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The Sun
28-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Iran planning to execute 30,000 in repeat of horror 1988 ‘massacre' as part of desperate crackdown, insiders fear
IRAN'S merciless regime is plotting to kill tens of thousands of prisoners in a repeat of the 1988 massacre, insiders fear. Rattled supreme leader Ali Khamenei has ordered a surge in executions - turning hangings into public spectacles in a chilling warning to dissidents. 9 9 9 It comes as callous mullahs yesterday hanged two political prisoners who had been jailed on trumped-up charges. Mehdi Hassani, 48, and Behrouz Ehsani, 70, were killed in cold blood for daring to oppose the barbaric regime they were forced to live under. Earlier this year, The Sun shared a haunting voice message from dad-of-three Hassani as he lambasted the cruelty of mullahs. Ehsani meanwhile bravely vowed he was "ready" to sacrifice his life in the ongoing fight for freedom for the Iranian people. Iran has repeatedly unleashed lethal force on its own people - especially at times of crisis - in a sickening bid to stamp out rebellion. Glaring vulnerabilities in the regime's grip on power have been exposed after Israel and the US launched a monumental effort to destroy its nuclear threat. Executions and arrests are weaponised to scare dissidents, and it is feared panicked Ayatollah Khamenei is planning a similar plot to the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners. The regime was also in turmoil that year after accepting a ceasefire with Iraq. Now, death sentences against those affiliated with the main democratic opposition, the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK), are being expedited as Khamenei scrambles for control. Chillingly, state-run Fars News Agency - a mouthpiece of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - this month issued a public call to repeat 1998's inhumane massacre as the regime fears for its survival. British politicians and leading human rights lawyers have urged the UK government to intervene to prevent such an atrocity. Alongside the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), they also criticised the focus on Tehran's nuclear programme, warning that it has overshadowed the worsening human rights crisis. Baroness O'Loan DBE said: "Those threatening our national security are the same individuals planning atrocities in Iran's prisons. So, we must act, now." Dowlat Nowrouzi, the NCRI's UK representative, told The Sun: "The international community's failure to hold the regime accountable for its atrocities, including crimes against humanity and genocide, has allowed the regime to enjoy impunity. "It is long overdue to hold Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, and others accountable for committing these crimes. It comes as one of Iran's longest-serving political prisoners has laid bare the dire situation in a handwritten letter shared with The Sun. Saeed Masouri, who has spent 25 years behind bars, was forcibly dragged from his cell Qezelhessar Prison to solitary confinement. More than 100 armed guards raided the ward Masouri was on, beating prisoners before hauling them across the floor with handcuffs and leg shackles and bags over their heads. Masouri has been exiled to the notorious Zahedan Prison - just days after penning a haunting letter warning a massacre is looming. 9 9 9 9 He wrote: "Just as it happened in 1988, today we fear that the same path is being repeated, albeit with different language and methods. "Back then, it was called the 'Death Committee'; today, it is 'Fire at discretion'. "But this widespread repression and intensification of executions are not signs of strength—they are admissions of the regime's helplessness in the face of truth and the will of the people. "Likewise, this so-called 'fire at discretion' is nothing but an attempt to conceal the depth of infiltration, decay, and structural collapse within the ruling system—failures they now seek to compensate for by exacting revenge on the people of Iran and their prisoners." All contact between political prisoners and their families has now been cut off. Ms Nowrouzi added: "The assault on Mr. Masouri is not an isolated incident. "It is part of a broader campaign of escalating executions, arbitrary detentions, and systematic repression. "The regime, emboldened by decades of impunity and inaction, is now openly signaling its intent to repeat the horrors of 1988. "As Mr. Masouri warned in his message from prison, 'a crime is in progress,' and the world must not remain silent." Iran's calculating mullahs meanwhile are refusing to hand the bodies of slain Ehsani and Hassani back to their grieving families. How Iran is stifling critics after defeat to Israel by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital) TYRANNICAL leaders in Iran have demanded citizens act as undercover informants to turn in anyone who dares oppose the regime, insiders say. Panicked mullahs have also ordered "telecom cages" be installed around prisons as the regime wages war against its own people. Political prisoners - largely banished to death row on trumped-up charges - have been subject to extreme torture and a disturbing rate of executions in the face of growing tensions in the Middle East. Insiders say their treatment is being weaponised to deter opposition. The fight against repression has loomed large for decades in the rogue state - but the so-called 12-day war last month has made the barbaric Ayatollah more fearful than ever of being toppled. Sources inside Iran told The Sun how a direct alert has been issued to the public, urging them to report any activity linked to resistance groups of the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Regime loyalists have been implored to act as informants - compiling detailed reports with photos, times, locations, licence plates and facial features of suspected individuals. Orders were publicised in an official government news outlet - marking a distinct shift in the paranoid regime's usual strategy of covert suppression. Insiders noted it points to the regime's growing perceived threat posed by the PMOI's grassroots operations. The PMOI has long fought for a secular, democratic Iran, and is understood to be gaining traction amid frustration with economic hardship, political repression, and international isolation. Insiders say they are instead planning to secretly bury them in a twisted bid to cover up their actions. Hassani's devastated daughter, who bravely campaigned for her dad's release, wept as she told how they had not been informed of his execution. In a harrowing video message shared with The Sun, she said: "They didn't grant him a final visit before the execution. "None of us knew, not even my father, who had told my sister to visit him on Monday. "I don't know what to say. I fought so hard. I had so much hope, so much… I still can't believe what has happened." Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the NCRI, has called on the United Nations to take "concrete and effective measures against a regime built on executions and torture". Mrs Rajavi said: "They [Ehsani and Hassani] now join the eternal ranks of those who have given their lives in the struggle for freedom and justice. "In what appears to be a desperate act during the twilight of his rule, Khamenei has perpetrated yet another grave crime - an effort to delay the inevitable collapse of his regime. Ayatollah 'on his heels' by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital) IRAN'S merciless regime is "fully on its heels" - leaving the Ayatollah's days numbered, a former US ambassador says. But the West will not be able to topple Tehran's brutal dictatorship, Mark D. Wallace, CEO & Founder of United Against Nuclear Iran, warned. The ex-ambassador to the UN said it will be down to the Iranian people - who have suffered outrageous repression for decades - to finally end the regime's rule. Iron-fist fanatics have used violent and ruthless measures, including executions and torture, in a twisted bid to stamp out opposition and silence critics. The regime's future now appears to be hanging by a thread, however, as it sits in a "combustible state" following the obliteration of its nuclear empire by the US and Israel. Several of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's top military brass were wiped out in the 12-day war - leaving the barbaric ruler vulnerable. Power held by Iran's terror proxies - including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen - has also been severely depleted. Wallace told The Sun: "The regime isn't just wounded, they're fully on their heels." "Far from securing his hold on power, this brutality only intensifies the outrage of the Iranian people and reinforces the determination of Iran's courageous youth to bring an end to this theocratic tyranny. "Honour to these steadfast Mojahedin who, after three years of unwavering resistance under torture, pressure, and threats, fulfilled their solemn pledge to God and the people with pride and dignity." It comes after The Sun reported how Iran's wounded regime massacred defenceless inmates at a prison before blaming their deaths on shrapnel from airstrikes. As Israeli missiles rained down on a nearby military site on June 16, panicked inmates at Dizel-Abad Prison in Kermanshah begged to be moved to safety. But they were instead met with a hail of bullets from the regime's merciless enforcers in a "deliberate and cold-blooded act", a witness said. Meanwhile, sweeping arrests are also plaguing Iran's population - with around 700 people understood to have been detained last month with reported links to a "spy network". Iran has one of the most horrific human rights records in the world, and according to campaigners also holds the harrowing title for the highest execution rate. Official records show that the number of executions last year reached 1,000 - the highest number in 30 years and 16 percent higher than the previous. Insiders believe this year that distressing toll will be much higher. 9 9
