{"id":327389,"date":"2025-01-06T07:51:57","date_gmt":"2025-01-06T06:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=327389"},"modified":"2025-01-10T22:45:22","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T21:45:22","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-january-6-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-january-6-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 January 6, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Retired teachers in Tehran took to the streets to protest on January 5, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET<\/span><\/p>\n

Nine-Year-Old Iranian Girl\u2019s Horror Sketch Shows Her Watch as Dad Is HANGED During Blood-Soaked Regime\u2019s Deadliest Year<\/h3>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

This is the little girl who drew a heart-breaking picture of her dad being hanged in front of her eyes after he was sentenced to death.<\/p>\n

The desperately sad crayon sketch was drawn by six-year-old Mahna Ahmadi, from\u00a0Iran<\/a>, of her father Hamed being hanged as she and her mother watched on.<\/p>\n

She drew the picture whilst waiting to see him for the final time.\u00a0In the scene, Mahna and her mother hold hands next to a gallows under which her father is standing on a block.\u00a0The picture, shared with The Sun by the\u00a0National Council of Resistance of Iran<\/a>\u00a0(NCRI), shows the devastating human toll of families torn apart by Iran leader Ali Khmamenei’s\u00a0killing machine in its bloodiest year yet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The harrowing picture was referenced in a\u00a0gut-wrenching letter<\/a>\u00a0from a political prisoner called Saeed Masouri who has spent 25 years on Iran’s death row.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Iran Reportedly Executed Over 30 Women Last Year<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

More than 30 women were executed in Iran last year, according to Iran Human Rights (IHR). The number is the highest the Norwegian-based group has registered.\u00a0“The execution of women in Iran not only shows the brutal and inhumane nature of the death penalty but also shows the deep-rooted gender discrimination and inequality in the justice system,” says IHR Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, who is also a professor of medicine at the University of Oslo.<\/p>\n

The IHR began documenting the number of executions in Iran in 2008. Last year, the number of executions increased sharply, and in October alone, 166 executions were registered.<\/p>\n

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

\n

UPDATE: 5:30 PM CET<\/span><\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s Bloodiest Year In 2024 After Regime Carried Out Execution EVERY 150 MINS As It Lashed Out Over Israeli Defeats<\/h3>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

IRAN is slaughtering its own people in “unprecedented numbers” with executions taking place every couple of hours as the “paranoid” regime lashes out in the wake of defeats against its proxies in Israel. A swathe of shocking evidence – including official figures and letters from death row prisoners – gathered by The Sun exposes that\u00a0Iran’s<\/a> killing machine is responsible for over three-quarters of the entire world’s executions.<\/p>\n

Official records show that the number of executions last year reached 1,000 – the highest number in 30 years and 16 percent higher than last year.<\/p>\n

Iranian resistance group the\u00a0National Council of Resistance of Iran<\/a>\u00a0(NCRI) warns that the real number is “significantly higher”, however, considering the regime’s use of secret executions.<\/p>\n

On New Year’s Day alone, at least 12 people were hanged in prisons across the country.<\/p>\n

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

\n

UPDATE: 10:00 AM CET<\/span><\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s \u2018Reformist\u2019 President Oversees 700 Executions<\/h3>\n

\"The-Telegraph\"<\/p>\n

Iran executed a record 1,000 people<\/a> in 2024, almost 70 percent of them after its\u00a0new \u201creformist\u201d president<\/a> took office.\u00a0The killings, the most in Iran in 30 years, took place across 86 prisons and those executed included 34 women and seven juveniles. Some 695 of them came after Masoud Pezeshkian, a wild card candidate who was thought to be more progressive, took over in August.<\/p>\n

The total is a significant increase on the 853 recorded in 2023, but the true figure may be even higher, because of Iran\u2019s secretive judicial system.\u00a0The identities of many executed prisoners often remain unrecorded, meaning some people simply \u201cdisappear\u201d following their arrest.<\/p>\n

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

\n

UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET<\/span><\/p>\n

Resistance Leader Slams Spike in Iran\u2019s Executions of Dissidents: 1,000 Put to Death in 2024<\/h3>\n

\"just-the-news-logo\"<\/p>\n

A top Iranian resistance leader is warning there has been an uptick in executions inside the country since President Masoud Pezeshkian took over, undercutting the notion that Tehran\u2019s new leader is a moderate.\u00a0In all, 1,000 Iranians were put to death in 2024, nearly 70 percent of them since Pezeshkian took over mid-year, according to Ali Safavi, a member of the\u00a0National Council of Resistance of\u00a0<\/a>Ali Safavi, a member of the\u00a0National Council of Resistance of Iran<\/a><\/p>\n

“[People] were executed in 86 different prisons,” Safavi told the\u00a0John Solomon Reports<\/em><\/a>\u00a0podcast. “There were 34 women [and] seven juveniles who were apprehended at the time that were sentenced to death at the time of their offense.”<\/p>\n

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

\n

Iran\u2019s Economy Spirals into Destruction As Rulers \u201cSuccumb to Frostbite\u201d<\/h3>\n

