{"id":15425,"date":"2026-01-14T16:07:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T16:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/?p=15425"},"modified":"2026-01-14T16:07:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T16:07:24","slug":"silenced-voices-the-unreported-story-of-journalists-killed-in-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/silenced-voices-the-unreported-story-of-journalists-killed-in-iran\/","title":{"rendered":"Silenced Voices: The Unreported Story of Journalists Killed in Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2026Investigating the Human Cost of War, Press Freedom and Artificial Intelligence Role <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>*Living daily in Danger, Escaping Bomb and Gun crossfire, Media Survival Strategies & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Struggles<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Grieving families recount emotional traumatic ordeal, Anxiety trying to cope with loss of loved ones<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Why Tyrant regime target reporters with death, imprisonment, forced exile to create unsafe space of speculation in the public <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*A call to Action: Plans to create a social media page and campaign to honour slain press practitioners <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*\u201cStop reporting on Iran or you and your immediate relatives will die\u201d-<\/strong> Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*PLUS, how 45 Iran International journalists and over 300 relatives across 8 countries receive death threats <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*BY DR GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU\/Executive Editor & Group Managing Director, NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER INC USA reporting LIVE from Tehran<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In recent years, Iran has witnessed a disturbing trend: the silencing of journalists who dare to speak truth to power. The regime\u2019s crackdown on press freedom has led to the tragic loss of several brave journalists, leaving behind grieving families and a nation stifled by fear. According to reports, at least 25 journalists have been killed in Iran since 2025, with many more imprisoned or forced into exile. This scoop sheds light on the unreported stories of these journalists and the circumstances surrounding their deaths. Iranian government lied, claims only 12 journalists died so far. The Islamic Republic of Iran specifically threatens, attack, imprisoned or chased journalists into exile.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Several of these journalists paid the supreme price, lose their lives by placing themselves face-to-face with death, gun shots\u2019 crossfire with helmet, press houses identification cards and microphones as insignia of their media professions. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>For such war or unrest or protest in Iran, it only takes a stroke of luck to escape the rays of bullets or the noise of grenade all over the place. Just like the masses, journalists are not exempted as victims of violence under any situation. All indicators showed that media professionals are direct target of dictatorial regimes, as such live daily in danger-fear of their lives, since their news exposes tyrants\u2019 true identities and maladministration to the people they govern. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Media Survival in Unrest:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Some journalists who are alive telling their stories are still suffering from various forms of emotional trauma.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Emotional trauma in unrest is a multi-faceted experience that affects the civilians, encompassing a wide range of psychological, emotional, and physical symptoms. These traumas often stem from direct threats, witnessing atrocities, or the loss of loved ones.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Acute Stress Disorder: <\/strong><\/span>Intense reactions (e.g., severe dissociation, nightmares) occurring shortly after a trauma.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Chronic Trauma: <\/strong><\/span>Resulting from long-term, continuous exposure to danger, such as living in a war zone or being a refugee.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This is the most common long-term mental health condition arising from unrest, war, characterized by four main types of symptoms: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Re-experiencing: <\/strong>Nightmares, flashbacks, and involuntary, distressing memories of the event.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Avoidance: <\/strong>Avoiding thoughts, feelings, places, or people that remind them of the trauma.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Negative Alterations in Mood\/Cognition: <\/strong>Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness, and detachment from others.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Hyperarousal: <\/strong>Irritability, outbursts of anger, difficulty sleeping, being easily startled, and constant hypervigilance.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As such, being victims of this seeming unrest, some of these journalists hid from home to home, running and praying, yet got hit by stray bullet or dies after been hit by gunshot or collapsed due to uncontrolled heartbeat arising from fear of staring death in the eyes. And those locked up in prison by Iranian government embarked on hunger strikes, dare not eat food in jail for fear of \u2018food poisoning\u2019 from the regime. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The ongoing unrest has brough in inflation, scarcity of food and drinking water into the country, to the extent that a few journalists drink water from the \u2018toilet or restrooms\u2019 or their urines to quench their thirst and evade dehydration. