THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET
Quad Joint Statement on the IAEA Board of Governors Resolution on Iran
We, the Governments of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States welcome the IAEA Board of Governors’ adoption of a resolution on Iran. The resolution responds to Iran’s continued failure to provide the IAEA the information and cooperation needed to clarify long outstanding issues relating to undeclared nuclear material detected at multiple locations in Iran. These issues are central to the Agency’s ability to provide assurance of the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran is legally obligated under its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement to cooperate fully with the IAEA and account for all nuclear material and activities.
In its last resolution in June, the Board stated that if Iran failed to provide the necessary, full and unambiguous cooperation with the Agency to resolve all outstanding safeguards issues and implement the safeguards obligations stemming from its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, further action would be necessary.
UPDATE: 6:30 PM CET
We Call for The Immediate Release of Maryam Akbari Monfared and All Prisoners of Conscience in The Islamic Republic of Iran
A group of intellectuals, human rights, and women’s rights activists, and elected officials, including Elisabeth Badinter, Ingrid Betancourt, and Laurence Tubiana, are outraged by Iran’s treatment of opposition politician Maryam Akbari Monfared, who has just been transferred to one of the country’s worst prisons.
We are appalled by the fate that the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves for its political prisoners, especially women, and in particular Maryam Akbari Monfared, one of the longest-serving detainees in Iran. We call on France and European states to demand his immediate release. For fifteen years, the mother of three daughters has been serving a sentence in Iran’s most sinister prisons, becoming a symbol of courage.
UPDATE: 10:00 AM CET
Iran’s Regime Reacts to IAEA Resolution Against its Nuclear Program
On November 21, 2024, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors adopted a resolution condemning Iran’s regime for its lack of cooperation with the agency and providing a comprehensive report on its nuclear activities. This resolution, proposed by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States, was approved with 19 votes in favor, 3 against, and 12 abstentions.
In an effort to prevent the adoption of the resolution, which could activate snapback sanctions, Iran mobilized all available lobbying resources. Despite these efforts, the major European powers ultimately introduced the resolution, which was then approved by the Board of Governors.
According to The New York Times, Abbas Araghchi, the regime’s foreign minister, contacted officials from member states of the Board of Governors, including Brazil, South Africa, Bangladesh, Algeria, Burkina Faso, and Pakistan, asking them to oppose the resolution.
Iran’s Energy and Livelihood Crises Are Testament to The Regime’s Moral Collapse
The solutions proposed by Iranian regime officials and analysts to address economic and livelihood crises are not only astonishingly absurd to the point of surreal comedy but also indicate the death of shame and morality within them.
The spread of lies, vulgarity, and their constant repetition to destroy motivation and hope is a consistent and deliberate policy devised by the regime, led by presidents from all factions of the system.
Consider this statement by Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian during a meeting on November 16, with managers from the Ministries of Energy and Oil, as reported by Mehr News Agency: “I insist that the current situation and the imbalance in the energy sector must be honestly communicated to the people.”
Air Pollution in Iran: A Growing Public Health and Environmental Crisis
Air pollution in Iran has reached alarming levels, posing a serious threat to public health and economic stability. Mohammad Sadegh Hasanvand, head of the Air Pollution Research Center at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, recently revealed that air pollution accounts for approximately 12% of deaths in the country. With 450,000 deaths reported annually in Iran, 50,000 are directly attributed to this environmental hazard.
In an interview with IRNA on November 23, Hasanvand highlighted that air pollution ranks as the fourth—and occasionally the third—leading risk factor contributing to mortality in Iran. He described it as the most significant environmental risk factor, endangering the health of millions across the country. The primary pollutant of concern is suspended particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5), which has been monitored in Iran since 2010.
Diesel Mismanagement and Iran’s Looming Energy Crisis
On November 17, Abbas Kazemi, the former CEO of Iran Oil Products Refining and Distribution Company, disclosed a troubling case of mismanagement that is exacerbating Iran’s energy crisis. According to Kazemi, the Abadan Refinery, instead of allocating 450 million liters of diesel for winter reserves to power plants, sold it on the stock market at free-market prices. This decision, while not illegal, has had far-reaching implications for the country’s power generation capacity and energy security.
