Age of Smoking in Iran Drops to 9 Years
According to Mohammadreza Sohrabi, Deputy of Health at Beheshti University, the age of smoking initiation in Iran has dropped to 9 years. He emphasized that the younger a person starts smoking, the harder it becomes to quit.
The state-run Mehr News Agency quoted Sohrabi as saying, “The worrying statistic is the rising prevalence of smoking among women. In 2016, the smoking rate among women was 2.4%, and by 2021, it had increased to 4.2%.”
Sohrabi stressed that 20 years have passed since the enactment of the anti-smoking law, and there is a need for legal reforms in this area.
Mohammadreza Masjedi, Director of the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association, criticized the government’s inaction in fighting tobacco use, stating, “The National Tobacco Control Headquarters has not held a meeting for the past eight years.”
The President of the Iranian Association of Internal Medicine Specialists stated on December 5, 2024, cigarette consumption in the country has reached 10-year-old children, posing a significant risk of leading them toward drug use in the coming years.
Dr. Iraj Khosronia, in an interview with the state-run Shafaqna website, warned about the increasing use of tobacco—especially cigarettes and hookahs—among teenagers and women. He stated, “Research shows that in the years before and shortly after the revolution, people generally started smoking at older ages. However, over the past two decades, this trend has shifted, and the number of child smokers has risen sharply.”
Hamidreza Shahsavon, Secretary of the Iranian Anti-Smoking Association, stated in May 2024 that cigarette production in the country has tripled compared to previous years, and smoking has now spread to elementary schools. He also reported a 133% increase in smoking among women.
Meanwhile, cigarette consumption has significantly declined in most countries worldwide. In the United States, the smoking population has reached its lowest historical level, now accounting for only 12% of the total population. This figure was as high as 67% in the 1960s.
Prominent Global Leaders Unite in Support of Resistance and Democracy in Iran
Prominent leaders took part in an international conference in Paris on January 11, 2025. The event gathered distinguished political and military figures who emphasized the urgency of shifting global policy toward the Iranian regime. The conference underscored the significance of the Iranian Resistance as a viable democratic alternative to the ruling theocracy.
Speakers included Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI); Gen. James Jones, former U.S. National Security Advisor; Liz Truss, former UK Prime Minister; John Bercow, former Speaker of the UK Parliament; Janez Janša, former Prime Minister of Slovenia; Yulia Tymoshenko, former Prime Minister of Ukraine; Gen. Tod Wolters, former NATO Commander and U.S. Forces in Europe Commander; David Jones, former UK Minister; and Gen. Keith Kellogg, former National Security Advisor to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. Other speakers included Ola Elvestuen, former Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment.
Maryam Rajavi highlighted the regime’s vulnerabilities, stating, “The boycott of the 2024 elections and the fall of the Syrian dictatorship demonstrate that the Iranian regime is on the brink of collapse.” She pointed to economic crises, regional defeats, and Resistance Units’ increasing activities as signs of imminent change. “The Resistance Units in Tehran and other cities are advancing the great task of preparing for an organized uprising,” she said. She urged Western governments to shift from appeasement to a firm stance, declaring, “The recognition of the Iranian Resistance is a necessary part of a firm policy against the mullahs’ regime.”
Gen. James Jones described 2024 as “catastrophic for the Iranian regime,” citing Tehran’s strategic failures, including the “fall of Bashar al-Assad” and “Hezbollah’s near-collapse.” He commended MEK-affiliated Resistance Units, stating, “These brave men and women remind us that the spirit of resistance in Iran is alive.” Calling for stronger sanctions, he said, “We must recognize the NCRI as the legitimate voice of the Iranian people.”
Liz Truss criticized appeasement, stating, “Appeasement only strengthened the regime.” She warned, “Iran is on the verge of acquiring a nuclear weapon, and this poses an existential threat to global peace.” Truss advocated for “maximum pressure sanctions, rigorous enforcement, and support for the Iranian Resistance,” adding, “The NCRI offers a clear and democratic vision for Iran’s future.”
