Latest news with #NationalCouncilofResistanceofIran
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Uranium-sanctions talks with Iran leave U.S. taking gradually ‘harder' stance
(NewsNation) — U.S. and Iranian officials convened for a fifth round of negotiations in Rome as the United States is aiming to stop Iran from enriching uranium in exchange for lifting sanctions. Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of the U.S. Office, National Council of Resistance of Iran, says the U.S. position has become firmer in the matter, which is a good thing. 'As we proceed further, I have seen the position of the United States has gradually gotten even harder and more focused on that (sanctions), Jafarzadeh said. 'I hope that will be the path they continue to move forward.' The talks between the two nations, which include President Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, have provided some but not conclusive progress. Trump has been very clear from the beginning that Iran can't develop nuclear weapons using uranium. Iran says it may take 'special measures' to defend nuclear sites from Israel 'I think what is important is to see what needs to be accomplished because it's not the first time that the Iranian regime has been at the negotiating table,' added Jafarzadeh. In 2002, Iran revealed their uranium enrichment facility site in Natanz, triggering inspections of Iranian sites. Just six years later, the Barack Obama administration and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action helped legitimize the enrichment program. 'There was a great chance for the world to stop the nuclear weapons program of Iran, which was in the early stages,' Jafarzadeh said. 'But unfortunately, the West rushed to give concessions to the Iranian regime and pursue the policy of appeasement.' South Africa support of Iran also problematic: State Dept. official Despite Iran insisting its program is being used purely for peaceful purposes, Jafarzadeh says they have been developing nuclear weapons. The difference now as opposed to years ago? A weaker regime. 'They have no leverage,' he acknowledged. 'Inside Iran, the people have been rejecting this regime in several rounds of the uprisings. That's the new reality when it comes to negotiations.' Jafarzadeh staunchly disagrees with Iran's portrayal of Trump as a 'madman', while pointing out that the country's prime minister, Abbas Aragchi, is misguided in his views of how much impact the nuclear program has on the power Iran yields. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Horrifying moment Iranian father 'brutally stabs his 18-year-old beautician daughter to death in the street after she revealed his affair'
A young beautician has been stabbed to death in the streets of the Iranian city of Islamshahr by her father, after she was accused of revealing that he was having an affair. Fatemeh Soltani, an 18-year-old living in the repressive country, had been working secretly at a beauty salon, refusing to tell her family about her job due to her fear of her father's reaction. But her father managed to find her workplace by booking an appointment through a number listed on her business' Instagram page. When Fatemeh realised that her father was the one who made the appointment, she reportedly called her mother in distress. Fatemeh was reportedly killed on the salon's doorstep, with horrific CCTV footage showing her father dragging her to the floor, kneeling over her and stabbing her repeatedly. The horrific crime took place while people passed by on foot and in cars. The father reportedly only stopped when one passer-by screamed. A close friend of the family told local media: 'Fatemeh had been living separately from her father and the family for some time due to domestic violence and had achieved financial independence.' The horrific crime took place while people passed by on foot and in cars. The National Council of Resistance of Iran's Women's committee said in response to Soltani's death: 'The root of the violence against women and the primary cause of these murders and social tragedies lies in the misogynistic clerical regime, which, in over 46 years, has not even passed the bill to prevent violence against women in its parliament. 'In this regime, the abuse and even killing of women carries little consequence. 'The Women's Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran has called on the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran and the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women to investigate this painful situation and to expel representatives of this misogynistic regime from international bodies.' Iran does not provide accurate statistics on rates of femicide, meaning that local newspapers are often the only reliable source to track these cases. The Etemad newspaper reported that 78 women were murdered by their relatives or family members between March and September last year. Meanwhile, the Shargh newspaper reported that in 2023 male family members killed at least 165 women between 2021 and 2023. Of these, 27 women were murdered in the first three months of 2023 alone, with 'honour killings' cited as a primary motive. These figures reflect only reported murders, and the actual number is likely much higher.