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*The Human Cost:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It would be recalled that a journalist like Ruhollah Zam, a reporter, dissent was executed in 2020. Zahra Kazemi, a Canadian-Iranian photojournalist who was murdered in 2003 paid the supreme price for their commitment to telling Iran\u2019s story. Their stories, though often untold, are a testament to the power of journalism in the face of oppression. Many of these journalists left behind families, including spouses, children, and parents, who are now fighting for justice and answers. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Press Freedom Under Fire:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s journalists are daily living in threat, facing challenges from censorship to violence. The government has been accused of using tactics such as intimidation, harassment, and arbitrary arrests to silence critical voices. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Many journalists are forced to work under pseudonyms or in secret, while others have been imprisoned for their reporting. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) documented numerous cases of journalists being targeted by the Iranian authorities, highlighting the dire state of press freedom in the country. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>*The Impact on Families:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The loss of a loved one is always devastating, but the impact is amplified. Families are left grappling with grief, anger, and often, a sense of helplessness. Many faces intimidation, harassment, and even threats from authorities, forcing them to remain silent about their loss. These families are experiencing trauma, anxiety and depression struggling to cope with the loss of their loved ones. The affected reporters often leave behind suffering relations which have a deep toll on their survival, crumbling the family\u2019s dependent on their meagre salaries.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Iran says 12 journalists killed in Israeli strikes during war:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Iran said that at least a dozen journalists and media workers were killed in earlier Israeli strikes during the two countries\u2019 recent war late 2025, according to state media.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The media arm of the Basij paramilitary forces-a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps- said the death toll among media workers had risen to 12 following the identification of two additional individuals, the IRNA news agency reported.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The organization accused Israel of deliberately targeting media infrastructure \u201cto silence the voice of truth\u201d and suppress the \u201cmedia of the Resistance Front\u201d-a reference to Iran and allied groups opposed to Israel.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The announcement comes as casualty figures from the war have continued to rise, even after the end of the 12-day conflict, which began on June 13, 2025, with a surprise Israeli attack and saw an unprecedented bombing campaign that hit Iranian military facilities, nuclear sites and residential areas.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

During the conflict, Israel also attacked the Iranian state broadcasting service in northern Tehran.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Israeli campaign killed senior military commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of civilians, with the total death toll currently at 1,060, according to Iranian officials.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Retaliatory Iranian drone and missile barrages killed at least 28 people in Israel during the war, according to official figures.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*45 Iran International journalists and over 300 relatives across 8 countries receive death threats:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The threat: \u2018Stop reporting on Iran or you and your immediate relatives will die.\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In response to this most crude form of censorship, the legal team for news channel Iran International filed an Urgent Appeal with United Nations experts, urging them to take action against Iran over serious risks to the lives and safety of their journalists in seven countries worldwide (the UK, the USA, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Turkey and Belgium), as well as to the safety of their family members, most of whom reside in Iran.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past six weeks, the Iranian authorities have intimidated and threatened 45 journalists and 315 of their family members. They have threatened to kill these journalists and their relatives unless they stop working for Iran International by specific deadlines \u2013 which have all now passed.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Background:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Iranian authorities have a long-standing pattern of targeting Iran International journalists and their families. Iran International is a popular and trusted Persian language news channel, headquartered in London, and with bureaus in Washington DC and around the world. It broadcasts internationally, providing a vital source of news and information to people living in and outside Iran. Since its formation in 2017, Iran International journalists have been targeted by the Iranian authorities in retaliation for their reporting. This has included very serious threats, including assassination and kidnap threats against journalists based in the UK, US and Europe; serious physical assaults, including the stabbing of journalist Pouria Zeraati in London in March 2024; online abuse, harassment and hacking; asset sequestration; attacks via Iranian State media; treatment of Iran International as a terrorist organisation; the rounding-up and harassment of family members within Iran.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

