TOP STORIES
Iran Mediators Offer Plan to Ease Lebanon, Hormuz Tensions | Wall Street Journal
“Iran and the U.S. agreed to a mechanism to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, mediators said, after tensions flared between negotiating teams Sunday. . . . The administration has wanted to move talks toward negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, after earlier striking a deal to halt fighting with Iran for 60 days and open the Strait of Hormuz. But the conflict in Lebanon between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants has become a major stumbling block as fighting has intensified there. Officials from Pakistan and Qatar resumed their mediation efforts after the Iranian delegation moved out of the negotiation venue. Early Monday local time, they announced a ‘de-confliction cell’ for the Lebanon conflict and also said a line of communication between Iran and the U.S. had been formed to avoid incidents and enable safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Technical talks will continue for the remainder of the week at the Bürgenstock resort on all issues, the mediators said.”
Iran Says It Is Closing Strait of Hormuz over Israeli Attacks on Lebanon | Axios
“The Iranian armed forces announced Saturday they will close the Strait of Hormuz—just three days after it reopened—alleging America's failure to rein in Israeli attacks on Lebanon violates the new ceasefire deal. . . . A senior U.S. defense official said the U.S. military is still not seeing any Iranian military movements on the ground that reflect a potential ‘closing’ of the strait.”
As War with U.S. Eases, Iran Steps Up Hangings of Dissidents | Wall Street Journal
“In the days before Iran’s regime hanged Nasser Bakerzadeh, the 26-year-old spoke of the normal life he would never return to. Bakerzadeh dreamed of returning to run his mobile-phone store, he told fellow inmates in the main prison of Urmia, a city in Iran’s northwest. Instead, he was executed for being an Israeli spy—a charge he denied and his lawyer said lacked any credible evidence. . . . Bakerzadeh is one of at least 45 people executed in Iran this year on political charges, ranging from spreading propaganda to espionage, according to human-rights groups and Iranian state media. Most of those death sentences have been carried out in the past three months, as the authorities have hurried to send a message to a restless population: The regime is still firmly in charge, and dissent won’t be tolerated.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
US-Iran Memorandum Lacks Key Constraints, UANI Warns | Iran International
“The United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) said on Thursday that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding provides Iran with significant economic relief while failing to sufficiently constrain its nuclear program and regional activities. In a statement, UANI Chairman Jeb Bush and CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace welcomed US military and political actions against Iran’s nuclear and regional capabilities, but argued the memorandum remains ‘intentionally vague’ and risks providing Tehran with early sanctions relief before key concessions are secured. UANI urged the administration to adopt what it described as ‘red lines’ in negotiations, including zero uranium enrichment, full removal of enriched uranium stockpiles, intrusive inspections, and restrictions on Iran’s missile and drone programs.”
UANI Says It Cannot Endorse US-Iran Agreement ‘In Its Current Form’ | Jewish News Syndicate
“Jeb Bush, chairman of United Against Nuclear Iran, and the group’s CEO Mark D. Wallace stated on Thursday that the organization cannot endorse the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding ‘in its current form.’ . . . Bush and Wallace praised U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran, noting that the Islamic Republic is ‘no longer on the cusp of a nuclear weapon.” . . . At the same time, they urged caution and ‘understanding of the true nature of the Islamic Republic’s leadership.’ . . . UANI outlined several concerns with the memorandum, including that it could ‘risk recognizing and legitimizing Hezbollah,’ complicate U.S. efforts to support the Iranian people’s ‘democratic aspirations’ and lack ‘meaningful enforcement mechanisms.’ . . . UANI called for ‘transparency regarding the amount of money being released’ to Iran and the mechanisms and safeguards that will prevent the funds from being used to support proxy groups. The group also urged that any final agreement be submitted to Congress for approval before it is sent to the U.N. Security Council for endorsement.”
