TOP STORIES
Russia’s Deadly Drone Industry Upgraded with Iran’s Help, Report Says | Washington Post
The partnership between Iran and Russia to produce Iranian-designed drones on Russian soil has deepened military ties between the two heavily sanctioned states and substantially boosted Russia’s domestic drone industry, according to a report released Thursday. In the two years since Moscow struck a deal with Tehran to exchange technology and set up production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Russia’s Tatarstan region, Russia has been able to vastly increase its capability for domestic drone production and used it to pummel Ukrainian cities with hundreds of UAVs a day. The partnership also spawned a covert payment network involving gold transfers and intermediary countries to bypass Western sanctions—complicating efforts by the United States and its allies to enforce export controls.
Israel Fears Being Boxed In by Trump’s Iran Talks | Wall Street Journal
Seven weeks into negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, Israeli officials are concerned the Trump administration could agree to a deal that doesn’t block Tehran’s ability to produce a nuclear bomb but curtails the option of Israeli military action. That puts Israel in a bind with its most important ally on its most pressing national security question: the risk of a nuclear-armed Iran. Israel’s efforts to stiffen the U.S. negotiating position and preserve the option for a military strike at Iran’s facilities have led to frustration at the White House. . . . For now, the U.S. and Iran are working on a framework laying out the principles that would shape a deal. A senior U.S. official said the U.S. is preparing to give Iran a “term sheet” that would include an end to enrichment. “If they don’t accept these terms, it’s not going to be a good day for the Iranians,” the official said.
Senior Iranian officials on Thursday dismissed speculation about an imminent nuclear deal with the United States, emphasizing that any agreement must fully lift sanctions and allow the country’s nuclear program to continue.
UANI IN THE NEWS
Talks in Oman and at Rome reportedly included ideas like an interim freeze on Iranian uranium enrichment, or enrichment being done outside of Iran, as it shares civilian nuclear energy with Gulf states. Either way, the mullahs seem eager to play for time. “Iran has a habit of seemingly agreeing to issues at one stage of negotiations, only to try and reopen those same issues later on,” the policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, Jason Brodsky, tells the Sun. Time, though, is not on America’s side. At the United Nations, for one, a 2015 Security Council resolution that endorsed that year’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action includes a clause allowing reimposition of all global sanctions that had existed before it was put into place. That “snapback” option expires in October. “The risk of a framework statement of principles is that it allows Iran’s regime to avert snapback and erode ideal conditions for a military strike on Iran’s nuclear program,” Mr. Brodsky says.
UANI Policy Director Jason M. Brodsky Discusses Iran | The John Batchelor Show
UANI Policy Director Jason M. Brodsky joins John Batchelor to discuss the ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations.
NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Saudi Warned Iran to Reach Nuclear Deal with Trump or Risk Israeli Strike | Reuters
Saudi Arabia's defence minister delivered a blunt message to Iranian officials in Tehran last month: take President Donald Trump's offer to negotiate a nuclear agreement seriously because it presents a way to avoid the risk of war with Israel. Alarmed at the prospect of further instability in the region, Saudi Arabia's 89-year-old King Salman bin Abdulaziz dispatched his son, Prince Khalid bin Salman, with the warning destined for Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to two Gulf sources close to government circles and two Iranian officials.
Iran Calls Trump’s Wish for Deal That Lets US ‘Blow Up’ Nuclear Sites a Fantasy | Independent
Iranian officials, including a top adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, rejected Mr Trump’s views as a fantasy. “Accessing Iran’s nuclear sites and ‘blowing up infrastructure’ is a fantasy past US presidents shared. Iran is independent, with strong defences, resilient people, and clear red lines,” Ali Shamkhani said in a post on X on Thursday. “Talks serve progress, interests, and dignity, not coercion or surrender.”
Tehran Media Float ‘Halt for Halt’ Formula as Trump Says Deal in Sight | Iran International
The softened tone of Tehran’s statements on nuclear negotiations with the United States, along with unprecedented remarks from media commentators, suggests Iran may be open to a “suspension for suspension” agreement with Washington. . . . The clearest signal yet of Iran’s openness came on Wednesday, when prominent lawmaker and National Security Committee member Abolfazl Zohrehvand told the conservative Nameh News that Tehran could suspend uranium enrichment in exchange for partial sanctions relief.
