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All architecture student Amirhossein Azizi wanted for his 19th birthday was the latest iPhone — and for Iran’s cash-strapped theocracy, it was just the gift they needed as well. Just buying a top-of-the-line iPhone 16 Pro Max in Iran’s capital cost him on the day 1.6 billion rials ($1,880). An additional 450 million rials ($530) is required for import fees and registration on government-managed mobile phone networks. “I’m very happy to own one of the most expensive phones in the country,” Azizi said. His father, Mohammad, laughed nearby and added: “Maybe if they had to earn the money themselves, they wouldn’t be so quick to spend it.”
Iran Pardons Journalists Who Reported Woman's Death That Triggered Unrest | Reuters
Iran's top judicial authority has pardoned two journalists who uncovered the death of a young woman in police custody that triggered nationwide protests in 2022, the judiciary's news outlet Mizan said on Tuesday. Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi had been sentenced to 13 and 12 years in prison respectively by an Iranian Revolutionary Court in October 2023 for their coverage of the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman in custody of the morality police for allegedly violating Iran's strict dress code. "Following the approval by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of a list of pardons that was prepared by the judiciary's head, these individuals were pardoned," Mizan said, adding that the pardons were applied on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution. Last year, both journalists were temporarily released after 17 months in prison, and later acquitted of the charge of "collaboration with the U.S." in an appeal court.
Iran’s assassination threats against Donald Trump have loomed over the president in recent days and are more serious than publicly reported, an upcoming book claims. Axios reporter Isaac Isenstadt’s upcoming book, "Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump's Return to Power," claims that law enforcement officials warned Trump in 2024 that Iran had placed operatives in the U.S. with access to surface-to-air missiles and that Trump’s orbit worried Iran would try to take out "Trump Force One" as it was taking off or landing while on the campaign trail. Isenstadt previewed his book in an Axios article published Sunday. The reported threats and concern of Iran’s threats against Trump hit a fever pitch in September 2024, when a second assassination attempt was thwarted at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, the book claims.
UANI IN THE NEWS
The Trump administration’s first sanctions move targeting Tehran last week was viewed by some experts as and aggressive effort to blacklist an expansive list of actors connected to Iranian oil. But to others, the US president’s suggestions that a deal could be made with Iran made Washington’s future path of sanctions enforcement less clear. The first salvo of sanctions targeted a VLCC captain, shipowners, managers, crewing firms and “shadow” fleet tankers. For the first time, the Treasury Department also issued sanctions designations for loading, rather than unloading, oil in China — a move that could put new pressure on storage hubs for Iranian oil. Claire Jungman, chief of staff at United Against Nuclear Iran, said the sanctions signal “a clear and aggressive stance” and expand the targeting scope.
New Sanctions Aim To Curtail Iran's Oil Revenue Flow To China | Oil Price
[…] Iran’s own “shadow fleet” of tankers has been crucial to its ability to evade sanctions and covertly transport oil to China and other destinations. This strategy includes ship-to-ship transfers, intermediaries, concealed financial transactions, and rebranding the oil to disguise its Iranian origin, making it appear to come from another country. These methods have allowed Iran to keep moving oil and generating revenue despite sanctions. According to United Against Nuclear Iran, a nonprofit group that campaigns against threats it says are posed by Tehran, 587 million barrels of oil were moved by Iran in 2024 and 91 percent of those exports went to China. China has long been the largest buyer of Iranian oil, but since 2022 it has stopped officially purchasing it to avoid U.S. sanctions, according to data from commodities research firm Kpler.
