Month: December 2025

“Iran launches satellites on Russian rockets as Moscow-Tehran ties deepen,” Fox, 12-31-25.

“Most of Iran Shuts Down as Government Grapples With Protests and Economy,” NYT, 12-31-25.  “Amid mounting street protests, businesses, universities and government offices stayed closed Wednesday under government orders, in 21 of 31 provinces, including Tehran.”  These were ordered to a great extent by the government.  “The disruptions caused by the days of protests came as footage circulating on social media on Wednesday and verified by The New York Times showed demonstrators throwing objects at the gates of a government building complex in Fasa, in south-central Iran, and then shaking them until they opened. The protests have spread and drawn in demonstrators from across sectors and society, with the demonstrators increasingly also expressing frustration and anger at the regime over not only the economy but severe water shortages and more. “Death to the dictator,” protesters shouted at a demonstration in Hamedan in west-central Iran, according to a video posted by BBC Persian.”

“Iran on the brink? Key information about the protests,” DW, 12-31-25.

‘We want the mullahs gone’: economic crisis sparks biggest protests in Iran since 2022,” Guardian, 12-31-25.  Despite the massive brain drain over 40 plus years, the yearning for freedom resounds in Iran.  That is a testament to its people and what the country could become.

“When Money Collapses So Does Consent:  Iran’s Currency Crisis and Bazaar Behavior,” Times of Israel, 12-31-2025.

“Protests spread across Iran for third day after currency hits record low,” BBC, 12-30-25.   This is real, started Dec. 29, maybe 28, across the country.  The Regime has no one to blame but itself.  “Protests erupt in Iran over currency’s plunge to record low,” AP, CNN, 12-30-25.

“Iranian president urges government to listen to protesting shopkeepers’ demands,” France 24, 12-30-25.

“Protests erupt in Iran as prices surge and currency hits new low,” NBC, 12-30-25.

“Iran labels Canada’s navy as ‘terrorist’ in retaliation for IRGC listing,” Iran International, 12-30-25.  The Islamic Republic of Iran becomes the only country in the world to claim that Canada’s Navy is a terror organization.

“Head of Iran’s Central Bank resigns amid protests as rial hits record low against the dollar,” PBS, 12-29-25.

“Iran developing unconventional warheads for ballistic missiles, sources say,” Iran International, 12-29-25.  Just another reminder of the Regime’s poor choices, to spend money on unneeded armaments when the economy and domestic needs are so great.

These traders reflect the economy, and are one of the few places (near the Grand Bazaar in central Tehran) to get U.S. dollars and a real exchange rate (much higher than the official rate which no one gets).  “Iran’s currency collapse sparks second day of trader protests,” Europe News, 12-29-25.  Note the video, where they’re chanting, “Don’t be afraid, we’re together.”

The wisdom from the former FM continues to astound all of us.  Maybe he  could be Iranian president.  Maybe he could be UN Sec Gen one day.   Now that I’m through with my sarcasim, I will remind our readers that his favorite line over the years is that we should all treat Iran with “respect.”  Well, if Iran would act as a standard, normal country, we would.  BTW, Zarif was the main Iranian negotiator for the JCPOA.  I wrote six op-eds against it.  The U.S. under Pres Trump backed out because of the threat the JCPOA posed.  Here is the today’s article, “Javad Zarif: Main threat to the Middle East is Israel, not Iran,” Al Jazeera, 12-28-25.

“Iran launches new satellites in show of defiance ahead of Netanyahu-Trump meeting,” JPost, 12-28-25.  And see “Iran Says It Launched 3 Satellites Into Space From Russia,” Moscow Times, 12-28-25.

“UN: Iran Must Stop Execution of 67-Year-Old Iranian Woman,” Center for Human Rights in Iran, 12-28-25.

“Tehran Bazaar Strikes as Dollar Hits 145,000 Tomans While Protests Continue Across Iran,” NCRI, 12-28-25.

“Bita Shafiei, young Iranian activist released on bail after six weeks in prison,” JPost, 12-28-25.

Certainly you’ve seen this headline.  “Iran at war with the West and Israel, says Iran’s president,” Politico, 12-27-25.  Here’s the quote from Masoud Pezeshkian, on the website of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, lest there be any doubt.  “In my opinion, we are in a full-fledged war with America, Israel, and Europe; they do not want our country to stand on its feet.”

“Iran executes record number of people after spy crackdown,” Telegraph, 12-27-25.