Consortium or Freeze? Tehran Weighs Oman’s Proposals for a US Deal | Iran International
The path forward in Tehran-Washington nuclear negotiations remains uncertain, but Oman has reportedly made two separate proposals to Iran that could provide a potential breakthrough in the stalled talks. Although neither Iranian nor Omani authorities have officially announced the proposals; content, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said they are currently under review. Ahead of [Iranian President] Pezeshkian’s visit [to Oman], conservative lawmaker Ahmad Bakhshayesh revealed to Didehban-e Iran news website that Oman had proposed either forming a consortium with Arab nations or implementing a period of freeze in enrichment. Bakhshayesh, who serves on the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said Iran had not accepted either plan.
There Can Be No ‘Good’ Nuclear Deal with Iran, Officials Warn | Yedioth Ahronoth
Israeli officials said on Thursday that there cannot be a good nuclear deal reached between the United States and Iran because of the Iranian refusal to dismantle its nuclear program. The officials said Iran’s nuclear ambitions are part of the nation's ethos. In their view, only if U.S. President Donald Trump insists on the terms he has expressed publicly, there may be a chance for “a good deal.”
Ron DeSantis Raises Concerns About Trump’s Negotiations with Iran: ‘Hazardous’ | New York Post
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis voiced skepticism about President Trump’s negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, arguing that the theocratic regime can’t be trusted. The Sunshine State governor warned that “trying to cut a deal with Iran” is “hazardous,” and emphasized that Tehran is “not a traditional country” that can be treated in a “traditional way.” “I don’t see them as being good faith actors and in any way, shape or form. And the reality is they cannot be allowed to enrich uranium, period. End of story,” DeSantis told conservative radio host Mark Levin.
What’s Missing from Trump’s Nuclear Diplomacy | Daniel B. Shapiro in Defense One
Something is missing from President Trump’s nuclear diplomacy with Iran: a credible military threat. Without it, these talks, which will soon enter their sixth round, have little chance of achieving their stated goal of ensuring Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.
On Iran and Gaza, Trump Should Avoid the Mistakes of Obama and Biden | National Review Editorial
President Trump’s first-term record of steadfast support for Israel and “maximum pressure” against Iran has earned him a fair degree of benefit of the doubt when it comes to Middle East policy. But as his envoy Steve Witkoff pursues nuclear diplomacy with Iran and another cease-fire deal in Gaza, there are troubling signs that Trump may be going down the same failed path of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Trump Must Not Fall for Iran's Nuclear Shell Game | Mark Toth and Jonathan Sweet in the Hill
Team Trump has a growing Iranian problem. Tehran’s latest purported nuclear offer — a farcical proposal to pause uranium enrichment for a year in exchange for the release of Iranian frozen funds and Washington’s recognition of Iran’s right to enrich uranium for civilian and energy purposes — is an obvious strategic non-starter for both the U.S. and Israel.
After five rounds of talks, Tehran and Washington project cautious optimism while persisting on their shared red line: Uranium enrichment inside Iran. But is the program worth the price it has exacted from ordinary Iranians? . . . Iran’s enrichment programme has long served as a symbol of national pride. But beyond its political value lies a costly, outdated infrastructure with limited technological merit and major economic consequences.
SANCTIONS, SHIPPING, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Oil Tankers Going Dark Off Malaysia as Iran Trade Draws Scrutiny | Bloomberg
Tankers involved in a vital hub of the Iran-to-China oil trade are disappearing from digital tracking systems, as the threat of US sanctions forces tactical changes to keep crude flowing. Over recent months, more vessels have started switching off their transponders as they near waters off eastern Malaysia, a hotspot for the transfer of Iranian oil from one to ship to another for transport to China.
PROTESTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran Arrests Truck Drivers as Nationwide Strike Gains Support | IranWire
Iran’s truck drivers’ strike entered its ninth day on Friday with widespread support from labor groups, activists, and political figures as authorities arrested protesters and major transport routes remained largely deserted. The Truck Drivers Union reported that the strike had spread to 130 cities, with 11 drivers arrested in Kermanshah province. . . . Nearly 200 organizations issued a statement in support of the truckers, calling for “international boycotts of Iran similar to those imposed on apartheid South Africa.”