The Sun
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Iran's bloodthirsty regime goes on sick execution spree with 22 killed in 3 DAYS behind ‘smoke screen' of US nuke talks
IRAN'S iron-fist regime has gone on an execution spree while the eyes of the world are on its nuclear talks with the US, insiders say. At least 22 prisoners were killed last week in less than four days as the execution rate surges "dramatically" - with even more now at risk. 6 6 6 Among them are Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani whose lives are in "grave danger" after their appeals for retrial were rejected by Iran 's merciless commanders. Sources say the worrying rise in executions is a "clear example of how repression at home escalates while more focus is placed on nuclear negotiation". Furious Donald Trump has vowed "there will be bombing" if Tehran fails to thrash out a nuclear deal in the coming weeks. Attention has pivoted to these talks and away from Iran's shocking treatment of its people, campaigners say. Between April 21 and 24, 22 prisoners were executed in Iran - marking a sharp rise in a toll that has increased since President Masoud Pezeshkian took office last July. On Monday, a further seven were executed and on Wednesday another four at Ghezel Hesar Prison. Almost 1,100 state executions have taken place Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei 's stooge came to power. According to figures from the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), that marks more than a 20 per cent increase compared to 2023, when the regime executed 853 Iranians. Hossein Abedini, deputy director of the UK's NCRI offices, told The Sun "Although Pezeshkian was described as a more 'moderate' president, the number of executions during his tenure has risen, particularly targeting individuals arrested for drug-related offenses, dissent, and participation in the 2022 protests. "This increase includes a troubling rise in the execution of women and minors at the time of their alleged crimes. "Such levels of cruelty and brutality highlight the deadly stalemate faced by the ruling religious regime in Iran. "Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is desperately attempting to thwart a nationwide uprising and the impending overthrow of his regime through executions and other repressive measures." The Sun previously told how Iran had accelerated its execution rate in an inhumane act of intimidation as the regime fears being overthrown. Insiders said paranoid rules were hellbent on stamping out repression on home turf after being left red-faced by the downfall of Syria 's dictatorship as well as severe defeats of its terror proxies. But now sources say Tehran is using talk of a nuclear deal being struck - and the consequences if not - as a cloak to hide its spiralling execution rate. Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the NCRI, said: "After suffering significant setbacks in the region and confronting the escalating threat of an uprising and overthrow, the regime has brutally intensified executions and massacres. "Issuing death sentences to political prisoners arrested during or after the uprising is yet another attempt to intimidate the outraged populace and further demonstrates the regime's fear of an uprising. "The clerical regime has consistently attempted to use external crises to divert attention from its primary issue: its oppression of the domestic population. Iran's nuclear deal with Trump DONALD Trump has warned Iran "there will be bombing The US president previously pulled the US out of nuclear talks between Iran and world powers in 2018, enraging Tehran by reinstating economic sanctions. Trump's national security adviser Mike Waltz said Trump wants "full dismantlement" of Iran's nuclear programme. He added: "That's enrichment, that is weaponisation, and that is its strategic missile programme." Iran claims its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only - but the global nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), says evidence proves otherwise. By March 2025, the IAEA said Iran had about 275kg of uranium which it had enriched to 60 per cent purity - technically enough to make around six weapons if Iran further enriches uranium. Iran wants sanction relief in return for limiting - but not dismantling - its nuke scheme. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the only acceptable deal would involve Iran agreeing to eliminate its nuclear programme. "The recent rise in executions is a clear example of how repression at home escalates while more focus is placed on nuclear negotiations." It comes as more prisoners face being sent to the gallows after being handed death sentences. Dad Mehdi Hassani, 48, and Behrouz Ehsani, 69, are at imminent risk of execution after their appeals were dismissed. Both were given sentences on what campaigners say are trumped-up charges and have faced horror conditions in jail - including torture. A haunting voice message from Hassani was shared by The Sun last month as he unleashed a blistering put down of Iran's 'cruelty and oppression'. Hassani was arrested in September and suffered physical and mental torture after being transferred to Evin Prison. His charges for which he has been sentenced to death include "rebellion, war, and corruption on earth, membership in the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran and collecting classified information". 