TOP STORIES
Netanyahu Labels Critics Of War In Gaza ‘Iran’s Useful Idiots’ In Speech To Congress | CNN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out against protests of Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, broadly disparaging anti-Israel protesters as “Iran’s useful idiots” in an address to Congress on Wednesday. Netanyahu’s address to Congress comes at a crucial crossroads for the war. US officials have voiced optimism about the prospects of a deal that could free Hamas-held hostages and bring the conflict to an end. It also comes as many on the left have become increasingly dissatisfied with the way Netanyahu has waged the war, which has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians and left Gaza in the grips of a humanitarian catastrophe. The Israeli prime minister’s nearly hour-long address to Congress struck a bellicose tone as he vowed to “fight until we achieve victory.” Netanyahu falsely downplayed and deflected on the role of Israel in causing the ongoing civilian strife in Gaza. Although he made some reference to efforts to bring the hostages home, significantly more of the speech focused on the ongoing war and took aim at his foes – Iran, the International Criminal Court and protesters.
Iran Summons German Ambassador Over Banning Of Islamic Centre, IRNA Reports | Reuters
Iran's foreign ministry summoned the German ambassador in Tehran on Wednesday over Berlin's decision to ban the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH) association, the official IRNA news agency reported. Germany's interior ministry said on Wednesday it had banned the organisation and its subsidiaries. The German ministry said the IZH acted as a direct representative of Iran's Supreme Leader and sought to bring about an Islamic revolution in Germany that would create theocratic rule. The IZH was not available for comment by phone on Wednesday morning, and its website was not accessible to the public.
Iran Summons British Ambassador Over US Extradition | AFP
Iran on Wednesday summoned the British ambassador to Tehran after London extradited an Iranian citizen, wanted on suspicion of circumventing sanctions on Tehran, to the United States. The Iranian foreign ministry said it had "conveyed to the British ambassador Iran's strong protest" against the "illegal arrest of the Iranian citizen and his extradition to the United States". The US Justice Department announced on Tuesday that Saeid Haji Agha Mousaei, 53, had been extradited by Britain to appear before a court in Chicago. The United States has accused him of transporting to Iran advanced US technology with "military applications". Washington has imposed crippling sanctions on Iran since 2018, after withdrawing from an agreement secured three years earlier that placed curbs on Tehran's nuclear programme. Talks aimed at reviving the 2015 agreement failed in the summer of 2022.
UANI IN THE NEWS
US Criticized Over Inaction On Iran's Mahsa Act Sanctions | Iran International
[…] As the 90-day deadline is set to pass, Jason Brodsky, Policy Director at United Against Nuclear Iran, wrote on X, "Today a determination was due by the Biden administration for sanctions under the MAHSA Act which the president signed into law in April. I haven't seen any. Where is it?" The National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), a lobbying group for Iranian-Americans, said, "Its timely implementation is crucial to addressing ongoing human rights violations and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable." The MAHSA Act, a bipartisan piece of human rights and anti-terrorism legislation, marked the first time the United States imposed sanctions specifically targeting the Iranian leadership for domestic suppression, crimes against humanity, and international terrorism. The legislation was named after Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman arrested in Tehran for improperly wearing her compulsory hijab and who died in police custody after collapsing in court. Her death has become a symbol of the Woman Life Freedom uprising. NUFDI called on the Biden administration to "promptly address the issue" as rights abuses continue. Last year, Iran executed over 850 people, record numbers, while in the wake of the 2022 uprising, tens of thousands of political prisoners have been jailed.
US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Wednesday introduced legislation to hold countries accountable for financially supporting Iran. Graham noted in a statement that during the Trump Administration, Iranian crude exports dropped as low as 300,000 barrels per day. According to United Against Nuclear Iran, under the Biden Administration, Iran exported nearly 1.4 million barrels of oil a day in October 2023 alone. The Tariffs For Terrorism Act of 2024 would require the President to identify countries that purchase, trade, consume or import crude oil or petroleum products from Iran and subsequently impose tariffs on products imported into the US from those countries. “After many discussions with President Trump, I’m introducing legislation to impose tariffs on countries that purchase petroleum products from Iran,” said Senator Graham. “It is long past time to make those that enrich this terrorist regime pay a price, and there’s no better price than tariffs on products coming into the United States. On day one, President Trump will re-impose maximum pressure on Iran. Tariffs on countries that empower terrorism and the Ayatollah is a good place to start,” he added.