Iran’s Ships Head Homeward to Gulf for ‘Business as Usual’ After US Deal | Financial Times
“Iranian cargo ships have suddenly departed from Malaysian waters in recent days and are heading back towards the Strait of Hormuz after the US and Iran reached agreement on a deal to extend their ceasefire. . . . ‘All of a sudden, the empty ships are heading back to Iran’s ports to pick up cargo,’ said Charlie Brown, a Singapore-based senior adviser at United Against Nuclear Iran, a US-based group that campaigns for tough enforcement of sanctions against Tehran. ‘Very clearly a signal has gone out that Iranian shipping is back in business,’ Brown said.”
Oil Shipments Rise in Hormuz Although Questions Grow over Iran’s Transit Terms | Reuters
“Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz picked up on Friday after the United States and Iran signed a ceasefire deal, with Gulf producers preparing to raise exports despite concerns over conditions set by Tehran for using the vital waterway. . . . Meanwhile, a flotilla of 10 laden Iranian-flagged supertankers carrying close to 20 million barrels of oil were sailing from Iran's Chabahar anchorage in the Gulf of Oman and heading to Asia for likely teapot refineries in China, according to analysis from U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, which monitors Iran-related tanker traffic. ‘There is apparently no longer the hot potato issue of unilateral American sanctions,’ UANI senior advisor Charlie Brown said.”
Interview of UANI Policy Director Jason Brodsky | Iran International
Jason Brodsky discusses the U.S.–Iran MOU with Fardad Farahzad, host of ‘24 with Fardad Farahzad.’
Interview of UANI Research Director Daniel Roth | ILTV
“If I were an extra-terrestrial alien looking down on this MOU, I’d assume the Iranians had imposed their terms on the U.S.A. But we do have to step back a little and recognize the context: that the U.S. has achieved some remarkable historic accomplishments during those military operations . . .”
Wikipedia Page for ‘2026 Iran War’ Claims Islamic Republic Won | Jewish News Syndicate
“The Islamic Republic won the ‘2026 Iran War,’ according to the Wikipedia page for the conflict. . . . Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told JNS that the ‘Wikipedia characterization embraces the Islamic Republic’s theory of victory by merely surviving.’ ‘But it’s not a victory when the United States decapitated the Islamic Republic’s leadership, eroded its vital industries, degraded its defense industrial base, eroded its missile and drone program and decimated its militaries,’ Brodsky told JNS.”
DIPLOMACY
Araghchi Claims Oil Waivers, Asset Releases Secured in US-Iran Talks | Iran International
“Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran has already secured significant economic benefits through the diplomatic process with Washington, highlighting sanctions-related relief measures and investment plans following talks in Switzerland. According to Reuters, Araghchi said oil and petrochemical exports had been granted waivers, the blockade on Iran had been lifted, some frozen assets had been released and a major reconstruction and development plan had been launched for the country.”
U.S., Qatar Work to Give Iran Access to Billions of Dollars in Frozen Cash | Wall Street Journal
“The U.S. is working with Qatar on a plan to make billions of dollars in frozen funds available to Iran for humanitarian spending, another early financial incentive under the recently signed deal to end the war, people familiar with the matter said. The plan, which isn’t yet completed, is aimed at giving Iran access to the spending power of some of its estimated $100 billion in cash frozen worldwide, beginning with $6 billion held in Qatar. Under the deal, Qatar would allow purchases of food, medicine and other humanitarian goods ordered by Iran’s central bank with money drawn from frozen Iranian assets, mainly cash from oil sales that has been locked up overseas by sanctions, the people said.”
US Says Iran Won’t Get Funds Upfront Under MOU | Iran International
“Senior US officials sought to clarify key provisions of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran, pushing back against reports that Tehran would receive access to frozen assets, sanctions relief or a multibillion-dollar reconstruction package upon signing the agreement. . . . Speaking on a background call after the text was made public, the officials said the agreement does not commit Washington to any immediate economic concessions, but instead creates a framework under which incentives would be tied to Iranian compliance and progress toward a final deal.”
