Interview With A Tehran-Based Academic
RFE/RL spoke with Hatam Qaderi, a Tehran-based academic, about Iran’s bloody crackdown on mass protests, the prospect of US military action against Tehran, and a possible transition from the Islamic republic.
New US Sanctions On Iran
The United States has just issued fresh Iran and counter terrorism-related sanctions, targeting seven Iranian nationals and at least one entity, according to the US Treasury Department's website.
Iranian Medical Body Confirms Doctors Have Been Arrested
The Medical Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran has confirmed the arrest of a number of doctors during the government's crackdown on protesters.
Mohammad Mirkhani, deputy head of the medical council, said in an interview with Khabar Online: "In the recent protests, regardless of the reason and number of people, some doctors have been arrested."
He added that he does not have accurate statistics or clear information about the reasons for these arrests and that most information is obtained through informal conversations among colleagues.
Yesterday, Radio Farda spoke to one doctor, based outside Iran, who said that physicians inside the country have been arrested or threatened by security forces.
Araqchi Responds To EU's IRGC Terrorist Designation
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has said the EU has made "is now making another major strategic mistake" by designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a "terrorist organization."
Araqchi said the move was simply a "PR stunt" and that Europe was a continent "in severe decline."
Trump To Iran: Suspend Nuclear Program And Stop Killing Protesters
US President Donald Trump said on January 29 that he had asked Iranian officials in talks for two things: a suspended nuclear program and to stop killing protesters.
He was speaking to CBS News senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs.
Good morning.
There has been lots of comment from European leaders on the EU's decision yesterday to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola: "Designating the Iranian regime's oppressive IRGC as a terrorist organization is the right decision, [and one] that even a few weeks ago so many said was impossible. Proud of the European Parliament's sustained, unified effort that helped push this breakthrough. Now, time to stand strong. Iran will be free."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: "It is a clear signal against the brutal violence in Iran: The EU's classification of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization makes it clear: The peaceful Iranian demonstrators must not be silenced. We stand with them."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: "I welcome the political agreement on new sanctions against the murderous Iranian regime. And on the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization. This was long overdue. «Terrorist» is indeed how you call a regime that crushes its own people’s protests in blood. Europe stands with the people of Iran in their brave fight for freedom."
Over in the US, Iran’s former crown prince, Reza Pahlavi: "I welcome the EU’s decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. This important step sends a message to the criminal regime that it has no global legitimacy. We now need further concrete action to protect the Iranian people and to support a legitimate transitional government leading Iran to democracy.
According to the latest aggregated data compiled by HRANA, as of January 29, the total number of confirmed deaths has reached 6,479. Of these, 6,092 were protesters.
We are now closing the live blog for today. We'll be back again tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to follow the latest developments in Iran.
Iran's Internet Blackout Is Already Showing Cracks
Iran's Internet blackout, leveled at the height of mass protests against the regime, is still largely holding -- but the state is allowing some users, such as banks and other institutions, to reconnect.
Green Movement Leader Musavi Calls For Change In Government
On January 29, Mir Hossein Musavi, one of the leaders of the Green Movement, called the this year's bloody crackdown "treasonous and a great crime against the people."
He also called for a constitutional referendum and a change of government in Iran without foreign intervention.
Musavi has been under house arrest since 2011 for his role in the Green Movement protests of 2009, following a disputed presidential election.
"Enough is enough," he wrote in a statement. "The game is over.... You do not have a solution to any of the country's crises, nor does the nation have any choice but to protest again until a result is reached."
Musavi, who served as prime minister from 1981 till 1989, said that "sooner or later, and probably sooner," the military and law enforcement will no longer be willing to suppress protesters, adding: "Put down your guns and step down from power so that the nation itself can lead this land to freedom and prosperity."
Russia Says Ready To Evacuate Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Plant
Aleksei Likhachyov, CEO of Russia's Rosatom State Atomic Agency, announced on January 29 that Russia is ready to evacuate its employees from the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran if necessary.
"We sincerely hope that the parties to the conflict will adhere to their commitments regarding the inviolability and inviolability of this territory (Bushehr)," Russia's state-run TASS news agency quoted Likhachyov as saying.
"But, as they say, we are closely monitoring the situation and, in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry, we will be ready to carry out evacuation measures if necessary."
Speaking at the time of the 12-day Iran-Israel war of June 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that hundreds of Russian citizens were working at the facility, Iran's only active nuclear power plant built by Moscow.
While the US targeted three of Iran's key nuclear facilities in June 2025, it did not target Bushehr. At the time, Likhachyov warned that an attack on the site could result in a disaster comparable to the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.