Latest news with #FarsNewsAgency
Newsweek
a day ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
The Iranian People Remain Best Hope for Regime Change
Forty-six years after Iran's 1979 revolution, the Iranian regime's true Achilles' heel remains not foreign pressure or external war, but the growing power of its own people and their organized resistance. The mullahs' rulers—unelected and unaccountable—face a citizenry that is increasingly emboldened and defiant. With every new wave of protest, every strike, and every act of civil disobedience, the regime's response is not reform, but repression. In recent years, the world has witnessed a dramatic upsurge in state violence. The regime executed 975 people last year—making Iran the world's top per capita executioner. Many of these victims are political prisoners, dissidents, or members of marginalized communities. In 2022, a new nationwide uprising erupted in response to the murder of Mahsa Amini. Since then, tens of thousands have been arrested and tortured, and hundreds have been murdered, executed, or disappeared. Truck drivers, teachers, retirees, farmers, and students have all taken to the streets. The regime answers not with dialogue, but with bullets, gallows, and censorship. Its so-called "public executions" are a desperate attempt to project strength and instill fear. But, as history shows, such spectacles only reveal how tenuous the regime's hold on power truly is. Perhaps nothing exposes the regime's panic more than its own chilling rhetoric. On July 7, the state-run Fars News Agency went so far as to openly call for a "repeat" of the 1988 mass executions of political prisoners—most of them members of the principal Iranian opposition group, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK). It described that atrocity as one of the Islamic Republic's most "brilliant records in the fight against terrorism" and declared, "today is the time to repeat this successful historical experience." No fewer than 30,000 political prisoners were executed and buried in unmarked mass graves, in what the United Nations has condemned as a crime against humanity and a genocide. Such a brazen call for mass murder is not a show of strength, but a confession of fear. The regime's leaders, haunted by the growing influence of the MEK-affiliated Resistance Units' reach inside Iran, now see terror and bloodshed as their only means of holding back the tide of change. Their paranoia is no longer hidden; it is broadcast from the headlines of state media. TEHRAN, IRAN - JUNE 28, 2025: People gather during a state funeral service in Enqelab Square, for military commanders and others killed in the recent war with Israel on June 28, 2025 in Tehran, Iran. TEHRAN, IRAN - JUNE 28, 2025: People gather during a state funeral service in Enqelab Square, for military commanders and others killed in the recent war with Israel on June 28, 2025 in Tehran, this brutality, Iran's spirit of resistance is unbroken. Truck drivers—threatened with revoked licenses, loss of livelihood, and prosecution—stand undeterred, demanding the release of arrested colleagues. Teachers and retirees stage coordinated strikes. Even in the face of mass arrests and death sentences, Resistance Units continue to operate in every corner of the country. The regime's feverish efforts to stamp out dissent are matched only by the courage and persistence of ordinary Iranians. Decades of appeasement of the Iranian regime have unequivocally failed. The hope that the regime would moderate itself is a dangerous illusion—a leopard never changes its spots. Continued outreach only extends the life of a theocracy fundamentally opposed to democratic values. The United States, and the broader West, must not throw a lifeline to this regime at its weakest point. Instead, it should stand with the Iranian people and their organized resistance, recognize the right of Iranians to self-determination—free from all forms of dictatorship, whether monarchical or theocratic—and explicitly affirm their right to confront the Revolutionary Guards and other instruments of repression. This principled shift is both a moral necessity and a strategic imperative for stability and peace in Iran and the region. In fact, this "Third Option" is not a new concept. In 2004, Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi told the European Parliament that the solution for Iran lies neither in appeasement nor in war, but in regime change by the people of Iran and their organized resistance. "The policy of appeasement encourages the clerical regime to persist in its policies and, ultimately, imposes war upon Western nations," she warned. "Let us not allow the Munich experience to be repeated—with clerics armed with nuclear bombs." This warning resonates with even greater urgency today: years of appeasement have emboldened the regime, ultimately leading to the very war the world hoped to avoid. The Third Option—change by the Iranian people and the organized resistance—is not only possible, but essential and inevitable. The rising tide of protests, the resilience of the Resistance Units, and the unity around a democratic platform have given Iranians real hope. Supporting this alternative is not just a moral imperative—it is the only practical path to peace, stability, and democratic governance in Iran and the wider region. Tom Ridge was the nation's first Homeland Security Secretary. He was the governor of Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2001. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Fire at Iran's largest oil refinery kills 1 in the country's southwest
Smoke and flame rise up in a unit of Abadan oil refinery in southwestern Iran, Saturday, July 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Farid Hamoudi/Fars News Agency) TEHRAN, Iran — A fire at Iran's oldest and largest refinery in the southwest killed one person, state media reported Sunday. A leaky pump in an under-repair unit at Abadan refinery caused the fire on Saturday, killing a worker, according to the state-owned IRAN newspaper. Firefighters put out the blaze in two hours and operations remained unaffected, the report said. Iran's deputy parliament speaker, Ali Nikzad, confirmed Sunday that some workers were also injured, media outlets said. Abadan oil refinery, some 670 kilometres (nearly 416 miles) from the capital Tehran, began its operation in 1912. It is the biggest in the Islamic Republic, producing about 25 per cent of the country's fuel with more than 5,200,000 barrels of oil refined daily. Several fires have broken out across Iran over the past week at residential and commercial buildings, with authorities saying gas leaks and electrical short-circuiting were to blame. Iran is one of the world's major producers of oil, though sanctions by Western countries have limited its sales.
