TOP STORIES
Trump Signals Support for New Israel Attack If Iran Moves Toward Bomb | Wall Street Journal
Sitting across from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday at the White House, President Trump said he hoped there would be no more U.S. bombing of Iran. “I can’t imagine wanting to do that,” Trump said. Netanyahu later told him in private, however, that if Iran resumed moving toward a nuclear weapon, Israel would carry out further military strikes. Trump responded that he favored a diplomatic settlement with Tehran, but didn’t otherwise object to the Israeli plan.
Iranian Missile Attack Struck Inside US Airbase in Qatar, Pentagon Confirms | Iran International
A June 23 Iranian missile attack caused damage deep inside a US airbase in Qatar, the Pentagon said on Friday, confirming an Iran International report citing satellite imagery which indicated a cutting-edge communications hub within the facility was destroyed.
China’s Imports of Iran Crude at Three-Month High, Vortexa Says | Bloomberg
China’s purchases of Iranian crude rose in June to the highest since March’s record levels, in part because of speedier loadings as sellers sought to avoid getting tangled in the country’s conflict with Israel, according to data from Vortexa Ltd. Imports rose sharply to over 1.7 million barrels a day last month, compared with 1.1 million in May, the analytics firm said in a note. A surge in early June — just prior to Israel’s strike on Iran — pushed loadings to 2.5 million barrels a day in the first 12 days of the month. “What June data reveals is a faster and more flexible workaround to secure feedstock in the face of perceived supply disruptions,” said Emma Li, a senior market analyst at Vortexa. “Ongoing US tanker sanctions are unlikely to halt Iranian oil flows.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
Iran’s merciless regime is “fully on its heels”—leaving the Ayatollah’s days numbered, a former US ambassador says. But the West will not be able to topple Tehran’s brutal dictatorship, Mark D. Wallace, CEO & Founder of United Against Nuclear Iran, warned. The ex-ambassador to the UN said it will be down to the Iranian people—who have suffered outrageous repression for decades -to finally end the regime's rule.
Jason Brodsky, Policy Director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told The Sun how while the US strikes would have “definitely eroded” the group's capabilities, it hasn't remotely affected “their will to continue to strike the maritime sector” anytime soon. He added the temporary pause of the ceasefire sends “a very bad message” to the Houthis, with the “US and Europe seemingly M.I.A.” from the ship attacks this week. Mr Brodsky said: “ [It] really sends a terrible message to the Houthis that the benefits of undertaking this activity outweigh the costs, which are non-existent.”
The non-profit United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has proposed sanctions on a range of Iranian clerics calling for the murder of Trump and others. The list includes Abdolmajid Kharghani, contending that an interview he gave on Iranian state TV inspired thaar[.]ir.
1979-1991: How Iran Shaped the Polisario's Terrorist Destiny | le360 (translated from French)
What role did Iran play in the ceasefire accepted by the Polisario in 1991? This question, which the media outlet Le360 raises for the first time, is based on a factual analysis by the very serious think tank United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) composed of former politicians and seasoned analysts. . . The UANI recalls in this sense that "in 1991, the Polisario Front was pushed back in the Algerian region of Tindouf, and Tehran and Rabat re-established their diplomatic relations".
NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
No Sign of Iranian Efforts to Access Enriched Uranium Stocks at Isfahan—ISIS | Iran International
Recent satellite imagery shows Iran has not begun recovery or excavation work at key nuclear tunnel entrances at the Isfahan complex, where enriched uranium is believed to be stored, analysts from the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said Friday. Images taken on July 9 show that all three tunnel entrances at the Isfahan Nuclear Complex remain blocked by earthen backfill and bomb damage, according to David Albright, the institute’s president, and other researchers. “To access these stocks, the Iranians would have to dig through and clear about 20 meters of rubble or backfill,” the team wrote. “The July 9 image shows no earth moving equipment or other heavy machinery present at any tunnel entrance.”
