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Iran’s Regime Is Rebuilding Its Axis of Influence in the Region

Esmaeil Mohades
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Iran’s Regime Is Rebuilding Its Axis of Influence in the Region

The British newspaper The Sun quoted Israeli intelligence experts reporting that the Iranian regime is working to rearm Hamas and rebuild its regional axis of influence. The newspaper added that this move could be a prelude to a new round of conflict with Israel.

Raz Zimmt, a former officer of Israeli military intelligence, said that Tehran, after the weakening of its proxy forces in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, is trying to use the current opportunity to rebuild its power and “is more determined than ever to create a nuclear weapon.”

Zimmt, referring to the comments made by Ali Akbar Velayati, advisor to the Iranian regime’s supreme leader, about the possibility of renewed conflict, warned that despite suffering heavy losses during the twelve-day war, Iran has found greater motivation to pursue nuclear weapons.

Hezbollah Secretly Rebuilding Itself with Help from Iran’s Regime

On October 9, Velayati wrote on the social media platform X: “The start of the ceasefire in Gaza may be the behind-the-scenes end of the ceasefire somewhere else.”

He referred to the countries “Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon.”

U.S. President Donald Trump, in response to Hamas’s threats, said that if the group refuses to disarm, the United States “will disarm them swiftly and severely.”

According to Trump’s twenty-point peace plan, Hamas must hand over all its weapons for the Gaza agreement to be implemented.

Zimmt emphasized: “Israel should be aware of the fact that Hamas is down but not out. So, I think it should be considered by Israel as a temporary situation.”

Following the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas, the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement supporting the accord, saying that Tehran has always supported any action or initiative that ensures an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the delivery of humanitarian aid, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and the restoration of Palestinian rights.

However, experts believe that the Iranian regime’s role in supporting armed groups and Israel’s reaction to any potential threat from Iran could determine the future political and security landscape of the region.

The Iranian regime’s effort to rebuild Hezbollah

The French daily Le Figaro also reported on Hezbollah’s covert efforts to rebuild itself, writing that although the group has agreed to disarm in southern Lebanon, it continues to hold weapons in other areas under its influence and, with the help of Iranian regime operatives and extensive internal restructuring, is secretly rebuilding its organization.

According to the report, about two weeks later, Iranian regime forces led by Esmail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), intervened and rebuilt Hezbollah’s military structure within ten days, though the group’s political leadership remained vacant.

Retired Oil Industry and Social Security Workers Hold Protest Gatherings in Several Iranian Cities

Hoshang Amiri
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Retired Oil Industry and Social Security Workers Hold Protest Gatherings in Several Iranian Cities

As the Iranian regime continues to fail in addressing retirees’ demands, a group of retired oil industry workers held a protest in front of the Ministry of Oil building in Tehran. At the same time, groups of retired steel industry workers in Isfahan and Social Security retirees in several other cities also staged demonstrations.

On Sunday, October 19, oil industry retirees gathered to protest the incomplete implementation of the pension equalization plan, the failure to fully pay retirement bonuses, and the privatization of health and medical services.

The retirees addressed Mohsen Paknejad, the Iranian regime’s oil minister, chanting slogans such as “Incompetent minister / resign, resign,” demanding his resignation.

Some protesters also chanted slogans such as “Workers and retirees / unity, unity,” “Retirees’ pensions only lasts one week,” “Never to humiliation,” and “The retiree’s refrigerator is emptier than before.”

Strikes and Labor Protests Held in Several Iranian Cities

In recent years, retired oil industry workers have repeatedly gathered in front of the Ministry of Oil, holding placards and banners to demand solutions to their healthcare, livelihood, and professional problems.

Gathering of steel industry and Social Security retirees

On October 19, a group of retired steel industry workers in Isfahan held a protest rally and march in the city, chanting slogans such as “Wealthy country / what has become of you?”

At the same time, groups of Social Security retirees held protest gatherings in cities including Ahvaz, Shush, Rasht, and Kermanshah.

According to videos shared on social media, some retirees in Shush chanted slogans such as “Our enemy is right here / they lie it’s America.”

The state-run ILNA news agency reported that the Social Security retirees’ demands included free healthcare as stipulated in Article 54 of the Social Security Law, pension adjustments based on Article 96 of the same law, and the right to a decent standard of living.