However, over the past six weeks, since mid-June 2025, the situation has deteriorated rapidly and there is now a real risk to the lives of multiple Iran International journalists around the world and to their family members. Today\u2019s Urgent Appeal details how this is \u201can alarming and unprecedented escalation\u201d which appears to be linked to the Twelve Day War between Israel and Iran which commenced on 13th June 2025. Without any justification, Iranian authorities immediately began – on a systematic and widespread basis \u2013 to accuse Iran International journalists of being spies for Israel, responsible for providing information about Iranian infrastructure to Israeli intelligence. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Journalists killed in Iran:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The tension between Israel and Iran escalated since Tel Aviv launched its surprise offensive on multiple Iranian targets on 13 June. Waves of missiles have struck cities in both countries, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries, including the killing of at least four Iranian media workers to date and damage to several newsrooms, such as a targeted attack on Iran\u2019s State broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is mourning the death of at least four journalists and media workers, as it continues to monitor the unfolding situation. The<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

IFJ reminds all parties that, under international law, journalists are civilians and deliberate attacks against them constitute war crimes.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On 13 June, Fereshteh Bagheri, a reporter for the Defa Press news agency and the daughter of Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, was killed alongside her father in an Israeli strike that targeted the family home in Tehran. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On 15 June, freelance cartoonist Saleh Bairami, who worked for Andishe Pooya magazine and several other media, was killed while on the street in an Israeli air strike that hit Tehran, according to local media.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On 16 June, the Israeli military struck the headquarters of Iran’s State broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), in a targeted attack in Tehran. At least two media workers, Nima Rajabpour, a news editor for Iran’s State TV news channel Khabar, and Masoumeh Azimi, secretariat staffer at the IRIB, were killed as a result of Israeli air strikes. The bombing came shortly after the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for the district in Tehran, where the offices of Iran\u2019s State broadcaster are located. Minutes before the attack, Israel\u2019s Defence Minister Israel Katz said, “the Iranian propaganda and incitement mouthpiece” is about “to disappear”.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Damaged media facilities:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On 15 June, the newsrooms of Sazandegi newspaper, a daily reformist newspaper based in Tehran, and Ensaf News, a news station with its headquarters in the Iranian capital, were damaged as a result of Israeli strikes that hit nearby buildings. Fortunately, no journalists were injured in any of the attacks.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On 16 June, the headquarters of Iran’s State broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) were deliberately targeted in a series of air strikes, killing at least two IRIB media professionals, Nima Rajabpour and Masoumeh Azimi.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In a statement issued on 16 June, the Tehran Province Journalists\u2019 Association (TPJA) pledged that \u201cjournalists will be able to carry out their professional duties safely during these turbulent and dangerous times, despite ongoing difficulties and restrictions\u201d.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Hessam Khodayarifard: A young journalist shot dead on December 31, 2025, during protests in Kuhdasht.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Shayan Asadollahi: Killed by gunfire on January 1, 2026, in Azna during protests.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Reza Moradi: A 17-year-old from Azna, also a victim in the same wave of violence.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Fereshteh Bagheri: Reporter for Defa Press, killed in an Israeli strike on her home in June 2025.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Saleh Bairami: Freelance cartoonist killed in an Israeli airstrike on the street in Tehran in June 2025.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Nima Rajabpour & Masoumeh Azimi: State TV media workers killed by Israeli strikes on IRIB headquarters in June 2025.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*1 journalist, 1 media worker killed after Israeli strikes Iran state TV complex:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One journalist and one media worker with Iran\u2019s state-owned broadcaster have died from their injuries following earlier Israeli strike on the headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in the capital Tehran, according to news reports.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Nima Rajabpour, a 50-year-old news editor died after undergoing surgery for shrapnel in his back and thigh, his colleague Elham Abedini, told CPJ. IRIB administrator Masoumeh Azimi also died early Tuesday.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

IRIB editor Seyyid Mohammad Hossein Hosseini told CPJ that he was receiving treatment at Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital for a torso injury.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

