TOP STORIES
China's Iranian Crude Imports Find New Market In Northeast | Reuters
Imports of Iranian crude have been flowing into the port and refining city of Dalian since late last year, tanker tracking firms and trading sources said, helping sustain the country's purchases of the oil at near record levels. The shift has happened as demand for Iranian crude from small buyers in the independent refining hub of Shandong province has waned in the face of deteriorating refining margins, squeezed by higher crude prices but weaker-than-expected fuel demand, traders said. They have been Iran's main buyers in China since 2019. Iran, including its oil, is subject to U.S. sanctions, reinstated in 2018 over concerns about its nuclear program. But China did not stop buying Iranian oil, with margin-driven independent plants filling a vacuum left by sanctions-wary state firms, Reuters has reported. Vortexa, a consultancy that tracks tanker flows, said 23 cargoes, or a total of 45 million barrels, of Iranian oil was discharged at Dalian between October 2023 and June 2024. It said this included 28 million barrels discharged at Changxing island, about 85 km (53 miles) northwest of central Dalian. Another consultancy, Kpler, estimated China imported 34 million barrels into Dalian during the same period.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz claims that the malicious acts of sabotage committed across France’s high-speed railway this morning were carried out “under the influence of Iran’s axis of evil and radical Islam.” Katz says he warned his French counterpart this week “based on information held by Israel” that Iran was “planning terrorist attacks against the Israeli delegation and all Olympic participants. “Increased preventive measures must be taken to thwart their plot,” he adds. “The free world must stop Iran now – before it’s too late.” French intelligence services have said it is not yet clear who was behind the attacks on the railways, which have caused widespread chaos hours before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Two security officials say, however, that initial suspicions fell on hardline leftists or environmental activists, and that the attacks were likely “criminal acts” rather than part of a terror plot.
Trump Discusses US Wiping Iran 'Off The Face Of The Earth' | AFP
"If they do 'assassinate President Trump,' which is always a possibility, I hope that America obliterates Iran, wipes it off the face of the Earth — If that does not happen, American Leaders will be considered 'gutless' cowards!" he wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. Trump made the remarks alongside a brief video of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu bringing up alleged Iranian plots against Trump in his address to the US Congress on Wednesday. US media reported last week that the US Secret Service had increased security for Trump weeks ago after authorities learned of an Iranian plot to kill him, although it was not linked to the recent attempt on his life in which a 20-year-old American fired shots during a campaign rally. CNN reported that US authorities received intelligence from a "human source" on a plan by Tehran targeting the former president, causing protection to be boosted for Trump. Other US outlets also reported the plot.
UANI IN THE NEWS
Iranian Regime ‘Enraged’ By Netanyahu’s Speech To Congress | The Jewish Chronicle
[…] Kasra Aarabi, Director of IRGC Research, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), said: “The Iranian regime was desperately seeking to discredit Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech in the US and foment chaos around it.” Aarabi warned that protesters burning US flags in Washington "will have brought a smile to Ayatollah Khamenei’s face”. He added: “Make no mistake, the Iranian regime and its networks abroad will try and further fuel chaos with the goal of polarising US society ahead of the presidential elections. In many ways, this regime influence operation is already in full swing.” Jason Brodsky, policy director at UANI, said: “The response of the Islamic Republic’s spin masters is predictable. They use anti-Israel and antisemitic diatribes to deflect from their own record of atrocities and crimes against humanity against the Iranian people.
