THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CEST
Western Powers Condemn Tehran’s Lack of Cooperation with IAEA on Nuclear Safeguards
France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States have issued a joint statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressing serious concerns over the Iranian regime’s failure to cooperate with nuclear safeguards. The statement, delivered on September 12, criticized Tehran for not providing “technically credible explanations” regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at sites like Turquzabad and Varamin.
British representative Corinne Kitsell stated, “The IAEA continues to report that it is unable to assure that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.” The statement also condemned Iran’s refusal to implement modified Code 3.1, which hinders the IAEA’s ability to monitor new nuclear facilities.
The four nations warned that continued Iranian non-compliance could lead to further action by the IAEA Board of Governors, including a comprehensive report that may invoke Article 19 of the Safeguards Agreement, escalating the matter further.
UPDATE: 1:00 PM CEST
Treasury Designates Actors Facilitating Iran’s Transfer of Lethal Aid to Russia
WASHINGTON — Today, in response to Iran’s ongoing military support, including the recent delivery of ballistic missiles, to Russia for its war of aggression against Ukraine, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating ten individuals and six entities based in Iran and Russia and identifying four vessels as blocked property that are enabling Iran’s delivery of weapons components and weapons systems, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and close-range ballistic missiles (CRBMs), to Russia. In late 2023, Iran and Russia signed a contract for the supply of hundreds of missiles. In the summer of 2024, Russian military personnel were trained on the use of Iran’s Project 360 CBRMs by Iranian personnel, and as of early September 2024, Russia received the first shipment of these CBRMs from Iran.
Pakistani Charged in Alleged Iran Plot to Kill US Official
A Pakistani man with ties to Iran has been charged for allegedly plotting to assassinate a US official in retaliation for the US killing of Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Asif Raza Merchant, 46, allegedly sought to hire a hitman to assassinate a politician or a US government official in the United States, the Justice Department and prosecutors said in a statement.
“As these terrorism and murder-for-hire charges against Asif Merchant demonstrate, we will continue to hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against Americans,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
Soleimani, the head of Iran’s foreign military operations, was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020. Iranian officials have repeatedly vowed to avenge his killing.
Islamic Centre Head Leaves Germany After Deportation Order
Agence France Presse (AFP) – The former head of an Islamic Center in Germany banned for its alleged links to extremist groups has left the country after being served with a deportation order, local authorities said Wednesday.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM CEST
Conference at the UK Parliament in Defense of Human Rights in Iran
On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, on the eve of the anniversary of the September 2022 nationwide uprising in Iran, a conference titled “Human Rights in Iran and Securing Accountability: A Call for Justice” was held in the UK Parliament. The event featured members of both Houses of Parliament from various political parties, as well as representatives of the Iranian diaspora in the country. Maryam Rajavi delivered a speech and participated via video conference.
In their speeches, members of the UK Parliament referred to the escalating human rights violations and the wave of executions under the clerical dictatorship. They expressed their support for the call by Professor Javaid Rehman, the former UN Special Rapporteur, in his landmark report for the establishment of a mechanism to hold the regime accountable for four decades of atrocity crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
Iran’s Economy Continues to Worsen as Massoud Pezeshkian Takes The Reins
The beginning of the tenure of Massoud Pezeshkian, the new president of Iran’s regime, clearly reveals the quagmire that has engulfed the regime. The implementation of the hollow Seventh Development Plan hasn’t even started yet, but to compensate for the losses suffered by nurses, wheat farmers, and government employees, the regime has emptied the last reserves of the National Development Fund. Regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, ever generous when it comes to building bombs, missiles, and supporting proxy terrorist groups in the region, gave his approval. However, the crisis runs deeper. Public schools, still closed due to disrepair, have had their water cut off because they can’t pay their 6 trillion rial debt.
Widening Rifts Within Iran’s Regime
On September 3, during a mourning ceremony in Mashhad attended by the Majlis (parliament) speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Iranian regime president Masoud Pezeshkian, cleric Alireza Panahian accused Kayhan newspaper, a known mouthpiece of regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei, of lying and creating polarization. He said, “Government-funded newspapers, from Kayhan to Ettela’at, from Jomhouri-e Eslami to other media outlets… they have no right to play the polarization game…” Panahian then called on the speaker of the parliament to pass a law against the media inciting polarization and to “shut down these newspapers. Lying is bad, but polarization by newspapers is worse than spreading falsehoods.”
