New Restrictions Imposed on the Cryptocurrency Market in IranExodus is a financial technology company incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Since 2016, it has offered the free Exodus Wallet software, which allows users to conduct transactions across various blockchains and use the services of partner digital exchanges, without the company itself holding customers’ digital assets or directly processing transactions. According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department, between October 17, 2017, and January 4, 2019, Exodus’s customer service unit provided technical and support services in 254 instances to users who identified themselves as “residents of Iran.” Based on the statement, this assistance effectively enabled these users to continue using the Exodus wallet or the services of its partner exchanges. The US Treasury Department statement said that in numerous cases, support staff—just as they did with other users—also suggested the use of VPNs to Iranian users. In several instances where users explicitly asked about the impact of US sanctions on their use of Exodus, support services were not discontinued. This is despite the fact that Exodus had stated in its terms of service that the use of its services is prohibited in sanctioned countries, including Iran. However, according to the US Treasury Department, this prohibition was not properly implemented through training and operational controls. The issue became more sensitive when one of Exodus’s partner exchanges, referred to as Exchange A, announced in April 2018 that it would block access for users based in Iran in order to comply with US laws. Iranian users who connected to this exchange through the Exodus wallet encountered errors, and support requests increased. By May 2018, Exodus managers and staff knew that the reason for the blockage was the exchange’s compliance with US sanctions against Iran. Despite this awareness, they continued responding to Iranian users and, in 12 specific cases, knowingly recommended that they use VPNs to conceal their location so the exchange could not detect that they were in Iran. The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department assessed these 12 cases as “egregious” and involving assistance in circumventing sanctions controls. In one example of correspondence cited by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department, an Exodus support representative wrote to an Iranian user on May 20, 2018, that the partner exchange had blocked Iran due to compliance with US laws, but also stated in the same response that some Iranian customers had reported they were still able to trade using VPNs. In another case on May 23 and 24, 2018, the user was first told that trading was not possible due to sanctions, and the next day the same representative recommended changing the IP address via a VPN so that the exchange would not realize the user was in Iran. The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department described this behavior not merely as a technical error, but as a deliberate action to undermine sanctions controls.
US Crypto Firm Exodus Fined $3 Million for Iran Sanctions Violations
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a sanctions enforcement body under the US Treasury Department, announced that the American cryptocurrency company Exodus was ordered to pay more than 3 million dollars in fines for providing services to customers in Iran.
According to this US Treasury Department body, Exodus violated US sanctions by helping users in Iran access third-party exchanges and by recommending the use of VPNs to conceal their geographic location.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department announced in a detailed statement on Tuesday, December 16, that it had reached a settlement with Exodus Movement, Inc. for the payment of 3,103,360 dollars to resolve the company’s potential civil liability for 254 violations of Iran-related sanctions.
Three American Companies Accused of Exporting Components Used in Iranian and Russian Drones
A law firm in the US state of Texas has filed a lawsuit against Texas Instruments, AMD, and Intel, accusing these companies of illegally exporting electronic components—parts that, according to the plaintiffs, were used in drones and missiles deployed by Russia and Iran against Ukrainian civilians.
The news website Wattstrialfirm wrote in a report that according to the text of the complaint filed in a Texas state court, the American companies Texas Instruments, AMD, and Intel are accused of failing to prevent their chips and microprocessors from being transferred to Russian and Iranian weapons systems.
U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Iran’s Drone Supply NetworkAccording to the outlet, the plaintiffs—who are victims of drone and missile attacks—said they have lost family members or suffered severe physical and psychological injuries. The lawsuit states that these components, including those used in Shahed drones, were employed in areas such as flight control systems, navigation, and counter-jamming, and played an effective role in attacks on residential areas and Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The local newspaper Glos Wielkopolski reported on September 13 that the Polish company “WSK Poznan” sold components to Iran that were used in the production of Shahed-136 suicide drones—drones that were recently used in Russian attacks against Poland. The case was first exposed by an investigative journalist from Radio “ZET.” He reported that fuel pumps exported directly from the Polish factory ultimately ended up in the production line of Iranian drones.
