TOP STORIES
Israel and US Consider Iran Land Blockade | Telegraph
“The United States and Israel are discussing a possible land blockade of Iran, The Telegraph can reveal. . . . The plan would probably require the US and Israel to press Iran’s neighbours and regional partners to tighten or close border crossings, restricting the flow of exports and imports.”
Saudi Arabia Is Organizing a New Military Coalition to Deter Red Sea Attacks | New York Times
“Saudi Arabia is forming a military coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea as attacks by a Yemeni militia imperil a crucial route for Saudi oil exports and further threaten the global economy, according to the Saudi defense ministry. The kingdom has invited around 50 countries to join the new maritime coalition, which would be Saudi-led, and is pushing for them to commit as soon as possible, according to two diplomats who were briefed on the effort. . . . After a meeting on Thursday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, 14 countries affirmed their support for the coalition, including Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, Nigeria and several other Arab and African nations, the Saudi defense ministry said. Saudi Arabia has also invited European countries to join the new coalition, as well as the United States. But some Western officials were reluctant to join before they gained a better understanding of what membership entailed and had time to consult their capitals, one of the diplomats said.”
Yemen’s Houthis Are Attacking Saudi Arabia from Iraq, Sources Say | Reuters
“Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia this week from Iraqi territory in coordination with Iraqi armed groups, according to assessments by Saudi Arabia and regional partners, reflecting growing coordination among Iran-aligned militias, two officials in the region said. . . . The officials in the region who said some of the attacks were carried out from Iraqi territory jointly by the Iraqi groups and the Houthis, added that it was under the supervision of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
Interview with UANI Research Director Daniel Roth | Al Arabiya
“The JCPOA—which your previous guest was saying could have worked—well, it was always a bad deal. It was, as they say, just a way to kick the can down the road—if not for this generation, then for a future generation. So the nuclear issue was never going away. This is the Iran card they want to play to ensure its overriding objective, which is regime survival.”
MILITARY MATTERS & SHIPPING
Iran Targets Strategic U.S. Assets in Kuwait, Bahrain After Egypt Drone Attack | CNBC
“Iran’s army said on Friday it had launched attacks on strategic U.S. assets and military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, following the latest wave of U.S. strikes against the Islamic Republic. Tehran said that it targeted aircraft shelters, satellite communication systems and equipment storage facilities used by the U.S. military at Kuwait’s Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in a drone strike, per state media. Iran’s army also claimed Thursday to have attacked U.S. facilities at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, targeting power generators, navigation systems and support buildings.”
Amid Escalation, US Allies Hang Back on Intervening in Iran War | Politico
“Many of America’s allies around the world are growing more comfortable waiting out the Iran war, even as the Trump administration argues their help is needed to end a conflict that’s rapidly spiraling out of control. . . . European and Asian diplomats said their countries aren’t ready to risk the safety of their citizens until Washington and Tehran agree to stop shooting at each other. It’s an indication of the leverage that many U.S. allies feel they have at this moment in the war, when the U.S. appears to be running out of options to contain the conflict or reopen the Strait of Hormuz for oil shipments. Countries are looking to avoid getting pulled in, or if they do get involved—do so on their terms.”
Trump Convenes Cabinet at Camp David amid Simmering Iran War | Reuters
“President Donald Trump convenes a Cabinet meeting on Friday at his Camp David retreat as he grapples with how to resolve his war against Iran and bring down gasoline prices that are threatening Republicans in November midterm elections.”
Trump Looks Away From Iran’s Allies | Wall Street Journal Editorial
“President Trump has been nothing if not consistent in playing down the support for Iran’s regime by Russia and China. Armed with assurances from Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, Mr. Trump lets Iran’s enablers off the hook.”
The White House Missile Shortage Excuse | Wall Street Journal Editorial
“If the U.S. really is running out of missiles and interceptors, that should be a five-alarm fire. Mr. Trump should be calling on Congress to skip its recess and do something about it immediately, and rallying industry for the effort. But if the missile gap is being floated for political purposes by officials who want Mr. Trump to stand down, then the President should banish those voices from the Situation Room. Either way, they’re laughing in Tehran.”
DIPLOMACY
Iran’s Araqchi Presses European Counterparts over Use of Bases in US Operations | Reuters
“Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi urged Bulgaria to reconsider its decision to allow the temporary deployment of U.S. military aircraft at the Bezmer air base, Iranian state media reported on Thursday. . . . Araqchi held a separate phone call with Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, during which he stressed the importance of preventing foreign military bases in Cyprus from being used against Iran.”