strike occurred on the fourth day of fire exchanged between Israel and Iran. Footage showed an explosion in the studio and Sahar Emami, a presenter for the outlet, ducking for cover as debris and smoke filled the frame.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCPJ is appalled by Israel\u2019s bombing of Iran\u2019s state television channel while reporters were live on air,\u201d said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. \u201cIsrael\u2019s killing, with impunity, of at least 185 journalists in Gaza emboldened it to target media elsewhere in the region. This bloodshed must end now.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cListen, what you hear is the sound of the aggressor,\u201d Emami said on air before the strike. \u201cYou hear the sound of the aggressor attacking the truth.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Minutes after the strike, Emami continued reporting from another studio and said reporters were killed.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Another anchor for the outlet said reporters were injured. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how many of my colleagues were martyred or injured,\u201d said Younes Shadlou, a senior correspondent for IRIB, in an Instagram video. Shadlou is seen with blood on his hands in front of the building with fire and smoke.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Israel Defense Forces had issued an evacuation warning for the area in which the headquarters was located. The IDF later confirmed the precision strike in a statement saying it had targeted a communication center that was being used by the Iranian military \u201cunder the guise of civilian activity.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Iranian-American journalist sentenced to 10-year prison term:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A court in Tehran sentenced Reza Valizadeh, Iranian-American journalist and former presenter of Radio Farda, to 10 years in jail last year, on charges of allegedly “cooperating with the hostile US government”. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns this decision and urges the Iranian government to drop all charges against Valizadeh and to immediately release all journalists jailed in the country.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

An Iranian court of appeal upheld the 10-year prison sentence for Iranian-American journalist Valizadeh, a former employee of Radio Farda, his lawyer Mohammad-Hossein Aghasi said on X. The journalist has also been banned from leaving the country and joining political parties for two years. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Valizadeh\u2019s lawyer reported that the journalist is still in solitary confinement and denied permission to have visitors in prison.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

“Ten years in prison cannot be the punishment for working in the media, even if it is opposition media, \u201cstated his lawyer. Radio Farda is the Iranian branch of the United States-government funded broadcast Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Valizadeh returned to Iran in March 2024 after 14 years living abroad and was arrested in September 2024. The journalist has been held in Tehran\u2019s Evin prison since then.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger expressed his full solidarity with journalist Reza Valizadeh and condemned the court\u2019s unjust ruling: \u201cThis is not only a disproportionate sentence, but also extremely unjust. The Iranian regime must stop prosecuting journalists and critical voices in the country and halt its systematic violations of prisoners\u2019 rights. We urge the authorities to immediately release Valizadeh, and all journalists imprisoned in the country.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Journalists currently in jail in Iran:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Vida Rabani, a freelance journalist at Shargh newspaper, was arrested at her home in Tehran on 24 September 2022.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Jina Modares Gorji, a freelance journalist, began serving her 16-month jail sentence in the prison of Sanandaj city on 12 November 2024.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Reza Valizadeh, Iranian-American journalist and former Radio Farda presenter, was arrested in Tehran in March 2024.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Saeedeh Shafiee, an economic journalist, started serving her three-year and seven-month jail sentence on 6 September 2024.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Mostafa Nemati entered prison in Abadan city on 2 November to serve a 40-month term.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    *A Call to Action:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    We must honour the memory of these journalists by continuing to tell their stories and advocating for press freedom in Iran. Ways to help are: share their stories on social media using #SilencedVoices, support organizations working to protect journalists and press freedom, such as CPJ or Reporters Without Border, demand that the Iranian government account for the journalists who have been killed or imprisoned; raise awareness about the importance of a free press and the challenges faced by journalists in Iran and around the world.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *Iranian families narrate ordeal:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Recent reports from January 2026 indicate that Iranian families, both within the country and in the diaspora, are experiencing profound distress amid ongoing unrest, characterized by fears of a severe crackdown by the regime. Families have described a climate of anxiety and “cautious hope” as they witness protests, while dealing with the immediate dangers faced by their loved ones.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *Fear of Violent Crackdown: <\/strong><\/span>Families inside Iran are bracing for potential uprisings, with reports of households stocking up on medication and food as they anticipate a severe, often fatal, response from security forces.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *Targeted Violence and Abduction:<\/span> <\/strong>Reports have highlighted instances where families are forced to search for relatives who have disappeared or been killed during demonstrations, with some forced to remain silent about the circumstances of their loved ones’ deaths under pressure from authorities.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *Lasting Injuries and Exile: <\/strong><\/span>Protesters injured in past uprisings (such as the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement) continue to suffer from injuries, including those with pellets lodged in their bodies, while fearing further persecution or deportation from countries like Turkey.