Masoud Pezeshkian, the so-called “reformist”, will be sworn in as the Islamic Republic of Iran’s president on Sunday. His presidency runs against the pattern of ideological “purification” that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been spearheading in the past five years. So what changed Khamenei’s mind? Pezeshkian’s presidency will not change the regime’s key policies. They are set by the supreme leader, who wields absolute power. The presidency is a rubber stamp and the face of the regime abroad. Pezeshkian would not have become president without consent from Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). So why did they choose Pezeshkian? First, the high chance of a Trump presidency. Khamenei and the IRGC know if Trump is elected, US policy will revert to “maximum pressure” against the regime. This almost brought the Islamic Republic to its knees during Trump’s first term. But they also know Europe has a high level of disdain for The Donald. Thus, they believe that the best way to undermine “maximum pressure” is to divide the US and Europe on Iran.
[…] “I think it was a very bipartisan speech. He thanked President Biden, he thanked former President Trump, and that was very important for him to do. And I think it really made those lawmakers who boycotted the speech look foolish,” Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told the DCNF. “At the end of the day, the speech was about fighting to preserve and strengthen U.S. interests and Israeli interests. And if they’re not interested in hearing about that, what kind of message does that send to the American people — and also the Israeli people?” Netanyahu spoke of the decades-long U.S.-Israeli relationship during his remarks and the importance of maintaining strong ties as the Middle East continues to devolve into chaos, given the threat posed by Hamas and other terrorist actors in the region, all supported, orchestrated and funded by Iran. Netanyahu also urged Congress to recognize the threat posed by Iran and called for Western unity around containing Tehran to ensure it cannot continue its hostilities. “Our world is in upheaval,” Netanyahu told Congress. “In the Middle East, Iran’s axis of terror confronts America, Israel and our Arab friends. This is not a clash of civilizations. It’s a clash between barbarism and civilization. It’s a clash between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life. For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
US Senator Proposes Tariffs To Curb Iran's Oil Revenues | Iran International
US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has proposed new legislation to impose tariffs on nations buying crude oil or petroleum products from Iran. Graham announced on X that his proposed Tariffs for Terrorism Act results from extensive consultations with former President Donald Trump, focusing on strategies to curtail Iran's ongoing oil revenue. “It is long past time to make those that enrich this terrorist regime pay a price, and there’s no better price than tariffs on products coming into the United States,” Graham wrote on X. In an interview with Jewish Insider, Graham emphasized that Trump would re-impose maximum pressure on Iran from day one, "starting with tariffs on countries supporting terrorism and the Ayatollah." A consistent stance of the Trump administration has been that the revenue generated from Iran’s oil sales significantly finances terrorism and the nation's advancing nuclear program. In his bill, Graham also referenced the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has become increasingly critical of Iran’s nuclear activities. The IAEA has expressed grave concerns about the ostensibly peaceful nature of the program. According to the agency’s reports, Iran has amassed substantial quantities of highly enriched uranium, implying a potential weapons development agenda.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
A historian who fled Iran in the aftermath of the 2009 protests is at risk of being sent back. Ali Asghar Haqdar, a published author who has been living in Turkey for 13 years, was detained on June 13 in Istanbul and sent to a refugee camp. On July 24, he informed RFE/RL's Radio Farda that a court had denied his request for temporary release. His lawyer, Salih Efe, told Radio Farda that he had appealed the verdict but warned that if the appeal is rejected, "it will seriously increase Haqdar's chances of being deported to Iran." Haqdar, who is being held in a camp in Istanbul's Arnavutkoy municipality, is in a poor mental state, according to people familiar with his condition. He has reportedly told those close to him that people in the camp are rarely allowed to get fresh air and are mostly kept inside repurposed shipping containers. Last month, Haqdar told Radio Farda that he was detained in Istanbul during a mass arrest of foreign nationals. He said police had told him that his passport was close to expiry and that they needed to check whether he was registered in the system. He has been in the camp since his detention on June 13.
Anti-Hijab Activist In Iran Summoned To Serve Sentence | Iran Wire
Iranian authorities have summoned Sepideh Rashno, a 30-year-old writer, student, and activist against the mandatory hijab, to begin serving her sentence at Evin Prison. Rashno's brother, Saman, revealed on social media that since March 10, his sister has received multiple notices to hand herself to prison. The family and Rashno's lawyer had been working to delay the execution of the sentence, hoping for a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court in a second case against her. While the Supreme Court converted the second case's prison sentence to a fine, it did not change the underlying charge. As a result, a suspended sentence from a previous case will now be executed. Rashno was arrested in July 2022 after she was filmed arguing with a woman on a bus over the mandatory headscarf. Two weeks later, state TV aired a program showing her giving a forced confession while signs of beatings were visible even on her face. In June last year, she announced that she had been released on bail after being summoned again by the authorities, but was "banned from leaving Tehran."