New Resource Launched To Track Captains In Iran’s ‘Ghost Armada’ Oil Trade | Shipping Telegraph
United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has launched the Masters of the Ghost Armada: The Captains Steering Iran’s Illicit Oil Trade resource with the aim to track and expose those involved in the illegal transport of Iranian oil in defiance of international sanctions. According to UANI, “the captains and chief officers of vessels that transport Iranian oil are not mere spectators to this illicit trade – they are actively complicit in smuggling operations.” These maritime officers who are in command, UANI says, oversee illegal activities such as falsifying records, manipulating transponders, and evading interdiction efforts. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has previously highlighted the culpability of maritime personnel involved in sanctions violations, emphasizing their responsibility in facilitating illicit trade.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
US President Donald Trump says he thinks his administration will reach a deal with Iran on halting its nuclear program, describing Tehran as “scared” and willing to negotiate. “I think we’re gonna make a deal in Iran,” he says in a Fox News interview conducted a day earlier. Trump says he prefers Israel not “bomb the hell out of them,” as many think it will do with US help or approval. “I’d much rather see a deal with Iran where we can do a deal, supervise, check it, inspect it and then blow it up or just make sure there’s no nuclear,” Trump says in the interview, which airs at the same time as the president speaks to reporters in the Oval Office. “I’d much rather do a deal that’s a deal that’s not going to hurt them, and I think they want it too.” He does not offer specifics on how to improve on the 2015 nuclear pact he pulled out of in 2018, which he says had been “the dumbest deal,” and a “road to a nuclear weapon.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Iran Makes Threat Over Key World Oil Supply Route | Newsweek
Iran's armed forces have warned that they could shut down the Strait of Hormuz if ordered by top officials, a move that would disrupt global oil trade. The warning came as tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets to mark the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the first such rally since President Donald Trump returned to the White House and revived his "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran. Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment via email. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway for global energy markets, handling about 20 percent of the world's oil trade. Any disruption could trigger a surge in oil prices and escalate tensions between Iran and Western nations. Trump's renewed sanctions and Iran's threat add to longstanding geopolitical friction in the region.
The continuation of sanctions has cast a dark shadow over Iran’s economic future, leading to mounting financial struggles for both the government and the general population. Pezeshkian’s government is grappling with multiple crises, including declining oil revenues, a depreciating national currency, soaring inflation, and an expanding budget deficit. The continuation of sanctions has cast a dark shadow over Iran’s economic future, leading to mounting financial struggles for both the government and the general population. Pezeshkian’s government is grappling with multiple crises, including declining oil revenues, a depreciating national currency, soaring inflation, and an expanding budget deficit. Sanctions targeting Iran’s oil industry remain firmly in place. On February 6, 2025, the United States imposed new sanctions on an international network accused of transporting millions of barrels of Iranian crude to China.
MISSILE PROGRAM
Ship Laden With Ballistic Missile Propellant Nears Iran | The Maritime Executive
One of two Iranian cargo vessels believed to be carrying sodium perchlorate, the primary ingredient of ammonium perchlorate which is used by Iranian solid-fuelled ballistic missiles, has passed the southern tip of India and is now four days out from Bandar Abbas. It is due to arrive on February 14. The 28,000-tonne MV Golbon was reported by the Financial Times to be laden with 34 20-foot containers packed with sodium perchlorate in pellet form. Its sister ship MV Jairan is still currently holding its position in the Xiushan Island anchorage 100 miles East of Shanghai, and may not have yet taken on its expected consignment of 24 containers. Usefully, both ships are sailing with their AIS automatic identification systems switched on, and Jairan's declared draft suggests she is in ballast. Both ships are registered to Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), and are subject to secondary US Treasury sanctions.
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
Iran Media Purveys Disinformation To Justify Khamenei's Rejection Of US Talks | Iran International
Several Iranian state media outlets are reporting false information that Donald Trump imposed outlandish preconditions for talks with Tehran, in what analysts call a coordinated campaign to justify Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's rejection of talks with the US. Iranian news site Khabar Fori cited a report it falsely attributed to The Wall Street Journal on Monday saying one of President Trump’s conditions for negotiating with Iran was the "transfer of three Iranian islands to the United Arab Emirates." The control of the islands is a deeply felt issue for many Iranians across the political spectrum. Hours later, other Iranian media outlets reported that the American newspaper had not published any such report.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran Sentences Protester To Death, Two Others To Prison – Rights Group | Iran International
An Iranian court has sentenced a protester arrested during the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom protest uprising to death and two others to lengthy prison terms, France-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) reported on Monday. Pezhman Soltani, 32, was convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to death under qisas, retribution-in-kind, which allows the victim’s family to demand execution under Islamic law, KHRN said. Two other men, Rizgar Beygzadeh Baba-Miri, 47, and Ali Soran Ghassemi, 28, were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years and one day in prison, respectively, for "complicity in murder." A fourth defendant, Kaveh Salehi, 42, was acquitted. The verdicts were issued in December last year by a criminal court in Iran's West Azerbaijan Province and delivered to the defendants in prison on January 15, KHRN added.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
Iran’s Pezeshkian Accuses US Of Fake Diplomacy | Aljazeera
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the United States of making fake diplomatic overtures while trying to undermine his government. Addressing a crowd in Tehran to mark the 46th anniversary of the Iranian revolution on Monday, Pezeshkian said US President Donald Trump was trying to bring the country “to its knees”. Iran has grown increasingly frustrated at Trump for bringing back the “maximum pressure” campaign he started against the country during his first term. The move seeks to nullify Iran’s oil exports and its nuclear activities. Trump has also suggested he wants to reach a deal with Iran over its advancing nuclear programme.
