TOP STORIES
Trump Leans Toward Expanding U.S. Military Operations in Iran | Wall Street Journal
“President Trump is leaning toward expanding U.S. military operations in Iran after days of briefings from top aides, U.S. officials said. Options include stepping up airstrikes, sending ground forces to seize Iranian islands near the Strait of Hormuz and bombing a fortified site that could be used for covert nuclear work.”
Iran Tells Houthis to Close Red Sea Gateway If US Hits Power Network, Sources Say | Reuters
“Iran has asked Yemen’s Houthi movement to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the United States strikes Iranian power infrastructure, three sources told Reuters on Thursday, posing a potent new threat to global energy supplies. . . . A source close to the Houthis said the group had completed preparations to attack shipping by deploying missiles and drones near Bab el-Mandeb strait, the gateway to the Red Sea, in Yemen’s highlands overlooking Hodeidah and the Gulf of Aden and was awaiting the order to begin.”
Iran Says Peace Deal Voided, Fighting ‘Existential War’ After US Attacks | Al Jazeera
“Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, has declared that the country’s armed forces have ‘complete freedom of action’ against the ‘enemy’s aggression,’ after a day of attacks by the United States killed seven Iranian troops. . . . Tehran said the repeated waves of US attacks had voided the memorandum of understanding with Washington that had underpinned the fragile ceasefire. Ghalibaf said Iran was ‘in an essential and existential war with America’ and had no reason to continue adhering to the terms of the peace agreement.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
US Strikes Iranian-Linked Oil Tanker Deep Within Persian Gulf | Bloomberg
“The US military has hit a supertanker deep within the Persian Gulf near Iran’s key oil export terminal, its first attack on a vessel since it reimposed its blockade of the country’s shipping. . . . Kharg Island is key to Tehran’s efforts to earn oil-export revenue. Since the interim peace deal was signed in mid-June, there were at least 11 shipments of oil and petrochemicals loaded from the island, according to nonprofit organization United Against Nuclear Iran.”
Trump Says Iran Released American Woman Held Since 2024 in ‘Gesture of Goodwill’ | Fox News
“According to United Against Nuclear Iran, Tehran detains foreign nationals on vague charges and uses them as ‘bargaining chips’ to extract concessions from other countries, such as securing the release of frozen financial assets locked up by international sanctions. Iran has frequently targeted individuals who hold both American and Iranian citizenship, as Tehran does not recognize dual nationality and often treats dual citizens solely as Iranian nationals, limiting their access to U.S. consular assistance, United Against Nuclear Iran said.”
Interview with UANI Director of IRGC Research Kasra Aarabi | BBC News
“While this is a welcome move, we have to be absolutely clear that the designation of the IRGC is not equivalent to full terror proscription. And that’s because the legislation that’s been used to designate the IRGC—it’s been designated under the State Threats Act—is far weaker than the Terrorism Act. So if we take a step back and look at this, this designation does not cover the full spectrum of IRGC-linked activity in the UK—specifically, its ability to carry out and nurture Islamist radicalization and inspire acts of antisemitic violence.”
Interview with UANI Policy Director Jason M. Brodsky | ILTV
“I think that Pickaxe Mountain was a facility that was not targeted during Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury. That’s a site that’s of immense concern to Israel and the United States and U.S. allies in Europe as well. So I do think that Pickaxe Mountain should be on the target list should President Trump give the order to strike.”
MILITARY MATTERS & STRAIT OF HORMUZ SITUATION
Iran Warns Strait of Hormuz Is a ‘Red Line’ and Will Resist Until the End | Reuters
“Iran said on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz was an inviolable ‘red line,’ warning that if U.S. President Donald Trump carried out his threat to attack Iran's infrastructure, it would strike all infrastructure across the Gulf region.”
US Military Says It Completed Latest Strikes on Iran, Targets Included Bandar Abbas | Reuters
“The U.S. military said late on Wednesday it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran that it carried out at President Donald Trump’s direction, with targets including Bandar Abbas, Iran's principal port city on the Strait of Hormuz.”
Iran Targets Military Bases as US Launches Wave of Strikes | BBC News
“Tehran has launched fresh attacks on US military bases in neighbouring Gulf states, while Washington continued to strike sites across Iran overnight. Tehran said it had struck targets in the region, including in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, as a sixth day of renewed hostilities strained their preliminary deal to end the war.”
Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz Still Subdued | CNN
“At least 13 commercial ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the last 24 hours, MarineTraffic data shows, amid boiling tensions between the US and Iran. Eight vessels moved into the Persian Gulf—six cargo ships and two tankers—while five departed, made up of three tankers and two cargo ships.”
US Military Says It Has Redirected 2 Commercial Vessels Since Restarting Blockade | CNN
“The US military says it has redirected two commercial vessels since reinstating a naval blockade against Iranian ports.”