Inside Trump’s Mad Dash to Sign an Agreement with Iran | CNN
“Inside the West Wing, many senior officials had long been pushing for an off-ramp. Members of Trump’s political team advocated for a way out to protect vulnerable Republicans ahead of the midterm elections and the president’s political legacy. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shared concerns over the war’s economic impact. Energy Secretary Chris Wright was wary of the effects to the world’s energy industry, officials familiar with the matter said. ‘There was broad acknowledgement that if this went on, it was going to get even worse,’ said one source familiar with the talks. During an internal meeting at the White House in early June, Trump and his aides decided to press for a general agreement with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and outline a broad framework on dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. None of the president’s advisers ultimately opposed moving forward with that plan, an official involved in the talks said, with the group deciding to reassess where things stood over the course of a new, 60-day period for technical talks after the preliminary agreement to end the war was struck.”
Secret US-Iran Proposals Reveal Fragile Path Toward Broader Nuclear Deal | CNN
“The US and Iran have been working on laying out secret proposals for implementing the 14 points that were signed this week, including details on how to address the future of Iran’s nuclear program, according to three US officials familiar with the negotiations, a regional official, and one former US official. In response to a question from CNN on Thursday, Vice President JD Vance indicated that at least some of what administration officials have been calling ‘gentleman’s agreements’ with Iran that go beyond the memorandum of understanding are written agreements. But the sources emphasized that they are far from final. Iran has not signed any additional documents, as it did the 14-point memorandum of understanding, raising questions about whether the administration has overstated the commitments it has extracted from Iran and further emphasizing how quickly the fragile political effort to reach a final deal could fall apart.”
“What the United States demands is that Iran not build an atomic bomb. This is nothing new, and we can also state in writing that we have no intention of building a bomb,” [Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s] website quotes him as saying. ‘However, we will not relinquish our right to enrichment, and the other side will have no choice but to accept this right,’ [he added] . . .”
Iran to Allow UN Nuclear Inspectors Back In, Vance Says | Axios
“Iran agreed to invite International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors into the country, Vice President JD Vance announced Monday after the first round of U.S.–Iran nuclear talks in Switzerland. . . . Vance said coordination between Iran, the U.S. and the IAEA for such a visit will take place ‘this week, maybe as soon as today.’ Iran hasn’t confirmed that yet. Vance did not offer specifics as to what kind of access the inspectors would be granted. ‘It’s a major milestone and a first step in permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran.’ . . . While Vance said no frozen funds had been released yet, he said the parties had agreed on a mechanism by which such funds would be spent to address the needs of the Iranian people, such as to buy American soybeans.”
“Vice President JD Vance, leading the American delegation in diplomatic negotiations this weekend with Iran in Switzerland, told reporters on Sunday that ‘the United States is willing to fundamentally transform our relationship with [Iran]’ if the Islamic Republic’s leadership is willing to give up nuclear weapons and end its backing of terrorist proxies. . . . Vance described the approach of the U.S. delegation, which he is leading alongside White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as offering an ‘outstretched hand’ to the people of Iran.”
Paris Seeks Role in Iran Talks, Says Missiles and Proxies Must Be Addressed | Iran International
“France wants a role in the next phase of talks on Iran’s nuclear program and will not approve the lifting of UN sanctions unless it is satisfied with the terms of a final accord, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Friday. . . . Barrot said regional stability would require the talks to address not only Tehran’s nuclear program but also its ballistic missile program and support for proxy groups. ‘Our objective is to get major concessions from the Iranian regime, a radical change in posture. And we will have our word to say, because as a member of the [UN Security Council] it will be necessarily linked to the resolution of this crisis,’ Barrot said.”
“As Vice President JD Vance takes on the role of chief defender of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding and forthcoming talks, he has begun to sound a lot like someone whom the Trump administration has lately spent a lot of time attacking: former President Barack Obama. . . . “If you think this is a bad deal, what is your alternative?” Vance said in an interview this week . . . Flashback to a 2015 press conference at the White House soon after the JCPOA was announced. ‘I’m hearing a lot of talking points being repeated about ‘this is a bad deal,’’ Obama said. ‘What I haven’t heard is, what is your preferred alternative?’ Both Vance in 2026 and Obama in 2015 argued that the deals negotiated by their respective administrations were better than using military force—or in the case of the Trump deal, continuing to use military force—and that they would lead to a safer world.”
