Plans for Iran Nuclear Talks Falter Over Dispute on Format and VenuePart of the report states that Iran witnessed widespread and systematic violations of the right to life in the past Gregorian year, including through the use of the death penalty, and that more than half of the executions were carried out for drug-related offenses, which are clearly in violation of international law. Human Rights Watch noted that the executions followed gross and systematic violations of fair trial standards, and that women and ethnic minorities, many of whom also belong to the Sunni religious minority, have increasingly been targeted for the death penalty.
Iranian Regime Officials Committed Mass Massacres, Human Rights Body Reports
Human Rights Watch, an international human rights organization, stated in its annual report that Iranian regime officials in 2025, referring to mass massacres following nationwide protests in Iran, carried out mass and arbitrary arrests and intensified repression under the pretext of national security.
In its report published on Wednesday, February 4, Human Rights Watch, referring to the deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, including the mass killing of protesters and bystanders by Iranian regime security forces, wrote:
“Evidence of a coordinated escalation in the authorities’ use of unlawful and lethal force since January 8, including of protesters and bystanders killed or injured by gunshot wounds to their heads and torsos. Authorities committed massacres amid a nationwide internet shutdown and telecommunications restrictions they imposed to conceal the true scale of the atrocities.”
Plans for Iran Nuclear Talks Falter Over Dispute on Format and Venue
Plans for renewed nuclear talks between the United States and Iran are at risk of collapse following a disagreement over the location and structure of the negotiations, according to U.S. officials cited by Axios.
The talks had been scheduled for Friday in Istanbul, with other Middle Eastern countries participating as observers. However, Iranian officials informed Washington on Tuesday that they wanted the meeting moved to Oman and limited to a bilateral format focused exclusively on nuclear issues. U.S. officials said Washington rejected those demands on Wednesday.
A senior U.S. official told Axios that Iran responded by walking away from the talks. “We told them it is this or nothing, and they said, ‘Ok, then nothing,’” the official said.
Dispute Over the Agenda
According to Axios, the original plan for the Istanbul meeting involved two parallel tracks. One would consist of direct talks between U.S. and Iranian representatives on a possible nuclear deal. The second would involve multilateral discussions on broader issues, including Iran’s missile program, its support for regional proxy groups, and human rights concerns related to the violent crackdown on protesters.The Uncertain Fate of Detainees Following the Bloody Crackdown on Iran ProtestsIran’s request to change both the venue and the format appeared aimed at narrowing the agenda. U.S. officials said they considered the proposal to relocate the talks but ultimately decided to reject it, signaling that the agreed framework was not open for renegotiation. One U.S. official told Axios that Washington did not want to repeat previous negotiation models. “We didn’t want to be flexible here because if there is a deal it has to be real,” the official said.
Rising Tensions
The breakdown comes amid increasingly blunt warnings from U.S. officials. A senior official told Axios that Washington wants to reach a meaningful agreement quickly, adding that failure to do so would prompt consideration of “other options,” an apparent reference to President Donald Trump’s repeated threats of military action. A second U.S. official said there was now “a good chance the talks won’t happen at all this week,” citing Tehran’s refusal to return to the original format and the lack of progress in previous discussions. The Iranian regime’s mission to the United Nations did not respond to Axios’s request for comment.Regional Diplomacy Continues
Despite the stalled talks with Tehran, U.S. engagement in the region is continuing. Axios reported that White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, are expected to travel to Qatar for discussions with the country’s prime minister on Iran-related issues. However, U.S. officials said the two are currently expected to return to the United States afterward, rather than traveling on to meet Iranian representatives.Outlook
U.S. officials told Axios that Washington remains open to talks if Iran agrees to the original framework and location. At the same time, they expressed skepticism that a breakthrough is possible under current conditions. “We are not naive about the Iranians,” one U.S. official said. “If there is a real conversation to have we will have it but we are not going to waste our time.” For now, a dispute over logistics rather than substance has placed the next phase of U.S.-Iran nuclear diplomacy in doubt.The Uncertain Fate of Detainees Following the Bloody Crackdown on Iran Protests
Following the bloody crackdown on protests in Iran that left thousands killed, alarming accounts have emerged about the condition of detainees. The fate of thousands of people remains uncertain. An interview with two experts from two human rights organizations.
