{"id":347875,"date":"2026-09-08T06:31:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T05:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=347875"},"modified":"2026-09-08T06:41:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T05:41:46","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-september-8-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-september-8-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 September 8, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On September 5, 2026, NCRI supporters gathered in Malm\u00f6, Sweden, to mark the 61st anniversary of the PMOI\u2019s founding<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

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

Iranian Main Opposition Elects a Woman as New Secretary General<\/h3>\n

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Amid one of the most tense phases in recent Iranian history, a development has taken place within the organized opposition that deserves greater attention in Europe as well. On September 6, the 61st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK), Mahnaz Maimanat was elected as the new Secretary General for a two-year term.<\/p>\n

The election took place in three stages with the participation of organization members in France, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Albania. In the first round, competing against two other female candidates, Maimanat received 56 percent of the vote, and 85 percent in the second round. In the final vote, she was elected with near-unanimous approval from the participating members. Maimanat has been part of the organization’s leadership for many years and had been serving at the level of Secretary General since 2021.<\/p>\n

Change Must Come from Within Iran<\/strong><\/p>\n

The significance of this election goes beyond a simple change in personnel. Iran is in the midst of a deep economic and social crisis. At the same time, the leadership’s concern over new protests and another nationwide uprising is unmistakable. That one of the most important and most strongly organized opposition forces is renewing its leadership in this situation is therefore a signal of continuity\u2014and simultaneously of preparation for a new political phase.<\/p>\n

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

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After Four Decades of Prison and Persecution, Ali Moezzi Marks 61 Years of PMOI Resistance<\/h3>\n

\"Iranian<\/p>\n

Veteran political prisoner Ali Moezzi has marked the 61st anniversary of the founding of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) with a message from Ghezel Hesar Prison declaring that decades of repression have failed to halt the organization\u2019s growth or extinguish resistance inside Iran.<\/p>\n

Moezzi\u2019s confrontation with the regime stretches back more than four decades. He was imprisoned from 1981 to 1984 in Ghezel Hesar, Evin, and Gohardasht and suffered physical and psychological torture whose effects persisted long afterward. He has subsequently been repeatedly arrested over his support for the PMOI.<\/p>\n

Most recently, in March 2026, Moezzi was among political prisoners forced into solitary confinement during the violent Ghezel Hesar raid that immediately preceded a succession of executions of six imprisoned PMOI members.<\/p>\n

Yet his anniversary message focuses not on his own suffering but on what he describes as the PMOI\u2019s \u201c61 years of evolutionary life,\u201d built around enduring principles of \u201cunity, emancipation, and freedom\u201d and opposition to dictatorship and dependence.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran\u2019s Ruling Factions Clash Over Ending the War and the Strait of Hormuz as Hardliners Attack Rouhani<\/h3>\n

\"iran<\/p>\n

Former President Hassan Rouhani\u2019s remarks on keeping the Strait of Hormuz commercially active, ending the war \u201cwith dignity\u201d and consulting public opinion have triggered a new wave of attacks from hardline factions.<\/p>\n

Hassan Rouhani\u2019s latest remarks on the Strait of Hormuz and the need to end the war have brought back into public view a dispute that had been running inside Iran\u2019s ruling establishment since the 40-day war and the Islamabad memorandum. This time, the confrontation is not limited to the former president and\u00a0hardline media<\/a>; at the same time in parliament, lawmakers close to the\u00a0Paydari Front<\/a>\u00a0are clashing with the government and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf over wartime security policies.<\/p>\n

In his recent remarks,\u00a0Rouhani placed<\/a>\u00a0three issues alongside one another: the importance of keeping\u00a0the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>\u00a0commercially active, ending the war, and consulting the public over whether a prolonged conflict should continue. The newspaper\u00a0Hammihan<\/em>, quoting Rouhani, reported that he said the \u201cprosperity\u201d of the Strait of Hormuz matters and asked whether, if Iran were to be \u201cat war with global powers for 20 years,\u201d the public should not be consulted.<\/p>\n

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

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MEK Supporters in Heidelberg Commemorate the 61st Anniversary of the PMOI\u2019s Founding<\/h3>\n

Heidelberg, Germany \u2013 September 5, 2026:\u00a0Supporters of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK<\/a>) set up a book table and photo exhibition in Heidelberg to mark the 61st anniversary of the PMOI\u2019s founding.<\/p>\n

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MEK Supporters in Heidelberg Commemorate the 61st Anniversary of the PMOI\u2019s Founding<\/div><\/div>