Iran Releases Oil Carried By Tanker St Nikolas, Cargo Owner Says | Reuters
Iran has released the oil cargo of a Greek-owned, Marshall-Islands-flagged tanker it seized in the Gulf of Oman earlier this year, a shipping source told Reuters on Thursday. The vessel, M/T St. Nikolas, is still being held by Iran, the source added. It was laden with 1 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil destined for Turkey when it was seized. "The cargo was released earlier this week after negotiations," the source said. […] The cargo was transferred onto the Turkey-flagged tanker T. Semahat earlier this week via a ship-to-ship transfer near Iran’s Larak Island, said Claire Jungman, chief of staff at U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, which tracks Iran-related tanker traffic via satellite data. T.Semahat's Turkey-based operator Ditas is majority-owned by Tupras. The vessel had the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates as its destination and was sailing away from Iran on Thursday, LSEG shipping data showed. Iran seized the St. Nikolas in January in retaliation for the confiscation last year of the same vessel and its oil by the U.S., Iranian state media had reported at the time. Iran's foreign and oil ministries were not immediately available to comment.
Iran Summons German Envoy Over Islamic Center Closure | i24 News
Germany shut down an Islamic center in Hamburg over ties to Iran and Hezbollah, and promotion of jihadist terror. UANI Policy Director Jason Brodsky tells i24News host Laura Cellier the center follows the same blueprint of recruiting students into Iran's terrorist networks as many similar instutions across Europe.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Iran Hits Nuclear Technology Milestone | Newsweek
Iran has successfully penetrated global markets with its nuclear products and services, according to an announcement made by the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI). The development marks a significant milestone in Iran's nuclear technology capabilities despite ongoing international sanctions. The announcement, made during an interview with Khamenei.ir, highlights Iran's efforts to break the monopoly in nuclear technology. Eslami emphasized the country's progress in producing and exporting nuclear goods, including heavy water and radiopharmaceuticals, which are now available on the global market. The move comes amid continuing tensions surrounding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and international scrutiny of Iran's nuclear program. Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense for comment. According to Iran Watch, Iran has accumulated a substantial stockpile of highly enriched uranium, sufficient for several nuclear bombs. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that Iran now possesses many of the technical components necessary for nuclear weapons, including advanced centrifuges and enriched uranium at near-weapons-grade levels.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran Hangs Final Defendant In 2008 Case After 'Unfair Trial' | AFP
Sheikheh, one of seven men first arrested in the case more than 14 years ago, was put to death in Urmia prison in northwestern Iran, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said in separate statements. Sheikheh's six co-defendants, also members of Iran's Kurdish minority, had all been executed in separate hangings since November 2023. Amnesty International has said they had been sentenced to death "in a grossly unfair trial" that had been "marred by allegations of torture and other ill-treatment". The seven were convicted on the capital crime of corruption on earth. IHR described Sheikheh as a "political prisoner" who had been sentenced to death "based on torture-tainted confessions in a grossly unfair trial". The execution "was unlawful according to international law and the Islamic republic's own laws, amounting to an extrajudicial killing," said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.
Hijab Enforcement To Continue Despite Pezeshkian’s Promises | Iran International
Masoud Pezeshkian promised voters to stop hijab patrols and violence against women for violations, but the acting chief of police insists the same policies will continue under the new government. Speaking at a security meeting in Qazvin Province Wednesday, Qasem Rezaei said implementation of the government's hijab enforcement initiative, known as the Nour (Light) Plan, will continue irrespective of the change in administrations. Under the Nour Plan, businesses face closure if they fail to ensure compliance with hijab regulations among their customers, and cars are impounded if passengers are unveiled. At a press briefing in Rasht a few weeks before the recent snap elections, Rezaei claimed that the enforcement of the hijab plan was a popular demand. He labeled unveiling as a "soft threat" and a "sedition" used by the enemy, urging the parliament to urgently pass a bill imposing cash fines and other punishments on women for unveiling.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
Harris Condemns Flag Burning As ‘Despicable’, White House Blames iran | Iran International