Trump Insists He Won ‘Unconditional Surrender’ from Iran | The Hill
“Axios’s Marc Caputo pressed Trump in an interview on Thursday about whether the memorandum of understanding lived up to the president’s original promise to secure an ‘unconditional surrender’ from Iran. ‘But really, probably is unconditional surrender,’ Trump said of the deal. ‘I think so.’”
Vance Issues Blunt Warning to Israel as He Defends Trump’s Deal | New York Times
“Vice President JD Vance on Thursday delivered an extraordinarily direct rebuke to Israeli critics of the U.S.-Iran peace agreement, as he sought to defend the preliminary deal with repeated misrepresentations of some of its terms. ‘Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time,’ Mr. Vance said. He added, ‘If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.’”
Trump’s Messy Path to Peace | Axios
“Talks are moving forward, but U.S. intelligence is skeptical that a full nuclear deal will be finalized. Some officials don’t believe Iran is willing to make the nuclear concessions the deal requires. Friction points: To make the deal stick, several things need to happen fast. Israel and Hezbollah need to stick with a fragile ceasefire. Iran must continue to allow commerce to flow through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump himself needs to help bring the temperature down, without the near-daily threats to bomb Iran again and kill its leaders.”
“As he prepared to sign his ‘memorandum of understanding’ with the Islamic dictatorship of Iran, President Trump again insisted that his deal was much different than that of his predecessor, President Barack Obama. He’s right—it’s probably worse.”
Trump Explains Why He Cut a Deal with Iran | Wall Street Journal Editorial
“A hallmark of President Trump’s style is that his candor eventually betrays his political motives. And so it has been this week as Mr. Trump explained why he cut a deal with the Iranian regime he once hoped to overthrow. . . . Without the deal, ‘the alternative would be a world-wide depression,’ Mr. Trump said at his Wednesday news conference. In so many words the President said the Iranians had him over a barrel—of oil. If he had fought on, the market ‘would go down at levels that nobody ever saw before, maybe except for 1929,’ he said. ‘The one President I did not want to be was the late, great Herbert Hoover.’ There you have it: Mr. Trump was driven by fear of high oil prices and a falling stock market going into the midterm elections. Warning that ‘we run out of [oil] reserves in about four weeks,’ Mr. Trump insisted he had no other way to get the Strait of Hormuz open. ‘If we didn’t do this deal, we could’ve dropped more bombs for another three weeks, two weeks, four weeks, two years—you would never have the Hormuz Strait open.’ All of this strongly suggests the memorandum of understanding was reached from a position of U.S. weakness, not strength. From the deal’s substantial up-front sanctions relief and paucity of corresponding Iranian nuclear commitments, it shows.”
“Right now, the deal Trump signed not only allows the regime to survive, it helps Iran get back on its feet. He had a historic opportunity to reshape the Middle East for a generation. This deal risks squandering all the gains he made on the battlefield. It’s a mistake. But fortunately it’s not the end of the story.”
Iran Found Trump’s Bone Spur | Bret Stephens in the New York Times
“The worst betrayal . . . is of Americans who supported the war—not only neocons like me but also most of Trump’s MAGA base—because we believed that Iran, which has waged a 47-year war against us, posed an increasingly intolerable threat to our security and vital interests. This cease-fire neither ends nor eases that threat; it hardens and magnifies it. It removes the one point of U.S. leverage over Iran—the naval blockade of its ports—before there’s any negotiation over its nuclear program, which the Iranians will almost surely drag out until Trump is out of office. It reminds the world of the adage that while it can be dangerous to be America’s enemy, it is fatal to be its friend. And it gives Iran’s leaders something even more vital: The confidence that, whatever Trump may threaten, they can withstand the most any American president or Israeli prime minister can throw at them. There’s a word for this: debacle.”
