{"id":327413,"date":"2025-01-07T08:16:12","date_gmt":"2025-01-07T07:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=327413"},"modified":"2025-01-10T22:44:56","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T21:44:56","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-january-7-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-january-7-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 January 7, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Retired employees of the Telecommunications Company (TCI) in Sanandaj, western Iran, took to the streets to protest on January 6, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

UPDATE: 1:00 PM CET<\/span><\/p>\n

Record Number of Executions in Iran in 2024<\/h3>\n

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A grim record was set by the Iranian regime last year, one that speaks volumes about its state of affairs.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the dictatorial regime in Iran carried out the highest number of executions in three decades. According to Amnesty International and Iranian opposition media, 997 people were executed. This figure represents only the official count; human rights organizations believe the actual number is much higher due to the notorious lack of transparency and executions in remote prisons.<\/p>\n

The official tally marks a 16% increase compared to the previous year. October 2024 alone saw the regime execute 170 individuals. Of the 997 documented executions, 941 men were killed in prisons, 4 men publicly, 34 women in prisons, 9 juveniles, and 9 political prisoners.<\/p>\n

The staggering numbers highlight the regime\u2019s reliance on violence and repression to maintain control.<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 11:30 AM CET<\/span><\/p>\n

Paranoid Iran \u2018Slaughtering Its Own People Every 2 Hours’ Accounting for 75% Of Executions<\/h3>\n

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Iran<\/a>\u00a0is executing “unprecedented” numbers of its own people with\u00a0state-sanctioned killings<\/a>\u00a0every two hours, according to reports.<\/p>\n

There were at least 1,000 executions last year, including 34 women and seven young people, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).<\/p>\n

It reports that Tehran started the new year with a fresh wave of killings, with 12 people hanged on New Year’s Day alone.<\/p>\n

But the real number is reported to be “significantly” higher by NCRI, which said 2024’s figure marks a 16% increase on 2023’s 864 executions.<\/p>\n

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

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

France’s Macron Warns of Iran Nuclear Program Nearing Point of No Return<\/h3>\n

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On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed serious concerns regarding the progression of Iran’s nuclear program, stating it is approaching a potentially irreversible point. During his address to French ambassadors in Paris, he highlighted the acceleration of the program, suggesting it is nearing a critical juncture.<\/p>\n

Iran has amassed enough nuclear material to create several warheads if the government decides to pursue nuclear weapons. This development follows Iran’s decision to enhance its nuclear fuel production as a counteraction to criticism from the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA had reprimanded Iran for not clarifying issues related to the discovery of uranium particles at sites not declared by Tehran. The Iranian government has consistently argued that its nuclear ambitions are solely for energy generation.<\/p>\n

The IAEA is in the process of preparing a detailed report that could lead to the reinstatement of UN sanctions on Iran before the current sanctions expire in October 2025. These sanctions could be reinstated through a “snap back” mechanism, a part of the previous nuclear agreement that was discarded in 2018 by then-President Donald Trump. The agreement had initially limited Iran’s nuclear activities in return for the lifting of sanctions.<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET<\/span><\/p>\n

How 2024 Became The Year of The Failure of The Iranian Regime\u2019s Expansionist Projects<\/h3>\n

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The year 2024 will be remembered as a year of significant and consecutive defeats for the Iranian regime. The\u00a0widespread boycott of parliamentary<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0presidential elections<\/a>\u00a0by the people challenged the regime\u2019s legitimacy. The death of former president\u00a0Ebrahim Raisi<\/a>, on whom Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei\u2019s had invested for the future of the regime, destabilized the power structure. Regionally,\u00a0the fall of Bashar al-Assad<\/a>\u00a0in Syria blocked the route for arms transfers to Tehran\u2019s terrorist proxies, leading to the collapse of the so-called \u201cAxis of Resistance.\u201d The death of Hassan Nasrallah and his deputy dealt a severe blow to the regime in Lebanon, while its proxies elsewhere were also weakened.<\/p>\n

Now, 16 months after the regime\u2019s warmongering in Gaza, many observers, particularly in Arab countries, echo the same explanation for Khamenei\u2019s series of defeats as articulated by Iranian Resistance after October 7, 2023, identifying the main loser.<\/p>\n

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

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Pezeshkian\u2019s Praise for Soleimani and Criminal Forces Reveals Tehran\u2019s Fear of Public Uprisings<\/h3>\n

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Masoud Pezeshkian, the new president of the Iranian regime, who has seized every opportunity to flatter Ali Khamenei since taking office, has recently set new records in his servility and praise for the regime\u2019s enforcers, showcasing behaviors that are far removed from public interests.\u00a0On the anniversary of the death of Qassem Soleimani, the former IRGC Quds Force commander responsible for atrocities in the region, Pezeshkian stated, \u201cThe existence of Soleimani and his path can serve as a lasting model for the path we must follow,\u201d and added, \u201cI have always been and will always be proud of General Soleimani with all my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pezeshkian, who described the perpetrator of the killings of innocents inside Iran and across the Middle East as \u201cobedient and loyal to his leader,\u201d added with distortions, \u201cToday, five years after this dear one, you see the enthusiasm to continue this great man\u2019s path growing more and more in this country and the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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Iran Faces Looming Energy and Water Crisis Ahead of Summer 2025<\/h3>\n

