THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CEST
US Military Strikes 15 Houthi Targets in Yemen
WASHINGTON, Oct 4 (Reuters) – The U.S. military said it carried out 15 strikes on Friday against targets linked to Iran-aligned Houthi fighters in Yemen, where residents reported blasts at military outposts and even an airport.
Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, said the targets were tied to Houthi offensive military capabilities, but did not detail whether that included missile, drone or radar capabilities.
In a post on X, Central Command said the strikes took place at about 1400 GMT.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM CEST
Maryam Rajavi Meets with Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and Several Representatives during Her Visit to the Council of Europe
On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, Maryam Rajavi met with Mr. Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, during her visit to the Council. In this meeting, they discussed the severe and systematic human rights violations by the Iranian regime, its warmongering policies, as well as recent developments in the Iranian people’s Resistance and social protests.
Maryam Rajavi then met with several representatives of the Council of Europe, including Senator Alessandra Maiorino from Italy, Ms. Eva Dimitz from Slovenia, Senator Joseph O’Reilly from Ireland, and a delegation from the Parliament of San Marino, including Mr. Gerardo Giovagnoli, Mr. Nicola Renzi, Ms. Alice Mina, and Ms. Giulia Muratori.
Iran’s Regime Faces Infighting over Its Warmongering Policies
On Wednesday, October 2, the Iranian regime’s parliament once again witnessed protests by its members, who with chants and raised fists expressed gratitude to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for its recent missile attack. This scene was reminiscent of the parliament’s session on September 29, following the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, but with a different tone. The session on September 29 was marked by frustration and protest over the lack of action after the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and the escalation to Nasrallah. However, the protests in the October 2 session were marked by joy over the missile strike and a sense of unity.
However, when some members of parliament gave speeches during the same session, it became evident that beneath this thin veneer of unity, there was intense internal conflict. MP Ali Ashgar Nakhaei Rad launched severe attacks on regime president Massoud Pezeshkian for his remarks in New York, saying, “The president talks at the UN about our readiness to abandon weapons, and while he admits himself that he does not understand politics, he engages in impromptu interviews and speeches.
The Escalating Debt Crisis in Iran: A Closer Look at Government Borrowing and Economic Challenges
In recent years, the governments of Iran, including the administrations of Presidents Rouhani, Raisi, and now Pezeshkian, have been grappling with severe financial difficulties. To manage these challenges, these administrations have relied heavily on borrowing, particularly from domestic banking sources, as permitted by existing financial regulations.
One of the key strategies these governments have adopted to address revenue shortfalls has been the issuance of government securities. This approach allows the government to raise money in the short term by selling bonds, essentially borrowing from investors with the promise of future repayment. However, without a stable and sufficient income stream, this reliance on debt is becoming unsustainable.
Pezeshkian’s administration is now facing the same financial pressures, compounded by geopolitical instability in the Middle East. This instability, combined with sanctions and other external factors, has made it difficult for Iran to repatriate its oil export revenues and convert them into local currency, the Rial. As a result, Pezeshkian’s government must find alternative ways to secure sustainable resources to meet both current obligations and pay off debts accumulated by previous administrations.
Another Woman Hanged in Qezel Hesar: 20 Women Executed in Iran in 2024
On the morning of Wednesday, October 2, 2024, seven prisoners, including a woman, were hanged in Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. The identity of the young woman, who had spent 8 years in prison on murder charges, is still unknown.
According to statistics compiled by the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, with the execution of this woman in Qezel Hesar Prison, at least 249 women have been executed in Iran since 2007.
The number of women executed in Iran since the beginning of 2024 has reached 20. Nine of these executions were carried out during Masoud Pezeshkian’s term. The total number of executions in Iran in 2024 has exceeded 500, so far.
Fatemeh Moradpour, 15, Commits Suicide Under Pressure for Forced Marriage
Fatemeh Moradpour, a 15-year-old girl from Lorestan, took her own life after being pressured by her family to marry. This tragic event occurred on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, in Rumeshkan, a town in Lorestan province. Her family had been pressuring her to marry a 40-year-old married man. Having repeatedly refused the marriage, Fatemeh Moradpour eventually resorted to suicide and hanged herself.
Child brides and early marriage are examples of violence against women. In Iran, the misogynous regime constantly encourages early marriage. At the same time, suicide is rising among child brides and victims of early marriage. Forced marriage in Iran which is usually done in the case of child marriages is a clear example of violence against women and girls. In the misogynistic regime of Velayat-e-Faqih, the laws have made Iran one of the countries with the lowest age of marriage for girls. The girl’s father or family usually forces these marriages.
The Price of The Dollar in Iran Has Risen Again
As speculation about the possibility of an Israeli counterattack on Iran increases, the upward trend in the prices of foreign currency and gold in Iran continues.
While on Wednesday, October 2, the Iranian foreign exchange market closed with the U.S. dollar trading at 615,000 rials, by Thursday morning the upward trend continued, and by the end of the trading day, the price of the dollar approached 630,000 rials.
Accordingly, the selling price of the U.S. dollar in Tehran’s market has reached 627,500 rials, and the euro has hit 692,500 rials. This is while in recent months, before Iran’s missile attack on Israel, the dollar had been fluctuating around 590,000 rials.
On the same day, the selling price of Bahar Azadi gold coins reached 432 million rials, and the well-known “Emami” gold coin hit 487.5 million rials.
Iran: Execution of 21 Prisoners on October 1st and 2nd, 2024
The Iranian judiciary carried out the execution sentences of 21 prisoners on Tuesday and Wednesday, the first and second of October. This means that in two days and within 48 hours, on average, one prisoner was executed every two hours in Iran. In September, every 10 hours a prisoner was executed in Iran. This alarming acceleration in the rising execution rates indicates that the Iranian judiciary ruthlessly and inhumanely employs the death penalty in the shadow of war.
On Wednesday, the death sentences of 10 prisoners at Karaj’s Qazal Hesar Prison and one prisoner at Mashhad Central Prison were carried out.
The prisoners who were executed at Karaj’s Qazalhessar Prison were:
- Fazlollah Poornasiri, a resident of Kouhdasht, was sentenced to death on charges related to drug crimes and was hanged in Qazalhessar Prison.
Iranian Academics in Southampton Host Book Exhibition to Condemn Human Rights Violations in Iran
On September 28, 2024, freedom-loving Iranians and academics in England who support the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a book exhibition in Southampton. The event aimed to condemn human rights violations in Iran, protest the rising wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime and call for the immediate release of all political prisoners held in the regime’s prisons. The Iranian community in Southampton has also expressed solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution.
MEK Supporters Rally in Gothenburg to Support ‘No to Execution Tuesdays’ Campaign Against Iran’s Regime – October 1, 2024
Gothenburg, Sweden—October 1, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally in solidarity with the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign for the fifth consecutive week, in response to the executions taking place in Iran’s regime prisons.