Vice President Kamala Harris has condemned Washington demonstrators who burned the American flag and supported Hamas during Netanyahu's visit, as despicable acts by unpatriotic individuals. Thousands of protesters were rallying against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech before Congress on Wednesday when many protesters engaged in violent acts, burning the US flag and defacing monuments. Netanyahu’s speech not only pinpointed Iran as the instigator of all the turmoil in the Middle East, but also made special note of the protesters. Referencing Iran’s role in promoting and funding protests in the US, he went further than Harris, calling the demonstrators “Iran’s useful idiots." “That’s not a phrase we would use,” National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby told reports on Thursday, when asked to react to that characterization by Netanyahu. “We know that Iran certainly has tried to meddle here. They’ve tried to sow discord. They’ve obviously contributed to some funding of some protesters,” Kirby said.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Israel Says Iran Sabotaged France's Rail Network Ahead Of Paris 2024 Olympics | Iran International
Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz says that the sabotage of France's rail infrastructure ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics was influenced by "Iran's axis of evil and radical Islam." On Friday, French train operator SNCF announced that the high-speed network suffered "malicious acts," including arson attacks, causing significant disruption just hours before the Olympic opening ceremony. Up to 800,000 passengers will face travel disruptions this weekend due to the attack. Shortly thereafter, Israel’s Katz, attributed the attack to Iran, noting that he had previously warned French authorities about potential threats from Tehran targeting Israeli athletes in France. "The free world must stop Iran now - before it's too late," Katz wrote on X. In a letter on Thursday, Katz alerted his French counterpart, Stéphane Séjourné, to an Iranian-backed plot aimed at the Israeli delegation participating in the 2024 Games.
Iran is behind a recent influence campaign aimed at intimidating members of the Israeli delegation to the Paris Olympics, the National Cyber Directorate announced on Thursday after a thorough investigation. According to the investigation, the campaign involves hackers creating social media channels to publish personal information about the delegation members and sending them threatening messages. The Directorate stated that it is actively working with the State Attorney’s Cyber Unit to shut down these channels. The hackers have reportedly been posing as a French organization named GUD to carry out their campaign.The Directorate said that it is coordinating with the Israeli Olympic Committee and the Security and Emergency Department of the Culture and Sports Ministry to ensure the safety of the delegation members. Gabi Portnoy, head of the National Cyber Directorate, said: “Iran is exploiting an apolitical international sporting competition to promote digital terrorism against Israel and its right to participate in these competitions.”
No Clarity On Gaza, Hezbollah, Iran, And The Saudis | The Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a rousing performance about the importance of US-Israel relations in his speech to the US Congress, and managed to compliment both current US President Joe Biden and former US president Donald Trump, but missed an opportunity to move forward on any major policy goal of Israel, given how vague he remained. Regarding achievement of a hostage deal in Gaza, he did not prepare Israelis for some of the hard concessions the country may need to make to seal the deal. Strangely, he said that negotiations were happening at the moment he was speaking, only shortly after his office delayed Mossad Director David Barnea’s return to the bargaining table. Netanyahu also did not break any new ground on the “Day After” in Gaza, officially recommending that the UAE and Egypt, along with some version of the Palestinian Authority, replace Hamas. Rather, he retained the vague phrase of ‘Palestinians who are not seeking Israel’s destruction,’ avoiding endorsement of the PA, though virtually all Israeli defense officials say that the PA is the only group with the power to even potentially replace Hamas.
TURKEY & IRAN
Turkey’s Tupras Says It Recovered Cargo From Iran-Seized Ship | Bloomberg
Turkish oil refiner Tupras said it has transfered the cargo from a crude tanker that was seized by Iran earlier this year. The St Nikolas vessel was taken in January and has been anchored near the country’s coastline since. The cargo was removed as part of a ship-to-ship transfer with another vessel, the statement said, suggesting the vessel itself remains held. Before it was called St Nikolas, the tanker was known as the Suez Rajan, a vessel that was impounded by the US for hauling sanctioned Iranian barrels. When it seized the vessel Iran said it was “in retaliation for the theft of oil by the US”. The transfer completed on Thursday and the cargo will arrive at the refinery in September, the statement said.