TOP STORIES
Revoke Fatwa Against Nuclear Weapons, Iranian Commanders Tell Ayatollah | The Telegraph
Iran’s supreme leader must revoke a fatwa banning the development of nuclear weapons if the regime is to survive, his top military commanders have said. In an extraordinary intervention by leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was told that Iran must have nuclear weapons to face down “existential threats” from the West. The Telegraph can reveal that several senior commanders have U-turned in recent months, since the election of Donald Trump, and are now pressing for the development of an atomic bomb. “We have never been this vulnerable, and it may be our last chance to obtain one before it’s too late,” one official told The Telegraph.
Iran Leader Khamenei Meets Top Hamas Leaders In Tehran, State TV Says | Reuters
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with acting Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and two other leaders of the Palestinian group in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian state TV reported. "You defeated the Zionist regime [Israel], which was in fact America's defeat," Khamenei, whose country supports Hamas in its war with Israel, told the Palestinian delegation. "You did not allow them to achieve any of their goals." Iranian TV said the Palestinian leaders were in Tehran to congratulate Khamenei on the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian revolution. They expressed gratitude for Iran's continued support. The delegation, which also included Mohammad Darwish, head of Hamas' leadership council, and top Hamas official Nizar Awadallah, presented Khamenei a report on the current situation in Gaza and the West Bank, and "the victories and successes that were achieved".
Iran’s Supreme Leader Denounces Talk With U.S. But Seems To Leave Door Ajar | The New York Times
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, said negotiating with the United States was “unwise, unintelligent, and not honorable,” just days after President Trump said he was willing to revive negotiations with Tehran. But Mr. Khamenei stopped short of ordering Iran’s government, which for months has sent signals that it is interested in negotiations, not to engage with Washington. And though Mr. Khamenei made an unusual gesture last year of openness to talks, he has generally taken a publicly hostile posture toward Washington even while quietly allowing Iranian officials to negotiate. In comments on Friday, Mr. Khamenei argued that Iran’s previous experiences negotiating with the United States showed that Washington could easily renege on agreements.
UANI IN THE NEWS
Iran’s Taliban Charm Offensive | UANI Research Associate Jack Roush For The Diplomat
Iran is currently undergoing a period of strategic reorientation. It faces energy and economic crises and its regional ascent has been reversed by events in Syria and Israel’s weakening of Hezbollah. Tensions with the United States could also soon intensify, with the Trump administration signaling a return to the “maximum pressure” policies of its first term. These circumstances have pushed Iran to implement its long-awaited “strategic partnership” with Russia, seek partnerships with fellow BRICS states like Ethiopia, and redouble its long-shot campaign to persuade the United States to resume nuclear talks. Amid this reorientation, Iran has quietly begun to court Afghanistan. This week, Abbas Araghchi conducted the first official visit to Kabul by an Iranian foreign minister in eight years, and the first since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Hamas Leaders Meet With Ayatollah Khamenei As Israeli Hostages Exchanged | Newsweek
Senior Hamas leaders met with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the country's president Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, coinciding with the Iran-backed militant group's fifth hostage-prisoner exchange with Israel. […] Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, wrote in an X post Saturday: "On a day when #Hamas released three hostages from #Israel including Eli Sharabi, whose wife and two daughters were murdered by Hamas, and Or Levy, whose wife was murdered by Hamas, Hamas leaders meet with their patron #Iran's regime's supreme leader. It's unclear whether Eli and Or even know of their murders. Their blood is on Khamenei's hands." Khalil Sayegh, a political analyst, wrote in a Saturday X post: "In a visit to Tehran, Hamas leaders claimed 'The victory in Gaza is a victory for Hamas and Iran.' One thing is for sure there was no victory for the Palestinian people and their case."
