TOP STORIES
How Iran Pays Mafia Hitmen to Carry Out Assassinations in Europe | Times of London
As the hitman prepared to pull the trigger, Alejo Vidal-Quadras jerked his head back in an instinctive movement that saved his life. . . . Vidal-Quadras, a former vice-president of the European parliament, was in Paris to tell French MPs that he had fallen victim to an Iranian regime that is subcontracting assassinations to European criminal networks. In his case, investigators in Spain, the Netherlands and France suspect that the shooting in Madrid in November 2023 was ordered by Tehran and carried out by the Mocro mafia, a powerful Dutch drug network. “The Iranian regime is paying criminal networks to carry out attacks,” Vidal-Quadras told journalists before his meeting with MPs. “They are recruiting mafia organisations to do their work for them.”
Trump Cautioned Netanyahu to Avoid Steps That Undermine Iran Nuclear Talks | Axios
Trump told Netanyahu in Thursday’s call that “doesn't want anything to impede” a diplomatic solution with Iran, [a] White House official said. Trump's message was “he doesn't want him to antagonize at a time when he is trying to solve problems,” the official said. Trump stressed to Netanyahu that the “other option” is on the table, but he wants to see first if a diplomatic solution is possible. . . . Secretary of Homeland Security Krist[i] Noem met Netanyahu on Sunday in Jerusalem and also conveyed Trump's message about the need to avoid steps that undermine the negotiations, an Israeli official said. Noem told Fox News on Monday that she had a “candid and direct" conversation with Netanyahu about the need to "stay united and let this process play out.” Noem said Trump would not drag out the negotiations with Iran for weeks or months but would make a decision within days. The Israeli official said that Noem told Netanyahu to “give us a week.”
As Trump Seeks Iran Deal, Israel Again Raises Possible Strikes on Nuclear Sites | New York Times
As the Trump administration tries to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has been threatening to upend the talks by striking Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facilities, according to officials briefed on the situation. The clash over how best to ensure that Iran cannot produce a nuclear weapon has led to at least one tense phone call between President Trump and Mr. Netanyahu and a flurry of meetings in recent days between top administration officials and senior Israeli officials.
UANI IN THE NEWS
Panama Tightens Ship-to-Ship Oil Transfer Rules in Bid to Combat Shadow Fleet Operations | G Captain
Panama has implemented stringent new requirements for ship-to-ship (STS) oil transfer operations involving vessels under its flag, marking a significant step in its efforts to combat sanctions evasion and illicit maritime activities. . . . The timing of this regulatory tightening is significant, as recent analysis by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) revealed that Panama currently flags 17% of vessels suspected of participating in illicit Iranian oil transfers. The organization’s tracker has identified 542 foreign vessels potentially involved in transporting sanctioned Iranian crude and petroleum products.
The Trump administration has convinced many in Tehran that the president doesn’t want another conflict in the region. His threats of fire and fury are becoming more recognizably Middle Eastern—words substitute for actions. Given all the advanced centrifuges and the ever-deeper bomb-proof underground enrichment sites, the military option is becoming less credible. For Israel, it’s now or never. The U.S. has patience with threats that are existential only to its allies. Mr. Khamenei will consider all this as he contemplates the most serious decision of his tenure: whether finally to cross the nuclear threshold. How scary does he think America is under Mr. Trump? Everything hinges on the answer to that question.
NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Iran Might Accept U.S. IAEA Inspectors If Nuclear Deal Reached | Reuters
Iran might allow the U.N. atomic watchdog to send U.S. inspectors to Iranian sites if Tehran's talks with Washington succeed, Iran's nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said on Wednesday. . . . “It is normal that inspectors from hostile countries are not allowed, but if a nuclear deal is reached, we might allow American inspectors working for the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit our nuclear sites,” Eslami told a press conference in Tehran.
U.S. Reaffirms Optimism About Nuclear Deal with Iran, as Questions Remain | Kurdistan24
State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, echoing President Donald Trump, expressed optimism about the ongoing nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran which are being mediated by Oman. Asked at a press briefing on Tuesday about the status of those talks, Bruce replied that two U.S. officials—Senior Advisor and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the State Department’s Policy Planning Director Michael Anton—had “participated in a fifth round of talks with Iran on Friday, May 23rd, in Rome.” “The discussions were both direct and indirect, and lasted over two hours,” she said, as she affirmed, “The talks continue to be constructive.” She described them as an improvement over earlier discussions, affirming, “We made further progress.”
UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief Says ‘Jury is still out’ on Iran-US Talks, but Calls Them a Good Sign
The head of the United Nations’ atomic watchdog said Wednesday that “the jury is still out” on negotiations between Iran and the U.S. over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, but described the continuing negotiations [as] a good sign. . . . [IAEA Director-General Rafael] Grossi acknowledged one of his deputies was in Tehran on Wednesday. Iranian officials identified the official as Massimo Aparo, the head of the IAEA’s safeguards arm. That's the division that sends inspectors into Iran to monitor its program, which now enriches uranium up to 60% purity—a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Despite [the ongoing truckers’ strike and other Iranian domestic unrest], Western policymakers are once again considering engagement with Tehran. EU officials continue to explore diplomatic channels, and US negotiations remain active. This mirrors the 2013–2015 period, when Iran’s domestic instability was misread as justification for dialogue, culminating in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). That agreement released tens of billions of dollars in frozen assets and oil revenue, stabilizing the regime just as internal pressure was mounting. Engaging now would repeat that mistake. It would provide the regime with resources, legitimacy, and time. It would signal to Iranian citizens that Western governments prioritize short-term diplomatic optics over long-term political outcomes. . . . It would undermine strike movements that are operating without foreign funding, political coordination, or international protection. Any reengagement would also risk undermining US and Israeli deterrence efforts at a time when Tehran is reportedly fortifying key nuclear and energy infrastructure in response to potential strikes.
SANCTIONS, SHIPPING, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Mystery Surrounds Iranian Arms Ship Anchored off Libya | Maritime Executive
Mystery surrounds a small Iranian cargo vessel that has been anchored off the Libyan port of Tobruk for the last three weeks. The 23,000 dwt Elyana (IMO 9165827) is linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRISL), which is subject to secondary sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Additionally, the MV Elyana has been specifically sanctioned by name. The ship has an established history of shipping arms for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). . . . The question of who is sponsoring the Elyana’s cargo, and who it is destined for, is thus a complete mystery. Likewise, who is turning a blind eye or conspiring to allow the delivery of the cargo is equally puzzling—which may be why the Elyana is marooned at anchor with its cargo still unladen.
PROTESTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran Hangs a Man Convicted of Spying for Israel | Associated Press
Iran hanged a man convicted of spying for Israel, state media reported Wednesday. The report said Pedram Madani was hanged after the country’s supreme court upheld a death sentence issued by a lower court. The official IRNA news agency said Madani visited Israel and met Mossad officers to convey classified information about buildings in Iran where “infrastructure” equipment was installed.
Iran: Execution Spree Continues Unabated | Human Rights Watch
Iranian authorities are carrying out a horrific execution spree, with at least 113 reported executions in the first 25 days of May 2025 alone, Human Rights Watch said today. . . . According to Iran Human Rights, an Oslo-based nongovernmental organization, as of May 27, Iranian authorities had executed 478 people in 2025. The organization reported a 75 percent increase in executions in the first four months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. If this deadly trend continues, over 1,000 people, including ethnic minorities, political dissidents, and individuals accused of drug-related offenses will be executed before the end of the year.
Woman Killed by Husband After Requesting Divorce in Iran | IranWire
A 39-year-old woman was killed by her husband after she requested a divorce, according to a human rights organization. Fatemeh Sadeghi’s body was found on April 30 in the bathroom of a public park in the Jahrom district of Fars Province, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights said. [Her husband] strangled her with a scarf and tried to make the death appear to be a suicide, according to sources. Sadeghi earned income by baking cakes.
Iran Truck Drivers Press Rare Strike: Reports | Agence France-Presse
Truck drivers across Iran were on Tuesday pressing the sixth day of a strike rare in its length and magnitude, seeking better conditions in a sector crucial for the economy in the Islamic republic. After starting last week in the southwestern port city of Bandar Abbas, the strike action has spread across the country, according to reports by monitoring groups on social media and Persian-language media based outside Iran. The truck drivers are protesting a rise in insurance premiums, poor road security, high fuel prices and low freight rates, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said.