“The Year in Review: Iran’s Deepening Economic Crisis,” Middle East Forum, 12-27-25.  “A Former Tehran Stock Exchange Official Recently Warned of a Potential Surge in Iran’s Inflation to as High as 3,000 Percent.”

Ever the diplomat.  “Khamenei says West opposes Iran over Islamic order, not nuclear issue,” Iran International, 12-27-25.

Another Regime mismanagement that only hurts the domestic economy.  “The downturn [in international rug sales] accelerated after 2018, when then US president Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and imposed “maximum pressure” sanctions. As foreign reserves tightened, Iran required exporters to sell part of their foreign-currency earnings to the central bank at the official exchange rate rather than at market rates. The rule destroyed incentives to export, Industry representatives said. “It completely paralysed the sector. None of them have any motivation to stay active in global markets,” said Abdollah Bahrami, head of the National Union of Handwoven Carpet Co-operatives.”  See “Iran’s handwoven carpet industry hits record low under sanctions – FT,” Iran International, 12-26-25.

If I’m understanding this correctly, Iran arrests smugglers, but then won’t return the oil they stole, and instead Iran says it will keep the oil.  Sounds like two sets of pirates ….  See “Iran to keep fuel cargo seized from foreign tanker,” Mehr, 12-26-25.

“Rare Iranian police videos protesting low wages spark public reaction,” Iran International, 12-26-25.

“What Comes After the Axis of Resistance?  The Abiding Power of Sectarianism in the Middle East,” Foreign Affairs, 12-26-25.

“Iran set to launch new domestically developed satellites into space,” Press TV, 12-26-25.

“Reservoir supplying Iran capital remains largely empty despite rain,” Al Arabiya, 12-26-25.

I do allow other voices on this blog.  Here I’ve posted someone that no undergrads should take a Middle East or IR class from (he teaches biology at the Univ. of Toledo), though—basically all his arguments are outside the regular thoughts of countries, journals, the news, etc.  See “The Silent Takeover:  How Iran will control the Arabian Gulf,” Arab-American News, 12-26-25.  Oh, and he made a mistake in his presentation—to support his cause, he should call it the Persian Gulf.”

“Iran seizes oil tanker carrying smuggled fuel on Strait of Hormuz, state news agency says,” CBS, 12-26-25.

“Bruised but undeterred: Iran braces for more risks in 2026, experts say,” Iran International, 12-26-25.  If Iran would spend its money on its people and not on unneeded missiles, the world/region/country would be a better place!

Merry Christmas.  And when you read this news, you think “Here on Dec. 25, why would Iran have a senior Quds Force officer in southern Lebanon, right across the border from Israel?  Didn’t Iran for years say it plays no role in Lebanon or Hezbollah or Syria?”  See “IDF: Senior Iranian Quds Force Unit 840 terrorist killed in Lebanon | LIVE BLOG,” i24, 12-25-25.  Well, he won’t do that anymore.  “Hussein Mahmoud Marshad al-Jawhari was killed in the Ansariyah area. He was described as a key member of the Quds Force’s Operational Unit 840, responsible for planning and advancing terror attacks against Israel from both Syria and Lebanon in recent years.”

“Iran voices appreciation for China’s JCPOA role at UN meeting,” CGTN, 12-25-25.

“Iran Launches 2nd Largest Oil Unit in West Karun,” Mehr, 12-25-25.

It’s Christmas Eve.  And lest you think that Iran is going off into the sunset, read on from the Atlantic Council.  “Iran’s regional strategy has long relied on a layered deterrence model built around proxies, long-range fires, and ambiguity rather than direct state-to-state confrontation. This model seeks to impose cumulative costs on adversaries while insulating Iran from direct retaliation. According to repeated assessments by the US Department of Defense and the United Nations, Iran maintains the largest and most diverse missile force in the Middle East and continues to invest in survivability, underground basing, and production capacity. These capabilities are complemented by Iran-aligned armed groups operating across Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.”  See “The Middle East is on the brink of a new crisis. Here’s where it could start,” Dispatches, 12-24-25.  Here’s more food for thought, and why the U.S. should pay attention to Iraq–“Simultaneously, escalation elsewhere has historically coincided with increased activity by Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, including rocket and drone attacks on US and coalition facilities. These pathways are not theoretical. They reflect repeated patterns observed over the past decade, now compressed by explicit timelines, rearmament efforts, and eroding deterrence.”  Finally, some say the U.S. has its eye off the ball by surrounding Maduro in VENZ–but that action is also pointed at Iran and the dark economy.

