THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 1:00 PM CEST
Satellite Photos Show Israel Hit Iran Former Nuclear Weapons Test Building, Missile Facilities, Researchers Say
WASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) – An American researcher said an Israeli airstrike on Saturday hit a building that was part of Iran’s defunct nuclear weapons development program, and he and another researcher said facilities used to mix solid fuel for missiles also were struck.
The assessments based on commercial satellite imagery were reached separately by David Albright, a former U.N. weapons inspector, and Decker Eveleth, an associate research analyst at CNA, a Washington think tank.
They told Reuters that Israel struck buildings in Parchin, a massive military complex near Tehran. Israel also hit Khojir, according to Eveleth, a sprawling missile production site near Tehran.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM CEST
Middle East Latest: Social Platform X Suspends New Account on Behalf of Iran’s Supreme Leader
The social platform X has suspended a new account on behalf of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that posted messages in Hebrew. The account was suspended early Monday with a brief note appended to it saying: “X suspends accounts which violate the X Rules.” It wasn’t immediately clear what the violation was. The Elon Musk-owned social media company did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
The move came after Israel openly attacked Iran for the first time this weekend. Khamenei said in a speech on Sunday that Israel’s strikes — in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack this month — “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed,” while stopping short of calling for retaliation.
Iranian Officials Double Down on Warmongering Amid Regional Tensions
On the morning of Saturday, October 27, during Israel’s aerial attacks targeting various military sites in Iran, the government-affiliated Khabar Fouri Telegram channel issued an announcement about “the serious consequences of sharing images and news with opposition media.” Labeling this action a “crime,” the channel warned, “Anyone who cooperates with hostile foreign governments against the Islamic Republic of Iran, unless considered an enemy combatant, will be sentenced to between one and ten years in prison.”
Previously, Massoud Ali, a cleric close to the office of regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei, referenced internal conflicts and disputes within the regime during wartime crises, doubled down on the regime’s warmongering in the region. He advocated for prosecuting and threatening dissenting voices against the regime’s costly interventions in the region. He questioned, “Why isn’t the judiciary taking the actions necessary during wartime?
Iran’s Inflation Struggles and Economic Policy Challenges Ahead
With the release of inflation statistics for October, it has become clear that Iran’s point-to-point inflation rate remains high, hovering around 31.6% compared to the same period last year. This figure exceeds the government’s 2024 target of 25%, signaling continued economic challenges that undermine officials’ ambitions for inflation control. Earlier this year, in April, inflation dipped to 31%, marking its lowest point in 45 months and giving some hope that the government could bring inflation down to the 25% range. However, subsequent data shows a resurgence in inflation, with the latest figures indicating an upward trend compared to April levels.
While monthly inflation had been on a steady decline since June, it saw an unexpected rise in October, presenting a new hurdle for officials in the second half of the year. This inflationary spike comes just as parliament prepares to review the 2025 budget. The rising inflation complicates plans for a promised 20% increase in employee salaries, highlighting the dissonance between the government’s plans and economic realities.
Parvin Mirasan: Medical Care Denied to 67-Year-Old Prisoner
Parvin Mirasan, a 67-year-old political prisoner, is currently serving a four-year sentence in Evin Prison. Despite needing specialized medical attention, she was recently taken to a hospital but was returned to prison shortly after, without completing the necessary treatment. Parvin Mirasan suffers from multiple ailments, including diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and joint issues, and she also occasionally experiences bowel adhesions. She endures severe knee pain, with her left knee frequently swelling, making it difficult for her to walk.
One-third of Iranians Deprived of Basic Needs
A report from Iran’s Majlis (Parliament) Research Center shows that with the poverty rate stabilized above 30.1%, one-third of the nation’s citizens are unable to meet their basic needs.
According to the report, Iran’s poverty rate reached 30.1% of the population in 2023, and projections from the Majlis Research Center indicate this rate will remain at the current level in 2024.
The poverty rate in Iran has risen significantly since 2018, reaching 31% in 2019. Over the past five years, this rate has only dropped below 30% once, in 2022, by a margin of just 0.3%. Experts note that due to the relative stability of poverty rates over the past few years, it can be concluded that the 30% poverty rate in Iran has become entrenched.
50,000 Nurses Unemployed in Iran
With 50,000 nurses reportedly unemployed in Iran despite a shortage of healthcare personnel, Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, Secretary-General of Iran’s Nurses’ Home, stated, “Unless we fix the infrastructure, hiring is like pouring water into a sieve.”
Sharifi Moghaddam told the state-affiliated newspaper Shargh that nurses are currently emigrating, leaving their jobs, or switching to other professions. According to this labor official, the Ministry of Health also acknowledges that new hires often leave within a month or two due to low income. Sharifi Moghaddam also criticized healthcare management, stating, “Everyone says there’s no budget. In fact, there is a budget, but unfortunately, it’s spent elsewhere and on other groups within the healthcare system.”
Political Prisoners on Death Row in Iran
Iran consistently ranks among the world’s leading executioners, claiming the grim distinction of having the highest number of executions per capita. The Iranian regime extensively employs the death penalty as a tool not only for judicial punishment but also for political repression. The Iranian legal system, with its reliance on vaguely defined charges such as Moharebeh (waging war against God) and Baghi (rebellion), provides the state with broad latitude to impose capital punishment. These charges are frequently invoked not only in cases of violent crimes like murder but also to silence political dissent, protests, and religious beliefs that deviate from the state’s official ideology.
Khamenei’s Fear and the IRGC’s Panic: Analyzing Iran’s Leadership Crisis
On Thursday, Iran’s state television broadcast a speech Khamenei gave three weeks before a group of regime loyalists. Given the current circumstances, the speeches and statements of Iranian regime leaders—especially those of Khamenei and IRGC commanders—have become increasingly prominent subjects of discussion and analysis.
In his speech, Khamenei referred to the regime’s precarious position in the region. He likened the present circumstances to the period of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war and called upon young people to join this battle.
Aarhus, October 24, 2024: MEK Supporters’ Rally Condemns Crimes of the Mullahs’ Regime in Iran
Aarhus, Denmark—October 24, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally 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.
London, October 24, 2024: MEK Supporters’ Rally Condemns Crimes of the Mullahs’ Regime in Iran
London, England—October 24, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. The event also protested the recent surge in 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.