{"id":335491,"date":"2025-08-12T06:34:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T05:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=335491"},"modified":"2025-08-12T21:38:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T20:38:03","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-august-12-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-august-12-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 August 12, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Supporters
Supporters of the Iranian Resistance in Cologne, Germany, held a rally on August 9, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

UPDATE: 10:30 PM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

Detained Sailors Reveal Houthi Smuggling Routes from Iran to Yemen<\/h3>\n

\"sharq-al-awsat-logo\"<\/p>\n

Confessions by detained sailors have revealed the smuggling routes used by the Houthi militants in Yemen to smuggle weapons from Iran.\u00a0Yemeni forces arrested in July seven people on board a ship they intercepted in the Red Sea. The sailors revealed the details of a significant smuggling network run by Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) that ran routes through Beirut, Damascus, Somalia and Djibouti to reach the Houthi-held ports of Hodeidah.<\/p>\n

The confessions were aired by al-Joumhouriya television that is run by the Yemeni national resistance that is based on the western Yemeni coast.<\/p>\n

Four sailors confessed to smuggling arms shipments from Iran\u2019s Bandar Abbas port to Hodeidah. They have been identified as Amer Masawa, Ali Qassir, Issa Qassir and Abdullah Afifi.<\/p>\n

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

\n

UPDATE: 5:30 PM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

Robert Ward: Britain Must Recognise Iran\u2019s Democratic Opposition<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In the late 1970s, as an occasional visitor to Shiraz, it was clear to me that the Shah was very much in command \u2013 a command maintained by the quiet menace of the Savak, his secret police. The mandatory portrait of the Shah in every meeting room bore more resemblance to Orwell than to that of Her Majesty back home. Rather than a polite nod to tradition, in Iran, it was a warning: Big Brother was watching, always.<\/p>\n

Mention of the Shah brought any conversation with local people to a swift close. The risk you might be a Savak informant was too high. The mood only began to change, astonishingly quickly, in late 1978. On what turned out to be my final visit, a taxi driver said bluntly: \u201cThe Shah is a very bad man.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was my turn to worry that the other person in the conversation was a Savak informer. He wasn\u2019t; he was, as it turned out, simply reflecting the mood on the street. People were no longer afraid.<\/p>\n

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

\n

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

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Lebanese MP Calls for Expulsion of Iranian Ambassador Over \u201cBrazen\u201d Interference<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Lebanese lawmaker Ashraf Rifi has called for the expulsion of the Iranian regime\u2019s ambassador to Lebanon and the severing of diplomatic ties, accusing Tehran of turning its embassy in Beirut into \u201cthe actual and real headquarters\u201d of Hezbollah.<\/p>\n

In a statement published by Lebanese outlet Nachitoun<\/em>,<\/a> Rifi praised Foreign Minister Youssef Raji for standing up to \u201cIran\u2019s brazenness in inciting against the Lebanese state,\u201d saying the minister now represents \u201ca sovereign state and the aspirations of all sovereignty advocates in Lebanon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is now necessary to expel the Iranian ambassador from Beirut and cut relations with Iran, a country that has crossed all boundaries,\u201d Rifi declared. He alleged that the individual serving as Iran\u2019s cultural attach\u00e9 in Beirut is in fact \u201cthe real commander\u201d of Hezbollah, and that those who have previously held the same post \u201care the main perpetrators of all terrorist operations committed by Iran through its arms in Lebanon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey accuse others of spying,\u201d Rifi added, \u201cwhile they themselves are the spies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

U.S. Envoy Accuses the Iranian Regime of Threatening Global Maritime Security Through Houthi Support and Vessel Seizures<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In an August 11 address to the United Nations Security Council, Acting U.S. Representative Ambassador Dorothy Shea accused<\/a> the Iranian regime of posing a direct threat to global maritime security through its backing of Yemen\u2019s Houthi militia and its seizure of commercial vessels in international waters.<\/p>\n

