TOP STORIES
Strike Houthis While Iran Is Weak, UN-Backed Yemeni Government Urges West | The Guardian
The west should seize the opportunity to target the Tehran-backed Houthi leadership in Yemen while the Iranian government is weakened, the vice-president of the UN-backed government in Aden has said. Aidarus al-Zoubaidi said that Iran’s reverses in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza had left the country “massively weakened”. “They have one remaining domain and that is Yemen,” Zoubaidi told the Guardian. “Now is the time to counter the Houthis and push them back into their position.” He said Yemen ground forces should work in cooperation with western airstrikes as part of a multi-pronged strategy. Speaking from the World Economic Forum in Davos, he also called on the new US administration to designate the Houthis a foreign terrorist organisation, and praised Donald Trump for showing “decisive leadership”.
Iran Is 'Pressing The Gas Pedal' On Uranium Enrichment, IAEA Chief Says | Reuters
Iran is "pressing the gas pedal" on its enrichment of uranium to near weapons grade, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday, adding that Iran's recently announced acceleration in enrichment was starting to take effect. Grossi said last month that Iran had informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it would "dramatically" accelerate enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, closer to the roughly 90% of weapons grade. Western powers called the step a serious escalation and said there was no civil justification for enriching to that level and that no other country had done so without producing nuclear weapons. Iran has said its programme is entirely peaceful and it has the right to enrich uranium to any level it wants.
Trump Fires 4 Biden Appointees, Including His Own Former Iran Envoy | The Hill
President Trump announced the firing of four high-profile presidential appointees just after midnight Tuesday, including a top envoy to Iran during his first term, Brian Hook, and retired Gen. Mark Milley, whom Trump tapped as Joint Chiefs chair in 2018. Trump wrote on Truth Social that fired Hook from the Wilson Center; Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council; celebrity chef and humanitarian José Andrés from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition; and Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, from the President’s Export Council. “Our first day in the White House is not over yet! My Presidential Personnel Office is actively in the process of identifying and removing over a thousand Presidential Appointees from the previous Administration, who are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again, Trump posted on Truth Social just past midnight Tuesday.
UANI IN THE NEWS
After the Holocaust, the Western world vowed never again to tolerate a regime committed to the extermination of the Jewish people. Eighty years on, despite all the rhetoric, either consciously or unconsciously, this promise has been broken. Let me be clear (and I write this as a British-Iranian): the West has been, and remains, in complete denial about the Iranian regime’s war on Jews. I am not scaremongering, exaggerating or omitting nuances, although this is what the champagne socialists across much of Whitehall and the legacy media would like you to believe. Quite the opposite. In fact, they are the ones who are illiterate to the religious-ideological nuances driving supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his paramilitary the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) aggression towards Israel, not least since October 7.
Horizons Middle East & Africa 01/22/2025 | Bloomberg
Horizons Middle East & Africa is your daily spotlight on one of the world's fastest-growing regions. Live from Dubai, we bring you the latest global markets and analysis, plus news-making interviews, with a special focus on MEA. All that and more, as you head to the office in the Gulf, pause for lunch in Hong Kong, or start your day in London or Johannesburg… “There's one group in New York, United Against Nuclear Iran. It's kind of a lobby group. It seems like it's close to the current administration on their advice for how to deal with Iran. They looked at the last four years of Iranian exports under Biden, came up with a figure of $140 billion worth of oil that went to China only over that period. We extrapolated that to look at the total amount of oil and then took off about a million barrels. That was the increase that came in Iranian exports over those last four years.”
