TOP STORIES
U.S. Warns Iran Of ‘Serious Risk’ If It Conducts Major Attack On Israel | The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. has warned Iran that its newly elected government and economy could suffer a devastating blow if it were to mount a major attack against Israel, a U.S. official said. The warning has been communicated to Tehran directly as well as through intermediaries, said the official, who declined to provide specifics. “The United States has sent clear messaging to Iran that the risk of a major escalation if they do a significant retaliatory attack against Israel is extremely high,” said the official. Those messages have also put Tehran on notice “that there is a serious risk of consequences for Iran’s economy and the stability of its newly elected government if it goes down that path,” the official added.
Iran Uses Fake News Sites To Interfere In U.S. Election, Microsoft Says | The Washington Post
Iran has stepped up its efforts to interfere in the November election and amp up American polarization, including through hacking attempts and fake news sites aimed at the far left and far right, Microsoft researchers said Friday in a report. The Iranian-built news networks include a site launched in October called Nio Thinker, which focused on the Israeli-Hamas war before it started to publish articles on the coming U.S. election. It takes a liberal slant, calling GOP nominee and former president Donald Trump an “opioid-pilled elephant in the MAGA china shop,” according to the report from Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center. A related site aimed at conservatives, Savannah Time, writes on Republican politics and LGBTQ issues. Some of the sites use artificial intelligence to plagiarize content from U.S. sites, the company said. The “about us” blurb on the site reads, “We’re opinionated, we’re noisy, and we’re having a good time.”
Iranians Accused of Smuggling Missile Components Intended for Houthi Rebels | The New York Times
The Justice Department has charged two Iranians with smuggling missile components bound for Houthi rebels that were seized in the Arabian Sea in January during a nighttime search that resulted in the deaths of two Navy SEALs, according to a court document unsealed on Wednesday. The two men, brothers who work for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, are accused of conspiring to provide material support to Iran’s program for weapons of mass destruction and remain at large. A third man, a Pakistani citizen who was captain on the vessel, was also charged with conspiring to provide weapons support. He was taken into custody with three other men who were captured when U.S. personnel boarded the ship, known as a dhow, which was packed with weapons. Those four men were charged earlier this year with related crimes in a federal court in Virginia.
UANI IN THE NEWS
Why Does Iran Keep Sending Amateurs To Conduct Assassinations In The U.S.? | NBC News
The murder-for-hire charge announced this week against a Pakistani national linked in court papers to Iran marked the fourth alleged Iranian assassination plot inside the United States over the past three years thwarted by the FBI, in what the attorney general called a “persistent” and “brazen” campaign by Iran to punish its enemies on American soil... “Any assessment that Iran is assigning lethal operations to a ‘B team’ misses the utility of nonofficial actors," said Roule, currently affiliated with United Against Nuclear Iran. "Nonofficial operatives with no history of engagement with Iran are more difficult to identify." And even unsuccessful operations have value, said Roule. Failed operations that aren't punished, he said, prove to the world that Iran's security services "can conduct lethal operations worldwide against officials, dissidents or journalists without paying any price." Given this scenario, said Roule, "the use of nonofficial actors makes better sense than an official actor, in that compromise of the latter could risk military action."
On Thursday, August 8th, the United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) urged the United States to consider military action against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) positions in Iran, emphasizing the need for a more robust deterrence strategy to address escalating threats from the Iranian regime. In a comprehensive report, UANI highlighted the surge in attacks by Iranian proxies on US interests since Hamas’ October 7th assault on Israel. The organization stressed that as regional conflicts intensify, the United States must adopt a more assertive stance in confronting Iranian-led aggression in the Middle East to achieve effective deterrence. The New York-based think tank detailed how the Iranian regime and the IRGC, aided by their proxies, have conducted relentless attacks over the past ten months. These assaults have employed a wide array of weapons, including ballistic missiles, rockets, and drones, targeting American assets and destabilizing the entire region.
A former US official who helped advise recovery efforts after 9/11 has demanded Anthony Albanese kick out the Iranian ambassador, warning the diplomat’s comments about Israel risked inciting antisemitic attacks in Australia. The Prime Minister claims his reaction — to have Canberra bureaucrats rebuke the Ambassador — is acting “responsibly in Australia’s national interest”. […] Mark Wallace, a former US diplomat who served as legal counsel to the 9/11 recovery efforts said the Australian government’s actions did not go far enough. Speaking exclusively to The Nightly in his role as CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran, a bipartisan, US-based NGO that campaigns to stop Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, he said the Ambassador’s comments were dangerous and a risk to the Australian public. “Iran’s regime is the leading state-sponsor of antisemitism and these dangerous comments warrant more than a summons and a statement from the Australian government,” Mr Wallace said.
Iran’s Oil Finds New Destinations In Tehran Export Push, Sources Say | Reuters
Iran has sent small shipments of crude oil to new destinations such as Bangladesh and Oman, according to shipping sources and data, the latest sign of Tehran pushing to sustain output at close to its highest in five years. Oil sales are Iran's major revenue source and the country has been looking for ways to sidestep U.S. sanctions on its crude exports that former president Donald Trump re-imposed in 2018 over Tehran's nuclear programme. Iran, which is exempt from output quotas set by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is striving to maximise production and exports. Oil Minister Javad Owji said in July that Iran was selling crude oil to 17 countries, including those in Europe, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency. The details could not corroborated. In one new trade, the Golden Eagle tanker sailed near the port of Chittagong in Bangladesh earlier this year after receiving oil from another vessel that loaded it from Iran’s Kharg Island according to available evidence based on shipping data, Claire Jungman, from U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, told Reuters.