Efforts to prevent the transfer of sensitive technologies
The plaintiffs’ lawyers said that despite repeated warnings from government bodies, media reports, and independent investigations, these companies continued selling their products through channels that posed the risk of transfer to Russia, Iran, and China. According to the report, the filed lawsuit has four main pillars: negligence, violation of US export control laws, gross negligence, and wrongful death. The complaint emphasizes that US export control laws and executive orders issued by former and current presidents were enacted precisely to prevent sensitive technologies from reaching hostile actors, and that violations of these laws have directly led to the killing of civilians. The US Department of Justice announced on September 12 that it had filed a complaint to seize approximately 584,000 dollars in Tether cryptocurrency linked to Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, a 39-year-old Iranian national and CEO of the company “Sanat Danesh Rahpouyan Aflak,” due to his role in connection with the IRGC’s drone program. US prosecutors in Massachusetts stated that the Iranian company produced “Sepehr” navigation systems for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and that this technology was used in drones and guided missiles.Seventy percent of Russian drone components are American-made
The lawsuit also refers to reports published by institutions such as the United States Institute of Peace, the PBS network, the Kyiv School of Economics, and the Institute for Science and International Security, showing that a large portion of the components found in Russian drones and missiles were manufactured by American companies. One of these reports states that about 70% of the components identified in Russian drones were supplied by American companies. The plaintiffs said that despite being aware of the risk of misuse of their products, these companies failed to adopt effective measures to control their supply chains and continued cooperating with high-risk distributors. They are seeking compensation as well as punitive rulings, which they say are intended to prevent the recurrence of such cases in the future. Following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, “Shahed” suicide drones manufactured by Iran’s regime have played a prominent role in the war. Russian forces have deployed thousands of these drones—also known by local names such as “Geran-2”—to carry out repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, urban areas, and military targets, aiming to strain the country’s air defense systems and intensify the burden of war, a move that has drawn criticism from Kyiv and the West and led to sanctions and calls for international investigations.Iranian boxing champion Mohammad Javad Vafaei faces imminent execution as regime accelerates crackdown
The life of political prisoner and national boxing champion Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani is in grave danger following a series of alarming developments in Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison. On December 15, 2025, authorities notified the 30-year-old athlete that the regime’s Supreme Court had rejected his request for a retrial. In a move that typically signals the final administrative step before a state-sanctioned murder, prison officials informed his mother during a phone call that his death sentence has been forwarded to the department for the implementation of sentences.
The urgency of the situation was underscored when Vafaei’s mother was unexpectedly granted an in-person visit with her son on the same day. These bureaucratic maneuvers follow a week of intensified pressure; on December 6, 2025, Vafaei was transferred to solitary confinement, and all communication lines to the prison were severed. These actions are widely interpreted as a clear and final prelude to his execution.
A travesty of justice controlled by intelligence services
Vafaei’s case stands as a stark example of how the Iranian judiciary functions not as an impartial arbiter of law, but as a repressive arm of the security apparatus. A boxing champion and coach in Mashhad, Vafaei was arrested in January 2020 following nationwide protests. He was subjected to 65 days of intense physical and psychological torture aimed at extracting forced confessions regarding his support for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The legal proceedings against him have been riddled with such blatant flaws that even the regime’s own Supreme Court was compelled to overturn his death sentence on two separate occasions—first in late 2022 and again in mid-2024. However, demonstrating the judiciary’s subservience to the Ministry of Intelligence, the sentence has now been upheld again. Vafaei’s lawyer has publicly attributed this reversal to the “interference of third parties,” a euphemism for the security services’ insistence on securing a political execution regardless of the lack of legal merit.Psychological torture and systematic cruelty
The regime’s vindictiveness extends beyond the prison walls, targeting the families of political prisoners in a campaign of psychological warfare. Vafaei was consistently denied medical leave and was cruelly barred from attending the funeral of his father, Mr. Seyed Ali Vafaei, who passed away in November 2024. His father’s health had deteriorated rapidly due to the immense grief caused by the confirmation of his son’s death sentence. This inhumanity is systemic. On August 29, 2025, Mr. Valiollah Daneshvar Kar, who had campaigned on the streets for his imprisoned son Shahrokh despite his own illness, passed away. Shahrokh was denied permission to attend the funeral. Similarly, in January 2025, Khamenei’s henchmen prevented political prisoner Marzieh Farsi from attending the funeral of her mother, Mrs. Khadijeh Farsi.A broader campaign of terror
