TOP STORIES
Trump Requests Edits to Iran Deal His Envoys Negotiated | Axios
“President Trump asked for several amendments to the deal his envoys reached with their Iranian counterparts during a Situation Room meeting on Friday, according to a senior administration official and a second source briefed on the issue. Trump wants the deal and expects to finalize it soon, but is keen to strengthen several points that are important to him—particularly around Iran's nuclear material, two U.S. officials said.”
US Says It Struck Iranian Radar Sites as Kuwait Reports Missile and Drone Attacks | BBC News
“The US has said it struck Iranian military sites over the weekend while Tehran said it responded by targeting an American base, marking the third known escalations in a week around the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (Centcom) said it launched ‘self-defence strikes’ in response to ‘aggressive Iranian actions,’ which it said included a US drone being shot down over international waters. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted an air base used by US forces for an attack on southern Iran. Meanwhile Kuwait said its air defence system had confronted ‘hostile’ missiles and drones—with its foreign ministry later condemning ‘heinous and repeated Iranian attacks.’”
U.S. Military Is Quietly Guiding Ships Through the Strait of Hormuz | New York Times
“American forces in recent weeks have helped coordinate the passage of dozens of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. officials, even as travel through the waterway remains risky amid stalled negotiations to end the war with Iran.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
Why Iran’s Shadow Oil Fleet Is So Hard for Trump to Stop | Wall Street Journal
UANI Senior Advisor Charlie Brown: “We’ve tracked over 120 tankers laden with Iranian oil in this anchorage since the start of the war. It’s on the order of 150 million barrels of oil floating out there at present time. One of the first tools to use is the AIS information that ships broadcast, and the primary purpose for that is for ship-to-ship communication so two ships can avoid a collision. Some of the most important telltale signs is they often and regularly turn off their AIS and go dark, and that is just a sign they are wanting to not be observed. Another very important [sign] is spoofing. A ship can use software to basically create a false AIS track that when we look at it on our computer screens may look realistic. But if you cross reference into that other sources of data, especially satellite imagery, you can determine it’s a fake.”
US and Iran Take Widely Different Approaches in Messaging Battle Around Peace | Washington Examiner
“‘The more extreme group in the IRGC are taking charge,’ [UANI Senior Advisor] Saeid Golkar, an expert in Iran’s security services at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, told the Wall Street Journal last month. ‘That makes the prolongation of the conflict more likely.’” . . . Kasra Aarabi, an expert on the Guard at United Against Nuclear Iran, said Iran’s actions suggest many of those in charge are genuine believers. ‘How much of this is empty narrative, how much is true belief? If you look at their behavior, you can tell that they are guided by the principles of their ideology,’ he said. ‘The apocalyptic doctrine of Mahdism has guided the regime’s wartime behavior, and has provided justification for actions that could otherwise be viewed as irrational.’”
“‘The president’s Truth Social post today is another attempt to put the ball in Tehran’s court,’ said Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran.”
US Adds Sanctions on Tankers and Iranian Oil Awaiting Trump’s Decision | Maritime Executive
“The NGO UANI (United Against Nuclear Iran) tracks around 200 tankers that have been sanctioned since 2020. It says that about one-in-three of the nearly 600 vessels it has tracked over the past six years involved in the Iranian oil trade.”
Strait of Hormuz Week 13 Update: Mines, Blockades, and “Dark” Ships | What’s Going On with Shipping?
“United Against Nuclear Iran have been tracking vessels. They have identified 69 laden Iranian tankers inside the Persian Gulf, primarily crude, but there are also some petroleum carriers and [liquefied petroleum gas].”
The Story of Negotiator Caught Between Two Forces: War and Politics | IDN Financials
“‘If these terms are accurate and if a deal is reached, the Islamic Republic of Iran appears to gain more from the MOU than the US,’ said Jason Brodsky, Policy Director at the non-profit organisation United Against Nuclear Iran, on X. ‘Promises of more nuclear talks? Be careful.’”
Potential Iran Ceasefire Helps Markets Block Out Hot Inflation | Courthouse News Service
Photo Caption: “This handout photo from United Against Nuclear Iran shows two oil tankers making a ship-to-ship transfer of Iranian oil in the Eastern Outer Port Limits (EOPL), 70 kilometers off Malaysia's coast in international waters on 28 July 2025.”