Iran: ‘No Specific Date, Time or Location’ for Next Round of Nuclear Talks with US | Times of Israel
Iran says it has “no specific date” for a meeting between its foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, and US envoy Steve Witkoff on Tehran’s nuclear program. “For now, no specific date, time or location has been determined regarding this matter,” says foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.
Iran Says It Would Resume Nuclear Talks with US If Guaranteed No Further Attacks | Associated Press
Iran’s foreign minister said Saturday that his country would accept a resumption of nuclear talks with the U.S. if there were assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reported.
Iran Says It Will Work with IAEA but Inspections May Be Risky | Reuters
Iran plans to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog despite restrictions imposed by its parliament, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday, while stressing that access to its bombed nuclear sites posed security and safety issues. . . . While Iran’s cooperation with the nuclear watchdog has not stopped, it will take a new form and will be guided and managed through the Supreme National Security Council, Araqchi told Tehran-based diplomats.
“The IAEA\’s requests for continued monitoring in Iran will be . . . decided on a case-by-case basis by the Council with consideration to safety and security issues,” Araqchi said.
UN Nuclear Inspectors Hid Microchips in Their Shoes, Iranian MP Alleges | Iran International
A senior Iranian lawmaker on Saturday accused International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors of hiding surveillance microchips in their shoes during visits to Iran’s nuclear sites. . . . “It is a fact, not a slogan, that these inspectors are spies,” Mahmoud Nabavian said in remarks published by Fars News Agency. He accused the UN nuclear watchdog of repeatedly passing classified information to foreign governments.
TERRORISM
Iran Hosting and Protecting Al Qaeda Leadership, Says UK | The National
Intelligence officials in the UK believe that Iran is hosting the headquarters of Al Qaeda, giving the terrorist leadership a lifeline after years of setbacks. “The transactional arrangement between Iran and the senior leadership of Al Qaeda is concerning,” Parliament’s security and intelligence committee reported. “Being based in Iran has allowed [Al Qaeda] to retain some oversight of franchises internationally, creating a complex intelligence landscape, as Iran is a less accessible environment for the West than other parts of the Middle East—which, in turn, may have increased the [Al Qaeda] threat.”
SANCTIONS, SHIPPING, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Iran Warns of Retaliation If UN Sanctions Are Reimposed | Yedioth Ahronoth
Iran will react to any reimposition of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear program, the country's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, without elaborating on what actions Tehran might take. A French diplomatic source told Reuters last week that European powers would have to restore U.N. sanctions on Iran under the so-called “snapback mechanism” if there were no nuclear deal that guaranteed European security interests. The “snapback mechanism” is a process that would reimpose U.N. sanctions on Tehran under a 2015 nuclear deal that lifted the measures in return for restrictions on Iran's nuclear program.
Khamenei Representative Calls European Snapback Threat ‘Worthless Paper’ | IranWire
A representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has dismissed European threats to trigger sanctions against Iran, calling the nuclear deal’s snapback mechanism legally invalid. Hossein Shariatmadari, Khamenei’s representative at Keyhan newspaper, wrote in a Saturday editorial titled “The Snapback Mechanism Is Worthless Paper, Don’t Be Fooled” that the threats by three European countries to activate the mechanism lack legal credibility.
Foreign Flights to Iran Drop 80 Percent After War, Data Shows | Iran International
Iran’s international air traffic has plunged to a fifth of pre-war levels, ten days after authorities reopened the country’s main airports following a ceasefire with Israel. Iran officially reopened its airspace on July 3, saying all airports were fully operational. Khomeini International Airport recorded just 25 takeoffs and landings on July 12, down from 118 on June 7, the Saturday before the June 13 Israeli strikes. Mehrabad Airport in Tehran saw a similar drop, halving its total flights over the same period. On June 7, Mehrabad Airport handled a total of 137 domestic flights. By July 12, nearly three weeks after the ceasefire, that number had dropped to just 70.
PROTESTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Rights Groups Warn of Imminent Execution of Three Iranian Arab Men | Iran International
Fifteen human rights organizations issued a joint statement Saturday calling for international action to halt the looming executions of three Arab political prisoners from Ahvaz who were transferred to solitary confinement earlier this month. Ali Majdam, Moein Khanfari, and Mohammadreza Moghadam were sentenced to death on charges of “armed rebellion,” and, according to reports from Ahvaz, were moved to solitary cells on June 26. The signatories warned the men now face an imminent risk of execution. “These individuals are at grave risk, despite credible reports of coerced confessions, prolonged solitary confinement, and grossly unfair trials,” the statement read.
Mass Arrests and Executions: Kurds in Iran Bear the Brunt of War with Israel | Yedioth Ahronoth
As Iranian forces crack down on Kurdish regions in the wake of the war with Israel, locals face arrests, executions and rising repression, with activists and analysts warning of deepening isolation and a broader struggle for democratic change.
Iran Detains 21 Christian Converts Amid Postwar Crackdown, Rights Group Says | Iran International
Iran has arrested at least 21 Christian converts in recent weeks, with some facing charges under a new law targeting alleged collaboration with hostile states, a rights group said. The arrests, carried out by the Ministry of Intelligence, took place in Tehran, Rasht, Urmia, Kermanshah, Varamin, and Kerman, including one just before the recent war with Israel, according to the advocacy group Article 18.
Iran Files 50 Cases Over Alleged Ties to Israel, Judiciary Says | Iran International
Iran’s judiciary has filed 50 cases in Tehran against individuals accused of collaborating with Israel, judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said Saturday, pledging swift prosecution and no leniency. “Close cooperation and coordination between law enforcement and the judiciary led to the formation of around 50 cases in Tehran within less than two weeks,” Jahangir said at a press conference, adding that the charges involve “rumor-mongering” and spreading public anxiety.
Jahangir said the judiciary is determined to prosecute those accused of acting “for the enemy” and would not allow the cases to be delayed. “We will show no leniency,” he said. “We will not allow these cases to be dragged out.”
Mir Hossein Mousavi Calls for Referendum After Israel-Iran War | IranWire
Mir Hossein Mousavi, leader of Iran’s Green Movement, has called for a constitutional referendum, saying the current system does not represent all Iranians. . . . The Green Movement leader said the war showed that “respect for the right of all citizens to determine their destiny” is the only guarantee for the country’s salvation. . . . Mousavi also called for the release of political prisoners and “clear changes in national media approaches” in the message. Mousavi and his wife, Zahra Rahnavardi, have been under house arrest since 2009, following protests against the presidential election results and public demonstrations.
Iran’s New Law Aims to Crush Dissent—at Home and Abroad | Maryam Shafipour in the Globe and Mail
A new law passed by Iran’s parliament has dramatically escalated the regime’s control over civil society. It dangerously expands the definition of espionage to include vague notions of “indirect cooperation” with so-called hostile states. In practice, this means Iranians who share human rights documentation, communicate with international organizations, or speak with foreign journalists could now face the death penalty. Critically, the legislation removes the obligation for credible evidence or reliable witnesses. While Iran’s judicial process has long been deeply flawed—and I experienced this personally when I was sentenced to five years in Tehran’s Evin Prison on unproven national security charges, without evidence and with repeatedly shifting accusations—at least in theory, the law still required a degree of verifiable proof. This new measure eliminates even that minimal safeguard. Security agencies are now legally empowered to prosecute, convict, and execute on the basis of mere suspicion, without any independent oversight or evidentiary standard. Since the bill was passed, authorities have launched a new wave of repression.
