TOP STORIES
US and Iran Trade Strikes, Dispute Whether Hormuz Is Open | Bloomberg
“The US and Iran exchanged fresh strikes overnight into Monday, prolonging a spate of tit-for-tat attacks at a time when the two nations offer conflicting statements over whether the Strait of Hormuz is open to shipping. The latest wave follows a weekend escalation that saw the US launch one of its heaviest bombardments on Iran since the two nations agreed to halt hostilities, in June, while Tehran widened its retaliation on Arab states. . . . The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said earlier that it had intercepted two vessels it viewed as endangering shipping in Hormuz by proceeding along an ‘illegal route.’”
New Satellite Imagery Reveals Iran May Be Rebuilding Suspected Nuclear Facilities | CNN
“Exclusive satellite imagery obtained and analyzed by CNN in collaboration with the Institute for Science and International Security shows signs Iran may be attempting to rebuild its nuclear facilities. The activity raises questions as to whether Iran violated the memorandum of understanding it signed with the US in late June – even before President Trump seemed to signal its end by launching fresh strikes on the country. CNN’s Katie Polglase reports.”
“A series of arson and vandalism attacks on Jewish sites in Britain were the work of a proxy group backed by Iran, the U.K. government said Monday. The government said it is banning the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, or IMCR, also known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. It also banned Iran’s powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
Interview with UANI CEO Amb. Mark D. Wallace | Fox News
“I’m quite confident that our military and intelligence have truly good eyes on these [Iranian nuclear sites] . . . [C]learly Iran is not ready to rejoin the community of nations, as so many of our friends have hoped in the past . . . and I think this kind of conduct [attempting to rebuild Iran’s nuclear facilities] is designed to be provocative and get us talking about it.”
Interview with UANI CEO Amb. Mark Wallace | Local10.com
“What makes this drone different, the Shahed-136, is [that] at one point Iran sent 6,000 of them to Russia. Then Russia began building them with Iranian technology, design, engines. It was largely able to be built with off-the-shelf components—almost off Amazon, if you will. . . . That drone probably costs between 30 and 40 thousand dollars to build. A Patriot missile costs millions to build, an F-16 shooting it down hundreds and hundreds of thousands [of dollars] in time, in air hours. So this simple device, a true terror weapon, is the new face of warfare.”
Hard-Liners in Iran Want to Keep Fighting America | New York Times
“The hard-liners ‘are attempting to use the atmosphere of mourning, national insecurity and opposition to negotiations to narrow the range of politically acceptable debate and to portray compromise as both strategically dangerous and morally illegitimate,’ said [UANI Senior Advisor] Saeid Golkar, a professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, who studies Iran’s security forces. . . . ‘The political atmosphere is very fluid, we don’t really know who is running the regime,’ Mr. Golkar said. ‘The system is changing; they need time to consolidate power.’”
Advocacy Group Says Iran Has Violated Multiple Provisions of Memorandum with US | Fox News
“United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), an advocacy organization chaired by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, argued Saturday that Tehran has violated multiple provisions of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Trump administration last month, citing recent military attacks, threats against the United States and ongoing disputes over the Strait of Hormuz. In an analysis released Saturday, UANI Director of Outreach and Human Rights Research Alan Goldsmith said Iran had breached commitments related to the use of force, negotiations toward a final agreement, freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and cooperation on nuclear issues.”
“An estimated 60.7 million barrels, averaging 2.17 million barrels per day, were exported in February 2026, an increase of 20% from January 2026, according to analysis from U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran. That number dropped to 35.7 million barrels in March, averaging 1.136 million barrels per day, according to UANI.”
“A mafia system without a godfather doesn’t immediately collapse: it fractures into infighting as rival oligarchic clans, once kept in line by a single strongman, turn on one another in a struggle for power and resources. That is Iran today, in the aftermath of the war. Much of the media in the West wants you to believe the Islamic Republic has emerged ‘stronger’ from the Iran War—but that conclusion is not correct.”
Mojtaba Khamenei’s Absence Signals Shifting Role for the Iranian Leader | Agence France-Presse
“Jason Brodsky, policy director of the US-based think tank United Against Nuclear Iran, said Mojtaba had relied on the support of the IRGC to win the post and was ‘more dependent’ on the force. ‘The balance of power between the office of the supreme leader and the IRGC has shifted,’ he told AFP. Brodsky described Mojtaba Khamenei as a ‘weaker leader’ than his father but noted it took Ali Khamenei ‘years to consolidate his authority’ after being named in 1989. He argued that while ‘Iran is trying to portray strength, cohesion and survival’ after the war, Mojtaba’s absence shows that ‘behind the scenes there is paranoia and fear’ after not just his father but a whole layer of officials were killed in the war.”