Scottish Sun
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Neighbour spying on neighbour, execution sprees & ‘telecom cages': How Iran is cracking down on critics after 12-day war
TYRANNICAL leaders in Iran have demanded citizens act as undercover informants to turn in anyone who dares oppose the regime, insiders say. Panicked mullahs have also ordered "telecom cages" be installed around prisons as the regime wages war against its own people. 5 An Iranian man having his fingers removed in a guillotine Credit: ISNA 5 Executions are often well-attended public events Credit: AFP 5 Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei makes his first public appearance since the war with Israel on July 6 Credit: Getty Political prisoners - largely banished to death row on trumped-up charges - have been subject to extreme torture and a disturbing rate of executions in the face of growing tensions in the Middle East. Insiders say their treatment is being weaponised to deter opposition. The fight against repression has loomed large for decades in the rogue state - but the so-called 12-day war last month has made the barbaric Ayatollah more fearful than ever of being toppled. Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, CEO and Founder of United Against Nuclear Iran, said the Ayatollah is "on his heels" and is "engaging in a purification campaign". He told The Sun: "The Ayatollah is incredibly weak and I think what he's doing is out of fear that his regime is going to collapse. "He's looking around, most of his generals have been killed. Those that are alive, he is probably suspicious that they are spies. "There's no clear succession, and I think the Ayatollah is on his heels. "He's doing everything he can to try to find some sort of path to a succession, and the continuation of this revolutionary regime." With Ali Khamenei's grip weakened by the unprecedented Israeli and US blitz, the incapacitated supreme leader has discharged fresh hell on his own people in a corrupt bid to stifle uprising. Sources inside Iran told The Sun how a direct alert has been issued to the public, urging them to report any activity linked to resistance groups of the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Iran's supreme leader the Ayatollah, 86, breaks cover with first appearance since Trump ordered Israel not to kill him Regime loyalists have been implored to act as informants - compiling detailed reports with photos, times, locations, licence plates and facial features of suspected individuals. Orders were publicised in an official government news outlet - marking a distinct shift in the paranoid regime's usual strategy of covert suppression. Insiders noted it points to the regime's growing perceived threat posed by the PMOI's grassroots operations. The PMOI has long fought for a secular, democratic Iran, and is understood to be gaining traction amid frustration with economic hardship, political repression, and international isolation. Iranians have lived under the iron-fist rule of fanatics ever since the revolution in 1979 saw the country transformed into an Islamic republic. The close-knit cadres have attempted to thwart opposition by any means necessary for 46 years - but now lie incredibly vulnerable. Anxious mullahs forced a complete shutdown of internet access in government offices during the conflict last month to take full control of information flow. Iran regime massacres inmates by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital) IRAN'S ruthless regime massacred defenceless inmates at a prison before blaming their deaths on shrapnel from airstrikes, insiders revealed. Cold-blooded regime dictators have also ordered the arrest of hundreds after accusing them of having links to arch-foe Israel. As Israeli missiles rained down on a nearby military site on June 16, panicked inmates at Dizel-Abad Prison in Kermanshah begged to be moved to safety. But they were instead met with a hail of bullets from the regime's merciless enforcers in a "deliberate and cold-blooded act", a witness said. The source from within the prison said: "The prisoners insisted they be moved from areas where windows had shattered and where they feared further missile strikes. "The regime's answer was bullets. "The special forces opened fire directly at unarmed, defenseless inmates who were merely trying to flee a danger zone." Insiders said the prisoners faced live ammunition after guards began beating inmates when they tried to breach internal doors in a bid to get to safety. At least ten people were killed and a further 30 injured. Regime authorities are now said to be attempting to cover up the deaths. One source said: "Officials are planning to falsely attribute the deaths to shrapnel from the airstrike, not their own gunfire." READ MORE HERE Universities were mandated to create "war monitoring rooms" on every campus - which continue to put the personal social media activity of professors and students under surveillance. Meanwhile, the Supreme National Security Council is installing "telecom cages" at prisons around the state to sever any external communications inmates have. Jamming devices have been deployed to disrupt messages and calls being made - preventing any contact with the outside world. It comes as execution numbers have spiralled in recent weeks - with 424 recorded since March 21, according to figures from the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). In just three days during the conflict between Israel and Iran, 17 prisoners - including one woman - were executed. One source said: "This surge is a deliberate tactic to instill fear and crush resistance." 