TOP STORIES
U.S. and Europeans Move to Censure Iran for Nuclear Secrecy | The New York Times
Three key European nations and the United States have moved to censure Iran over its secretive nuclear program, hoping to shore up the credibility of the world’s nuclear watchdog before Donald J. Trump’s return to the White House. The United States and the three European nations involved — Britain, France and Germany — put forward a resolution on Tuesday condemning Iran for its consistent refusal to answer questions from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.’s nuclear monitoring organization, about its nuclear enrichment program. The resolution to censure may be voted on at the agency’s regular meeting of its board of governors in Vienna as soon as Thursday. If the measure passes, it could ultimately lead to retaliatory measures against Iran by the West.
Israeli Strikes Killed 71 Pro-Iran Fighters In Syria’s Palmyra: Monitor | Alarabiya News
Israeli strikes killed 71 pro-Iran militants in the Syrian city of Palmyra, with more than a third of them identified as fighters from Iraq and Lebanon, a monitor said Thursday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said those killed in Wednesday’s strikes included 45 fighters from pro-Iran Syrian groups, 26 foreign fighters, most of them from the Iraqi Al-Nujaba movement, and four from Lebanon’s Hezbollah armed group. The strikes targeted three sites in the city renowned for its ancient ruins, including one that hit a meeting of pro-Iranian groups with leaders from Al-Nujaba and Hezbollah. The Observatory, which is based in Britain and relies on a network of sources on the ground across Syria, had previously put the toll from the Israeli strikes on Palmyra at 61 dead.
New Zealand designates the entirety of Hezbollah as a terrorist entity. Since 2010, it has listed just the military wing. Wellington also lists Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officially known as Ansar Allah, as a terrorist group. New Zealand is the 30th country to list the entire Hezbollah organization as a terrorist entity. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar praises the decision in a post on X.
UANI IN THE NEWS
Nigel Farage was the most rational person in the room. I never thought I’d be saying those words – but hear me out. Last week, after highlighting the FBI’s evidence that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was behind the latest assassination attempt on newly elected president Donald Trump, Farage called on Sir Keir Starmer to proscribe the IRGC. But other than a visibly angry Jeremy Corbyn in the background, it was the rationale Farage provided for the proscribing the IRGC that really stood out. The Reform UK Leader and Trump ally asserted that proscribing “what is so obviously a terrorist organisation” was not just the “right thing to do but would mend some fences between the [Labour] government and the incoming presidency of Trump”. Starmer, of course, provided a somewhat stale, pale and scripted response to Farage, suggesting the proscription of the IRGC was “under review”.
The Clandestine Oil Shipping Hub Funneling Iranian Crude To China | Bloomberg
Forty miles east of the Malaysian peninsula sits the world’s largest gathering point for dark fleet tankers. Aging ships, often operating under flags of convenience and without insurance, come here daily to transfer cargo away from prying eyes. It’s how billions of dollars of sanctioned Iranian oil finds its way to China annually — even though the country, officially, hasn’t imported a drop in more than two years… “The scope and scale of the illicit ship-to-ship transfers here is much larger than in other locations,” said Charlie Brown, a Singapore-based maritime security expert who serves as senior advisor at advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran. “There’s the geographic advantage, the generally good weather — and the ability to do it without the authorities intervening.”
Iran Warns IAEA Censure Will ‘Complicate’ Nuclear Talks | i24 News
UANI Policy Director Jason Brodsky joined i24News to discuss the showdown at the IAEA this week between Iran’s regime and the E3.
‘Long Overdue’: New Zealand Designates Hezbollah, Houthis As Terror Groups | Jewish News Syndicate
New Zealand officially designated the Iran-backed terror proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen as terrorist organizations on Wednesday... “As a member of the Five Eyes, this was long overdue for New Zealand,” wrote Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran. (The Five Eyes are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.)