6 Hassani heartbroken daughter Maryam blasted Iran's regime for again rejecting her dad's appeal as she told of her family's unbearable pain. She said: "Hearing that my father's appeal was rejected broke our hearts. "My family and I are under terrible stress and fear every day. We live with constant worry, knowing that at any moment, my father's life could be taken away unfairly. "He has done nothing wrong — he only spoke up for freedom and justice. "The pressure on us is huge. We are scared, exhausted, and deeply hurt. "No family should have to go through this pain just for standing up for basic human rights." She has called on the international community to do more to halt Iran's callous regime. Maryam said: "I urgently ask all international organisations, human rights defenders, and world leaders: Please do not stay silent. "Please do not let innocent people lose their lives. "Political prisoners are not criminals. The death penalty is cruel and inhuman. It must end. "I have tried so hard to reach out to international bodies, to members of parliaments, and to human rights advocates like Ms. Mai sato and Mr. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. "Today, I am asking them — and all of you — once again: We need real action, not just words. "We need your help now, to stop the executions and save lives — not just my father's life, but the lives of many political prisoners in Iran. "Silence allows injustice to continue. Your action can make a real difference." 6 6
The Guardian
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Iranian press fear crackdown after second deadly explosion
Iranian journalists have warned of a media crackdown after a series of incidents, the most recent an explosion at a munitions company in which one person was killed and two injured. The explosion on Tuesday, for which there has been no official explanation, occurred in Isfahan, only two days after a thwarted cyber-attack on the communications infrastructure on Sunday, and a huge explosion on Saturday at the strategic southern port of Shahid Rajaee, near Bandar Abbas. The death toll from the explosion at the port has increased to 65, with more than 1,000 people injured. Iran has ruled out foreign involvement in the Shahid Rajaee explosion, pointing instead to negligence and strong evidence that unlabelled combustible chemicals, undeclared to customs, were inappropriately stored leading to a fire and a deadly chain reaction of explosions. An MP who visited the site put the chances of sabotage at 1%. Suspicion of cover-ups is rife, however, and the filing of criminal charges against media outlets and activists by the Tehran prosecutor's office has caused journalists inside Iran to voice concern about press freedom. Mizan news agency, the judiciary's official media outlet, said violators would face legal consequences for attempting to publish 'illegal news' about the explosion. One Tehran-based reporter, speaking to the Guardian on condition of anonymity because of safety concerns, said: 'Not only were we warned against ground reporting, we were also banned effectively from sharing reports on social media. In face of a tragedy such as this, what is there to hide? Either the death toll is way more than 70, or they are suppressing the real cause of the explosion. Following the filing of charges, our newsrooms are also self-regulating in fear that they'll be facing legal consequences.' Officials have confirmed only that the goods that exploded on Saturday did not appear to have had a digitised reference code as required by Iranian customs law. As many as 130,000 containers are stored at the port, partly because the lack of infrastructure means customs authorities and government ministries do not process goods for export for weeks, a problem raised by the Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian on his visit on Sunday. Iranian officials said on Tuesday the fire had, after four days, been brought under control and toxic substances had not leaked into the Persian Gulf. Reporting of the explosion has become increasingly difficult, with officials warning against believing foreign media or opposition groups such as the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Iranian officials have blamed mislabelling of dangerous cargo, but media outlets have not yet identified the company alleged to have imported the combustible material. The naval branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps insisted that the port was purely commercial, and said military goods did not pass through. Tuesday's factory explosion was reported to have happened at the Ava Nar Parsian chemicals company, located in the Meymeh district of Isfahan, a site overseen by Iran's national security council. The official committee investigating Sunday's port explosion has said 'failures in observing safety principles and passive defence have been confirmed'. Shahid Rajaee port, with an area of about 2,400 hectares, has an annual capacity to handle 70m tonnes of cargo, and is estimated to process half of Iran's imports. Mohammad Mehdi Shahriari, a member of the Iranian parliament's national security commission, said four committees were examining potential causes, including the possibility that Israel had been involved in an attempt to disrupt negotiations between the US and Iran over the future of its nuclear programme. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf the speaker, said parliament was looking at whether any negligence or intent was involved.
