{"id":344151,"date":"2026-04-08T06:41:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T05:41:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=344151"},"modified":"2026-04-08T18:43:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T17:43:03","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-april-8-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-april-8-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 April 8, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Brussels Rally Demands EU Action Over Execution of PMOI Political Prisoners<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

UPDATE: 07:30 PM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

National Council of Resistance of Iran Speaks Out on Trump Peace Deal<\/h3>\n

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The\u00a0National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)<\/a>\u00a0has welcomed the\u00a0ceasefire<\/a>\u00a0between\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0and Iran, particularly the halt to attacks on infrastructure and civilian facilities, adding that this was the most appropriate decision at the most sensitive moment by the US. In a statement shared with the Express on Wednesday (April 8), Mrs Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the NCRI, which advocates for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic, expressed hope that the\u00a015-day ceasefire<\/a>\u00a0“will lead to the end of the war and pave the way for peace and freedom”.<\/p>\n

Mrs Rajavi stressed that lasting peace, “as the\u00a0Iranian<\/a>\u00a0Resistance has stressed for the past 45 years, can only be achieved through the overthrow of the\u00a0terrorist<\/a>\u00a0and warmongering dictatorship of the absolute clerical rule (Velayat-e-Faqih) by the Iranian people and the organised resistance, and the establishment of a democratic republic”. She added that the stopping of\u00a0executions in Iran<\/a>, as a demand of all the people of Iran, should be included in any international agreement.<\/p>\n

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

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NCRI Sees the Ceasefire as the “Most Appropriate Decision at the Most Sensitive Time”<\/h3>\n

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Paris, Apr 8 (EFE). – The president of Iran’s National Council of Resistance (NCRI), Maryam Rajavi, said on Wednesday that the ceasefire reached last night between the United States and Iran to stop the war for two weeks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz is “the most appropriate decision at the most sensitive time”.<\/p>\n

In a statement, Rajavi welcomed the ceasefire and expressed hope that it would lead to an end to the war and pave the way for peace and freedom.<\/p>\n

The Iranian opposition leader particularly valued the suspension of attacks on infrastructure and civilian targets in her country.<\/p>\n

The leader also insisted that a lasting peace can only be achieved through the overthrow of the “terrorist and warmongering dictatorship of the absolute clerical regime” by the Iranian people and organized resistance, as well as with the establishment of a democratic republic.<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 12:30 PM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iranian Community in the Bay Area Concerned About Family Overseas<\/h3>\n

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Hamid Azimi, a volunteer with the Iranian American Community of Northern California, said they are against the war. Instead, they are in factor of continued organized resistance to the regime.<\/p>\n

“This war needs to stop so that the resistance units that the Iranian people have, led by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, can take over and finish the job and bring about peace and stability to the Middle East,” Azimi told CBS News Bay Area. “People of Iran are not different from any other people in the world. We get worried when bombs are getting dropped on our country, on our relatives.”<\/p>\n

He and the community have been rallying more across the Bay Area recently in support of the resistance movement.<\/p>\n

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

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Iranian Americans Weigh in on the Escalating Conflict in the Middle East<\/h3>\n

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RICHMOND, Va. \u2014 Iranian Americans are weighing in on the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, with some supporting military action and others emphasizing the need to protect civilians and empower the Iranian people.<\/p>\n

In Washington, D.C., Majid Sadeghpour with the Organization of Iranian-American Communities supports freedom but said measures taken against the current Iranian government must be effective. Sadeghpour believes real change must come from the ground up through the Iranian people. He said they must be supported in their fight with well-thought-out planning that limits the loss of innocent life and critical infrastructure.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s the people of Iran that have to do the heavy lifting here and we can weaken the regime with bombs, but certainly to overthrow it will not happen from the sky,” Sadeghpour said. “Everybody that\u2019s involved in this war must do everything possible to protect the people. The innocent civilians and economic and civilian structure of the country. The main concern from the regime is not bombs from the sky, it\u2019s a defiant population.”<\/p>\n

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

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From Zahhak to Today: When Power Feeds on Its Own Society<\/h3>\n

