TOP STORIES
Iran Ramps Up Production Of Highly Enriched Uranium, Nearing Weapons' Grade Levels | Fox News
Iran has boosted its production of highly enriched uranium after a slowdown earlier this year, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said in a report on Tuesday, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. Iran is currently enriching uranium up to 60%, which is reaching the 90% needed for weapons, at its Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP) in the Natanz complex and at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP). Rafael Mariano Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in the report that Iran had "increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous output reduction from mid-2023."
Houthi Rebels Attack Container Ship In Red Sea Conflict | Bloomberg
Houthi rebels attacked a container ship transiting the Red Sea as the conflict in the region escalates, prompting several vessels to avoid the area. The MSC United VIII was attacked on Tuesday while en route to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company confirmed in a statement. All crew are safe and no injuries have been reported. The company is carrying out an assessment of damages and will avoid using the Suez Canal, diverting vessels to sail on a longer route via the Cape of Good Hope instead.
Iran Recruits Afghans To Target Israelis | Iran International
Unit 400 of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is recruiting Afghans for suicide attacks and working with Al Qaeda to target Israelis. The Quds Force team responsible for recruiting Afghans includes Hossein Rahmani, Hossein Rahban, Hamed Abdollahi, and Alireza Tajik who was implicated in a plot to assassinate an Israeli businessman in Tbilisi, Iran International can reveal. Iran's use of Afghans for targeting Israelis was first reported by The Israeli weblog Intellitimes.
UANI IN THE NEWS
... In their report, “How Iran exports its ideology,” the United Against Nuclear Iran group stated: “The Iranian embassy is a means to establish a pretext of commercial and cultural exchange, but its true purpose is to lay the groundwork for Iranian operatives to embed in local communities and to manage a network of espionage and terrorism.” Iran works in South America to make allies and partners in an anti-Western alliance. It naturally seeks countries with revolutionary governments or significant revolutionary movements.
Israel At War – Day 81 | i24 News
Following reports that Iran ramped up enriched Uranium production, @UANI's @JasonMBrodsky says: ‘The informal diplomatic understand to keep the Iran files off the President’s desk have collapsed.’
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Iran-Linked Hackers Target Albanian Parliament | Iran International
Albania's Parliament has reported a cyberattack in which Iran-based hackers attempted access to its data server, seeking to erase critical information. A statement said Monday’s cyberattack, which temporarily halted parliament’s operations, had not “touched the data of the system.” The Associated Press cited local media as reporting that a cellphone provider and an air flight company were also targeted by cyberattacks Monday from “Iranian-based hackers called Homeland Justice.” In the announcement published on the Telegram account of the group, 'Homeland Justice' claims to have deleted more than 2 petabytes of data of the telecommunications network and the internal network of all connected companies.
Israel’s Cyber Directorate Warns Of Phishing Attack By Iran-Based Hacking Squad | Times Of Israel
Israel’s National Cyber Directorate issued a statement Tuesday warning of a phishing attack by Iranian hackers. Posing as American network security conglomerate F5, Iranian hackers sent an email to IT officials in multiple Israeli companies with instructions to download what seems like an update, but is actually malware, said the directorate. Working with an unnamed commercial company, the directorate identified the hackers as members of an Iranian offensive cyber squad.
CONGRESS & IRAN
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) said Tuesday the Biden administration must “reverse course” on its Iran policy to help Israel after its war with Palestinian militant group Hamas is over. “Israel is just going to be mowing the grass in Gaza,” Waltz told Fox News anchor Bret Baier. “It’s going to grow back, terrorism is going to come back as long as Iran is flush with cash.” “The biggest thing the administration could do to help Israel, is do a 180, reverse-course on its Iran policy, go back to maximum pressure and dry up their coffers that are fueling terrorism across the region,” Waltz continued. Iran has shown support for Hamas amid its war with U.S. ally Israel and has long-funded the organization.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Iran Accuses Israel Of Killing Sayyed Mousavi, A Military Official | New York Times
... The assassinated Iranian was identified as Brig. Gen. Sayyed Razi Mousavi, a senior adviser to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. He was said to have helped oversee the shipment of missiles and other arms to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed military force in Lebanon and Syria that is a frequent adversary of Israel’s.
Iran Toughens Response To Russia's Humiliating Stance | Iran International
The controversy surrounding a recent statement from the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum, which undermined Iran's territorial integrity, continues to escalate in Tehran. Amid mounting pressure from social media users, prominent political figures, including individuals with close ties to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, such as Ali Akbar Velayati, his senior foreign policy adviser, and Hossein Shariatmadari, his representative at the Kayhan newspaper, have raised objections to Russia's humiliating stance.
Iran’s IRGC Says Oct. 7 Attacks On Israel Were Revenge For Soleimani; Hamas Denies | Al Arabiya
The spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that Hamas’ October 7 attacks against Israel were revenge for slain IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani, a claim that was quickly denied by the Palestinian group. “The Al-Aqsa Flood was one of the acts of revenge for the assassination of General Soleimani by the US and the Zionists,” Iran’s ISNA news agency quoted IRGC spokesman Ramezan Sharif as telling reporters, using the name Hamas has dubbed its October 7 attacks on Israel.
GULF STATES, YEMEN, & IRAN
The US Navy says it racked up another victory over Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have been harassing cargo ships in the Red Sea. US Central Command said in a statement posted on X on Tuesday that the rebels fired 12 one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land-based cruise missiles over a 10-hour period. US military assets — including the destroyer USS Laboon and F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group — shot down every one of those attempts, CENTCOM said.
OTHER FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Iran Seeks Return Of Former Official Convicted For Human Rights Abuses In Sweden | Jurist
Spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry Nasser Kanaani stated in a news conference Monday that Iran will continue to seek the release of former Iranian official Hamid Nouri, whose conviction and sentence of life in prison for human rights abuses in Sweden was upheld last week in the Svea Court of Appeal. Kanaani stated that the Iranian government will continue its efforts to secure Nouri’s release despite the appeals court ruling, and that the verdict against Nouri was “illegal” and “cruel.” The head of the Iranian Parliament’s Human Rights Committee Zohreh Elahian also announced to Iranian state news media outlet IRNA on Monday that Nouri’s family intended to file a complaint with the International Criminal Court seeking his release, saying: The family of Mr. Nouri considers it their right to not recognize the verdict issued by the Swedish National Court due to its failure to ensure compliance with legal standards, and to file a complaint against the Swedish judicial system in international courts and pursue the issue through the International Criminal Court.
MISCELLANEOUS
Indian Navy To Deploy Guided Missile Destroyer Ships After Strike Off Its Coast | Reuters
The Indian navy will deploy guided missile destroyer ships in the Arabian Sea as a deterrent after an Israel-affiliated merchant vessel was struck off the Indian coast over the weekend. The navy was investigating the nature of the attack on the vessel, MV Chem Pluto, which docked in Mumbai on Monday, and initial reports pointed to a drone attack, a navy statement said. "Further forensic and technical analysis will be required to establish the vector of attack, including type and amount of explosive used," the statement added.