The push to execute Vafaei is not an isolated incident but part of a systematic campaign to intimidate a society on the verge of change. He is one of at least 18 political prisoners currently on death row for their support of the PMOI. This list includes his own cousin, Mehdi Vafaei, who faces fabricated capital charges. This escalation follows the July execution of PMOI members Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani. Regime officials are increasingly hinting at repeating the “successful experience” of the 1988 massacre, during which over 30,000 political prisoners were executed, as a model for dealing with current dissent. The Iranian Resistance has called on the United Nations, the European Union, and all human rights defenders to take urgent, concrete action. Mere condemnation is insufficient to stop a regime that views execution as a necessary tool for survival. Iranian Boxing Champion Mohammad Javad Vafaei Faces Imminent Execution as Regime Accelerates Crackdown The political prisoner and national athlete is at risk of execution following intensified repression by Iranian authorities, raising urgent international human rights concerns. The life of political prisoner and national boxing champion Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani is in grave danger following a series of alarming developments in Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison. On December 15, 2025, authorities notified the 30-year-old athlete that the regime’s Supreme Court had rejected his request for a retrial. In a move that typically signals the final administrative step before a state-sanctioned murder, prison officials informed his mother during a phone call that his death sentence has been forwarded to the department for the implementation of sentences. The urgency of the situation was underscored when Vafaei’s mother was unexpectedly granted an in-person visit with her son on the same day. These bureaucratic maneuvers follow a week of intensified pressure; on December 6, 2025, Vafaei was transferred to solitary confinement, and all communication lines to the prison were severed. These actions are widely interpreted as a clear and final prelude to his execution. A Travesty of Justice Controlled by Intelligence Services Vafaei’s case stands as a stark example of how the Iranian judiciary functions not as an impartial arbiter of law, but as a repressive arm of the security apparatus. A boxing champion and coach in Mashhad, Vafaei was arrested in January 2020 following nationwide protests. He was subjected to 65 days of intense physical and psychological torture aimed at extracting forced confessions regarding his support for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The legal proceedings against him have been riddled with such blatant flaws that even the regime’s own Supreme Court was compelled to overturn his death sentence on two separate occasions—first in late 2022 and again in mid-2024. However, demonstrating the judiciary’s subservience to the Ministry of Intelligence, the sentence has now been upheld again. Vafaei’s lawyer has publicly attributed this reversal to the “interference of third parties,” a euphemism for the security services’ insistence on securing a political execution regardless of the lack of legal merit. Psychological Torture and Systematic Cruelty The regime’s vindictiveness extends beyond the prison walls, targeting the families of political prisoners in a campaign of psychological warfare. Vafaei was consistently denied medical leave and was cruelly barred from attending the funeral of his father, Mr. Seyed Ali Vafaei, who passed away in November 2024. His father’s health had deteriorated rapidly due to the immense grief caused by the confirmation of his son’s death sentence. This inhumanity is systemic. On August 29, 2025, Mr. Valiollah Daneshvar Kar, who had campaigned on the streets for his imprisoned son Shahrokh despite his own illness, passed away. Shahrokh was denied permission to attend the funeral. Similarly, in January 2025, Khamenei’s henchmen prevented political prisoner Marzieh Farsi from attending the funeral of her mother, Mrs. Khadijeh Farsi. A Broader Campaign of Terror The push to execute Vafaei is not an isolated incident but part of a systematic campaign to intimidate a society on the verge of change. He is one of at least 18 political prisoners currently on death row for their support of the PMOI. This list includes his own cousin, Mehdi Vafaei, who faces fabricated capital charges. This escalation follows the July execution of PMOI members Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani. Regime officials are increasingly hinting at repeating the “successful experience” of the 1988 massacre, during which over 30,000 political prisoners were executed, as a model for dealing with current dissent. The Iranian Resistance has called on the United Nations, the European Union, and all human rights defenders to take urgent, concrete action. Mere condemnation is insufficient to stop a regime that views execution as a necessary tool for survival.Political Prisoners in Critical Conditions in the Women’s Ward of Iran’s Evin Prison
Women political prisoners held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison are spending late autumn 2025 under conditions that, according to received reports, involve widespread deprivation of the most basic sanitary, welfare, and medical facilities. This alarming situation continues while repeated warnings by prisoners and their families have so far been met with no effective or lasting action by prison authorities.
