TOP STORIES
Iran's Khamenei Cites Need To Further Develop Iran's Military After Trump Threats | Reuters
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday Iran should further develop its military, including its missiles, after U.S. President Donald Trump made threats of force against Tehran if it refused to negotiate over its nuclear programme. Khamenei spoke a day after Iran's U.N. ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, condemned what he called "reckless and inflammatory statements" by Trump in interviews with the New York Post and Fox News in which he said he preferred doing a deal to prevent Tehran developing a nuclear weapon to bombing the country. "Progress should not be stopped, we cannot be satisfied (with our current level). Say that we previously set a limit for the accuracy of our missiles, but we now feel this limit is no longer enough. We have to go forward," Khamenei said, citing a need to focus on innovation in the Iranian military.
US Sanctions Strand Iran, Russia Oil On Tankers, Driving Up Crude Costs | Reuters
The amount of Russian and Iranian oil held on ships has hit multi-month highs as harsher U.S. sanctions reduced the number of buyers, leaving fewer tankers available to deliver cargoes and driving up crude costs, trade sources and analysts said. Washington has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on ships and entities dealing with oil from Iran and Russia since October, disrupting trade with major importers China and India. U.S. President Donald Trump last week restored his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran that includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero in order to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The OPEC producer has struggled to attract new vessels to fill the shipping capacity gap since the sanctions were imposed in the fourth quarter, said Xu Muyu, a senior analyst at data analytics firm Kpler.
Iran And Oman Military Chiefs Meet In Tehran For Defense Talks | Bloomberg
Iran and Oman’s top military officers met in Tehran for talks to expand and develop defense ties as tensions grow across the Middle East following more than a year of conflict. Major-General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the armed forces of Iran, hosted his counterpart, Vice Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis bin Abdullah Al Raisi, in Tehran on Tuesday, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The Omani government has in the past mediated between Iran and Western countries including the US and UK, particularly in relation to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and prisoner exchanges. The start of US President Donald Trump’s new term in the White House may bring about a fresh engagement between Washington and Tehran.
UANI IN THE NEWS
Israel Slams Palestinian 'Deception Scheme' Over Claim It Halted Terror Rewards Program | Fox News
The president of the Palestinian Authority (PA) apparently capitulated to the Trump administration by claiming to scrap its long-standing program known as "pay for slay," which provides payments to Palestinian terrorists and their families. […] Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), summed up a recent trend of foreign leaders caving to the Trump administration. "I think it speaks to the Trump effect. Foreign leaders fear crossing the president because he knows how to engage in coercive diplomacy, and it produces outcomes which advance U.S. interests like this. Iran and other countries are watching very carefully how the president pressures other governments, and this will shape their decision-making. Thus far, Tehran has been more risk-averse since President Trump has been in office," he told Fox News Digital.
Amid The Gaza Uproar, Trump Shot Down Netanyahu On Iran | Haaretz
[…] The Biden administration did little to track these tankers, expose them or pressure the countries involved, either directly or indirectly. Instead, a U.S. nongovernmental organization, United Against Nuclear Iran – led by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the brother of former President George W. Bush – took on this mission. The group's members, including former U.S. intelligence and State Department officials, as well as ex-Mossad figures like Tamir Pardo and Zohar Palti, monitor the tankers and report their findings to the U.S. administration and the public. One of the organization's key efforts was pressuring the Panamanian government to stop allowing Iranian straw companies to register there and use Panamanian flags, which is a common tactic used to bypass oil sanctions.
Trump Says Nuclear Deal Is Possible With ‘Scared’ Iran | i24 News
Trump leverages threat of attack to push Iran to negotiate. “The US is ramping up the ‘maximum pressure’ architecture that will aim to deprive the regime of resources and to give the Iranian people the space they need to bring down the regime,’ UANI Policy Director Jason Brodsky tells Laura Cellier, i24 News.
Iran’s Nuclear Future | NewsX World
Daniel Roth, a senior figure at United Against Nuclear Iran, joins us for a discussion on one of the most contentious issues in global diplomacy: Iran's nuclear ambitions. As tensions in the Middle East continue to evolve, the stakes surrounding Iran's nuclear program have only intensified. The international community remains deeply divided on how to approach the situation, with shifting dynamics between major world powers adding further complexity to an already volatile region.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Iran Denounces ‘Reckless’ Trump Remarks On Nuclear Deal | Aljazeera
Iran’s representative to the United Nations has condemned the “reckless and inflammatory statements” made by United States President Donald Trump threatening the use of force, and warned that “any act of aggression will have severe consequences”. In a letter to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani referred to remarks made by Trump in media interviews, in which the US leader suggested stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons could be achieved either “with bombs or with a written piece of paper”. “I would much rather do a deal that’s not gonna hurt them,” Trump told Fox News on Monday, adding that “I’d love to make a deal with them without bombing them.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Public Anger Rises As Iran's Economy Worsens | RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty
Public outrage is mounting in Iran as the country's struggling economy worsens under crippling U.S. sanctions. The national currency plunged to a record low on February 11 soon after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the restart of a "maximum pressure" campaign on the Islamic republic. In response, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared to dismiss the prospect of negotiations with the United States over Iran's disputed nuclear program. A nuclear deal is seen as key to Washington lifting economic sanctions on Iran, which has witnessed rising unemployment and growing poverty in recent years.
