{"id":341564,"date":"2026-01-15T07:18:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T06:18:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=341564"},"modified":"2026-01-15T22:50:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T21:50:25","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-january-15-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-january-15-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 January 15, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Iran regime’s forces attack the merchants in Tehran’s Bazaar during the nationwide protests\u2014 January 2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

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

No Mullahs. No King: What Do Iranians Want?<\/h3>\n

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Do Iranians want their king back now? or are they fighting for something entirely different?<\/p>\n

As Iran faces its most serious uprising in decades, a fundamental question has returned to the global spotlight: Is the future of Iran a restored monarchy, or a new democratic republic? In this episode of Interference, we explore that question with rare insight from inside the Iranian opposition. Alex and Justin are joined by Shahin Gobadi, a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), to break down what is really happening on the ground.<\/p>\n

Shahin explains why protesters across Iran are chanting \u201cNo Mullahs, No Shah\u201d rejecting both the ruling theocracy and a return to monarchy and why he believes the idea of restoring the Shah\u2019s son is largely a Western media narrative. We examine reports that thousands of protesters have been killed, the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in suppressing dissent, and whether the regime has already crossed a point of no return.<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 03:30 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n

Who are the Resistance Units in Iran inspired by Jean Moulin?<\/h3>\n

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History has shown on numerous occasions that, regardless of the military power or technological level of repressive forces, they are incapable of defeating an organised movement rooted in its people and driven by the ideal of freedom.\u00a0The fall of the Syrian dictatorship perfectly illustrates this truth,\u00a0just as the Nazis failed to extinguish the flame of the French Resistance.<\/p>\n

For some time now, a new phenomenon has emerged in the Iranian people’s struggle against tyranny. This phenomenon, called Resistance Units, was created by\u00a0the People’s Mujahideen of Iran (PMOI\/MEK)<\/a>, the main Iranian opposition movement and a member of\u00a0the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Today, these units have reached maturity. For ten years, the Iranian dictator has been using all his resources to prevent the international community from discovering the existence of these Resistance Units, which are present throughout Iranian territory. Despite the imprisonment and execution of thousands of their members by the mullahs, these units continue to grow, both in number and influence.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran\u2019s Future Requires Democratic Transition, Not Dynastic Restoration<\/h3>\n

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As Iran\u2019s ruling theocracy faces its deepest legitimacy crisis in decades, a familiar question has resurfaced in Western policy circles: who is the alternative? The answer is not academic. History shows that when authoritarian systems collapse without a credible democratic roadmap, the result is often instability or the recycling of power rather than genuine change.<\/p>\n

According to a January 12, 2026, statement issued by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the death toll from the nationwide uprising has surpassed 3,000. Since then, CBS News has reported that the toll may be far higher, with estimates exceeding 12,000. If accurate, such a surge within days would reflect a level of state violence on a scale rarely seen in contemporary history. It also reinforces a central reality of authoritarian breakdown: when a regime resorts to mass killing to survive, it accelerates the loss of legitimacy that makes long-term survival impossible. Far from restoring control, repression at this scale deepens public outrage, expands resistance networks, and strengthens the logic of fundamental political change.<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 08:00 AM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day 18 Of Iran Uprising: Judiciary Chief Visits Prisons to Expedite Executions; 38 More Martyrs Identified<\/h3>\n

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The nationwide uprising against the religious dictatorship in Iran has reached its eighteenth day on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. Following a seventeenth day marked by the regime erecting concrete walls in Ahvaz and evacuating universities to stifle dissent in tandem with an ongoing nationwide internet blackout, the confrontation has escalated significantly. On Wednesday, the regime\u2019s desperation became palpable as Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje\u2019i personally visited Tehran prisons, issuing orders for the immediate execution of detained protesters. While the regime attempts to enforce a digital blackout by raiding homes for Starlink equipment, the resistance continues to grow, with fierce clashes reported in Tehran, Mashhad, and Kermanshah.<\/p>\n

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

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Why Iran\u2019s Nationwide Uprising Continues Despite Brutal Repression<\/h3>\n

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On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, Iran\u2019s nationwide uprising entered its 17th consecutive day, with protests and clashes reported across Tehran and numerous provincial cities. The events highlight the regime\u2019s inability to contain a society determined to challenge tyranny. In Tehran, thousands gathered in the Sadeghieh district, chanting \u201cDeath to the dictator.\u201d Rebellious youths confronted special units in Haft Howz, Piroozi, Teatr-e Shahr, Ashrafi Esfahani, Tehranpars, and Valiasr. Nighttime demonstrations also took place in Ekbatan Town. In Naziabad, regime forces fired pellet guns indiscriminately, injuring several protesters. Earlier in the day, mourners at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery carried the bodies of slain protesters while chanting \u201cDeath to Khamenei,\u201d turning funerals into acts of renewed defiance.<\/p>\n

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

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Washington, DC \u2013 Iranian Americans Rally at Capitol Hill in Solidarity with Iran\u2019s Nationwide Uprising<\/h3>\n
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Washington DC\u2013Iranian Americans Rally at Capitol Hill in Solidarity with Iran\u2019s Nationwide Uprising<\/div><\/div>
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