Three Iranian environmental activists die in Kurdistan region blaze
From left: Chiako Yousefinezhad, Khabat Amini, Hamid Moradi
A third Kurdish environmentalist in less than a week died on Monday from severe burns sustained while battling a wildfire in western Iran, sparking renewed criticism of government mismanagement.
Amini had spent four days in intensive care before succumbing to his injuries. Another activist, Chiako Yousefinejad, died a day earlier in the same hospital.
The first to die from the group was Hamid Moradi, a lawyer and environmental activist from Sanandaj in Iran's Kurdistan province, according to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).
A blaze on Mount Abidar broke out on July 24, prompting a rapid response from local environmentalists and volunteers determined to stop its spread.
But their efforts were hampered by a lack of firefighting resources and proper protective equipment — a chronic issue in the Islamic Republic's handling of environmental disasters.
Their deaths have sparked an outpouring of grief and condemnation from civil society and environmental advocates, many of whom accused authorities of systemic neglect and mismanagement of natural disasters.
Among those voicing outrage was Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who posted a tribute on Instagram calling the men the “brave defenders of Kurdistan’s environment.”
“Hamid, Chiako, and Khabat were consumed by flames so that Mount Abidar would not burn — so that life could remain green,” she wrote.
“We are a people who step in when competence, accountability, and the fulfillment of government duties are absent — a government that not only fails to protect the environment, nature, and the lives of those who care for it, but has turned nature into a battleground for exploitation and the pursuit of power, even at the cost of destruction," Mohammedi added.
Twenty-five environmental defenders have died in forest and grassland fires across Iran over the past decade, according to activists.
Two renowned Iranian filmmakers have condemned authorities for raiding the home of fellow dissident director Ali Ahmadzadeh and seizing his laptop and communication devices.
According to Iranian media, Ahmadzadeh’s residence was raided by several armed agents on July 26. There was no immediate announcement by Iranian judiciary on possible charges or why Ahmadzadeh residence was raided.
However, he is known as a dissident filmmaker and a supporter of protests against the Islamic Republic. He is also among the filmmakers who defy hijab regulations in their underground films.
“Fifty people raided the house of a prolific artist, stole his suitcase, laptop and mobile communication devices and held him at gunpoint, ordering him to appear the next day for questioning,” acclaimed director Jafar Panahi wrote on Instagram on Monday.
Panahi shared video footage from the aftermath of the raid, calling it “state terrorism.”
“This illegitimate power of the government allows them to imprison filmmakers or seize their belongings, but creativity cannot be imprisoned or detained. Iranian filmmakers will continue making their movies,” wrote fellow renowned filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof in a separate Instagram post.
The raid occurred while Ahmadzadeh was on location filming his new project. He has faced previous restrictions, and some of his films have struggled to gain approval for release in Iran.
Both Panahi and Rasoulof are internationally acclaimed directors whose works have been featured at major film festivals, including Cannes.
Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years in prison in Iran before fleeing the country in 2024. Panahi also won the Palm d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival for his film "It Was Just an Accident".
Panahi has also previously faced restrictions and imprisonment and is still banned from filmmaking but continues to reside in Tehran and makes his films secretly.
Under Iranian law, all films must obtain government permits before production and receive official approval prior to any public screening.
Ahmadzadeh was arrested in Tehran in 2022 on charges of making a movie without permit.
His film “Critical Zone” won the Golden Leopard award at Locarno film festival in Switzerland in 2023. The movie was also screened at the 41st Haifa International Film Festival in Israel, a taboo in Tehran.
Iran continues to be ranked among the world’s worst countries for press freedom.
According to Reporters Without Borders, “Iran has reinforced its position as one of the most repressive countries in terms of press freedom, with journalists and independent media constantly persecuted through arbitrary arrests and harsh sentences handed down after unfair trials before revolutionary courts.”
Rasoul Bodaghi, a prominent former political prisoner arrested during the height of Iran’s 2022 protest movement, has reportedly taken his own life months after his release.
Former political prisoner and rights activist Foad Choobin reported Bodaghi's suicide on his X account on Monday.
Human rights groups said his death followed a prolonged period of psychological trauma and abuse stemming from his imprisonment.
Bodaghi was arrested in his hometown of Izeh in Iran's southwestern Khuzestan province — one of the epicenters of discontent following the death of a young woman, Mahsa 'Jina' Amini, in morality police custody.
Amini’s September 2022 death sparked the largest wave of anti-government protests in Iran since 2009. They were ultimately stamped out with deadly force.