John Bercow supported the NCRI, stating, “Mrs. Rajavi and the NCRI are the embodiment of vision, courage, and leadership.” He pointed to “millions of Iranians” boycotting the 2024 elections as proof of the regime’s unpopularity. He described the Resistance Units as “interwoven with Iranian society” and called the NCRI’s plan “a roadmap for a peaceful transition to democracy.”
Gen. Keith Kellogg emphasized 2025 as “a year of hope, action, and change.” He described the Iranian regime as weaker than ever: “The regime in Iran is weaker and more vulnerable than it has been in decades. It should not be feared but challenged.” Criticizing past appeasement, he pointed to “President Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal” as a turning point. Supporting the NCRI’s Ten-Point Plan, he called it “a clear transitional path to a friendly, stable, and non-nuclear Iran.”
Janez Janša urged recognition of the NCRI, stating, “The people of Iran deserve democracy, freedom, and the protection of human rights.” He dismissed past engagement strategies with Iran, calling them failures: “It is time to transition from engagement to firmness.” He advocated for “sanctions enforcement and the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization.”
Yulia Tymoshenko compared Iran’s freedom movement to Ukraine’s fight against tyranny, stating, “The Iranian regime is one of the gravest threats to global stability.” She highlighted the role of Iranian women, calling them “the heart of the movement for change.” Tymoshenko urged decisive international action: “The Iranian people are not asking for military intervention but for moral and political support.”
Gen. Tod Wolters described 2025 as a “transformative year for Iran.” He praised the Iranian Resistance: “For over four decades, you have given your blood, sweat, and tears to correct the nefariousness of the regime.” Highlighting Iran’s vulnerabilities, he said, “The conditions are correct on the ground and strategically.”
David Jones described Assad’s overthrow as “a pivotal loss” for Tehran, stating, “The collapse of the IRGC’s intervention in Syria highlights the vulnerability of the regime.” He condemned the regime’s repression, referencing “nearly 1,000 executions in 2024 under President Masoud Pezeshkian.”
Ola Elvestuen highlighted Tehran’s “deliberate defamation campaign against the NCRI” as proof of its fear of organized resistance. He noted that “the regime wants to paint a picture of disunity to confuse parliamentarians and the public.” Calling for global recognition of the NCRI, he stated, “Sanctions alone are not enough. The international community must recognize and engage with the true agents of change—the Iranian people and their organized resistance.”
The conference concluded with a call for firm international policies against the Iranian regime and support for a democratic transition led by the Iranian Resistance.
Iranian City Faces Shortage of Specialists in 48 Medical Fields
As the human resource crisis in Iran’s healthcare system continues and warnings about the consequences of medical staff emigration intensify, Behrouz Karkhanei, the president of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences announced that the province is facing a shortage of specialists and subspecialists in 48 medical fields.
The state-run Khabar Online website quoted Karkhanei as saying: “The per capita physician-to-population ratio in Hamadan province is 0.95%, whereas the national average is 1.6%.”
Meanwhile, the state-affiliated newspaper Etemad warned on January 10 about a shortage of skilled doctors in the next three years, reporting that training each general practitioner costs 10 billion rials (approximately $20,000 at market exchange rates).
The report emphasized that there is currently a severe shortage of doctors across all medical sectors in the country. Etemad further noted that between 2021 and 2024, due to “inaccurate and possibly biased assessments within the Ministry of Health, particularly during the previous administration,” student admissions in dentistry, pharmacy, and other medical fields increased by 20%. The newspaper argued that this increase far exceeded the country’s capacity and infrastructure.
Increase in the Migration of Doctors from IranCritics, however, argue that Etemad’s report is an attempt to shift blame onto the administration of former president Ebrahim Raisi (who died in a helicopter crash on May 19, 2024). They contend that the issues in the medical and nursing community are deeply rooted and extend beyond recent governmental decisions. The mass migration of nurses accumulated unpaid wages, years of labor protests, and the overall economic crisis affecting households serve as evidence of these longstanding problems. In a related report on December 10, the state-run newspaper Jomhouri-e Eslami wrote that “in the first eight months of the current year (since March 21, 2024), another 4,500 healthcare workers have applied for migration.” This follows earlier reports stating that “7,000 doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel also applied for migration in 2023.”
