TOP STORIES
Trump’s Letter to Iran Included 2-Month Deadline for New Nuclear Deal | Axios
President Trump’s letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei included a two-month deadline for reaching a new nuclear deal, one U.S. official and two sources briefed on the letter told Axios.
Trump: Iran Must Stop Supplying Houthis Immediately | The Hill
President Trump demanded that the Iranian government stop providing weapons to the Houthis in Yemen on Wednesday, declaring the group will be “annihilated.”
The FBI on Wednesday shared a wanted poster for Chinese national Baoxia "Emily" Liu, adding that the State Department is offering a reward of up to $15 million for information on her and others accused of smuggling U.S. drone weapons to Iran. Liu and three other fellow Chinese nationals were charged by President Joe Biden’s Justice Department in January 2024 in an alleged years-long conspiracy in which they unlawfully exported and smuggled U.S. export-controlled items through China and Hong Kong to entities affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), which supervises production of Tehran's missiles, weapons, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
UANI IN THE NEWS
UANI Policy Director Jason M. Brodsky Discusses Houthis and Trump’s Iran Deal Deadine | i24
Jason Brodsky joined i24 to discuss the latest on the Houthis and the Axios report that the Trump administration has given the Iranian regime a two-month deadline for a new nuclear deal.
After the election of a new president, formation of a new government, and parliament’s vote of confidence, it appears that Lebanon’s state institutions are now ready to launch a much-needed campaign to reform the war-torn and bankrupted country. A key element in the success of a reform campaign will be the government's ability to curb Hezbollah's disruptive influence over the country.
The anti-West stance of the progressive left, otherwise known as the far left, has not only failed to champion gender equality, but normalised Iran's oppression of women.
A New Relationship with Lebanon: Can Israel Hope for a More Peaceful Future? | Jewish Chronicle
Despite last week’s flutter of speculation that talks aimed at normalising the relationship between Israel and Lebanon were about to open, that prospect remains far-off. “Hezbollah’s vision, despite its defeat by Israel, has not changed,” says Dror Doron, a Lebanon and Iran expert who spent 15 years working for Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office. Doron, now an analyst with the New York-based advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), points to the massive turnout at Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral in Beirut this month. Nearly six months after his death, hundreds of thousands of Shiite Lebanese flooded the streets, chanting “Death to Israel”. The high-profile funeral, which reportedly cost $60 million, was attended by a senior Iranian official. “It was an impressive show of force, signalling that Hezbollah has not abandoned its aspirations to solidify its foothold in Lebanon,” Doron adds.
China Helps Iran Support the Houthis | Great Epoch (translated from Ukranian)
China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil. And oil for Iran is one of the main sources of income. In 2024, China bought more than 90% of Iranian oil in circumvention of US sanctions, according to the non-profit organization United Against Nuclear Iran. Iran directs part of its revenues to organizations it supports, including the Houthis.
NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Iran Says It Will Consider Threats and Opportunities in Trump Letter | Reuters
Iran will consider both the threats and opportunities contained in a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump urging Tehran to reach a new nuclear deal, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday, according to semi-official Fars news agency.
Iran’s Ex-President Blames Tehran for Missed US Nuclear Deal | Iran International
Former President Hassan Rouhani has acknowledged that his administration came close to reviving the 2015 nuclear deal under Biden, but Tehran’s internal divisions prevented the agreement.
HOSTAGES
Iran Releases French Citizen After 2 Years in Detention, Officials Say | New York Times
A French citizen who spent over two years in detention in Iran on spying charges was released this week, the French government said on Thursday. President Emmanuel Macron of France had earlier denounced Iran’s detention of the man, Olivier Grondeau, 34, and two other French citizens as “disgraceful and arbitrary.” Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, on Thursday described Mr. Grondeau’s release as a “huge relief” and said it was the result of “tireless work” by French diplomats, although it was unclear what exactly that involved.
ASSASSINATION PLOTS
‘He Stared into My Eyes,’ Alinejad Recalled Encounter with Hitman in Court | Iran International
Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad took to the stand in a Manhattan Federal court Tuesday recounting the chilling moment she came face-to-face with the man who had been sent to kill her.
PROTESTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Huge Charshanbe Suri Celebrations Sweep Iran Despite Mass Security Presence | Iran International
Iranians across the country defied government warnings and took to the streets en masse on Tuesday night in celebration of the ancient festival of Charshanbe Suri in spite of a huge security presence. Celebrations of the ancient festival were marred by clashes with security forces who came to blows with revellers and reports that 19 had died and 5,000 were left injured.
They Fled Iran Fearing Death. Then the U.S. Deported Them to Panama | Free Press
In Iran, the act of converting from Islam to any other religion is punishable by death. In America, one of the strongest historical rationales for immigrants seeking asylum has been the fear of religious persecution. Yet on February 9, when Artemis Ghasemzadeh, an Iranian Christian convert, crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, after an arduous trip that took her from Iran to Dubai to South Korea and finally Mexico, she said she was never asked about her reasons for seeking asylum. Instead, she said, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents put her in shackles, walked her onto a military plane, and flew her to Panama. They did the same to at least 10 other Iranian Christians, including three children. They all remain stuck in legal limbo in Panama to this day.
A Critical Case in Iran | Jay Nordlinger in National Review
Leila Pashaei is an Iranian human-rights activist who has been arrested and imprisoned. She is in danger of being tortured to death.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Hamas Calls for Global Siege on US, Israeli Embassies, Iran Reveals | Jerusalem Post
Hamas has called for “mass demonstrations and a global siege on Israeli and American embassies around the globe,” according to Iran’s state media Press TV.
Missile Fired from Yemen Triggers Sirens Across Central Israel and Jerusalem Area | Times of Israel
Warning sirens are activated throughout central Israel and the Jerusalem area, including parts of the capital, with the military reporting a missile was fired from Yemen.
RUSSIA, UKRAINE, & IRAN
Iran and Russia’s interests and approaches in the South Caucasus are a complex combination of cooperation and conflict of interests. While Russia and Iran continue to maintain a strategic partnership and have common interests in the South Caucasus in various fields, such as opposition to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) expansion, the North-South International Transport Corridor, and the 3+3 format, their diverging interests in the region pose significant challenges to their collaboration. . . . Unless both Moscow and Tehran address these conflicts of interest, their relationship in the South Caucasus will remain unaligned.
EUROPE & IRAN
Iran Summons UK, German Envoys over Human Rights Resolution | Iran International
Iran summoned the German ambassador and British charge d'affaires on Wednesday over their countries’ role in drafting a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of a fact-finding mission on Iran's human rights record.
ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON, & IRAN
‘Zarif’s allegations are based on unfounded quotes redacted by pro-regime lobbyists,’ said Iran expert Dr. Thamar E. Gindin.