ILNA added that the protesters stressed that Social Security “belongs to the insured” and that its “independence and capability” must be preserved.

In another report, ILNA wrote that on October 19, bakers in Tehran held a protest in front of the capital’s Bakers’ Union over the non-payment of bread subsidies.

According to the report, a day earlier, bakers in Mashhad had also held a protest against the non-allocation of bread subsidies.

In recent years, retirees and workers across various cities in Iran have repeatedly held protests and marches over the regime’s failure to meet their demands.

The deteriorating living conditions of workers, retirees, and pensioners have led to a sharp increase in the number of their protests in recent years.

Hezbollah Secretly Rebuilding Itself with Help from Iran’s Regime

Mehdi Hosseini
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Hezbollah Secretly Rebuilding Itself with Help from Iran’s Regime

The French newspaper Le Figaro reported on Hezbollah’s covert efforts to rebuild itself, writing that although the group has agreed to disarm in southern Lebanon, it still holds weapons in other areas under its influence and, with the help of agents from Iran’s regime and extensive internal restructuring, is secretly rebuilding its organization.

A Hezbollah member told Le Figaro that after the death of Hassan Nasrallah, for ten days no one answered the phones. We were like a body in a coma. Only the southern units continued operating under the emergency protocol established for the leader’s disappearance.

Iran’s Weapons Route Obliterated, Hezbollah Leader Admits

According to the report, about two weeks later, forces from Iran’s regime led by Esmail Qaani, the commander of the IRGC Quds Force, intervened and rebuilt Hezbollah’s military structure within ten days, although the group’s political leadership remained vacant.

Based on Le Figaro’s investigation, around 1,200 Hezbollah fighters were killed during this period. The group’s new structure has been formed under high secrecy, relying on a younger and more dynamic generation.

Ali Fayad, a member of the Lebanese Parliament, told the newspaper that today they have a new military structure that is highly secretive. The chain of command has been shortened, and no one knows who is responsible for what.

The newspaper also reported that despite maintaining its weapons depots in the Beqaa Valley and north of the Litani River, Hezbollah has decided not to intervene in the event of an attack on Iran. Meanwhile, Israeli drones continue to fly over Lebanon’s border regions, and many southern villages, including Naqoura and Alma al-Shaab, remain in complete ruins.

Despite more than 1,500 ceasefire violations and around 300 deaths in Lebanon, Hezbollah has so far not launched a military response to Israeli attacks. Its only action has been to pay about $12,000 to rebuild destroyed homes. However, the financial crisis caused by the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has strained Hezbollah’s funding sources.

Le Figaro also discussed internal criticism of Nasrallah’s leadership, noting that his critics accuse him of entering the war in solidarity with Hamas but acting too cautiously.

The newspaper emphasizes that despite its military weakening, Hezbollah still maintains significant influence in Lebanon’s political structure, holding 27 seats in parliament and retaining broad support among the Shiite population.

A Lebanese diplomat told Le Figaro that Hezbollah is no longer an immediate threat to Israel, but it remains powerful within Lebanon.

A Western intelligence source, speaking about the group’s covert activities, said that they crawl like a snake in the dark. They have not disappeared — they are just waiting for the right moment.

In conclusion, Le Figaro wrote that despite its weakening, Hezbollah remains standing and is rebuilding its command structure while maintaining its popular base.

Iran’s Execution Crisis: 1,500 Death Row Prisoners Defy Regime in Sixth Day of Hunger Strike

Esmaeil Mohades
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Iran’s Execution Crisis: 1,500 Death Row Prisoners Defy Regime in Sixth Day of Hunger Strike

The Defiant Hunger Strike Unfolds

In the shadow of Tehran’s sprawling prisons, a desperate cry for life echoes louder today: over 1,500 death-row inmates at Qezel Hesar Prison have entered the sixth day of a mass hunger strike, protesting the Iranian regime’s relentless execution machine. Launched on October 12, 2025, this unprecedented act of defiance— the largest collective protest in Iranian prisons in recent memory—unites political dissidents and ordinary convicts in a unified demand: “No to executions!” As the strikers weaken from denied food and medical care, regime officials escalate threats of solitary confinement and imminent hangings, turning the prison into a battleground of wills.