Five weeks after the start of a new wave of anti-regime protests in Iran, which was met with an unprecedentedly bloody crackdown in the 47-year history of the Iranian regime, horrifying news has emerged about the mass arrests of citizens.
Mass Arrests After Protests in Iran, the Naked Repression of Khamenei’s RuleAccounts published by human rights activists and media outlets indicate severe violence against detainees, including beatings, verbal abuse, torture, sexual abuse, and deprivation of access to the most basic human and sanitary needs, especially for detained women, at a time when detention centers and prisons are overcrowded beyond capacity. Security agencies abduct and detain citizens, and brutal torture to extract confessions begins immediately.The lives of detainees are currently in serious danger, and the Iranian regime has a long record of torture and deaths under torture in prisons and security detention centers. Detainees have no access to any of their basic rights. Even the families of some detainees, in complete ignorance of their children’s fate, are visiting morgues and cemeteries in the hope of finding some trace of them. The handling of detainees’ cases is in no way following any legal process. Everything is under the control of intelligence agencies and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, the regime’s main military and security force), and no judicial institution is accountable to families. While most attention is focused on those killed in the January 2026 protests, people are witnessing widespread, illegal, and arbitrary arrests across the country, in all cities and provinces. It appears that everything currently known about these arrests, in terms of their scale and number, may still be only the tip of the iceberg, as many families are remaining silent due to fear and intimidation by security bodies and judicial authorities warning them not to publicize news of the arrests. Security agencies intimidate families into not publicizing the arrests, telling them that if the cases become public, the detainee’s situation will worsen, even though this claim is completely at odds with reality.
UK Sanctions 10 Iranian Regime Officials Over Human Rights Abuses
The alarming situation of detainees
All those who have so far been released and managed to contact human rights organizations have stated that the physical and psychological pressure and torture were unbearable, and that many detainees were forced to make coerced confessions under these conditions and were then released the same day on bail. Previously, many detainees were forced to sign blank papers, and there is now a risk that these individuals could face the most serious security-related charges. Iranian society is in an extremely volatile state following the bloody suppression of the January 2026 protests. This is a society in which a large segment of the population was already living under the pressure of deep economic and social crises. Now, the combination of these factors has made the outlook for the future more troubling than ever, a situation in which thousands of families are spending their days waiting for news of their detained loved ones, living with fear, uncertainty, and anguish.Sharp Increase in the Iranian Regime’s Cryptocurrency Activities
Amid an unprecedented surge in cryptocurrency activity in Iran, U.S. officials are examining the role of certain cryptocurrency platforms in helping Iranian regime entities and officials circumvent sanctions, an issue that has once again placed the Iranian regime’s financial system at the center of Washington’s attention.
According to Reuters, an international news agency, U.S. investigators are examining whether some cryptocurrency platforms have helped officials and entities linked to Iran’s regime evade international sanctions. These investigations are taking place as the volume of cryptocurrency activity in Iran has increased significantly.
Based on estimates by blockchain analytics firms TRM Labs and Chainalysis, the volume of cryptocurrency transactions linked to Iran reached about 8 to 10 billion dollars last year. This increase has been attributed to the simultaneous turn by government-linked groups and retail investors toward digital currencies.
