{"id":348078,"date":"2026-09-16T06:15:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T05:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=348078"},"modified":"2026-09-16T15:10:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T14:10:41","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-september-16-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-september-16-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 September 16, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On September 12, 2026, supporters of the Iranian Resistance and members of the Iranian community gathered in Stockholm, Sweden, to mark the fourth anniversary of Iran\u2019s nationwide uprising of 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

UPDATE: 4:00 PM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sweden Expels Iran Embassy Employee Over Anti-Jewish Threats<\/h3>\n

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“We know that Iran, over a long period of time, has conducted activities that threaten security in and against Sweden, targeting both individuals who oppose the Iranian regime and various Jewish and Israeli interests in our country,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said in a statement to AFP.<\/p>\n

“This has, among other things, been done by making use of criminal networks.”<\/p>\n

The Iranian embassy did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for a comment.<\/p>\n

The Swedish Security Service (Sapo) has previously accused Iran of recruiting criminal gang members to commit “acts of violence” against Israeli and other interests in Sweden — a claim Iran has denied.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran: Architects Of Crimes Against Humanity to Suppress Protests Must Face International Justice to Deter Further Massacres<\/h3>\n

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In a landmark new report marking the fourth anniversary of the start of the Woman Life Freedom uprising, Amnesty International warns that those responsible for crimes against humanity committed to brutally crush nationwide protests in 2022 continue to control Iran\u2019s deadly state machinery of repression today.<\/p>\n

The report,\u00a0Architects of Atrocities: State Machinery Orchestrating Crimes Against Humanity in Iran\u2019s 2022 Woman Life Freedom Uprising<\/a><\/u><\/em>\u00a0\u2013more than 1,000 pages long \u2013 details how Iranian authorities committed the crimes against humanity of murder, torture, enforced disappearance, imprisonment, rape and persecution on political, gender, ethnic and religious grounds in order to crush the uprising. It also documents deadly protest repression operations and command structures, identifying 87 officials who should be criminally investigated for crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n

Amnesty International is calling for an\u00a0international criminal justice mechanism to be established urgently by the UN General Assembly to ensure Iranian authorities responsible for crimes against humanity are held to account and to deter further atrocities such as the large-scale protest massacres committed on 8-9 January 2026.<\/p>\n

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

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Georgia To Suspend US-Sanctioned Iranian Airline Flights from September 21, Affecting Tbilisi and Batumi Routes<\/h3>\n

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Tbilisi, September 16, 2026: Iran\u2019s Ambassador to Georgia Ali Mojani said Tehran reserved the right to make its own choices after Tbilisi announced that it would comply with US sanctions on Iranian airlines, Iranian media reported on September 14.\u00a0The move will shut down one of the few remaining direct air connections between Iran and Georgia, with the route currently accounting for about 10 round trips a week to Tbilisi and Batumi. It could also affect Iranian leisure travel to Georgia, which has emerged as a visa-free, short-haul destination for Iranian travellers.<\/p>\n

The decision comes as Tbilisi faces scrutiny in Washington over its ties with Moscow, Beijing and Tehran, including the handling of Russian crude at the Kulevi terminal. Compliance with the airline sanctions gives the Georgian government an opportunity to demonstrate adherence to US measures at a comparatively limited cost.<\/p>\n

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

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Trump Has a Third Option on Iran: Stand with the Iranian People<\/h3>\n

\"Washington-Examiner\"<\/p>\n

For decades, I have worked with people struggling for human rights <\/a>and freedom under authoritarian governments around the world. During my years as president of Freedom House and throughout my subsequent work on democracy and human rights, I learned an enduring lesson: Dictatorships<\/a> depend not only on repression at home, but also on the assumption that the outside world will eventually look away.<\/p>\n

I have also learned that those truly struggling against such regimes rarely ask outsiders to fight their battles for them. More often, they ask to be heard, to have their rights recognized, and to know that democratic nations will not legitimize their oppressors while ignoring those risking their lives for freedom<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nongovernmental organizations have an indispensable role in shaping policy, not only by providing lawmakers with expert analysis, but by transmitting the voices and experiences of people living under repression. At their best, NGOs<\/a> create a bridge between those confronting dictatorship and policymakers who have the power to hold their persecutors accountable.<\/p>\n

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

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Scoop: U.S. Attacked Iranian Boats Trying to Seize Navy Drone<\/h3>\n

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The U.S. military destroyed two Iranian<\/a> small boats Monday after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps tried to steal a Navy drone patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials told Axios.<\/p>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> The unusual incident shows how efforts to restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz continues direct confrontation with Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n