5 A demonstrator takes part in a protest against the Iranian government outside the Federal Building in Los Angeles, California on June 23 Credit: Reuters 5 Pictures from a previous execution shows a man named Balal being led to the gallows by his victim's family Wallace, who served as the US ambassador to the United Nations, said the regime has ramped up its "vicious clampdown" to prevent "people pouring out in opposition in the streets". The ex-diplomat added: "You see real Iranians suffering every day in those streets, and we cannot forget about them. "The only path ultimately for the regime to fall is solely in the control of the Iranian people. "Sadly, the Iranian people will suffer, and many will likely have to die for that to happen, and they're being persecuted as we speak today. "I'm sure there are people being imprisoned and likely will meet their death because of the crackdown of that state security apparatus. "It's really essential that we do not forget the people of Iran that are the victims of this regime." The NCRI has warned how four political prisoners are facing severe torture as regime enforcers try to extract forced confessions to try and link them to the deaths of two notorious regime judges. Plight of four prisoners FOUR political prisoners are being subjected to prologner interrogation and torture in efforts to extarct fabricated confessions, insiders say. NCRI sources say the regime is trying to link Arghavan Fallahi, Bijan Kazemi, and Mohammad and Amirhossein Akbari Monfared, to the deaths of regime executioners Moghiseh and Razini. Fallahi, 25, was arrested at her home in Tehran on January 25, and was taken to Ward 241 of Evin Prison. She spent 25 months in solitary confinement and after the prison was evacuated last month she was moved to solitary confinement in Fashafouyeh (Greater Tehran Prison). Fallahi was previously arrested in November 2022 along with her father, Nasrollah Fallahi, a political prisoner from the 1980s, and was later released. Nasrollah, who is serving a five-year prison sentence, is now being held in Fashafouyeh Prison. Kazemi, meanwhile, was arrested by intelligence agents in Kuhdasht on January 20 and was put in solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin Prison before being moved to Fashafouyeh. Interrogators claim Kazemi, 44, provided weapons to the assailants of Razini and Moghiseh. Kazemi was arrested before in March 2020 and imprisoned for over two years in Khorramabad Prison. He was released but was fitted with an ankle monitor for more than a year for surveillance. Amirhossein, 22, was detained on January 19 - a day after Razini and Moghiseh were killed. He was taken to Ward 209 of Evin Prison and has been subjected to severe torture, insiders say. Two days later, intelligence agents raided his home again and arrested his father Mohammad. Mohammad was previously a political prisoners in the 1980s, and was also arrested during the 2022 uprising. Four members of their family were executed in the 1980s - PMOI members Alireza, Gholamreza, Abdolreza, and Roghieh Akbari Monfared. Their sister, Maryam Akbari Monfared, is serving her sixteenth year in prison for seeking justice for her siblings. Arghavan Fallahi, Bijan Kazemi, and father and son Mohammad and Amirhossein Akbari Monfared have been subjected to prolonged interrogation and could face the death penalty. Despite this, defiant campaigners have continued their "No to Execution Tuesdays" movement - uniting activists and the families of inmates. Zolal Habibi, of the NCRI's Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Sun: "Even in the midst of war, the clerical regime in Iran has not paused its machinery of executions and repression for a single day. "This chilling reality underscores a deeper truth: the primary war in Iran is not external, but internal — a war between the Iranian people and their organised resistance on one side, and the ruling religious dictatorship on the other. "Yet amid this brutality, the resilience of the Iranian people shines through. "Last Tuesday, political prisoners across 47 prisons -the most tightly controlled spaces in the country - continued their campaign against the death penalty for the 74th consecutive week. "Their defiance is a source of pride for every Iranian who dreams of freedom."