In the early hours of October 9, dozens of women political prisoners were transferred from Qarchak Prison in Varamin to the women’s ward of Evin Prison. This transfer, which was initially carried out with promises of improved conditions, has in practice led to an intensification of problems and additional pressure on these prisoners. According to informed sources, conditions in the women’s ward of Evin Prison are not only no better than Qarchak, but in some cases are reported to be far worse.
“Pay for Treatment” in Iran’s Notorious Qarchak Prison
Severe contamination in the women’s ward; rats and vermin
According to available information, around 60 women political prisoners are currently being held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison. Prisoners say that the corridors and rooms of the ward are severely contaminated and that the widespread presence of rats and vermin has become a permanent problem. According to them, the number of rats in the ward has reached about 100 and continues to increase. Despite these conditions, no effective measures such as pest control, cleaning, or improvements to sanitary conditions have been taken by prison authorities. This negligence has increased the risk of infectious disease outbreaks and serious physical harm to prisoners.Permanent locking of wards and severe restrictions on outdoor time
Another serious problem faced by women political prisoners is the severe restriction on movement and access to outdoor time. Reports indicate that ward doors are often kept continuously locked, confining prisoners to enclosed spaces for long hours. This situation, especially for elderly and ill prisoners, has serious physical and psychological consequences and has exacerbated their chronic illnesses.Deprivation of medical care and medical transfers
Women political prisoners in the women’s ward of Evin Prison are also deprived of minimum medical services. Access to specialist doctors, essential medications, and transfers to hospitals outside prison has been severely restricted, and in many cases prisoners’ medical requests are ignored. This deprivation places the lives of prisoners suffering from serious illnesses at direct risk.Critical situation of elderly and ill women
The harsh conditions in the women’s ward of Evin Prison are reported to be far more severe for elderly and ill prisoners. These individuals endure difficult days without access to specialized medical care or supportive facilities, a situation that has greatly heightened the concerns of families and human rights activists.At Least 66 Fuel Porters Killed in Road Accidents in Iran in 9 Months
According to media reports, over the past nearly nine months, at least 66 fuel porters have lost their lives in road accidents in Iran. A large portion of these fatalities occurred on roads in the southern part of Sistan and Baluchestan province.
The state-run Ham-Mihan newspaper reported in its Sunday, December 14 issue that from the beginning of Persian months of Farvardin until mid-Azar of the current year (from March 20 to early December), the identities and deaths of 62 fuel porters on roads in southern Sistan and Baluchestan were recorded, nine of whom were teenagers.
According to Ham-Mihan, these figures do not include fuel porters traveling on roads in southern Kerman, Minab, Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, and other roads in southeastern Iranian provinces, and when these cases are included, the death toll in less than nine months reaches at least 66 people.