Prices of Iranian-Made Vehicles Jump by 50% in Less Than One YearThe head of global policy at TRM Labs told Reuters that the U.S. Treasury Department is examining whether cryptocurrency platforms have enabled actors linked to Iran’s regime to bypass sanctions, including by transferring money abroad, accessing hard currencies, or procuring goods. He said he is directly aware of the Treasury Department’s concerns in this regard. A spokesperson for the U.S. Treasury Department, without naming specific platforms, referred Reuters to a statement issued in September that announced actions by the department against Iran-backed shadow banking networks, including networks that use cryptocurrency to evade sanctions. According to TRM Labs estimates, Iran’s cryptocurrency activity amounted to about 10 billion dollars last year, while this figure stood at about 11.4 billion dollars in 2024. Chainalysis has also reported that Iranian wallets received a record 7.8 billion dollars in cryptocurrency in 2025, marking a sharp increase compared with 7.4 billion dollars in 2024 and 3.17 billion dollars in 2023. The International Monetary Fund had previously warned that although cryptocurrencies still account for a small share of the global financial system, their use is increasing in countries with weak currencies and limited access to the international financial system. Iran, which has effectively been excluded from the dollar-based financial system, has in recent years experienced a sharp decline in the value of the rial. Nevertheless, oil revenues remain the country’s main source of foreign currency and, according to estimates by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, reached 53 billion dollars in 2023. The Iranian regime has faced multiple crises over the past year, including a 12-day war with Israel, U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities, widespread anti-regime protests, and their bloody suppression. These developments, Reuters said, have led to new threats of military action by U.S. President Donald Trump and increased scrutiny of Iran’s financial flows.
Runaway Price Increases and the Shadow of Hyperinflation Over Iran’s Economy
The role of the IRGC and the Central Bank
Reuters writes that cryptocurrency wallet addresses are recorded pseudonymously on the blockchain, making it difficult to identify users’ identities and locations. Researchers estimate cryptocurrency activity using data such as web traffic and addresses attributed by countries like the United States and Israel to sanctioned entities. According to Chainalysis estimates, about 50% of Iran’s cryptocurrency volume last year was linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an entity that plays a key role in Iran’s regime’s political, military, and economic structure and maintains close ties to the regime’s supreme leader. By contrast, TRM Labs believes that about 95% of cryptocurrency flows linked to Iran belong to retail investors, although the firm has said it has identified more than 5,000 cryptocurrency addresses linked to the IRGC and estimates that the IRGC has moved about 3 billion dollars in cryptocurrency since 2023. The British firm Elliptic reported last month that the Central Bank of Iran, which itself is subject to international sanctions, purchased at least 507 million dollars’ worth of the USDT stablecoin in 2025, an action the company described as a sophisticated strategy to bypass the global banking system. Andrew Fierman, head of national security intelligence at Chainalysis, said that even if a cryptocurrency wallet is identified or sanctioned, its owners can easily create new wallets, a factor that makes the task of U.S. officials very difficult. Tom Keating also described this trend as a fast-paced game of cat and mouse that requires extensive resources.Ordinary users and domestic exchanges
According to researchers, ordinary Iranian citizens have also turned to cryptocurrency due to the sharp decline in the value of the rial. Cryptocurrency activity increased during periods of social and geopolitical instability last year, especially during protests, until the government shut down the internet on January 8. Nobitex, Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, told Reuters that about 15 million people in Iran are in some way involved with or use cryptocurrencies. The exchange said it has 11 million customers and that most activity is related to retail investors. Nobitex emphasized that for many users, cryptocurrencies serve as a “store of value” against the continuous decline of the national currency. Researchers at the Singapore-based firm Nansen also reported that some Iranians moved their assets out of Nobitex and transferred them to international exchanges in 2025. According to the firm, the data show that cryptocurrency in Iran is gradually becoming a structural channel for capital flight.Australia Sanctions 20 Iranian Officials, Three IRGC Entities Over Protests Crackdown
The Australian government, in response to the brutal and widespread crackdown on popular protests in Iran, imposed new sanctions against 20 senior officials and three entities affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Iranian regime’s powerful military-security force.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement that the country has implemented targeted financial sanctions in response to the Iranian regime’s brutal use of violence against its own citizens.
