TOP STORIES
Russia Sharing Nuclear Secrets With Iran Fuels US-UK Worries | Bloomberg
The US and UK are increasingly concerned that Russia is sharing with Iran secret information and technology that could bring it closer to being able to build nuclear weapons, in exchange for Tehran providing Moscow with ballistic missiles for its war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has increased its cooperation with Iran over its ambitions to obtain atomic weapons in recent months, according to Western officials familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss assessments that haven’t been made public.
Iran Reaffirms Full Support For Proxies While Avoiding Direct Conflict | Iran International
Iran’s new Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state television that Tehran will fully back its ‘Resistance Front’ in the region by providing “unlimited support,” as Israel tries to fully defeat the Palestinian Hamas. "The government’s policy is to provide unlimited support to the resistance. We will support the resistance front, which has established itself as a reality in the region. The regime [Israel] has so far failed to achieve its main goal of destroying Hamas,” Araghchi stated.
Iran launched a satellite into space Saturday with a rocket built by the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, state-run media reported, the latest for a program the West fears helps Tehran advance its ballistic missile program. Iran described the launch as the second such launch to put a satellite into orbit with the rocket. Independent scientists later confirmed the launch and that the satellite reached orbit.
UANI IN THE NEWS
Following the revelation that the Islamic Republic of Iran had transferred hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new U.S. sanctions on Iran Air, the regime’s flag carrier. In line with a warning issued by the G-7 in April, the transfer also prompted France, Germany and the United Kingdom to cancel bilateral air service agreements with Iran, effectively banning Iran Air from flying to western Europe.
Biden Delegates Iran Sanctions Authority As MAHSA Act Enforcement Stalls | Iran International
On the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, US President Joe Biden signed a memorandum delegating his authority under several Iran-related laws, including the MAHSA Act, to the Secretary of the Treasury. The Biden administration was expected to decide on sanctions on Iran's Supreme Leader and President through an unclassified report by July 23, 90 days after the MAHSA Act was enacted. The administration has faced criticism from Iranian American activists for not enforcing the Mahsa Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability Act (MAHSA Act) months after its passage, which aimed to sanction Iran's leadership. Although the MAHSA Act became law in April, the required report outlining potential sanctions on key Iranian officials, including the Supreme Leader, has yet to be submitted. Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, expressed frustration on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "With the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's murder coming up, many people who spent a lot of time advocating for the law are still waiting for the overdue sanctions."
Iran’s Arming Of Militants Breaches 2023 Saudi Deal, Top Diplomat Says | Iran International
Saudi Arabia's top diplomat has accused Iran of breaching the terms of the 2023 agreement to resume ties as it continues to arm and fund armed militant groups in the region. Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief, said the West must also do more to deter the Iran-backed Houthi terror group in Yemen amidst the Red Sea blockade as the group holds the world "hostage"…Jason Brodsky, the policy director for United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), agreed that the Biden administration's inability to deter Iran has led to an emboldened stance not only from the Islamic Republic but also, from its proxies. “We have a deterrence deficit with Iran. They have been attacking our forces. They have been attacking commercial vessels, with impunity since October 2023,” he said.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iranians Hold Global Rallies To Mark Anniversary Of Mahsa Amini’s Death | Iran International
In a show of global solidarity, Iranians staged protest rallies across cities in Europe and Australia on Sunday, as communities in the United States also planned their own gatherings in different cities. These protests mark the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's tragic death in police custody, which sparked the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising in Iran.
CONGRESS & IRAN
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., painted a grim picture of the world stage and predicted a 9/11-style attack on the U.S. if President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris continue to control U.S. policy. Graham made the statement during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday" with host Shannon Bream. He pointed to Iran's escalating belligerence in the Middle East as well as the administration's failure to navigate an end to the war in Ukraine. "I've never been more worried about a nuclear breakout by Iran than I am right now. I've never been more worried about another 9/11 against America than I am right now," Graham said.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Houthis Deploying Forces In Syria As 'Prelude To New Escalation' | i24 News
A Houthi source confirmed the arrival of Houthi fighters from Yemen to Syrian territory, according to reports. The confirmation comes after a Syrian source told i24NEWS'Hebrew channel that the Iran-backed Yemeni group was on its way to Israel's border with Syria in the Golan Heights.
Iran's President To Attend BRICS Summit In Russia | Reuters
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian will attend the upcoming BRICS summit in Russia, state media cited Tehran's ambassador in Moscow as saying on Sunday, amid tensions with the West over military cooperation between the two countries. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that Russia had received ballistic missiles from Iran and was likely to use them in Ukraine within weeks. Cooperation between Moscow and Tehran threatened wider European security, he said. The United States, Germany, Britain and France on Tuesday imposed new sanctions on Iran, including measures against its national airline Iran Air.
GULF STATES, YEMEN, & IRAN
A missile fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels landed in an open area in central Israel early Sunday and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport, in the latest reverberation from the nearly yearlong war in Gaza. Israel hinted that it would respond militarily. There were no reports of casualties or major damage, but Israeli media aired footage showing people racing to shelters in Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport authority said that normal operations resumed shortly thereafter.
Saudi Arabia Calls For More Pressure On Iran As Houthi Threat Grows | The Guardian
The claimed acquisition by Yemen’s Houthi rebels of hypersonic missiles capable of penetrating Israeli air defenses threatens to further heighten Middle East tensions, as Saudi Arabia calls for more than “pinprick bombings” to constrain the supply of weapons to the group. Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemen government opposing the Houthis, believes Iran has been arming the group, including with the weapons used in the attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Those attacks have led to a halving of the traffic on the Red Sea route, pushing up the costs of maritime transport and damaging the Egyptian economy through disruption to the Suez Canal.
Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Say They Downed Another US-Made MQ-9 Reaper Drone | Associated Press
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed Monday that they shot down another American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone, with a video circulating online showing what appeared to be a surface-to-air missile strike and flaming wreckage strewn across the ground. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Houthis’ claimed downing of a drone over the country’s southwestern Dhamar province. The Houthis have exaggerated claims in the past in their ongoing campaign targeting shipping in the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.