Gasoline Price Increase Begins Across IranHam-Mihan cited “widespread school dropout” in Sistan and Baluchestan province as one of the factors contributing to the spread of fuel portering, writing that in some villages, teenagers enter fuel portering from the ages of 12 to 14. Citizens in Baluch-populated regions of Iran have for years been forced into fuel portering due to the collapse of agriculture, economic poverty, widespread unemployment, and the lack of job opportunities. This is a high-risk occupation that exposes them to shootings, chases, and deadly road accidents. The state-run Mehr news agency wrote on December 7 that following a collision between a fuel-carrying vehicle and a passenger car on a road in Kerman, 13 members of a fuel-porter family lost their lives. Danesh Dadollahzehi, a secretary and social activist in Iranshahr, told Ham-Mihan newspaper that the primary reason children, teenagers, and young people turn to fuel portering is that the job is very accessible to them and the fuel price difference between Iran and Pakistan is very large. He continued by saying that one of the main problems is the devaluation of the national currency: “That child who does fuel portering says, I spend one week, prepare a load of diesel, and earn 200 million rials. Some people take the load directly to the border, and others transport it over shorter distances and deliver it to depots.” The social activist added: “Whereas a civil servant with a master’s degree and an official job, with experience like mine—19 years—earns about 250 million rials (approximately 195 dollars). That child says if I become a clerk or laborer, I will earn 190 to 200 million rials per month (approximately 150 to 156 dollars), while on the other hand I can earn 800 to 1,000 million rials per month (approximately 625 to 780 dollars); for this reason, he accepts that risk.”
12 million Liters of Fuel Smuggled Out of Iran Every DayHam-Mihan also pointed to the dangers posed by fuel-carrying vehicles for other citizens and reported accidents in which, in addition to fuel porters, occupants of other vehicles have also lost their lives. On November 9 as well, following a collision and fire involving two fuel-carrying vehicles on the Sarbaz–Mehrestan route, at least four Baluch citizens, including one teenager, lost their lives. The Baluch Activists Campaign reported in March 2025 that over the past seven years, at least 1,010 fuel porters in Baluch-populated areas of Iran have been killed or injured as a result of shootings by military forces or their pursuits.
Iran Marks 99th Week of ‘No To Executions Tuesdays’ Campaign in 55 Prisons Nationwide
The ninety-ninth week of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign continues with hunger strikes by prisoners in 55 different prisons across Iran. In this week’s statement, the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign, referring to the rising number of executions, states:
“The oppressive government ruling Iran has intensified the pace of executions over the past week and has executed at least 67 individuals, and since November 22 it has sent nearly 271 people to the gallows.
“These executions are carried out without fair trials, without effective access to independent lawyers, and in media silence; a process that indicates the institutionalization of execution as a tool of political and social repression.”
The full text of the statement for the ninety-ninth week of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign is as follows:
Continuation of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign in its ninety-ninth week in 55 different prisons
This week, the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign coincides with the International Day of “Reconciliation,” a day that globally symbolizes an end to violence. But in Iran, the authoritarian Iranian regime continues at a terrifying pace to replace justice and dialogue with the noose. Reconciliation is not possible without truth and justice, and execution negates justice and absolutely denies any possibility of social reconciliation. This campaign has now continued for ninety-nine tireless weeks in 55 prisons across the country; a collective effort from inside prisons to defend the “right to life” and confront the policy of death. The oppressive government ruling Iran has intensified executions over the past week and has executed at least 67 individuals, and since November 22 it has sent nearly 271 people to the gallows. These executions are carried out without fair trials, without effective access to independent lawyers, and in media silence; a process that demonstrates the institutionalization of execution as a tool of political and social repression. This week, Ramin Zelleh, a political prisoner held in Naqadeh Prison, was sentenced to death by Branch One of the Revolutionary Court in Mahabad on the charge of “baghi” (armed rebellion against the state).Kurdish Political Prisoner Sentenced to Death After Minutes-Long TrialAlso in the past week, the death sentences of six political prisoners held in Ghezel Hesar Prison and members of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign—Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi, Vahid Bani Amerian, Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvar Kar, Mohammad Taghavi, and Abolhassan Montazer—were once again issued by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Ehsan Rostami, a well-known activist in the field of books and publishing, was charged with “baghi” on December 11 and transferred to solitary confinement in Evin Prison; a move that increases the risk of intensified pressure and the issuance of a death sentence. Continuing these repressions, the Iranian regime arrested a number of participants at the memorial ceremony for the late Khosrow Alikordi. This action is a continuation of the same policy of elimination and intimidation of society.