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
Addressing a joint session of Congress for the fourth time in his career, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used much of Wednesday’s speech to frame Iran as the driving force behind violence in the Middle East, while laying out a general vision for postwar Gaza. Netanyahu also said he was “confident” that a hostage release and ceasefire deal could be reached, but did not offer much details, even as nearly two dozen relatives of the 120 captives still held in Gaza sat in the gallery overlooking the prime minister. As he laid out the trauma that Israel had experienced on October 7 and its determination to root out the threats posed by Hamas and Iran, the prime minister was frequently interrupted by raucous applause and standing ovations — on both sides of the aisle, though Republicans were noticeably more enthusiastic.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday defended his country’s conduct in the devastating Gaza war, urged the U.S. to support the fight against Hamas and ridiculed protesters during a scathing address to Congress.But he also cited an unverified intelligence report and ignored much of the criticism in a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated Gaza. Crowds of demonstrators swelled outside the Capitol as the Israeli leader spoke, with many protesting the killings of more than 39,000 Palestinians in the war. Others condemned Netanyahu’s inability to free Israeli and American hostages taken by Hamas and other militants during the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the conflict.Here’s a look at the facts.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Iran’s former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the target of an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Monday, anti-regime news outlet Iran International reported. The individuals attempted to sabotage his Toyota Land Rover. Before departing for an event in Zanjan, Ahmadinejad’s security head complained that the vehicle’s air conditioner had not been repaired and asked the former president to ride in a different car. These checks by the security head before the former president enters his vehicle are routine.
While on the highway near Tehran, after completing a quarter of the journey, the driver of the Land Rover suddenly lost control of both the steering wheel and the brakes simultaneously. The Land Rover spun around three times on a road crowded with several other vehicles and collided with the highway's central concrete barrier and another car from Ahmadinejad’s entourage. Although Ahmadinejad was not in the car, several associates and bodyguards were traveling in that vehicle. Ahmadinejad’s guards are members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Netanyahu Defends Gaza War Conduct, Slams Protesters As ‘Iran’s Useful Idiots’ | Al Monitor
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US lawmakers Wednesday that his vision for Gaza the day after war with Hamas ends includes a continued Israeli military presence in the war-torn enclave. “Israel does not seek to resettle Gaza. But for the foreseeable future, we must retain overriding security control there to prevent the resurgence of terror, to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel,” the prime minister said in his address to a joint session of the US Congress. Netanyahu also shared a vision for a US-Israeli negotiated security alliance in the region building off the progress of the Abraham Accords, which are aimed at countering the growing threat of Iran. “I think we should call it the Abraham Alliance,” he added. Netanyahu’s visit to Capitol Hill comes amid months of ongoing cease-fire and hostage-release negotiations. Dozens of Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), boycotted the speech on Wednesday. Like many Democrats not in attendance, Pelosi instead met with families of the hostages. She called Netanyahu’s speech “by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary” invited to give a joint address.
OTHER FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Iran And Armenia sign Secret $500 Million Arms Deal | Iran International
Iran and Armenia have signed a major arms deal worth $500 million, a source familiar with the situation told Iran International, in a move that could anger Azerbaijan as Tehran supplies Yerevan its infamous suicide drones. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two major wars since the collapse of Soviet rule in the early 1990s, with Azerbaijan retaking large chunks of its territory in 2020. Its forces last year captured the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the chief focus of the long-running conflict. Iran has repeatedly warned that it will not tolerate any changes to international borders in the region. The reported agreement has been broken up into several contracts and was signed in the past few months, according to the source, who is a senior military official in the Middle East. Iran International has not identified them for their protection. Iran International has obtained an exclusive list of the military items Iran is set to supply Armenia. That includes drones such as Shahed 136, Shahed 129, Shahed 197, Mohajer, and air defense missile systems like 3rd Khordad, Majid, 15th Khordad, and Arman.
Germany Raids And Shuts Down Mosque Used As Pro-Iran Centre | The National
Germany has shut down a mosque that intelligence chiefs warned for years was a front for the Iranian regime. Police occupied the Islamic Centre in Hamburg early on Wednesday as Interior Minister Nancy Faeser banned what she called an extremist propaganda outfit. Officials said the mosque aimed to export the Iranian revolution and supported Hezbollah, also banned in Germany, as part of a pro-Iran "axis of resistance". More than 50 properties have been raided across Germany as authorities try to catch the mosque's satellite groups in their net. "We are not acting against a religion," Ms Faeser said as the ministry announced four Shiite mosques were being shut. "We are distinguishing clearly between Islamists, on whom we are cracking down, and the many Muslims who belong to our country and practise their faith." Masked police were patrolling the building in Hamburg, which is nicknamed the Blue Mosque because of the colour of its ornate tiles, and known as the IZH in German. Germany has for years been urged to shut down the mosque by anti-Iran MPs and activists but has held off until it believes it has a watertight legal case.
Pakistan PM Sharif To Attend Inauguration Of Iran’s President Pezeshkian | Al Arabiya News
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Tehran on July 30 to attend the inauguration of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Thursday. Pezeshkian is due to be sworn in as Iran’s ninth president in the parliament complex in Tehran on Tuesday.