However, the issue of “polarization” is not something that can be solved through legislation, and Panahian’s remarks opened the door to a new conflict within the regime. During the days when newspapers were not being published due to official holidays, one of Kayhan’s writers called Panahian’s remarks “unwise and inappropriate,” claiming that he “misjudged and fired at his own side” (Source: Khabar Online, September 5).
Tensions Rise Over Iran’s Nuclear Program Ahead of Key Deadline
Once again, Iran’s controversial nuclear program has taken center stage at the latest meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors. The meeting, which began on September 9 and runs until September 13, has raised renewed concerns about the Iranian regime’s nuclear activities. At the meeting, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, expressed alarm over the latest developments in Iran’s nuclear program, specifically highlighting concerns about centrifuge production and the operation of the country’s heavy water reactor. Grossi also expressed a desire to meet with Iran’s newly appointed president, Masoud Pezeshkian, hoping that such a dialogue could help resolve ongoing tensions between Iran and the IAEA. However, this hope seems misplaced, as the real decision-maker in Iran’s nuclear policy remains Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, not Pezeshkian or other officials.
Iran’s Elusive Goal of 8% Economic Growth: Challenges and Realities
For more than two decades, the Iranian regime has set an ambitious target: achieving 8% annual economic growth. This goal has been a cornerstone of the country’s development programs and is enshrined in its 20-Year Vision document, which extends to 2025. However, despite repeated efforts across multiple development plans, Iran has consistently fallen short of this objective.
As the deadline for the 20-Year Vision approaches, the gap between aspiration and reality has only widened. Iran’s economic growth has been plagued by fluctuations, resulting from both internal mismanagement and external pressures. While certain periods have seen temporary growth spurts, these have not been sustainable, and the overall trend has been one of stagnation—particularly since the mid-2000s.
Activists in Evin Prison Protest with Hunger Strikes
Recent weeks have seen multiple political prisoners and civil rights activists in Evin Prison, launch hunger strikes in protest of their mistreatment.
These individuals, many of whom were convicted on charges related to their activism, are raising serious concerns about the conditions of their detention, denial of basic rights, and lack of access to medical care and family visits. Three prominent cases involve Sarvnaz Ahmadi, Parivash Moslemi, and Houra Nikbakht, all of whom are demanding better treatment and the fulfillment of their legal rights as prisoners.
The List of Women and Girls Who Laid Down Their Lives During Iran Protests
Women are leading a revolution in Iran. The Iranian people’s nationwide protests started on September 16, 2022, after the death of a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of the Morality Police, or Guidance Patrols. The NCRI Women’s Committee publishes a list of women and girls who have lost their lives in the fight for freedom and equality in Iran.
The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) has obtained and published the names of 647 protesters who laid down their lives for Iran’s freedom until Day 140. The Iranian regime’s security forces and IRGC have killed at least 750 persons during Iran protests.
The Former Champion of Iranian Wrestling, in Prison in Nowshahr, Was Executed
In the early morning of Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the death sentence of Morteza Yousefi, a 41-year-old prisoner from Sangtajen village in Nowshahr, was carried out in Nowshahr Central Prison.
According to reports received by the Iran Human Rights Monitor (IranHRM), Morteza Yousefi was a graduate of physical education and a former champion of Iranian wrestling. He was also a wrestling coach. Previously, he had been arrested for drug-related crimes and sentenced to death by the Iranian judiciary.
He had previously written a letter to Mohseni Ejei, the head of the judiciary in Iran, stating that three judges in his case had requested a reduction in the sentence for this prisoner and that the death sentence issued by the Supreme Court of the country had been violated.
Brussels, Belgium: MEK Supporters Celebrate PMOI Founding Anniversary – September 2024
Brussels, Belgium—September 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered to commemorate the beginning of the 60th year since the MEK‘s establishment.
Rome, Italy: MEK Supporters Celebrate PMOI Founding Anniversary – September 2024
Rome, Italy—September 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered to commemorate the beginning of the 60th year since the MEK‘s establishment.
Bern, Switzerland—September 9, 2024: Iranian Community Exhibition Supports Iranian Revolution and Condemns Executions
Bern, Switzerland—September 9, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized an exhibition and book table to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. The Iranian community in Bern protested against the increasing wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime.
Vienna—September 9, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally Against Appeasement Policy Toward the Mullahs’ Regime
Vienna, Austria—September 9, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally simultaneously with the IAEA Board of Governors meeting against the appeasement policy toward the mullahs’ regime. Iranian community in Vienna expressed their solidarity with the nationwide Iranian people’s uprising.