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *Psychological and Emotional Toll: <\/strong><\/span>The ongoing situation has created a “mixed bag” of hope for change and fear for safety, with many diaspora families expressing deep concern for relatives in cities like Tehran.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *Human Cost of War to Iranian Economy:<\/span> Iran\u2019s traders, frustrated by economic losses, turn against clerics: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Iran’s bazaar merchants, the trader class who were the financial backbone of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, have turned against the clerics they helped bring to power, fueling unrest over an economy that has morphed into full-blown anti-government protests.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Frustration among bazaar merchants, from small-scale shopkeepers to large wholesale traders, has grown as their political and economic clout in Iran has diminished over the decades while the elite Revolutionary Guards have tightened their grip on the economy, building sprawling and tightly held networks of power.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    “We are struggling. We cannot import goods because of U.S. sanctions and because only the Guards or those linked to them control the economy. They only think about their own benefits,” said a trader at Tehran\u2019s centuries-old Grand Bazaar, speaking on condition of anonymity.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    The wave of protests that has engulfed the country, posing one of the toughest challenges ever to the clerical leadership, erupted in late December in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, where hundreds of shopkeepers denounced the sharp fall in the rial currency.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    The demonstrations quickly swelled and turned political, challenging the Islamic Republic’s legitimacy. Protesters burned images of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and chanted “Death to the dictator” – undeterred by security forces armed with tear gas, batons, and, in many cases, live ammunition.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Iran\u2019s rulers, while acknowledging economic difficulties, have blamed their longtime foes the U.S. and Israel for fomenting the unrest. They appear intent on holding onto power at any cost, backed by a security apparatus refined over decades of suppressing ethnic revolts, student movements, and protests over economic hardship and social freedoms.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    A combination of international sanctions and the Guards’ sprawling economic empire has limited the government’s ability to ease the dire economic situation.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Tehran-based analyst Saeed Laylaz said the government has lost control over the situation.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    “What is striking is that the unrest began in the bazaar. For merchants, the core issue isn\u2019t inflation – it\u2019s price volatility, which leaves them unable to decide whether to buy or sell,” he said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Economic disparities between ordinary Iranians and the clerical and security elite, along with economic mismanagement and state corruption – reported even by state media – have fanned discontent at a time when inflation is pushing the price of many goods beyond the means of most people.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Iran’s rial currency has lost nearly half its value against the dollar in 2025, with official inflation reaching 42.5% in December.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *CONTROL OF SECTORS FROM OIL TO CONSTRUCTION:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Created by the Islamic Republic’s late founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Guards first secured an economic foothold after the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, when clerical rulers allowed them to invest in leading Iranian industries.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Their influence expanded exponentially over decades, benefiting from Khamenei’s full backing and from opportunities created by Western sanctions, which effectively excluded Iran from the global financial and trading system.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    The Guards now control vast sectors of the economy, from oil to transportation, communications, and construction.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Another trader said the crisis was not over, as the Guards have long proved adept at defending their economic interests.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    “The government wants to resolve the problem, but it lacks the means and power in this system. The economy is not controlled by the government,” said the trader, a 62-year-old carpet seller in Tehran.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    All aspects of the country’s sanctions-hit oil business have come under the growing influence of the Guards – from the shadow fleet of tankers that secretly ship sanctioned crude, to logistics and front companies selling the oil, mostly to China.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    “No one knows how much of the oil money that the Guards get from selling Iran\u2019s oil returns to the country … they are too powerful to be questioned about it,\u201d said a senior Iranian official, who asked not to be named.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    During his 2013\u20132021 presidency, pragmatist Hassan Rouhani repeatedly clashed with the Guards, accusing them publicly of resisting budget cuts, while his attempts to curb their commercial networks and assets were largely frustrated.