MISSILE PROGRAM
Iranian Guards Navy Has New Highly Explosive Missiles, State Media Say | Reuters
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards said on Friday that its navy has new cruise missiles equipped with highly explosive warheads that are undetectable, state media reported. The announcement by the country's most powerful security organisation coincides with fears of a full-blown Middle East war after Iran vowed to avenge the assassination in Tehran on July 31 of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas. Iran has blamed Israel, while Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement. "In today's world you either have to be powerful to survive, or surrender. There's no middle ground," said the Guards' top commander, Major-General Hossein Salami. "A large number of cruise missiles have been added to the Guards' navy fleet. These new missiles have capabilities of highly explosive warheads that are undetectable and can cause extensive damage and sink their targets," a Guards statement said. The Guards' navy also said in a statement that various types of long and medium range missile systems, as well as reconnaissance drones and naval radars, have been added to its fleet.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Lawyers, Groups Condemn Iran’s Execution Of Women’s Rights Protester | Voice of America
Lawyers and human rights groups have condemned Iran for the execution of a man accused of killing a Revolutionary Guard during women’s rights protests. The family of Gholamreza "Reza" Rasaei and his lawyer were not informed in advance of the execution that took place Monday. Iran’s judiciary website later announced its action against the 34-year-old, whom Iran alleged had stabbed a member of the Revolutionary Guard. Rasaei, a member of the Kurdish and Yaresan ethnic and religious minority, was arrested in November 2022 after taking part in the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests. Amnesty International has described his trial as “grossly unfair,” noting it used as evidence forced confessions obtained under torture.
UN's Turk 'Extremely Concerned' After Spate Of Executions In Iran | Reuters
N High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk is extremely concerned that Iranian authorities have reportedly executed 29 people in the last two days, a spokesperson said on Friday. "This represents an alarmingly high number of executions in such a short period of time," UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Liz Throssell said. Though the death toll could not be independently verified by the United Nations, she said the reported executions took the overall count to at least 345 this year, including 15 women. Norway-based Iran Human Rights group said on Wednesday that 29 men including two Afghans and a member of the Baluch ethnic minority had been executed for murder, rape and drug-related crimes in Ghezel Hesar Prison in the city of Karaj.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
CENTCOM Chief Back In Israel Amid Fears Of Iran, Hezbollah Attack | Al-Monitor
The top commander of US military forces in the Middle East, Army Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, returned to Israel on Thursday to meet with defense officials ahead of an expected multifront attack by Iran and various militias it has armed throughout the region. The visit marked Kurilla’s second to Israel in just three days as he tours US-aligned capitals in the region to coordinate air and maritime defense ahead of the anticipated attack. His latest stop was first reported by Axios. Iran’s leadership has vowed to respond to the killing of Hamas’ late political leader Ismail Haniyeh in an explosion at an IRGC guest house in Tehran last week. The Biden administration has rallied international pressure in hope of dissuading Iran’s leaders from authorizing a major retaliation for Haniyeh’s killing, which Western and Arab officials fear could spiral into a wider regional war.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
US, Qatar And Egypt Push Urgent Talks With Israel And Hamas On Aug 15 | Reuters
Leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar on Thursday called on Israel and Hamas to meet for negotiations on Aug. 15 in order to finalize a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. The three countries, which have been trying to mediate a deal, said in a joint statement the talks could take place in either Doha or Cairo. "A framework agreement is now on the table with only the details of implementation left to conclude," they said. "There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay. It is time to release the hostages, begin the ceasefire, and implement this agreement."
CYBERWARFARE
Microsoft Researchers Report Iran Hackers Targeting US Officials Before Election | Reuters
Microsoft researchers said on Friday that Iran government-tied hackers tried breaking into the account of a "high ranking official" on the U.S. presidential campaign in June, weeks after breaching the account of a county-level U.S. official. The breaches were part of Iranian groups' increasing attempts to influence the U.S. presidential election in November, the researchers said in a report that did not provide any further detail on the "official" in question. The report follows recent statements by senior U.S. Intelligence officials that they'd seen Iran ramp up use of clandestine social media accounts with the aim to use them to try to sow political discord in the United States.
MISCELLANEOUS
Iran Defector Loses To Old Friend And Former Taekwondo Teammate At Paris Olympics | Associated Press
One wore a veil, the other fought with her head bare. Nahid Kiyani Chandeh and Kimia Alizadeh were once friends and roommates as part of the junior Iran taekwondo team. Now an entire world separates them... Alizadeh was the first Iranian female athlete to win an Olympic medal when she claimed bronze in Rio de Janeiro at age 18. Her win catapulted her to fame, but she grew frustrated with life in Iran. As she announced she was leaving her country four years ago, she accused Iranian officials of sexism and criticized wearing the mandatory hijab headscarf. At the time, she described herself as “one of the millions of oppressed women in Iran.”