UANI Launches Initiative To Target Ship Captains In Iran’s Ghost Armada Oil Trade | gCaptain
United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has launched a new tracking initiative targeting ship captains and officers involved in Iran’s illicit oil trade. The “Masters of the Ghost Armada” resource aims to expose maritime personnel who facilitate sanctions evasion through illegal oil transport operations. According to UANI, these maritime officers engage in various illegal activities, including falsifying records and manipulating transponders to evade detection. The U.S. Treasury Department’s OFAC has previously acknowledged the role of maritime personnel and has even sanctioned several individuals, including multiple vessel captains, for their role in sanctions violations. “Tanker captains are the linchpins of Iran’s illegal oil smuggling,” said UANI CEO and Founder Ambassador Mark D. Wallace.
Trump’s Iran Policy Is 'Typical Confusion' Lacking Strategy, Bolton Says | Iran International
US President Donald Trump's policy on Iran is a muddle lacking any coherent strategy, his former national security advisor John Bolton told Iran International’s Eye for Iran podcast, speaking after Trump pulled his security detail despite an alleged death threat from Tehran. […] Some Iran analysts have viewed Trump’s conflicting statements as part of signature deal making style aimed at keeping adversaries off balance. “Trump shifts between veiled threats, economic pressure, and conciliation with Iran’s regime. It keeps Tehran on its toes and is part of his style of coercive diplomacy,” wrote Jason Brodsky, the policy director for United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) on X.
Can Trump Really Cut Iran’s Exports To Zero? | Iran International
The economic impact of US President Donald Trump's renewed "maximum pressure" policy on Iran is set to be significant, as he announced this week that his goal is to reduce the country's oil exports to zero. On Tuesday, Trump signed a directive reinstating the "maximum pressure" policy from his first term, warning of "catastrophic" consequences if Tehran doesn't reach a deal on its nuclear program. His goal of eliminating Iran’s oil exports is particularly alarming for Tehran, as it would eliminate nearly half of the government's revenues during a seven-year economic crisis… The United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) organization, a non-profit group dedicated to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, in collaboration with tanker-tracking companies, has identified nearly 400 vessels involved in smuggling Iranian oil, collectively known as the "dark fleet." However, fewer than half of these vessels have been sanctioned.
Trump Updates Iran Peace Deal Effort To Reflect New Realities, Analysts Say | Voice Of America
U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace overtures toward Iran this week — made as he signed a directive to put the country under “maximum pressure” for malign behavior — signal a revived policy that some analysts say has evolved from his first term as he adapts to Iran’s new circumstances. Trump made his overture in a Wednesday post on his Truth Social platform, saying he seeks a “Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper” in return for ensuring that the Islamic Republic “cannot have a Nuclear Weapon.” […] Jason Brodsky, policy director of U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, told VOA he expects to see Trump pursue an “enhanced” maximum pressure campaign that is tailored to the “changed geopolitical realities of 2025, rather than to 2018.” One of those new realities is a major rebound in Iranian oil exports, primarily due to what Brodsky said was lax Biden administration sanctions enforcement.
European Companies Feed The Dangerous Global Shadow Fleet | In Depth News
On 19 July 2024, the oil tanker Hafnia Nile was nearing its top speed when it collided with the supertanker Ceres I, off the east coast of Malaysia. Within minutes, flames engulfed both vessels, sending thick plumes of toxic smoke into the air. Several crew members were airlifted to safety, while others remained on board Ceres I to battle the blaze alongside tugboats… In late summer 2022, the Ukraine-based crewing agency, Alpha Marine Service, posted a tanker job on Telegram without including the vessel’s International Maritime Organization identification number. The details provided – such as the ship’s Panamanian registry and precise deadweight tonnage – matched a vessel named Glaucus, which had featured on United Against Nuclear Iran’s list of shadow fleet ships. It was later sanctioned by the US government for smuggling Iranian oil.
