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Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh Killed In Iran, Hamas Says | Reuters
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the early hours of the morning in Iran, the Palestinian militant group said on Wednesday, drawing fears of wider escalation in a region shaken by Israel's war in Gaza and a worsening conflict in Lebanon. Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed the death of Haniyeh, hours after he attended a swearing in ceremony for the country's new president, and said it was investigating. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that it will "defend its territorial integrity, dignity, honor, and pride, and will make the terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly act" of assassinating Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, according to Iranian media. There was no immediate comment from Israel. The Israeli military said it was conducting a situational assessment but had not issued any new security guidelines for civilians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to meet for consultations with security officials at midday (0900 GMT). U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington would work to try to ease tensions but said the United States would help defend Israel if it were attacked.
EU’s Top Nuclear Negotiator In Iran For Talks With Officials | Bloomberg
The European Union’s diplomat in charge of nuclear talks with Iran will meet with officials in the Islamic Republic on Wednesday, the semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency reported. Enrique Mora, who previously led efforts to broker the revival of the defunct 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers including the US, is visiting Iran to attend an inauguration ceremony for President Masoud Pezeshkian. According to ISNA, Mora will meet Abbas Araghchi, a former deputy foreign minister who was heavily involved in the landmark nuclear accord and is reportedly a frontrunner to lead Pezeshkian’s foreign ministry when he appoints his cabinet in the coming weeks. Pezeshkian, a reformist who wants to secure sanctions relief for Iran, is expected to address an audience of foreign officials at his inauguration later on Tuesday. They include the leaders of militant groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad — both listed as terrorist organizations by the US — and the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and South Africa. Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State, Prince Mansour bin Miteb bin Abdulaziz, is also attending the event alongside Peng Qinghua, special envoy for China’s President Xi Jinping.
US Issues Sanctions Targeting Iran's Missile And Drone Program Facilitators | Reuters
The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on five individuals and seven entities that the Treasury Department said were facilitators for Iran's missile and drones program. The targeted individuals and entities - based in Iran, China, and Hong Kong - help procure various components, including accelerometers and gyroscopes, for Iran's ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle program, the Treasury Department said in a statement.
UANI IN THE NEWS
When U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines warned on July 9 that “Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts,” the spymaster’s rare public statement included a caveat asserting that Americans protesting the Gaza conflict are doing so “in good faith.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered no such qualifier in his address to Congress two weeks later, dismissing the Gaza protestors as “Iran’s useful idiots.” Yet in asserting that Iran was financing some anti-Israel activism in America, Netanyahu likely spoke out of personal knowledge of how Tehran has sought to inflame social tensions within Israel itself. The truth is, the Islamic Republic has multiple nodes of influence that it uses to interfere in Western democratic policy debates. Iran’s Foreign Ministry cultivates relationships with media outlets and think tanks in the United States and Europe, to influence policymaking in directions that serve its interests. It mostly does this through promises of engagement and offering access to individuals and entities it assesses as well-placed to echo its narratives.
Iran’s Mortification Proves That Israel Is Queitly Winning The War | The Telegraph
Since October 7, Israel has had one geostrategic imperative: to reinstate deterrence. In the Middle East – and increasingly in Ukraine and further afield – states live or die on the strength of their ability to cow their enemies, and none more so than the Jewish one. This morning, as the dust settles over the former safe house in Tehran in which the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was living in luxury until death came upon him from the skies, that deterrent is well on the way to being restored. […] According to Iran experts like Kasra Aarabi, director of Iranian Revolutionary Guard research at the respected United Against Nuclear Iran thinktank, last night’s assassination will only deepen the regime’s fear of Benjamin Netanyahu. They have watched while the Israeli leader has withstood unprecedented pressure both internationally and domestically, pressing Hamas to the brink of destruction.
State Department Issues Another Waiver To Allow Iraq To Buy Electricity From Iran | The Epoch Times
The United States has issued another 120-day waiver to Iraq to allow it to purchase electricity from Iran. The House Foreign Affairs Committee confirmed to The Epoch Times on July 30 that Congress has been notified of the move by the State Department and that the waiver was apparently renewed on July 11. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. […] Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, shared similar concerns. Given that Iran has been “rocketing U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria, and its proxies are attacking international shipping, the U.S. should not be granting permissive waivers of this nature,” he said. “The issue here is money is fungible—and limiting use for humanitarian purposes opens up other streams of funding for the Islamic Republic to feed to its terror proxies and partners,” Mr. Brodsky added.