The Irish Sun
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Neighbour spying on neighbour, execution sprees & ‘telecom cages': How Iran is cracking down on critics after 12-day war
TYRANNICAL leaders in Iran have demanded citizens act as undercover informants to turn in anyone who dares oppose the regime, insiders say. Panicked mullahs have also ordered "telecom cages" be installed around prisons as the regime 5 An Iranian man having his fingers removed in a guillotine Credit: ISNA 5 Executions are often well-attended public events Credit: AFP 5 Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei makes his first public appearance since the war with Israel on July 6 Credit: Getty Political prisoners - largely Insiders say their treatment is being weaponised to deter opposition. The fight against repression has loomed large for decades in the rogue state - but the so-called 12-day war last month has made the barbaric Ayatollah more fearful than ever of being toppled. Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, CEO and Founder of United Against Nuclear Iran, said the Ayatollah is "on his heels" and is "engaging in a purification campaign". More on Iran He told The Sun: "The Ayatollah is incredibly weak and I think what he's doing is out of fear that his regime is going to collapse. "He's looking around, most of his generals have been killed. Those that are alive, he is probably suspicious that they are spies. "There's no clear succession, and I think the Ayatollah is on his heels. "He's doing everything he can to try to find some sort of path to a succession, and the continuation of this revolutionary regime." Most read in The Sun With Ali Khamenei's grip weakened by the unprecedented Israeli and US blitz, the incapacitated supreme leader has discharged fresh hell on his own people in a corrupt bid to stifle uprising. Sources inside Iran told The Sun how a direct alert has been issued to the public, urging them to report any activity linked to resistance groups of the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Iran's supreme leader the Ayatollah, 86, breaks cover with first appearance since Trump ordered Israel not to kill him Regime loyalists have been implored to act as informants - compiling detailed reports with photos, times, locations, licence plates and facial features of suspected individuals. Orders were publicised in an official government news outlet - marking a distinct shift in the paranoid regime's usual strategy of covert suppression. Insiders noted it points to the regime's growing perceived threat posed by the PMOI's grassroots operations. The PMOI has long fought for a secular, democratic Iran, and is understood to be gaining traction amid frustration with economic hardship, political repression, and international isolation. Iranians have lived under the iron-fist rule of fanatics ever since the revolution in 1979 saw the country transformed into an Islamic republic. The close-knit cadres have attempted to thwart opposition by any means necessary for 46 years - but now lie incredibly vulnerable. Anxious mullahs forced a complete shutdown of internet access in government offices during the conflict last month to take full control of information flow. Iran regime massacres inmates by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital) IRAN'S ruthless regime massacred defenceless inmates at a prison before blaming their deaths on shrapnel from airstrikes, insiders revealed. Cold-blooded regime dictators have also ordered the arrest of hundreds after accusing them of having links to arch-foe Israel. As Israeli missiles rained down on a nearby military site on June 16, panicked inmates at Dizel-Abad Prison in Kermanshah begged to be moved to safety. But they were instead met with a hail of bullets from the regime's merciless enforcers in a "deliberate and cold-blooded act", a witness said. The source from within the prison said: "The prisoners insisted they be moved from areas where windows had shattered and where they feared further missile strikes. "The regime's answer was bullets. "The special forces opened fire directly at unarmed, defenseless inmates who were merely trying to flee a danger zone." Insiders said the prisoners faced live ammunition after guards began beating inmates when they tried to breach internal doors in a bid to get to safety. At least ten people were killed and a further 30 injured. Regime authorities are now said to be attempting to cover up the deaths. One source said: "Officials are planning to falsely attribute the deaths to shrapnel from the airstrike, not their own gunfire." Universities were mandated to create "war monitoring rooms" on every campus - which continue to put the personal social media activity of professors and students under surveillance. Meanwhile, the Supreme National Security Council is installing "telecom cages" at prisons around the state to sever any external communications inmates have. Jamming devices have been deployed to disrupt messages and calls being made - preventing any contact with the outside world. It comes as execution numbers have spiralled in recent weeks - with 424 recorded since March 21, according to figures from the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). In just three days during the conflict between Israel and Iran, 17 prisoners - including one woman - were executed. One source said: "This surge is a deliberate tactic to instill fear and crush resistance." 5 A demonstrator takes part in a protest against the Iranian government outside the Federal Building in Los Angeles, California on June 23 Credit: Reuters 5 Pictures from a previous execution shows a man named Balal being led to the gallows by his victim's family Wallace, who served as the US ambassador to the United Nations, said the regime has ramped up its "vicious clampdown" to prevent "people pouring out in opposition in the streets". The ex-diplomat added: "You see real Iranians suffering every day in those streets, and we cannot forget about them. "The only path ultimately for the regime to fall is solely in the control of the Iranian people. "Sadly, the Iranian people will suffer, and many will likely have to die for that to happen, and they're being persecuted as we speak today. "I'm sure there are people being imprisoned and likely will meet their death because of the crackdown of that state security apparatus. "It's really essential that we do not forget the people of Iran that are the victims of this regime." The NCRI has warned how four political prisoners are facing severe torture as regime enforcers try to extract forced confessions to try and link them to the deaths of two notorious regime judges. Plight of four prisoners FOUR political prisoners are being subjected to prologner interrogation and torture in efforts to extarct fabricated confessions, insiders say. NCRI sources say the regime is trying to link Arghavan Fallahi, Bijan Kazemi, and Mohammad and Amirhossein Akbari Monfared, to the deaths of regime executioners Moghiseh and Razini. Fallahi, 25, was arrested at her home in Tehran on January 25, and was taken to Ward 241 of Evin Prison. She spent 25 months in solitary confinement and after the prison was evacuated last month she was moved to solitary confinement in Fashafouyeh (Greater Tehran Prison). Fallahi was previously arrested in November 2022 along with her father, Nasrollah Fallahi, a political prisoner from the 1980s, and was later released. Nasrollah, who is serving a five-year prison sentence, is now being held in Fashafouyeh Prison. Kazemi, meanwhile, was arrested by intelligence agents in Kuhdasht on January 20 and was put in solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin Prison before being moved to Fashafouyeh. Interrogators claim Kazemi, 44, provided weapons to the assailants of Razini and Moghiseh. Kazemi was arrested before in March 2020 and imprisoned for over two years in Khorramabad Prison. He was released but was fitted with an ankle monitor for more than a year for surveillance. Amirhossein, 22, was detained on January 19 - a day after Razini and Moghiseh were killed. He was taken to Ward 209 of Evin Prison and has been subjected to severe torture, insiders say. Two days later, intelligence agents raided his home again and arrested his father Mohammad. Mohammad was previously a political prisoners in the 1980s, and was also arrested during the 2022 uprising. Four members of their family were executed in the 1980s - PMOI members Alireza, Gholamreza, Abdolreza, and Roghieh Akbari Monfared. Their sister, Maryam Akbari Monfared, is serving her sixteenth year in prison for seeking justice for her siblings. Arghavan Fallahi, Bijan Kazemi, and father and son Mohammad and Amirhossein Akbari Monfared have been subjected to prolonged interrogation and could face the death penalty. Despite this, defiant campaigners have continued their "No to Execution Tuesdays" movement - uniting activists and the families of inmates. Zolal Habibi, of the NCRI's Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Sun: "Even in the midst of war, the clerical regime in Iran has not paused its machinery of executions and repression for a single day. "This chilling reality underscores a deeper truth: the primary war in Iran is not external, but internal — a war between the Iranian people and their organised resistance on one side, and the ruling religious dictatorship on the other. "Yet amid this brutality, the resilience of the Iranian people shines through. "Last Tuesday, political prisoners across 47 prisons -the most tightly controlled spaces in the country - continued their campaign against the death penalty for the 74th consecutive week. "Their defiance is a source of pride for every Iranian who dreams of freedom."