Iran Executes Man in Public over Young Girl’s Rape, Murder | Agence France-Presse
Iranian authorities carried out on Saturday a public execution of a man convicted of raping and murdering a young girl, the judiciary said. . . . Murder and rape are punishable by death in Iran, the world’s second most prolific executioner after China, according to human rights groups including Amnesty International.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Iran Strikes Spur US-Israel Dialogue on Future Enforcement Model | Jewish News Syndicate
Following the broad success of “Operation Rising Lion,” Jerusalem and Washington are now engaged in discreet but deliberate talks aimed at creating a formal mechanism for coordinated enforcement of a new Iran policy. The proposed framework, which would mark a significant shift in the way the two allies approach nuclear deterrence, is designed to prevent the Islamic Republic from reconstituting its uranium enrichment program and to ensure that any future violations are met with a swift, coordinated military response. According to officials familiar with the discussions, this new doctrine would institutionalize what has until now been ad hoc cooperation, elevating it to a standing system of intelligence triggers, political authorization and operational coordination. Israeli officials have said this joint-action mechanism would serve as a “mandate for future operation” against Iran. . . . American officials have continued to engage with Israel following the June strikes, but have not committed to any formal structure for authorizing future military action. The United States has expressed a preference for maintaining flexibility in its response posture, avoiding any arrangement that would obligate automatic military support or pre-authorized action.
Iranian Naval Forces Still Dispersed at Sea | Maritime Executive
As has been seen previously, the dispositions of Iranian naval forces seen over the last few days give some indication of the dilemmas now facing Iran’s clerical leadership, and the difficulties they now have to face up to regarding their adversarial position with Israel and the United States. In particular, they appear to be aware that they could be subject to attack again should negotiations break down.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
400 Iranian Clerics Back Death Fatwa Against Those Who Threaten Khamenei | Iran International
More than 400 senior clerics in Iran’s holy city of Qom have backed a religious decree labeling threats against Supreme Leader as “moharebeh” or “waging war against God,” a crime in Islamic law that can carry the death penalty. The members of the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom, many of whom are senior religious scholars in Iran’s influential Shi’ite seminaries, said they were endorsing a fatwa which declared those who threaten religious authority figures—including the Supreme Leader—fall into the category of mohareb and must face the corresponding religious and legal consequences. The clerics did not cite a specific decree, referring only to a “sensitive, historic, and courageous fatwa” by senior religious authorities in Qom and Najaf. Two recent fatwas by Grand Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamedani and Nasser Makarem Shirazi align with this description.
Iranian MPs Approve Draft Bill to Bolster Armed Forces Against Israel | Iran International
The Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee has approved the general provisions of a draft bill aimed at boosting the country’s armed forces against the Israeli threat, a senior Iranian lawmaker said on Sunday.
Khamenei’s Former Representative Ali Taeb Dies, State Media Says | Iran International
Ali Taeb, a former representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in the command center responsible for suppressing protests, has died, Iranian state media reported without providing any further explanation. Taeb was Ali Khamenei’s representative at Sarallah Headquarters, one of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ most critical domestic security commands—and a target of Israeli strikes during the recent conflict.
Witnesses Dispute Gas Leak Explanation for Tehran Tower Explosion | Iran International
Eyewitnesses and local residents say a powerful explosion at a residential tower in western Tehran was not caused by a gas leak, contradicting official claims made by Iranian authorities. . . . The Pamchal towers are reportedly affiliated with Iran’s Armed Forces Judiciary Organization. Witnesses also described a heavy security presence at the site, with plainclothes agents preventing residents from filming or photographing the damage. The identity of those injured or hospitalized has not been disclosed. The judiciary-affiliated outlet Mizan has denied any deliberate attack, calling the blast a result of gas accumulation. Residents and at least two eyewitnesses interviewed by Iran International rejected that account. One said the explosion reminded them of past drone strikes attributed to Israel.
Blast Caused by Gas Leak Injures 7 in Iranian City of Qom | Reuters
An explosion at a residential building injured seven people in the Iranian city of Qom, Iranian state media reported on Monday, with the fire department blaming a gas leak and Qom’s governor ruling out any “terrorist” action. Since the end of a 12-day air war last month between Iran and Israel, in which Israel and the United States attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, several gas explosions have occurred in Iran, and the authorities have not blamed Israel.
Witchcraft and War: Claims of Israeli Sorcery Draw Scorn | Iran International
A senior Tehran official has alleged Israel deployed the occult and supernatural spirits in its war with Iran, prompting widespread mockery and a renewed debate over the role of jinn in Iranian political discourse.
RUSSIA & IRAN
Putin Urges Iran to Take “Zero Enrichment” Nuclear Deal with U.S., Sources Say | Axios
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told both President Trump and Iranian officials that he supports the idea of a nuclear deal in which Iran is unable to enrich uranium, sources familiar with those discussions tell Axios.
Russia Slams Report It Backed ‘Zero Enrichment’ Iran Nuclear Deal | Agence France-Presse
Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday described reports claiming that President Vladimir Putin had encouraged Iran to accept a “zero enrichment” agreement on its nuclear programme as “defamation.”
Iran State Media Denies Reports Russia Accepts Zero Enrichment Deal | Jerusalem Post
Iran’s Tasnim news, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has denied a Saturday report that Russia has accepted a proposal under which Iran would not enrich uranium. The denial comes as Iran’s foreign ministry has also said that trust in the US has dropped “below zero.”
EUROPE & IRAN
Drones Could Soon Strike a European City, Iranian Official Warns | Iran International
Five drones could strike a European city in the near future, a former senior Iranian official warned on Saturday, saying Western countries should no longer feel secure following Iran’s recent conflict with Israel. “Europeans can no longer move about comfortably in their own countries,” Mohammad Javad Larijani, a former senior judiciary official who also served as a top adviser to the Supreme Leader, warned in comments broadcast on state television.
UK Islamic Summer Camp ‘Risks Radicalising Children’ | Telegraph
A summer camp sponsored by an Islamic charity accused of backing Iran could expose children to extremist views, it has been claimed. The camp, run by the Ahlulbayt Islamic Mission (AIM) charity, is aimed at children aged nine to 14, with activities including climbing and abseiling along with “lectures and discussions”. . . . In an indication of the kinds of activities children at Camp Wilayah are likely to take part in, one AIM video posted on Instagram shows a group of young boys and girls drawing and colouring in Palestinian flags and watermelon symbols. The children, described as Mahdi’s Little Believers, can also be seen making kites—in an apparent reference to the paragliders used by Hamas on October 7 to attack southern Israel.
IRAQ & IRAN
US Warns Iraq Over Oil Smuggling Ties to Iran | Kurdistan24
The United States has warned the Iraqi government that ongoing oil smuggling operations involving Iranian crude could trigger severe sanctions, potentially targeting Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) and freezing $350 million in oil revenue unless implicated individuals are held accountable.
ISRAEL & IRAN
Iran Claims Its President Was Injured in Israeli Airstrike Last Month | Fox News
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian suffered a minor leg injury while escaping an Israeli airstrike last month, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency. The alleged attack happened on June 16 at a secure government facility in Western Tehran, where Pezeshkian was holding a meeting with other senior officials, according to the outlet, which is managed by Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Six bombs or missiles reportedly targeted entry and exit points to block attempts to evacuate the building and disrupt air flow inside. Power was also cut to the targeted floor, after the blasts, the report said. The officials escaped through an emergency hatch, according to the report.
What We Know About Alleged Israeli Strike on Iran's National Security Council | Iran International
Iranian state media have detailed an alleged Israeli strike on a Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) meeting in Tehran on June 16—but Iran International’s investigation reveals contradictions that cast doubt on the official narrative. IRGC-affiliated Fars News reported on Saturday that a meeting of the SNSC was held on Monday morning, June 16 in one of the underground floors of a building in western Tehran. According to the report, the meeting—attended by the heads of Iran’s three branches of power—was hit by six bombs or missiles, and President Masoud Pezeshkian and some other officials sustained minor leg injuries when trying to flee.