Shea called on Tehran to immediately release ships it still holds, including the MSC Aries<\/em>, and urged all UN member states to fully implement the arms embargo against the Houthis. \u201cIran and other countries continue to violate this embargo, providing the Houthis with rockets and munitions, as well as the components and chemicals they use to rain attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The U.S. envoy condemned last month\u2019s Houthi attacks that sank two commercial ships, killed crew members, and resulted in hostage-taking. She accused Tehran of fueling such violence and pressed for \u201cmeaningful consequences for sanctions violations\u201d alongside stronger efforts to cut off funding and material support for the Houthis\u2019 weapons programs.<\/p>\n

\n

Iran’s Execution Rate Soars Amid Unprecedented Crackdown Against Dissent<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Iran’s rulers are carrying out one of the most visible and deadly crackdowns in decades, with mass arrests, political trials, and executions surging at an alarming pace.<\/p>\n

Stephen Rapp, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large in the office of Global Criminal Justice, tells CBN News the Iranian regime isn’t just cracking down with arrests or beatings. It’s using executions to silence dissent, with the numbers rising fast after the recent war with Israel.<\/p>\n

“There are thousands of political prisoners, and they could charge them with these phony charges and begin mass executions, really, judicial murders of peaceful opponents,” Rapp told CBN News.<\/p>\n

Human rights advocates say the scale is staggering. In 2023, Iran executed more than 850 people. The following year, the toll rose to 975. Now, just seven months into 2025, over 700 executions have already been recorded, putting the country on track to shatter previous records.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Iran\u2019s Death Machine: Why The World Must Stop the Next Massacre<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In the summer of 1988, behind prison walls across Iran, thousands of political prisoners were summoned, asked a few questions about their political beliefs, and sent to the gallows. Within a few weeks,\u00a0at least 30,000 people<\/a> \u2013 most of them affiliated with the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) \u2013 were executed.\u00a0The world looked away. Despite urgent appeals, nothing was done, and to this day the massacre has not been officially recognised by the UN and the regime has yet to be held to account. The Mullahs learned that mass killings could be carried out with impunity.<\/p>\n

Today, 37 years later, that lesson is being put into practice again \u2013 and the signals from Tehran could not be clearer.<\/p>\n

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

\n

UPDATE: 7:30 AM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Iranian Regime\u2019s Brutality Against Dissidents Is a Sign of Its Weakness<\/h3>\n

\"\"While the Iranian regime attempts to project an image of stability and power, the grim reality within its prisons tells a different story. The regime is orchestrating a vicious and systematic escalation of suppression against political prisoners. This campaign of cruelty, which targets the nation\u2019s brightest students, its most resilient women, and its elderly activists, is not a sign of strength but a clear admission of the theocracy\u2019s profound fear of an unstoppable popular uprising.<\/p>\n

The recent cases of four political prisoners\u2014Ali Younesi, Amirhossein Moradi, Fatemeh Ziaei Azad, and Arghavan Fallahi\u2014are not isolated incidents but damning evidence of a regime in its death throes, lashing out at the very people who represent Iran\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Pezeshkian\u2019s Confession: Iran\u2019s Economy in Freefall, Society on the Brink of Eruption<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In a stunning admission of systemic failure, the Iranian regime\u2019s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has publicly conceded that his government has lost control over the nation\u2019s most basic services and economic stability.<\/p>\n

Speaking on Sunday, August 10, Pezeshkian painted a grim picture of a regime cornered by its own incompetence, stating that its actions are now dictated by \u201cobligation,\u201d not choice. His words are not merely a political statement but a confession that the ruling mullahs are presiding over a complete collapse, pushing Iranian society toward a social explosion.<\/p>\n

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

\n

The World Must Not Look Away as Iran Prepares for a New Wave of Executions<\/h3>\n

\"Stars<\/p>\n

A few weeks ago marked the 37th anniversary of one of the darkest chapters in modern Iranian history: the 1988 prison massacre. Acting on a fatwa issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the regime executed more than 30,000 political prisoners \u2014 most of them affiliated with the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK). These executions were carried out in secret, without trial, and with the explicit goal of eliminating political dissent. For decades, the world remained largely silent. Only recently has the United Nations begun to acknowledge the massacre for what it was: a crime against humanity, and, in the words of former U.N. Special Rapporteur on Iran, amounted to genocide. But the crime did not end in 1988. The Iranian regime continues to deny justice to the victims, persecute their families, and glorify the massacre as a \u201chistoric success.\u201d Under international law, this makes the massacre an ongoing crime.<\/p>\n