Surge in State-Sanctioned Executions

The hunger strike erupted amid a horrifying surge in state-sanctioned killings. Since the start of 2025, Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM) has documented more than 1,200 executions, including protesters, ethnic minorities, and political prisoners subjected to sham trials marred by torture and forced confessions. Amnesty International reports an even graver toll: over 1,000 lives ended by the gallows this year alone—the highest annual figure since 1988—averaging four executions per day. This bloodletting disproportionately targets marginalized groups, such as Ahwazi Arabs, Baluchis, Kurds, and Afghans, often on vague charges like “enmity against God” or drug offenses that violate international law. Under President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration, which began in 2024, the pace has only accelerated, coinciding with the fragile June 2025 ceasefire that ended the brief Iran-Israel conflict. Critics draw chilling parallels to the post-Iran-Iraq war era, when the regime unleashed a massacre claiming up to 30,000 lives, mostly supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

Targeting Political Prisoners: Faces of Resistance

At the heart of Qezel Hesar’s uprising is a shared terror of repetition. Inmates, inspired by the unyielding resistance of PMOI-affiliated political prisoners, chant against the “execution machine” that has claimed over 30 lives in the strike’s first three days alone. Among the 17 MEK-linked dissidents now on death row are figures like Farshad Etemadi-Far, Masoud Jamei, and Alireza Mardasi, sentenced in July 2025 by Ahvaz’s Revolutionary Court on fabricated “waging war on God” charges after years of abuse. Others, including Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, were executed shortly after their Supreme Court appeals were rejected. Recent victims include Pejman Toubrehrizi, Nima Shahi, and Hamed Validi, condemned in September following brutal interrogations.

Regime’s Brutal Crackdown

The regime’s response has been as brutal as it is calculated. On the strike’s fifth day, October 17, Tehran deputy prosecutor Mullah Hosseinzadeh and prison heads confronted the inmates, offering a grim bargain: end the protest by midnight, or face “the worst treatment.” Guards have jammed mobile signals, transferred 16 strikers to solitary for execution, and sent 14 to infirmaries in critical condition. This mirrors broader tactics: state media glorifies the 1988 atrocities as a “successful historical experience” ripe for revival, while authorities bulldoze mass graves at Behesht Zahra Cemetery to erase evidence of past crimes. Political prisoner Saeed Masouri, a leader in the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign, smuggled out a letter from Qezel Hesar warning: “Just as in 1988, a crime is in progress.”

Parallels Between 1988 Massacre and 2025 Crisis 

1988                                                                            2025
| Ceasefire after Iran-Iraq War                       | Ceasefire after Iran-Israel War |
| Fatwa targeting political prisoners             | IRGC media calls to “repeat” 1988 executions |
| Secret “death commissions”                          | Revolutionary Courts issuing rushed sentences |
| Focus on MEK supporters                              | 17+ MEK affiliates on death row |
| Concealment of burial sites                           | Destruction of Behesht Zahra graves |

Global Alarms and Calls for Action

These echoes have alarmed global watchdogs. Ten UN Special Rapporteurs warned in July 2025 that the crackdown constitutes “ongoing crimes against humanity.” Amnesty International echoes this urgency, imploring UN member states to demand an immediate halt to all executions during the October 30 Third Committee dialogue on Iran. Recommendations include quashing unfair death sentences, revoking lethal drug laws, and pursuing universal jurisdiction arrests for torturers.

Iran HRM and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) amplify the prisoners’ “Testament of Qezel Hesar,” a call for public rallies outside Iran’s parliament on October 19 and worldwide solidarity under #StopExecutionsInIran and #SOS1500DeathRowInIran. As strikers sew their lips in silent protest and families are barred from gravesides, the world faces a stark choice: intervene now, or witness history’s silent rerun. Silence equals complicity. The international community must condition ties with Tehran on ending this spree—before another midnight tolls in Qezel Hesar.

More Than 20 Deadly Plots by Iran’s Regime Against Dissidents Discovered by MI5

Mehdi Hosseini
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More Than 20 Deadly Plots by Iran’s Regime Against Dissidents Discovered by MI5

Ken McCallum, the head of the United Kingdom’s domestic intelligence agency (MI5), announced that the country faces an increasing threat from hostile states such as Russia, China, and Iran’s regime. He said that the agency has tracked more than 20 potentially deadly plots supported by the Iranian regime.