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *THE ESTABLISHMENT RELIES ON THE GUARDS TO END UNREST:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Even as it has relinquished economic power, the clerical establishment has relied on its loyal forces – the Guards and its affiliated Basij paramilitary – to violently crush ethnic uprisings, student unrest, and protests over economic hardship, preserving the political order.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    “Given the sensitive circumstances when the country faces foreign threats, Khamenei cannot upset the Guards by curbing their economic influence. The establishment needs them to quell the protests and confront foreign threats,” said an insider, close to Rouhani.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    U.S.-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 544 people – 496 protesters and 48 security personnel – with 10,681 people arrested since the protests began on December 28 and spread around the country. Reuters was unable to independently verify the tallies.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    The authorities have not given numbers of casualties, but officials say many members of the security forces have been killed by “terrorists and rioters” linked to foreign foes, including the U.S. States and Israel.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *Iran protests:<\/span> Fact-checking claims of AI manipulation, low turnout:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    For around two weeks \u2013 and despite an internet blackout \u2013 thousands of Iranians have been mobilising in large protests that threaten the future of the regime. But some internet users are casting doubt over the protest images, claiming they’re in fact much smaller than they appear, or using camera trickery or AI manipulation.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *Foreign AI Operations or Iran\u2019s Cyber Forces Propping Up an Opportunist Campaign, says National Council of Resistance of Iran:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    As Iran\u2019s streets ignite with fury across scores of cities since late December 2025, demanding an end to decades of repression, economic ruin, and isolation, a draconian internet blackout imposed in early January 2026 has plunged the nation into digital darkness. Connectivity has plummeted to near-zero in vast regions, severing ordinary citizens from the world and each other, forcing them to navigate peril with smuggled whispers and fleeting signals. In this void, where survival hinges on evasion and ingenuity, social media platforms like X buzz with a peculiar intensity-debates that exalt Reza Pahlavi and monarchist visions as the uprising\u2019s true vanguard. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Footage from chaos captures crowds invoking Pahlavi\u2019s name, framing these outbursts as unfiltered cries from the heart of the resistance. Yet, beneath this veneer lies a troubling rift: posts daring to question Pahlavi\u2019s influence-highlighting potential opportunism, edited videos, or rifts within the movement-are inundated with ferocious rebuttals. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Examinations of prominent X threads from December 2025 to January 2026, some drawing thousands of interactions, paint a damning picture. In discussions exceeding 500 replies critiquing Pahlavi\u2019s detachment or strategic missteps, roughly 85% of comments lash out at the skeptics, branding them as saboteurs or worse. About 35% descend into raw vulgarity-profane outbursts, vicious slurs, and threats laced in English and Persian, echoing a mob\u2019s unbridled rage. These salvos bear the fingerprints of orchestration: echoed phrasing, faceless accounts, and relentless pacing that defies the sporadic access of genuine protesters.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    This onslaught clashes violently with the blackout\u2019s iron grip. Enduring online in such a siege demands elite privileges or prohibitive cost-satellite links or hidden tech that elude the masses enduring shortages and surveillance. How, then, do these defenders, purporting to echo voices from Iran\u2019s embattled core, unleash such torrents? The evidence points to engineered amplification: bots, expatriate cadres, or shadowy operatives sculpting an illusion of consensus. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Further scrutiny invokes a stark parallel from the regime\u2019s own playbook. During the brutal 12-day war in October 2025, as missiles rained down on military targets and infrastructure crumbled under bombardment, the regime\u2019s \u201cWhite SIM card\u201d network sprang into action. These privileged mobile lines, doled out to loyalists and operatives, bypassed widespread disruptions to flood platforms with fervent endorsements of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the battered armed forces. Accounts, shielded from the chaos afflicting the populace, churned out propaganda portraying resilience and divine mandate,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    even as the nation reeled. This selective lifeline exposed the regime\u2019s mastery of digital manipulation-weaponizing access to rally its base and drown out despair.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Now, pivot to the present: Who fuels this pro-Pahlavi frenzy, shielding him from critique with such venom? Is it the handiwork of a foreign-orchestrated push, as laid bare in Citizen Lab\u2019s October 2025 expos\u00e9 of an AI-fueled influence operation bent on regime collapse? That study unveiled sophisticated ploys\u2014deepfake clips simulating prison uprisings and arsenal blasts, AI-crafted images inflating economic turmoil like frenzied bank runs, and doctored anthems with subversive lyrics seeded into dissident circles. Bot swarms, hijacking real profiles and timing posts for maximum spread, recycled footage to mimic organic revolt, even dictating protest slogans to steer the narrative.