Negative Record In Iran’s Oil Exports; Consequences Of Sanctions | Iran Focus
On February 5, Mohsen Paknejad, the Iranian regime’s oil minister, claimed that the regime had recorded its highest oil exports in over a decade in January. This claim contradicts data from tanker tracking companies and international organizations. These remarks by Paknejad came one day after former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order to “revive the maximum pressure policy” against the Iranian regime. On Wednesday, Paknejad claimed, “In January, we broke the record for oil exports in over a decade; we are announcing this news to make our people happy.” […] Estimates by the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran indicate that Iran’s daily oil exports in January were below 1.4 million barrels. Of this amount, only one million barrels were sent to China, while the rest went to unknown destinations. It is unclear whether these shipments had buyers or not.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Iran To Build Yellowcake Plant Amid Concerns Over Its Atomic Plans | Iran International
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization announced plans to construct a yellowcake production facility capable of producing 20 tons annually. The announcement follows the commencement of radioactive materials extraction at a complex in Yazd province. “Today, the extraction and operation of radioactive materials and accompanying elements in the Anomaly 10 area began,” said Javad Ahmadi, the deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization. “Last September, we carried out the exploration of this area, and now we have reached the stage of extracting radioactive materials and accompanying elements from this mine.” […] Iran insists its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes, though its growing capabilities are likely to draw increased international scrutiny.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Oil Rises After U.S. Unveils Fresh Iran Sanctions | The Wall Street Journal
Oil prices rise in early trade after the U.S. imposed sanctions on an international network facilitating the shipment of Iranian crude to China to ramp up pressure on the Middle Eastern country. Brent crude is up 0.9% at $75 a barrel, while WTI rises 0.8% to $71.18 a barrel. The sanctions target entities and individuals in China, India and the UAE, as well as several vessels, according to the Treasury Department. Still, crude prices are headed for weekly losses after days of volatile trade, with demand concerns in focus amid a bigger-than-expected rise in U.S. crude stockpiles, U.S. President Trump’s tariffs on China and push for increased domestic production.
Iran Dismisses Talks With US As It Blasts New Sanctions | Aljazeera
Iran hit out at the United States for imposing new sanctions against its oil industry, as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned against mooted talks with Washington. A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Friday condemned the sanctions, announced the previous day, as “illegitimate and unlawful,” the official IRNA news agency reported. “The decision of the new US administration to exert pressure on the Iranian people by preventing Iran from conducting legitimate trade with its economic partners is an illegitimate and unlawful action,” spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
Iran Unveils Drone Carrier Warship In Threat To US | Newsweek
Iran has unveiled its first drone-carrier warship, marking a significant expansion of its naval capabilities, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. The vessel, named Shahid Bagheri, is capable of operating in distant oceans and is designed to enhance Iran's maritime deterrence. That makes it a new potential threat to U.S. forces in the region and to arch-foe Israel. The announcement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran - as he threatened Tehran it would be "obliterated" if it assassinates him while at the same time raising the prospect of negotiations towards a nuclear deal. Iran's move to expand its naval presence comes amid ongoing regional tensions and efforts to bolster its military self-sufficiency. The development of a drone-carrier warship could alter strategic calculations in the Persian Gulf and beyond.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
IRGC-Linked Paper Warns Of Protests, Urges President’s Resignation | Iran International
Ahardline newspaper in Iran has warned of potential protests and unrest across the country amid a confluence of political tensions over US talks and devaluation of the national currency, criticizing the administration’s handling of the crises. Javan newspaper, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), cited an unnamed advisor to former president Hassan Rouhani as saying on Sunday that "If the president does not bring the negotiations to fruition, he should give up and leave the presidential office before the winter snow falls in Tehran." The article by Javan said that such a sentiment about the administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian resonates with both supporters and critics of the government.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
Iran’s Khamenei Says Trump’s Past Makes It Unwise To Talk To US | Bloomberg
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said talks with the US would be “unwise and dishonorable” after President Donald Trump said he wanted a new nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic. “Negotiating with the US has no impact on resolving the country’s problems,” Khamenei said in a speech shown on Iranian state TV on Friday. Khamenei did not explicitly rule out talks with the US but said that Trump chose to tear up the nuclear deal and Washington violated the agreement by not fully implementing sanctions relief.