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In Iranian mythological narratives, it is said that Zahhak, a legendary king, was originally an ordinary prince. The demon Ahriman approached him in the guise of an advisor and incited him to murder his father in order to seize power. Once in power, Ahriman kissed Zahhak\u2019s shoulders, and from the spots of those kisses two serpents emerged. These serpents had to be fed each day with the brains of young men; thus, two youths were executed daily, and fear and terror spread throughout society.<\/p>\n

This cycle of violence can be interpreted as an illustration of the \u201cbanality of evil\u201d: a system in which killing is no longer an exceptional act, but becomes a routine practice, embedded in the very functioning of power in order to sustain itself. In such a structure, violence is not a deviation, but a condition of survival. Zahhak is therefore not merely a mythological figure, but a metaphor for regimes that, in order to endure, continuously feed on their own society. As recounted in Ferdowsi\u2019s Shahnameh<\/em>\u2014the great Persian epic written nearly a thousand years ago\u2014this cycle is ultimately broken by a popular uprising and the emergence of an alternative.<\/p>\n

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

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

Resistance Units Commemorate Executed PMOI Members, Defy Regime\u2019s Execution Spree<\/h3>\n

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In a stunning display of bravery that shatters the Iranian regime\u2019s illusion of control, the youth of Iran have taken to the streets to answer the mullahs\u2019 latest wave of executions of PMOI\/MEK members. On April 5, 2026, across major cities spanning from Tehran and Isfahan to Zahedan and Tabriz, PMOI Resistance Units launched a widespread mobilization. In a defiant video from the streets, a female Resistance Unit member boldly shouted, \u201cTo the blood of Pouya and Babak, we will stand till the end.\u201d Dozens of other activities featured posters and placards of recently executed PMOI members bearing powerful messages, such as, \u201cNo surrender!\u201d and \u201cWe swear on the blood of our comrades that we will stand till the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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115th Week of \u2018No to Execution Tuesdays\u2019 Continues After Execution of Six Veteran Members<\/h3>\n

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The \u201cNo to Execution Tuesdays\u201d campaign, marked by weekly hunger strikes led by prisoners, has now entered its 115th week. This milestone comes amid the execution of six of its longstanding members. Despite mounting pressure, participants have reaffirmed their commitment to continuing both the hunger strikes and their protest the death penalty.
\nPrisoners involved in the campaign have stated that they remain committed to the principles of \u201cNo to Execution Tuesdays\u201d and will persist with their hunger strikes. This is taking place under conditions of severe communication disruption, as internet shutdowns and restrictions have significantly hindered the flow of information. Nevertheless, available reports indicate that the hunger strikes inside prisons have not ceased and continue despite these constraints.<\/p>\n

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

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Why Iran\u2019s Executions Reflect Strategic Weakness, Not Strength<\/h3>\n

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The execution of six members of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) and affiliated Resistance Units between March 30 and April 4, 2026, followed by the killing of several defiant protesters, should not be understood as routine repression. These were deliberate political acts carried out at a moment of heightened domestic vulnerability and external pressure for Iran\u2019s ruling establishment. At first glance, the timing may appear counterintuitive. Why would a government facing international tension and strategic uncertainty escalate executions at home? The answer lies in the regime\u2019s own threat perception. Tehran does not appear to be acting from a position of confidence. It appears to be responding to a convergence of threats that the leadership increasingly views as linked: external confrontation, internal protest, and the organizational resilience of anti-regime networks.<\/p>\n

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

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Foreign Forces in Iran: Reports Signal Regime Turning to Militias Amid Internal Strain<\/h3>\n

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New reports point to foreign militias entering Iran as internal security pressure rises, while warnings over child recruitment deepen concerns about manpower shortages. Foreign forces in Iran are drawing growing attention as fresh reports suggest the government may be turning to allied militias to reinforce internal security. Claims of Iraqi, Afghan, and Pakistani fighters entering the country have circulated widely in recent days, though many remain unverified by major international outlets.<\/p>\n

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

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Brussels Rally Demands EU Action Over Execution of PMOI Political Prisoners<\/h3>\n
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Brussels Rally Demands EU Action Over Execution of PMOI Political Prisoners \u2013 April 5, 2026<\/div><\/div>
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