TOP STORIES
Iran Sends Ominous Warning to US | Newsweek
An Iranian lawmaker has warned that the country’s missiles can hit Europe and could eventually target U.S. cities. The remarks come amid rising tensions between Tehran, Western governments, and Israel, with sanctions and military action intensifying the standoff. Amir Hayat-Moqaddam, told Iranian media on Sunday that Tehran has been developing long-range strike capabilities for two decades. He warned that “perhaps our next missile will hit Washington directly.” . . . Hayat-Moqaddam said Iran's missiles can already reach targets anywhere in Europe. “Even now, all European countries are in our range. With our existing missiles we can strike France, Germany, the U.K., and all of Western and Eastern Europe,” he said.
Iran Hunting British Spies After Getting Taliban ‘Kill List’ | Telegraph
Iran’s revolutionary guards are hunting British spies using a leaked Ministry of Defence list provided by the Taliban, The Telegraph has learnt. A group of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials flew to Kabul last week to discuss a cooperation deal with Taliban leadership, according to senior Iranian and Afghan officials. The officials, whom sources said travelled to Afghanistan without the knowledge of Tehran’s civilian government, wanted to use the list to capture suspected spies to use as bargaining chips in discussions with the West over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme.
Ukraine has struck a large Russian oil refinery and key port, hitting a ship that had been transporting drone parts and ammunition from Iran, its military has confirmed.
UANI IN THE NEWS
Iranian Oil Tankers Faking Travel Routes to Supply China, Nikkei Reports｜Arab News Japan
Nearly 70 percent of Iranian oil tankers have made attempts to fake their travel routes, according to an analysis by Japan’s Nikkei newspaper. . . . Iran’s exports of crude oil grew roughly 70 percent between 2019 and 2024, according to US nonprofit group United Against Nuclear Iran, with around 90 percent bound for China.
NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Iran Says It Will Continue Talks with IAEA After Curbing Access | Reuters
Iran will continue talks with the U.N. nuclear watchdog and the two sides will probably have another round of negotiations in the coming days, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told state media on Monday. International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have been unable to access Iran's nuclear sites since Israel and the U.S. bombed them during a 12-day war in June, despite IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stating that inspections remain his top priority. "We had talks (with the IAEA) last week. These talks will continue and there will be another round of talks between Iran and the agency probably in the coming days," Baghaei said.
Iran’s Reform Front Urges Suspension of Uranium Enrichment | Iran International
Iran’s Reform Front called for major political and nuclear policy shifts, including a voluntary suspension of uranium enrichment, the release of political prisoners and an end to the repression of dissent. The coalition of 27 reformist organizations, in a statement issued on Sunday, said “Iran’s social fabric was deeply wounded, with public life overshadowed by despair and anxiety.” “The aftermath of the recent 12-day war with Israel, coupled with runaway inflation, industrial stagnation, the collapse of the national currency and capital flight, had created a more acute risk of economic paralysis than ever before.” The statement urged the government to declare readiness for suspending enrichment and to accept full International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
SANCTIONS, SHIPPING, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Iran Introduces Tax on Inflation-Driven Asset Gains | Iran International
Iran has introduced a new law making inflation partly taxable, a move that critics say effectively charges citizens twice amid the country’s economic crisis. . . . The law targets capital gains on real estate, vehicles, gold, jewelry, silver, platinum, foreign currency, and even cryptocurrencies.
MISSILE PROGRAM
Iran Looks to China to Rebuild Its Missile Capabilities, Israelis Concerned | Yedioth Ahronoth
[T]he Iranians understand that they must maintain a significant missile force as a strategic threat against Israel. Unlike the development of nuclear weapons, Iran is not bound by international treaties preventing it from building an arsenal of ballistic missiles. Western intelligence agencies, mostly those in Europe, have observed Iranian and Chinese cooperation in that regard. China supplied Iran with some equipment after the October 2024 altercation with Israel, but is now actually rebuilding the Iranian capabilities.
PROTESTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran’s Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence for Labor Activist | Iran International
Iran’s Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of labor activist Sharifeh Mohammadi, convicted of armed rebellion against the Islamic Republic, despite what her lawyer described as unresolved flaws in the case.
Iran Court Upholds Prison Sentences for Six Baha’i Women | IranWire
An Iranian appeals court has upheld prison sentences totaling 38 years and 11 months for six Baha’i women from Hamedan province. Branch 11 of Hamedan Appeals Court confirmed the sentences without scheduling a hearing or notifying the defendants' lawyers. The women—Neda Mohebbi, Atefeh Zahedi, Farideh Ayoubi, Noura Ayoubi, Zarindokht Ahadazadeh and Jaleh Rezaei—were convicted of “membership in the Baha’i community” and “teaching and propaganda against Islamic law.”
53 Christians Arrested in Iran After 12-Day War with Israel | Human Rights Activists News Agency
According to HRANA, quoting Hamshahri, since the start of the 12-day Iran-Israel war, 53 Christian citizens have been arrested. The report claims that the arrests of these citizens are connected to the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. It also alleges that these individuals were “followers of a branch of Christianity and had collaborated with Israel.”
Iran Still Jamming Local GPS Users in Wake of Israel War | Agence France-Presse
Unprecedented disruption continues to plague GPS users in Iran since Israel’s surprise attack in mid-June which triggered a 12-day war. Iran’s communications ministry has said the disruptions were necessary for “security and military purposes,” without giving further explanation.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Senior Khamenei Adviser Says Another War with US, Israel ‘May Happen’ | Iran International
“We are not in a ceasefire, we are in a stage of war. No protocol, regulation, or agreement has been written between us and the US or Israel,” said senior Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) general Yahya Rahim Safavi. “I think another war may happen, and after that, there may be no more wars.”