Pezeshkian Sworn In As Iran’s New President | i24News
UANI Policy Director Jason Brodsky: “It was great joining i24News today to discuss the inauguration of the Islamic Republic’s President Masoud Pezeshkian in Iran and Iranian influence operations.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Iran swore in the country’s new president on Tuesday, with the reformist politician and heart surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian pledging that his administration will keep trying to remove economic sanctions imposed by the West over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. Pezeshkian delivered a speech after taking his oath in a ceremony at the parliament in Tehran, Iran’s capital. He said he considers the normalization of economic relations with the world to be Iran’s inalienable right. “I will not stop trying to remove the oppressive sanctions,” he said. “I am optimistic about the future.” Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Sunday officially endorsed Pezeshkian, urging him to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have “supported and helped” Iran in Tehran’s foreign relations policies. Pezeshkian, a longtime lawmaker, won the July presidential election after his predecessor Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a May helicopter crash that sparked the early election. He has two weeks to form his Cabinet for a vote of confidence in parliament.
Iran’s Pezeshkian Vows To Lift Sanctions, Reconnect With World | Bloomberg
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he will “spare no effort” in his push for the US to remove economic sanctions, as a top European Union envoy arrived in Tehran for talks with officials. The Islamic Republic has an “absolute right” to normal economic and trade relations with the rest of the world, the reformist leader said Tuesday in his first major public speech since his election win earlier this month. Pezeshkian, 69, didn’t explicitly mention the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers over its nuclear program, which temporarily secured sanctions relief, but has pledged to revive the now-defunct accord. Addressing foreign dignitaries — including high-ranking officials from Iran-backed militant groups Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad — Pezeshkian delivered a fierce rebuke of Israel and its military bombardment of Gaza, prompting cheers and applause from the audience at his inauguration ceremony in Tehran. Pezeshkian has said that he wants to improve Iran’s economy and relationship with the West while stressing the need to build a domestic consensus. Iran’s political system has been deeply divided over the terms and legacy of the nuclear accord, in part due to the economic fallout.
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
Iran's Khamenei Says Avenging Haniyeh's Killing Is Tehran's Duty | Reuters
Avenging Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's assassination is "Tehran's duty" because it occurred in the Iranian capital, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday. He said Israel had provided the grounds for "harsh punishment" for itself.
Ismail Haniyeh, A Top Hamas Leader, Is Dead At 62 | The New York Times
Ismail Haniyeh, a top Hamas leader who led the Palestinian militant group’s political office from Doha, Qatar, was killed while visiting Iran on Wednesday. He was 62. Mr. Haniyeh, originally from the Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, had long played a central role in Hamas, helping lead the group through multiple wars with Israel and through elections. More recently, he managed high-stakes negotiations and diplomacy for Hamas, including the ongoing indirect cease-fire talks, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, with Israel to end the war in Gaza. He survived one assassination attempt in 2003, when Israel targeted him and his mentor, the spiritual leader and founder of Hamas, Sheik Ahmed Yassin. The Israeli military assassinated Mr. Yassin the following year. “You don’t have to cry,” Mr. Haniyeh told a crowd gathered outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City at the time. “You have to be steadfast, and you have to be ready for revenge.” Mr. Haniyeh was killed on Wednesday in the Iranian capital, Tehran, where he was attending the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. He was there along with other senior members of Iran’s “axis of resistance” — allied forces that include Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iranian Teacher And Activist Summoned On Propaganda Charges | Iran Wire
A prominent teacher and union activist in Iran has been summoned by authorities on charges of "propaganda against the Islamic Republic." Sara Siahpour, a teacher from Alborz province, was called to the 21st Branch of the Karaj Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday. This latest development on Tuesday adds to a series of legal and professional challenges Siahpour has faced in recent years. Siahpour's troubles with authorities date back to 2017 when she was first summoned following complaints from the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Despite initial cases against her being closed in 2019, she has faced ongoing legal scrutiny. In December 2023, Siahpour was sentenced to six years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran Province. The charges against her included "collusion" against national security and propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic. This verdict was upheld by the Court of Appeal in March. A subsequent request for a retrial was rejected by the Supreme Court.