According to the statement, the new sanctions list includes some of the highest-ranking security, military, and law enforcement officials of the Iranian regime, including commanders of the IRGC and the Law Enforcement Force, senior intelligence officials, as well as members of the IRGC’s cyber and extraterritorial units.
The IRGC on the European Union’s Terrorism List; Symbolic or a Real Threat?Among those sanctioned are individuals such as Ahmadreza Radan, Mohammadreza Fallahzadeh, Ali Fazli, Mohammad Saleh Jokar, Hassan Shahvarpour, Gholamhossein Mohammadi-Asl, Rahim Jahanbakhsh, Abbas-Ali Mohammadian, Abdollah Araqi, Mohsen Chezari, Alireza Fadakar, Majid Mousavi, Seyed Aminollah Emami Tabatabaei, Ali-Asghar Norouzi, Hassan Sabourinejad, Javad Ghaffarhaddadi, Yahya Hosseini Panjaki, and Esmail Khatib. In addition, three key IRGC entities have been placed on the new sanctions list: the IRGC Cyber Security Command, Unit 840 of the IRGC Quds Force (the IRGC’s foreign operations arm), and the IRGC Intelligence Organization. Australia’s foreign ministry stated that these individuals and entities have been directly involved in the violent suppression of domestic protests, threats to the lives of citizens inside and outside Iran, and widespread human rights violations. The statement said that since December 28, 2025, Iranian regime forces have “killed thousands of Iranian citizens,” while at the same time thousands of others have been arrested or attacked for participating in peaceful protests. According to Australian officials, Iran’s regime has attempted to conceal the true scale of these acts of violence by imposing widespread internet shutdowns and disruptions to telecommunications. The Australian government emphasized that this move was carried out within the framework of its previous policies, including designating the IRGC as a supporter of state terrorism and implementing comprehensive sanctions against the Iranian regime. According to Australian officials, the new sanctions demonstrate the country’s commitment to standing with the people of Iran and working alongside international partners to confront the Iranian regime’s campaign of repression and destabilization. Based on official figures, Australia has so far sanctioned more than 200 Iranian regime individuals and entities and more than 100 individuals and entities linked to the IRGC.
UK Sanctions 10 Iranian Regime Officials Over Human Rights Abuses
The announcement of Britain’s new sanctions package coincided with the foreign secretary’s call on the international community to hold Iranian regime officials accountable for the suppression of protests.
Britain’s Foreign Office announced on Monday, February 2, the addition of the Iranian regime’s Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA) and 10 other regime officials and figures to its sanctions list.
According to Yvette Cooper, Britain’s foreign secretary, these sanctions target individuals who have been involved in “human rights violations in Iran.”
EU Designates IRGC as Terrorist Organization Amid Escalating Repression in IranEarlier, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper had announced Britain’s commitment to imposing sanctions aimed at holding Iranian regime officials accountable for the violent crackdown on recent peaceful protests. On the eve of announcing the new list, Cooper said that in recent weeks the people of Iran, simply for exercising their right to peaceful protest, faced brutal and cruel repression and demonstrated great courage. Referring to horrific images and reports published about the suppression of protests and recalling London’s commitment to holding Iranian regime officials accountable, she said that a new sanctions package had been announced and that Iran’s regime had been warned about additional measures that may be considered. The announcement of Britain’s new sanctions package coincided with the foreign secretary’s call on the international community to hold Iranian regime officials accountable for suppressing protests. Cooper emphasized that the new sanctions package is aligned and coordinated with sanctions announced by the United States and the European Union. She also noted that these sanctions are consistent with the resolutions and commitments of Group of Seven foreign ministers and senior European Union representatives condemning the deliberate use of violence against protesters. According to a new statement by Britain’s Foreign Office, the new sanctions package, in addition to the Iranian regime’s Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA), also includes the following individuals:
- Eskandar Momeni, the Iranian regime’s interior minister
- Mohammad Reza Hashemifar, commander of the Law Enforcement Force in Lorestan Province
- Ahmad Amini, commander of the Noor Police unit
- Mohammad Ghanbari, head of FARAJA’s Criminal Investigation Police and former commander of the Law Enforcement Force in Sistan and Baluchestan Province
- Ahmad Darvish-Goftar, judge of Branch One of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht
- Mehdi Rasekhi, judge of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht
- Mohammad Zamani, one of the commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Golestan Province
- Seyed Majid Feyz Jafari, commander of FARAJA’s Public Security Police
- Yadollah Bouali, commander of the IRGC’s Fajr Corps in Fars Province
- Babak Zanjani, a former economic defendant