On Thursday, October 16, McCallum stated that the number of individuals under investigation for activities related to state threats has increased by 35%, and hostile nations are increasingly resorting to brutal and violent methods usually associated with terrorists.

He said that his agency had disrupted a stream of hostile espionage operations from Russia and had tracked more than 20 potentially deadly plots backed by Iran’s regime.

Australian Government Introduces Bill to Designate IRGC As Terrorist Organization

Tehran’s transnational role in silencing dissidents

McCallum said that Tehran is actively attempting to silence its critics across the globe, citing examples such as Australia exposing Iran’s regime involvement in antisemitic plots and Dutch authorities reporting the foiling of a failed assassination attempt.

He also noted that the terrorist threat to the UK remains very high, stating that MI5 and British police have foiled 19 late-stage attack plots since the beginning of 2020.

In his annual speech at MI5 headquarters in London, McCallum said that in 2025 the agency is facing an unprecedented scale and variety of threats from both terrorists and hostile state actors.

The UK has repeatedly spoken of hostile activities that it attributes to Russia, Iran’s regime, and China—allegations that all three countries have denied.

Earlier this year, six Bulgarian nationals were sentenced to prison for spying on behalf of Russia.

Additionally, five men were convicted of arson attacks on Ukraine-related businesses in London—an act that British authorities said was ordered by Russia’s Wagner mercenary group.

McCallum emphasized, that they will continue to trace the chains of command to those who give the orders—those who think they are anonymous and untraceable behind their screens.

Amnesty International Calls for Immediate Halt to Executions in Iran

Sia Rajabi
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Amnesty International Calls for Immediate Halt to Executions in Iran

Amnesty International announced that since the beginning of 2025, more than 1,000 executions have been reported in Iran and called for their immediate halt. The international human rights organization reported that executions in Iran are carried out after unfair trials and with the aim of suppressing protests and minorities.

Hussein Baoumi, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said on Thursday, October 16, “UN Member states must confront the Iranian authorities’ shocking execution spree with the urgency it demands.”

He added that since the start of the 2022 protests, officials of Iran’s regime have used the death penalty “to instill fear among the population, crush dissent and punish marginalized communities.”

According to the Amnesty official, “This year executions have reached a scale not seen in Iran since 1989.”

Hunger Strike at Ghezel Hesar Amid Execution Transfers

Baoumi stated that many of these executions are related to drug offenses and “Executions are being carried out following grossly unfair trials held behind closed doors, amid widespread patterns of torture and forced ‘confessions’.”

In response, political prisoners in various prisons have protested the widespread wave of executions through sit-ins, issuing statements, and participating in the “No to Execution” campaigns.

Reports indicate that hundreds of inmates in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj continue to protest the sharp increase in executions, with a group of prisoners still on a collective hunger strike.

The disciplinary committee of Evin Prison canceled the next three visitation sessions for at least four political prisoners protesting against executions on Wednesday, October 15.

In a statement the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) announced the number of executions carried out over the past year as follows:

“Over the past year (from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025), the religious fascism ruling Iran has recorded a bloody and unprecedented record of cruelty and crime. During this period, the execution of 1,654 prisoners was documented across 31 provinces, representing a 2.3-fold increase compared to the same period the previous year (with 851 executions), and a 2.8-fold increase compared to the year before that (with 693 executions).”

These figures were compiled based on verification networks and independent sources due to the judiciary’s secrecy.

Call for immediate halt and abolition of death penalty laws

Amnesty International called on UN member states to seriously urge Iranian regime officials at upcoming UN General Assembly sessions, including the interactive dialogue of the Third Committee on Human Rights regarding Iran on October 30, to immediately halt all executions, overturn verdicts issued after unfair trials, and declare an official moratorium as a step toward the total abolition of the death penalty.

The organization also urged the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Narcotics Control Board to pressure Tehran to reform its anti-narcotics policies to ensure they comply with human rights standards.

Amnesty International further called on world governments to use universal jurisdiction to open criminal investigations into torture and other international crimes in Iran and to issue arrest warrants for officials with criminal responsibility in these cases.

