TOP STORIES
Iranian Vice President Resigns, Signaling Deep Divisions As Cabinet Takes Shape | The New York Times
Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, ran as a reformist candidate. But when he announced on Sunday that his cabinet nominees included several conservatives and only one woman, he faced a fierce backlash, with a high-profile vice president resigning and political allies accusing him of abandoning campaign promises to bring change. The resignation on Sunday of Mohammad Javad Zarif, who had been appointed vice president for strategy and had led a search committee for cabinet nominations, shocked Iran’s political circles. He had been a prominent face of Mr. Pezeshkian’s campaign, traveling across the country and telling voters to give change a chance. Now, he was abandoning the government in a public display of deep divisions before it was even formed.
FBI Probing Alleged Iran Hack Attempts Targeting Trump, Biden Camps | The Washington Post
The FBI is investigating suspected hacking attempts by Iran targeting both a Trump associate and advisers to the Biden-Harris campaign, according to people familiar with the matter, as the agency formally acknowledged Monday it has opened a high-stakes national security investigation months before Election Day. Three staffers on the Biden-Harris campaign received spear phishing emails that were designed to appear legitimate but could give an intruder access to the recipients’ communications, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a sensitive investigation. So far, investigators have not found evidence that those hacking attempts were successful, these people said.
Ship Targeted Multiple Times In Red Sea | Voice of America
Maritime authorities were investigating multiple attacks on a ship reported in Red Sea overnight in an area where Iran-aligned Houthis have targeted global shipping. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received a report of an explosion 174 kilometers northwest of Yemen’s Hodeidah early Tuesday morning. The report came hours after two other blasts were reported by the captain of the same ship 117 kilometers southwest of Hodeidah, according to the private security firm Ambrey.
UANI IN THE NEWS
Middle East Tensions – U.S. Aircraft Carrier Strike Group To Arrive Earlier | Sky News
The IRGC is a militant org. It doesn’t have conventional capabilities to compete with Israel. Its doctrine is built around asymmetric warfare. We shouldn’t rule out a new campaign of IRGC terror against Israeli citizens & Jews across the world as part of an attack on Israel. Interview with UANI Director of IRGC Research Kasra Aarabi. The interview continues here.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Oil Prices Jump On Prospect Of Widening Middle East War Shrinking Supply | Reuters
Oil prices jumped by more than 3% on Monday, rising for a fifth consecutive session on expectations of a widening Middle Eastern conflict that could tighten global crude oil supplies. Global benchmark Brent crude futures settled higher at $82.30 a barrel, gaining $2.64, or 3.3%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures settled at $80.06 a barrel, up $3.22, or 4.2%. Brent saw its biggest percentage gain for a single trading session this year. The U.S. Defense Department said over the weekend that it will send a guided missile submarine to the Middle East as the region braces for possible attacks on Israel by Iran and allies. "We're piling assets one on top of the other and giving the impression that, if this turns hot, it could also turn ugly," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho in New York. Iran and Hezbollah have vowed to retaliate for the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr. An attack could widen the Middle Eastern conflict, while tightening access to global crude supplies and boosting prices.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
United States Asking Turkey To Prevail On Iran To De-Escalate Tensions, Envoy Says | Reuters
The United States is asking Turkey and other allies that have ties with Iran to persuade it to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey said. Ambassador Jeff Flake made the comments as the region braces for possible attacks by Iran and its allies after the killing of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah.
IRANIAN REGIONAL AGGRESSION
The United States has deployed more vessels to the eastern Mediterranean Sea, including a submarine and several destroyers, as concerns grow in the region about a potential Iranian attack on Israel. On Monday, a U.S. official said another U.S. destroyer had moved into the eastern Mediterranean, bolstering offensive and defensive missile capabilities in the region. The USS Laboon arrived in the area after making its way from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal, a defense official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. The destroyers USS Roosevelt and USS Bulkeley and a three-ship amphibious task force that includes the USS Wasp, the USS Oak Hill and the USS New York are already in the region. Sailors and Marines in that task force train to handle evacuation operations and could be called upon if U.S. officials determine one is necessary.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Iran Rejects Pressure To 'Stand Down' From Israel Retaliation | NBC
Iran has rejected calls to refrain from retaliatory attacks against Israel over the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, as the United States and its allies seek to avert a wider conflict in the Middle East. "Iran is determined to defend its national security," foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Tuesday as he dismissed Western urging for the Islamic Republic to avoid escalating tensions in the region. Accusing Israel of having violated Iran's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" by killing Haniyeh in Tehran, Kanaani said in a statement shared on Telegram that calls for Iran to deescalate "lack political logic" and “amount to open and practical support for the source of international crimes and terrorism in the region."
Iran Shows Long-Range Drones At Russian Event, State News Reports | Voice of America
ran has put its long-range Mohajer-10 drones on display at a defense exhibit in Russia, Iran's official news agency reported Monday. U.S. officials have accused Iran of sending drones to Russia, including the Mohajer-10's predecessor, the Mohajer-6, that Moscow had used in its invasion of Ukraine. Tehran denies this. Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency said the more advanced system was being shown at the Army 2024 International Military-Technical Forum, an event that runs from Monday to Wednesday in Patriot Park outside Russia's capital.
IRAQ & IRAN
Iraq Militia Warns US And Israel Over 'Unified' Strike From Iran And Allies | Newsweek
An Iraqi militia fighting under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has shared with Newsweek warnings for both Israel and the U.S. as the region awaits the response of Iran and its allies for two high-profile assassinations. Two weeks have passed since the still-unclaimed surprise slaying of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital of Tehran, and the fatal Israeli airstrike that killed Fouad Shukr, the top military official of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, in Beirut. With conflict still raging amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, Iran and its informal Axis of Resistance coalition have vowed to inflict a vengeance that Israeli and U.S. officials now believe may be imminent. The U.S. has sought to allay a major escalation by pushing for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, while at the same time asserting its commitment to defending its ally, Israel. The Pentagon has also conducted strikes against Iran allies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen in response to attacks on Israel and U.S. troops, sparking further outrage among the Axis of Resistance.