The IRGC Affiliate with A 400 million Euro Empire in EuropeThe other military figures added to the list have largely been sanctioned on suspicion of involvement in serious human rights violations, suppressing protesters, violating freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, violently confronting citizens to force compliance with compulsory hijab, and involvement in sexual violence against protesters and detainees. Mehdi Rasekhi and Ahmad Darvish-Goftar, two judges of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht, have also been added to Britain’s sanctions list on suspicion of abusing their positions as judges and assisting in serious human rights violations in Iran. Finally, Babak Zanjani is accused of providing or facilitating financial services or supplying monetary and economic resources to those ordering and carrying out widespread human rights violations in Iran, and for this reason has been included on Britain’s sanctions list. Under Britain’s newly announced sanctions, these 10 individuals, along with FARAJA, are subject to travel bans and asset freezes. Britain has consistently criticized human rights violations in Iran and recently, alongside its international allies, was among the initiators of a special session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, a meeting that was held on January 23, 2026.
Classified Documents Expose Khamenei’s Direct Orders for January Massacre and IRGC’s ‘Shoot to Kill’ Strategy
In a major press briefing held in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Representative Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI-US) unveiled “highly classified” documents and intelligence obtained from inside the Iranian regime’s inner circles via the network of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
The revelations confirm that the bloody crackdown on the nationwide uprising in January 2026 was not a spontaneous reaction to unrest, but a pre-meditated “military operation” ordered directly by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and executed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with war-like tactics intended to crush the popular uprising at any cost.
Anatomy of the “January Massacre”
The briefing began by providing a panoramic view of the explosive situation in Iran. While the world watched the bloodshed in the streets with shock, the NCRI-US presented evidence proving these actions amount to systematic “crimes against humanity.” Speakers explained that the uprising, sparked in late December by economic collapse, rapidly evolved into a full-scale political revolution demanding the overthrow of the regime. Facing this human tide, the regime adopted a strategic decision for a “maximum security solution,” resulting in the death of over 3,000 protesters and the arrest of more than 50,000 others.The objective of the press conference was twofold: first, to debunk the regime’s official narrative portraying the events as “riots” that were contained; and second, to present irrefutable evidence of the IRGC’s central role, compelling the international community—particularly the U.S. administration—to take decisive action beyond mere verbal condemnation.#IranRevolution2026
— NCRI-U.S. Rep Office (@NCRIUS) February 3, 2026
Soona Samsami (NCRI’s U.S. representative) lays out the policy stakes of Iran’s uprising: protests that began Dec 28, 2025 quickly turned into a nationwide rejection of dictatorship, met by IRGC take-over of repression, internet blackouts, de facto martial… pic.twitter.com/XaLRSCHIvD
“Top Secret” Directives: “Crush Them Without Mercy”
The most critical segment of the conference involved the disclosure of documents classified by the regime as “Top Secret.” According to the resistance officials, the regime’s Supreme National Security Council, under Khamenei’s direct supervision, issued directives to IRGC commanders and State Security Forces days before the protests reached their peak. These orders contained explicit instructions to exercise “no leniency” and to use “lethal force” to end the uprising. The intelligence indicated that Khamenei, sensing an existential threat to his regime, gave the green light for the IRGC to use military-grade weaponry, including snipers and armored vehicles, against unarmed civilians. The documents revealed a contingency plan known as “Neighborhood Security,” which effectively placed major cities, particularly Tehran, under a grid system controlled by Basij militias and the IRGC’s Saberin Special Forces, with clear Rules of Engagement (ROE) to “Shoot to Kill” immediately, without warning shots. This revelation completely dismantles the regime’s claim that casualties were the result of “skirmishes” or “self-defense,” proving instead that the decision to kill was a centralized political order executed in cold blood.The IRGC’s Pivotal Role: A State Within a State
The briefing dedicated significant attention to dissecting the role of the IRGC, emphasizing that it is no longer just a military force, but the de facto ruler of Iran. The command structure managing the crackdown was detailed, showing how IRGC commanders in each province were granted absolute authority by Khamenei to run joint operations rooms comprising the army, police, and intelligence services. The NCRI-US highlighted three key aspects:- Specialized Suppression Units: The deployment of elite IRGC units trained in urban warfare, equipped with heavy weaponry and advanced surveillance gear.