Should Iran Be Censured Before The IAEA | Monocle
The new US treasury secretary will have the power to shape the global economy with its tariff and tax policy. Plus: should Iran be censured before the IAEA? Also, Peace Brigades International documents the threats faced by global human-rights activists and an interview with the founder of European Sleeper to mark the release of our latest ‘Monocle: The Entrepreneurs’ magazine. Podcast episode featuring UANI Director of IRGC Research Kasra Aarabi.
Iran Increases Its Stock Of Highly Enriched Uranium | The Dispatch
… That amount of atomic material, if enriched further, is sufficient to fuel several nuclear bombs, according to IAEA’s estimates. About 92 pounds of 60-percent-enriched uranium could create one nuclear bomb if enriched to 90 percent. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has suggested in recent months that Iran’s “breakout time”—the time needed to achieve a nuclear warhead—is somewhere between one and two weeks. “Breakout time is virtually zero at the moment,” Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, told TMD.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
IAEA's Grossi Hopes Iran's Capping Of Highly Enriched Uranium Stock Holds | Reuters
U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday he hopes Iran's move towards capping its stock of uranium just short of weapons grade will hold, as his agency's board was set to pass a Western-drafted resolution that could derail that. Iran has taken steps towards no longer expanding its stock of uranium enriched to up to 60%, close to the roughly 90% of weapons-grade, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report to member states on Tuesday ahead of a meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors that started on Wednesday.
MISSILE PROGRAM
Iran Hiding Missile, Drone Programs Under Guise Of Commercial Front To Evade Sanctions | Fox News
Iran has turned to its commercial sector to conceal its development of ballistic missiles in a move to circumvent international sanctions, turning private companies into fronts for its illicit military dealings. Sources embedded within the Iranian regime and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and who are also affiliated with the Iranian resistance group called the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, have collected months of information on how the civilian workforce is unknowingly fueling Tehran’s war machine. According to a report by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, civilian companies involved with oil, gas, petrochemicals and electronic components are susceptible to Tehran’s determination to bolster its missile and drone programs, especially as tensions with the West continue to mount over its aid to Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine as well as Iran's direct and indirect attacks on Israel.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
UN Resolution Slams Iran Rights Record, Urges Revocation Of Hijab Laws | Iran International
The UN General Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution criticizing the Islamic Republic for its human rights record especially over women's rights, expressing special concern over mandatory hijab policies. The resolution, drafted by Canada on November 6, was passed with 77 votes in favor, 66 abstentions and 28 votes against in a Wednesday session. Russia, China, Belarus, Armenia, Cuba, Iraq, Indonesia, Oman, Pakistan, Algeria and Syria were among the countries that voted against the resolution.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
US Envoy To Travel To Israel In Bid To Seal Hezbollah Ceasefire | Reuters
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein said he will travel to Israel on Wednesday to try to secure a ceasefire ending the war with Lebanon's Hezbollah group after declaring additional progress in talks in Beirut. Hochstein arrived in Beirut on Tuesday, seeking to clinch a ceasefire agreement after the Lebanese government and Hezbollah agreed to a U.S. ceasefire proposal, although with some comments. "The meeting today built on the meeting yesterday, and made additional progress," Hochstein said after his second meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, endorsed by the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah to negotiate.
Iran Says Western Resolution Will ‘Weaken, Disrupt’ IAEA Interactions | Alarabiya News
A resolution tabled by Western countries to censure Iran’s nuclear program at the International Atomic Energy Agency “will weaken and disrupt” interactions between the UN body and Tehran, it warned ahead of the vote on Thursday. Paris, Berlin, London and Washington have formally submitted a text condemning Iran for alleged lack of cooperation with the agency and its nuclear observers. A formal vote is scheduled for later on Thursday at the UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors meeting at its Vienna headquarters. The tabling of the resolution comes a week after a visit to Iran by the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi.
