{"id":348189,"date":"2026-09-21T06:23:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T05:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=348189"},"modified":"2026-09-21T06:23:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T05:23:51","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-september-21-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-september-21-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 September 21, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At Place de la R\u00e9publique, NCRI supporters staged a photo exhibition to honor the young Iranians who gave their lives for freedom during the 2019 and 2022 uprisings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

UPDATE: 7:00 AM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tehran\u2019s Hollow Street Maneuvers Expose the Iranian Regime\u2019s Fear of Uprisings<\/h3>\n

\"Iran<\/p>\n

On September 18, the Iranian regime staged one of its largest government-organized street mobilizations in Tehran since the beginning of the recent war. The \u201cJanfada-ye Iran\u201d campaign brought uniformed participants, armed volunteers, drones and other military hardware into the streets, while state media claimed a 313,000-person turnout. Regime president Masoud Pezeshkian and senior military officials attended the event.<\/p>\n

The regime presented the maneuver as a demonstration of unity and readiness against external threats. But its timing was significant. It came just two days after the fourth anniversary of Iran\u2019s September 2022 uprising, at a time when the authorities had placed security forces on heightened alert over the possibility of renewed domestic unrest.<\/p>\n

The significance of the regime maneuver goes beyond the September 18 parade. State-linked sources say the campaign began months earlier and was intended to build a nationwide network of volunteers receiving military, emergency and security-related training.<\/p>\n

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

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Sign the Petition: Demand Urgent International Action to Protect Women Prisoners in Iran<\/h3>\n

\"Women-Civil-Activists-in-Iran-Targeted-for-Arrest-Imprisonment-and-Ban\"<\/p>\n

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, The UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, and The European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI). We join the call to action by the Women\u2019s Committee of the NCRI to express our grave concern over the worsening conditions in Iranian prisons and the systematic violations of the rights of women prisoners. Recent reports point to a disturbing pattern of overcrowding, denial of medical care, unsanitary conditions, forced transfers, restrictions on family contact, and escalating pressure on political prisoners throughout the country. Women detainees are among the primary victims of these policies, facing conditions that threaten their health, dignity, and fundamental rights.<\/p>\n

Alarming are reports from Fardis Prison in Karaj, where sewage flooding in the women\u2019s recreation yard has exposed prisoners to disease and illness. Women reportedly suffered from diarrhea and vomiting while receiving no medical treatment. Among those held in these conditions are political prisoners Masoumeh Senobari, Atefeh Hassani, and Fatemeh Nadi Dastgirdi.<\/p>\n

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

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How Iran\u2019s Regime Produces Smugglers<\/h3>\n

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Smuggling is a phenomenon that controls a large share of Iran\u2019s regime economy. Figures announced by official authorities indicate the extensive scale of this phenomenon. The head of the Economic Security Police of Iran\u2019s Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA) has put the annual value of goods smuggling at around $30 billion to $35 billion. Regarding the volume of fuel smuggling, official authorities have also spoken of millions of liters per day.<\/p>\n

Even if these figures are regarded as estimates, they raise a fundamental question. How can an economy subject to such extensive official oversight allow billions of dollars\u2019 worth of unofficial goods to circulate?<\/p>\n

Fuel is the clearest example of Iran\u2019s smuggling economy. The subsidized price of petroleum products inside Iran, combined with price differences with neighboring countries, creates a powerful incentive for illegal exports. But the price gap alone cannot fully explain smuggling on the scale of tens of millions of liters. Such activity requires transportation networks, storage tanks, intermediaries, financing, and distribution channels.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran Regime Sets Conditions for Ending War and Threatens to Withdraw from the NPT<\/h3>\n

\"iran-irgc-ali-nasiri-mohsen-rezaei\"<\/p>\n

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran\u2019s regime\u2019s Supreme National Security Council, announced that Tehran had conveyed its conditions for ending the war and resuming negotiations with the United States through Qatari mediators and was awaiting Donald Trump\u2019s response.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, September 19, Rezaei told Al Jazeera that an end to the war on all fronts, the release of Iran\u2019s frozen assets, and an end to the naval blockade were the Iranian regime\u2019s three conditions for stopping the hostilities. At the same time, he claimed that Iran\u2019s regime was prepared for a \u201cdecisive war\u201d and stressed that accepting these conditions would be in the United States\u2019 interest.<\/p>\n

This position comes as previous negotiations and an understanding between Tehran and Washington have effectively collapsed following reciprocal attacks by the two sides, while military hostilities have continued. Iranian regime officials are now calling for the United States to return to that same understanding, a position also echoed by the regime\u2019s interior ministry spokesperson and Massoud Pezeshkian.<\/p>\n

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

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School Costs Rise Across Iran as Private Tuition in Tehran Reaches 220 Million Tomans<\/h3>\n

\"Iran:<\/p>\n

Schooling costs in Iran now range from several million tomans for school supplies and uniforms to 220 million tomans in tuition and extracurricular fees at some private schools in Tehran, while transportation, food and other expenses are charged separately to families.<\/p>\n

As schools prepare to reopen in Iran, field reports from Tehran, Khuzestan and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari point to rising education costs<\/a>, from millions of tomans for the most basic school supplies to a ceiling of 220 million tomans in tuition and extracurricular fees at some private schools in Tehran. At the same time, expenses such as food, transportation, uniforms and educational activities are calculated separately and are repeated for families with more than one school-age child.<\/p>\n

Mehr News Agency has estimated the cost of a basic set of stationery for one student at about 3.37 million tomans. In a case examined by the agency, a school uniform also costs about 2.5 million to 3 million tomans per student.<\/p>\n

On that basis, a family with two schoolchildren would pay about 6.74 million tomans for stationery alone and 5 million to 6 million tomans for two school uniforms. Together, those two expenses amount to about 11.74 million to 12.74 million tomans, excluding transportation, food, educational classes and other costs during the school year.<\/p>\n

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

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Candlelight Vigils and Martyr Photo Exhibits Mark Final Days of New York Campaign Ahead of Sept. 22\u201323 UN Rallies<\/h3>\n

NEW YORK \u2014<\/strong> With only two days remaining until major rallies outside the United Nations, supporters of the Iranian Resistance continued a weeklong public campaign in Manhattan on Saturday and Sunday, holding candlelight vigils, displaying photographs of those killed by the Iranian regime, and conducting street outreach to call for an end to executions and support for a democratic alternative.<\/p>\n

The Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC<\/a>) is leading the campaign, which began September 17 and runs through September 23. Activities have included information tables, public gatherings, and photo exhibitions of martyrs and victims of political executions. These efforts will continue Monday, September 21, one day before the main events.<\/p>\n

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In the shadows of @UN<\/a> headquarters in New York City tonight, we remembered the fallen for freedom in Iran and celebrated their bravery – which is so vibrant in the youth of Iran. Their struggle for a democratic republic needs global support. @ReutersTV<\/a> @NewsNation<\/a> @VOAfarsi<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/4WwIGbjjAx<\/a><\/p>\n

— OIAC: Organization of Iranian American Communities (@OrgIAC) September 19, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n