Data from Iran’s Ministry of Energy reveals a stark trend: since September 2024, the process of filling liquid fuel reserves for power plants has stalled. These reserves have dwindled to just one-third of their normal levels, exposing the government’s claim of reducing mazut (a heavy fuel oil) usage for environmental reasons as a façade. The decline in reserves, coupled with a 30% reduction in gas supply to power plants compared to 2023, has pushed Iran into a precarious energy situation.
Leila Hossein-Zadeh: Sentenced to Imprisonment for Appearing Without a Hijab in Public
Leila Hossein-Zadeh, a former political prisoner and student activist, has been sentenced in absentia to imprisonment for appearing without a hijab at the University of Tehran while defending her thesis. In a post on her personal social media page, Leila Hossein-Zadeh announced that Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court recently issued the sentence in absentia. She was accused of appearing in public spaces without a hijab and engaging in anti-regime propaganda. She stated, “I neither have hope for an appeal nor trust in legal proceedings. I will wait for the case to be referred to the enforcement of sentences.”
The Intensifying Brain Drain Crisis in Iran: A Look at Academic, Economic, and Healthcare Challenges
Amid growing concerns over the intensifying brain drain crisis in Iran, and as statistics point to the departure or desire to leave among a large portion of the country’s skilled workforce, Hossein Simayee Sarraf, the Iranian regime’s Minister of Science, has admitted that in recent years, “25% of university professors” have emigrated. On Friday, November 22, Sarraf described this figure as “worrying” and a factor contributing to the “decline of universities and academic performance of students.” He added that if this trend continues, “their replacements may be of a weaker caliber.”
This regime official also highlighted various factors contributing to migration from Iran—including “job-related, economic, and socio-political” reasons—and identified economic problems as the primary driver behind the emigration of professors. He added, “Some of them don’t even plan to return.” Referring to the income levels of university professors in “our neighboring countries across the water,” he stated that “the salary of our full professors with 50 pay grades barely reaches $1,000.”
Iran’s Judiciary Upholds Harsh Sentences for Evin Prison Fire Defendants
In a closed appeals session on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, Iran’s judiciary upheld the sentences of 40 prisoners accused of involvement in the October 2022 fire at Evin Prison. These individuals, informed only through their lawyers, now face additional prison terms, lashes, and fines. The verdicts, initially issued on June 18, 2024, were imposed without due process, drawing widespread condemnation.
Confirmed Sentences for Political Prisoners
The judiciary also finalized sentences for four political prisoners accused in connection with the fire. Sentences include:
- Loqman Aminpour: Eight years and eight months, plus 148 lashes.
- Meysam Dehban Zadeh: Eight years and eight months, plus 148 lashes.
- Majid Roshan Nejad: Eight years and eight months, plus 148 lashes.
- Reza Salman Zadeh: Seven years, plus 74 lashes.
Reports indicate these sentences were handed down at the request of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, without summoning the defendants or allowing their attorneys to present defenses.
Iranians in Melbourne Advocate for Human Rights and Support Iran’s Revolution
Melbourne, Australia—November 22, 2024: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a book exhibition to raise awareness about the increasing wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime. The event also highlighted their solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution.
1-#Melbourne, #Australia—November 22, 2024: #MEK supporters held an exhibition condemning the #HumanRightsViolations in #Iran. #WomanResistanceFreedom #NoImpunity4Mullahs #StopExecutionsInIran #FreeIran2024 pic.twitter.com/rmNNKelaUh
— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) November 23, 2024
They condemned the brutal repression of women by the mullahs’ regime under the pretext of enforcing compulsory hijab laws. Highlighting women as a driving force for change in Iran, they voiced strong support for the struggle of Iranian women, particularly the MEK Resistance Units operating across the country. Their rallying cry was the slogan, “Woman, Resistance, Freedom.”
Paris Exhibition Highlights Support for Iranian Revolution and Condemns Rising Executions
Paris, France—November 21, 2024: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a compelling exhibition of photographs and books to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution and protest the Iranian regime’s escalating use of executions.
Berlin Exhibition Supports Iranian Revolution and Denounces Iran Regime’s Brutality
Berlin, Germany—November 21, 2024: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a powerful exhibition to stand in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. The event condemned the Iranian regime’s escalating wave of executions and demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners held in the regime’s prisons.