Iran Hopes Trump Will Show ‘Respect’ To Middle East | i24 News
Trump's Iran policy needs to be 'strategic' to 'hold Iran accountable' – UANI Policy Director Jason Brodsky discusses how the US can tackle Tehran's destabilizing role with Bianca Zanini.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Aiming To Weaken US Foes, Trump Faces An 'Unholy Alliance' | Reuters
During his first term in office, U.S. President Donald Trump applied his particular brand of diplomacy with Washington's adversaries, publicly befriending Russia and North Korea while separately piling pressure on China and Iran. This time he faces a different kind of challenge: a more united group of U.S. antagonists who have drawn closer following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Trump, who took office Monday, has vowed to end Russia's war in Ukraine, curb Iran's nuclear program and counter China while building up the U.S. military. […] On Iran, Trump appears likely to return to the policy he pursued in his previous term that sought to wreck Iran's economy to force the country to negotiate a deal on its nuclear program, ballistic missile program and regional activities.
Euro Diplomat: Israel Will Attack Iran's Nuclear Facilities | News Max World
Israel has decided to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, according to a report in Saudi news site al-Arabiya. Citing a "European official" the news site said, “Israel has made the decision to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities." The official reportedly told al-Arabiya that the attack could come in the coming months, based on "developments in the Middle East over the last several months." The official did not say whether the United States, under newly inaugurated President Donald Trump, is expected to play a role in the strikes, either actively or by providing the specialized munitions needed to carry out such an attack. However, the official revealed that several European countries had already begun talks with the incoming Trump administration, in an attempt to explore diplomatic options to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons in lieu of a military strike.
Is Iran Building A Nuclear Weapon? Global Watchdog Chief Says... | NDTV World
Iran has accumulated a vast amount of enriched uranium, which is "very, very close" to weapon grade, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Mariano Grossi told NDTV during the ongoing World Economic Forum Summit in Davos. As Iran-Israel tensions continue with no end in sight, Mr Grossi said the global nuclear watchdog doesn't have evidence that Tehran is building a nuclear weapon. At the same time, he added that the country is not fully cooperating in offering clarity about its past and present activities. "We are not inspecting at the levels or at the places that we believe we should be inspecting," he said. Mr Grossi said that with Donald Trump being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, a regime change could likely bring stability to a "very volatile situation" in the Middle East.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Hardliners In Iran Oppose Talks, Say US Unlikely To Lift Sanctions | Iran International
Iranian officials and media remain sharply divided over Tehran's relationship with Washington, as President Donald Trump's inauguration speech focused almost entirely on US domestic politics. Tehran's media landscape showcased the sharp divide, with various factions and their associated outlets voicing opinions on engaging in talks with the US. Optimistic reformists, such as those at Jamaran News and Ham Mihan newspaper, speculating that "Trump might visit Iran to mend ties broken since 1979," while hardliners like the ultraconservative Kayhan daily wrote, "Trump can only come to Tehran to face punishment for ordering the killing of IRGC top commander General Qassem Soleimani." A few voices sought a middle ground between the extremes.
Iran’s Leadership Divided Over Global Financial Conventions | Iran International
The top echelons of Iran’s ruling elite appear to remain divided on endorsing international conventions to combat money laundering and terrorism financing, according to a Tehran-based outlet. The Rouydad24 news site reported on Monday that members of Iran’s Expediency Council, currently reviewing legislation for joining two international conventions, are divided between supporters and opponents. Rouydad24, though not directly controlled by the state, operates within the constraints of Iran's media landscape. The outlet, however, suggested that the political system appears to have decided in favor of approving the pending legislation, noting that the presidential administration has received “the green light from higher authorities,” referring to the Supreme Leader.
