THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 10:30 AM CEST
Ukraine Says Russia Launched 8,060 Iran-developed Drones During War
Sept 13 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s foreign ministry said on Friday that Russia had launched 8,060 Iran-developed Shahed drones at Ukraine since it began its full-scale invasion 2-1/2 years ago.
“The partnership between Russia and Iran has resulted in lost homes and lost lives,” the foreign ministry said on X.
Kyiv first accused Iran of supplying Shahed kamikaze drones to Russia in autumn 2022, with Moscow’s troops subsequently using them extensively for regular long-range attacks.
UPDATE: 9:30 AM CEST
US President Biden Delegates Authority on Iran Sanctions to Key Cabinet Members
In a significant move regarding U.S. sanctions on the Iranian regime, United States President Joe Biden has delegated several of his powers under key legislative acts to the Secretaries of State and Treasury. This delegation, announced on September 13, 2024, pertains to a series of laws targeting Iran’s human rights abuses, its missile exports, and the regime’s leadership, including the Mahsa Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability Act and the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum Act (SHIP Act).
The memorandum outlines Biden’s transfer of responsibilities, giving Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen the authority to enforce and oversee sanctions designed to counter Tehran’s actions. The Mahsa Amini Act, named in honor of the young woman whose death in police custody sparked global protests, allows the U.S. to impose sanctions on individuals responsible for human rights violations in Iran. This legislation also holds Iranian officials accountable for actions that undermine basic freedoms.
Biden’s directive also empowers Yellen to implement measures under the SHIP Act, which aims to curb Iran’s oil trade, a critical source of revenue for the regime. Additionally, the Fight and Combat Rampant Iranian Missile Exports Act, which targets the country’s missile exports, falls under the joint jurisdiction of Blinken and Yellen.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CEST
The Rise in Bread Prices Further Pushes Iranians into Poverty
After several months of instability, deception, and gradual price increases in many provinces of Iran, on September 9 state-run media outlets announced a “40 to 66 percent increase in the official price of Lavash, Barbari, and Sangak bread in Tehran.”
On September 9, ISNA news agency wrote, “The price of Sangak bread, which was 3,000 tomans, has now reached 5,000 tomans… Lavash bread made with first-grade flour has increased from 5,000 to 7,000 rials… Barbari bread, which is made with government-subsidized first-grade flour, has risen from 18,000 to 25,000 rials… Khorasani Taftoon bread made with subsidized first-grade flour has also increased from 10,000 to 14,000 rials.”
Renewed Activity at Sanjarian and Golab Dareh Amad Sites Raises Concerns About Iran’s Nuclear Program
In a revealing development, Western intelligence officials have reported renewed and accelerated activities at two critical former Amad Plan sites in Iran—Sanjarian and Golab Dareh. These sites were pivotal in the early 2000s when Iran’s crash nuclear weapons program, known as the Amad Plan, was at its peak. These two sites were instrumental in developing a sophisticated multipoint initiation (MPI) system, testing high explosives, and creating diagnostic equipment essential for nuclear weapons development. According to reports provided to the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), the activities have been reactivated and accelerated over the past year and a half.
The recent activities at these sites are reportedly being carried out by experts from Iran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND). SPND, which evolved from the Amad Plan, continues to employ many of the personnel and material assets from that era. The organization is considered the hub of Iran’s nuclear weaponization efforts. Crucially, the former Amad personnel involved appear to have significant autonomy within SPND, raising concerns about the nature and scope of the renewed activities.
Fire Department Warns: Half of Tehran’s Schools Deemed Unsafe Ahead of Reopening
As the new school year approaches in Iran, alarming concerns have been raised about the safety of educational facilities in the capital. The CEO of Tehran’s Fire Department issued a stark warning, declaring that nearly half of the schools in Tehran are “unsafe” for students.
With less than ten days remaining before schools reopen across Iran, including the densely populated province of Tehran, Qodratullah Mohammadi, head of Tehran Municipality’s Fire Department and Safety Services, expressed his concerns. He stated that one out of every two schools in the capital lacks adequate safety measures.
Mohammadi further revealed that since last year, no schools have implemented any significant safety improvements. This raises serious concerns, especially given that the issue of securing Tehran’s schools has been on the agenda of the city’s fire brigade and crisis management organization. A memorandum of understanding was even signed with Tehran’s education department to address the matter.
Nafas Haji Sharif Traumatized After Brutal Encounter with Morality Patrol
Nafas Haji Sharif, a 14-year-old girl, has been left deeply shaken and unable to leave her home following a traumatic encounter with the Iranian Morality Patrol in Tehran.
“She won’t even go to her therapist due to severe anxiety and stress,” her mother revealed in an interview with the state-run Etemad daily on September 9, 2024. “Some issues I cannot even mention, but her mental health has been severely impacted.”
The incident occurred on July 21, 2024, when Nafas Haji Sharif and her friend were apprehended by the patrol while heading to a shopping center on Vatanpour Street. Her mother, who was nearby at a café, was soon gripped by panic when she realized her daughter’s phone was off.
Sadaf Heydari and Shaqayeq Akbari Suspended by Disciplinary Committees
Sadaf Heydari, a student at Tabriz University, has been sentenced by the university’s disciplinary committee to a two-semester suspension from her studies. The decision was made following a post she shared on her Instagram account regarding the death of Ebrahim Raisi. The post, which coincided with the crash of Raisi’s helicopter on May 21, led to immediate action from the university. At 9 PM that same night, her family was informed that Sadaf Heydari had not only been suspended but also expelled from her dormitory on the direct orders of the university president.
Sadaf Heydari, a student who began her studies at Tabriz University in 2021, faces a significant academic setback due to these disciplinary actions.
Food Inflation Is Exacerbating Poverty in Iran
Daily household purchases in Iran show that the prices of food items are constantly rising.
The price increases are so noticeable that complaints such as “Why do prices keep rising?” are voiced. From an economic perspective, the reasons for rising prices and inflation vary based on time, location, and the type of product.
In recent years, the price increases of food items in Iran have reached unprecedented levels, with some food items rising in price even more than non-food goods. According to the Statistical Center of Iran, in August 2023, the inflation rate for the twelve months leading up to that month was 34.8% compared to the same period the previous year.
The Escalating Poverty Crisis in Iran: A Grim Reality
René Descartes, the French mathematician and philosopher of the Enlightenment, laid the foundations for modern philosophy and the new era in human history. In his book Discourse on the Method, he introduced four principles for attaining truth, one of which is the principle of “division”: “Divide each problem into as many parts as possible to better understand it.” While nations that entered the modern era took steady steps towards growth, progress, and prosperity using Descartes’ teachings, the same cannot be said for Iran. Unfortunately, the teachings of Descartes are now used in Iran to dissect and analyze the multifaceted poverty and suffering that has plagued the country under the regime of supreme leader Ali Khamenei and his corrupt and exploitative administration.
MEK Supporters Rally in Copenhagen to Back ‘No to Execution Tuesdays’ Campaign Against Iran’s Regime
Copenhagen, Denmark—September 10, 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 in response to the executions taking place in Iran’s regime prisons.