Iran Warns of New Surprises and No Restraint If Attacked Again | Iran International
“Once again, we firmly warn the criminal America, the malicious and brutal Zionist regime to abandon conspiracies and hostility against a powerful and invincible Iran,” said the General Staff of the [Iranian] Armed Forces in [a] statement . . . “In the event of any miscalculation or satanic action, what prevented us from wider operations during the 12-day imposed war will no longer apply,” the military warned. “This time they will face new surprises and far more crushing blows.”
Yemen FM to Asharq Al-Awsat: Iran Encouraging Houthis to Prolong War, Reject Peace | Asharq al-Awsat
Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr. Shaya al-Zindani accused the Iran-backed Houthi militias of obstructing the efforts of United Nations envoy Hans Grundberg to achieve peace in the country. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, he said the militants were seeking to stoke chaos in Yemen, while the peace process is effectively frozen because Iran is pushing the Houthis to reject peace and prolong the war.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Gunmen in Iran’s volatile southeast killed a police officer in a shootout with security forces, news agencies reported Saturday, with a jihadist group claiming the attack. The clash occurred in Sistan-Baluchistan province, one of the country’s poorest regions and the scene of frequent violence between the security forces and Baluch minority rebels, Sunni extremist groups and drug traffickers.
Iran Forces Kill Seven Militants in Raid in Restive Southeast | Agence France Presse
Iranian security forces on Sunday killed seven members of a jihadist group in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, state media reported.
ISRAEL & IRAN
Fifty Blasts, Fires Tracked Across Iran Since Ceasefire with Israel | Iran International
Records compiled by Iran International show that since the ceasefire with Israel in late June, at least 50 explosions and fires have struck 19 provinces, raising questions over their cause. . . . Although officials have attributed the incidents to causes such as gas leaks and accidents, their number, timing after the 12-day war, and proximity to sensitive sites have prompted continued public questioning.
Israel Says Iranian Agents Recruited Dozens of Its Citizens | New York Times
The recruitment of the Israeli citizens pales beside the sophisticated penetration by Israeli intelligence of Iran’s inner circles as evidenced by air assaults against Iranian nuclear and security sites, senior military figures and scientists in June. Iran also tries to infiltrate Israel’s inner circles, security experts say. But Israeli officials and experts say that the low-level recruiting of ordinary Israelis—which has escalated since the Hamas-led attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, ignited the war in Gaza—is an attempt by Iran to foment internal strife and undermine Israeli society. By casting a wide net, the Iranian recruiters hoped to find a few willing to kill, while also raising troubling questions for Israel about the loyalty of some of its citizens.
Netanyahu Stirs Debate in Iran With ‘Rise Up’ Call, Water Pledge | Iran International
Benjamin Netanyahu’s call on Iranians to rise up—coupled with a promise of Israeli help to solve the country’s water shortages—set off a wave of praise, criticism, and ridicule across Iran’s political spectrum and online.
Palestinian Woman Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for Iran | Times of Israel
Police earlier this month arrested a 24-year-old Palestinian woman suspected of espionage for Iran, Channel 12 news reports. The suspect, a resident of Beit Ummar in the southern West Bank, was arrested August 6 by police operating off intelligence from the Shin Bet and IDF, according to the outlet.
HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON, & IRAN
Mohammed Ayyad, a Hezbollah terrorist who was sentenced to death in absentia for the killing of Irish UN peacekeeper Private Sean Rooney, is believed to be hiding out in Iran, Irish newspaper The Sunday World reported on Saturday, citing diplomatic sources.
Hezbollah Warns Disarmament Push Can Lead to War, Thanks Iran for Support | Iran International
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem warned on Friday that moves to strip the group of its weapons risk plunging Lebanon into war, vowing that the Iran-backed movement would not surrender its arsenal despite a recent government decision to disarm it. . . . Qassem described the group’s arms as central to Lebanon’s “honor, dignity, patriotism, and sovereignty,” and credited the Islamic Republic for its ongoing financial, military, and political support. Qassem also warned the Lebanese government against any moves to confront Hezbollah, saying such action would leave “no life” in the country. . . . He said Hezbollah and its Shi’ite ally, the Amal movement, had decided to postpone street demonstrations against a US-supported disarmament plan, citing a remaining window for dialogue with authorities. However, he cautioned that any future protests could extend to the vicinity of the US Embassy in Beirut.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has told Al Arabiya in an interview that Beirut’s message is clear: Iran should not interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs. Aoun said that he conveyed this directly to Iran’s National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, who visited Beirut last week. He said Lebanon’s relationship with Iran “is based on respect,” adding: “Iran is a friendly state, but on the basis of preserving our sovereignty … our message is clear: Iran will not interfere in our affairs.” The president also stressed that the question of Hezbollah’s weapons “is a Lebanese decision and does not concern Iran.”
SOUTH AFRICA & IRAN
South Africa Distances Itself from Army Chief’s Pledges of Military, Political Support to Iran
South Africa’s army chief has faced domestic backlash after pledging military and political support to Iran during a recent visit, prompting government officials to distance themselves from his remarks over concerns they could harm Pretoria’s efforts to strengthen ties with the United States. Members of South Africa’s governing coalition have denounced Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF), for his trip to Tehran earlier this week, describing his remarks as “reckless grandstanding.”