Trump’s Cuts To Foreign Aid Could Benefit US Position In Iran Negotiations, Expert Says | Fox News
President Donald Trump's decision to cut foreign aid funding could strengthen the president’s bargaining position as he looks to contain Iran. "I look at the USAID cutoff and the praise that the Iranians have given as part of President Trump’s negotiating skills," EJ Kimball, director of Policy & Strategic Operations at the U.S. Israel Education Association, told Fox News Digital. The comments come after Trump’s controversial decision to halt funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and send most of the employees of USAID packing, part of the administration’s plan to weed out what it considers wasteful government spending. Despite the controversy, the decision has received praise from the Iranian regime, who have traditionally viewed U.S. aid to Iran as a threat to the country’s government.
Trump Says He Prefers Nuclear Deal With Iran Than ‘Bombing The Hell Out Of It’ | The Times Of Israel
US President Donald Trump said he would prefer to make a deal with Iran rather than “bombing the hell out of it,” in a media interview published Saturday, adding that Israel would not carry out a strike if there were an agreement. “I would like a deal done with Iran on non-nuclear. I would prefer that to bombing the hell out of it,” he told the New York Post aboard Air Force One on Friday. “They don’t want to die. Nobody wants to die.” “If we made the deal, Israel wouldn’t bomb them,” he predicted, though he also said he would not discuss potential negotiations with Tehran. Last week Trump denied the United States and Israel were planning to carry out a military strike on Iran, instead saying that he wanted to make a new nuclear deal with Tehran and that work on the potential pact should start immediately.
ECONOMIC WARFARE
Iran’s Currency Slumps As Hopes Fade On Renewed US Talks | Bloomberg
Iran’s currency plunged to a new low a day after the country’s supreme leader downplayed the prospect of renewed negotiations with the US over a nuclear deal. Iran’s business week opened on Saturday with the US dollar changing hands for a record 890,000 rials, according to two local traders. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday said engaging in fresh talks with the US wouldn’t be “wise, intelligent, or honorable,” adding that “one must not negotiate with a government like the US government.” He cited the failure of Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, which US President Donald Trump scrapped during his first term in office, leading to crippling sanctions being reimposed. The agreement limited Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for relief from economic restrictions.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Iranians Take To Social Media To Demand Pezeshkian’s Resignation | Iran International
Many Iranians have taken to social media to demand the resignation of President Masoud Pezeshkian, citing his unfulfilled promise to step down if he failed to resolve the problem of US sanctions. The calls for his Pezeshkian's resignation intensified after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s Friday speech, in which he firmly rejected the possibility of negotiations with the United States. This appeared to contradict Khamenei’s earlier comments on January 28, where he mentioned “making a deal,” which some interpreted as a subtle indication of openness to talks. Critics who now regret voting for Pezeshkian or call for his resignation, arguing he lacks the power to change Iran's current worsening economic trajectory, have reminded him that in a campaign video, he pledged to step down if he failed to fulfill his promises.
Tens of thousands of Iranians marked the anniversary of the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, the first such rally since President Donald Trump returned to the White House and restarted his “maximum pressure” campaign targeting Tehran. The annual commemoration of the end of the rule of the American-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the creation of Iran’s Shiite theocracy comes this year as deep uncertainty lingers across the country. Iran faces crushing sanctions wrecking its economy and the threat of more coming from Trump, even as the American president suggests he wants to reach a deal with Tehran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Iranian Political Factions Split Over Khamenei’s Rejection Of US Talks | Iran International
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s emphatic rejection of talks with the United States on Friday has sparked mixed reactions and interpretations within Iran—primarily on social media. Implicitly referring to President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the JCPOA nuclear agreement in 2018, Khamenei said that “Negotiating with such a government should not be done; it is neither wise, intelligent nor honorable." Trump reinstated his "maximum pressure" sanctions this week but also extended an olive branch, proposing a meeting with his Iranian counterpart and expressing hope that if an agreement ensures Iran abandons the pursuit of nuclear weapons, further sanctions would not be unnecessary.