Trump’s Second Gamble on Iran | Karim Sadjadpour in the Atlantic
“Donald Trump’s war against Iran began with one gamble and ended with another. Initially, the president bet that he could stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions by bombing Iran’s revolutionary regime out of existence. So he spent tens of billions of dollars, and upended the global economy, only to sign a memorandum of understanding undoubtedly weaker than any deal he could have struck before the war. Embedded in this document is a new gamble: that if Iran’s revolutionaries can’t be dislodged by force, they might instead be bribed to abandon their identity. . . . The logic of Trump’s current gamble with Iran resembles his entreaties to the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un during Trump’s first term: The president is offering reintegration as a reward for denuclearization. In Singapore, Trump famously tried to entice Kim with visions of turning North Korea’s missile-testing coastlines into prime real estate, marveling at the country’s ‘great beaches’ and envisioning ‘the best hotels in the world.’ But for revolutionary dictatorships such as North Korea and Iran, Western-backed luxury hotels, foreign tourists, and open capital flows aren’t a triumph—they are a Trojan horse that would erode their total information control and ideological legitimacy.”
MILITARY MATTERS & STRAIT OF HORMUZ CRISIS
Trump Threatens to ‘Hit Iran Very Hard Again’ over Support for Hezbollah | Associated Press
“. . . President Donald Trump threatened to restart strikes on Iran for its support of Hezbollah militants in Lebanon or if it moved to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz. ‘Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,’ Trump said on social media, one of multiple provocative warnings to Iran on Sunday. ‘If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!’”
Israel and Hezbollah Are Still Fighting, Several Cease-Fires Later | New York Times
“After a cease-fire was announced in Lebanon on Friday afternoon, the sixth such effort in a matter of weeks, little had changed 24 hours later as the truce once again devolved into more Israeli strikes and Hezbollah fire. Israel pounded towns and villages across southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least seven people and wounding more than a dozen, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The Israeli military said the attacks came after Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, fired more than 50 projectiles overnight at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, where Israel has occupied large swathes of territory since March.”
“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has set up secretive new cells in Iraq to carry out attacks on Gulf countries that host American forces, bypassing established militia networks to avoid detection, eight Iraqi sources told Reuters. Three or four cells, each comprising about 10 elite Iraqi Shi’ite Muslim fighters, launched at least seven drone attacks from desert locations near the southern cities of Basra and Samawa against sites in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates between April 20 and May 17, three of the sources said.”
Hormuz Ship Traffic Dropped on Sunday After Iran Announced ‘Closure’ | Iran International
“The number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply on Sunday after Iran announced it had again restricted passage through the strategic waterway, citing what it described as Israeli and US violations of the interim peace agreement. Shipping analytics firm Kpler recorded just five vessels transiting the strait on Sunday, down from 26 vessels the previous day, according to shipping data.”
Hormuz Must Stay Shut Until $12B Released, Israel Leaves Lebanon—Tasnim | Iran International
“The Strait of Hormuz should not be reopened until several conditions under the Iran-US MoU are met, among them the release of at least $12 billion in Iranian assets, the implementation of oil sanctions waivers, and Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News said on Saturday. It said reopening the Strait only in return for the lifting of the US naval blockade would be a ‘strategic mistake’ and a violation of the Iran-US memorandum of understanding.”
Iran to Seek ‘Insurance Fees’ for Passage Through Strait of Hormuz | Financial Times
“Iran has said it reserves the right to charge ships ‘insurance fees’ for passage through the Strait of Hormuz as it seeks to establish control over the waterway following the interim peace deal with Washington. . . . An Iranian official, who asked not to be named, said: ‘The text of the memorandum of understanding is clear. For a period of 60 days from the date the MoU entered into force, vessel traffic will be carried out without any charges being collected.’ After that period, the official added, Iran and Oman would agree a format that ‘will likely include fees related to service provision and safe passage.’”