US Strikes on Iran Strengthen Trump’s Options for New Escalation, Officials Say | Reuters
“Recent waves of U.S. strikes on Iran aimed at forcing open the Strait of Hormuz are also targeting Iranian military capabilities the U.S. would want to destroy before executing more complex operations against Iran, three U.S. officials said.”
Kuwait Says It Intercepted 4 Missiles and 21 Drones | Iran International
“Kuwait’s armed forces said Wednesday they detected and intercepted four cruise missiles and 21 hostile drones in the country’s airspace from dawn, while several vital facilities were struck and sustained material damage. ‘The Iranian aggression targeted a number of vital facilities in the country,’ the country’s Defense Ministry spokesperson said, adding that no casualties were reported.”
Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait Report Incoming Attacks from Iran | CBS News
“The Kuwaiti military said early Wednesday morning local time it is confronting ‘hostile drone attacks’ from Iran, hours after announcing it had shot down dozens of drones and missiles and reporting an Iranian strike on a Kuwaiti warship. Bahrain also said its alert sirens were sounding. Meanwhile, Jordan's army said Wednesday it had shot down three missiles from Iran, as Tehran pressed attacks on U.S. allies in response to American strikes.”
Iran “Must Always Be Prepared” for Fighting, Top Negotiator Says | CNN
“Iran must continue to defend itself while also remaining open to diplomatic talks, the country’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in a statement released by state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Wednesday. . . . Ghalibaf warned that Iran ‘has no reason to remain committed to an agreement if it derives no benefit from it’ and that ‘the armed forces have full freedom of action’ to respond to enemy aggression.”
President Trump to Iran: “They Better Behave” | CBS News
“President Trump made brief comments after landing in Pennsylvania for a defense summit, saying he wouldn't give Iran a deadline before the U.S. began strikes on infrastructure like bridges or power plants as he has threatened. ‘I don't like giving deadlines, but they pretty much know—they know the story. They better behave,’ he said . . .”
DIPLOMACY
Trump on Ending Iran War: ‘I Don’t Want to Negotiate Now’ | The Hill
“President Trump said Tuesday he isn’t looking to negotiate with the Iranians right now. In an interview with Fox News, Trump lamented that the Iranian regime was ‘evil’ and pointed to the newest Iranian delegation as ‘the ones that are stopping a deal.’ . . . However, discussions with the Iranians remain ongoing. When asked the last time he spoke with an Iranian official, Trump responded that his ‘representatives’ had talked with the Iranians ‘an hour ago.’ The president didn’t elaborate on the content of those conversations but instead emphasized that the Iranians are desperate to reach an agreement. ‘They want to make a deal, but every time they make a deal, they break it,’ Trump said. ‘They don’t want to die. People don’t want to die.’”
Vance Defends Diplomacy amid Renewed Hostilities with Iran | CNN
“Vice President JD Vance offered a defense of attempting diplomacy with Iran amid a renewal in hostilities, saying the war will not be won through military force alone. ‘I’m very frustrated by the Americans and frankly by people in other countries who are like, you cannot negotiate with the Iranians,’ he said on an episode of ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ released on Wednesday. . . . ‘You can bomb them, you can take away their radar, you can take away some of their drones and some of their missiles, but it’s just too easy to fire at ships in the straits,’ he said. ‘So you’ve got to actually be willing to talk and to try to figure out the problem.’”
Trump Says Iran Wants to Meet, Leaves Open Possibility of ‘Wiping Out’ IRGC | Fox News
“President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran reached out seeking a meeting as he left open the possibility of destroying the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) if negotiations fail.”
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Data Shows Massive Increase in Executions of Political Prisoners in Iran | CNN
“Under the cover of conflict, the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR), a nongovernmental organization with members inside and outside Iran, believes the Iranian regime has ramped up executions. So far this year, the regime has executed at least 47 political prisoners, a massive increase from 16 around the same time last year.”
Iran Executes January Protester over Alleged Attack on Police Station | IranWire
“The Islamic Republic’s judiciary announced the execution of Mohammad Amini Dehaqani, a protester detained during the December 2025 demonstrations. Judicial authorities accused him of setting fire to the governorate building and the central police station in Dehaqan, Isfahan Province. No information regarding his arrest, interrogation, or court proceedings had been made public prior to his execution.”
Iranian Christians Allege U.S. Gave Tehran Details of Asylum Claims | Washington Post
“Iranian converts to Christianity and political dissidents from the Islamic Republic who sought asylum in the United States made detailed allegations in new court filings, claiming that U.S. immigration officials gave details of their asylum claims to Iran’s government in a bid to ease their deportation back to the country they fled. At least six Iranians said they were visited in immigration detention facilities by Iranian officials based in the United States who knew details from their asylum cases and used the information to put pressure on them to agree to be returned to Iran, according to the allegations. The alleged disclosure of their asylum claims puts their lives in peril if they are returned home, the Iranian detainees stated.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
US Issues New Sanctions Targeting Individuals, Entities in Iran, Russia | Iran International
“The United States imposed sanctions Wednesday on Iranian and Russian nationals and entities based in Iran, Russia and Nigeria that it said were part of an international network helping Iran procure weapons. The targets used foreign aviation and transport companies, financial channels and travel coordinators to conceal the role of Iran’s IRGC in illicit procurement and move materials and personnel internationally, the US Treasury Department said.”