Minorities face the greatest danger

Amnesty International’s new statement notes that thousands of people in Iran are at risk of execution, including those convicted of drug-related crimes and individuals tried in political cases under vague charges such as “enmity against God” (moharebeh) and “corruption on earth” (efsad fel-arz).

According to the organization, Revolutionary Courts, which lack independence, issue death sentences in collaboration with security and intelligence agencies, with ethnic and religious minorities—including Afghans, Ahvaz Arab people, Baluchs, and Kurds—being the main victims of this practice.

Amnesty International emphasized that the death penalty is a violation of the fundamental right to life under all circumstances, describing it as “the ultimate cruelty and an inhuman and degrading punishment.”

After Years of Concealment, Iranian Oil Tankers Have Reappeared on the Global Positioning System

Mehdi Hosseini
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After Years of Concealment, Iranian Oil Tankers Have Reappeared on the Global Positioning System

According to an analysis by the TankerTrackers website, most oil tankers sailing under Iran’s regime flag are, for the first time since 2018, transmitting their real signals through the Automatic Identification System (AIS) without falsifying their location. Iranian regime officials have not yet responded to this development.

On Tuesday, October 14, TankerTrackers cited data from two global ship-tracking information providers, reporting that most Iranian tankers are now normally active on the global positioning system and, unlike previous years, no longer hide their real locations.

Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers, told the Splash website that the timing of this development is quite interesting, as it comes after seven and a half years of widespread signal spoofing by the National Iranian Tanker Company’s fleet.

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He added that this event does not appear to be the result of a remote cyberattack, as in most cases, the National Iranian Tanker Company’s vessels used to switch off their transponders rather than falsify their locations.

History of Hacking Incidents in Iran’s Maritime Communication Network

In August, a hacker group claimed it had disabled the communication network of more than 60 ships belonging to two major Iranian regime maritime companies, disrupting their communication with one another, with ports, and with the outside world.

The same group, which had previously exposed information about the Iranian regime’s cyber and military operations, stated that as a result of this operation, communications were cut off for 39 ships belonging to the National Iranian Tanker Company and 25 ships owned by Iran’s state-run shipping line.

In March 2025, the hacker group Lab Dookhtegan also announced that it had targeted the communication networks of 116 ships belonging to two major Iranian companies, severing their connections with each other, ports, and the outside world.

Oil Tankers and International Sanctions

In the first weeks of his second presidential term, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a new wave of oil sanctions against Iran, which have intensified in recent weeks. These sanctions target companies connected to the oil industry and Iran’s aging tanker fleet, which operate without Western insurance and transport oil for sanctioned countries.

On August 28, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany initiated a 30-day process to reinstate United Nations sanctions on Iran. Despite attempts by Tehran’s allies to pass resolutions delaying the reinstatement, the process ultimately led to the reimposition of sanctions against Iran’s regime.

Many of the Iranian regime’s sanctioned vessels, which operated in recent years as part of a “shadow fleet,” are now visible on tracking systems. However, investigations by Iran International show that the destinations of many of these ships remain unclear.

According to TankerTrackers data, at least 94 ships sailing under Iran’s flag in international waters are currently under U.S. sanctions, and 67 of them were added to U.N. sanctions lists following the activation of the snapback mechanism.

On October 7, Lebanon’s Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen network reported signs of U.S. preparations to intercept vessels linked to Iran’s regime, following the reinstatement of U.N. sanctions.

Unidentified sources told Al Mayadeen that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s army are “capable of neutralizing any threat” in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

Citing the same sources, Al Mayadeen wrote that Iran’s regime has warned regional countries that any cooperation with the United States aimed at targeting or obstructing Iranian commercial vessels “will not go unanswered” and “will be met with a proportional response.”

Iranian Regime Judiciary Sentences French Nationals to Decades in Prison

Jubin Katiraie
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Iranian Regime Judiciary Sentences French Nationals to Decades in Prison

Mizan News Agency, the state-run outlet affiliated with Iran’s judiciary, reported that two French citizens accused of “espionage” in Iran have been sentenced to a total of more than 60 years in prison, without revealing their names.

