TOP STORIES
Chinese Firms Plot Secret Arms Sales to Iran, U.S. Officials Say | New York Times
“Chinese companies have been discussing arms sales with Iran, plotting to send the weapons through other countries to mask the origins of the military aid, according to U.S. officials. . . . Mr. Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, and officials in his administration hope to avoid complicating his trip. But American officials believe that efforts by China to provide military equipment to Iran are unacceptable and want the Chinese government to block any arms transfers.”
Iran Allowing Transit of Chinese Vessels in Strait of Hormuz, Fars News Reports | Reuters
“Iran has begun allowing some Chinese vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz following an understanding over Iranian management protocols for the waterway, the semi-official Fars news agency said on Thursday, citing an informed source. The Fars report came as U.S. President Donald Trump, who is on a state visit to China, agreed with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the Strait of Hormuz must be open for the free flow of energy. . . . A Chinese supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, ship tracking data showed, after being stranded in the Gulf for more than two months due to the U.S.-Iran war.”
China and U.S. Agree Hormuz Should Not Be ‘Militarized,’ Marco Rubio Says | NBC News
“President Donald Trump discussed the Iran war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News in an interview Thursday, adding that the United States was not asking for Beijing’s help with Iran. . . . ‘The Chinese side said they are not in favor of militarizing the Straits of Hormuz, and they’re not in favor of a tolling system, and that’s our position,’ [Rubio said] . . . Rubio said Trump and Xi had found common ground on Iran, with China reiterating its opposition to Tehran developing nuclear weapons. . . . Rubio defended comments Trump made earlier this week that he was ‘not even a little bit’ concerned with the financial pressures Americans are facing as he negotiates with Iran. ‘What the president’s making clear is, if the Iranians think that they are going to use our domestic politics to pressure him into a bad deal, that’s not going to happen,’ he said.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
“U.S.-based advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and shipping industry observers say waters near Malaysia’s southern Johor state have become a key hub for ship-to-ship transfers involving Iran’s ‘shadow fleet’—aging tankers that often operate with disabled tracking systems, false identities and opaque ownership structures to conceal the origins of crude bound largely for China. UANI says there have been 42 ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil conducted in the EOPL area since Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, starting a war in the Middle East. UANI used satellite imagery to observe the operations. ‘Because of Malaysia’s inaction, it is facilitating this business model by Iran and China and dark fleet actors,’ senior UANI adviser Charlie Brown said, warning Malaysia is becoming ‘a facilitator rather than merely a transit point’ for illicit activity.”
“United Against Nuclear Iran, a U.S.-based advocacy group, says there have been 42 ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil conducted in the waters about 70 kilometers (45 miles) off Malaysia’s southern Johor state, since Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, starting a war in the Middle East. UANI used satellite imagery to observe the operations. The ship-to-ship transfers have been criticized by shipping industry organizations and UANI, which has accused Malaysia of being too lax in enforcement efforts. . . . As of Tuesday, two dozen Iranian-linked tankers tracked by UANI were anchored or loitering near the EOPL area used for transfers off Johor, though it was not clear how many had sailed before the blockade was put in place. ‘It’s business as usual,’ senior UANI adviser Charlie Brown told the AP. ‘Because of Malaysia’s inaction, it is facilitating this business model by Iran and China and dark fleet actors,’ he said, warning Malaysia is becoming ‘a facilitator rather than merely a transit point’ for illicit activity.”
How Iran’s ‘Dark Fleet’ Keeps Oil Flowing Despite Sanctions | Gulf News
“Satellite imagery reviewed by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a US-based advocacy group, reportedly tracked at least 42 ship-to-ship transfers involving Iranian oil near the Eastern Outer Port Limits in the South China Sea — a key maritime zone lying between Iran and China, which buys roughly 90 per cent of Iranian crude exports.”
“The drones used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard are designed to ‘provoke, disrupt, and overwhelm the enemy,’ said Saeid Golkar, a professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a senior advisor to the anti-Iran group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). He added that ‘the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are aware that they cannot face the United States in a head-on war.’ . . . While the US Navy has successfully destroyed large Iranian warships that have appeared at sea, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is taking precautions to avoid a direct confrontation with US forces, Golkar said. He said, ‘Iran is trying to avoid any confrontation with the United States, so it has adopted a stealthy approach using small, fast vessels.’”
