Reports related to demonstrations and public protests
On January 8 and 9, security forces in Najafabad, a major city in Isfahan province, central Iran, carried out deliberate power outages to enable a lethal crackdown on protesters.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, mistakenly referred to as Araghchi in the title, stated that Iran has not created any obstacles in the Strait of Hormuz and accused America of imposing a blockade there.
Parham Mehrabi, an 18-year-old from Mashhad, was killed on January 8, 2026, during protests on Haft-e Tir Boulevard when shot by security forces. His father carried his body to their car and was later pressured by security agents to claim Parham was killed by "rioters" to obtain burial permission.
During the "ceasefire" period in Iran, authorities are reportedly executing protesters at high rates, with multiple hangings daily across the country. The executions are occurring as the regime attempts to quell the ongoing revolution and suppress dissent.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, stated that the Islamic Republic has not created any obstacles in the Strait of Hormuz and accused America of imposing a blockade. He also emphasized that the Strait remains open to all commercial ships provided they cooperate with Iranian naval forces.
On May 9, U.S. Sailors conducted routine maintenance on MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters in the hangar bay of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).
The US military has canceled the deployment of the 4000-strong 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division to NATO's eastern flank in Poland and ordered the troops already deployed to return home.
The U.S. has warned Lebanon that it must present a substantive proposal at tomorrow's meeting with Israel, or face the risk of complicating efforts to extend the ceasefire, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is reportedly attempting to target HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) located in Kuwait.
Masih Alinejad met Farideh, a Kurdish woman from Sanandaj who lost both eyes to regime gunfire while protesting for freedom, in Germany where Farideh now lives. Farideh continues to advocate for those unable to speak out despite her blindness.
An Iranian-American professor at the University of Arkansas, Shirin Saeidi, is facing investigations by Cambridge University Press into potential academic misconduct and plagiarism related to her book "Women and the Islamic Republic: How Iran's Government Shapes Gendered Citizenship." The university dismissed Saeidi in late March due to her alleged support for Ali Khamenei, and the university's board of trustees is set to review her dismissal on May 21.
Masih Alinejad and her team are working to raise concerns with the U.S. government about the impact on legal Iranian immigrants and students who have no ties to the Islamic Republic and have been victims of the regime. They are calling for individuals in this situation to share their experiences and information via a Telegram number provided.