“Analysts said Iran’s decision to close the Strait of Hormuz and attack commercial shipping marked another setback for diplomatic efforts. ‘The Iranian regime is proving once again that when the US outstretches a hand in the spirit of diplomacy it is met with a clenched fist from Tehran,’ Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told RFE/RL. ‘The US will need to escalate to send a message to the Islamic republic.’”
4 Months in Power, Where is Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei? | CNBC Indonesia
“Ali Ansari, a professor of modern history at the University of St Andrews, believes Mojtaba’s biggest challenge is not simply leading the country, but building legitimacy as his successor. . . . Jason Brodsky of United Against Nuclear Iran expressed a similar view. He believes the balance of power is shifting. While during the Ali Khamenei era, the Supreme Leader’s office served as the center of control, the IRGC’s influence is now expected to increase as Mojtaba is seen as more dependent on the institution’s support.”
China’s ‘Teapot’ Independent Refiners Buy Qatari, Iraqi and UAE Oil over Iranian | Investing Live
“Tanker tracking data underscores the scale of Iranian flows built up since the ceasefire. . . . United Against Nuclear Iran estimated exports peaked at 60.7 million barrels in February before falling to 35.7 million barrels in March, and calculated that 52 tankers have sailed with Iranian oil and products since the June 14 ceasefire, carrying around 62 million barrels, with 15 vessels already reaching waters near Singapore and Malaysia's Johor area.”
US Sanctions Back in Effect, Chinese Refineries Shun Iranian Crude Oil | IDN Financials
“. . . the United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) analysis institution noted fluctuating movements in Tehran's exports, which reached 60.7 million barrels in February before falling to 35.7 million barrels in March. Since the June 14 ceasefire agreement, a total of 52 tankers have been observed sailing carrying their oil and petrochemical products.”
MILITARY MATTERS & STRAIT OF HORMUZ SITUATION
“Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei announced on Saturday that revenge for his father's assassination ‘will most certainly be carried out.’ . . . Mojtaba Khamenei, who didn’t appear in public during the funeral ceremonies, didn’t specifically mention Trump. But earlier this week, Israel gave the U.S. information that suggested Iranian officials recently discussed the idea of assassinating Trump, U.S. and Israeli officials said.”
“President Donald Trump is suggesting he has left standing orders for the U.S. military to destroy Iran ‘at levels they’ve never seen before’ if Tehran follows through on its long-standing threats to kill him. But the U.S. government has no way to create an automatic, preauthorized ‘dead man’s switch’ that would prompt immediate retaliation. Instead, if Trump were killed, the transfer of power to his successor is governed by the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. Vice President JD Vance instantaneously would become commander in chief and have authority for any retaliation.”
Hormuz Traffic Slows to Multi-Week Low as Renewed US, Iran Strikes Raise Safety Risk | Reuters
“The number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz fell to multi-week lows on Sunday, shipping data showed, as renewed strikes between the U.S. and Iran and attacks on ships in the Middle East heightened safety concerns.”
US Encourages Commercial Vessels to Use Southern Strait of Hormuz Route Despite Attacks | CBS News
“The U.S. Navy continues to encourage commercial ships to use the so-called southern route through the Strait of Hormuz, despite attacks by Iran this week targeting vessels trying to use that route and repeated warnings from Tehran for ships to only use a northern passage close to its coast.”
Waltz Says Ceasefire ‘Broken Down’ After US and Iran Trade Fire | ABC News
“After the U.S. military launched strikes against Iran for the third time in less than a week, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Sunday that ‘all options are on the table,’ saying that Iran ‘is not living up to’ the preliminary agreement negotiators reached in June.”
Iran Army Says It Downs US Lucas Attack Drone over Bandar Abbas | Iran International
“Iran’s military said on Monday that its air defenses shot down a US-made LUCAS one-way attack drone over Bandar Abbas. The army released video it said showed a surface-to-air missile intercepting the drone.”
Iran’s Ghalibaf Says Iran Will Never Surrender | Al Jazeera
“Iran’s lead negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf has said the conflict with the US will never end with Tehran’s surrender, adding that Iran is ready to defend itself if the US walks back from the MoU. ‘At any moment the Americans betray the understanding, we are ready for full-scale defence and will stand firm against them and defend the rights of the Iranian people,’ he said. ‘Ending the war is a priority for the countries of the world, but everyone should know that this conflict will never end with Iran’s surrender.’ Ghalibaf added that Muslim nations must ‘stand up’ and unite against the US and Israel.”