On Tuesday, October 14, Mizan wrote that one of the defendants was sentenced to six years in prison for “spying on behalf of the French intelligence service,” five years for “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security,” and twenty years in exile for “intelligence cooperation with Israel, considered as waging war against God.”

The other defendant was sentenced to ten years in prison for “spying on behalf of the French intelligence service,” five years for “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security,” and seventeen years for “aiding intelligence cooperation with Israel.”

The report added that the initial verdicts for the two French citizens, who were arrested on March 9, 2023, have been communicated to their lawyers.

According to the judiciary, the verdicts can be appealed to the Supreme Court within twenty days of notification.

If the verdicts are upheld, the maximum sentences — twenty and seventeen years — will be enforced for the two individuals.

Iranian Authorities Transfer Detained French Couple to Undisclosed Location

Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are among the most well-known French citizens currently imprisoned in Iran.

Kohler and Paris, both trade union activists, were arrested by Iran’s security agents in May 2022 after meeting with several labor and teachers’ rights activists in Tehran.

France and other European Union member states have previously accused Iran’s regime of systematically taking foreign citizens hostage to exert political pressure on Western governments.

Officials of Iran’s regime have denied these accusations, claiming that the arrests were carried out according to legal procedures and rejecting allegations of mistreatment of prisoners.

A few hours before the publication of the news about the French prisoners’ sentences, Asghar Jahangir, the spokesperson for the judiciary, stated that the French government had not fulfilled its promise to release Mahdieh Esfandiari from prison.

Esfandiari is an Iranian citizen imprisoned in France for supporting the Hamas group and on charges of “glorifying terrorism.”

Previously, Iran’s regime Foreign Ministry had announced that Tehran was negotiating with Paris over a potential exchange of the two French citizens for Esfandiari.

2,574 Killed or Injured for a Loaf of Bread – The Toll of Iran’s Border Porters in the Past 13 Years

Hoshang Amiri
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2,574 Killed or Injured for a Loaf of Bread – The Toll of Iran’s Border Porters in the Past 13 Years

Carrying goods across the western borders of Iran — known as kolbari — is an old phenomenon, but in recent years, with rising unemployment and poverty in border regions, it has become the only means of survival for thousands. There are no official statistics on the number of porters (kolbars), but human rights organizations estimate that more than 70,000 people in the provinces of Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and West Azerbaijan are engaged in this dangerous work. Many of them are young men who are either educated or have no other employment opportunities.

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The paths taken by kolbars usually pass through mountains under harsh weather conditions. In winter, temperatures drop below -10°C, and porters carry heavy loads on their backs for hours. Falling from cliffs, avalanches, frostbite, and gunfire from border guards are among the main dangers they face.

According to data from the Kurdpa Human Rights Organization, between 2012 and October 2025, at least 2,574 kolbars have been killed or injured in Iran’s Kurdish border regions — 656 killed and 1,918 injured. The data shows a general upward trend in casualties since the early 2010s, peaking between 2017 and 2024.

The year 2023 saw the highest number of casualties during this period, but in 2025, reports indicate a relative decline. However, this drop is not due to improved economic conditions or new welfare policies — it stems from increased militarization of border areas, the closure of main kolbar routes, installation of barbed wire along the frontier, and the construction of new military outposts.

“Legal” Kolbari: Structural Discrimination and Chronic Poverty

Despite the regime’s security-driven crackdown on kolbars, the Iranian government introduced a “border transit card” system a few years ago. These cards allow residents of border regions to import limited quantities of goods through designated routes. However, kolbars and civil activists say these cards provide neither safety nor support. Due to quota limits and administrative corruption, many are forced to use informal, high-risk routes. These cards provide no insurance or legal protection, leaving the government unaccountable in the event of death or injury.

Human rights activists argue that through such policies, the regime restricts and controls the livelihood of kolbars, fostering dependence that suppresses their social and economic demands.

According to economic experts, kolbari is a direct product of structural poverty and regional discrimination. Iran’s western border provinces suffer from some of the highest unemployment rates and lowest levels of development. Factories and job opportunities are scarce, and many infrastructure projects have been left unfinished for years. In these conditions, kolbari remains the only source of income for thousands of families.

The Iranian regime publishes no statistics on the number of kolbars, the scale of casualties, or the types of goods transported. All available information comes from field observations, interviews with families, and reports by human rights organizations. This gap between reality and official data is the result of censorship and the securitization of the kolbari phenomenon.

