{"id":348777,"date":"2026-10-15T06:09:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T05:09:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=348777"},"modified":"2026-10-15T06:13:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T05:13:33","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-october-15-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-october-15-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 October 15, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"October
October 10, 2026 \u2013 On the World Day Against the Death Penalty, supporters of the Iranian Resistance and human rights advocates took part in a 3.5-kilometer run at Parc Montsouris in Paris to condemn executions in Iran<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

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

Message to Conference in \u200cBerlin: Iran Crisis and Democratic Solution<\/h3>\n

\"NCRI<\/p>\n

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s message: “From its inception, the clerical regime was confronted with two distinct paths. The first path was to rely on the immense energy liberated by the anti-monarchic revolution to advance progress, democracy, and independence for Iran<\/a>\u2014the very direction desired by the vast majority of the Iranian people. The second path was to suppress this monumental force and turn toward regional intervention, warmongering, and terrorism that, for this regime, represent the flip side of domestic repression and a core component of its survival strategy. Because this regime viewed freedom and democracy as an existential threat to its own survival, it chose the second path. Consequently, the struggle for freedom and human rights is not merely an internal Iranian affair; it is a vital prerequisite for ending the regime\u2019s global warmongering<\/a>. For forty-seven years, a deep and protracted conflict has unfolded in Iran\u2014one that constitutes the true battle, far eclipsing any external conflict. That is the fundamental war between the Iranian people and religious fascism.”<\/p>\n

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

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Iran\u2019s Regime Executes At Least 43 Prisoners In Two Weeks Amid Escalating Human Rights Violations<\/h3>\n

\"iran-gallows-execution\"<\/p>\n

The Iranian regime has executed at least 43 prisoners<\/a> between September 30 and October 13, 2026. On September 30 alone, the regime\u2019s judiciary sent 19 prisoners to the gallows, followed by further executions across numerous prisons in the following days.<\/p>\n

The latest executions are part of an escalating campaign of repression through which the regime is using capital punishment, arbitrary imprisonment, and judicial persecution to spread fear and suppress dissent amid growing public discontent.\u00a0The latest wave of executions has spread across numerous prisons in Iran, with prisoners being sent to the gallows in rapid succession.<\/p>\n

On September 30 alone, the regime executed 19 prisoners, including four in Tabriz, one in Rafsanjan, one in Gorgan, and two in Sari. Among those executed was a 57-year-old woman. The identities of ten other prisoners executed that day had been disclosed in previous reports.<\/p>\n

The executions continued into October. On October 3, a prisoner was executed in Urmia, followed by two more in Shiraz on October 4.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran: Political Prisoner Shiva Esmaeli Denied Urgent Lumbar Disc Surgery<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Shiva Esmaeli, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, continues to be denied urgent surgery for a herniated disc, despite her family\u2019s readiness to cover all medical expenses.<\/p>\n

According to a letter issued by the prison infirmary and signed by a physician identified as Dr. Maleki, Evin Prison lacks the necessary medical facilities to perform the required spinal surgery. The document instructs Shiva Esmaeli to inform her family to schedule an appointment with an outside specialist at their own expense for her examination and treatment.<\/p>\n

Although Esmaeli\u2019s family has repeatedly offered to pay for all medical care and procedures, the Ministry of Intelligence<\/a> has blocked the surgery, a prohibition that remains in effect.<\/p>\n

Despite these ongoing bureaucratic and security obstacles to her operation, prison authorities and relevant decision-making bodies remain legally and morally responsible for her physical health and medical condition<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This is not the first time<\/a> Shiva Esmaeli has been deprived of critical care. In September 2026, prison officials similarly blocked her surgery, even though severe pain had impaired<\/a> her mobility.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran Regime Fears Explosive Social Unrest More Than War, Pezeshkian Admits<\/h3>\n

\"Tehran,<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s regime faces a growing threat that its leaders increasingly struggle to conceal: a society under mounting economic pressure and losing faith in the ruling establishment. While officials focus on war, negotiations, and military threats, President Masoud Pezeshkian has acknowledged that the country\u2019s economic and social crises could pose an even greater danger to the regime\u2019s survival. Speaking about the challenges facing his government, Pezeshkian described the situation as a dangerous turning point. He said: \u201cOur war now is that if they strike us with guns or missiles, we can deal with that; what is worse is the economic situation they have created for us.\u201d<\/div>\n

He also acknowledged the government\u2019s responsibility for addressing public grievances, warning that failure to resolve people\u2019s problems would make the authorities culpable.<\/p>\n