Each Year, 1,500 Nurses Leave Their Jobs, 500 Emigrate from IranThe government-affiliated outlet described the “exodus of 11,500 healthcare workers in less than two years” as a “bitter reality” and warned that “if this issue is not addressed soon, the country will face the decline of the medical community and its harmful consequences.” Experts have been sounding the alarm about this crisis for years. Echoing these concerns, Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam, Secretary-General of the regime’s Nurses’ Association, recently stated that “given the current exchange rate of the dollar and the salaries of nurses in Iran, this profession is no longer attractive at all.” According to Sharifi Moghadam, while nurses in European countries earn between $4,000 and $10,000 per month, Iranian nurses receive only $200 to $250, making low wages the primary driver of emigration.
Iran’s Energy Crisis Continues As Over 20 Provinces Shut Down
Iranian media report that schools and government offices in more than half of the country’s provinces will be closed on Saturday, January 11.
At least 21 provinces, including Tehran, will be shut down. The state-run IRNA news agency cited air pollution and energy consumption management as the reasons for these closures.
Iran’s Energy Minister Warns of a “Difficult Summer” AheadSince the shutdown will disrupt university exams, the Ministry of Science issued a statement allowing universities to decide when to reschedule them. According to reports in Iranian media, the “Energy Consumption Management Task Force” in several provinces has decided to close schools and government offices on Saturday. A Tehran provincial official told IRNA that due to air pollution, schools and universities in the province will operate remotely, and banks in Tehran will be closed. Meanwhile, the deputy for urban affairs in Alborz province told IRNA that air pollution was the reason for the shutdown while stressing that “all heating and lighting systems in facilities must be turned off.” However, the governor of Khorasan Razavi province told the same news agency that the decision to close the province was made “to address energy imbalances and reduce fuel consumption.” In this context, Gholamreza Koushki, the head of Iran’s National Gas Management Center said in an interview with state radio on Thursday that gas consumption in the country reached 650 million cubic meters at the beginning of the week. Koushki added that this level of consumption persisted through Wednesday. Ahmad Mahdavi, theSecretary-General of the Petrochemical Employers Association, announced last week that, amid Iran’s ongoing energy crisis, gas supply to 12 petrochemical plants has been cut off. Speaking at an official event on January 4, Mahdavi criticized the Oil Ministry, stating that although investment in the sector is a key solution to energy imbalances, “investment agreements for upstream gas projects in the petrochemical industry have yet to be signed and finalized.” The state-run Tasnim News Agency, which is close to the IRGC, reported in early December that out of 600 power plants, at least 80 had gone offline due to a shortage or complete lack of gas and liquid fuel. Iran’s domestic power plants have a total capacity of 58,000 megawatts, but the shutdown of these facilities has reduced output by 8,000 megawatts—approximately 14% of the total capacity.
IRGC Once Again Announces the Unveiling of a “Missile City”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has unveiled an underground missile city, while at the same time, the streets of Tehran witnessed an armed Basij parade under the banner of the “Rahiyan al-Quds Exercise.”
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the release of a video titled “Missile City” and the Basij parade in Tehran occurred at a time when Tehran’s allies in the region have been weakened and as Donald Trump is about to enter the White House.
On the night of Friday, January 10, Iranian state television broadcast a video showing IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami visiting “a missile city deep inside a mountain.”
The video did not disclose the location or specific military features of the facility, stating only that Iran’s missile strikes against Israel were launched from this site.
In the video, Hossein Salami stated that claims about Iran’s missile production being disrupted were false, asserting that “our missile capabilities are up to date.”
Previously, officials from various countries and military analysts had reported that Israeli retaliatory strikes had severely damaged Iran’s air defense and missile capabilities.