HOSTAGES
Iran Allows U.S. Citizen It Held for More Than a Year to Leave | Wall Street Journal
“Iran allowed an American citizen [Dena Karari] to go free after preventing her from leaving the country for a year and a half, a move President Trump called a gesture of good will amid a deepening standoff between the two foes.”
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
“Iranian member of parliament and former foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Wednesday called for Tehran to invade a US military base in the Middle East, kidnap American troops and hold them hostage in Iran.”
Iran Lawmakers Vow to Carry Out Khamenei’s Call for Revenge | Iran International
“Iran’s Deputy Parliament Speaker Hamidreza Haji Babaei said Wednesday that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s latest message emphasized ‘blood revenge and retaliation.’ ‘We read his remarks in parliament without omitting or changing a single word, and pledged to carry them out,’ Haji Babaei said.”
Iran Hardliners Cry Foul as Ghalibaf Camp Gains Ground | Iran International
“Iran's hardliners suffered a setback after losing key posts on parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, highlighting growing conservative divisions over talks with Washington and the leadership of Speaker and lead negotiator Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf.”
Iran Orders Media to Avoid Internal Political Disputes | Iran International
“Iran's Press Supervisory Board instructed media outlets on Wednesday not to highlight political and factional differences or amplify social divisions, as authorities tightened guidance on domestic coverage during the conflict.”
“A senior Iranian cleric said on Wednesday that Iranian officials should not continue negotiations with the United States by citing concerns over damage to the country’s infrastructure, after President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran's power plants and bridges.”
Iranian MP Threatens to Wipe Out Two Tiers of US and Israeli Leaders | IranWire
“Salar Velayatmadar, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, stressed the implementation of what he termed ‘retribution’ (qisas), stating that the Islamic Republic would target ‘two tiers of commanders and two tiers of decision-making officials’ in the United States and Israel.”
CONGRESS & IRAN
House GOP’s Budget Bill to Fund Iran War and U.S. Farmers Could Be in Trouble | Washington Post
“House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan for a $95 billion budget bill that would send money to the Pentagon for the Iran war and help for American farmers is in danger of failure amid pushback from Republicans worried about deficits and skepticism in the Senate.
House Republicans Push for $90 Billion for Iran War, Election Measures and Farm Aid | NBC News
“House Republicans kicked off their plans for a third party-line spending bill Tuesday, releasing a budget resolution that calls for $90 billion in new money for the military and election-related measures.’ … It includes $60 billion for the Armed Services Committee, which will be put toward military spending as President Donald Trump’s Iran war escalates with no end in sight.”
EUROPE & IRAN
Iran Summons British Ambassador over UK’s Move to Designate the IRGC | Iran International
“Iran summoned the British ambassador in Tehran over the UK’s move to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps under the Countering State Threats Act, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported Wednesday.”
ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
“Structure” for Possible Israeli Military Withdrawals from Southern Lebanon Agreed to in Talks | CNN
“Two days of ‘productive and positive discussions’ in Rome between Israel and Lebanon have ended, a State Department official said. ‘We agreed on the structure and guidelines for the pilot zone process, to be finalized and implemented in the coming days,’ the official said. ‘We will now move to expanded technical talks, which will focus on implementing all areas of the Trilateral Framework with the aim of reaching a comprehensive agreement between Israel and Lebanon.’”
Vance Says Some in Israeli Government Sought to Sway US on Iran Deal | Reuters
“U.S. Vice President JD Vance said some members of the Israeli government had tried to influence U.S. public opinion to oppose a deal by the U.S. to end the war with Iran, in a podcast episode with host Joe Rogan posted on Wednesday. . . . When asked if he thought the U.S. would have engaged in the most recent war with Iran were it not for Israeli influence, Vance said, ‘yes, yes I do.’ ‘I think the president, separate from any influence from Israel, believes very strongly, and again I agree with this, that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon,’ Vance said.”
GULF STATES & IRAN
Iranian Foreign Minister Arrives in Doha on Unannounced Visit, State Media Reports | CNN
“Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has traveled to Doha to attend a ceremony in honor of Qatar’s former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency. . . . Iran has repeatedly targeted Qatar in recent weeks, using missiles and drones to strike Al Udeid Air Base in retaliation for US strikes, including on the day the former emir died.”
CANADA & IRAN
Iran’s Former Deputy Interior Minister Tries to Stop Deportation from Canada | Global News
“A former high-ranking Iranian regime official caught living in Canada has asked a federal judge to halt his deportation, documents obtained by Global News show. Seyed Salman Samani, who was until recently Iran’s deputy interior minister, claimed in an appeal to the Federal Court that expelling him would violate his rights.”