“Malaysia’s maritime agency said that oil tankers linked to Iran are taking advantage of ‘jurisdictional loopholes’ to conduct ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned crude near its waters, particularly in the area known as Eastern Outer Port Limits, off the state of Johor. The statement responds to claims from organizations such as United Against Nuclear Iran and shipping industry observers, who maintain that the area has become a key location for Iran’s so-called ‘shadow fleet,’ used to conceal the origin of oil destined mainly for China and evade US sanctions.”
Interview of UANI Research Director Daniel Roth | WION
“China is one of the few countries in the world that can exert pressure on Iran due to the huge economic ties and the fact China imports 90 percent plus of Iranian oil . . . The U.S. and China want the same things: global markets stability, to open up the Strait of Hormuz, but have a different way of going about it.”
Iran-Linked ‘Shadow Fleet’ Uses Ship-to-Ship Transfers near Malaysia to Bypass Oil Sanctions | WION
“US-based advocacy organisation United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) claims the EOPL area has seen 42 ship-to-ship transfers involving Iranian oil since February 28, based on satellite imagery monitoring. Senior UANI adviser Charlie Brown accused Malaysia of enabling the trade through insufficient enforcement. ‘Because of Malaysia’s inaction, it is facilitating this business model by Iran and China and dark fleet actors,’ he told AP, adding that the country risked becoming ‘a facilitator rather than merely a transit point.’”
Interview of UANI Policy Director Jason M. Brodsky | Beyond the Summit
“If we’re looking at all the indicators—the economic and the social and the political indicators— that have brought Iranians into the streets that have brought Iranians into the streets from 2017 onward, they’ve only gotten worse.”
“The fleet of small, high-speed attack boats was created by the Iranian regime in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq War. . . . the small boat fleet is only part of Iran's broader strategy, which also includes missiles, drones, mines, shore-based launchers, and attacks by pro-Iranian groups in neighboring countries. This fleet is controlled by the influential Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is designed not for traditional naval combat, but to ‘harass, swarm, confuse, and disrupt shipping,’ says Saeed Gholkar, an associate professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a senior advisor to the non-profit organization United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which opposes the Iranian regime.”
“Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told Fox News that any agreement ‘must address the plutonium pathway to nuclear weapons,’ noting that Israel struck Iran’s heavy water reactor at Arak, another potential source of weapons-grade plutonium, twice within a single year, in June 2025 and again in March 2026, and that intelligence indicated Iran repeatedly attempted to rebuild it after each strike.”
MILITARY MATTERS & STRAIT OF HORMUZ CRISIS
Iran Preparing for Renewed War as Military Assets Remain Largely Intact, Reports Warn | EuroNews
“Iran is likely preparing for a resumption of hostilities with the US and Israel, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank assessed on Tuesday, pointing to a series of military movements and internal security exercises as signs of active preparation for renewed war. The Tehran Province IRGC Mohammad Rasoul Ollah Unit—one of the regime’s primary internal security formations and the main IRGC command responsible for security in the capital—conducted an exercise on Tuesday. The IRGC confirmed they carried out drills ‘to confront any movement of the . . . enemy,’ state media reported Tuesday. Separately, the Iranian military was scheduled to conduct drills at Mahshahr Port on Tuesday, approximately 100 kilometres from Bubiyan Island. ISW said the IRGC Navy could use the drills to prepare for new operations if the ceasefire collapses or to disperse vessels ahead of resumed strikes. The institute also assessed that Tehran was attempting to protect military assets by repositioning them in countries it calculated the US would not strike.”
Saudi Warplanes Struck Militias in Iraq During War, Sources Say | Reuters
“Saudi fighter jets bombed targets linked to powerful Tehran-backed Shi’ite militias in Iraq during the Iran war, while retaliatory strikes were also launched from Kuwait into Iraq, multiple sources familiar with the matter said.”
India Says Attack That Sank Indian-Flagged Ship off Oman’s Coast ‘Unacceptable' | Reuters
“India condemned an attack that sank an Indian-flagged vessel transiting through Omani waters as ‘unacceptable’ on Thursday and said targeting of commercial ships should be avoided amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. The attack on the dhow – a vessel built of wood – while it was sailing to the United Arab Emirates from Somalia in the early hours of Wednesday, caused a fire on board and eventually led to its sinking, New Delhi said. All 14 crew were rescued by the Omani coast guard and moved to Diba port, it said. India did not specify the nature of the attack or who was behind it, but British maritime risk management group Vanguard said it involved an explosion believed to have been caused by a drone or missile strike.”
Ship Seized in Strait While Trump in China | Newsweek
“A ship has been seized in the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, further complicating U.S. efforts to bring an end to the war with Iran as President Donald Trump visits Beijing, with discussions around the situation in the Middle East high on the agenda. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre, which is backed by the British military, said a vessel was ‘taken’ by unauthorized personnel and was headed for Iran's territorial waters. It is not yet known who was responsible for the seizure.”
