TOP STORIES
The European Union confirmed on Monday it had reimposed sweeping sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, after the United Nations reinstated its overarching measures. . . . The EU said the sanctions included freezing the assets of the Iranian Central Bank and other Iranian banks, as well as travel bans on certain Iranian officials. It also banned Iran’s purchase and transportation of crude oil and the sale or supply of gold and certain naval equipment.
UK Publishes New Sanctions over Iran Nuclear Programme | Reuters
The British government sanctioned dozens of Iranian-linked individuals and entities on Monday, following similar moves made by the United Nations and the European Union aimed at curbing what Britain described as Iran’s nuclear proliferation efforts. . . . On Monday, Britain added 71 new designations to its sanctions list including senior officials in Iran’s nuclear programme and major financial and energy institutions.
U.S. Deports Planeload of Iranians After Deal with Tehran, Officials Say | New York Times
The Trump administration is deporting a planeload of about 100 Iranians back to Iran from the United States after a deal between the two governments, according to two senior Iranian officials involved in the negotiations and a U.S. official with knowledge of the plans. . . . The identities of the Iranians on the plane and their reasons for trying to immigrate to the United States were not immediately clear. . . . Hossein Noushabadi, the director general of parliamentary affairs in Iran’s foreign ministry, said on Tuesday that U.S. immigration authorities planned to deport 400 Iranians living in the United States back to Iran over the coming months. “In the first phase, they decided to deport 120 Iranians who entered the U.S. illegally, mostly through Mexico,” he told Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s powerful Republican Guards force. Some who will be deported held U.S. residency, he said, adding that all of those being deported left Iran legally.
UANI IN THE NEWS
[Sanctions snapback] is a profound setback for Iran. Even in the aftermath of the bombing of its nuclear facilities in June by Israel and the United States, Iran kept insisting that it was open to dialogue with the West and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iran even negotiated a new workplan with the IAEA, though it had suspended its cooperation with the nuclear inspection agency in July after the U.S.-Israeli strikes. To some extent, this openness was due to fears of continued attacks, but it also stemmed from Iran’s concern about the snap back of UN Security Council resolutions. Iran is one of the most heavily sanctioned countries and it has already been largely segregated from the global markets. The penalties imposed are less about economics than security measures. The conventional arms embargo is reinstated. There will be prohibitions on transfer of nuclear technologies and missile development. Member states are also authorized to inspect cargo going in and out of Iran, although it is unclear who will actually do this.
The 40 ships heading towards Gaza will deliver a propaganda victory for Hamas regardless of the outcome. Either they break Israel’s blockade or become ‘innocent victims’ of IDF brutality.
NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Khamenei’s Reversal on Secret US Talks Hamstrings President at UN | Iran International
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian departed Tehran for the United Nations in New York last week buoyed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s quiet blessing to start secret talks with Washington to ward off looming sanctions. . . . But as their plane crossed the Atlantic, Khamenei delivered a fiery speech on state television categorically ruling out any talks with Washington in a reversal that stunned Pezeshkian and Iran's top envoy, according to the two sources. . . . The episode revealed a system in crisis: with the president, the foreign minister, and many political figures pressing for de-escalation as the only way to avoid another war, while Khamenei alone stood in the way, shifting positions in a manner that even his closest envoys struggled to navigate. The president’s trip to New York, meant to showcase pragmatism, instead underscored paralysis.
E3 to ‘Continue to Pursue Diplomatic Channels’ on Iran | Reuters
Germany, France and Britain will “continue to pursue diplomatic channels and negotiations” despite the reimposition of U.N. sanctions on Iran, the countries said in a joint statement circulated by the German Foreign Ministry on Monday. “The reinstatement of U.N. sanctions does not mean the end of diplomacy,” the statement said. “We urge Iran to refrain from any escalatory actions and to resume compliance with its legally binding obligations regarding safeguards.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
US Sanctions on Key Indian Project in Iran Take Effect | Agence France-Presse
US sanctions went into effect Monday on a major Indian port project in Iran, as President Donald Trump again showed his willingness to punish longstanding partner New Delhi in aid of his wider regional goals—in this case to pressure Tehran. The sanctions on the Chabahar port come a day after wide UN sanctions also came back into force on Iran, as Trump, European allies and Israel have all targeted the country over its nuclear program.