Around two months ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli airstrikes had effectively destroyed Iran’s air defenses, missile production capacity, and “a specific part” of its nuclear program.
Military Parade in Tehran’s Streets
A few hours before the announcement of the “Missile City” unveiling, Tehran’s streets saw the presence of Basij forces participating in an event titled the “110,000-strong Rahiyan al-Quds Exercise.”
Hassan Hassanzadeh, commander of Tehran’s “Mohammad Rasoulallah IRGC Unit,” which organized the event, stated that its purpose was to “boost the morale of offensive forces” and “put the enemy in its place.”
According to Sepah News, after the parade, Tehran’s IRGC commander announced that Basij bases in the city would distribute “124,000 aid packages, 1,024 dowry sets, and 24,000 stationery kits.”
Many social media users criticized the sudden and unplanned nature of the armed parade, the resulting traffic gridlock, and the fact that citizens were forced to remain in severe air pollution.
Meanwhile, the public relations office of Tehran’s IRGC denied a report published by the Shargh newspaper. A day earlier, Shargh had quoted Hassan Hassanzadeh as saying that “at least 27,000 Afghan brothers and sisters residing in Iran had filled out forms to participate in the exercise.”
Iranian Authorities Silent on Patient Deaths from Contaminated Dialysis Solutions
Saman Eshaqi, spokesperson for the Health Commission of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (Parliament), criticized the judiciary’s approach to handling the case of patient deaths caused by “contaminated peritoneal dialysis solutions.” He stated that the judiciary has not provided any response on the matter, and the Thamen pharmaceutical company has not even issued an apology.
Speaking to the state-run ILNA news agency, Eshaqi questioned why, despite nearly a year having passed since the incident, “the judiciary has not clearly announced the criminal responsibility of those accused in this case or the actions taken against them.”
The Majlis member emphasized that, based on “credible reports” and “expert opinions,” pharmaceutical products from Thamen, which operates under Astan Quds Razavi, led to the deaths of at least 70 people, possibly more.
Eshaqi further pointed out the irony that Thamen has filed complaints with the Mashhad judiciary against some raw material suppliers. He questioned, “But who is supposed to file a complaint against Thamen?”
According to reports, in June 2024, Thamen—a subsidiary of Astan Quds Razavi—responded to the deaths of at least 70 people from its products by telling the media, “By order of the higher authorities, we are not permitted to speak on this matter.”
In response to the lack of progress on the investigations and the victims’ families’ complaints, the state-run Ettelaat newspaper wrote on November 7, 2024: “If the death of seventy dialysis patients due to injections with contaminated syringes still does not stir anyone’s conscience, then we must both lament the accountability of pharmaceutical officials and mourn the erosion of public conscience.”
Astan Quds Razavi is one of the largest financial institutions of the Iranian regime, operating under the direct supervision of the regime’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
64-Year-Old Swiss Tourist Dies In Iranian Prison
The Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement on Friday, January 10, that Iranian authorities had informed the Swiss embassy in Tehran on December 10, 2024, that a 64-year-old Swiss man had been arrested on suspicion of “espionage.”
According to the Swiss Foreign Ministry’s statement, the citizen, who had not resided in Switzerland for the past 20 years and was living in South Africa, had traveled to Iran as a tourist.
The statement added that since being informed of the detention of its citizen, the Swiss embassy in Tehran had been in daily contact with Iranian authorities to obtain more information about his detention conditions and to gain access to him.
However, Iranian authorities, citing the “espionage-security” nature of the accusations against him during the initial investigation phase, did not approve the Swiss embassy’s requests.
According to the statement, on Thursday, January 9, the Swiss embassy in Tehran was informed that a Swiss citizen had “committed suicide” in prison.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry further stated that the Swiss government is seeking detailed and precise information about the reasons for the arrest of its citizen by the Iranian government, as well as a full investigation into the circumstances of his death.
According to the statement, the repatriation of the citizen’s body to Switzerland is a priority and is expected to take place “within the next few days.”
