— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 17, 2026
CENTCOM Announces End of Sixth Round of Strikes on Military Targets in Iran
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its large-scale overnight operation against military targets in Iran, which began at 9:30 p.m. Iran time on Thursday, concluded at 5:10 a.m. on Friday. According to CENTCOM’s statement, dozens of military targets, including air defense systems, military logistics infrastructure, and coastal radar facilities, were struck and destroyed.
The Quest for a Democratic Republic Through the Lens of Iran’s Organized Resistance
Iran’s current crisis goes beyond temporary governance failures and is rooted in a closed political structure that has deprived society of the right to choose. Under these circumstances, overcoming the crisis is not possible through replacing a few officials or returning to a hereditary monarchy. Rather, the fundamental question is which force can channel the people’s protest potential into a lasting democratic transition.
The Limitations of Spontaneous Protests and the Importance of Organized Resistance
Today, Iranian society is burdened by severe economic pressures, systemic corruption, environmental crises, and the suppression of civil liberties. Despite the widening gap between the people and the ruling establishment, relying solely on spontaneous protests cannot guarantee the fall of an authoritarian government, as a centralized repressive apparatus is capable of exhausting and containing movements that lack continuity and organization.The Gallows: The Real Story of Iran Behind the Oslo CeremonyTo fill this gap, the existence of an organized resistance is essential. The “Resistance Units” affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) play a key role in connecting scattered civil and labor protests—including those of workers, teachers, women, and students—and transforming them into a nationwide, sustained, and purposeful movement under the harshest conditions of repression.
A Ten-Point Plan for Iran’s Future
Organizations seeking to play a role in Iran’s future should define the alternative political order they advocate. In this regard, Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan proposes clear principles for the period following the end of the current religious rule. Among its provisions are:- Holding free elections and establishing a republic based on universal suffrage.
- Separation of religion and state, and full gender equality.
- Abolition of the death penalty and guarantees for freedom of expression, freedom of association, and an independent judiciary.
- Legal equality and autonomy for Iran’s ethnic groups and nationalities.
- Renouncing nuclear weapons and pursuing peaceful coexistence with the international community.
Why Is Monarchy Not a Suitable Solution?
Accepting the sovereignty of the people requires that every political force derive its legitimacy solely from free elections, not from family lineage or foreign backing. On that basis, a return to the monarchical model cannot be considered a democratic option. Reza Pahlavi, the son of the ousted Shah, entered the political arena on the basis of hereditary status, and his supporters have shown little willingness to confront the record of the previous dictatorship, including the activities of SAVAK, the Shah’s brutal secret police, and the use of torture during that period. Furthermore, the rhetoric and symbols associated with this movement are not fully consistent with democratic political culture. Reducing Iran’s political landscape to a binary choice between the current regime and the Pahlavi monarchy suppresses the diversity of democratic and republican forces. In practice, this polarization benefits Iran’s regime because it justifies its survival by warning the public about the return of the former dictatorship. At the same time, the monarchist movement seeks to portray itself as the only viable alternative abroad, thereby marginalizing a third force that rejects both forms of dictatorship—those of the Shah and the mullahs.The Need for a Change in the Policies of Foreign Powers
In recent years, Western countries have oscillated between two ineffective approaches: appeasement toward the regime in Tehran or promoting figures who lack an organized base inside the country. Lasting stability can only be achieved when the international community recognizes the Iranian people’s right to bring about change and supports democratic principles without military intervention or imposing externally manufactured leaders. A democratic transition in Iran depends on the convergence of three key factors: deep social discontent, organized domestic resistance, and a clear plan for transferring power to the people. The real alternative for Iran’s future is neither a return to the past nor the preservation of the status quo, but the establishment of a democratic republic based on popular sovereignty. In fact, democracy based on the will of the people is the only genuine option for today’s Middle East and the wider world. Western governments should recognize that only under such a system can lasting stability be achieved in the region, and that the interests of the international community can only be secured through democracy in Iran.Rising Youth Unemployment in Iran
The Iranian regime claims in its official reports that the unemployment rate has declined, but the reality of the labor market paints a different picture. Today, the issue is no longer limited to unemployment itself; a phenomenon known as “hidden unemployment” or “labor force withdrawal” has become one of the country’s most serious economic crises. Millions of people, particularly young people and educated women, are no longer even searching for work, making the official unemployment rate appear lower than the actual situation.