Japan Resumes Sanctions Against Iran in Line with U.N. Resolution | Japan Times
[Japan’s] government announced on Monday the resumption of economic sanctions against Iran, after the United Nations reimposed sanctions on the country over its nuclear development. Based on a U.N. Security Council resolution, the government designated the assets of 78 organizations and 43 individuals to be frozen.
PROTESTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran Executes 8 Prisoners in One Day Across Multiple Cities | IranWire
Iranian authorities executed eight prisoners on Sunday at detention centers across the country on charges including drug offenses and murder, a human rights group reported. The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights identified seven of those executed as Ghodrat Dehqani, Saeed Parsaei, Mehdi Veysi, Rasoul Nouri, Mahmoud Nazari, Khashayar Amiri, and Esmail Rahimi-Tabar. One person’s identity has not been confirmed.
UN Experts Condemn ‘Staggering Scale’ of Executions in Iran | BBC
UN human rights experts have said they are appalled by a “dramatic escalation” in the number of executions in Iran, with more than 1,000 people killed during the first nine months of 2025. :The sheer scale of executions in Iran is staggering and represents a grave violation of the right to life,” the five special rapporteurs warned in a joint statement. They noted that half of the known executions were for drug-related offences and that nine hangings per day on average had been documented in recent weeks.
Iran Suspends License of Imprisoned Human Rights Lawyer | IranWire
Iranian authorities have suspended the law license of a human rights lawyer currently serving a four-year sentence in Tehran's Evin Prison, a rights group reported. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said the Sixth Branch of the Disciplinary Court for Lawyers suspended Taher Naghavi’s license following a complaint filed by the head of the Bar Association.
19 Iranian Female Political Prisoners Launch Hunger Strike | IranWire
19 female political prisoners at Qarchak Prison announced a two-day hunger strike beginning Tuesday to mourn the death of a fellow inmate and protest prison conditions. The prisoners are denouncing the treatment by prison officials, the lack of accountability, and the failure to transfer them to Evin Prison.
Armored and military vehicles were deployed across Zahedan and other cities in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province on Tuesday as authorities tightened security for the third anniversary of the September 30, 2022 Bloody Friday killings, local outlet Haalvsh and residents said.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
A complaint filed this month to the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands charged Iran with genocide and other crimes for its involvement in the October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel. The complaint, filed on behalf of an Israeli whose family was murdered and kidnapped on October 7, demanded an investigation and arrest warrants for Ali Khameni, Iran’s Supreme Leader; and Esmail Qaani, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The filing charges Iran with complicity in crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide, arguing that Tehran supported the Hamas attack with training, weapons, direction and coordination.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Pledge Continued Support for Regional Militias | IranWire
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pledged continued support for armed groups in Lebanon and the region on the anniversary of the killing of several Hezbollah leaders. . . . Support for the resistance will continue until “complete elimination of occupation and liberation of holy Jerusalem,” the statement said.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Sanctions Response Betrays Tehran's Entrenched Divides, Policy Drift | Iran International
One thing unchanged by the return of UN sanctions is Tehran’s internal discord, with hardliners and moderates battling it out over decisions ultimately taken elsewhere. Responses to the so-called snapback range from combative to despairing: hardliners celebrating, reformists urging more diplomacy and maverick parliamentarians calling for withdrawal from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or even building nuclear weapons. Amidst it all, the government appears adrift.
CANADA & IRAN
Canadian Immigration Agency Blocks Deportation of Former Iranian Official | Iran International
A Canadian move to deport a former Iranian roads official working as an Uber driver over his previous work has been rejected an immigration review body for his lack of seniority in Tehran's ruling apparatus. The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) ruled on August 12, 2025 to reject a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) application to deport Afshin Pirnoon. Documents related to his case, shared with Iran International by Global News, indicate Ottawa's push to deport former Iranian officials faces a high evidentiary bar.
MISCELLANEOUS
Trump Says He Thinks Iran Could Join Abraham Accords | Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he believes Iran could join the Abraham Accords, a peace agreement signed during Trump's first term in office under which Israel normalized diplomatic relations with four Muslim-majority nations. “Who knows, maybe even Iran can get in there,” Trump said at a White House press conference beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I think they're going to be open to it. I really believe that. But they could be a member.”