MILITARY MATTERS & STRAIT OF HORMUZ CRISIS
U.S. Says It Stopped a Merchant Ship Trying to Breach Blockade and Reach Iran | Associated Press
“The U.S. military stopped a merchant vessel trying to break through its blockade of Iranian ports by firing a missile into its engine room, the U.S. Central Command said on Saturday. The Gambia-flagged cargo ship Lian Star ignored more than 20 warnings from U.S. forces overnight as it tried to enter an Iranian port, the military said. The ship remained adrift in the Gulf of Oman and U.S. forces have not boarded it, said a U.S. official with knowledge of the situation . . .”
The U.A.E.’s Secret Role in the War Involved Dozens of Strikes on Iran | Wall Street Journal
“The United Arab Emirates carried out dozens of airstrikes against Iran beginning in the early days of the war and continuing through the day after the April cease-fire was announced, people familiar with the matter said, a deeper involvement than was previously known in the air campaign led by the U.S. and Israel. . . . The attacks were conducted in coordination with the U.S. and Israel, both of which provided intelligence, the people said. They included targets on Qeshm and Abu Musa islands in the Strait of Hormuz; Bandar Abbas; the oil refinery on Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf; and the Asaluyeh petrochemical complex, some of the people said.”
Pentagon Chief Says U.S. Ready to Restart Strikes on Iran If No Deal | Reuters
“The U.S. is ready to restart attacks on Iran if a deal cannot be reached, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday, as negotiators from Washington and Tehran worked to bridge major differences blocking an agreement.”
Iran Attacks Damage 20 US Military Sites Since Start of War, Satellite Images Show | BBC
“Iran has damaged 20 US military sites since the start of the war, satellite images and videos analysed by BBC Verify show, suggesting the attacks are more extensive than publicly acknowledged.”
Iran’s War Command Threatens Vessels over Hormuz Transit Rules | Iran International
“Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned on Saturday that all commercial ships and oil tankers must use designated routes in the Strait of Hormuz and obtain permission from the IRGC Navy, threatening both non-compliant vessels and foreign military intervention.”
DIPLOMACY
Trump Sends Tougher Terms to Iran for Peace Framework, Officials Say | New York Times
“President Trump has toughened the terms of a potential framework for a deal to end the war in Iran, and has sent those proposed changes back to the country for consideration, according to three officials. It was not immediately clear what changes had been made to the text of the agreement. Mr. Trump has been concerned about parts of the potential deal that would include unfreezing funds for the Iranians, two officials said. . . . Mr. Trump has also been frustrated by how long it has taken for Iran to respond to U.S. proposals, one official said. . . . The official added that Mr. Trump’s changes—a new, tougher proposal—were potentially intended to speed up the process by putting pressure on Iran to accept the framework already sent to Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, for approval.”
Iran Does Not Intend to Transfer Its Uranium Abroad, Top Official Says | CNN
“Top Iranian official Ebrahim Azizi has warned that Iran does not intend to transfer its stockpile of enriched uranium abroad, according to the state-affiliated Mizan News Agency, citing Russian state media. In an interview with Russian state news outlet RIA Novosti, Azizi, who is the head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, said on Friday that Tehran ‘does not intend to transfer its enriched uranium to a third country,’ Mizan reported.”
Qatar Rejects Iran’s Demand for Unrestricted Release of $12 Billion in Funds | Iran International
“The recent high-stakes visit of a senior Iranian delegation to Doha, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has ended in a major diplomatic setback for Tehran, an informed source with knowledge of the negotiations told Iran International. Despite Tehran’s firm demands for the immediate and unconditional release of $12 billion in cash upon the signing of an initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States, Qatari officials rejected the request, agreeing to release only half of the amount under strict limitations, the source said. According to a source close to a Qatari official involved in the discussions, Doha refused to transfer the funds directly or in cash to Iran. Instead, the money will only be made available as credit for Tehran to purchase essential goods and products directly from Qatar.”
Qatar Says Temporary Hormuz Fee to Clear Mines Is Negotiable | Bloomberg
“Qatar opposes permanent legal fees for transit through the Strait of Hormuz, but a temporary fee is negotiable and could help restore normal passage through the key waterway, a top official said.”
IRGC Outlet Disputes Trump’s Account of Emerging Iran Deal | Iran International
“Claims by US President Donald Trump about a possible agreement with Iran are ‘a mix of truth and lies’ and do not reflect the draft terms being reviewed in Tehran, IRGC-affiliated Fars News reported, citing informed sources. The report said the draft agreement, framed as ‘commitment for commitment,’ is in the final stages of approval in Iran but no definitive decision has yet been made.”