Women Inmates Launch Hunger Strike To Protest Activist's Death Sentence | Iran Wire
Women political prisoners in Tehran's Evin prison have announced their intention to go on a hunger strike as part of their ongoing protest against the death sentence issued to a Kurdish activist. This marks the second major protest action by these inmates following the announcement of the death sentence for Pakhshan Azizi. The news of the strike was shared via jailed human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize awardee Narges Mohammadi's Instagram page. It said the prisoners would join the "No Execution Tuesdays" campaign with the hunger strike. On Saturday, the same prisoners initiated a sit-in protest at Evin prison. Beginning at 7:00 PM, they chanted slogans demanding the cancellation of the death penalty for Azizi. The prisoners had previously gathered en masse in the prison yard to protest against the death sentence. Azizi was convicted of "membership in groups that waged an armed uprising against the Islamic government and whose leaders are involved in rebellion."
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn in before parliament on Tuesday as the Islamic Republic’s ninth president at a ceremony attended by foreign dignitaries, including officials from terror groups Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and the Houthis. Pezeshkian, considered by some to be a reformist, won a runoff race against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili on July 5 to replace president Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash in May. Tuesday’s ceremony came two days after Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei officially endorsed Pezeshkian and gave the 69-year-old heart surgeon presidential powers. “I, as the president, in front of the Holy Quran and the people of Iran, swear to almighty God to be the guardian of the official religion and the Islamic Republic system and the constitution of the country,” Pezeshkian said at the ceremony which was broadcast live on state TV. Pezeshkian, who is expected to unveil his government within two weeks, had secured more than 16 million votes during the runoff, or about 54 percent of the roughly 30 million ballots cast.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Iranian President Sworn In With Chants Of 'Death To America, Israel' | Reuters
Iran's new president Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn in on Tuesday, after winning an election earlier this month by promising to improve ties with the world and ease restrictions on social freedoms at home. "We will pursue constructive and effective interaction with the world based on dignity, wisdom, and expediency," Pezeshkian, a relative moderate, told a parliament session attended by foreign dignitaries and broadcast live on state television. His victory has lifted hopes of a thaw in Iran's antagonistic relations with the West that might create openings for defusing its nuclear standoff with world powers. But Pezeshkian takes office at a time of escalating Middle East tensions over Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza and cross-border fighting with Iran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran, which backs the groups which describe themselves as the "Axis of Resistance" to Israel and U.S. influence in the Middle East, has accused the United States of supporting what it calls Israeli crimes in Gaza. "Those who supply weapons that kill children cannot teach Muslims about humanity," Pezeshkian said to chants of "Death to America," and "Death to Israel". Leaders of Iran's Palestinian allies Hamas and the Islamic Jihad as well as senior representatives of Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthi movement and Lebanon's Hezbollah attended the ceremony.
Hamas Accuses Israel Of Killing Its Top Political Leader While He Was In Tehran | NPR
The Palestinian militant group Hamas accused Israel of killing its top political leader Ismail Haniyeh in an airstrike in Iran on Wednesday and called his death “a dangerous event” that would have repercussions across the Middle East. Haniyeh was in Tehran for the inauguration ceremony of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Israeli officials said they had "no comment" when asked about the Tehran attack. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was not aware of or involved in the killing. "This is something we were not aware of or involved in. It's very hard to speculate," Blinken said in an interview with Channel News Asia during a visit to Singapore. Haniyeh's killing threatens to escalate tensions across the Middle East, where Israel has been engaged in a war with Hamas since it attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. It also came just hours after Israel said it had killed a top commander of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in an airstrike in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
IRAQ & IRAN
US Strikes Iran-Backed Militia In Iraq Amid Hezbollah-Israel Tensions | Al Monitor
The US military carried out an airstrike in central Iraq on Tuesday night as American troops braced for anticipated retaliation by local militias after an Israeli strike killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut. US officials described the strike in Iraq's Babil governorate as defensive, saying it targeted militants who were preparing to launch a one-way attack drone that posed a threat to US forces. Explosions were reported in the vicinity of a Kataib Hezbollah base near Jurf al-Sakhar, between the capital, Baghdad, and the city of Karbala on Tuesday night. Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces said in a statement that several of its members were killed in the blast. Just hours earlier, Israeli airstrikes killed top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in the Dahiya suburb of the Lebanese capital. Why it matters: US forces in Iraq and Syria have been bracing for expected retaliatory attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria for days in anticipation of the Israeli strike. Shukr, better known by the nom de guerre Hajj Mohsen, is the highest-ranking Hezbollah official to be killed by Israel so far amid an ongoing exchange of daily cross-border strikes fueled by the Oct. 7 war in the Gaza Strip. In a statement after the strike, Israel's military described him as "the right-hand man" to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and accused him of being responsible for a rocket attack over the weekend that killed 12 children at a soccer field in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-claimed Golan Heights.