- Information Blackout: The IRGC Intelligence Organization orchestrated the total internet blackout in uprising hotspots (such as Lordegan and Narmak) to facilitate the massacre away from the eyes of the world. The documents confirmed the internet shutdown was part of the pre-planned strategy.
- Secret Detention and Torture: With official prisons overflowing, the IRGC utilized “safe houses,” secret detention centers, and warehouses to interrogate and torture thousands of youth and women.
The Toll of the Crackdown: Facts and Figures
The NCRI-US provided an updated assessment of the casualties, based on its extensive network inside the country:- Over 3,000 Martyrs: The identities of hundreds have been verified, while authorities refuse to release the bodies of many victims, using them to blackmail families financially and politically.
- Targeting Women and Youth: The report highlighted a horrific percentage of victims among women and minors, confirming the indiscriminate and brutal nature of the live fire used.
- Abduction of the Wounded: The IRGC has been snatching injured protesters from hospital beds, forcing thousands to treat their wounds in hiding to avoid arrest.
The Resistance Units: The Alternative Voice
In the face of this brutality, the press briefing highlighted the role of the MEK’s “Resistance Units.” It was noted that these units did not merely document the crimes but played a leading role in organizing the protests and directing public anger toward the regime’s symbols. Speakers emphasized that the continuation of the uprising despite such immense repression proves that the Mullahs’ regime has lost control of the streets and that the “wall of fear” has crumbled. The slogans chanted across Iran—such as “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to the Oppressor, be it the Shah or the Leader”—reflect the political maturity of the Iranian people, who reject a return to any form of dictatorship. The conference also refuted attempts by the regime and certain suspicious actors to promote false alternatives (such as the remnants of the Shah’s regime), reaffirming that the Iranian people aspire to a democratic, secular republic based on the ballot box, as embodied in Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan.Call to Action: No Alternative to Firmness
The NCRI-US concluded the briefing with a direct and urgent message to the U.S. administration, the European Union, and the international community. Resistance representatives asserted that the policy of appeasement or betting on “reform” from within the regime has been proven catastrophically wrong by the blood on the streets. The NCRI-US outlined specific, immediate demands:- Full Terrorist Designation: Commending the European Parliament’s stance and calling for the full implementation of the IRGC’s designation as a Terrorist Organization, including all associated sanctions to paralyze the regime’s financial capabilities.
- Right to Self-Defense: Calling on the international community to recognize the right of the Iranian people and the rebellious youth to defend themselves against the IRGC’s violence.
- Diplomatic Isolation: Expelling the regime’s ambassadors, closing its embassies (which function as hubs for espionage and terror), and holding regime leaders—Khamenei, Raisi, and IRGC commanders—accountable for crimes against humanity.
- Internet Access: Providing technical assistance to the Iranian people to bypass the digital blockade and ensure the free flow of information.