CONGRESS & IRAN
Senator John Thune said Sunday that the US must pass legislation threatening the International Criminal Court with sanctions if it seeks arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other Israeli officials. “If the ICC and its prosecutor do not reverse their outrageous and unlawful actions to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli officials, the Senate should immediately pass sanctions legislation, as the House has already done on a bipartisan basis,” Thune wrote on social media platform X. Thune will become the majority leader of the Senate in early January when Republicans officially take over Congress. He was referring to a bill calling for sanctions on ICC officials that the House passed earlier this year.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Israel and Iran Seemed on the Brink of a Bigger War. What’s Holding Them Back? | New York Times
It has been nearly a month since Israel sent more than 100 jets and drones to strike Iranian military bases, and the world is still waiting to see how Iran will respond. It is a loaded pause in the high-risk conflict this year between the two Middle East powers. Israel’s counterattack came more than three weeks after Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles — most of which were shot down — on Oct. 1 to avenge the killings of two top Hezbollah and Hamas leaders. The first volley of strikes came in April, when Iran decided to avenge an attack on one of its diplomatic compounds by directly bombarding Israel with at least 300 missiles and drones. Even then, Israel waited days, not hours, to respond.
Can Lebanon’s Army Secure The South? A Cease-Fire Deal Could Depend On It. | The Washington Post
The Lebanese army convoy snaked through the capital’s battered southern suburbs on a recent afternoon, past buildings demolished in Israeli air raids, in a show of public reassurance rather than force by soldiers keenly aware of the limits of their power. There was nothing they could do about the airstrikes, even ones that had killed fellow soldiers. “Not antiaircraft,” a soldier said, gesturing to a gun mounted on a Humvee supplied by the United States. Along with other foreign benefactors, Washington has provided the Lebanese army just enough support over the years to survive — but hardly enough to give it an edge over foreign enemies or domestic rivals. The army’s strength and readiness are matters of growing urgency as the Biden administration makes a new push for a cease-fire between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah, which would end more than a year of war and thrust Lebanese soldiers into a critical role.
CHINA & IRAN
China, Saudi Arabia, Iran Meet To Reaffirm Commitment To Beijing Agreement | Global Times
Saudi Arabia and Iran reaffirmed their commitment to all provisions of the Beijing Agreement, and their continued efforts to consolidate good-neighborly and friendly relations between the two countries. They welcomed the continued positive role of China and held that China's support and follow-up to the implementation of the Beijing Agreement is of great importance, according to a press release issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry after the second meeting of the China-Saudi Arabia-Iran Trilateral Joint Committee held on Tuesday in Riyadh. The meeting marks China's efforts to maintain dialogue between the two nations to ensure the ties steer clear of conflicts in the Middle East, Chinese experts said, noting that it also highlights China's role of being a reliable peacemaker amid wariness in the region over uncertainties coupled with the change in the US government.
AFGHANISTAN & IRAN
Iran Pledges $6B Investment In Afghanistan’s Transportation Infrastructure | Tolo News
In an interview with an Iranian media outlet, the advisor and representative of Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development further added that transportation cooperation with Afghanistan could strengthen the economic ties between the two countries. Seyed Hossein Mirshafi stated: “In the joint commission between the two countries, we have announced our readiness to invest up to $6 billion in Afghanistan's transportation infrastructure. Afghanistan is also a wealthy country with very rich resources.”
TURKEY & IRAN
Turkey Decries Houthi Missile Attack On Turkish-Owned Vessel In Red Sea | The Times Of Israel
Turkey on Wednesday denounced a missile attack targeting a cargo ship in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, saying measures were being taken to prevent any such further incidents. “We condemn the missile attacks by the Houthis on the Panama-flagged dry cargo ship Anadolu S, owned by a Turkish company, while sailing off the coast of Yemen,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced Tuesday they had targeted a cargo ship in the Red Sea, while a multinational naval task force said two missiles had struck near the Panama-flagged vessel.