{"id":326417,"date":"2024-12-08T09:49:15","date_gmt":"2024-12-08T08:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=326417"},"modified":"2024-12-08T22:38:19","modified_gmt":"2024-12-08T21:38:19","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-december-8-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-december-8-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 December 8, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

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THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h2>\r\n

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UPDATE: 10:30 PM CET<\/span><\/p>\r\n

With Assad\u2019s Fall, Iran\u2019s \u2018Axis of Resistance\u2019 Unravels<\/h3>\r\n

\"The-New-York-Times-30112020\"<\/p>\r\n

Over the past four decades, Iran devoted its best military minds, billions of dollars and sophisticated weapons to a grand project \u2014 countering U.S. and Israeli power in the Middle East through what it called the \u201caxis of resistance.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

The alliance,\u00a0made up of like-minded armed groups<\/a>\u00a0or governments in five Middle Eastern countries, allowed Iran to project power as far west as the Mediterranean and south to the Arabian Sea.<\/p>\r\n

But in a breathtakingly short time, it has largely unraveled.<\/p>\r\n

Syrian rebel groups\u00a0ousted the country\u2019s longtime dictator<\/a>, Bashar al-Assad, in less than two weeks as government forces put up little resistance. The Lebanese militant and political group Hezbollah and the Palestinian faction Hamas in Gaza are\u00a0both<\/a>\u00a0weakened<\/a>\u00a0by more than a year of warfare with Israel.<\/p>\r\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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Analysis: Collapse Of Syria’s Assad Is A Blow To Iran’s ‘Axis Of Resistance’<\/h3>\r\n

Associated Press (AP) – MANAMA, Bahrain —\u00a0For Iran\u2019s theocratic government, it keeps getting worse.<\/p>\r\n

Its decadeslong strategy of building\u00a0an \u201cAxis of Resistance\u201d<\/a>\u00a0supporting militant groups and proxies around the region is falling apart. First came the crushing Israeli campaign in Gaza triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Iranian-backed Hamas.<\/p>\r\n

That war spawned another in Lebanon, where Israel has mauled Iran\u2019s most powerful ally,\u00a0Hezbollah,<\/a>\u00a0even as Israel has launched\u00a0successful airstrikes<\/a>\u00a0openly inside of Iran for the first time.<\/p>\r\n

And now Iran\u2019s longtime stalwart ally and client in Syria,\u00a0President Bashar Assad, is gone.<\/a>\u00a0As dawn broke Sunday, rebel forces completed\u00a0a lightning offensive<\/a>\u00a0by seizing the ancient capital of Damascus and tearing down symbols of more than 50 years of Assad’s rule over the Mideast crossroads.<\/p>\r\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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UPDATE: 10:30 AM CET<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Conference: The Solution to the Iran Crisis and the Role of the Democratic Alternative<\/h3>\r\n

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Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s speech: “The Middle East is in turmoil, and our nation is navigating extraordinary circumstances. In recent months, significant and successive changes, both within Iran and beyond its borders, have plunged the regime into a state of instability and rendered its future untenable. Two years ago, during the widespread uprisings that erupted in more than 280 cities across Iran, the Iranian people demonstrated their determination to overthrow the regime. It became evident that the religious dictatorship had entered its final phase.<\/p>\r\n

“In an attempt to prevent future uprisings, the mullahs\u2019 regime turned to war in the Middle East. Yet, after 14 months, it stands as the strategic loser in the conflict, as Massoud Rajavi<\/strong><\/a>, the Leader of the Iranian Resistance had foreseen. This is particularly noteworthy as the clerical regime\u2019s stronghold in Syria has now crumbled. The recent developments in Syria reveal the eruption of a volcano of fury among the innocent people of that nation.”<\/p>\r\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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PMOI Resistance Units Commemorate Student Day and Honor the Martyrs of Freedom in Iran<\/h3>\r\n