Trump Admin Urged to Support Striking Iranian Truckers: ‘Potential to Paralyze Regime’
Iranian truck drivers have widened their labor stoppage to include more than 100 towns and cities across the country, while the clerical regime launched a violent crackdown on strikers in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj. . . . Alireza Nader, a Washington, D.C., expert on Iran's regime who studies Iranian labor unrest, told Fox News Digital, “The Trump administration should offer loud support to the truckers-this would give Trump even more leverage in the nuclear negotiations. And organizations such as the AFL-CIO can play an important role in bringing the trucker strikes to international attention.” . . . Nader added, “The nationwide trucker strikes have the potential to paralyze the regime as it faces increasing vulnerability. The trucker strikes can be even more effective if other sectors of Iran’s economy go on strike, especially the energy sector and other transportation sectors.”
Jailed Iranian Footballer Hopes Teammates Remember Him amid Championship Joy | IranWire
Imprisoned Iranian footballer Amir Nasr Azadani wrote from jail that he hopes someone remembers him during his former team’s championship celebrations. . . . In a message smuggled from prison, Nasr Azadani congratulated Tractor FC on their championship but said most of his former teammates have ignored him since his arrest during the 2022 protests. . . . Nasr Azadani is serving 26 years in prison after being convicted of participating in protests that Iranian authorities say led to the deaths of a police colonel and two militia members. His death sentence was commuted following international pressure.
Iran Cannes Winner Panahi Backs Trucker Strikes | Agence France-Presse
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi backed week-long nationwide strikes by truckers Wednesday as a “loud call” to the authorities, after arriving home from his triumph at the Cannes film festival. . . . “They are fed up. They have no choice but to go strike,” Panahi wrote on Instagram . . . “When thieves and illiterate people are put in charge, the result is this terrible situation: corruption and mismanagement in everything, from the economy and culture to the environment and politics,” added Panahi. The acclaimed director was long banned from filmmaking and unable to leave Iran, having also spent time in prison due to his political stances. “This strike is a loud call to the government saying: ‘Enough! Stop all this oppression and plunder,’” he said.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Satellite Image Shows US Air Power Buildup at Island Base Near Iran | Newsweek
New satellite images showed U.S. forces increasing their air power at an Indian Ocean base that could be a staging point for any attack on Iran, according to an open source intelligence analyst. . . . The U.S. Air Force has recently augmented its aerial refueling capabilities at Diego Garcia, deploying additional KC-135 Stratotankers to the strategic Indian Ocean base, according to satellite imagery shared by open-source intelligence analyst MT Anderson on X.
Israel Says It Hit Houthis’ Last Plane as PM Blames Iran | Iran International
Israel launched airstrikes on key infrastructure of the Houthi militia in Yemen including what it said was the group’s “last remaining plane” and Sana’a Airport, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Iran. “I have said more than once: The Houthis are only the symptom. The main driving force behind them is Iran, which is responsible for the aggression emanating from Yemen,” he said on Wednesday.
Iran Unveils Next-Level Warfare Drones Amid Tensions with US | Newsweek
Iran has unveiled a new fleet of combat drones capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), signaling a leap in warfare capabilities amid growing tensions with the United States, its state media reported.
CYBERSECURITY MATTERS
Iranian National in US Pleads Guilty in Baltimore Ransomware Attack | Iran International
An Iranian national has pleaded guilty to charges linked to a ransomware campaign that targeted multiple US cities, including a 2019 cyberattack that crippled services in Baltimore, Maryland, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday. Sina Gholinejad, 37, admitted to one count of computer fraud and abuse and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. . . . According to court documents, Gholinejad and co-conspirators used the Robbinhood ransomware to breach and encrypt files on the networks of municipalities, health care providers, and nonprofit organizations across the United States between January 2019 and March 2024.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Inflation-Stricken Iranians Voice Anger over Soaring Costs | Iran International
Iranians have expressed anguish and exhaustion and detailed their daily struggle to afford basic goods amid soaring inflation in messages submitted to Iran International. A stream of voice messages and videos sent in from across the country to Iran International’s submissions line points to a population grappling with collapsing purchasing power and authorities they see as out of touch with their plight.