“[W]e do not care what he has to say.”  After winning motorcycle and scooter freedoms because so many women ride them, disobeying the Supreme Leader en masse is the way to go.  See “‘There’s no going back’: Iran’s women on why they won’t stop flouting dress code laws,” Guardian, 12-24-25.

“Iran rejects inspections of bombed nuclear sites without IAEA framework,” Al Jazeera, 12-24-25.

Surprised?  Shouldn’t be.  “Khamenei gives green light to compact nuclear warheads – report,” Iran International, 12-24-25.  Per the report from the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, “The only true deterrent that could save the Iranian regime in the event of a conflict against Israel and its US allies would be nuclear weapons.”

“Iran rejects inspections of bombed nuclear sites until IAEA defines ‘post-war conditions’,” 12-24-25.

“Iran rejects inspection of bombed sites, demands IAEA clarify stance,” Xinhua, 12-24-25.

“‘Leave the fire and take Trump’s hand,’ US envoy tells Iran at UN,” Iran International, 12-23-25.

Good news in a crazy world.  “Iraq Pulls the Plug on Iranian Gas,” OilPrice.com, 12-23-25.  “Iraq on Tuesday announced a complete suspension of natural gas imports from Iran, a move the electricity ministry said immediately knocked between 4,000 and 4,500 megawatts off the national power grid. On its face, the decision sounds dramatic. In practical terms, it is but the final step in a process that was already well underway. Iraqi officials have spent the past year declaring victory over fuel imports, first halting shipments of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene while pitching a broader narrative of energy self-sufficiency. Gas was the remaining—and most politically sensitive—piece of that puzzle. Iranian supplies had been covering roughly 30 to 40 percent of Iraq’s power generation needs. Of course, those volumes had already been diminishing due to payment disputes, U.S. sanctions pressure, and Iran’s own domestic shortages. The “complete suspension” isn’t the sudden cutoff that it appears. Baghdad is merely taking the next logical step in the breakup with Iran through partial import reductions and unreliable flows. Washington has been steadily pushing Iraq to unwind its dependence on Tehran, and Baghdad has been eager to show compliance without triggering a full-blown electricity crisis. The fallback plan—burning locally produced alternative fuels—is not new, nor is it ideal.”

Really Princeton?  Mousavian has been denounced repeatedly over the years and on this blog.  We thought Princeton had finally cut ties after many demands.  Now Mousavian claims to be a Visiting Research Collaborator with the Program on Science and Global Security-Princeton University, and has a Princeton email.  His website’s address says it all at https://hosseinmousavian.com/about/bio where you read, “Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s praise of Seyed Hossein Mousavian during a March 2016 interview: “Dr. Mousavian is a former colleague of mine in the foreign ministry. If one wants to pass a fair and just judgement, Mousavian has beautifully and with great effort defended the positions of Iran in Europe, America, and in conferences across the world. On many occasions other foreign ministers who attended regional conferences where I was not present but Mousavian was, have later congratulated me on the way that he defended Iran. I do not believe in past accusations against him.  I worked with Dr. Mousavian closely for years and believe that he is a person who is fully loyal to Iran and serving his country. He has worked hard for this country and continues to do so”.”  See “How the Middle East can escape the cycle of conflict in 2026,” MEE, 12-22-25.  In the article, only Israel and the U.S. are at fault for Middle East ills, never Iran or anyone else.  Does Princeton want to continue its association?  It has no duty to finance other views (and for years), and should distance itself from someone forever supporting the controversial Regime under the imprimatur of your university.  (he’s no Bernard Lewis).

“Two armadas set sail for South Africa as Iran continues quest for deeper multilateral military ties,” Tehran Times,” 12-22-25.

“Iran Speaks Out on Nuclear Technology,” Newsweek, 12-22-25.  “The International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspectors remain barred from those sites struck by the U.S. Iran has criticized the IAEA for not addressing its security concerns by publicly condemning the U.S. and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities, though Araghchi said the country remained committed to its legal obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.”  (But Iran has repeatedly violated the NPT, so they’re really not committed to it…”

They need to be working on water.  And education.  And transportation.  And health.  “Iran Reportedly Conducts Ballistic Missile Drills,” FDD, 12-22-25.

“Israel warns US Iran missile drills may be cover for surprise attack – Axios,” Iran International, 12-22-25.