Iran Will Respond Against Israel If Infrastructure Is Attacked, Says Security Official | CBS News
“Iran will respond to any attack against its infrastructure, including by striking Israel, the head of the country’s top security body said Friday. ‘Any attack on infrastructure will be retaliated against, and the criminal Zionist regime responsible for these atrocities will not be safe from the response of our fighters,’ Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr said in a statement carried by state TV.”
Iranian Cleric Calls for Missile or Drone Strike to Kill Trump | Iran International
“Ahmad Reza Hajati, the Friday prayer leader in Ahvaz, southwestern Iran, urged ‘anyone with missiles or drones’ to kill US President Donald Trump and ‘purge the earth’ of his existence in revenge for Ali Khamenei’s death.”
Iran MP Says Arab Neighbors Will Pay ‘Irreparable Price’ for Backing US | Iran International
“Regional countries that support US policies will pay a ‘heavy and irreparable price,’ Iranian lawmaker Mohammad Saleh Jokar said Friday. Jokar also said the Strait of Hormuz would not return to prewar conditions and would be managed under arrangements set by Iran, Iranian media reported.”
Hardline Heavyweight Urges Iran Officials to Avenge Khamenei’s Death | Iran International
“Influential hardline politician Saeed Jalili said avenging Ali Khamenei’s killing was the nation’s right and the authorities’ duty, in remarks seen as one of the first public signs of a rift within Iran’s leadership in the post-Khamenei era. ‘What kind of revenge is this? Why is our nation calling for a great revenge? This nation wants to defend its rights,’ Jalili told a group of Khamenei mourners in Mashhad. ‘If you seek the release of frozen assets, know that the Iranian nation’s greatest asset was its leader. Today, our nation has the right to seek revenge. And it is the authorities’ duty to pursue this revenge. Revenge is the nation’s right and the authorities’ duty.”
DIPLOMACY
Trump Says US Has Agreed to Continue Talks with Iran, but Ceasefire “Over” | CBS News
“President Trump said Friday on Truth Social that the U.S. had agreed to a request from Iran to continue talks over a potential peace deal, but he reiterated his stance from earlier in the week that the ceasefire is ‘over.’”
Trump Administration Increasingly Pessimistic of Clinching Iran Nuclear Deal | Wall Street Journal
“The Trump administration believes that a nuclear deal with Iran is growing increasingly unlikely, senior U.S. officials told reporters Friday, in a rare acknowledgment that one of the president’s core foreign-policy goals of capping Tehran’s nuclear program might not be achievable through peace talks. . . . The senior U.S. officials said that if Iran can’t abide by the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding—which gave Iran financial benefits in exchange for reopening of the strait—then there is little hope of reaching a far more complex deal to dispose of Iran’s nuclear material and impose long-term caps on its program.”
Vance, Witkoff and Kushner in Contact with Qataris amid Efforts to Bolster Diplomacy | CBS News
“A source familiar with the discussions tells CBS News that Vice President JD Vance, as well as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have been in touch with Qatari officials this week after the dramatic escalation of attacks by the U.S. and Iran.”
US Seeks Free Hormuz Access from Iran as Talks Focus on Strait | Reuters
“A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Iran, the U.S., Qatar, and Pakistan had agreed to negotiate in a call that mediators were trying to arrange for Saturday while [Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas] Araqchi is in Oman. It was not immediately clear whether the efforts were successful, but Araqchi and Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi ‘exchanged views on appropriate mechanisms for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz,’ in accordance with the ceasefire deal, according to a statement from the Iranian foreign minister.”
“Iranian officials privately told Trump advisers that they made a mistake in shooting at commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, that the attacks stemmed from an ‘errant’ sect of hardliners who are trying to undermine negotiations, and that they want to keep talking, senior U.S. officials said on Friday. The White House wants the regime to publicly acknowledge its mistake, which the Trump administration views as a violation of the ceasefire.”
Iran Denies Reports of New US Talks Next Week - IRGC Outlet | Iran International
“A source close to Iran’s negotiating team denied media reports that Tehran and Washington were preparing to hold a new round of talks next week, the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency reported. The source told Fars that claims about finalized preparations for talks in Islamabad and continued technical discussions next week were false and had no factual basis. The source added that any developments in the negotiation process would be announced only through official channels of the Islamic Republic. ‘No negotiations will be held until the Trump administration fulfills its commitments,’ said Mohammad Marandi, a member of the Islamic Republic’s delegation in Islamabad talks.”
US Cannot Negotiate While Iran Reneges on Obligations, Envoy Tells UN Meeting | Iran International
“US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Tammy Bruce told an emergency Security Council session that Washington remained open to diplomacy with Iran, but warned talks could not continue while Tehran was breaching basic obligations. ‘While dialogue remains possible, the US can’t negotiate while Iran reneges on simple obligations, like don’t shoot on civilian objects. If you shoot at civilian objects or ships, we will respond,’ Bruce said, adding that ‘President Trump prefers peace.’”
