{"id":329429,"date":"2025-03-13T09:39:23","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T08:39:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=329429"},"modified":"2025-03-13T17:30:14","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T16:30:14","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-march-13-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-march-13-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 March 13, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Healthcare
Healthcare workers protest in Baghmalek, Khuzestan, over poor living conditions \u2013 March 13, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h3>\n

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

Treasury Sanctions Iranian Oil Minister, Shadow Fleet Operators<\/h3>\n

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WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, the Department of the Treasury\u2019s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating Iran\u2019s Minister of Petroleum,\u00a0Mohsen Paknejad<\/strong>, who oversees the export of tens of billions of dollars\u2019 worth of Iranian oil and has allocated billions of dollars\u2019 worth of oil to Iran\u2019s armed forces for export. OFAC is also designating several entities in multiple jurisdictions, including the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC) and India, for their ownership or operation of vessels that have delivered Iranian oil to the PRC, or lifted Iranian oil from storage in Dalian, PRC. Today\u2019s sanctions apply further pressure on the \u201cshadow fleet\u201d and other vessels upon which Iran depends to deliver its oil to the PRC, advancing the United States\u2019 commitment to reduce Iran\u2019s oil exports to zero.<\/p>\n

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

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

U.S. Statement on UN Security Council Meeting on Iran<\/h3>\n

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President Trump has made clear that Iran\u2019s nuclear program poses a threat to international peace and security, which the Security Council is charged with protecting.<\/p>\n

As reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Tehran continues to rapidly accelerate its production of highly enriched uranium. It is also the only country in the world without nuclear weapons producing highly enriched uranium, for which it has no credible peaceful purpose.<\/p>\n

Moreover, Iran continues to flagrantly defy the Security Council, violate its IAEA safeguards obligations, and ignore the clear and consistent concerns of both the Council and the international community. The Council must be clear and united in addressing and condemning this brazen behavior.<\/p>\n

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

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Britain Warns Iran Sanctions Could Be Reimposed as UN Security Council Meets<\/h3>\n

UNITED NATIONS, March 12 (Reuters) – Britain warned on Wednesday that it would trigger a return of U.N. sanctions on Iran, if needed, to prevent it from getting a nuclear weapon as the Security Council met to discuss Tehran’s expansion of its stock of uranium close to weapons grade.<\/p>\n

Iran has denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n

However, it is “dramatically”\u00a0accelerating enrichment<\/a>\u00a0of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% weapons-grade level, the U.N. nuclear watchdog – the International Atomic Energy Agency – has warned.<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 9:30 AM CET<\/span><\/p>\n

Tehran\u2019s Water Crisis Reaches Breaking Point<\/h3>\n

\"iran-hamedan-water-shortage\"<\/p>\n

The alarm bells of the \u201cwater crisis in Tehran\u201d are ringing with deafening sounds\u2014so much so that even the regime\u2019s leaders and state-controlled media have been forced to acknowledge parts of the looming mega-crisis.<\/p>\n

One headline reads: \u201cDanger Lurking for Tehran Residents\u201d (Khabar Online), while another states: \u201cWater Shortage in Tehran is Serious\u201d (Fararu). One warns: \u201cTehran\u2019s Water Conditions Have Turned Red\u201d (Shargh), and yet another goes beyond \u201cred,\u201d declaring: \u201cTehran on the Brink of Drought\u201d (Etemad).<\/p>\n

The regime\u2019s Deputy Minister of Energy stated on Sunday, March 9, that the biggest crisis facing Tehran is water. \u201cTraffic and air pollution can be resolved, but water cannot.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cWe have nearly 20 million people in this region who depend on the Latian, Karaj, Lar, and Taleqan dams. Looking at the state of these dams, the water crisis in the capital is deeply concerning. If this situation continues into the summer, it will lead to serious imbalances and the potential for water cuts. Tehran, Isfahan, and Qom are in a more critical situation than other parts of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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The Decline of Iran Regime\u2019s Regional Influence: Is Iraq Next?<\/h3>\n

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Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the Iranian regime has systematically expanded its network of allied representatives and proxies across the Middle East. Over the years, this strategy has yielded some success, allowing Tehran\u2019s so-called \u201caxis of resistance\u201d to entrench itself in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.<\/p>\n