“The possibility that an entity other than Iran was responsible for the attack against a South Korean cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz is low, a senior official in Seoul was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency on Thursday.”
Second Japan-Linked Oil Tanker Sails via Strait of Hormuz as PM Asks Iran to Help Out | Reuters
“A Panama-flagged crude oil tanker managed by Japanese refining group Eneos (5020.T) has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, ship-tracking data from LSEG showed on Thursday, the second instance of such a Japan-linked oil ship making it through. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has directly contacted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to allow for the transit of the ship, which has four Japanese crew members onboard, she said in a post on X.”
U.S. Forces Have Redirected 67 Vessels, Disabled 4 Under Blockade | CBS News
“U.S. forces have redirected 67 commercial vessels and disabled four amid its blockade on Iranian ports, the U.S. military said Wednesday. American forces have allowed 15 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass, according to CENTCOM.”
“[Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas] Araghchi says: ‘Kuwait has unlawfully attacked an Iranian boat and detained four of our citizens in the Persian Gulf.’ He added that ‘this illegal act took place near an island used by the US to attack Iran’ and was carried out ‘in a clear attempt to sow discord.’ Araghchi’s comments come after Kuwait on Tuesday said it had arrested four men it accused of being members of Iran’s IRGC, trying to infiltrate Bubiyan Island by sea and injuring a Kuwaiti soldier.”
“Since the Feb. 28 attack by the US and Israel kicked off the latest war in the Middle East, the conflict has ebbed and flowed. But no matter the claims of a ceasefire, the exchange of missiles and drones from Iran towards its neighbors has never truly stopped. . . . Overall, missile defenses have been effective in limiting casualties. However, Iran may have exploited some weaknesses. Furthermore, defending Israel seems to have used a larger fraction of the available US interceptor missiles than of Iran’s medium-range ballistic missiles, and the numbers do not bode well if wholesale conflict were to begin again. Here, then, are six key takeaways about Iran’s missiles, and what lessons they may portend for future conflicts.”
NUCLEAR PROGRAM
“Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned on Wednesday that Iran is ‘frighteningly close’ to obtaining a nuclear weapon, nearly three months after the United States launched a war to irrevocably halt the Islamic Republic from crossing that ominous Rubicon. Wright, referring to Iran’s current stock of nuclear material, told the Senate Armed Services Committee, ‘They are weeks—a small number of weeks—away to enrich that to weapons-grade uranium.’ But the energy secretary added that a months-long weaponization process would still be required beyond that point.”
Iran Parliamentary Spokesperson Warns Could Enrich Uranium to Weapons Grade If Attacked | New Arab
“Iranian parliamentary spokesman Ebrahim Rezaei said on Tuesday that the country could enrich uranium up to 90 percent purity, a level considered weapons-grade, if Iran is attacked again.”
DIPLOMACY
Rubio: U.S. Wants China to Press Iran to Change Course in Gulf | Reuters
“The United States hopes to convince China to play a more active role in trying to persuade Iran to walk away from what it is doing in the Gulf, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview aired on Fox News on Wednesday.”
Iran and UAE Clash at BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting | Reuters
“Iran’s foreign minister accused the United Arab Emirates of direct involvement in military operations against his country during a BRICS meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, Iranian state media reported. . . . ‘I didn’t name the UAE in my (BRICS) statement for the sake of unity. But the truth is that the UAE was directly involved in the aggression against my country. When the attacks started, they didn't even issue a condemnation,’ state media quoted [Abbas] Araqchi as saying on Thursday, in response to comments made by the Emirati representative.”
Iran Urges BRICS to Condemn US, Israel for War, Exposing Bloc Divisions | Reuters
“Iran's foreign minister urged BRICS nations on Thursday to condemn what he called violations of international law by the United States and Israel, including ‘their illegal aggression against Iran.’ His remarks at a two-day meeting in New Delhi underscore divisions within the expanded BRICS bloc, as the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran casts a shadow over the gathering of foreign ministers. The group now includes regional rivals Iran and the United Arab Emirates, complicating efforts to forge a unified position on the conflict.”
TERRORISM & HOMELAND SECURITY
Long Island Man Guilty of Smuggling Iranian with Terror Ties Into US | Greater Long Island
“A Long Island man who smuggled Iranians into the United States—including one who confessed to carrying out tasks for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges that also include receiving videos depicting children being raped. Sharon Gohari, 48, an Iranian national and naturalized U.S. citizen who lived in Roslyn and traveled frequently to Iran, admitted in Brooklyn federal court to smuggling aliens into the country and intentionally receiving child sexual abuse material, said Joseph Nocella, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.”