Memri
6 days ago
- Politics
- Memri
Mahmoud Nabavian, Deputy Chairman of the Majles National Security Committee: The U.S. Warned Us in Advance about Israel's Imminent Attacks, as Well as Its Own Bombing of Our Nuclear Sites; the U.S. Su
In a July 14, 2025 interview with Fars News Agency (Iran), Mahmoud Nabavian, Deputy Chairman of the Majles National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said that the Americans coordinated their attack on Iran through backchannels and forewarned Iran about the Israeli strike. He said the U.S. clarified it would not participate in the attack and sought to ensure that Iran would not retaliate against American targets. Nabavian stated that Iran had informed Qatar before attacking the Al-Udeid Base. He said the Qataris responded that they were 'in this together' with Iran and conveyed a message from the Americans suggesting that Iran strike an American airbase in another specific country, a suggestion Iran refused. Nabavian added that Iran went ahead and attacked America's most important base in Qatar and humiliated the U.S. He remarked that the Iranians made it clear they would not agree to a ceasefire before retaliating against the U.S. After Iran's attack on Al-Udeid Base, Nabavian said U.S. Envoy Witkoff contacted the Iranians and conveyed that the U.S. and Israel wanted a ceasefire, claiming this was the 10th or 20th time they had begged for one. He concluded by saying that the Iranian people had stood up to all of NATO and won, stating: 'Victory is inscribed on the foreheads of the Iranian people, and defeat is etched upon the face of global heresy.' Mahmoud Nabavian – Deputy Chairman, Majles National and Foreign Policy Committee (Iran)
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Iran avenges assassinated scientists, strikes key Weizmann Institute
Iran has carried out a strike on the Weizmann Institute of Science, located in the city of Rehovot, southeast of Tel Aviv. The operation is said to be in retaliation for the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists, according to reports by the Fars news agency. The Weizmann Institute is regarded as one of the most prominent scientific centers in "Israel". Its involvement in advanced scientific and security-related research and weapons production may have positioned it as a target in Tehran's strategic calculations. According to the New York Times, satellite images obtained by the publication confirm that the Weizmann Institute sustained damage during Iran's strikes on Sunday night, adding weight to Iranian reports of successful targeting. Moreover, CCTV cameras documented the impact of the Iranian missile on the institute. Israeli media also reported that a building housing laboratories for the institute had caught on fire, leaving people stuck in the building. CCTV cameras documented the impact of an #Iranian missile on the Israeli Weizmann Institute of media also reported that a building housing laboratories for the institute had caught on fire, leaving people stuck in the institute plays a crucial… massive Iranian drone and missile offensive has struck deep into occupied Palestine late last night, with air raid sirens sounding repeatedly across various cities and settlements amid fears of continued infiltration by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as Iran exacts its retaliation as part of Operation True Promise 3. Multiple Iranian projectiles scored direct hits on central Tel Aviv, resulting in significant destruction, injuries, and widespread panic. Israeli media reported that at least six sites in Tel Aviv were struck directly by Iranian missiles, including a high-rise tower in the greater Tel Aviv area, causing extensive damage and fires. In Bat Yam, an occupied city just south of Tel Aviv, heavy destruction was reported following direct impacts from Iranian missiles, with dozens of buildings damaged and flames engulfing several structures. Videos emerging show the destruction and the aftermath of the #Iranian missile impacts in Tel Aviv.#Iran #Palestine #BreakingNews
Jordan News
14-07-2025
- Jordan News
Reuters: Explosion Near Qom Not Result of Israeli Attack - Jordan News
An explosion in a residential building in the Pardisan district of Qom, Iran, injured seven people, but authorities confirmed it was not caused by an Israeli attack, according to Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency. اضافة اعلان The head of the Qom Fire Department told Fars that four apartments were damaged in the blast, with initial reports pointing to a gas leak as the likely cause. Investigations are ongoing. Fars emphasized that the building's residents were all civilians, and no security or military personnel were present. Meanwhile, Qom's governor denied the incident was a terrorist act, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), but confirmed that authorities are continuing to investigate. The incident comes amid a series of explosions reported across Iran following the 12-day aerial conflict last month between Israel and Iran, during which Israeli and U.S. forces reportedly targeted Iranian nuclear facilities. However, Iranian officials have not accused Israel of being behind any of the recent domestic incidents. A source quoted by Fars urged calm: 'People should not worry about rumors regarding Israeli attacks. If any hostile act occurs inside the country, the public will be informed immediately—and sirens will sound in the occupied territories at the same time.'