US-Iran Accord Opens Way for Hormuz Charges, Industry Warns | Financial Times
“Shipping executives fear the US-Iran peace agreement has cleared the path for charges to be introduced on the Strait of Hormuz after 60 days, setting a new regime for the waterway that was previously free to use. Under the terms of the accord signed on Wednesday, Iran will negotiate with Oman and other Gulf states over the ‘future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz.’”
Trump Thanks China’s Xi, Russia’s Putin for Being ‘Neutral’ in Iran War | Reuters
“U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday described Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin as ‘neutral’ during the war with Iran, saying they had not thwarted his efforts to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions. . . . Moscow and Beijing maintain close ties with Tehran. Russia has said the war could lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Beijing has condemned Washington’s attacks on Tehran as a brazen violation of the country's sovereignty. U.S. intelligence officials assess that Beijing supplied Tehran with goods with potential military uses, according to people familiar with the matter. China’s independent oil refiners have been Iran's main customers during the conflict, defying U.S. sanctions. But Trump said that Xi was helpful to resolving the conflict, and avoided sending in ‘big weaponry’ or shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.”
Pentagon Investigation Into Iran School Strike Being Finalized | NBC News
“Senior U.S. military officials are in the final stages of reviewing an internal investigation into a deadly airstrike on an Iranian elementary school and preparing to share it with lawmakers, according to a person familiar with the probe. But there is growing concern in Congress and the Pentagon that the Trump administration will classify and shield its results from the public, four congressional officials and the person familiar with the investigation said.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Iran Exported 36 Million Barrels of Oil in Six Days—TankerTrackers | Iran International
“Iran has exported approximately 36 million barrels of crude oil since June 15, according to maritime intelligence firm TankerTrackers, underscoring the rapid return of oil shipments following the partial easing of restrictions on Iranian exports. The firm said in a social media post that roughly another 36 million barrels remain afloat in Iranian waters, suggesting Tehran retains a substantial volume of crude ready to enter international markets if current diplomatic efforts continue moving forward.”
Iranian Guards’ Business Empire to Win Big If U.S. Sanctions Lifted | Reuters
“For years, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards thrived in the shadow of sanctions, building a sprawling commercial empire stretching from oil and construction to shipping, telecommunications and ports. Now, as Tehran and Washington prepare for talks on a deal to end the war that could unlock billions of dollars for Iran and reopen its economy to global investment, the elite force is poised to be one of the biggest beneficiaries. Four senior Iranian sources described how the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was uniquely placed to capture a big chunk of any financial rewards that would accrue from sanctions relief, renewed oil exports and foreign investment. Their central role may also prove to be one of the many obstacles to a deal: with the Guards so firmly enmeshed in Iranian business, their terrorism designation could significantly complicate efforts to free the economy from sanctions.”
Donald Trump Made Iran’s Stocks Great Again | Financial Times
“One sign of how much Iran stands to gain from this week’s peace deal? Iran’s $110bn stock exchange (yes, it has one). It would rank as the world’s best-performing equity market over the past month in dollar terms if Iran featured in such rankings. . . . By the time President Donald Trump signed the peace deal at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday, the Tedpix gauge of major Iranian companies had gained 30 per cent in US dollar terms in the past week, Amtelon Capital, an extremely rare foreign investor in the market, has noted. Since it reopened from a wartime trading halt on May 19th, the market, which trades from Saturday to Wednesday, is up nearly 50 per cent in dollar terms compared to its last prewar trading day on February 25th. The Iranian rial’s bazaar rate has rallied to about 1.55mn to the dollar.”
HOMELAND SECURITY
Mullin: Man with Ties to Iran’s National Guard Tried to Enter US with World Cup Team | Daily Mail
“A man linked directly with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attempted to enter the United States with the Iranian soccer team on Saturday, according to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The individual allegedly posed as the Iranian soccer federation president while traveling from the team's base in Tijuana, Mexico for Sunday’s game against Belgium at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles. The person in question has not been identified, publicly, but Mullin said they were prevented from entering the US.”