Trump Will Seek Snapback Of UN Sanctions On Iran, Rubio Says | Iran International
President Donald Trump will seek the restoration of United Nations sanctions on Iran which were lifted by a 2015 nuclear deal, newly sworn-in secretary of state Marco Rubio told congress. "I believe it is in our national security interest for the UN Security Council to snap back the sanctions that were suspended under the JCPOA," Rubio told the Senate foreign relations committee in written responses to Senator Ted Cruz, referring to the deal. "I will execute the President's guidance and work with our allies to ensure that snapback takes place," Rubio added, according to the remarks read by Cruz at the confirmation hearing of Trump's pick for UN Ambassador, Elise Stefanik. Rubio, Cruz and Stefanik are all staunchly pro-Israel and anti-Tehran and have signaled they will pressure Iran to hold back on support to armed allies and advancing its nuclear program.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
IAEA's Grossi Calls For New Negotiated Framework With Iran | Bloomberg
Speaking with Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi says Iran needs to reach an understanding over its atomic activity with the Trump administration in order to avoid being dragged into another military conflict in the Middle East.
Top Saudi Diplomat Says Trump Administration Is Not Looking For War With Iran | Al Arabiya News
The top Saudi diplomat on Tuesday played down fears that the incoming Trump administration was looking for war with Iran and called on Tehran to engage with the US to address the issue of its nuclear weapon program. “I don’t see the incoming US administration as contributory to the risk of war. On the contrary, I think President Trump has been quite clear that he does not favor conflict,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. Washington and Israel have long threatened kinetic military action against Iran’s nuclear program if they assess that it has gotten close to acquiring a nuclear weapon. But former and current US officials say that Israel will be unable to go it alone without US air support.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Saudi Foreign Minister Tells Davos Meeting Iran-Israel War Should Be Avoided | Reuters
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Tuesday he did not see Donald Trump's new administration contributing to the risk of a war between Israel and Iran, addressing an issue the region has feared since the start of Israel's war in Gaza. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud also told the Davos gathering he hoped President Trump's approach to Iran would be met with a willingness by Tehran to positively engage with the U.S. administration and address the issue of its nuclear programme. "Obviously a war between Iran and Israel, any war in our region is something we should try to avoid as much as possible," Prince Faisal said, speaking during the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Switzerland.
EU Says Watching Iran-Russia Deal For Potential Security Fallout | Iran International
The European Union will assess the potential impact of the recent strategic partnership agreement between Tehran and Moscow on its security, an EU spokesperson told Iran International. "The recent Russia-Iran partnership agreement signals deepening cooperation across multiple areas, including foreign policy and defense," Anitta Hipper, the EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said in response to an email inquiry by Iran International. "We will closely monitor its implications for EU security and the rules-based international order," she added. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in Moscow on Friday. In the strategic pact, the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security and defense, Russian state-run TASS news agency reported.
CHINA & IRAN
Ships Carrying Missile Propellant Set To Sail From China To Iran, Say Officials | Financial Times
Two Iranian cargo vessels carrying a crucial chemical ingredient for missile propellant will sail from China to Iran over the next few weeks, according to intelligence from security officials in two western countries. The Iranian-flagged ships — the Golbon and the Jairan — are expected to carry more than 1,000 tonnes of sodium perchlorate, which is used to make ammonium perchlorate, the main ingredient for solid propellant for missiles. Two of the officials said the sodium perchlorate could produce 960 tonnes of ammonium perchlorate, which makes up 70 per cent of the propellant for solid-fuel missiles. That amount of ammonium perchlorate could produce 1,300 tonnes of propellant, enough to fuel 260 mid-range Iranian missiles such as the Kheibar Shekan or Haj Qassem, the officials added.
GULF STATES, YEMEN, & IRAN
Yemen Vice-President Says Trump Return Pivotal In Fight Against Iran Backed-Houthis | Reuters
The vice president of Yemen's U.N.-recognised government on Tuesday welcomed Donald Trump's return as U.S. president, saying it was a decisive turning point to curb the Iran-backed Houthis, who he said threaten regional stability and maritime security. Aidarous al-Zubaidi told Reuters that Trump's strong leadership and willingness to employ military strength were in sharp contrast to the Biden administration, which he said had allowed the Houthis to consolidate power, bolster their military capabilities and extend their reach beyond Yemen. "Trump knows what he wants. He is a strong decision-maker," Zubaidi said in an interview on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos.