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UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET<\/span><\/p>\r\n WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, the United States Department of the Treasury is imposing sanctions on four entities and three vessels involved in the trade of Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals, which generate billions of dollars worth of revenue for the Iranian regime. This revenue supports Iran\u2019s nuclear program, its development and proliferation of provocative ballistic missiles, and financing of terrorist proxy groups such as Hizballah, Hamas, and the Houthis. Vessels transporting Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals frequently use methods of obfuscation and deception to mask this trade, posing a significant danger to the maritime industry.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Concurrently, the U.S. Department of State is taking action against four entities in multiple jurisdictions involved in the movement of Iranian petroleum.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n An Iranian resistance group said Thursday it has confirmed that the Islamic regime in Tehran has increased efforts to research and manufacture detonators for nuclear weapons after U.S. intelligence earlier this year indicated Iran had resumed nuclear weapons development.\u00a0The\u00a0National Council of Resistance of Iran-U.S. Representative Office<\/a>\u00a0(NCRI-US) told a news conference in Washington that the expanded testing of the detonator technology is taking place at a facility located in the regime\u2019s Sanjarian site.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n In recent years, Iran has also\u00a0sped up its enrichment of uranium<\/a>, a key building block of a nuclear bomb.<\/p>\r\n \u201cWhile the international community and the IAEA have mainly focused on the amount and the enrichment level of uranium Tehran possesses, which would provide fissile material for the Bomb, the central part, namely the weaponization, has continued with little scrutiny,\u201d NCRI said in a report reviewed by\u00a0Just the News<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n UPDATE: 2:30 PM CET<\/span><\/p>\r\n DAMASCUS: A Syrian civil defense official said Wednesday that White Helmets rescuers discovered unidentified bodies and remains in a medicine warehouse in a Damascus suburb, 10 days after Bashar Assad\u2019s ouster.\u00a0An AFP video journalist at the scene said the warehouse strewn with medicine boxes was located just around 50 meters (yards) from the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, a revered site for Shiite Muslims. South Damascus\u2019s Sayyida Zeinab suburb was a stronghold of pro-Iran fighters including Lebanon\u2019s Hezbollah militant group before militants\u00a0took the capital on December 8 in a lightning offensive.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n UPDATE: 9:30 AM CET<\/span><\/p>\r\n A dozen activists from the Iranian community of Belgium held a meeting on Wednesday afternoon at the Schuman Square in Brussels. The group of concerned citizens, allies of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), demand that the European Union act more forcefully against the Iranian regime, including by condemning the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization and ending the “policy of reconciliation” with the country.<\/p>\r\n The demonstration took place around 1:30 p.m. at the Berlaymont building in the European Quarter in Brussels, where the European Commission is located. “We urge European leaders to adopt a stronger policy towards the Iranian regime. This is especially in light of the “ongoing domestic repression, the rampant executions, the nuclear threats and the regional warmongering,” according to the activists.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n UPDATE: 7:00 AM CET<\/span><\/p>\r\n In a powerful joint statement, over 100 Belgian Members of Parliament, representing the country\u2019s major political parties and regions, have expressed deep concern over the rising number of executions in Iran. They have spoken out against the systematic human rights abuses by the Iranian regime and endorsed the international \u201cNo to Executions\u201d campaign, which calls for an end to daily executions and arbitrary death sentences in Iran. Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n As Bashar al-Assad\u2019s regime falls in Syria, numerous Iranian cities have observed a significant increase in activities against the clerical regime. The PMOI Resistance Units inside Iran have intensified their efforts, with the message that the fall of the Syrian dictator is a precursor to the possible collapse of Iran\u2019s theocratic regime. In their activities, they reflected the prevailing sentiment among the opposition: \u201cWoman, Resistance, Freedom \u2013 Death to Khamenei.\u201d<\/p>\r\n In Tehran, images of Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), were prominently displayed with captions advocating for women\u2019s freedom in Iran, including the right to independently choose their clothing, religion, and lifestyle. Slogans such as \u201cNo to compulsory hijab, no to compulsory religion, and no to compulsory government\u201d were also repeated across various venues, resonating with the broader message of resistance.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n In a\u00a0powerful article<\/a>\u00a0published in Ouest France, ten prominent French personalities, including philosopher \u00c9lisabeth Badinter, lawyer Dominique Attias, and former senator Ingrid Betancourt, have issued a plea to President Emmanuel Macron to take decisive action against the escalating wave of executions in Iran. With 850 executions recorded since the beginning of the year, the article highlights the urgency of ending the silent international complicity surrounding these human rights violations.<\/p>\r\n The authors write, \u201cIran continues to stain the pages of contemporary history by spilling the blood of its people, in a deafening international silence.\u201d They emphasize that the scale of executions places Iran at the forefront of global capital punishment per capita. \u201cThis chilling figure is not a mere statistic,\u201d the article states. \u201cIt reflects shattered lives, erased stories, but also the names of heroes who will forever be remembered.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, during a review of Iran\u2019s nuclear program and the United Nations Secretary-General\u2019s report on Resolution 2231, the UN Security Council voiced sharp criticism of Tehran\u2019s nuclear activities. Resolution 2231, which underpins the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is set to expire in ten months, adding urgency to diplomatic efforts to address Iran\u2019s non-compliance.