TOP STORIES
Qatar Says No High-Level US-Iran Talks Scheduled in Doha | Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
“Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said no high-level meeting between US and Iranian officials is scheduled in Doha in the coming days, despite the upcoming visit of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. . . . He said the American delegation would meet with Qatari mediators, adding: ‘To my knowledge there is no high-level meeting between the two sides.’ The comments came after the White House announced that Witkoff and Kushner would travel to Qatar for high-level meetings and after US President Donald Trump said Iran had ‘requested a meeting’ that would take place in Doha on June 30. Iran has also said no talks are scheduled with the United States in the coming days.”
Iran’s Annual Inflation Rate Rises to 58 Percent | Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
“The annual rate of inflation in Iran rose to around 58 percent year-on-year in June, according to the country’s Central Bank. In a report issued on June 29, the Central Bank also said the consumer price index for goods and services recorded a monthly increase of over 7 percent. The price of food, beverages, and tobacco in the country of around 90 million jumped about 130 percent in May, according to the Statistics Center of Iran. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects Iran's overall inflation will hit nearly 69 percent in 2026. That would be the highest since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.”
Top Trump Officials Face Bipartisan Questions in First All-Member Iran Briefings | Politico
“Lawmakers of both parties questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio and top Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff Monday in the first broad congressional briefings on President Donald Trump’s Iran deal. While Democrats asked some of the sharpest questions, participants in an afternoon conference call with House members said, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) at one point pressed the administration officials on the fate of Iran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade uranium. According to two people granted anonymity to disclose the private remarks, Witkoff and Rubio repeated assurances the administration has privately made to select lawmakers in prior briefings—that the goal is to negotiate a final deal that would prohibit Iran from keeping its highly enriched uranium. . . . Democrats, meanwhile, pushed the administration for more details on what financial benefits Iran could reap under the memorandum—including proceeds from previously sanctioned oil sales.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
Interview of UANI Research Director Daniel Roth | ILTV
“There’s a real misconception especially in the West that we can deal with so-called ‘moderates,’ and we’re hearing a little of that talk now, regrettably . . . There is a more vocal hardline as opposed to a more quiescent hardline, but ultimately they all share the same 1979 revolutionary principles . . .The crucial thing, if we are to have inspections, is that they are truly anywhere, anytime. Among the multiple flaws of the JCPOA was that Iran had to have notice for certain areas. It never allowed inspections to what we thought were military complexes. That’s a huge issue.”
MILITARY MATTERS & STRAIT OF HORMUZ SITUATION
Iran, Oman Experts to Discuss Hormuz Management Mechanism, Deputy FM Says | Iran International
“Iranian and Omani experts will begin talks in the coming days on redefining transit routes through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state TV on Monday, adding that Tehran will seek to obstruct vessels operating outside the designated shipping lanes. Gharibabadi said Iran would ‘advance this work’ if Oman was unwilling to cooperate on the mechanism, but added that Muscat had shown readiness to take part.”
France, Oman to Collaborate with International Partners on Demining Strait of Hormuz | CBS News
“France and Oman have agreed to collaborate with international partners on demining the Strait of Hormuz, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday. . . . The announcement was made despite point 5 of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding appearing to assign the demining of the approximately 80 mines in the strait to Iran: ‘The traffic of commercial vessels will immediately start, and considering the need for removing the tactical and military obstacles and demining by the Islamic Republic of Iran will be instated within 30 days.’”
Israel’s Military Ordered to Prepare Independent Iran Strike Plan, Katz Says | Iran International
“Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday he had ordered the military to prepare an independent strike plan against Iran, warning that Israel could go to war with Tehran ‘tomorrow’ if it fired missiles at Israeli territory. ‘If Iran fires missiles at Israel, Israel will strike Iran with force,’ Katz told military and diplomatic reporters. ‘There is no equation we will accept in which Iran fires at Israel. This has also been made clear to the Americans. The IDF is just waiting for it and is on alert. There are targets.’”
Qatar Tells Ship Owners, Operators to Suspend Sailing and Marine Activity Immediately | CBS News
“Qatar has told owners and operators of ships to ‘suspend sailing and all marine activities’ until further notice. In a post on X Monday, Qatar's transport ministry said that "in the interest of public safety … all owners and users of marine vessels’ should ‘temporarily suspend navigation and marine activities,’ without giving further details.”
DIPLOMACY
Iran Says No US Talks Planned in Coming Days | Iran International
“Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that no talks between Tehran and Washington were scheduled in the coming days, adding that an Iranian technical delegation’s visit to Qatar this week was unrelated to US officials visiting the country. Baghaei said Tehran had not started negotiations on a final deal because certain points of the memorandum of understanding must first be implemented, which he said was Iran’s current priority.”
Gulf Plans to Cut the US Out of Iran Deal | Telegraph
“The first talks were between Iran and Oman, then between Oman and Qatar, followed by Iran and Saudi Arabia, and finally, Qatar and Saudi Arabia—all aimed at hammering out what regional co-existence would look like once the war dust settled. Such dizzying diplomatic activity is just getting started, with more meetings expected, as Gulf nations calibrate a new normal with Iran. Discussions have covered how traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will be managed and what financial incentives the Gulf might provide Iran in exchange for possible security concessions. It is happening alongside—albeit separately from—ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran to hammer out a longer-term peace deal by a late August deadline.”
PROXY WARS
Iraq Sets Sept. 30 Deadline for Pro-Iran Groups to Disarm | CBS News
“Iraq's government has given pro-Iran armed groups in the country until Sept. 30 to disarm, its spokesman said at a press conference Monday. The announcement comes ahead of a visit to the United States by new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, with Washington exerting pressure on Baghdad to ensure the factions turn in their weapons.”