His remarks point to a central dilemma for Iran\u2019s regime: military confrontation and diplomatic uncertainty are serious challenges, but economic hardship and public anger threaten the foundations of its rule from within.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran Records at Least 201 Protest Actions in September 2026 as Economic Grievances Spread<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Iran recorded at least 201 protest actions across the country in September 2026, reflecting persistent economic and social grievances among workers, retirees, shopkeepers, healthcare professionals, students, and other sections of society. Unpaid wages, inadequate pensions, unemployment, job insecurity, rising living costs, and unresolved housing and financial claims were among the main reasons for demonstrations and strikes.\u00a0The protests spanned multiple sectors, from oil and gas installations and industrial plants to universities, hospitals, commercial districts, and housing projects. Their distribution shows that economic grievances continued to affect a broad cross-section of Iranian society, with many demonstrations driven by demands that had remained unresolved over time.<\/div>\n

Retirees accounted for the largest share of recorded protest actions, with 79 incidents during the month. Retirees from the Social Security Organization, telecommunications sector, and steel industry protested over inadequate pensions, deteriorating living conditions, healthcare problems, and unpaid entitlements.<\/p>\n

Workers ranked second, with 51 protest actions. Their grievances included delayed or unpaid wages, unemployment, job insecurity, unresolved employment status, poor working conditions, inadequate meals, discriminatory treatment of Baluch workers, and company decisions affecting their workplaces.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran: Release and Organization of Violent Criminals for Repression<\/h3>\n

\"Basij<\/p>\n

In September and October 2026, official media outlets of the Islamic Republic of Iran launched a massive propaganda campaign announcing the mobilization and military training of 1,000 \u201cJan-Fada\u201d (Dedicated) National Resistance Battalions. While state propaganda portrays these units as \u201cvoluntary public campaigns composed of students, youth, and seminary scholars to defend against foreign threats,\u201d field reports and documentation gathered by human rights organizations reveal a dangerous and hidden reality: \u201cThe systemic conditional release of violent criminal convicts from prisons, contingent upon their registration with the Basij and integration into \u2018Jan-Fada\u2019 battalions to suppress urban protests.\u201d<\/p>\n

This dual strategy allows the state to compensate for severe manpower shortages within its security apparatus while deploying individuals with criminal backgrounds as a violent enforcement arm for street-level repression.<\/p>\n

The State\u2019s Propaganda Fa\u00e7ade: Official Media Claims<\/strong><\/h4>\n

State-run news agencies (Tasnim, ISNA, IRNA, and Mehr), highlighting claims of 31 million participants, promote the structure of the Jan-Fada battalions around the following key axes:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Organizational Scale and Expansion:<\/strong> Official announcements regarding military training for 1,000 battalions nationwide, alongside 100 public battalions organized in Alborz Province under the \u201cSENMA\u201d structure (Tasnim, Sept 16 & Sept 25, 2026<\/em>).<\/li>\n
  • Militarization of Urban Squares:<\/strong> The establishment of bases and temporary \u201cmilitary training hubs\u201d in major public transit squares, including Imam Hossein Square and Haft-e Tir Square in Tehran (Tasnim & ISNA, Oct 3, 2026<\/em>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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

    \n

    Iran Reportedly Sells Oil to Russia at 35%\u201342% Discount as New Caspian Route Emerges<\/h3>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    OilPrice reports that Iranian oil is entering Russia\u2019s network and Kazakhstan\u2019s export stream through the Caspian Sea, adding another route to Tehran\u2019s trade with China, trust networks and cryptocurrency as some export channels have been restricted.<\/p>\n

    A new report published on October 12 says a new route has emerged for Iranian oil sales: crude is transported across the Caspian Sea to Russia, blended with Russian oil and then fed into the \u201cCPC Blend\u201d stream, which is exported to European markets under Kazakh documentation.<\/p>\n

    OilPrice attributed<\/a> the claim to an unnamed senior official in the European Union\u2019s energy-security apparatus and said Iranian oil is being transferred to Russia at discounts of 35% to 42%. The outlet said part of the compensation is not paid in cash, but in Russian equipment, including defense systems, missiles and satellite data. These claims have not been independently verified.<\/p>\n

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

    \n

    UN Special Rapporteur Gina Romero Joins Iranian Prisoners\u2019 Hunger Strike Against Executions<\/h3>\n

    Ms. Gina Romero, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, joined the \u201cNo to Execution Tuesdays<\/a>\u201d campaign on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. The Colombian expert announced a 24-hour hunger strike in solidarity with political prisoners across Iran who have been staging weekly protests against the death penalty.<\/p>\n

    \n

    It is 3:30 PM on Monday, October 12th in Colombia, which means it\u2019s midnight in Iran and Tuesday, October 13th has just begun. I have just finished my last meal, as my 24-hour hunger strike starts now.
    \u200bI join     #NoToExecutionTuesdays<\/a> in solidarity with the brave people of Iran. pic.twitter.com\/ZEbMqIvzRi<\/a><\/p>\n

    — Gina Romero (@Ginitastar) October 12, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n