likely to trigger power outages as demand rises during the colder months. Iranian officials argue that limiting mazut use is intended to tackle the severe winter air pollution affecting major cities. Mohammad Jaafar Qaimpanah, Iran’s Executive Vice President, has admitted that the decision will likely lead to reduced electricity production and warned the public to expect scheduled blackouts. “We apologize in advance to the people for these blackouts,” he stated, adding that the Energy Ministry will communicate specific blackout schedules. “We have no choice because we cannot watch people die from air pollution,” Qaimpanah said, justifying the measure.
Iran’s Housing Crisis Worsens as Government Retains Millions of Hectares of Land
Amid a nationwide housing crisis, Iranian domestic media reports have raised concerns over the government’s refusal to release millions of hectares of state-owned land for residential development. Despite an ongoing housing shortage, the administration of Masoud Pezeshkian, like its predecessors, has declined to allocate nearly two million hectares for building much-needed housing units. Iran’s housing market has been stagnant in recent years, but land and property prices have surged at an unprecedented rate. In Tehran, official statistics indicate that 51% of residents are renters, while 42% of households fall below the housing poverty line. Rising land and housing prices have made homeownership increasingly elusive for average Iranians, particularly those in urban centers.
An article by the ISNA news agency, titled “What is the story of the hoarding of about two million hectares of land?” sheds light on this pressing issue. The report notes that transferring just 6% of government-held land could effectively address the shortage of seven million residential units in Iran. Other Iranian outlets have echoed these concerns. Quds newspaper criticized the government’s monopoly over state-owned land, while Farhikhtegan pointed out that “land 30 times the size of Tehran’s area has been hoarded.”
Women Political Prisoners in Evin Protest Execution Order for Varisha Moradi
On Sunday, November 10, 2024, after political prisoner Varisha Moradi was issued a death sentence, the women political prisoners in Evin staged a protest in the prison yard, chanting anti-government slogans. The women political prisoners gathered twice, at 3:00 and 6:00 p.m., during their outdoor break to voice their outrage against the execution order for Varisha Moradi. Their chants included: “Death to the dictator,” “The women of Evin stand united to overturn the death sentence,” “Freedom, freedom, freedom,” “Our lives may go, but our quest for freedom will never die,” “The death sentence is the regime’s revenge on Kurdish women and all corners of Iran,” “The executioner’s noose has no power over Mount Damavand,” and “Political prisoners must be freed.”
Mahrokh Khani, 35, Hanged in the Central Prison of Tabriz
At dawn on Sunday, November 10, 2024, a woman was executed by hanging in the Central Prison of Tabriz. Mahrokh Khani, 35, had been sentenced to death on charges related to drug offenses.
Mahrokh Khani and a 45-year-old man named Kazem Babaei were both hanged in the Central Prison of Tabriz. Khani had been arrested five years ago and subsequently sentenced to death. Before her arrest, she worked in a sewing workshop.
As of the time this report was prepared, the executions had not been announced in state media or on judiciary-affiliated websites.
Experts Warn About the Iran’s Inflationary “War Budget” in 2025
Massoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran’s regime, has presented his first budget bill to the Majlis (parliament) since taking office. This budget, with a 200% increase in military expenditures, has been likened to a “war budget,” with its general framework approved amid exceptional economic and security circumstances for Iran. 47% of Iran’s oil export revenues are set to go directly to the armed forces, similar to the current year. This amount, totaling 5.61 quadrillion rials (approximately $8 billion), leaves the government with only 43%, equivalent to 5.09 quadrillion rials (approximately $7.271 billion).
Accordingly, activists and economic analysts note a “war footprint” in the 2024 budget. This comes as budget resources, even excluding military expenses, have faced significant deficits in recent years.
At Least 11 Executions in a Single Day in Iran, Including One Woman
Stockholm, November 9, 2024: MEK Supporters’ Rally Condemns Crimes of the Mullahs’ Regime in Iran
Stockholm, Sweden—November 9, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally to protest the escalating wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime. They also called for the immediate release of all political prisoners held in the prisons of the mullahs’ regime in Iran and expressed solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.
Duisburg, Germany, November 9, 2024: MEK Supporters Host Exhibition Condemning the Mullahs’ Regime Crimes in Iran
Duisburg, Germany, November 9, 2024: 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. They also strongly condemned the severe human rights violations in Iran, particularly the increasing executions by the mullahs’ regime, and called for the immediate release of all political prisoners held in the regime’s prisons in Iran.
Copenhagen, November 9, 2024: MEK Supporters’ Rally and Exhibition Condemns Crimes of the Mullahs’ Regime in Iran
Copenhagen, Denmark—November 9, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally and exhibition to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. The event 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 in Iran.