Fox News
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Over 150 lawmakers lend support to resistance movement inside Iran as regime's proxies fall
FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan group of 151 lawmakers is rallying around a resolution to support the Iranian resistance movement ahead of a hearing with an opposition leader. The resolution, led by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., expresses support for the Iranian people and their stated desire for a "democratic, secular and non-nuclear" Iran through regime change. "The developments of the past year have left no doubt that the source of terrorism and warmongering in the Middle East region is the theocratic Islamic Republic of Iran," the resolution reads. It calls out the Iranian regime's oppressive practices, voices support for the opposition and calls on global leaders to continue imposing sanctions. "The efforts of Western countries over the past 45 years to change the behavior of this regime have failed, and the ultimate solution to ending the Iranian regime's threats is the establishment of a secular, democratic, and pluralistic republic by the Iranian people and resistance." President Donald Trump has been hesitant to throw U.S. efforts into regime change in Iran. "We can't get totally involved in all that. We can't run ourselves, let's face it," he told Iranian-American producer Patrick Bet-David in October. The resolution also claimed that in the first four months of Masoud Pezeshkian's presidency, beginning July 28, 2024, some 500 prisoners, including political prisoners and at least 17 women, were executed, and hand amputations increased. The resolution also expressed support for Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a leading resistance group known as MEK to Iranians, and her 10-point plan to bring democracy, secular government and human rights to Iran. The plan, which has the support of 4,000 parliamentarians across the globe, calls for installing NCRI as a provisional government for six months to set up elections and a constituent assembly. It was introduced Wednesday ahead of a 2 p.m. hearing entitled "The Future of Iran" with the Congressional Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus, where Rajavi – a top target of Iran's terror plots and demonization – will give testimony. The first Trump administration imposed harsh sanctions to bankrupt Iran but stayed away from messaging campaigns aimed at encouraging Iranian resistance. This time around, opposition supporters say the situation on the ground has changed – the regime is far weaker after Bashar al-Assad was forced out of power in Syria and Israel has decimated its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah. Protests have again kicked up across the nation and threaten to spread if the financial crisis does not improve. Rajavi, in her opening remarks, will say that the Iranian regime is at its weakest point in decades. "The situation of the Iranian society is explosive. During its 46-year rule, the religious fascism has never been so weak and fragile," Rajavi is expected to say, according to remarks obtained by Fox News Digital. "The mullahs are surrounded from all sides: by a society that is filled with anger and rebellion, by Resistance Units, and by selfless and rebellious youth, because of its bankrupt economy and corruption in the government, particularly after the overthrow of the brutal dictatorship of Assad and the collapse of the regime's "strategic depth" in the region." The resolution is sure to rankle Ayatollah Ali Khameni, leader of the current Iranian regime, and supporters of Reza Pahlavi II, whose father ruled Iran in the 1970s, who want to see the younger Pahlavi cede power in Iran and deeply oppose the NCRI. Rajavi will call for the implementation of United Nations snapback sanctions that were eased under the 2015 nuclear deal, putting the regime under the Chapter VII charter of the U.N. as a threat to peace and formally recognizing the resistance's movement for regime change. She will also pay tribute to two resistance leaders, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, who have been sentenced to death on charges of "rebellion" and for being members of the MEK. The U.N. has called on Iran to halt their executions. The regime has executed 120,000 on political grounds over the past four decades, according to Rajavi. The hearings come after the Trump administration pushed forward with its promise to return the U.S. to "maximum pressure" sanctions with new crackdowns on Iranian oil tankers. Trump has said he would "love to make a deal" with the nation's clerical leaders, but Iran has insisted it will not engage in nuclear negotiations while the U.S. is imposing maximum pressure. "Iran's position regarding nuclear talks is clear, and we will not negotiate under pressure and sanctions," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said during a televised joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. "There is no possibility of direct negotiations with the U.S. as long as maximum pressure is being applied in this way."