Iran Wastes as Much Gas as Spain Uses in a Year | Iran International
While suffering from severe gas shortages, Iran wastes a staggering volume of natural gas during production and transmission—equal to Spain’s annual consumption or about half of what Turkey or Italy use each year. In regional markets, the wasted gas would be worth over $10 billion per year. It amounts to 40% of the gas used annually by Iranian households. This massive loss stems from underinvestment in gas recovery infrastructure at oil fields and an aging transmission network. . . . Without urgent investment, technological cooperation, and sweeping infrastructure reforms, Iran’s energy sector risks permanent decline—trapped in a cycle of waste, environmental damage, and economic self-sabotage.
RUSSIA, UKRAINE, & IRAN
Russia’s growing reliance on mass attacks with Iranian Shaheds has given way to a new tactic, where Moscow sends the exploding drones hurtling down from high altitudes. . . . Ukrainian units now say the one-way drones are flying higher and faster, making them far harder to hit. Some reported modifications to the Shahed have increased its known top speed from 115 to 180 miles per hour. . . . It’s all part of Russia's strategy to use Shaheds to exhaust Ukraine's air defenses, including Ukrainian electronic warfare and surface-to-air missiles. Launches of the Shahed have risen sharply over the last year, with Russia often sending hundreds at a target in one night to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. They’re combined with waves of long-range missile strikes, making the night attacks even deadlier and more difficult to mitigate.
IRAQ & IRAN
Could Kurdish Gas Deals with US Spell Trouble for Iran? | Iran International
Two major energy agreements signed between US companies and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have sparked swift backlash from Baghdad and could undercut Iran’s long-standing economic and political grip on Iraq. . . . The US-KRG energy deals have sent a powerful message—both to Baghdad and to Tehran. If realized, they could shift Iraq’s energy independence and diminish Iran’s regional clout.
ISRAEL & IRAN
Report: Barnea, Dermer Visit Washington for Talks on Iran Nuclear Program | Times of Israel
Citing unnamed US officials, the Walla news site reports that Mossad chief David Barnea and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer are in Washington for talks on Iran’s nuclear program.
Israel Calls New York Times Report on Iran Nuclear Talks ‘Fake News’ | Reuters
Israel on Thursday rejected a report in the New York Times that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been threatening to disrupt talks on a nuclear deal between the United States and Iran by striking Iran's main nuclear enrichment facilities. Netanyahu's office issued a statement in response to the article which said simply: “Fake news.”
GULF STATES & IRAN
Saudi Arabia Halts Iran Hajj Visas After Cleric’s Arrest | IranWire
Saudi Arabia suspended hajj visa issuance for Iranians after arresting an Iranian cleric who criticized the kingdom in a video, Iranian officials said on Wednesday.
Tehran Scrambles to Contain Fallout After Cleric Slams Saudi Arabia | Iran International
Iranian officials have acted swiftly to contain the potential damage to fragile Tehran-Riyadh relations following the arrest of a well-known Iranian cleric in Saudi Arabia for harshly criticizing the kingdom. . . . “Iran in no uncertain terms condemns any attempt to harm Muslim unity, particularly in the spiritual atmosphere of the Hajj,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted in English on X Tuesday, adding that Tehran would not allow anyone to sabotage relations with Saudi Arabia. “The highly competent management of this year's Hajj is well appreciated by Iran.” . . . Earlier, however, judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangiri, representing a hardline-dominated branch of the Islamic Republic, had called Ghasemian’s arrest “unjustified and unlawful.”
Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian Visits Oman Discuss Mideast Regional Stability | Jerusalem Post
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian traveled to Oman on May 27 for an important state visit. He is in Muscat for two days and was received at the Al Alam Palace on Tuesday. Oman is mediating and hosting talks between the US and Iran regarding the nuclear program. It also helped to end the conflict between the US and the Houthis. Oman has close ties with Iran, but it also attempts to position itself as a neutral country in the region. . . . Meanwhile, three thousand miles away in Moscow, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, is speaking about how “new opportunities have arisen for the creation of a new world order.”