{"id":329778,"date":"2025-03-24T13:16:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T12:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=329778"},"modified":"2025-03-24T14:40:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T13:40:46","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-march-24-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-march-24-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 March 24, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Supporters
Supporters of the Iranian Resistance in Heidelberg, Germany, held a bookstand on March 22, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

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

Iranian Oil Tankers Using Forged Iraqi Documents, Iraqi Oil Minister Says<\/h3>\n

BAGHDAD, March 24 (Reuters) – Iraq’s oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani has said Iranian oil tankers seized by U.S. forces in the Gulf were using forged Iraqi documents.<\/p>\n

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has restored “maximum pressure<\/a>” on Iran, reviving a policy that seeks to isolate the country from the global economy and\u00a0eliminate its oil export revenue<\/a>\u00a0in order to slow Tehran’s development of a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n

Abdel-Ghani was asked if he had received messages from the United States over the possibility that state oil marketer SOMO could be subject to sanctions itself over the violation of Iranian sanctions.<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 12:00 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n

Congress Probes Princeton University Over Professor’s Alleged Ties to Iranian Regime<\/h3>\n

\"FoxNews-logo\"<\/p>\n

The influential House Committee of Education and the Workforce on Thursday launched an investigation into the role of a former Iranian official,\u00a0Seyed Hossein Mousavian, at\u00a0Princeton University. It is claimed that he is suspected of advancing the interests of Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism.<\/p>\n

Twelve Republican committee members sent a letter to Princeton President\u00a0Christopher L. Eisgruber<\/a>\u00a0with detailed questions about the influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran via Mousavian\u2019s activities\u00a0on the campus of the\u00a0New Jersey-based Ivy League institution.<\/p>\n

Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., who along with Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., spearheaded the letter to Princeton, told Fox News Digital\u00a0“Higher education has bowed down to the radical left and enemies of America for far too long, and the mere fact that a former member of the Iranian regime is given a platform at Princeton is proof.”<\/p>\n

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

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

Iran Regime’s Hostage Diplomacy and Attack On It’s Opposition<\/h3>\n

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

Recently, reports emerged that Olivier Grondeau, a French citizen, had been liberated from captivity in Iran, having endured nearly half of a five-year sentence levied on him by the Iranian regime \u2019s-controlled judiciary.<\/p>\n

While Grondeau’s release is a welcome event in its own right, it casts light on a persistent and troubling pattern of hostage-taking by the clerical regime. This practice shows no signs of abating or nearing a genuine resolution.<\/p>\n

The issue is more significant than a mere humanitarian concern since it is intertwined with the policy on Iran in general and the attitude towards the opposition in particular.<\/p>\n

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

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A Year Of Setbacks: How Iran\u2019s Regime Lost Ground In 1403<\/h3>\n

\"Assessing<\/p>\n

As Iran marks Nowruz 1404, it faces a critical juncture, marked by severe political instability and escalating challenges to the mullahs\u2019 regime ruling the country. The past Persian year, 1403, witnessed profound setbacks for the Iranian regime, deeply undermining its political legitimacy, economic stability, and regional influence. The regime, reliant on coercion, ideological control, and regional interference, encountered unprecedented crises, signaling a significant erosion of its authority both domestically and internationally.<\/p>\n

The year began under the lingering shadow of the revolutionary uprisings of 1401, which had already dealt significant blows to the regime\u2019s authority. Regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei\u2019s earlier strategy, epitomized by his 2019 \u201cSecond Step of the Revolution\u201d manifesto, promoted a systematic effort to purge the political and administrative structure of any voices perceived as insufficiently loyal to the ideological foundations of the theocracy.<\/p>\n

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

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Khamenei Sets His Eyes on What Little Is Left of Iranian People\u2019s Wealth<\/h3>\n

\"Iranian<\/p>\n

The crushing crisis of livelihood and the unbridled inflation in Iran has pushed people\u2019s lives into severe hardship. This pressure has become so intense that regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei was forced to make a confession on March 20, 2025, the first day of the new Persian calendar year. He admitted that \u201ceconomic problems have engulfed the people,\u201d and the annual tradition of naming the new year with grand slogans turned into a farce. Khamenei said, \u201cThe slogan we gave last year\u2026 was not fulfilled.\u201d<\/p>\n

