TOP STORIES
An Economic D-Day Is Coming for Iran | Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in the Financial Times
“The president has created the conditions to leverage every agency, every authority and action many assumed we would never summon. Any remaining tie to Tehran will hasten the economic ostracism of countries and entities, whether that tie be purposefully constructed or wilfully ignored. And if, as the regime’s grasp on power crumbles alongside its economy, Iran resorts to military action against US forces or its Gulf neighbours, make no mistake: President Trump will respond swiftly and decisively. The world should understand that our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains the tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone.”
Iran Oil Cargoes Dry Up Even Before US Acts on Tehran Threats | Bloomberg
“Iran’s oil shipments to Asia have all but dried up, driving the cost of those cargoes to the highest levels in years even before the US administration announces fresh moves to isolate Tehran and its trading partners.”
Iranian State TV Broadcasts Video Targeting Barron Trump with $10M Bounty | Euronews Persian
“Iranian state television has broadcast a video purporting to track the movements of Barron Trump, Donald Trump's 20-year-old son, and claiming a $10 million (€8.5m) bounty has been placed on him. The footage, released by IRGC-affiliated media and broadcast on Channel 3 of Iranian state television, is titled ‘Where and how should we kill Barron Trump?’”
UANI IN THE NEWS
Trump’s ‘Economic D-Day’ on Iran Puts China in the Crosshairs | The Hill
“. . . Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, said the administration’s sanctions are a very strong warning to China and its banks enabling Iran, but ‘the proof will be in the follow-through and enforcement.’”
US Sanctions: Dozen Iranian Tankers off Galle | The Morning
“According to Charlie Brown, Senior Adviser to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a nonprofit and non-partisan policy organisation, and Director of Southeast Asia Regional Programmes at the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS), many of the sanctioned Iranian tankers may be biding their time, waiting for the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian ports to become accessible. ‘They are here loitering after conducting ship-to-ship transfer of oil in the Malaysian Eastern Outer Port Limits (EOPL). They would normally return to Iran, but due to the blockade, they are not attempting to return and therefore are loitering until they can return. It is unlikely that they will conduct Ship-to-Ship (STS) transfers near Sri Lanka. The US blockade is preventing any tankers from departing Iranian waters. So, in the end, they are waiting for the US blockade to be lifted at some point,’ Brown opined.”
“Even during the brief window between mid-June and mid-July when the US naval blockade was temporarily eased, Tehran used the opportunity to export over 77 million barrels of oil and replenish its offshore reserves in Southeast Asia, according to the organization United Against Nuclear Iran.”
“According to United Against Nuclear Iran, which monitors shipping in the region, the Joint Maritime Information Center recorded 71 ‘US facilitated’ transits during the 48-hour period covering August 18 and 19. The group said 1,081 facilitated transits had been recorded since June 20. The daily rate increased from about 4.5 to 35.5 over the month ending August 19, according to its assessment of maritime traffic.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
“Iran appears to be losing its grip on the Strait of Hormuz while traffic through the critical waterway has exploded by nearly 400% over the last two weeks—as ships increasingly use a US-backed corridor to cross. Nearly 200 ships navigated the strait last week, up from 150 the previous week and just 40 two weeks earlier, according to data from the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center. The surge brings total traffic along the passage route to about 20% of pre-war levels, through which roughly 20% of the world’s seaborne oil flowed in peacetime.”
Iran Crude Loadings Plunge to One-Seventh of Pre-War Level as Blockade Bites | Iran International
“Iranian crude loadings have fallen to about one-seventh of their pre-war level under the US naval blockade, while Chinese receipts of Iranian oil and fuel exports have also dropped sharply, tanker-tracking data reviewed by Iran International shows.”
“Iran’s currency hit a record low Monday as Washington prepared to announce new sanctions it said would add further pressure on an economy already battered by previous sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade. The rial dropped to 2.02 million to the U.S. dollar as trading opened on currency markets.”