IRANIAN REGIONAL AGGRESSION
Iran Can Block Strait Of Hormuz, IRGC Navy Chief Says | Iran International
Iran can close the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf if ordered by senior officials, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) navy warned after US President Donald Trump announced plans to cut Iran’s oil exports to zero. "We have the capability to close the Strait of Hormuz," Alireza Tangsiri was quoted as saying by Iranian media on Sunday in defiance against Trump's threats. Tangsiri added that the decision rests with "high-ranking officials, and the IRGC navy will act in accordance with orders." On Tuesday, Trump signed a directive aiming to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero in a bid to pressure Tehran back to the nuclear negotiating table, and reimpose stringent economic sanctions. He said that Iran would face "catastrophic" consequences if it does not negotiate a new nuclear agreement.
CONGRESS & IRAN
US Legislators Call For Action Against Iraq’s Iran-Linked Paramilitary Groups | The National
Ten Republican members of the US House of Representatives have demanded that Washington designate several Iraqi paramilitary groups with ties to Iran as terrorist organisations and suspend security assistance to Baghdad over its recognition of these groups as part of the state's security forces. The demand was made in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz dated January 28, and was posted on X by one of its signatories, Representative Joe Wilson. The letter calls for the designation of several groups that are part of the Popular Mobilisation Forces, which was made a branch of the Iraqi state's security forces after helping to defeat ISIS and end the extremists group's occupation of northern and western Iraq between 2014 and 2017.
TURKEY & IRAN
Turkey Spy Chief In Tehran For Talks On ‘Terror Threats’ | Al Arabiya News
Turkey’s spy chief Ibrahim Kalin has held talks in Tehran with his Iranian counterpart to discuss the fight against “terror” groups and the situation in Syria, state news agency Anadolu reported. Kalin met with Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib as well as security chief Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Anadolu reported late Saturday. They discussed “the fight against terror organizations, especially the PKK and Daesh, common threats, the situation in Syria, the Gaza ceasefire and developments in the Palestinian issue,” it said, referring to the banned Kurdish militant group and using an Arabic acronym for the ISIS group. The two countries were on opposite sides of Syria’s long-running civil war, with Turkey historically backing opponents of recently deposed strongman Bashar al-Assad, while Iran supported his rule.
OTHER FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Iran Says Displacement Of Palestinians Threatens Middle East | Barron’s
Iran's top diplomat has said a proposal by US President Donald Trump to move Palestinians out of the war-battered Gaza Strip represents a threat to stability and security in the Middle East. "Forcibly displacing Palestinians from Gaza is part of a scheme to eliminate Palestine in a colonial manner," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a late Saturday phone call with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty, according to an Iranian statement. Trump's proposal for the United States to take over Gaza and relocate its inhabitants was first unveiled on Tuesday during a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sparking widespread condemnation. Araghchi said the plan "poses a serious threat to the stability and security" in the region.
Germany Backs Diplomacy As US Ramps Up Pressure On Iran | Iran International
iplomacy is the best way to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons, a Federal Foreign Office spokesperson told Iran International Saturday, as the US ramps up its "maximum pressure" campaign. In response to questions from Iran International about whether Germany, as a strategic partner of the United States, would cooperate with the White House and align with Washington’s pressure strategy, the spokesperson reaffirmed Berlin’s commitment to diplomatic engagement. “In November 2024 and January 2025, together with our French and British partners, we conducted preliminary talks with Iran on the Iranian nuclear program, regional issues, and other issues of concern,” the spokesperson said.
MISCELLANEOUS
AmEx Closed 30 Accounts Potentially Tied To Iran's Government | Reuters
U.S. credit card giant American Express (AXP.N) identified and closed 30 consumer accounts in 2024 that it said could have had ties to the Government of Iran. The accounts were only used for personal expenses, AmEx said in a regulatory filing on Friday. It also ended its relationship with a third-party ATM network provider, which was connected to an Iranian bank sanctioned by the U.S. government. The company said it had voluntarily reported the activity to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Gross revenue and net profit attributable to these transactions were negligible, it added. The OFAC enforces economic and trade sanctions against foreign entities viewed as a threat to the United States. Spokespeople for the Treasury did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.