Suspicious Death of Lawyer Representing Protesters in IranWhile condemning these repressions and the rapid executions carried out by the execution-oriented ruling authorities, the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign calls on the honorable people of Iran, awakened consciences, and international human rights organizations to be the voice of prisoners sentenced to death, to republish and follow up on their cases, and to provide practical and media support to their families. In the ninety-ninth week, the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign participants are on hunger strike on Tuesday, December 16, in 55 prisons across Iran.
Iran’s Pharmaceutical And Infant Formula Reserves Will Last Less Than Two Months
Two members of the board of directors of the Iranian regime’s Pharmacists Association warned about the consequences of removing subsidized foreign currency for some imported medicines, the economic pressure on patients, and the inefficiency of the insurance system. According to one of them, Iran’s reserves of medicines and infant formula have fallen to less than two months, and there is a possibility of shortages of 800 types of medicines over the next three months.
Hadi Ahmadi, a member of the board of directors of the Iranian regime’s Pharmacists Association, said on Sunday, December 14, in comments to the state-run ILNA news agency, that the country’s pharmaceutical market is unstable, noting that the exchange rate rises on a daily basis and this situation directly affects medicine prices.
Stocks of Hundreds of Medicines in Iran Have Fallen Below Three MonthsAccording to him, although part of pharmaceutical raw materials is supplied with subsidized currency, about 70% of drug production costs consist of packaging, auxiliary items, and other requirements that follow the free-market exchange rate, and only 30% is allocated to raw materials. Warning about the decline in citizens’ purchasing power, Ahmadi added that many patients face higher prices when visiting pharmacies and therefore either buy incomplete courses of medicine or forgo purchasing them altogether. This guild official stressed that the current situation disrupts treatment processes and ultimately increases healthcare costs. Widespread medicine shortages, long queues, and relentless price increases in Iran have created serious difficulties for the lives of millions of patients. In recent weeks, numerous reports have been published about the decline in the country’s pharmaceutical reserves and the consequences of removing subsidized currency on medicine supply. Younes Arab, chief executive of the Iran Thalassemia Association, said on December 10 that some families even offer the “sale of a kidney or cornea” to buy medicine for their children.
How Iran’s Government Controls Drug Trafficking and the Counterfeit Drug MafiaThe state-run Tejarat News website also reported that rising healthcare costs for women have led to delays in vital health care, noting that the cost of painkillers and essential tests for many women—especially in the absence of adequate insurance coverage—has postponed critical medical care. In the continuation of his interview with ILNA, Ahmadi accused insurance companies of failing to fulfill their obligations and said that under these conditions the greatest pressure falls on patients. This member of the Pharmacists Association’s board also reported an intensification of medicine shortages, adding that some pharmaceutical items are either scarce or distributed on a rationed basis. He cited the drug Pearl as an example, saying that despite domestic production it is either unavailable on the market or difficult to access. Common and widely used medicines such as Prednisolone have also faced shortages.
Shortage of about 800 types of medicines in the next three months
Babak Mesbahi, a member of the board of directors of the Iranian regime’s Pharmacists Association, emphasized in an interview on December 14 with DidbanIran, a news website, that the problems of the pharmaceutical market are not limited solely to rising exchange rates. He said that in past experiences, increases in the exchange rate have merely led to higher debts for distribution companies and liquidity shortages in pharmaceutical factories. Pointing to the role of insurance companies, this guild official warned that even if medicine prices are adjusted, if insurers do not cover the increases, “the system will once again become disrupted.” He added that responsibility for the financial protection of patients lies with insurance companies, and that forcibly keeping medicine prices low without supplying other components of the chain has weakened the pharmaceutical industry. Mohammad Abdehzadeh, head of the Health Economy Commission of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, said on December 10 that the total claims of pharmaceutical companies from public and private companies and pharmacies in both sectors have exceeded 1.5 quadrillion rials (approximately 1.171 billion dollars). Alireza Chizari, head of the Association of Producers, Suppliers, Distributors, and Exporters of Medical and Pharmaceutical Equipment of Tehran Province, also reported on December 13 a “sevenfold surge” in medicine prices in Iran since the removal of subsidized currency for medicines. Continuing his interview with DidbanIran, Mesbahi said that the country’s pharmaceutical reserves average less than two months, and that similar conditions exist regarding infant formula. According to him, about 800 types of medicines will face shortages over the next three months.IAEA Resumes Inspections in Iran but Lacks Access to Key Facilities
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced that the agency’s inspections in Iran have resumed, but inspectors still do not have access to the key nuclear facilities of Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
These key facilities suffered serious damage in U.S. strikes during the 12-day war.