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

\n

International Youth Day: Young Iranian Women Carry the Torch of Freedom<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Across the world, August 12\u2014International Youth Day<\/a>\u2014celebrates the potential of the next generation to shape a better future. But in Iran, the date carries a weight far beyond celebration. It is a day that speaks to defiance, sacrifice, and a relentless pursuit of freedom.\u00a0From the Constitutional Revolution to the anti-monarchic uprising, from the protest waves of the past decade to the nationwide uprising of 2022, Iranian youth have been the driving force behind every major transformation. And in more recent decades, time and again, it has been young women who have stood at the front lines\u2014organizing, leading, and paying the ultimate price for defying dictatorship.<\/p>\n

Under the mullahs\u2019 regime, tens of\u00a0thousands of young Iranian women<\/a>\u00a0and girls have been imprisoned, tortured, and executed for demanding freedom and equality. Their courage is not just a chapter in Iran\u2019s history\u2014it is the living engine of its future.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Iran Regime\u2019s IRGC Exposed in Major Yemen Arms Smuggling Network<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Confessions of detained sailors uncover routes and operations linking Iran to Houthi weapons shipments via regional hubs.<\/em><\/p>\n

Confessions from detained sailors have revealed detailed smuggling routes used by Yemen\u2019s Houthi militants to receive weapons from the Iranian regime, underscoring the central role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in sustaining the group\u2019s military capabilities.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0Asharq Al-Awsat<\/em>, Yemeni forces intercepted a vessel in the Red Sea in July and arrested seven sailors on board. The detainees described a large-scale weapons trafficking network coordinated by the IRGC, with routes passing through Beirut, Damascus, Somalia, and Djibouti before reaching Houthi-controlled ports such as Hodeidah. The confessions, broadcast by Yemen\u2019s al-Joumhouriya television, showed four sailors\u2014identified as Amer Masawa, Ali Qassir, Issa Qassir, and Abdullah Afifi\u2014admitting to transporting arms shipments from Iran\u2019s Bandar Abbas port to Hodeidah.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Iranian Political Prisoners Expose \u201cBloody Saturday of Ghezel Hesar\u201d \u2014 Two Executed After Brutal Raid<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Survivors of the July 26 assault recount unprecedented violence, torture, and extrajudicial executions inside\u00a0Ghezel Hesar Prison<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Political prisoners held in Unit 4 of Ghezel Hesar Prison have issued a harrowing testimony describing what they call\u00a0\u201c<\/em>Bloody\u00a0<\/em>Saturday of Ghezel Hesar\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 the July 26, 2025 attack that left two of their cellmates executed and many others injured.<\/p>\n

The statement, signed by the survivors, details an unprecedented and deliberate act of state violence. The prisoners state that all fundamental rights \u2014 from the right to life to the right to dignity, health, and fair trial \u2014 were \u201copenly and violently trampled\u201d in a single morning operation.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Iran\u2019s Judiciary Chief Denies Political Prisoners While Regime Erases Evidence of Past Mass Executions<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Eje\u2019i claims \u201cno political prisoners\u201d exist, as Khamenei\u2019s regime destroys graves of thousands executed in the 1980s to wipe out evidence of genocide and crimes against humanity.<\/em><\/p>\n

On August 10, 2025, Iranian Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Eje\u2019i publicly denied the existence of political prisoners in the country, framing the issue as a matter of \u201cdefinition\u201d and claiming no credible list had ever been provided to him.<\/p>\n

Speaking through the judiciary\u2019s official media outlet, Eje\u2019i asserted that \u201csometimes all security detainees are called political prisoners\u201d and that there is \u201cno uniform definition\u201d of the term. He said that after the recent 12-day war \u2014 his term for the conflict with Israel \u2014 various figures, including some inside the government, urged him to release political prisoners as a gesture of national unity.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Iran\u2019s Floating Oil Stockpile Surges Amid Tighter Sanctions Enforcement<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Satellite data shows Iranian crude oil stored at sea has surged to record levels as sanctions tighten and buyers retreat.<\/em><\/p>\n