Why China Thinks It Can Resist Trump’s Economic Threats on Iran | New York Times
“As Iran’s largest trading partner, China would seemingly have much to lose from President Trump’s threat this week to impose ‘tremendous economic consequences’ on nations doing business with Tehran. For decades, China has defied Western sanctions on Iranian oil by buying up to 90 percent of Tehran’s oil exports. China has also supplied Iran with technology and raw materials to build an arsenal of missiles and drones. But Beijing has reasons to feel confident it can withstand Mr. Trump’s latest warning—if it is ever fulfilled. And increasingly, Chinese analysts see the war in Iran, which the White House seems unable to end on favorable terms, as a sign of America’s mounting weakness.”
Iran Announces Gas Discovery After War Worsens Energy Squeeze | Bloomberg
“Iran said it discovered more than 7.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, after months of war with the US and Israel seriously disrupted its energy sector. . . . Any production would likely be years away. Even before the war began, Iran’s energy industry was hobbled by Western sanctions, under-investment and power cuts.”
Iran Condemns US Plans to Announce New Sanctions | Reuters
“Iran on Saturday denounced U.S. plans to announce new sanctions that could put further strain on the Islamic Republic’s economy and have an impact on its most important trading partners including China.”
Trump’s Iran Credibility Problem | Wall Street Journal Editorial
“After six months of war with Iran, President Trump has a credibility problem. His blustering threats, alternating with claims of imminent peace and victory, are doubted by friends and foe. Will his new threat this week on Truth Social of the ‘MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY!’ be different? By now the world will have to see it to believe it. No President has yet climbed the Iran sanctions ladder with China, moving from the isolated ‘teapot’ refineries that buy Iran’s oil to the Chinese state-owned enterprises that support them. Nor has any President given Dubai an ultimatum to shut down Iran’s illicit financial network and meant it.”
MILITARY MATTERS & SHIPPING
Iran Warns Gulf States Against Joining Trump’s Economic War, or Else | New York Times
“Iran’s new security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, on Saturday vowed to strike the interests of oil-rich neighbors if they joined U.S. efforts to further isolate Iran, whose economy is already in free fall. He warned that Tehran would seek to prevent ‘even a single drop of oil’ from leaving the region. ‘Any country that becomes a partner in creating economic restrictions against us will be regarded by us as an enemy,’ he said in an interview with Iran’s state broadcaster.”
How the US and Middle East Allies Flipped the Oil Script on Iran | CNN
“Aided by the US Navy, Saudi, Kuwaiti, Qatari and Emirati oil companies have chartered oil tankers to turn their transponders off and shuttle oil out of the Persian Gulf, through the Strait of Hormuz, to the Gulf of Oman, where they offload their crude to waiting tankers owned by their customers and then head back through the strait. That has taken the costly burden of insurance risk and physical danger of Iranian attacks away from commercial shippers and placed it on the US government and the oil producers themselves. It has become an effective strategy, according to the US Department of Energy, which says oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has averaged between 8 million and 9 million barrels per day. That’s a meaningful amount of crude—roughly double what Wall Street oil analysts and shipping trackers like Kpler, using transponder data, would suggest. The clandestine transits have changed the game for the Middle Eastern oil industry.”
Around 40 Tankers Transit Strait of Hormuz Friday Night—Axios | Iran International
“Around 40 tankers transited in and out of the Strait of Hormuz through its southern deep-water channel on Friday night, Axios correspondent Barak Ravid reported, citing three US officials. The officials said around 16 million barrels of oil were moved out of the strait through the channel that night. The reported volume marks a sharp increase from recent weeks, when US officials told Axios that roughly 15-20 tankers were making the passage each night as part of a US-backed effort to maintain oil flows despite the war and disruption to shipping.”
Iran Threatens 45 Tankers with Fines, Confiscation in Hormuz Escalation | Reuters
“Iran said it had blacklisted 45 tankers that had broken its rules for crossing the Strait of Hormuz, and would take action against any vessels transferring loads with them, escalating its threats over the key waterway six months into the war. The named vessels could be fined, detained and have their cargoes confiscated, according to an X post late on Sunday from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, a new body set up by Iran to manage the strait.”