<\/p>\r\n Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, underscored the need for revitalizing the JCPOA through multilateral diplomacy. She lamented the ongoing deadlock in the JCPOA revival process and noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been unable to verify the peaceful nature of Iran\u2019s nuclear program due to disrupted monitoring and verification activities. According to DiCarlo, Iran\u2019s enriched uranium stockpile is now 32 times the JCPOA\u2019s permissible limit, with enrichment levels reaching 20% and 60%, far exceeding civilian requirements.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n On Tuesday, December 17, Iranian state-run media announced the continued closure of schools and offices across most provinces, including some universities. Reports cite the \u201cpersistence of cold air masses, snowfall, and cold weather as well as increased pollution in some provinces\u201d as the primary reasons behind this widespread shutdown, which has paralyzed daily life.\u00a0Saeed Tavakoli, CEO of Iran\u2019s National Gas Company, previously warned that \u201cgas reserves are at their minimum level.\u201d With temperatures plummeting, he predicted that \u201cthe situation of gas shortages will worsen.\u201d Now, on the third consecutive day of closures, the government\u2019s decision to shut down schools and offices\u2014a measure purportedly taken to \u201cmanage\u201d energy consumption\u2014remains indefinite.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n The Open Technology Fund (OTF), in its latest report, has raised serious concerns about the safety and privacy of messengers approved by the Iranian regime. The report highlights that these platforms not only violate user privacy but also enable government surveillance through state-controlled servers.\u00a0OTF, supported by the U.S. government, conducted a ten-month investigation through its security laboratory to examine three Iranian messengers:\u00a0Bale<\/strong>,\u00a0Ita<\/strong>, and\u00a0Rubika<\/strong>. The study aimed to assess potential security and privacy risks for users and evaluate the functionality and efficiency of these platforms.<\/p>\r\n The Iranian regime claims that Bale, Ita, and Rubika are the top three messengers in the country, with millions of users. Official data indicates that 89 million citizens have registered accounts on at least one of these platforms. Despite their popularity, OTF\u2019s findings suggest that these messengers are deeply embedded within the regime\u2019s surveillance framework.<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n On Wednesday morning, December 18, 2024, Dabiri told reporters: \u201cWe\u2019ve requested that the Chastity and Hijab Law not be implemented and that a revised version be submitted to Parliament as a new proposal. This was also the Speaker\u2019s request.\u201d He added, \u201cOur current request is for the National Security Council to intervene and halt the implementation of this law.\u201d (ISNA, December 18, 2024)<\/p>\r\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\r\n Leila Hosseinzadeh, a prominent Iranian student activist and anthropology graduate at the University of Tehran, has been expelled from the university and denied access to her academic records. Her expulsion comes amidst a series of legal battles and ongoing persecution by the Iranian regime, highlighting the crackdown on academic freedom and dissent in Iran.<\/p>\r\n Hosseinzadeh announced on social media that she had been unexpectedly barred from continuing her graduate studies despite defending her thesis. Additionally, she revealed that she was retroactively expelled from her undergraduate program, five years after completing it. The\u00a0University of Tehran<\/a>, located in the capital city, has blocked her access to its educational portal and all her academic documents, leaving her in a state of limbo. She described the university\u2019s actions as inconsistent and lacking transparency.<\/p>\r\nTreasury Maintains Pressure on Iranian Shadow Fleet<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nIranian Resistance Warns Regime Is Developing Detonators for Nuclear Weapons<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nSyria Rescuers Say Bodies Found in Warehouse<\/h3>\r\n
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\u201cWe received a report about the presence of bodies, bones and a foul smell at the site,\u201d White Helmets official Ammar Al-Salmo told AFP.<\/p>\r\n
\r\nActivists Urge EU to Act Against Iran and Stop “Reconciliation Politics”<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nOver 100 Belgian MPs Support \u201cNo to Executions\u201d Campaign<\/h3>\r\n
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The campaign highlights the horrifying reality of executions in Iran: young people being hanged daily, women unjustly sentenced to death, and a regime instilling terror through the gallows as a symbol. According to Amnesty International, Iran was responsible for a staggering 74% of all recorded executions worldwide in 2023. This alarming trend has escalated since Iran\u2019s new president took office. In August 2024 alone, more than 600 prisoners, including 20 women, were executed.<\/p>\r\n
\r\nPMOI Resistance Units Stress That the Mullahs\u2019 Regime in Iran Will Share the Fate Bashar Al-Assad in Syria<\/h4>\r\n
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\r\nProminent Figures Call on France to Break the Silence on Executions in Iran<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nUN Security Council Criticizes Iran\u2019s Nuclear Program Amid Heightened Concerns<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nIran\u2019s Energy Crisis Deepens Amid Severe Weather and Pollution<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nIranian Regime-Approved Messengers: A Security and Privacy Risk<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nIranian Regime\u2019s Retreat on Mandatory Hijab Law: A Crisis of Authority<\/h3>\r\n
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Comments made by Shahram Dabiri, Deputy for Parliamentary Affairs to Massoud Pezeshkian, regarding the suspension of the mandatory hijab law, made headlines again. Meanwhile, the regime\u2019s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, addressed a group of women, avoiding any direct mention of the controversial law, and instead reiterated that a woman\u2019s primary role is to \u201cincrease childbirth.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
\r\nIranian Student Activist Leila Hosseinzadeh Expelled from University and Barred from Education<\/h3>\r\n
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