In September 2014, Iranian-backed Houthi militias seized control of Yemen\u2019s largest city. Shortly thereafter, an Iranian MP boasted that his country effectively controlled four Arab capitals: Baghdad, Beirut, Damascus, and Sanaa. However, the events of the past year have significantly altered the regional balance of power. Today, Tehran has largely lost control over two of these four capitals, and Hezbollah\u2019s weakened position in Lebanon further threatens its hold on the region. Additionally, in December, opposition forces wrested control of Damascus from the Assad regime, an Iranian ally that had ruled Syria for half a century. Now, the Iranian regime fears a continuation of this domino effect.<\/p>\n

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

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The Hidden Costs of Public Education in Iran<\/h3>\n

\"Tehran<\/p>\n

A recent viral video on social media has reignited a long-standing debate about the monetization of public education in Iran. The footage captures a heated exchange between a school principal and a student\u2019s father.<\/p>\n

In the video, the principal openly admits to expelling the student, citing poor academic performance as a pretext, while in reality, the true reason was the father\u2019s inability to pay the school\u2019s tuition fees.<\/p>\n

The father, visibly frustrated, repeatedly questions the fairness of his child\u2019s expulsion, asking, \u201cShould my child be expelled simply for not paying tuition at a public school?\u201d<\/p>\n

The principal, undeterred, boldly states that he manages the school\u2019s expenses through the money collected from families.<\/p>\n

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

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Raheleh Rahemipour, 72, Sentenced to Over Four Years in Prison<\/h3>\n

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Raheleh Rahemipour, a 72-year-old justice-seeking activist, has been sentenced to more than four years in prison, according to a recent ruling by Branch 21 of the\u00a0Tehran Province<\/a>\u2019s Court of Appeals. The verdict was officially communicated to her defense attorney on March 9, 2025.\u00a0Raheleh Rahemipour was sentenced to three years, six months, and ten days in prison for \u201cassembly and collusion against national security\u201d and an additional seven months and twenty days for \u201cpropaganda against the state.\u201d Under Article 134 of the regime\u2019s Penal Code, which mandates that the harshest sentence be enforced in cases involving multiple charges, she will serve three years, six months, and ten days in prison.<\/p>\n

Raheleh Rahemipour was first arrested in November 2019 and was later released. In 2020, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to six years in prison.<\/p>\n

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

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Anisa Fanaiyan, a Bahaii Citizen, Arrested in Semnan to Serve Prison Sentence<\/h3>\n

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On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, security forces in\u00a0Semnan<\/a>\u00a0arrested Anisa Fanaiyan, a Bahaii citizen, to enforce her seven-year prison sentence. She was detained on the street and transferred to prison.<\/p>\n

According to a ruling issued on December 4, 2024, by Branch 7 of the Semnan Court of Appeals, Anisa Fanaiyan was sentenced to seven years in prison for \u201cforming a group with the intent to disrupt national security\u201d and one year for \u201cpropaganda against the state.\u201d Under sentence aggregation laws, only the seven-year prison term will be enforced as the most severe punishment.<\/p>\n

Earlier, on March 10, 2024, Branch 1 of the Semnan Revolutionary Court issued a much harsher sentence of 16 years in prison against Anisa Fanaiyan, which included:<\/p>\n

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

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The Drought Has Put Iran\u2019s Environment at Risk<\/h3>\n

\"isfahan-iran-drought\"<\/p>\n

While officials of the Iranian regime have warned about the possibility of water rationing in Tehran next summer, Issa Bozorgzadeh, the spokesperson for the regime\u2019s water industry, stated in an interview with the state-run Mehr news agency that next year will also be a year of drought. According to this official, even if the conditions in the coming months are normal, the water year will still be classified as a drought year.\u00a0Bozorgzadeh explained that even if rainfall increases, the water year\u2014especially in Tehran Province\u2014will still face severe water stress.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, March 11, Ahad VaziFeh, the head of the National Center for Climate and Drought Crisis Management at the regime\u2019s Meteorological Organization, stated that water shortages in the summer are a serious threat and that there is a possibility of water rationing in Tehran next summer.<\/p>\n

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

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Oslo, March 8, 2025: Celebrating International Women\u2019s Day by Supporting Iran\u2019s Women\u2019s Resistance<\/h3>\n
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Oslo, March 8, 2025: Celebrating International Women's Day by Supporting Iran\u2019s Women\u2019s Resistance<\/div><\/div>
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