“Iranian state television released footage of the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Ali Abdollahi, visiting an underground ballistic missile production facility, BBC reported on Saturday. In the video, Abdollahi claimed that Iran's production has increased significantly in the past year. Iranian state media said that Iran's production of suicide drones had tripled since the beginning of the war. . . . Israeli defense officials have been shocked by the speed of Iran’s recovery following the early 2026 war, The Jerusalem Post learned earlier in the month.”
Iran Army Says New Doctrine Allows Preemptive Strikes | Iran International
“Iran’s army says its military doctrine is shifting from defensive to offensive, including the possibility of preemptive strikes and retaliation more extensive than the attack it is responding to. Army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia told state-run IRNA that the shift had emerged through the two recent wars. He cited an Iranian attack on a US base in Jordan as an example of a preemptive operation and said any future attack on Iran would receive an immediate response that could be broader than the original strike.”
Iran Grants Permission for a Number of Iraqi Oil Tankers to Pass Through Hormuz | Reuters
“Iran has granted permission for a number of Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following repeated requests from Baghdad through various channels, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday. IRNA said obtaining special permission for Iraqi tankers was one of Baghdad’s main requests during Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf’s visit to Iraq.”
CENTCOM Reports 70 Vessels Rerouted in Iran Naval Blockade | IranWire
“US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday, August 23, that American forces have forced 70 commercial vessels to alter their routes since the launch of a new round of the naval blockade against Iran.”
Trump Says He Views Strait of Hormuz as ‘American Territory’ | Guardian
“Donald Trump called the strait of Hormuz ‘an American territory’ on Friday, as the US continues its military blockade of Iran’s shipping and ports while Trump’s administration struggles to end its war with the country. . . . Later in his remarks, Trump joked about bombing Iran.”
DIPLOMACY
Iran’s Top Politicians Urge an End to the War | Wall Street Journal
“Iran’s top politicians said the country needs to focus on ending the war and shoring up its crippled economy, pushing back publicly against hardliners who are taking a more defiant approach in the six-month-old conflict. The comments by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf come as the diplomatic track remains stalled and the Trump administration has shifted to a policy of ratcheting up economic pressure via sanctions and the naval blockade of Iran’s ports.”
Iran Says Pakistan’s Army Chief to Visit Tehran on Monday | Reuters
“Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir will visit Tehran on Monday to continue efforts to bring peace and security to the region, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday, according to a statement by the ministry.”
Pakistan’s Munir Spoke to Trump Ahead of Tehran Visit, Sources Say | Reuters
“U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir last week ahead of Munir’s trip to Tehran on Monday, according to three Pakistani sources, with one saying the main U.S. request was to use Pakistan’s influence to bring Iran back to negotiations.”
China ‘Actively Committed’ to Iran Talks as Tensions Rise | Bloomberg
“‘China is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East and is actively committed to promoting peace talks,” Vice Foreign Minister Miao Deyu said at talks with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi in Beijing on Aug. 17, according to a statement published Sunday. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn’t previously disclose the meeting and provided no explanation for the time lag in making it public almost a week later.”
NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Russia’s Rosatom Returns Workers to Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Plant | Bloomberg
“Russia state-owned atomic energy company Rosatom is continuing to return employees to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, Interfax reported, citing the company’s Chief Executive Officer Alexey Likhachev. The number of Russian specialists back at the plant has reached 42, Likhachev said. ‘If all goes well, we’ll increase our staff to 100 people this autumn,’ he said, adding that the situation at the facility is calm. Rosatom began evacuating staff from Bushehr, located on the Persian Gulf about 1,215 km (755 miles) south of Tehran, in the spring after the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran in late February.”
TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION
Iran Is Using Foreign Criminals to Attack Its Critics Overseas | New Yorker
“Pouria Zeraati, a dissident who was living in London, was stabbed by a group of Romanian thugs. His case is part of a widening campaign by the Iranian regime to silence its detractors.”