New satellite-based data reveals that\u00a0Iran\u2019s stock of crude oil<\/a> stored at sea has surged dramatically this year, reflecting both shrinking markets for its sanctioned exports and growing pressure from global enforcement measures.\u00a0According to commodities and data analysis firm Kpler, the amount of Iranian crude held afloat increased from 5 million barrels in January to 35 million barrels by July. The firm now estimates that 40 million barrels are stored aboard tankers, primarily in Southeast Asia and off China\u2019s coast.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Frequent Power Outages Have Reduced Iranian Farmers\u2019 Access to Water By 25%<\/h3>\n

\"iran<\/p>\n

Ataollah Hashemi, head of the National Wheat Farmers Foundation, announced that due to frequent power outages, farmers\u2019 access to water has decreased by one-quarter.<\/p>\n

In a video interview with the state-run news outlet Khaneh Eghtesad, Hashemi reported a decline in wheat production due to the effects of drought and factors such as prolonged power outages.\u00a0He said: \u201cSix hours of daily power cuts have eliminated 25% of farmers\u2019 access to water. In my opinion, the damage to farmers is even greater than this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hashemi added: \u201cThis year, we will reach 7.5 million tons of wheat production. Under these circumstances, the country needs to import 5 million tons of wheat, which is a terrifying figure.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\n

Complete Drying of Lake Urmia by the End of Summer Is Certain<\/h3>\n

\"Lake-Urmia-672x375-1\"<\/p>\n

Ahmadreza Lahijanzadeh, deputy for marine and wetland affairs at the Department of Environment of Iran\u2019s regime, warned that with the current trend, the complete drying of Lake Urmia by the end of summer is \u201ccertain,\u201d citing the low water level in the lake.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, August 10, Lahijanzadeh said: \u201cThe water level of the lake on August 2 reached 1,269.74 meters, its area has shrunk to 581 square kilometers, and the water volume has been reduced to about half a billion cubic meters; a figure that shows a significant and unprecedented decline compared to last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

He warned that if the current trend continues, the complete drying of the lake will occur by the end of summer, and due to the \u201clack of water inflow,\u201d this situation will not change in autumn.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Bloody Summer of 1988: A Crime Against Humanity \u2013 1<\/h3>\n

\"cage<\/p>\n

In the summer of 1988, prisons across Iran witnessed one of the most horrific atrocities in modern history. Khomeini, through a secret fatwa, ordered the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners. Many of these prisoners had been arrested and tried years earlier; some had already completed their sentences or were on the verge of release. These extrajudicial executions, carried out nationwide, aimed to completely eliminate political opponents and \u201cpurge\u201d prisons of every dissenting voice. The majority of victims were members and supporters of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK), but other political opposition groups were also targeted.<\/p>\n

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

\n

Iran-Linked Clerics Respond to Moves to Disarm Hezbollah and PMF<\/h3>\n

\"Hezbollah<\/p>\n

In recent days, two influential religious and political figures in Iran \u2014 Ahmad Alamolhoda, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei\u2019s representative and Friday Prayer Leader in Mashhad (northeast Iran), and Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi, Khamenei\u2019s representative and Friday Prayer Leader in Arak (central Iran) \u2014 have openly expressed concerns about regional developments and the weakening of Iran\u2019s proxy forces. These remarks, reported in state-affiliated media, reflect what Iranian political observers describe as growing challenges for Iran\u2019s regional influence.<\/p>\n

On August 7, 2025, during Friday prayers in Mashhad, Alamolhoda strongly criticized factions in Iran advocating negotiations with the West. He stated: \u201cRecent experiences, especially in the context of ongoing wars and conflicts, have shown that dialogue and agreements with the United States and its allies are not only fruitless but also harmful.\u201d He added: \u201cSome Western-oriented groups told us to reconcile with America; didn\u2019t we negotiate? During the negotiations, they bombed us. So, handshakes, smiles, and talks are useless. The enemy will be satisfied with nothing less than our destruction, and their goal is to break up the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\n

MEK Supporters in Heidelberg Protest Executions in Iran, Urge Freedom for Political Prisoners<\/h3>\n
<\/div>
Heidelberg, Aug 9, 2025: MEK supporters condemn Iran executions, and demand prisoner release.<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>