According to the definition used by the Statistical Center of Iran, the Iranian regime’s official statistics agency, only individuals who were without a job during the reference week and were actively seeking employment are classified as unemployed. As a result, those who have stopped looking for work because they have lost hope of finding a job are no longer counted as unemployed and are excluded from the economically active population. Therefore, a decline in the official unemployment rate does not necessarily indicate the creation of new jobs and, in many cases, is the result of a declining labor force participation rate.
Iran’s Employment Crisis: The Increase in Unemployment Insurance RegistrationsThe latest official reports from the Statistical Center of Iran show that the country’s labor force participation rate was about 38% in 2025. In other words, more than 62% of the working-age population was neither employed nor looking for work—a figure considered extremely low compared with many countries in the region and other emerging economies. In many middle-income countries, labor force participation rates range between 55% and 70%. The severity of this crisis is even greater among women. Women’s labor force participation in Iran is among the lowest in the world and has fluctuated between 13% and 15% in recent years. Many women with university degrees have effectively left the labor market because of limited job opportunities, hiring discrimination, job insecurity, and low wages.
Youth Unemployment and the Alarming Figures
Young people face similar conditions. According to official statistics, the unemployment rate among those aged 15 to 24 remains more than twice the national average and exceeds 20% in some provinces. At the same time, a significant share of university graduates are either forced to work in jobs unrelated to their field of study or abandon their job search altogether because of the lack of suitable opportunities. The findings of a survey conducted by JobVision, an Iranian employment platform, present a similar picture. According to the report, 66% of job seekers identified the creation of new employment opportunities and economic stability as their top priority, while 74% said they had been forced to reduce their living expenses to cope with economic hardship. Economists cite multiple reasons for the expansion of this crisis, including declining investment, aging industries, the closure or reduced capacity of manufacturing facilities, the energy crisis and frequent power outages affecting industry, chronic inflation, economic uncertainty, intensified sanctions, and the consequences of war. Together, these factors have reduced demand for labor and pushed the economy’s job-creation capacity to its lowest level in recent years. However, many experts believe that the root cause of the employment crisis extends beyond economic indicators. Structural corruption, the expansion of monopolistic institutions, extensive intervention by government and military bodies in the economy, the lack of investment security, constantly changing regulations, and weak rule of law have created an uncertain business environment for both domestic and foreign investors, undermining incentives to establish new businesses. Under these circumstances, the decline in the official unemployment rate is less a sign of an improving labor market than evidence of the growing phenomenon economists describe as “hidden unemployment” and “employment discouragement”—a silent crisis that is removing an increasing share of the country’s workforce from productive economic activity each day and making the outlook for Iran’s labor market even bleaker.Execution of a Political Prisoner at Qezel Hesar Prison
Early this morning, Wednesday, Aref Khoshkar, a political prisoner and one of those arrested during the nationwide protests of 2022, was executed at Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.
The execution was carried out despite repeated warnings in recent days from his family, human rights activists, and human rights organizations about the imminent risk of his execution, who had called for a halt to the execution and a review of his case.
Warning Over the Imminent Execution of Political Prisoner Aref Khoshkar in Iran
U.S. Freezes $130 Million in Iranian Regime Digital Assets
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced a new round of sanctions targeting the digital assets of the Iranian regime’s Central Bank, stating that the measure has resulted in the freezing of more than $130 million in digital assets linked to the institution.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post on the social media platform X on Tuesday that the department is committed to disrupting and weakening the Iranian regime’s illicit financial activities, including its misuse of digital assets.
UK Designates Iran Regime’s IRGC as a Terrorist OrganizationAccording to Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned several digital wallets linked to the Iranian regime’s Central Bank, resulting in the freezing of more than $130 million in digital assets. Bessent did not provide further details on how the assets were identified or frozen but stressed that the Treasury Department will continue tracking the Iranian regime’s assets and restrict its access to financial resources generated through what he described as illegal revenue-generating schemes.
The War Between the United States and Iran’s Regime Enters More Complex Phase
As the military confrontation between the United States and the Iranian regime expands, new developments have emerged on the region’s military, diplomatic, and economic fronts. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced missile and drone attacks against U.S. positions in Kuwait and Jordan, while the United States reported launching a new wave of strikes against military targets in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, the IRGC claimed it had targeted a range of U.S. military facilities and equipment in Kuwait, including a satellite communications center, radar and air defense systems, a Patriot missile complex, logistics warehouses, and HIMARS missile launchers with missile and drone attacks. However, the statement did not identify the base that was allegedly targeted. The IRGC also urged Kuwaiti citizens not to miss the opportunity to attack facilities affiliated with the United States.