TERRORISM & TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION
“As Pouria Zeraati was crossing the street between his Wimbledon home and his car in south London in March 2024, he was confronted by two men. One held him firmly as the other stabbed him three times in the leg before they both fled. It was later said to be a targeted attack on behalf of the Iranian regime in Tehran. A punishment for Zeraati’s work as a journalist covering Iran. He survived, but the ambush is one of dozens of violent incidents in recent years linked to foreign states. Russia, China, India, Saudi Arabia and Iran have all been blamed for targeting critics and dissidents living in the UK in the past decade, and linked to incidents involving physical assaults, attempted kidnap, stabbings and an acid attack.”
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iranian Star Parastoo Ahmadi Reportedly Sentenced to 74 Lashes for Singing Without Hijab | Guardian
“The Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight members of a production team, including musicians, have been reportedly sentenced to 74 lashes for performing in a concert livestreamed on Ahmadi’s YouTube channel in 2024. According to court documents, the criminal court of Qom province sentenced the artists to flogging, a two-year ban on leaving the country and a two-year ban on engaging in artistic activities on charges that include offending public decency through the production and publication of ‘vulgar and immoral content’ online.”
MOU’s Forgotten Casualty Is the Iranian People | Eric Mandel for Iran International
“The Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the United States may strengthen the Revolutionary Guards, weaken Persian Gulf security and deepen China’s access to Iranian energy. Above all, however, it leaves Iranians to face the Islamic Republic on their own. Paragraph 2 of the MOU effectively enshrines the abandonment of the Iranian people by committing both sides to ‘refrain from interfering in each other's internal affairs.’ This clause stands in direct contrast to many of President Trump’s previous statements regarding the Iranian people and his repeated condemnations of the regime’s brutality.”
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Khamenei Shifts Responsibility for MOU as Iran, US Implement Hormuz Terms | Iran International
“Iran's Supreme Leader sought to distance himself from the Iran-US memorandum of understanding, saying he approved it despite having ‘another view in principle’ . . . In his first message after the signing of the MoU, Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday he authorized the agreement only after President Masoud Pezeshkian, as head of the Supreme National Security Council, accepted responsibility for safeguarding Iran’s national rights and the interests of the ‘Resistance Front.’ . . . The message reflected a pattern long associated with his father’s leadership: endorsing a major decision while maintaining a degree of political distance from its outcome. By emphasizing Pezeshkian’s responsibility and the Supreme National Security Council’s assurances, Khamenei appeared to leave himself room to fault the government if the MoU falters, while retaining credit if it holds.”
Secret Correspondence Claims Suggest Tensions at Top of Iranian Government | Guardian
“A former member of Iran’s negotiating team in the previous round of talks with the US in Islamabad is facing the threat of prosecution and dismissal from parliament after he went on the main state broadcaster to reveal what he claimed were confidential letters from the country’s supreme leader. The interview with Mahmoud Nabavian, the deputy chair of Iran’s national security council, was eventually cut off, but only after he said he had seen secret correspondence written by Mojtaba Khamenei in which the ayatollah allegedly said Iran’s negotiating team had overstepped its mandate. An hour after the censored broadcast, the archive of the interview was removed and a senior official at the broadcaster resigned.”
CONGRESS & IRAN
Lindsey Graham Defends Deal with Iran, Even as He Predicts It Will Likely Fail | Jewish Insider
“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) defended the Trump administration’s diplomatic discussions with Iran on Sunday, but predicted that negotiations with the Islamic Republic will likely fail, and threatened that the U.S. will take over the Strait of Hormuz if no agreement is reached.”
TURKEY & IRAN
Turkey’s Fidan Warns Israel Could Sabotage US-Iran Deal | Iran International
“Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned that Israel could seek to derail the recently signed memorandum between Tehran and Washington, while cautioning that major technical issues in the agreement remain unresolved. ‘There is always an Israel waiting in the corner, ready to sabotage the process as soon as it finds the opportunity,’ Fidan told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.”