Conclusion: The Regime is Falling
The press briefing concluded that the Mullahs’ regime has entered a point of no return. The January 2026 massacre, while temporarily slowing demonstrations in some areas, has sown seeds of anger that cannot be uprooted. The NCRI-US asserted that the regime is now “weaker than ever before,” sitting atop a volcano, and that the final word belongs to the Iranian people and their organized resistance.Iran’s “No To Executions Tuesdays” Campaign Marks 106th Week
Prisoners and participating prisons in Iran’s “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign, in the one hundred and sixth week of their strike, once again emphasized their legal demands by issuing a statement. Referring to the widespread arrests and threats of execution against detainees of the uprising, the prisoners stressed that these actions by the repressive government constitute state murder and enforced disappearance, and that the main person responsible is the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The full text of the statement by prisoners participating in the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign
More than three weeks after the brutal massacre of people in the streets of Iran and the arrest of tens of thousands of defenseless citizens, large segments of Iranian society remain in complete uncertainty about the fate and condition of their loved ones. These actions by the repressive government constitute state killing and enforced disappearance, and the main person responsible is the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Many detainees are being secretly tried without the right to a fair trial and face the risk of heavy sentences and execution. Security agencies have threatened many independent lawyers, telling them they are not allowed to represent detainees from the January uprising.We, the members of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign, call on all families of detainees and those killed to raise their voices and publicize and publish the names of their loved ones. We also call on all honorable people and human rights, labor, civil, and political activists to be, more than ever, the voice of prisoners and recent detainees. The despotic government is carrying out executions recklessly and hysterically, to the extent that since January 21 it has executed 123 people, and from March 21, 2025, to today it has hung more than 2,350 people. Protests for the rights of the Iranian people and for the thousands of cut-down flowers—girls, boys, and children whose blood was unjustly shed by bullets and axes of the ruling religious fascist repressors—ultimately led to the main perpetrator of these crimes, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), being placed on the European Union’s terrorist list. This is a major step in the struggles of the Iranian people, a demand that has not only been voiced by members of this campaign and all political prisoners, but for many years has been the demand of all freedom-loving and equality-seeking people of Iran. Prisoners participating in the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign are on hunger strike on Tuesday, February 3, in the one hundred and sixth week of the campaign, across 56 prisons throughout the country.UN Human Rights Council Condemns Killing of Thousands of People in Iran #IranProtests #IranRevolution #FreeIran2026 #No2ShahNo2Mullahshttps://t.co/8O6GBGaUka
— Iran Focus (@Iran_Focus) January 24, 2026
Prices of Iranian-Made Vehicles Jump by 50% in Less Than One Year
The suspension of Iran Khodro’s trading symbol (a state-affiliated automobile manufacturer in Iran) on the stock exchange, coinciding with an average 50% increase in domestic car prices, has intensified disputes between automakers and the government over price controls and placed a stagnant market on the verge of a new wave of turbulence.
An examination of domestic vehicle price trends from March 2025 to February 2026 shows that the upward trajectory during this period resulted in an approximately 50% increase in the prices of a significant portion of locally produced cars—an increase that, amid market stagnation, has raised serious questions about its economic rationale and social consequences.
The Crippled Economy of Iran and the Irreversible PathsThis trend ultimately led to an order by the Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade to halt the implementation of the latest announced prices for Iran Khodro products. Jamshid Imani, deputy CEO of Iran Khodro, warned during a news program on Saturday, January 31, 2026, that if the new prices are not approved, the company’s production will be stopped remarks that clearly indicate a deepening rift between policymakers and producers. According to some experts, this very tension and policy uncertainty could once again lead to higher prices for domestically produced cars in the open market—a phenomenon that has previously occurred alongside spikes in the dollar exchange rate, pushing the prices of some mid-range Iran Khodro and SAIPA models above 10 billion rials (approximately $6,250).
iA 50% Rise in Domestic Car Prices in a Stagnant Market
This upward trend is not limited to Iran Khodro. SAIPA, another major state-affiliated automaker in Iran, has also raised the prices of its products several times over the past 11 months. It appears that even an average 50% increase has failed to satisfy the executives of the country’s two largest automakers. Meanwhile, products of Modiran Khodro have also seen significant price hikes, influenced by the conditions facing Iran Khodro and SAIPA.Compensating Accumulated Losses; Price Hikes or a Policy Deadlock?