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On December 7, 1953, the Shah regime murdered three student activists in Tehran University to stifle the voice of protests for freedom. The students were killed during protests that emerged a few months after the Shah\u2014aided by his foreign supporters\u2014carried out a coup against the democratically elected government of Mohammad Mossadegh.\u00a0Seven decades after the murder of students in Tehran University, the people of Iran continued to honor their memory and December 7 has become Iran\u2019s Student Day, in which the people commemorate the role of Iran\u2019s young generation in shaping the country\u2019s future and freedom.<\/p>\r\n

On the anniversary of Student Day, Resistance Units, the network of PMOI supporters inside Iran, held activities across the country. They reiterated their commitment to continue the path of the students who have laid down their lives for freedom and the martyrs of Iran\u2019s uprisings for overthrowing the mullahs\u2019 rule.<\/p>\r\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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The Shadow of the Gallows Looms Over Iran<\/h3>\r\n

\"townhall-logo\"<\/p>\r\n

The barbarism of the Iranian regime appears to know no bounds. A total of 562 prisoners, including 20 women, have been executed since the so-called \u2018moderate\u2019 Masoud Pezeshkian became president in August this year. The death toll at the hands of the mullahs\u2019 hangmen rises daily. Now, the theocratic regime has sentenced six political prisoners\u2014Abolhassan Montazer (65), Pouya Ghobadi (32), Vahid Bani-Amrian (32), Babak Alipour (33), Ali Akbar Daneshvarkar (57), and Mohammad Taghavi (58) \u2014to execution following months of interrogation and torture. The fictitious charges against them include \u201cmembership of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK),\u201d \u201ccollusion and conspiracy against national security,\u201d \u201carmed rebellion against the government,\u201d \u201cforming a group to disrupt national security,\u201d and \u201cdestruction of public property using a (rocket) launcher.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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How Corruption Permeates Iran\u2019s Ruling System<\/h3>\r\n

\"The<\/p>\r\n

For years, the fabric of the mullahs\u2019 regime ruling Iran has been intertwined with corruption and plunder. Even regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei admitted during the anniversary of the anti-monarchical revolution in 2018: \u201cCorruption is like the mythical seven-headed dragon; when you cut off one head, the other six continue to move.\u201d However, this dragon has not only persisted but has grown larger and more monstrous each year, continuing to steal the wealth of the people.\u00a0The agents of the clerical regime themselves admit that \u201ccorruption has struck at the roots of the system.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

On September 1, 2016, the state-run Mardomsalari news website wrote, \u201cNot a day goes by without news of financial abuse, embezzlement, or massive bribery being heard. The figures have numbed the minds of the people, to the point where even mathematics cannot express them anymore.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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The Collapse of Iran\u2019s Strategic Depth in Syria: A Nightmare for Khamenei\u2019s Regime<\/h3>\r\n

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For decades, the Iranian regime has treated Syria as a linchpin of its regional influence, famously dubbing it the \u201c35th province\u201d of Iran. However, this once-critical strategic asset has become a glaring symbol of failure for Tehran\u2019s expansionist ambitions.<\/p>\r\n

To understand the significance of Syria in Iran\u2019s foreign policy, one must revisit a revealing statement by Mehdi Taeb, head of the Ammar Strategic Base, a regime-affiliated political and cultural organization. In 2013, Taeb declared: \u201cIf the enemy attacks us and wants to take Syria or Khuzestan, the priority is that we keep Syria. Because if we keep Syria, we can also take back Khuzestan. But if we lose Syria, we cannot even keep Tehran.\u201d<\/em>
This statement, published by the state-controlled Asr-e Iran website, highlights the centrality of Syria in Tehran\u2019s regional strategy.<\/p>\r\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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Iran\u2019s Energy Crisis: Mismanagement and Looming Social Unrest<\/h3>\r\n