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Or, more provocatively, could it be the regime\u2019s cyber army repurposing those same White SIM tactics? If so, the irony scorches: Why expend precious resources to elevate an avowed adversary during the gravest existential peril since 1979-a maelstrom of strikes, defections, and global isolation? Such a gambit would betray desperation, positioning Pahlavi not as foe but as unwitting lifeline-a decoy to splinter the opposition, dilute radical demands, or channel unrest into a containable monarchy that preserves theocratic shadows. The regime, cornered and crumbling, might calculate that boosting a \u201csafe\u201d alternative buys time, averting total annihilation. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    This enigma demands unflinching interrogation: In a revolution forged in blood and blackout, whose interests does this digital defense truly serve? The streets pulse with raw, unscripted defiance, yet the online realm reeks of artifice, eroding solidarity and inviting exploitation. Iran\u2019s fate hangs not on amplified idols but on the unyielding will of its people to reclaim their voice from the manipulators-be they distant puppeteers or the tyrants within. The truth, once confronted, could shatter illusions and forge a path beyond division, toward a dawn untainted by deception.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: \u201cMedia professionals in areas of armed conflict must be treated and protected as civilians and allowed to perform their work without interference. The IFJ urges warring parties to refrain from attacking journalists and media facilities and calls on media organisations and employers to do their utmost to ensure the safety of their employees, such as allowing them to work from home if newsrooms are located close to potential targets. No story is worth the life of a journalist.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    In this period, 45 journalists and staff from Iran International have been targeted in this six-week period, along with 315 of their family members, from Iran and seven other countries: the UK, the USA, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Turkey and Belgium. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Express and credible threats have been made to kill both journalists and named family members. Deadlines have been given by the MOIS, stating that unless specified journalists stop working for Iran International by the deadline, they and specified named family members will face execution. Those deadlines all expired in the past week, by the end of July 2025.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Iran International\u2019s legal team has filed an Urgent Appeal over this \u201calarming and unprecedented escalation\u201d in risk to Iran International journalists and families with five UN Special Rapporteurs, responsible for freedom of expression (Ms. Irene Khan), extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions (Mr. Morris Tidball-Binz), counter-terrorism (Professor Ben Saul), torture (Dr Alice Edwards) and Iran (Ms. Mai Sato). Although the Appeal focuses on the 45 new cases, it states:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cThe number of targeted journalists continues to rise at a rapid and alarming rate. We anticipate that more will be added within hours of this Urgent Appeal being filed.\u201d <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    The Appeal urges the UN experts to take immediate and urgent action given the nature and scale of these threats, to protect the lives of the journalists and their families.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *Responses:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Speaking about Urgent Appeal, Iran International\u2019s General Manager, Mr. Mahmouod Enayat, said:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    “Iran International journalists, their families in Iran and their families outside Iran are being threatened and harassed as never before in an unprecedented and concerted campaign to force them off air. Hundreds of the relatives of our staff face the continuing threat of detention and prosecution in Iran, and many more are now being threatened with death.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cI ask the UN experts to urgently investigate and take action. Iran International will continue to stand by our journalists, targeted for their important work reporting on Iran – which is needed now more than ever.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *Solicitor to Iran International, Mr Mark Stephens CBE of Howard Kennedy, said:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cWhat we are seeing with the latest targeting of Iran International journalists and their families is the unprecedented upranking of threats from isolated individual cases to credible, serious threats to mass murder hundreds of journalists and their families across the globe. We ask the UN Special Rapporteurs to address this horrifying development with the utmost urgency.”<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    *Counsel to Iran International, Ms. Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, added:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cThis Urgent Appeal is exceptionally pressing, given the nature and scale of the threat faced. 45 journalists, hundreds of family members, across seven countries \u2013 and these alarming numbers continue to rise rapidly. We know that the Iranian authorities often take advantage of holiday periods to target their opponents and abuse individuals\u2019 rights. We must be particularly vigilant this August to ensure Iran International journalists and their loved ones are protected. The UN and all impacted States must take robust and swift action to hold Iran to account.\u201d\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Tatyana Eatwell and Jennifer Robinson act for Iran International, led by Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC (Associate), and instructed by Mark Stephens CBE and Ayesha Salim, Howard Kennedy. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    As it is today, no journalist is safe to fully report investigative news stories of the ongoing unrest, inflation, attack and protests breaking in the Republic of Iran.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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