Domestic automakers have consistently cited rising production costs—particularly higher prices for imported parts due to currency fluctuations—as the main reason for demanding price increases. Executives at these companies believe that price liberalization and the government’s withdrawal from price controls are the only way to rescue Iran Khodro and SAIPA from financial crisis and accumulated losses. In contrast, experts stress that the core of the crisis lies not only in production costs but also in the market’s monopolistic structure and the persistence of accumulated losses. In their view, if the government were to decisively liberalize car imports even for a limited period, current price levels—given the quality and after-sales service of domestic products, which critics say fail to meet even minimal consumer satisfaction—would not be sustainable, and unreasonable increases under stagnant conditions would come to a halt.The Domino Effect of Bankruptcies in Iran’s Banking Network: Only Nine Banks Are Not BankruptRising prices in the currency and gold markets have also fueled the current stagnation in the auto market. A reduced investment-oriented view of cars compared to previous years, a growing consumer preference for used vehicles, and the خروج of part of the auto market’s liquidity toward currency and gold markets have all intensified automakers’ concerns about mounting losses. However, repeating the policy of continually raising official prices—rather than attempting to attract customers through price adjustments and quality improvements—appears less a solution than an insistence on a failed model of loss management, one that could ultimately deepen stagnation and further erode public trust in the automotive industry. Meanwhile, some analysts believe that the government’s decision to liberalize car imports, alongside the removal of preferential exchange rates, has placed automakers on a path toward even greater losses. From this perspective, insistence on engineering prices through repeated official hikes can be seen as a confrontational response to government policies—a response that has already contributed to heightened market volatility. Price fluctuations amid a sharp decline in demand have further highlighted the role of broker networks and the alignment of parts of the informal market with automaker executives; this situation not only fails to contribute to market stability but also deepens the divide between producers, policymakers, and consumers.
Khamenei’s Son Owns Properties Worth 100 million Pounds in North London
The son of Iran’s regime leader has created a global real estate empire with the help of Ali Ansari. Records from the UK Land Registry show that the properties located on Bishops Avenue were all purchased together in 2013 for 73 million pounds
Reports indicate that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s regime leader Ali Khamenei, owns multiple luxury mansions in the United Kingdom worth more than 100 million pounds.
According to the Daily Mail, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, who is considered one of the potential successors to the leader of Iran’s regime, owns 11 properties on Bishops Avenue in the Hampstead area of north London, an extremely affluent street known as Billionaires’ Row.
Mojtaba Khamenei holds these properties through a network of shell companies, one of which is registered in the Isle of Man, a well-known offshore financial jurisdiction. The company Birch Ventures Limited does not list Mojtaba Khamenei as a director or owner, but identifies Ali Ansari, the owner of the now-bankrupt Ayandeh Bank, as the ultimate beneficial owner. Ali Ansari, who is said to have close ties to the Khamenei family, was sanctioned by the UK Treasury in October. He is accused of financing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an entity that has played a role in the killing of protesters during recent nationwide demonstrations, in which thousands of Iranian citizens were killed. The UK Treasury’s sanctions statement did not make any direct reference to a connection between Mojtaba Khamenei and Ali Ansari. Bloomberg News has spoken with sources and reviewed documents linking the London properties to Mojtaba Khamenei, who is said to have built a global real estate empire with the assistance of Ali Ansari. UK Land Registry records show that the properties on Bishops Avenue were all purchased together in 2013 for 73 million pounds and are now estimated to be worth more than 100 million pounds.Khamenei on The January Protests: It Was Like a Coup, But the Coup Was Suppressed https://t.co/9DxPQYe6dh via @Iran_Focus
— Iran Focus (@Iran_Focus) February 1, 2026