Iran’s Inflation Surge After Khamenei Rejects US Talks Fuels Anxiety | Iran International
The rapid depreciation of Iran's national currency in recent weeks amid fading prospects of direct talks with the US has deeply unsettled many Iranians who face ruin in their daily lives and businesses. Concerns over further devaluation of the rial are troubling not only ordinary citizens facing soaring prices for essentials like food, housing, and medicine but also producers reliant on imported raw materials. “As a manufacturer, I must say I can no longer continue production under these circumstances,” Kambiz Ghasemi Jokar, a manufacturer of protective film, posted on X on February 9. He assured customers he would fulfill existing orders but lamented that maintaining his business was no longer viable given the uncertainty.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
Iran Alerts UN To Trump Threat Of Force, Says It Will Defend Itself | Reuters
Iran alerted the United Nations on Tuesday to what it described as "reckless and inflammatory statements" by U.S. President Donald Trump threatening the use of force, and warned that "any act of aggression will have severe consequences." In a letter to the U.N. Security Council, seen by Reuters, Iran's U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani referenced remarks made by Trump in interviews with the New York Post and Fox News, in which he spoke of a preference to do a deal to stop Tehran getting a nuclear weapon over bombing the country. "These reckless and inflammatory statements flagrantly violate international law and the U.N. Charter," Iravani wrote to the 15-member council.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mocks Trump Over "Gulf Of America" | Newsweek
ran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ridiculed U.S. President Donald Trump's recent move to rename the "Gulf of Mexico" as the "Gulf of America." Renaming the gulf was one of Trump's first moves in office. The Federal Aviation Administration has announced that it will update its data and charts to show the names "Gulf of America". Google Maps has made similar changes. "USA has set out to change on paper the map of the world! Of course, only on paper. In the real world, it lacks all reality," Khamenei posted on X in Spanish and other languages. The accompanying image used the words "Golfo de México" — Gulf of Mexico in Spanish.
Any Aggression Will Have Severe Consequences, Iran Warns Trump | Iran International
Iran's envoy to the United Nations has condemned Donald Trump’s threat to use force against the Islamic Republic, warning that any act of aggression will have severe consequences for which the US will bear full responsibility. "The Islamic Republic of Iran firmly rejects and condemns this reckless threat," Iran's permanent ambassador to the UN Amir-Saeid Iravani said in a Tuesday letter to the UN Security Council. In his letter, he cited Trump's interviews with The New York Post, in which he said he would prefer a deal with Iran to "bombing the hell out of it." Trump also told Fox News "there are two ways to stop Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon: ‘With bombs or with a written piece of paper’."
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Iran’s Huge New Drone Mothership Changes The Game | The Telegraph
Last week, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) gained an interesting new addition – the Shahid Bagheri, described as “the world’s first purpose-built drone carrier” by Iranian government propaganda channel PressTV. The release goes on to say that “it is a true drone carrier, designed specifically to launch and recover wheeled UAVs. This sets it apart from aircraft carriers, helicopter carriers, and amphibious assault ships, where drone operations remain supplementary.” The release is about as truthful and consistent as PressTV generally is, as the Bagheri was not designed or purpose built as a drone carrier: she’s actually a converted container ship, as even PressTV admits. She now has a ski-jump bow ramp, arrester wires on an angled flight deck and what look like pretty small aircraft lifts down to the holds/hangars below.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Iranian Capital Hit By Sudden Power Outages | Iran International
Unannounced power cuts hit several parts of Tehran on Tuesday evening amid a deepening energy crisis that is forcing the government to shut down all schools, universities and public offices on Wednesday. Electricity was cut off in several Tehran neighborhoods including Narmak, Tehranpars, Pasdaran, Shahrak-e Gharb and the capital's central districts due to the state's "inability to supply gas and diesel for power plants," state media reported. According to Iran’s state electricity company Tavanir, the blackouts were caused by cold weather, increased household gas consumption, and limitations in gas supply and transmission to power plants. The company said the outages were necessary to maintain network stability.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Syria Says It Is Seeking 'Clear Policy' From Russia And Iran | Reuters
Syria's foreign minister said on Wednesday that his country had received positive messages but wanted further reassurance from Russia and Iran, main allies of former leader Bashar al-Assad now seeking to retain influence after his overthrow. "There are positive messages, but we want these positive messages to turn into a clear policy that makes the Syrian people feel reassured," Asaad Hassan al-Shibani said at the World Government Summit 2025 in Dubai. "There are clear messages of respect for the new Syrian administration and respect for the sovereignty of the Syrian people. But as I told you, there are wounds among the Syrian people and there is pain that the Syrian people have suffered at the hands of these two countries," he added.
TURKEY & IRAN
Turkmenistan Reaches Deal With Turkey To Ship Natural Gas Via Iran | Associated Press
Turkmenistan has struck a deal to ship natural gas to Turkey via Iran, a government daily reported Tuesday. The official daily Neutral Tyrkmenistan said that Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, the chairman of the country’s People’s Council, welcomed the deal in a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Berdymukhamedov said it was a major development in the regional energy cooperation. Gas supplies under the contract that was signed between the state-run Turkmengas company and Turkey’s state-owned BOTAS will begin on March 1. “With this agreement, which we have been working on for many years, we will strengthen the natural gas supply security of our country and our region, while furthering the strategic cooperation between the two countries,” Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said in a statement.
CYBERWARFARE
Iran’s Expanding Cyber Operations Call For Rethinking US Response | Iran International
Iran has expanded its cyber warfare capabilities in recent years, exposing vulnerabilities in US defenses, meddling in election campaigns even, while policymakers in Washington debate the proper response. As a cyber espionage investigator focused on Iranian state-sponsored hacking, I’ve observed these operations evolve steadily—from initial reconnaissance to targeted intrusions. Even when US agencies unmask these hackers, legal and enforcement actions often drag on for months or years, allowing adversaries to rebrand and operate under new aliases. Yaser Balaghi Inalou, one of three Iranian hackers recently indicted by the Department of Justice for a hack and leak operation targeting the 2024 presidential election, was exposed as early as 2015 by the Israeli security firm Check Point.