Trump Says A 'Very Frightened And Nervous' Iran Longs For A Deal With US | Iran International
Iran is terrified after losing almost all its air defenses and now would love to make a deal with the United States, Donald Trump said on Monday, adding that he would also prefer a deal with Tehran to an Israeli attack on their nuclear sites. "Iran is very concerned. Iran is very frightened, to be honest with you, because their defense is pretty much gone," Trump told Fox News. He was apparently referring to Israel's October attacks on Iran which, according to US officials, knocked out the country's last three Russian-provided S-300 air defense missile systems. "Maybe they are trying to get new defense as we speak but their defense is largely gone... Iran is very nervous. I think they're scared. I think Iran would love to make a deal and I would love to make a deal with them without bombing them," Trump added.
ECONOMIC WARFARE
Trump Pushes Iran's Economy To The Brink | Newsweek
Iran's economy is in freefall, with soaring inflation, a collapsing currency, and growing poverty pushing millions to the brink. The crisis is only deepening since U.S. President Donald Trump reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign, tightening sanctions and vowing to cripple Tehran's economy. Newsweek has reached out to Iran's Foreign Ministry for comment via email. Prices for food, housing, and essentials have skyrocketed, making survival a daily struggle for many Iranians. Inflation is above 45 percent, and nearly half the population is now living in poverty, according to the Statistical Centre of Iran. As frustration grows, the Islamic republic's leadership faces mounting pressure to respond.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Police Say 'No Breach' After Iranian Hackers Claim They Stole Gov't Docs | The Jerusalem Post
Israel Police said it had found no breach in security in its information systems on Monday after Iranian hacker group "Handala" claimed it had broken into Israeli police computers and stolen classified documents on Sunday. The group claimed to have stolen some 2.1 terabytes of sensitive information, among which were leaked classified investigation files, lists of sex offenders, medical and psychological profiles of security forces personnel, weapons licenses, and professional photos of police officers. The police clarified that after a thorough investigation, "no external entity had accessed the Israel Police's information systems," adding that "there is no indication of a breach or any data leakage from police systems. "The Israel Police employs advanced security measures and continuously works to strengthen its defense systems, utilizing world-leading cybersecurity technologies," the police further noted.
CHINA & IRAN
MP Urges Stronger Ties With China, Russia As Iran’s Leader Rejects US Talks | Iran International
A senior Iranian lawmaker called for strengthening ties with China, Russia, and neighboring countries after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rejected the idea of negotiations with the United States. “We pursue and advance our national issues and interests independently of the United States,” said Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee. “Therefore, it is essential to strengthen our relations with major countries like China and Russia, as well as with our neighboring countries,” Boroujerdi told ISNA news agency. Khamenei said on Friday that talks with Washington are "neither wise, intelligent nor honorable." He also said that US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal under President Donald Trump shows Washington is unreliable.
IRAQ & IRAN
Iran’s Fingerprints Seen Behind Attempts To Destabilise Iraq’s Kurdistan Region | The Arab Weekly
Leaders in the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the second largest party in the region, accused the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and Iran-backed parties in Baghdad of trying to use the salary crisis to pressure the KDP regional leadership and create security and social tensions aimed at weakening Erbil in its dispute with the central government. Mass sit-ins and hunger strikes by teachers, educators and public employees, who are seeking to regularise their employment status and be paid overdue salaries, have led to the closure of numerous schools and disrupted the education of thousands of students. Kurdish political circles say that the attempt to shift the sit-ins from Sulaymaniyah to Erbil is not spontaneous. Although the protesters have the full right to demonstrate to find a solution, it is being claimed that there is coordination between the federal government in Baghdad and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to exploit the issue of salaries against the KDP regional leadership and try to provoke popular anger.