Grossi said in an interview with Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency on Monday, December 15, that the agency’s activities in Iran are very limited and inspectors only have access to facilities that were not targeted by U.S. and Israeli attacks.
Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister of Iran’s regime, had said on December 8 that resuming the agency’s inspections is currently not possible because “there is no protocol or guideline” for inspecting facilities he described as “peaceful.”
What Did Grossi Achieve During His Visit to Tehran?However, in the interview with RIA Novosti, Grossi stated that inspections of those Iranian nuclear facilities that are on the list agreed upon by Tehran and the agency have resumed, and that this is of great importance to the IAEA. He added that it is obvious that Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan are of greater importance, as they still contain significant amounts of nuclear material and equipment, and the agency must gain access to them. On the other hand, Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran’s regime, on December 15 criticized the positions of the international agency and once again opposed inspections by the IAEA of key nuclear sites in Iran. He added: “There must be a protocol for the agency to inspect nuclear centers that were attacked in order for permission to be granted. An agency that has neither condemned the attacks nor has guidelines for such conditions has no right to claim inspections.” Eslami continued: “That the [agency], under pressure from three European countries, the United States, and Israel, puts pressure on us is not important to us and has no effect.” On December 13, the IAEA director general reported efforts to find a “sustainable solution” to Tehran’s nuclear file and said the Iranian regime’s stockpile of 400 kilograms of 60%-enriched uranium remains intact. Grossi had previously confirmed that Tehran still has the capacity to build a nuclear weapon. On May 31, before the war, the International Atomic Energy Agency stated in a confidential report that Iran had carried out clandestine nuclear activities at three sites that have long been under investigation. In recent days, speculation about the future of Tehran’s nuclear program has increased, and the Iranian regime’s insistence on continuing it has heightened the likelihood of a reaction from the international community, particularly the United States, Israel, and the European troika. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 12 during a meeting with Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran’s regime, in Turkmenistan that Moscow will continue to support Iran’s regime on the nuclear file. The Al-Monitor website reported on December 7, citing European diplomats, that Israel is likely to carry out another military attack on the Iranian regime in 2026 even without the approval of the Donald Trump administration.
Teachers, Retirees, And Workers Hold Protest Rallies in Cities Across Iran
Groups of teachers in Tehran, workers of the Mian-Ab agro-industrial complex, bakers in Ahvaz, workers of the Zareh-Shuran mine, dismissed workers of the Koushkan transformer manufacturing company, workers of the Pasargad Alloy Steel Complex, and retirees of the Social Security Organization and the steel industry held protest gatherings in various cities across Iran.
A group of those who passed the 2025 Ministry of Education recruitment exam—commonly referred to as “green scorecard” candidates—held a protest gathering in Tehran on Sunday, December 14.