US and Iranian Regime Exchange Escalating Military StrikesIn response, the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces said the country’s air defense systems intercepted what it described as “aggression by the Iranian regime” early Wednesday.
IRGC: Either Oil for Everyone or for No One!
The IRGC also again claimed that Azraq Air Base in Jordan, where U.S. forces are stationed, had been targeted. Meanwhile, the Jordanian Armed Forces said they intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles that entered the country’s airspace early Wednesday. Jordan had also reported intercepting several other missiles over the previous three days. On the other side, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had completed a new phase of military operations against the Iranian regime, targeting dozens of military sites around the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran’s southern coastline. CENTCOM also released video footage showing the destruction of several military targets across different parts of Iran.At the same time, Axios, citing three informed sources, reported that U.S. President Donald Trump discussed a broader military operation against the Iranian regime during a meeting in the White House Situation Room. The reported operation would extend beyond the current strikes around the Strait of Hormuz. Maritime tensions have also continued. Following the start of the second phase of the U.S. naval blockade targeting shipping linked to the Iranian regime, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped sharply. According to ship-tracking data, only a limited number of vessels have passed through the waterway. Reports indicate that some oil tankers have switched off their identification systems to reduce the risk of interception. Conversely, data from international institutions show that the number of vessels involved in trade linked to the Iranian regime had increased in the Strait of Hormuz just before the blockade began. It has also been reported that dozens of ships are attempting to evade U.S. maritime restrictions by using false flags, disabling tracking systems, and employing other concealment methods. Diplomatic pressure on the Iranian regime has also intensified. The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office summoned the chargé d’affaires of the Iranian regime’s embassy in London, stating that the IRGC’s Quds Force had played a role in directing an affiliated group to carry out attacks in Europe. London described these activities as completely unacceptable and stressed that despite repeated warnings, the Iranian regime has not only failed to halt its hostile actions but has escalated them. The move came just one day after the British government designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, a decision that prompted a formal protest from the Iranian regime. Meanwhile, the economic consequences of the crisis have also become evident. According to Bloomberg, China’s crude oil refining in June fell to its lowest level since 2020. Independent Chinese refineries, which had purchased a significant share of the Iranian regime’s discounted oil, have been the hardest hit by declining imports, a development that could place additional pressure on Iran’s oil exports. Taken together, these developments indicate that the conflict between the United States and the Iranian regime has expanded beyond the military arena and is now rapidly encompassing diplomatic, maritime, and economic dimensions, a trend that could further reshape the region’s security and energy landscape.Pourquoi le régime iranien viole-t-il le cessez-le-feu avec les États-Unis ?#IranWarhttps://t.co/sPs7L0AgUE
— Iran Focus (@Iran_Focus) July 14, 2026
Iran’s Regime Issues Death and Prison Sentences in Cases Related to War Period and January Protests
Tehran Prosecutor Ali Salehi announced that all cases related to the 12-day war, the recent war with the United States, and the January 2026 protests have been finalized and referred to court, with some resulting in final death and prison sentences.
Speaking on Tuesday, July 14, on the sidelines of a ceremony in Tehran, Salehi said these cases had been handled on the orders of the head of Iran’s judiciary and the chief justice of Tehran Province “with precision, speed, decisiveness, and severity,” and that the majority had resulted in verdicts.
Warning Over the Imminent Execution of Political Prisoner Aref Khoshkar in IranHe added that final rulings in some of these cases, including death and prison sentences, have been forwarded to the sentence enforcement authorities and that the convicted individuals are currently serving their punishments. Salehi had also announced in April the seizure of movable and immovable assets belonging to more than 250 people linked to what he called “counter-revolutionary networks,” but this time he did not disclose the exact number of cases, those convicted, or the nature of the charges. Official figures had previously provided a clearer picture of the scope of these cases. In late June, Iran’s Attorney General said that more than 200 criminal cases had been opened in special investigative branches of the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office. On May 3, the chief justice of Tehran Province also said that during the first 40 days of the war, 85% of the 66,000 cases filed with the province’s judiciary had resulted in verdicts. According to independent human rights organizations, during the first 65 days following the start of U.S. and Israeli military attacks on February 28, at least 31 executions were recorded, 22 of which (71%) involved political and security prisoners. During the same period the previous year, only seven of 191 executions involved this group. According to the same report, published in May, the Tehran Revolutionary Court accounted for the largest share of these cases with at least 12 death sentences. Two judges, Iman Afshari and Abolghasem Salavati, issued the highest numbers of death sentences, with at least seven and five respectively. A significant portion of these sentences was handed down against protesters arrested during the January protests. Iran Human Rights, an independent human rights organization, said in its six-month report that at least 370 people were executed in Iran during the first half of 2026, including 21 who were hanged during the 12 days of war. Following the ceasefire in late March, officials of the Iranian regime accelerated the implementation of death sentences, and at least 101 people were executed in June alone.