Izeh was the site of some of the Islamic Republic’s most violent crackdowns. On November 16, 2022, Iranian security forces opened fire on protesters, killing at least seven people including 9-year-old Kian Pirfalak.
The boy's death became a symbol of the uprising and a rallying cry for demonstrators demanding justice and change.
'War against God'
Bodaghi was accused of participating in the protests and was imprisoned under charges that carry the death penalty in Iran, including corruption on earth and waging war against God (moharebeh). He spent 16 months in Sheyban Prison in Ahvaz, under the authority of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to Choobin, Bodaghi was subjected to physical and psychological torture, and was administered pills of unknown origin.
“Despite being detained for over sixteen months, Mr. Bodaghi remained in an uncertain legal state in Sheyban Prison," the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) quoted a source close to his family as saying in a report last year.
"He suffered from mental health issues and attempted suicide multiple times while in custody," the report said.
He was released in March 2024 under heavy bail conditions. But Choobin says the trauma and mental anguish persisted long after his release, ultimately leading to his death.
Shahin Milani, Executive Director of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, called for accountability in the wake of Bodaghi’s death.
“The circumstances of Mr. Bodaghi’s death, as well as those of several other protesters who died shortly after release, warrant a full investigation," Milani told Iran International, "Whether caused by psychological harm due to torture or administration of unknown substances to prisoners, the Islamic Republic’s role in the tragic deaths of former detainees should be fully determined."
While no official data exists on how many protesters have died by suicide, Iran Human Rights reports that at least 22 people — including four children and eight women — have died by suicide or under suspicious circumstances following their detention in connection with the Woman, Life, Freedom protests.
Among the most high-profile cases is Kianoosh Sanjari, a well-known journalist and human rights advocate who died by suicide on November 13, 2024. Sanjari, who had worked for Voice of America’s Farsi service, jumped from a building in Tehran after posting a message demanding the release of four political prisoners.
He had warned publicly that if they were not freed, he would end his life. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and VOA held the Iranian government accountable, citing years of harassment, torture and imprisonment as contributing factors in his death.
As the Islamic Republic stays keen to quash dissent and unrest, Bodaghi’s death adds to the growing list of individuals whose lives were lost not only in the streets but long after the protests were silenced.
An Iranian government plan to close workplaces and schools one day a week in response to deepening electricity and water shortages has drawn fire from many Iranians who say the move will only worsen daily hardships.
The move effectively creates a three-day weekend aimed at curbing the strain on water and energy systems during peak heat.
But residents across the country told Iran International's submissions line that the measure triggered mass departures from major cities, relocating rather than reducing consumption.
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani has framed the weekly closures as an opportunity for the Iranian people to rest and take vacations following the 12-day war with Israel.
“Not only has there been no positive effect,” wrote one resident of northern Iran, “it’s made things worse. Tehran residents rush north or to nearby towns (for vacation), and now we suffer power cuts and water shortages too.”
Iran International asked its audience whether the closure had improved water availability in their regions. Dozens of respondents from Tehran, Mashhad, Qazvin, Bushehr and beyond described worsening outages and mounting utility costs.
“Before these holidays, we never had water cuts. Now it’s happening several times a day,” said one resident of Mashhad in the northeast. Others blamed the government for unequal access.
An audience in western Tehran said that in their neighborhood, which is home to personnel belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, “we haven’t had a single water cut,” while surrounding districts faced regular disruption.
Reservoirs near historic lows
Four of the five reservoirs supplying the capital are nearly empty, with only 13% of capacity remaining, Tehran Governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian said on Wednesday.
“About 13% is the current fill level of the four main reservoirs, meaning that 87% of the reservoir responsible for supplying drinking water to Tehran are empty.”
More than 60% of the city’s water now comes from depleted groundwater—double the rate of a decade ago.
Motamedian attributed Tehran’s outsized demand to population density, which he said exceeds the national average by a factor of 21. He confirmed that 42% of the province’s water is consumed for drinking and sanitation—far above the 8% national average.
But many Iranians say government mismanagement, not personal consumption, is to blame.
“This Islamic Republic has spent decades funneling our wealth into foreign militias and nuclear programs,” one respondent said. “Not a single long-term plan for water or the environment has ever materialized.”
Living under extreme pressure, respondents offered various elaborate explanations for alleged official motives behind the shortages.
“They just want people to leave Tehran so it stays quiet,” one said. “They’re scared the heat and outages will spark protests.”