These confessions are obvious to the people who feel the burden of rising prices in their daily lives. Even the regime\u2019s official media and news agencies are forced daily to reflect glimpses of this inflationary monster with headlines like: \u201cThe Market Under the Boot of Inflation,\u201d \u201cSoaring Prices and Empty-Handed People,\u201d \u201cPeople Struggling with Price Hikes Before the New Year,\u201d \u201cInflation Rampant,\u201d and \u201cMarket Stagnation Amid Crowds Without Buyers.\u201d They warn about a new wave of inflation in the coming year, with headlines like \u201cTighten Your Belts!\u201d (Khabar Online).<\/p>\n

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

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Khamenei\u2019s False Pretense of Non-Interference in Iran\u2019s Economic Crisis<\/h3>\n

\"Iranian<\/p>\n

The recent statement by Iran regime\u2019s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, asserting that he does not interfere in the government\u2019s economic planning, has sparked widespread reactions.<\/p>\n

This declaration stands in stark contrast to his extensive history of direct involvement in economic decisions\u2014ranging from banning South Korean household appliance imports to implementing adventurous, sanctions-inducing policies. At a time when the country\u2019s economy is nearing bankruptcy, Khamenei appears to be distancing himself from the crisis, attempting to absolve himself of responsibility.<\/p>\n

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

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The West Must End Its Shameful Appeasement of the Iranian Regime<\/h3>\n

\"Iran-Nuclear-appeasement\"<\/p>\n

The Iranian regime is on the brink of collapse. Every day, it faces widespread protests, outraged citizens, and public discontent over rampant corruption, injustice, and brutal repression. How does the clerical regime respond to these grievances? With daily executions, savage torture, arbitrary imprisonment, and widespread oppression.\u00a0This is the grim reality of Iran under the rule of the mullahs.\u00a0Yet, despite the regime\u2019s deteriorating situation, Western governments persist in their failed policy of appeasement. While the theocracy in Tehran is imploding from within, the West continues to offer lifelines through concessions and blackmail payments instead of standing in solidarity with the Iranian people and their organized resistance.<\/p>\n

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

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Increased Pressure on Mahnaz Tarrah in Evin Prison: Leave Request and Appeal Rejected<\/h3>\n

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Mahnaz Tarrah, a political activist imprisoned in Evin Prison, continues to face mounting pressure from security forces as she enters her 16th month of incarceration. Her request for temporary leave was recently denied following intervention by the IRGC Intelligence Organization.<\/p>\n

The Supreme Court rejected her request for a retrial in January 2025. Earlier, in November 2024, the\u00a0IRGC Intelligence Organization<\/a>\u00a0had also opposed her request for conditional release.<\/p>\n

Mahnaz Tarrah was violently\u00a0arrested by security forces<\/a>\u00a0on November 13, 2023, in the streets of Tehran. She was initially held in the Ministry of Intelligence detention center, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison, before being transferred to the women\u2019s ward on December 3, 2023.<\/p>\n

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

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Kobra Taherkhani, A Teachers\u2019 Union Activist, Sentenced to Three Years in Prison<\/h3>\n

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Kobra Taherkhani, a school principal and\u00a0teachers<\/a>\u2019 union activist in Qazvin, has been sentenced to three years in prison and a three-year travel ban by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of\u00a0Qazvin<\/a>. The verdict, issued in March 2025, is based on charges of \u201cinsulting Khamenei\u201d and \u201cpropaganda against the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

The alleged offenses include posts on her Instagram account and a report linked to the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC in Qazvin.<\/p>\n

Kobra Taherkhani was previously arrested in December 2024 at her home by IRGC intelligence forces.<\/p>\n

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

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The Ongoing Electricity Crisis in Iran<\/h3>\n

\"Irans<\/p>\n

As the Iranian regime continues to struggle with the challenge of supplying electricity, Abbas Aliabadi, the regime\u2019s Minister of Energy, called on the public to invest in Iran\u2019s electricity industry projects as a way to escape the power crisis.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, March 22, Aliabadi referred to the Iranian New Year\u2019s theme designated by Ali Khamenei, the regime\u2019s Supreme Leader, as the \u201cYear of Investment for Production.\u201d He stated that the Ministry of Energy is implementing \u201ca specific program to attract small-scale public investments alongside large-scale investments.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that with the establishment of an investment fund in the electricity industry, people will be able to participate in implementing electricity projects, including \u201cmajor and strategic renewable energy projects,\u201d by purchasing shares in the fund.<\/p>\n

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

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Paris Exhibition Sheds Light on Iran\u2019s Human Rights Violations and Resistance Movement<\/h3>\n
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Paris Exhibition Exposes Iran\u2019s Human Rights Violations - March 22, 2025 - Part 2<\/div><\/div>
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