Previously, several regime-linked media outlets in Iran, citing a report from the regime’s Khabarfoori website on Thursday, January 9, wrote that the Swiss citizen, who had reportedly died by suicide in Semnan prison, had been arrested while “gathering information” in one of the cities of Semnan province.
According to the regime’s Tabnak website, citing Khabarfoori, “an informed security official” claimed that “a Swiss national” was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Organization while “gathering information and collecting soil samples in Iran’s central desert” at the same time as Israel’s attack on several locations in Iran, including in Shahroud.
According to Iranian state-affiliated media, Mohammad Sadegh Akbari, the head of the Semnan judiciary, claimed—without mentioning the Swiss citizen’s name—that he had “committed suicide” in prison.
Reuters noted that in recent years, the IRGC has detained dozens of dual nationals and foreign citizens, mostly on espionage and security-related charges.
According to the news agency, Switzerland plays a crucial mediating role between Washington and Tehran as the protector of U.S. interests in Iran, facilitating the exchange of messages between the two countries.
One of the suspicious deaths of political prisoners in Iranian prisons was that of Kavous Seyed-Emami, a dual-national and Iranian-Canadian university professor detained in Iran. He died in Evin Prison two weeks after his arrest, with Iranian authorities claiming that he had “hanged himself.”
At the same time as Seyed-Emami’s arrest, eight environmental activists, including Houman Jokar, Taher Ghadirian, Morad Tahbaz, Sepideh Kashani, and Niloufar Bayani, were also detained. Regarding this case, The Guardian reported that a journalist close to the IRGC had claimed that the arrested environmental activists had planted cameras and collected soil samples to identify sensitive locations used for Iran’s missile tests.
30,000 General Practitioners in Iran Reluctant to Practice Due to Low Income
Mohammad Raeeszadeh, head of Iran’s Medical Council, criticized the low consultation fees for doctors, stating that 30,000 general practitioners in the country are unwilling to practice medicine or pursue further education and specialization.
Raeeszadeh highlighted the annual fee-setting process for doctors, noting that one of the main issues is the extremely low and unacceptable consultation fees for general practitioners. For example, a general practitioner in Tehran cannot sustain a private practice with a consultation fee of 1.2 million rials (approximately $1.5).
On December 25, 2023, Raeeszadeh criticized the lack of determination of the actual cost of medical consultations in the country, stating:
“If they cannot determine the actual cost of a medical consultation in the country, it means no calculations have been made.”
The medical community argues that the set fees for medical services do not align with inflation rates and have protested against them.
One-Third of Iranians Deprived of Basic NeedsIn April 2024, the government approved a 35% increase in medical service fees, which faced strong opposition from medical groups and associations. On April 7, Saeed Karimi, then Deputy Minister of Health for Treatment Affairs, stated: “Private sector doctors’ salaries have increased from 360,000 rials in 2011 to approximately 700,000 rials in 2023. This means that in 12 years, their wages have not even doubled, whereas the minimum wage for other professions has increased more than tenfold between 2011 and 2023.” On December 29, 2024, Jalil Hosseini, Deputy Minister of Health for Education, stated that Iran does not suffer from a doctor shortage, but rather, 30,000 general practitioners are not practicing medicine and must be persuaded to work in underserved areas. On December 30, 2024, the President of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, addressing the shortage of doctors in the province, stated: “The low salaries and benefits of doctors in the public sector compared to the private sector, as well as the low consultation fees, are the main reasons for the doctor shortage in Qazvin.”
“Iran’s Regime is Finished” Mike Pompeo Declares at NCRI Meeting
On January 9, at the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) headquarters in France, a gathering marked a pivotal moment in the struggle against Iran’s ruling regime. Speakers included NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi and former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Mrs. Rajavi emphasized the resilience of the Resistance, citing the regime’s struggles: economic instability, mass poverty, growing dissent, and defections. She called for global recognition of the NCRI, stating, “Recognizing the Iranian Resistance is not one choice among many; it is the only practical and viable solution to confront the religious fascism ruling Iran.” She reaffirmed her vision of a democratic republic rooted in gender equality and separation of religion from the state.