\"iran<\/p>\n

The Iranian economy under the dominance of the mullahs has faced structural and complex challenges, with consequences visible in economic, political, and social dimensions. In an article titled \u201cThe Danger of Frostbite for Rulers\u201d, economist Masoud Nili attempts to caution regime leaders and officials about various crises in foreign relations, economics, and social challenges. He emphasizes that \u201cmisdiagnosing the situation can lead to irreversible historical costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

On December 28, Jahan-e Sanat news website quoted Nili as saying that this time, warnings and admonitions are no longer sufficient.<\/p>\n

Jahan-e Sanat wrote, \u201cIn recent months, the number and diversity of major problems have dramatically increased, surpassing the stage of concern. What was previously warned about happening in the future has now occurred, revealing its harmful dimensions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\n

Nationwide Protests Highlight Widespread Discontent in Iran<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

On January 5, 2025, Iran witnessed a surge in protests across multiple cities today as retirees, workers, and other segments of society took to the streets to demand justice, accountability, and better living conditions. The protests, marked by chants denouncing the government\u2019s economic policies and corruption, underscore a growing wave of dissatisfaction amidst an escalating economic crisis.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Isfahan, central Iran, retirees from the steel industry resumed their protest rallies, demanding that the government adjust their pensions in line with its own regulations. Protesters, chanting \u201cShout for your rights!\u201d called attention to their plight in a country grappling with severe financial turmoil.<\/p>\n

Similar protests erupted in\u00a0Ahvaz, southwest Iran, where retirees from various sectors, including the steel industry and the Social Security Organization, rallied to demand higher pensions and access to essential services. \u201cHigh prices and inflation are destroying people\u2019s lives!\u201d protesters chanted, reflecting the nationwide frustration with skyrocketing costs of living.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Dyer: Iran’s Theocracy In Its Dying Days<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Six months ago, at the end of Iran\u2019s presidential election, I speculated that the long-lived theocratic dictatorship in Iran may be a lot closer to its end than its beginning: If you can plausibly say \u201cThis cannot go on forever,\u201d you are also saying \u201cSome day this will come to an end.\u201d<\/p>\n

That observation was triggered by the fact that the reformist presidential candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian, unexpectedly won the July election. The previous president had been killed in a helicopter crash, and the regime fumbled in setting up a snap election to replace him.<\/p>\n

Pezeshkian was the only token moderate in a field of four candidates, but he managed to be among the last two for the second round, and then, in the run-off vote, something remarkable happened.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Khamenei\u2019s Struggle in the Aftermath of Assad\u2019s Fall: A Turning Point for Iran\u2019s Regional Strategy<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In an unprecedented series of speeches following the fall of Bashar al-Assad\u2019s regime on December 8, the Iran regime\u2019s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has addressed the future of Syria, his regime, and the Middle East at least four times in less than a month. The audience for these speeches consisted primarily of regime loyalists, including Iranian supporters and members of Iran\u2019s proxy forces, as well as families of those labeled as \u201cmartyrs\u201d in the regime\u2019s regional wars, particularly in Syria.<\/p>\n

Khamenei\u2019s central challenge lies in convincing these supporters\u2014many of whom are increasingly disillusioned with the regime\u2019s warmongering policies\u2014of the rationale behind their sacrifices in Syria. They question why they defended Bashar al-Assad in the first place and why the regime ultimately failed to prevent his fall. This failure has cast doubt on the future of the so-called \u201cResistance Axis,\u201d a cornerstone of Iran\u2019s regional strategy.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Iran\u2019s Crackdown on Cryptocurrency Exchanges: A Blow to Digital Economy and Livelihoods<\/h3>\n

\"bitcoin-mining-processor-cryptocurrency-min\"<\/p>\n

On January 4, the state-run Entekhab website reported that the Central Bank of Iran had abruptly shut down portals for digital currency exchanges without prior notice or preparation. According to the CEO of Iran\u2019s Blockchain Association, this decision threatens to devastate numerous businesses reliant on cryptocurrency trading. Entekhab further warned that shutting off legitimate channels for cryptocurrency transactions could drive activity underground, fostering illegal operations.<\/p>\n

Since the late 2010s, cryptocurrency mining in Iran has been monopolized by the regime\u2019s Revolutionary Guards. This latest move to ban cryptocurrency exchanges consolidates their control over digital currency markets. The timing of this decision is revealing, as Iran\u2019s economy faces bankruptcy, severe sanctions, and dwindling resources. Controlling the lucrative cryptocurrency sector appears to be a strategic lifeline for the regime, but it comes at a significant cost to ordinary citizens and businesses.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Iranian Youth Respond to Executions with Nationwide Anti-Regime Actions<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

On Saturday, January 4, 2025, Iran\u2019s rebellious youth launched a series of coordinated attacks on 15 regime-affiliated targets across the country. These actions were carried out in response to the regime\u2019s execution of 1,000 individuals in 2024 and 18 additional executions on the first day of the new year. The targets included facilities tied to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Basij paramilitary forces, and the State Security Forces (SSF).<\/p>\n

Among the notable actions taken by the rebellious youth were:<\/p>\n