Pezeshkian, Pakistan PM Discuss Hormuz, Regional Strikes | Iran International
“President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed the Strait of Hormuz and recent US and Iranian strikes across the region in a phone call on Friday, according to reports by Al-Hadath and Iranian state media.”
Iran Hardliner Says Negotiations Are a Tool, Not a Goal | Iran International
“Influential hardline politician Saeed Jalili said negotiations should be judged solely by whether they strengthen Iran, describing diplomacy as a tool rather than an objective.”
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
15-Year-Old Killed by Iranian Border Guards in Kurdistan | IranWire
“According to a report by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, a 15-year-old named Sam Hasani was killed by direct gunfire from border guard units stationed in the village of Darki in Sarvabad County. The Hasani family are farmers and were returning from their orchard on Thursday evening, July 9, when they encountered the border forces. According to the report, the border guards opened fire on the family’s vehicle from close range without any prior warning. As a result of the shooting, Sam Hasani was struck in the head and killed. The family’s father, Ahsan Hasani, was also wounded in the leg. Sam Hasani’s body has been transferred to the morgue at Bu-Ali Hospital in Marivan for legal proceedings and has not yet been released to his family.”
“Peyvand Naimi has spent more than six months in an Iranian prison, accused of killing state security agents during nationwide protests, although his family says no formal charges or evidence have been presented. ‘The Baha’is will not be released,’ the family says it was told by the prosecutor. Ever since the Baha’i faith was founded in Persia—now Iran—in the 19th century, its followers there have been persecuted, usually more harshly during times of crisis. This year, amid massive anti-government protests and war with the United States and Israel, the Islamic Republic has mounted a fierce crackdown on the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, human rights groups say.”
ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Israel Says It Has Carried Out More than 20 Attacks in Lebanon This Week | CBS News
“Israel's military said Friday that it had carried out more than 20 attacks in Lebanon over the course of the week, responding, it said, [to] ‘Hezbollah ceasefire violations.”
Inside Israel’s Secret Operation to Cultivate Ahmadinejad | New York Times
“The yearslong effort to groom the former Iranian president as an intelligence asset culminated in a dramatic effort to take him to an Israeli safe house in the early days of the war. But the plan fell apart.”
RUSSIA & IRAN
Russia Sending Engineers Back to Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Facility: Rosatom CEO | Al Jazeera
“Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom is sending the first six employees of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant back to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, according to Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev, as quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency. Rosatom is building two new units at Bushehr. It evacuated hundreds of staff after the US and Israel launched their joint war on Iran, on February 28.”
EUROPE & IRAN
UK Condemns Iran’s Persian Gulf Attacks, Urges Return to Diplomacy | Iran International
“Britain’s representative to the United Nations Security Council condemned Iran’s recent attacks in the region and against commercial vessels, saying London stood in solidarity with its Middle East partners. The envoy said the fragile situation underscored the urgent need to preserve the diplomatic track, de-escalate tensions and return to diplomacy, while welcoming reports that the parties were moving back toward talks.”
France Says Tehran’s Attacks Violated US-Iran MoU | Iran International
“France’s envoy to the United Nations, Jerome Bonnafont, told a Security Council meeting on Friday that Iran’s attacks on Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and vessels in the Strait of Hormuz violated the US-Iran MoU, urging Tehran to reopen the strait under international law.”
GULF STATES & IRAN
“Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said a Qatari delegation arrived Friday in Iran to ‘stabilize’ Qatar's position as a mediator following the events of recent days. According to the report, the delegation is headed by an adviser to Qatar's foreign minister, and the visiting officials were likely to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Mashhad, the northeastern city where memorial services for former supreme leader Ali Khamenei culminated Thursday in his burial.”
Bahrain Urges Iran to Stop Threatening Maritime Security | Iran International
“Bahrain’s envoy to the United Nations Jamal Fares Alrowaiei told a Security Council meeting on Friday that Iran continued to threaten maritime security, urging Tehran to comply with its MoU with the United States.”
YEMEN, HOUTHIS & IRAN
“Yemen's defence ministry said on Monday that its armed forces had targeted the runway at Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian plane from landing. Yemen’s capital Sanaa is under the control of the Iran-aligned Houthi group, while the internationally recognised government, which has the backing of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, operates out of Aden in southern Yemen.”
MISCELLANEOUS
Mamdani Says Meeting with Iran Ambassador ‘Will Not Take Place’ | Iran International
“New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said a proposed meeting between his international affairs commissioner and Iran’s ambassador to the UN would not go ahead, adding that he had been unaware of the request until contacted by the press.”