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In a recent live television interview, Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran\u2019s regime, issued a stark warning: Iran is teetering on the edge of a significant crisis due to pervasive inefficiencies across various sectors. Pezeshkian acknowledged that the government might fail to fulfill its obligations to pensioners unless fuel prices are raised. This admission comes amid speculation about new U.S. sanctions targeting Iran\u2019s oil exports and a deepening domestic energy crisis. Iranians are grappling with recurring power outages, fuel shortages at gas stations, and insufficient natural gas supplies\u2014a critical resource for heating homes in winter.<\/p>\r\n

Iran, which spent $2 billion on gasoline imports in 2023, is projected to double this figure in the coming year. The government may also spend additional funds importing heavy fuel oil to sustain electricity production.<\/p>\r\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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Withered Buds in the Whirlwind of Fate<\/h3>\r\n

\"iran<\/p>\r\n

Child marriage is universally regarded as unacceptable by any modern human being. Yet, it is often viewed through a cultural lens, with little consideration given to its profound effects on the fate of humanity. Child marriage is one of the most serious examples of violence against women and girls.\u00a0According to experts and government-controlled media, including the newspaper Donya-e Eqtesad (August 13, 2024), child marriage in Iran is driven by factors beyond cultural norms. The most prominent causes are \u201clow per capita income, high inflation, and\u00a0income inequality<\/a>.\u201d Naturally, the regime\u2019s role\u2014being the medieval clerical government with its misogynistic laws\u2014is rarely acknowledged in the government-run media.<\/p>\r\n

In Iran, the forced marriage of girls is legal. According to\u00a0Article 1040 of Iran\u2019s Civil Code<\/a>, the father, paternal grandfather, or even a judge can decide the fate of a young girl without facing any legal barriers. In such marriages, girls are often sold.<\/p>\r\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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Strategic Retreat in Syria: Khamenei\u2019s Policies and Their Regional Impact<\/h4>\r\n

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Iran\u2019s regime once considered Syria as its\u201d thirty-fifth province,\u201d as described by Mehdi Taeb, a commander at the Ammar Base. But it has now become a field indicating Iran\u2019s strategic defeat. Taeb\u2019s statement on February 15, 2013, underscores Tehran\u2019s significance on Syria<\/a>: \u201cIf the enemy attacks us and decides to take Ahvaz or Syria, our priority is to keep Syria because if we keep Syria, we can recover Ahvaz. But if we lose Syria, we can\u2019t even keep Tehran\u201d (Asr Iran newspaper). These statements affirm Syria\u2019s role not just as land, but as a cornerstone in Iran\u2019s regional strategy.<\/p>\r\n

Syria plays a vital role in the strategic depth of Iran\u2019s regime. However, this depth is now more threatened than ever due to political shifts and domestic and international pressures against Bashar al-Assad\u2019s regime, representing a significant strategic blow to\u00a0Khamenei\u2019s regime<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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Political Prisoner Saeed Masouri Urges Students to Join Campaign Against Executions<\/h3>\r\n

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In an open letter dated December 5, Saeed Masouri, a political prisoner in Iran, has called on students to actively participate in the growing campaign against the Iranian authorities\u2019 escalating use of executions. Masouri\u2019s appeal coincides with the observance of Iran\u2019s \u201cStudent Day\u201d on December 6, a day historically linked to student activism.\u00a0\u201cIt may not be an exaggeration to say that today in our country, Iran, countless individuals are directly killed and deprived of life, while countless others are indirectly subjected to this killing and deprivation\u2014not with atomic bombs, but with execution ropes and hangings,\u201d Masouri wrote in his letter.<\/p>\r\n

Masouri argues that the Iranian regime is using executions not to prevent crime, as officially claimed, but as a means of instilling fear and suppressing dissent. He described the practice as \u201cmassacres carried out under the guise of legality,\u201d emphasizing that institutionalized executions facilitate arbitrary and mass killings.<\/p>\r\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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Manchester Exhibition Stands in Solidarity with Iranian Political Prisoners and Protests Human Rights Violations in Iran<\/h3>\r\n
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December 5, 2024: Manchester Exhibition Stands in Solidarity with Iranian Political Prisoners.<\/div><\/div>
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