Iran’s Top Negotiator Ghalibaf Says No US Deal Without ‘Tangible Results’ | Reuters
“Iran will not accept any agreement ending its conflict with the US unless there is certainty that the Iranian people’s rights are secured, top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says according to state media. There is no trust in the enemy’s words and promises. Our only criterion is to achieve tangible results before we fulfill our commitments in return,’ he adds . . .”
Kazakhstan Offers to Take Iran’s Uranium Stockpile, Watchdog Says | Financial Times
“Kazakhstan has indicated that it is willing to take Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched close to weapons-grade levels if Washington and Tehran reach a deal over the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme, the head of the UN’s watchdog said.”
A Restive Middle East Awaits Trump’s Decision on Iran Deal | New York Times
“Some people in Iran who had hoped that the war could lead to the end of the Islamic Republic’s authoritarian rule said they were disillusioned and indifferent to the idea of a potential agreement. ‘We know that even if there is one, we will not receive any benefits from it,’ said Ali, a 43-year-old engineer from Mazandaran Province in northern Iran, who asked to be identified only by his first name, fearing government retaliation. ‘It would mostly serve to guarantee the survival of the Islamic Republic,’ he added.’
Trump Says Iran Really Wants to Make a Deal with the US | Reuters
“President Donald Trump on Monday said that Iran really wanted to make a deal with the U.S. and that it would be a good one for Washington and its allies.”
Iran Says Contradictory US Positions, Israeli Attacks on Lebanon Delaying Diplomacy | Reuters
“Iran on Monday blamed the slow pace of efforts to end the U.S.-Iran conflict on a lack of trust, contradictory positions from Washington and continued Israeli attacks in the region.”
The War Trump Can’t End | Karim Sadjadpour in the Atlantic
“Trump may pause his war against Iran. But the Islamic Republic’s 47-year ideological war with ‘the Great Satan, America, and its trained beast, the Zionist regime’—in the recent words of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader—will continue in earnest. U.S.-Iran negotiations yield zero trust and zero closure. A win-win scenario does not exist. Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, regional proxies, and missile programs will menace the Middle East so long as the Islamic Republic is in power.”
TERRORISM
Danish Intelligence Says Iran Poses Increased Terror Threat | CBS News
“Danish intelligence said Friday that Iran was playing a larger role when it came to the threat of terrorism against the Scandinavian country, adding that the threat assessment was mirroring global developments. . . . ‘Over the past year state actors have become increasingly important to the terror threat. We assess that this applies in particular to Iran, which poses a threat especially to Israeli and Jewish interests as well as certain Iranian dissidents in Europe, including Denmark,’ Finn Borch Andersen, head of PET, said in a statement. ‘The threat from Iran emanates from the Iranian intelligence services, which make use of both criminal networks and the recruitment of operatives in Europe to plan and carry out attacks,’ he added.”
TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION
Milan Prosecutors Investigate Two Iranians over Threats to Dissidents | Reuters
“Milan prosecutors have placed two Iranians living in Italy under investigation and ordered their homes to be searched over alleged threats to compatriots opposed to the Tehran government, judicial documents showed on Friday. . . . The case stems from complaints filed by several Iranian citizens living in Italy. In one case cited in the warrant, an Iranian dissident told investigators she had received a phone call telling her she had been sentenced to death for being an opposition supporter and would have her assets in Iran confiscated. . . . [The warrant] said both suspects, named as Jalilian Farshid and Adib Ansari Rohoulah, were known to attend an Islamic centre in Milan owned by the Iranian consulate.”
Man Accused of Using Hidden Camera to Spy on UK-Based Iranian Journalist | BBC News
“A Greek national accused of spying on a London-based Iranian journalist allegedly used a covert camera hidden inside a sock to carry out surveillance, a court has heard. Ioannis Aidinidis, 46, appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service believed to be linked to Iran, following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London.”
HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran Hangs Two Protesters Arrested During January Demonstrations | Iran International
“Two Iranian protesters were executed on Monday after they were arrested during nationwide demonstrations in January, the judiciary’s Mizan News reported. Mehrdad Mohammadinia and Ashkan Maleki had been sentenced to death on accusations of setting fire to a mosque in Tehran’s Gisha neighborhood, damaging public property, clashing with security forces and blocking streets.”