Iran Vows Israel Will ‘Pay the Price’ for ‘Assassination’ Attempt on President | Yedioth Ahronoth
A senior Iranian official threatened that “Israel will pay a price,” telling Al Jazeera: “Israel sought to assassinate the Iranian president during an important meeting of the National Security Council held during the war. The assassination attempt was part of an Israeli plan aimed at toppling the regime in Iran. The strike targeted the heads of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches in order to disrupt the state’s operations. . . . We have launched a comprehensive investigation into the assassination attempt, and there is suspicion that an agent was involved. The attempt on President Pezeshkian’s life will not pass without Israel paying a price.”
Filipina Caregiver Dies of Wounds from Iranian Missile Attack | Times of Israel
A woman wounded in an Iranian ballistic missile strike last month succumbed to her wounds on Sunday, making her the 29th victim of the 12-day war with Iran in Israel. The Philippine embassy named the woman as Leah Mosquera, 49, who had been in Israel working as a caregiver.
Iranian Official Posts Image That Appears to Depict a Nuclear Strike on Israel | Iran International
An advisor to Iran's parliament speaker has shared an image that seems to show a nuclear attack on Israel. Mehdi Mohammadi, a strategic adviser to Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, posted the image in an Instagram story on Saturday. The image showed a map of Israel with two mushroom clouds positioned over its territory—an iconography widely recognized as symbolizing atomic blasts.
Netanyahu Says Israel Not Yet Finished with Iran | Iran International
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview that Israel had rolled back Iran's nuclear program but implied the Jewish state had not yet finished its confrontation with the Islamic Republic. . . . “We haven't finished the job, but I can tell you that America started something. We’ll finish it,” Netanyahu said, alleging Tehran ultimately sought intercontinental ballistic missiles enabling it to strike the United States and even President Donald Trump’s Florida manse Mar-a-Lago.
Iranian Regime Is 'in Deep Trouble' After War with Israel, Netanyahu Says | Times of Israel
The Iranian regime is “in deep trouble,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells Mark Levin in an hour-long interview on Fox News. He filmed the interview while he was in Washington last week, one of three interviews granted to US media. He didn’t do any interviews with the traveling Israeli press. Netanyahu says he would support an “exceptional deal” with Iran: “no enrichment, as President Trump and I say, no ballistic missiles, which could reach your shores, no ballistic missiles beyond what it allowed under international treaties, that is, 300 miles. And no terror axis.”
‘Sweaty and Tense’: Sa'ar Mocks Iranian FM | Jewish News Syndicate
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Monday mocked his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, after Tehran’s top diplomat posted an anti-Israel tirade on his X account. “Trying to remember when I last read something so sweaty and tense. Try to stay cool, Minister!” Sa’ar wrote in response to Araghchi’s post. The Iranian foreign minister was reacting to comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an interview with Fox News that aired on Saturday evening, in which Netanyahu stated that Jerusalem would support an agreement with Tehran only under three specific conditions.
CHINA & IRAN
Iran and China Challenge US as Alliance Grows | Newsweek
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is in China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit alongside key partners including Russia, marking a significant moment in Tehran's growing alliance with Beijing following its recent conflict with Israel. The visit highlights a strategic alignment as China continues purchasing Iranian oil and transferring missile-related materials and air-defense systems to Tehran, while Russia's presence signals Moscow's shared interest in challenging U.S. influence in the region.
MISCELLANEOUS
The Post-Iranian Middle East | Amos Yadlin in Foreign Affairs
Five decades ago, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin established the principle that Israel would not allow any country that calls for its destruction to acquire nuclear weapons. And beginning on June 13, it made good on this pledge. . . . With Tehran weaker than it has been in ages, Israel and Washington now have a chance to secure a robust nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic—the best way to permanently end its nuclear program—and perhaps an even more comprehensive political settlement that could reshape the entire region.