British Man Pleads Guilty to Arson Attack on Iran International Offices | Iran International
“19-year-old British man pleaded guilty Friday to an arson offence over an April attack on offices linked to Iran International in northwest London, while a teenage co-defendant denied the more serious charge of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.”
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran Executes Another January Protest Detainee | Iran International
“Iran executed another detainee from the January protests after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence, the judiciary announced on Sunday. The judiciary accused Majid Adineh of taking ‘operational action’ for Israel, the United States and hostile groups and cooperating with them against Iran’s security and national interests.”
Trans Woman Prisoner Says She Was Raped in Iran Intelligence Ministry Detention | Iran International
“Ghazal Marzban, a transgender woman held in Tehran’s Evin prison, says she was raped after being detained by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry in 2023 and later threatened into silence, according to a letter published by the HRANA human rights news agency.”
163 Arrested in Iran over Starlink Satellite Equipment | IranWire
“The Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA) reported the seizure of 997 Starlink satellite internet devices and the arrest of 163 individuals between March and July 2026. . . . The unauthorized possession, use, purchase, sale, or importation of satellite internet equipment is criminalized under Iranian law. Under legislation titled ‘Escalation of Punishment for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime and Hostile States,’ personal possession or use of such equipment carries a prison sentence ranging from six months to two years.”
Iranian Women Defy Efforts by Hardliners to Enforce Wearing of Hijab | CNN
“At the height of the conflict with the United States this year, women without the headscarf were often seen at pro-government gatherings and in state media. The government and internal security forces had bigger issues to deal with. . . . But in recent weeks, the clamor for restoring a hard line on what conservative clerics and politicians call ‘public nudity’ has grown. . . . [S]tate media have been highlighting stories about cafes and other businesses being forced to close for failing to enforce rules on clothing. A CNN tally of articles in Iranian media at the end of last month found examples in half a dozen cities, including Tehran.”
Where Iran’s Young People Gather, the Government Sees Threats to Its Authority | New York Times
“Through war, political unrest and rampant inflation that has put the dreams of many beyond reach, Iran’s youth have held on to one luxury that helps them feel normal in abnormal times: frequenting coffee shops with friends. Across the country, they pack into cafes and spill out onto the sidewalk—chatting, smoking cigarettes, flirting and enjoying one of the few affordable diversions still available to them. These mixed-gender gatherings, where women go unveiled and some customers even discreetly drink alcohol, both illegal acts in Iran, have become a conspicuous counterculture, visible to any passerby. It has not escaped the attention of the authorities, either. In recent weeks, the police have been shutting down dozens of cafes, usually citing a failure to abide by Iran’s mandatory hijab law.”
CYBERSECURITY MATTERS
Iranian Hackers Shut Down UK Power Plant | Telegraph
“Iran shut down a British power plant for four days in an unprecedented cyber attack, The Telegraph can disclose. It is thought to be the first time that hackers affiliated to the Iranian regime have succeeded in closing down such a facility in the UK, and is believed to be the most successful cyber attack of its kind.”
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
IRGC Chief Backs State Broadcaster amid Clashes with Pezeshkian, Ghalibaf | Iran International
“IRGC commander-in-chief Ahmad Vahidi praised Iran’s state broadcaster for its performance during the war with the US, throwing his weight behind an institution that has clashed with President Masoud Pezeshkian and drawn criticism from Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.”
CONGRESS & IRAN
House Democrats Demand Trump Administration Provide Full Accounting of Iran War Costs | NBC News
“With the Iran war approaching the six-month mark, nearly 50 Democratic members of Congress are demanding the Trump administration make public the true cost of the conflict and its impact on the American people.”
US House Speaker: War with Iran Will Soon Enter New Phase | IranWire
“US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson stated that he expects the war with Iran to ‘enter a new phase very soon’ and that United States allies will assist in bringing the conflict to an end during this next stage.”
EUROPE & IRAN
Iran Calls France’s Decision to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats ‘Illegal' | France 24
“Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday that France’s decision to expel two Iranian diplomats in response to Tehran’s ban on two French diplomats was ‘illegal.’”