Another viewer wrote, “This isn’t about water. This is about keeping people from the streets.”
'Failure at every level'
Some reported deteriorating infrastructure and rising costs without warning. “We used to have water all day in Mashhad—now it cuts out repeatedly,” one audience said. Others described sudden hikes in electricity bills and inconsistent rationing that appeared to favor certain areas.
Messages also reflected broader disillusionment. “Please, help us. We are exhausted,” one message read. “No one listens. We are at the end of the line.”
With reservoirs exhausted and groundwater declining, officials have warned that more shutdowns may be imposed.
“If necessary, every week may be off from Tuesday or Wednesday (until Saturday),” Tehran lawmaker Amirhossein Sabeti warned Wednesday.
Reza Sepahvand, a member of the Parliament’s Energy Committee, also announced the possibility of water rationing in Iran in the coming months.
“At the moment, the only way to manage the situation is to reduce the outages ... Unfortunately, we will likely see water rationing in most parts of the country in the coming months — a process that has already begun in some provinces and cities,” he told the local media Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump on Monday expressed frustration over stalled efforts to reach a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza and accused Iran of obstructing the negotiations.
“I think they (Iran) got involved in this negotiation, telling Hamas, giving them signals and orders. And that's not good,” Trump told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with the United Kingdom's prime minister on Monday.
His remarks appeared to be the first blaming Iran for the continuing impasse.
The latest round of negotiations with the Iranian-backed Palestinian armed group in Qatar ended without results. White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff cut his trip short and left on July 24.
“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff announced on X.
Trump said the United States remains engaged with the Gaza issue, including plans to ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian aid amid an escalating hunger crisis and initiatives to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
'We'll wipe it out'
Turning to Iran's nuclear program, Trump warned that if the Islamic Republic moves toward any form of nuclear weapons capability, he will not hesitate to authorize further military strikes.
“They can start again. If they do, we'll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it. We'll have to do that. We will do that gladly, openly and gladly,” Trump said.
Israel launched a 12-day military campaign against Iran on June 13, killing hundreds of Iranian military personnel, nuclear scientists and civilians. In retaliation, missile strikes by Iran killed 27 Israeli civilians.
On June 22, the United States entered the conflict by striking Iran’s nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow using long-range bombers and submarine-launched missiles. The United Stated promptly brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel which effect on June 25.
The Trump administration has maintained for months that it does not oppose peaceful Iranian nuclear activity but has demanded Tehran end domestic enrichment.
The United Nations' top human rights official on Monday urged Iran to impose an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty, citing a surge in executions across the country.
“Reports that there have been several hundred executions in Iran so far this year underscore how deeply disturbing the situation has become and the urgent need for an immediate moratorium in the country on the use of the death penalty,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement.
According to data gathered by the UN Human Rights Office, at least 612 people were executed in the first half of 2025. That figure is more than double the number recorded in the same period last year.
“It is alarming to see the reports that indicate there are at least 48 people currently on death row – 12 of whom are believed to be at imminent risk of execution,” Türk said.
The UN said more than 40 percent of the executions so far this year were for drug-related offences, while others were convicted under broad and vaguely worded charges, including “enmity against God” and “corruption on Earth.”
Human rights experts have repeatedly warned that such charges are often used to criminalize political dissent and suppress freedom of expression.
“Information received by my office also indicates that judicial proceedings in a number of cases, often held behind closed doors, have consistently failed to meet due process and fair trial guarantees,” the High Commissioner said.
Minority groups remain disproportionately affected by executions, the UN added, although it did not specify which groups were most at risk. Rights organizations have previously documented disproportionate targeting of Iran's Baluch, Kurdish, and Baháʼí communities in politically sensitive cases.
The rise in executions follows a wave of repression in the aftermath of the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Guardian Council is in the final stages of reviewing a controversial espionage bill that would expand the definition of “collaboration with hostile states”—an offence punishable by death.
The proposed legislation includes acts such as online communication, cooperation with foreign media, and what it terms “ideological alignment” with foreign governments.
“This bill dangerously broadens the scope of capital punishment for espionage, and I call for it to be rescinded,” Türk said.
“The death penalty is incompatible with the right to life and irreconcilable with human dignity,” he added. “Instead of accelerating executions, I urge Iran to join the worldwide movement abolishing capital punishment, starting with a moratorium on all executions.”
Iran is one of the world’s top executioners, second only to China, according to human rights groups.