Mr. Pompeo depicted the Iranian regime as being in rapid decline, emphasizing the fall of the Assad regime as a precursor to Tehran’s fate. “Assad hiding in another country, hoping only that he can stay alive in spite of the crimes he committed against his own people. The fact that it fell so quickly, that it was such a paper tiger, told the world that the Ayatollah is finished, that his time is complete,” he stated. He encouraged Resistance Units, saying, “Keep up the fight…The United States and the pressure campaign will return, making the regime even more fragile. You, the Resistance, you are on the right path.”
He dismissed any hope of the IRGC moderating, labeling it the core of the regime’s brutality. “No one is going to change the nature of that regime. Pretending so will only lead to the continuation of the rule of the clerics in Iran,” he asserted. Pompeo highlighted the sacrifices made by the MEK, recalling the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners. “The MEK has been the target of terror abroad and the subject of massive demonization campaigns by the regime. Every week in Friday prayer ceremonies across Iran, the regime chants slogans against the resistance,” he said, defending the group against propaganda efforts.
He praised Maryam Rajavi’s leadership and her 10-point plan for a democratic Iran, calling it a viable roadmap: “Mrs. Rajavi, you’ve repeatedly stated there’s only a single path, one path to the regime’s end, and that is being achieved by the Iranian people and the organized resistance inside of Iran.” Pompeo emphasized that the resistance does not demand foreign intervention but recognition of their right to resist. “This plan doesn’t ask for regime change from outside…The only demand of the resistance is the recognition of the Iranian people’s plight,” he declared.
Pompeo urged international support for the NCRI: “New U.S. policy, as the new administration comes in, needs to create even more space for the Iranian resistance to be vigilant on the ground. The focal point of this policy has to be recognition of the Iranian people’s right to resist and recognition of the National Council of Resistance of Iran as the single best alternative to the clerics ruling Iran.” He described the NCRI as a capable and democratic alternative, lauding its exposure of Iran’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.
His speech conveyed confidence in the Iranian people’s ability to achieve freedom. He called for accountability for the regime’s atrocities.
Pompeo concluded with a powerful message: “This is the time for the West to recognize the right of the Iranian people, this fundamental right that is so basic to every human being created in the image of God, to live with human dignity. And that means the right to resist and to change the nature of the lives of the people inside of Iran.”
Mafia-style Loan Distribution in Iran
Iranian regime president Masoud Pezeshkian’s government has recently reduced the previous administration’s approved housing loan from 8 billion rials (approximately $9,877) to 6.5 billion rials (approximately $8,025). However, even this reduced amount is in doubt, as members of the regime’s parliament and economic experts question whether it will be provided at all. Additionally, the recent “devaluation of the rial” and “rising housing prices” have rendered any housing loans ineffective. While the strict conditions for obtaining housing loans have left many applicants waiting, numerous reports on corruption in the banking system and the “misallocation of financial facilities” have further complicated the situation.
Mohammadreza Farzin, the head of the Central Bank of the Iranian regime, had previously stated in a letter to the Minister of Roads and Urban Development that decisions regarding the loan cap and banking facilities fall under the jurisdiction of the “Supreme Board of the Central Bank.”
Iranian banks typically circumvent loan approval regulations for ordinary applicants by imposing strict conditions such as requiring guarantors, credit assessments, and the purchase of bonds. As a result, even if an 8-billion-rial loan is approved, banks’ “cooperation” in disbursing it remains highly unlikely.
A look at the latest official report from the Central Bank regarding the loans issued under the “National Housing Movement” plan until November 2024 reveals that in fourteen Iranian banks, housing loan disbursement has remained at “zero” even after three and a half years since the program’s launch. This is despite the legal requirement for banks to allocate 20% of their financial facilities to this sector.
According to this report, in the past three and a half years, Iranian banks have issued a total of 167 trillion rials (approximately $206 million) in financial facilities, of which only 2.5% has been allocated to the housing sector. This means that banks have only provided “2.5%” of the mandated 20% share for housing loans.