RTÉ News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Iranian opposition strongly criticises Department of Foreign Affairs
An Iranian opposition group has strongly criticised Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for expressing concerns about its activities. The organisation, called the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), is linked with the People's Mujahideen Of Iran (PMOI) - which wants to overthrow the regime in Iran. In a statement to RTÉ News last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said it did not have any links to the NCRI or PMOI on the basis of what it termed "concerns about some aspects of its organisation and activities". However, the DFA did not detail the concerns. In response, the NCRI has since criticised the department for expressing such "vague concerns". It said: "Although the department did not specify the nature of these concerns, four decades of experience make it palpably clear that such ambiguous reservations typically arise within a broader policy context of engaging with and appeasing the Iranian regime." Spokesman for the NCRI Hossein Abedini added: "It is no secret that Tehran's ruling mullahs regard any acknowledgment or interaction with the NCRI or PMOI as an absolute red line, particularly when it comes to their foreign counterparts." He suggested that the Iranian regime view the NCRI resistance as "an existential threat, evidenced by the execution of over 100,000 of its members and supporters since 1979, including the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, predominantly from the PMOI". He concluded: "It is time to abandon the failed policy of appeasing the mullahs in Tehran, who represent the core of regional conflict and belligerence. "Instead, the international community should unequivocally side with the Iranian people and their democratic opposition in their quest for a free, democratic republic," he added. Last May, four Fianna Fáil TDs - Pádraig O'Sullivan, James O'Connor, Peter 'Chap' Cleere, and Tony McCormack - as well as three Fianna Fáil Senators - Erin McGreehan, Mary Fitzpatrick and Teresa Costello - participated in the NCRI conference. Also attending the event in the French capital was Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell, as well as former Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Oireachtas members.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US-Iran conflict: What are some of the resistance groups?
(NewsNation) — The world is still awaiting Iran's response after the United States bombed three nuclear sites in the country over the weekend. President Donald Trump, one day after the attacks, spoke about the idea of a regime change in Iran, contradicting messaging from his top national security advisers. So, what are some of those organizations that could help the United States establish a possible new regime? US strikes on Iran may raise oil prices, impacting American economy The National Council of Resistance of Iran was founded back in 1981. Its obligation has been to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran. The political coalition comprises different Iranian dissident groups constituting a parliament-in-exile. In 2002, the NCRI exposed the existence of an undisclosed uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, leading to concerns about Iran's nuclear program. Over the years, the NCRI has received support from U.S. Congress and U.S. officials. White House monitoring possible Iranian 'sleeper cells' in US: Source The NCRI has acknowledged that the current regime is facing a deep economic crisis consisting of high unemployment, rampant inflation and widespread poverty. Far beyond international sanctions, the current crisis is the result of the country's economic structure being destroyed by government policies, incompetent administration, and widespread corruption involving the entire regime. The regime also saw uprisings in 2018, 2019, and 2020, which clearly showed that the overwhelming majority of the Iranian people support fundamental change. This position spans all demographics and is especially prevalent among poor Iranians who were wrongly perceived as a reliable base of support for the regime. The National Movement of the Iranian Resistance is a group of pro-opposition figures to fight against the ruling regime in Iran. Started in 1959, the organization's purpose has been to establish a government based on national sovereignty and social justice, separate religion from government in all aspects of the country, and maintain the independence and territorial integrity of the country and national solidarity. As it attacks Iran's nuclear program, Israel maintains ambiguity about its own This organization has several publications and two radio stations. The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran is the largest and longest-standing Iranian opposition group with a history of struggling for freedom and democracy in Iran. The PMOI played a major role in preventing the Iranian regime from obtaining atomic weapons by first unveiling its nuclear program in 2002. The group has also been a vital source of information about Tehran's terrorist agendas in the Middle East region and its human rights violations in Iran. The PMO has long been against Tehran's meddling in neighboring countries, which has been paid for from the Iranian people's pockets. US military bases in Middle East brace as Iran promises retaliation The PMOI also maintains civil relations with the Syrian opposition and supports the Syrian people's struggle for freedom from dictatorship. Reza Pahlavi is the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Shah, who was the leader of Iran until he was forced out by the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Pahlavi, in recent days, has come out and argued that the Islamic Republic has reached its end and is collapsing. 'What has begun is irreversible,' he said. 'The future is bright, and together we will navigate this sharp turn in history. Now is the time to stand; it is time to take back Iran.' Pahlavi is notorious for his pro-Western stance and oil partnerships with the United States and Britain, and he introduced land reforms and women's rights to Iran. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