Iran Sentences Another Athlete to Death over January Protests | Iran International
“Iranian political prisoner and martial arts champion Benyamin Naqdi who was arrested during January protests in Shiraz has been sentenced to death for spreading ‘corruption on earth,’ his lawyer said. State media had earlier released a video of Naqdi’s forced confession, identifying him as the young man who used a canister filled with flammable liquid to throw flames at government motorcycle forces in Shiraz.”
Iranian Authorities Shutter Tehran Cafe over Alleged ‘Satanic’ Activities | Agence France-Presse
“Iranian authorities have shut down a cafe in central Tehran over allegations that it promoted ‘satanic’ activities, local media reported on Sunday. The cafe, located on Tehran’s famed Valiasr street, had hosted events featuring Western-style music that ‘provided a setting for abnormal behaviors,’ the Fars news agency reported.”
MISSILE PROGRAM & CHINA
Iran May Have Used Chinese Missile to Shoot Down U.S. Fighter Jet, Sources Say | NBC News
“The F-15 fighter that was shot down over southwestern Iran last month and set off a dangerous rescue mission was probably struck by a Chinese-made shoulder-launched missile, three people with knowledge of the matter told NBC News. In the early days of the conflict, China also may have provided Iran with a long-range early-warning radar that spots stealth aircraft that are meant to evade detection, according to one of the people and a U.S. official with knowledge of the matter.”
Leaked Documents Link Chinese Firms to IRGC Missile Fuel Network | Iran International
“Iran International has obtained documents indicating that a Chinese company, working with firms in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, helped Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) acquire chemicals used in the production of ballistic missiles. The documents, obtained by the hacker group Prana and shared with Iran International, suggest Chinese entities also played a role in facilitating the transactions through a network of companies designed to navigate US sanctions.”
CYBERSECURITY MATTERS
How Iran’s Military Harnesses ChatGPT | Financial Times
“As the Middle East waits on fraught peace negotiations, Iran’s embattled hackers have been hunched over their laptops, chatting to a game-changing new weapon: US-made AI models. ChatGPT, Gemini and other western AI programs have turbocharged Iran’s cyber operations, helping it develop malware, craft phishing messages in perfect Hebrew and Arabic, and then unleash attacks at unprecedented scale and speed, cyber experts and tech companies say.”
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Iran’s President Offers Resignation, Citing Total Takeover by IRGC Commanders | Iran International
“Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has submitted an official letter of resignation to the Office of the Supreme Leader, a source familiar with the matter told Iran International. In the letter sent on Sunday, Pezeshkian stressed that the president and the government have effectively been excluded from major and vital decision-making processes in the country, and that the vacuum created by this situation has enabled hardline factions within the IRGC to take control of affairs, the source said. Pezeshkian added that under such circumstances he is unable to run the government and carry out his legal responsibilities, and for that reason has requested to step down immediately.”
Hardline Rallies Turn Iran’s Streets Into Pressure Front Against Us Talks | Iran International
“What began as street mourning for Ali Khamenei has become a nightly stage for Iran’s hardliners to attack negotiations with Washington, promote wartime defiance and pressure officials to follow the Supreme Leader’s red lines. Many of the nightly gatherings – known in Iran’s political and media sphere simply as ‘the street’—began as collective mourning ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed, in squares and streets across Iranian cities before gradually evolving into highly organized political events. Speakers, most of them from the hardline camp, describe Iran as the victor of the war and oppose negotiations with the United States in many of these events. The rallies were initially large, but as their rhetoric became more radical attendance gradually declined. Witnesses say most now attract between 100 and 200 people at a time.”
Hardline MP Draws Backlash over Post Seen as Swipe at Mojtaba Khamenei | Iran International
“Hardline Iranian lawmaker Hamid Rasaei has sparked intense controversy after publishing a social media post that many interpreted as an indirect swipe at Mojtaba Khamenei, drawing sharp criticism from supporters of the Islamic Republic. . . . Rasaei defended himself by publishing another note, saying he had simply reshared an older piece of his writing and that it was published several hours before Mojtaba Khamenei’s message. He insisted that he was among the very first to vouch for Mojtaba’s personal qualifications for leadership, even introducing him as a suitable option for leadership two days after the news of Ali Khamenei's killing was announced.”
ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
U.S. Push for Lebanon Ceasefire Stalls as Israel Eyes Beirut Strikes | Axios
“A senior Lebanese official said neither Hezbollah nor Israel want a ceasefire, and that the U.S. has not taken firm action to prevent Netanyahu from escalating. On the other hand, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have been urging Hezbollah to escalate in order to gain a bargaining chip in the U.S.-Iran talks, the Lebanese official contended.”