U.S. Defense Sec: Baghdad Must Disarm Militias Aligned with the Iranian Regime
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday, July 14, that during his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, he emphasized the need to deepen bilateral cooperation.
Hegseth said Iraq must assert its sovereignty to strengthen this cooperation and disarm militias aligned with the Iranian regime, which he said were responsible for more than 600 attacks on U.S. forces this spring.
The U.S. defense secretary also said Washington expects Iraq’s security forces, including the Peshmerga and other security forces of the Kurdistan Region, to take the leading role in operations against ISIS as the mission of the international coalition against the group is reduced.
He added that a stable Iraq could pave the way for expanded trade and defense cooperation between Baghdad and Washington.
Later the same day in Washington, al-Zaidi also met and held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.
During the meeting with the Iraqi prime minister, Donald Trump said the Iranian regime had previously been a major burden on Iraq and the bully of the Middle East, but it has now become highly unstable and its power has diminished compared with a few months ago.
During the meeting with the Iraqi prime minister at the White House, he said they are getting rid of the bully of the Middle East.
Warning Over the Imminent Execution of Political Prisoner Aref Khoshkar in Iran
Following the transfer of political prisoner Aref Khoshkar, who has been sentenced to death, to a solitary confinement cell at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, concerns have intensified over the imminent implementation of his execution. According to received information, Khoshkar, who is currently being held in Unit 3 of Ghezel Hesar Prison, was transferred to a “suite,” or solitary confinement cell, on July 9. Informed sources have warned that his execution could be carried out in the coming days.
Aref Khoshkar was arrested during the nationwide protests of 2022 and was sentenced to death on charges of killing a member of the Basij, the Iranian regime’s paramilitary force affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). His family and relatives have expressed deep concern over his condition and have called on international human rights organizations and public opinion to give urgent attention to his case.
129th Week of ‘No To Executions Tuesdays’ Campaign in 58 Prisons Across Iran
The Arrest of Aref Khoshkar and the Judicial Proceedings
According to available information, on the evening of Saturday, October 8, 2022, during public protests in Tehran’s Fallah neighborhood, a member of the Basij militia affiliated with the IRGC was killed. Published reports indicate that Aref Khoshkar was arrested about one month later, on November 11, 2022, and was transferred to prison in mid-December 2022 on charges of premeditated murder.Allegations of Forced Confession Under Torture
According to received information, Aref Khoshkar was subjected to severe physical and psychological pressure during his detention and was tortured in an effort to extract a confession. It has also been reported that security agents detained his younger brother and threatened him with sexual assault in order to force Khoshkar to accept responsibility for the killing of a member of the regime’s security forces. Sources close to the case have emphasized that the confessions attributed to Khoshkar were obtained under such conditions and under intense security pressure and therefore lack legal validity. According to published information, Aref Khoshkar was represented by a court-appointed attorney, and his family was consistently encouraged not to publicize details of his case. Knowledgeable sources have also stated that Khoshkar was sentenced to death without being afforded an effective defense, without free access to a lawyer of his own choosing, and without a public trial. According to these sources, he was not even given a meaningful opportunity to defend himself during the judicial proceedings.Growing Concerns Following His Transfer to Solitary Confinement
The transfer of Aref Khoshkar to solitary confinement at Ghezel Hesar Prison has heightened concerns that his execution may be imminent. In Iranian prisons, the transfer of death-row prisoners to solitary confinement is typically regarded as one of the final steps before an execution is carried out. However, judicial authorities and prison officials have not yet issued any official statement regarding his status.Near-Complete Halt to Shipping Through the Strait of Hormuz
Bloomberg, citing vessel-tracking data, reported that maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz came to an almost complete halt during the early hours of Tuesday, July 14.
An analysis of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data shows that the number of vessels whose positions and movements were visible has dropped sharply. Some ships have also switched off their tracking systems due to heightened security risks. As a result, publicly available data do not necessarily reflect all vessel movements.
The disruption follows attacks on oil tankers, the resumption of reciprocal attacks between Iran’s regime and the United States, and the increased risks associated with transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Data from Kpler, a maritime analytics company, also show that tanker traffic has fallen to its lowest level in about two months, with only six oil tankers passing through the strait on Sunday.
