THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 6:30 PM CEST
Will The War in The Middle East Lead to The Fall of The Iranian Regime?
As the so-called “axis of resistance” camp sinks into despair, following the blows dealt to the Tehran regime’s proxies by the Israeli army, the possibility of the fall of the Iranian regime is being raised. Is this justified optimism or a mere illusion? While the weakening of the proxies, established since the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) in 1979, creates favorable conditions for Tehran’s downfall, it is certainly not sufficient on its own.
The Iranian regime has recently put a dozen Iranians on trial as apostates for participating in protests and belonging to Resistance Units. This structured force clearly exists within Iran. Formed by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), these Resistance Units have become the IRGC’s primary adversary. The recent trials, including the trial in absentia of 104 MEK members, show that the authorities can no longer afford to overlook this internal force. It is a critical element in the Iranian equation, long ignored by many: the Iranian Resistance, organized within a coalition called the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). The world can no longer afford to ignore it, or risk letting a historic opportunity slip away.
UPDATE: 2:30 PM CEST
EU Voices Deep Concern Over Iran’s Nuclear Program, Calls for Compliance
At the First Committee of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the European Union expressed serious concerns over Iran’s expanding nuclear activities, urging the country to adhere to its international commitments. Speaking on behalf of the EU, David Pusztai of the European External Action Service highlighted the growing risks associated with Iran’s nuclear advancements and called for a return to diplomatic solutions.
“The EU remains committed to ensuring that Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon,” Pusztai said, reaffirming the EU’s support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and related UN Security Council resolutions. He emphasized that Tehran’s continued expansion of its nuclear program, along with its lack of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), “carries very significant proliferation risks and has no credible civilian justification.”
Pusztai urged the Iranian regime to comply with the JCPOA fully, grant the IAEA unrestricted access, and resume all monitoring and verification measures. Expressing concern over statements from Iranian officials about the country’s nuclear capabilities, he warned that Iran’s escalating nuclear activities could lead to a regional proliferation crisis. “The EU calls on the new Iranian government to engage constructively with the IAEA and fulfill its obligations under international agreements,” he concluded.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CEST
Factional Infighting Intensifies as Iran’s Regime Faces External and Internal Crises
As the war in the Middle East is firing back at the warmongering regime in Iran, internal factional conflicts within the regime are intensifying.
On Thursday, October 17, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the regime’s parliament, identified two weaknesses and red lines of the regime while speaking in Mashhad: “conflict” (i.e., factional infighting) and fear and defections within its ranks.
One example of this “conflict” is the threat to prosecute and remove Massoud Pezeshkian from the presidency. The state-run news site Rouydad 24 reported on October 14: “Kamran Ghazanfari, a Tehran MP, says: Pezeshkian is openly committing a crime, and if he does not quickly cancel this illegal [appointment of Mohammad Javad Zarif], we will file a complaint with the judiciary, and Pezeshkian will have to answer for it. He believes ‘Pezeshkian has no defense’ and says he will be sentenced to five to 15 years of social rights deprivation and will effectively be removed from the presidency!”
Khamenei’s Fatwa: A Smokescreen for Iranian Regime’s Nuclear Program
In recent developments, the Iranian regime’s nuclear program, shrouded in secrecy for decades, has once again surfaced as a critical threat. A statement released by the Defense and Strategic Research Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) on October 14, 2024, reveals that the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ordered the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to expedite the completion of a nuclear bomb.
From the outset, Khamenei’s 2010 fatwa, which claimed that developing and using nuclear weapons was forbidden under Islamic law, was deliberately crafted to deceive the international community and obscure Iran’s true nuclear ambitions.
Iran Regime’s Foreign Policy: A Path to Isolation and Internal Discontent
Iran regime’s foreign policy is on the brink of collapse, as both internal and external challenges threaten its sustainability. Built on hostility toward the West, particularly the U.S., and framed as a battle against “global arrogance,” this policy is rapidly losing support even within the country. At the same time, the religious authority of the regime, under the Velayat-e Faghih system, is waning, and many Iranians are now advocating for regime change. The people are distancing themselves from the regime’s policies, which have incited proxy wars across the Middle East, contributing to widespread regional instability.
Iran regime’s foreign and domestic policies are intertwined, reflecting the same underlying strategy. This approach has placed the country in a precarious position, constantly teetering on the edge of conflict, tension, and international isolation. Diplomatic efforts have failed to generate economic opportunities, leaving Iran trapped in a cycle of sanctions and economic hardship.
The Struggle for Survival in an Impoverished Iran
In 2018, the World Bank reported that 0.5% of the Iranian population—approximately 420,000 people—were living below the absolute poverty line, defined as having an income of less than $1.90 per day. Around the same time, Iran’s Parliament Research Center estimated that between 23% and 40% of the population was living in poverty. However, by October 2020, the situation had worsened dramatically. According to the same research center, more than 60% of Iran’s population had fallen below the poverty line due to the sharp decline in the value of the rial. The poverty line in Iran had surged to 20 million tomans per month.
Poisoning of 31 Female Students in a School in North Khorasan
On the morning of Saturday, October 19, 2024, thirty-one female students at Jannat Girls’ School, located in the town of Samalqan, North Khorasan, were poisoned. (IRNA News Agency, October 19, 2024)
This poisoning was caused by the release of an unpleasant odor from mercaptan gas barrels belonging to a nearby gas company.
Incidents like this are a stark reminder of the chronic neglect by the Ministry of Education in addressing safety concerns in schools across Iran. Despite repeated accidents and health threats, officials have failed to implement the necessary safeguards to protect students, leaving them vulnerable to hazardous conditions. In this case, the proximity of dangerous chemicals to the school underscores the lack of basic precautions and oversight.
Iran: Amnesty International Raises Concern Over Potential Execution of Four Political Prisoners in Ahvaz
In a statement, Amnesty International Germany announced that the transfer of four political prisoners to solitary confinement in Ahvaz prison indicates the possibility of their execution in the coming days.
According to this human rights organization, Ali Mojadam, Moein Khenfari, Mohammadreza Moghaddam, and Adnan Ghabishavi are at risk of execution.
In Amnesty International Germany’s statement, it was noted that the status of two other prisoners involved in the same case as these four political prisoners is unclear. It is unknown whether Salem Mousavi and Habib Deris have also been transferred to solitary cells.
Iranian Resistance Supporters Demonstrate in Brussels, Calling for EU to Blacklist IRGC and Adopt a Firm Policy on Iran
Brussels, Belgium—October 17, 2024: During the EU summit, supporters of the Iranian Resistance (NCRI and MEK)) organized a large demonstration in front of the EU Council, demanding that Iran’s IRGC be designated as a terrorist organization. They also called for an end to the European Union’s policy of appeasement towards the mullahs’ regime in Iran.