INTEL
British Man Accused of Spying on Cyprus RAF Base for Iran | BBC News
“A British man has been arrested on suspicion of spying on a UK military base in Cyprus on behalf of the Iranian military. Rashad Sultanov, 44, of Islington, north London, is accused of carrying out ‘hostile surveillance’ on RAF Akrotiri and sharing information with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.”
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Political Prisoners Speak Out Against Post-War Crackdown | IranWire
“Three political prisoners detained in Evin Prison have issued a joint statement condemning the recent wave of executions and widespread arrests in Iran. They accused the Islamic Republic of using the aftermath of the 12-day war to intensify domestic suppression and attempting to rebuild its ‘lost authority’ by executing protesters. Abolfazl Ghadyani, Reza Valizadeh, and Mohammad Najafi stated that the surge in executions and arrests reflects the regime’s efforts to compensate for its political and military setbacks.”
Iran’s War Within | Arash Azizi in the Atlantic
“For the past few months, Iran has intermittently fought a war with the United States, Israel, and its Arab neighbors. But throughout this period, it has never stopped waging war on its own citizens. The Islamic Republic is executing Iranians in record numbers and has sharpened its tools of repression. Such tactics have never succeeded in pacifying Iranian society for long.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Illicit Iranian Gambling Network Helped Pull off a $4 Billion Sanctions Dodge | Reuters
“One of the world’s largest illegal gambling networks sends millions of dollars worth of crypto through an office in Dubai, part of a $4 billion Iranian sanctions evasion operation. The office, above a budget hotel in an unfashionable neighbourhood, is the listed address of Shelbit, an unlicensed crypto exchange run by an expatriate Iranian, according to data shared by two crypto investigative firms and an independent analyst, and reviewed by Reuters. Among Shelbit’s main customers is a Farsi-language gambling network of more than 2,000 websites, fronted by two flashy Iranian influencers with high-level government connections—one operating from an expensive villa in Madrid and the other, until recently, from a luxury hotel in Hong Kong.”
Iran Warns of 100 Million Cubic Metre Daily Gas Shortfall This Winter | IranWire
“Iranian state media, citing Mohammad Jafar Ghaem-Panah, Executive Vice President to President Masoud Pezeshkian, reported that the country is confronting severe energy imbalances that require immediate management. Ghaem-Panah stated that, following US and Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian refineries during the recent war, the government forecasts a daily gas deficit of ‘approximately 100 million cubic metres during the winter.’”
US Issues Sanctions Targeting Support Networks for Iran’s Mahan Air | Reuters
“The United States on Thursday issued new sanctions on Thursday targeting global networks supporting Mahan Air, the Iranian carrier Washington says transports Iran’s Revolutionary Guards personnel, as well as weapons and drones. The U.S. Treasury designated six entities and individuals in China, India, Russia and Iran, including several companies that act as sales agents for the U.S.- and E.U.-sanctioned airline, the department said in a statement.”
US Offers $15 Million Reward over IRGC Drone Network | Iran International
“The United States has offered a reward of up to $15 million for information that disrupts the financial mechanisms of Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), focusing on a company Washington says plays a key role in producing drones used by Tehran and its regional allies.”
CYBER WARFARE
U.S. Sees Iran as Likely Behind Cyberattack on Minnesota Water Systems | New York Times
“Investigators believe a cyberattack this week on dozens of municipal water systems in Minnesota was probably the work of Iranian hackers, according to U.S. and state officials and others familiar with the matter, a potential act of aggression that comes at a precarious moment in the U.S. war against Iran.”
CONGRESS & IRAN
Vote to Limit Trump’s Iran War Powers Fails in the Senate | Washington Post
“The Senate rejected a largely symbolic effort to halt the war in Iran on Thursday, the latest setback for congressional Democrats seeking to limit the Trump administration’s military campaign. The 50-to-49 vote marks the second such war powers resolution that has failed in the Senate over the last two weeks.”
Lawmakers Will Investigate Iranian Attack That Killed 6 U.S. Troops | Washington Post
“Democratic lawmakers announced Thursday that they are opening an investigation into the Iranian drone strike that killed six U.S. service members in Kuwait earlier this year, citing doubts over the objectivity of the military’s internal review of the attack.”