The truckers’ strike in Iran has gone on for more than a week, causing significant disruptions to freight transportation and supply chains across the country. The industrial action, which began in the port city of Bandar Abbas, has rapidly expanded to encompass more than 130 cities in at least 30 provinces, marking one of the most extensive labor protests in Iran in recent years.
Pedram Madani: The AI Engineer Iran Promised to Free, Then Hanged | IranWire
For six years, authorities of the Islamic Republic assured Pedram Madani and his family that silence would save his life. They promised the 41-year-old software engineer that his espionage case was being resolved. They told his mother, a retired teacher, that speaking out publicly would guarantee his execution. On May 28, Iran executed Madani anyway.
The Iranian Man Imprisoned for Supporting Women's Rights | Time
Reza Khandan was arrested in December 2024 for supporting women’s rights in Iran, and creating thousands of homemade buttons that said, “I Oppose the Mandatory Hijab.” He had previously been imprisoned for 111 days in 2018 for this so-called crime before being released on bail. Reza’s wife, Nasrin Sotoudeh, spent over six years in Iranian prisons for her work as a human rights attorney and activist. Reza raised their daughter and son while maintaining his graphic design business, and defying government threats as he campaigned for Nasrin’s freedom. Now, Nasrin is home on a medical furlough for a heart condition that was exacerbated by COVID-19 and mistreatment in prison, and Reza is facing at least three more years in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.
Nobel Laureate Slams UNICEF’s Iran Office for Silence on Child Rights | Iran International
Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi has accused UNICEF of failing to fulfill its responsibilities in Iran, citing what she called the organization's inaction in response to the execution of minors and the authorities’ targeting of activists’ children. In a letter to the United Nations Children's Fund, a copy of which was seen by Iran International, Ebadi wrote: “The Iran branch of your organization has been active for years. However, for reasons unclear to me and my compatriots, it has failed to take effective measures to fulfill its legal obligations.” She said UNICEF’s Iran office has remained silent despite repeated reports of juvenile executions, violations in healthcare and education, and harmful content in school textbooks.
Iranian Singer Tataloo Attempts Suicide in Prison | IranWire
Iranian singer Amir Maghsoudloo, known by his stage name Tataloo, has been hospitalized in Tehran following a suicide attempt. . . . Tataloo is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for “encouraging corruption.”
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
‘We Will Shoot the Thugs’: Iranian Police Crack Down on Crime | France 24
“From now on, we will shoot the thugs,” promised Iran's notorious police chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan, in an interview with the media in April 2025. Since then, state media have regularly shown videos of police officers arresting alleged “thugs” who have been shot, usually in one or both legs. The Iranian police are responding to growing criticism of the increase in crime and violence, which experts believe is due to “chronic poverty, chronic trauma and daily stress caused by political unrest and mistrust of institutions”, according to Iranian sociologists.
Images of violent attacks and robberies have become ubiquitous in Iran, with multiple videos recorded by CCTV cameras or mobile phones posted daily on social media.
CHINA, RUSSIA & IRAN
Iranian officials on Thursday met with their Chinese and Russian counterparts to discuss ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and the Trump administration. Leaders of the three countries met to “coordinate their positions ahead” of an upcoming International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) hearing on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
CANADA & IRAN
No Thaw in Sight: Iran-Canada Diplomatic Ties Stuck in Limbo | Iran International
More than a decade after Canada cut diplomatic ties with Iran, tensions remain high as calls to reopen embassies are met with deep resistance from Iranian Canadians who fear the Islamic Republic's influence and repression on Canadian soil.
ISRAEL & IRAN
Netanyahu Is Trump’s Leverage with Iran | Wall Street Journal
President Trump was asked Wednesday if he had warned Israel against actions that could disrupt nuclear talks with Iran. “Well, I’d like to be honest,” he replied. “Yes, I did.” . . . An uncompromising Mr. Netanyahu isn’t a problem for U.S. diplomacy; it’s Mr. Trump’s best asset in negotiations. Iran needs to know that the threat of a strike is alive until it gives up uranium enrichment capability—the path to a bomb. If it won’t do that, Tehran should be told there’s no stopping the Israelis.