HOSTAGES
Family of British Couple Jailed in Iran Say They Have Lost Contact | Guardian
“The ‘terrified’ family of a British couple jailed for 10 years in Iran on spying charges have said they have lost all contact with them. Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 53, were arrested in January 2025 while travelling through Iran during an around-the-world trip by motorcycle. The couple, from East Sussex, are being held in Tehran’s Evin prison and sentenced on espionage charges, which they deny. Their family fears the couple’s telephone access, their only means of contact with the outside world, has been cut off as payback for speaking out about their detention.”
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran Executes Protester Detained During January Unrest, Rights Group Says | Iran International
“Iran executed Mohammad Abbasi, who was detained during January’s nationwide protests, at dawn on Wednesday in Qezel Hesar prison in Karaj, west of Tehran, US-based rights group HRANA reported. HRANA reported, citing an informed source close to Abbasi’s family, that prison officials had asked his relatives to come to the prison for a visit but then denied them a meeting after they arrived. The source said the family learned by phone after leaving the prison that Abbasi had been executed. . . . Sources told Iran International that Abbasi and his daughter [who was sentenced to 25 years in prison] were subjected to severe pressure and torture during interrogations and were denied access to a lawyer throughout the legal process, including interrogation, investigation, trial and Supreme Court proceedings.”
Iran Frees Prominent Rights Lawyer Sotoudeh on Bail, Reports Say | Reuters
“Iran has released on bail prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who was arrested in early April in a crackdown during the conflict with the United States and Israel, Iranian news agencies and her daughter said on Wednesday.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
“Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz is throttling the world’s energy supplies and inflicting global economic pain, but the struggles of the Islamic Republic’s own economy are testing its ability to withstand the war and defy Washington’s demands. Iranians have been hit by spiraling prices for food, medicine and other goods. At the same time, the country has seen mass job losses and business closures caused by strike damage to key industries and the government’s monthslong shutdown of the internet.”
CONGRESS & IRAN
Senate Defeats 7th Attempt to Limit Trump’s Iran War Powers, Despite New GOP Defection | CBS News
“The Senate rejected another attempt by Democrats to limit President Trump's ability to use military force against Iran on Wednesday, but one new Republican senator voted in favor of advancing the measure. A motion to discharge the resolution from committee failed by a vote of 49 to 50. GOP Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted with most Democrats in favor of moving forward, while Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the sole Democrat to oppose.”
GULF STATES, ISRAEL & IRAN
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that he made a secretive visit to the United Arab Emirates and met with its leader, President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, during the US-Israeli war with Iran earlier this year. . . . The UAE however denied that Netanyahu visited, calling the statement from his office ‘entirely unfounded.’ . . . Iran meanwhile threatened the UAE as it said it knew of Netanyahu’s ostensible visit to Abu Dhabi. ‘Netanyahu has now publicly revealed what Iran’s security services long ago conveyed to our leadership,’ wrote [Foreign Minister] Abbas Araghchi on X, without explaining why Iran didn’t go public weeks ago with the intelligence he claimed it had. ‘Enmity with the Great People of Iran is a foolish gamble,” continued Araghchi. “Collusion with Israel in doing so: unforgivable. Those colluding with Israel to sow division will be held to account.’ . . . Separately, David Zini, the head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency, was reported by the Kan public broadcaster to have visited the UAE for the purpose of increasing coordination between the two countries’ respective intelligence and security agencies.”
Arab-Iranian Relations Can’t Be “Built on Confrontations,” Senior UAE Official Says | CNN
“A top adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates decried ‘confrontations and conflict’ in relations between Iran and its Arab neighbors and renewed a call for a negotiated ‘political solution’ to the US-Israeli war with Iran.”
LEBANON & IRAN
Lebanon Denies Filing UN ‘Complaint’ Against Iran over Interference | New Arab
“Lebanon's foreign ministry has denied reports that Beirut submitted a formal complaint against Iran to the United Nations, clarifying that it merely responded to letters previously sent by Tehran to the UN Security Council. . . . The clarification came after reports emerged alleging that Lebanon had accused Iran of violating the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and interfering in Lebanese affairs. The documents, leaked to the media but not officially published by the ministry, reportedly accused Iran of violating international norms and dragging Lebanon into destructive wars against the will of its constitutional institutions.”