Lebanon’s President Says Determined to Deploy Army up to Israel Border | CBS News
“Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told the U.S. Central Command chief on Monday that he was committed to extending the state's control through its military up to the border with Israel, where Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah maintains a strong presence. He reaffirmed to Admiral Brad Cooper ‘the Lebanese state’s determination to extend its authority, through its armed forces, to the southern border,’ the presidency said in a statement, adding that the pair discussed preparations for implementing a framework agreement between Lebanon, Israel and the U.S.”
Top Lebanese Official Says US-Brokered Deal with Israel ‘Will Not Be Implemented’ | Fox News
“Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri says the U.S. brokered peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon has severe issues and ‘won't be implemented.’ Berri, widely considered to be an ally of Hezbollah, made the statement to Lebanese media on Monday. He argued the deal is likely to ‘incite internal divisions and draw the Lebanese into a confrontation among themselves.’ He went on to argue that the deal favors Israel ‘at the expense of the national interest.’”
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran Executes Two Prisoners on Alleged Murder, Robbery Charges - Rights Group | Iran International
“Iranian authorities executed two prisoners, Mohammad Ali Haji Hassani and Mahmoud Ghaem, at Yasuj Central Prison in southwestern Iran on alleged murder and armed robbery charges, respectively, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group reported Monday.”
“Iranian civil rights activist Rezvaneh Ahmadkhanbeigi was sent back to Tehran’s Evin Prison on Monday to continue serving her sentence, accompanied by her daughter, Mahfar Lalehzari, who is less than two years old, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported. According to HRANA, Ahmadkhanbeigi had been granted temporary leave from Evin Prison last September to give birth.”
“A group of 75 French lawmakers have taken the unusual step of formally sponsoring individual death-row political prisoners in Iran as the country’s authorities continue to ramp up executions.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Shipping Through Hormuz Increasing, Tracking Data Suggests | CNN
“Marine traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has modestly picked up in the last 36 hours, according to ship tracking data. . . . Several larger tankers were outbound through the Strait on Monday, according to their automatic identification system (AIS) transponders, which showed them on a southern route close to the Omani coast.”
UK Poised to Act over Iran Sanction Breaches | Financial Times
“The UK’s sanctions enforcement body is looking to bring penalties against companies that have unlawfully dealt with Iran, in a warning shot to banks and other financial services firms.
Iran’s Oil Money Is Coming Back. Its Main Street Will Have to Wait | Wall Street Journal
“The U.S.-Iran deal to free up shipping in the Strait of Hormuz promises a quick cash injection for the Tehran regime. For ordinary Iranians, economic relief is likely to take much longer. A Trump administration waiver last week to let Iran sell its oil and receive dollar payments gives the government a path to earning billions of dollars in badly needed foreign currency following the war and years of crushing sanctions. Iran’s oil exports have already begun to rise despite tit-for-tat strikes in recent days, tanker trackers say. Analysts estimate that Iran could gain as much as $10 billion in the next two months from the oil sales alone. Another positive sign for Iran is that U.S. and other officials have said the two sides have agreed to end the latest round of fighting and resume talks. But taming galloping inflation, reviving consumer demand and creating jobs will take time. It will also depend on whether confidence in the deal will last—and on ensuring that the money flowing back to Iran isn’t diverted to its military or regional militia allies. Crucially, Iran also faces reconstruction costs estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars, far more than the initial oil boost is likely to cover.”
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
“Mohammad Akbarzadeh, the political deputy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, was killed after his car overturned in Iran’s southeastern Kerman province, the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency reported. . . . Earlier this month, Akbarzadeh was among those sanctioned by the European Union over support for measures restricting freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Iran’s President Accuses Critics of Obstructing US Talks | Iran International
“Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized opponents of talks with the United States, accusing them of undermining national interests and trying to obstruct what he called ‘constructive processes.’ In a meeting Monday with senior Shiite cleric Mohammad-Javad Alavi Tabatabai Boroujerdi, Pezeshkian said some critics had made false accusations against the government and Iran’s negotiating team, labelling them ‘anti-religion’ and ‘traitors.’”
Two Revolutionary Guards Killed in Armed Attack in Western Iran | Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said that two of its members were killed and two wounded after being attacked by armed individuals on the evening of June 29. Citing the IRGC's public relations office in Kermanshah Province, the state run Mehr news agency reported that the attack took place outside the homes of two IRGC members in Paveh County. The report described the attackers as ‘armed terrorists.’ . . . At the same time, the human rights organization Hengaw reported that a newly formed group called Khori Hiva (‘Sun of Hope’) claimed responsibility for the attack. . . . Kermanshah Province, in western Iran near the Iraqi border, is home to a large ethnic Kurdish population and has long been a flashpoint for tensions between Iranian security forces and Kurdish opposition groups.”
CONGRESS & IRAN
Susan Collins Wants Guardrails on Donald Trump’s $300B Iran Deal | Bangor Daily News
“U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said Monday she is seeking more details on how a proposed $300 billion fund for Iran could be used and that she will review a new Pentagon request for tens of billions of dollars tied to President Donald Trump’s war. Speaking to reporters after an event at the Sappi paper mill in Skowhegan, Collins said she is worried that money laid out in a memorandum of understanding signed last week by the Republican president could undercut U.S. goals if it goes toward Iran’s military capacity.”
US Is ‘Winning’ Against Iran, Sen John Kennedy Says | Fox News
“Sen. John Kennedy. R-La., states the US is ‘winning’ the war against Iran, going on to compare the regime in Tehran to ‘an old man who can't afford a cold.’ Kennedy went on to urge President Donald Trump to retaliate with full strength if Iran violates any terms of any agreement.”