Workers And Nurses Hold Protest Rallies in Cities Across IranParticipants in the protest traveled from across Iran to gather in Tehran in front of the Ministry of Education building to protest the lack of response to their demands. During the gathering, they addressed officials of the Ministry of Education and chanted protest slogans. At the same time, workers of the Mian-Ab agro-industrial complex in the Karkheh area of Khuzestan province entered the tenth day of their protest gatherings on Sunday, December 14, and went on strike. On the tenth day of their protests, the workers criticized the production situation at the factory and, in comments to the state-run ILNA news agency, called for the removal of the factory’s management. One worker said that “weak management and non-transparent decisions” over the past two years have caused a serious decline in the profitability of the production unit, creating widespread concern among employees. A group of bakers in Ahvaz also gathered in front of the Khuzestan governor’s office on Sunday, December 14, and after chanting slogans, entered the building. The Ahvaz bakers cited “reduced flour quotas and the failure to pay bakery subsidies” as the reasons for their protest. Participants in the gathering chanted slogans including “Empty promises are enough; our tables are empty,” demanding immediate attention to their demands. In recent weeks, bakers in Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Qom, Kermanshah, Birjand, and several other cities had also staged protests over their conditions and the non-payment of bread subsidies. A group of dismissed workers from the Koushkan transformer manufacturing company in Zanjan also held a protest on Sunday, December 14, in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Energy, demanding that their grievances be addressed. Previously, dismissed workers of this industrial unit had held protest gatherings over the non-renewal of their employment contracts after years of service. Workers of the Pasargad Alloy Steel Complex in Fars province went on strike for the second consecutive day on Sunday, December 14. As labor protests in industrial units continued, a video received by Iran International shows that a group of workers at the Khusf cast iron factory in South Khorasan province also held a protest over the lack of transportation services and the death of their colleagues in a road accident. Alongside these protests, retiree gatherings continued in several cities.
Retiree protests
Retirees of the Social Security Organization held protest gatherings on Sunday, December 14, in various cities including Rasht, Shush, Karkheh, Haft-Tappeh, and Kermanshah. The state-run ILNA news agency wrote: “These retirees are demanding the implementation of Article 96 of the Social Security Law, an increase in pensions in line with the poverty line, access to free healthcare, and the payment of workers’ year-end bonuses.” Social Security retirees in Rasht chanted slogans such as “Imprisoned protesters must be freed,” “No to execution, no to execution, no, no, no,” and “Inflation, inflation, theft from people’s pockets.” Retirees of the Steel Fund in Isfahan also protested the failure to fulfill their demands regarding healthcare and pensions. ILNA, quoting retiree news sources, wrote that these protests mainly involved demands such as “the failure to properly adjust salaries,” “delays in resolving healthcare problems of retirees in hard and hazardous jobs,” and “opposition to the merger of the Steel Fund with the National Pension Fund,” among others. Social Security retirees in Kermanshah and Shush, along with retirees of the steel industry in Isfahan, chanted slogans such as “Austerity and restraint imposed on the nation” and “Unity, unity, against oppression and corruption.” In recent years, retirees, workers, and pensioners have repeatedly held protests and marches in various Iranian cities over the failure to meet their demands. The living conditions of these groups have led to a significant increase in the number of labor protests and gatherings. The human rights website HRANA wrote in a report on March 19 that in 2024, at least 3,702 protests and strikes took place across various sectors of the country.Workers And Nurses Hold Protest Rallies in Cities Across Iran
Simultaneously with labor and professional protests in three Iranian cities, four worker and retiree organizations issued a statement supporting the demands of thousands of workers at the South Pars gas refineries and third-party contract workers over the past week.
Hundreds of workers at the “Pasargad Steel” factory in Kavar County, Fars Province, went on strike and gathered in front of the factory entrance on Saturday, December 13.
According to the state-run ILNA news agency, they protested their “low” wages and benefits and said: “Our livelihood is not being provided.”
5,000 Contract Workers Participate in Largest Union Protest in Iran in Recent YearsAccording to the report, “reviewing the wage structure, paying attention to meritocracy in appointing managers, and addressing concerns about discrimination” were among the demands of the Pasargad Steel workers. During the gathering, they held placards reading, among other slogans: “The knife has reached the bone,” “How long injustice and the pain of bread,” and “Workers are awake – they hate exploitation.” ILNA wrote that Behnam Nahid, the governor of Kavar, told media outlets: “The workers of this factory do not have overdue wages, and their demands relate to some benefits that were paid to them in addition to their salaries.” He attributed the delay in paying benefits and bonuses to the factory’s “electricity imbalance.” In recent years, labor protests in various regions of Iran have shown an upward trend. In their strikes and gatherings, workers have protested low wages, non-payment of wages and insurance, privatization, layoffs, and temporary employment contracts.