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Tehran, January 2025<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Abbas Ali Abadi, Iran\u2019s Minister of Energy, sounded the alarm during a recent meeting with the Energy Commission of the Iranian Parliament. In the presence of Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Abadi warned of an impending electricity deficit set to worsen from 20,000 megawatts to 25,000 megawatts this summer. Expressing his concern, he urged the parliament to authorize measures for mitigating the crisis, stating, \u201cIn the cold winter, you can wear a coat and warm clothes, but passing through the summer will not be so easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Minister hinted that the proposed solutions may involve increasing energy prices, underscoring the urgency of addressing the \u201cbig concern of the summer.\u201d His plea reflects growing anxiety within the regime over potential public unrest stemming from widespread power and water shortages.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran\u2019s Fading Influence and Iraq\u2019s Path to Sovereignty<\/h3>\n

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Iran\u2019s religious-dictatorial regime appears to be entering an irreversible stage of collapse, losing its grip not only domestically but also among its regional allies. Recent developments in the Middle East since July have dealt significant blows to the regime\u2019s standing, marking a pivotal moment in the region\u2019s geopolitical landscape.\u00a0The so-called \u201cAxis of Resistance,\u201d crafted by Iran to counterbalance Israel, has faced severe setbacks over the past six months. Hamas, a key player in this alliance, has suffered devastating losses in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Hezbollah\u2014once a dominant force in Lebanon\u2014has been substantially weakened. Compounding these challenges, the fall of Bashar al-Assad\u2019s regime in Syria has dismantled Tehran\u2019s most critical regional partnership. Without allies on Israel\u2019s borders, the Iranian regime faces an uphill battle to rebuild its faltering coalition.<\/p>\n

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

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Russia Denied Iran Permission to Use Its Airbase for Troop Transfers<\/h3>\n

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Kamel Saqar, former head of the media office at the Syrian presidency, stated that Russia ignored Bashar al-Assad\u2019s request to use the Hmeimim airbase for transferring Iranian military aid to the Syrian army following the fall of Aleppo.<\/p>\n

In an interview with the Al-Mazij podcast, Kamel Saqar revealed that Iranian officials informed Assad they had not received any guarantees allowing Iranian aircraft to land at Hmeimim Airbase or to transit through Iraqi and Syrian airspace.<\/p>\n

According to Kamel Saqar, after this, Assad formally requested permission from Russian authorities to allow Iranian planes to land at Hmeimim, but the request went unanswered.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran\u2019s Energy Minister Warns of a \u201cDifficult Summer\u201d Ahead<\/h3>\n

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As the Iranian regime officials face multiple crises\u2014including energy shortages, severe air pollution, and the daily rise in the U.S. dollar exchange rate, which has led to prolonged shutdowns across the country\u2014Iran\u2019s Minister of Energy announced that the government is preparing for a \u201cdifficult summer,\u201d warning that overcoming it \u201cwon\u2019t be easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abbas Ali-Abadi, Iran\u2019s Minister of Energy, stated that last summer, Iran faced a 20,000-megawatt energy shortfall and predicted: \u201cThis figure will rise to 25,000 megawatts in the upcoming summer. God willing, it won\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cThe reality is that there is an energy imbalance. The reality is that there is not enough gas in winter. The Ministry of Oil cannot compensate for it within two months. It\u2019s simply not possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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Iran\u2019s Health Minister Claims Drug Price Hikes Due to Currency Fluctuations<\/h3>\n

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As reports emerge of a renewed shortage of medications for chronic illnesses, Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi, the Iranian regime\u2019s Minister of Health, announced that drug prices are rising due to currency fluctuations, stating that exchange rate instability directly impacts medication costs.\u00a0On Sunday, January 5, the health minister also promised that to prevent further price hikes, the government would compensate insurance companies for the currency fluctuations so that the public would not have to bear the extra costs.<\/p>\n

This pledge comes as Mehdi Pirsalahi, head of the\u00a0Food and Drug<\/a>\u00a0Administration, revealed that the government owes 360 trillion rials (approximately $444.5 million) in pharmaceutical debts.<\/p>\n

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

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Heidelberg, January 4, 2025: MEK Supporters Host Exhibition Condemning Crimes of Iran\u2019s Regime<\/h3>\n
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Heidelberg, January 4, 2025: MEK Supporters Host Exhibition Condemning Crimes of Iran\u2019s Regime.<\/div><\/div>
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