The roots of kolbari lie in poverty, discrimination, and security-driven policies. As long as the government refuses to take responsibility for job creation, economic development, and social support, this phenomenon will persist. Kolbari is not a choice—it is a necessity, and until the underlying structures change, this compulsion will continue.

A Kolbar’s Account

When winter arrives, kolbars sometimes set out for the border at night through snow-covered mountains to evade border patrols.

For each trip, kolbars earn about 2 million tomans (equivalent to 20 million rials or roughly $18 USD). But even this small amount comes at the risk of their lives.

Despite years of criticism from civil organizations and media outlets, the Iranian regime has not only failed to offer any solution but has intensified its security measures. Borders have been mined, and military presence has increased. However, as civil activists note, “greater pressure only forces kolbars to choose even more dangerous routes.”

In recent years, even children and teenagers have entered this line of work. Human rights groups have documented cases of kolbars under 18 among those killed.

From the Border to Tehran: A Distance Unseen

In regime-controlled media, kolbari is often described as “smuggling,” but for border residents, it is “life” itself.

While few in Tehran or other major cities are aware of the kolbars’ daily suffering, thousands of men and women in border regions end each night in fear and hope—only to climb the mountains again at dawn.

Power Outages to Resume in Iran Starting in January

Esmaeil Mohades
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Power Outages to Resume in Iran Starting in January

A member of the presidium of the Energy Commission of Iran’s regime Majlis (parliament) said that despite the oil and gas reserves having almost doubled compared to last year, power outages will likely return to the country starting in January.

On Monday, October 13, Farhad Shahraki told the state-run news website Shafaqna, expressing concern about energy supply in winter: “Given the restrictions on using fuel oil for environmental reasons and the red line regarding not cutting household gas supplies, despite good reserves, I believe from January we will again witness power outages.”

Iran’s Regime Unveils the ‘Winter Drill’ Plan While the Energy Crisis Continues

This member of the presidium of the Majlis Energy Commission, referring to the obstacles in implementing the “Seventh Development Plan,” said that the plan had set a “minimum 55% efficiency” for installed power plants. However, “the Ministry of Energy has stated in its correspondence that achieving this goal is impossible due to sanctions and costs and has requested to lower the efficiency ceiling to 50%.”

Earlier, on October 6, the state-run Mehr News Agency described Iran’s gas crisis as a “structural” and “chronic” problem, reporting that this challenge causes billions of dollars in “silent losses” for the petrochemical industry during winter.

The agency reported that the country’s daily gas deficit in the winter of 2025 exceeded 300 million cubic meters, and estimates indicate this figure may reach 600 million cubic meters by 2031.

This is while the daily gas deficit was around 155 million cubic meters in 2020 and about 174 million cubic meters in 2022.

Meeting on energy shortages

On the morning of Monday, October 13, a meeting to review energy shortages—referred to by officials of Iran’s regime as “energy imbalance”—was held with the participation of the Minister of Energy, several Majlis members, and senior representatives and managers of the oil and energy ministries and their subsidiaries.

Abbas Aliabadi, Minister of Energy, said at the meeting: “We are in difficult wartime conditions and have gone through five years of heat and drought… If today’s meeting resolutions are implemented, we will not face problems in winter because we have enough power plants to produce electricity, and with fuel supplied by the Oil Ministry, there will be no power outages.”

Ali Nikzad Samerin, deputy speaker of the Majlis, also said that the Minister of Energy, based on commitments made by oil ministry officials, “has pledged that there will be no power or gas cuts in the country during the winter.”

The continuous power outages in recent months went beyond temporary disruptions and, under the regime’s incapacity, turned into a widespread crisis affecting daily life and production processes.

In mid-September, amid ongoing power outages across Iran, Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, CEO of Tavanir (the state electricity company), admitted that the electricity supply crisis would not be resolved soon.

Moreover, widespread blackouts during this summer put severe pressure on industries, caused serious production consequences, and fueled concerns about worker unemployment.

Under these circumstances, and given the worsening economic situation and intensified sanctions, the gas and electricity crisis in Iran is expected not only to recur in the near future but also to become more persistent and costly.

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