TOP STORIES
“The U.S. military said it completed the 11th night of strikes on Iran early Wednesday as attacks across the Middle East overshadowed diplomatic efforts in Pakistan to salvage an interim ceasefire deal that has collapsed. U.S. Central Command said targets included aircraft hangars and drone storage sites.
“U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Asian leaders Wednesday that Iran’s demand to control and collect tolls in the Strait of Hormuz would threaten the world’s economy and set a precedent that could be repeated elsewhere in the world.”
Israeli Intelligence Assesses Iran Moved Enriched Uranium to Pickaxe Mountain | Israel Hayom
“Israeli intelligence assesses that at least part of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium was transferred to the underground facility at Pickaxe Mountain, CNN reported, citing an Israeli official familiar with the matter.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
Interview with UANI Research Director Daniel Roth | Newsmax
“It’s important to recognize that Iran has used this threat to close the Strait for decades. This not a new thing, but I think President Trump recognizes that the world’s sea-lanes cannot simply become Iran’s bargaining chips. You don’t reward this kind of piracy with open ports.”
Interview with UANI Research Director Daniel Roth | ILTV
“What was useful from last year’s [Midnight Hammer] operation was those bombs were going straight down ventilation shafts. Pickaxe Mountain has not been mapped out to the same extent as Natanz, so it’s difficult to see where those shafts are. I’d presume the Iranians have learnt from their mistakes, so we have to ask whether it’s even possible to bomb from the air. It might take something more than that.”
MILITARY MATTERS & STRAIT OF HORMUZ SITUATION
US Will Be Hitting Pickaxe Mountain “Pretty Soon,” Trump Says | CBS News
“President Trump said the U.S. will be striking Pickaxe Mountain, an alleged nuclear storage facility, though he wouldn't confirm whether they believe centrifuges have been moved to the location.”
US Has Turned Around 8 Ships in Iran Blockade | CBS News
“The U.S. military’s Central Command said Tuesday it has redirected a total of eight commercial vessels since President Trump reinstated a blockade of Iranian ports last week.”
Iran War Has Cost $37.5 Billion So Far, Hegseth Says | CBS News
“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers the war with Iran has cost $37.5 billion, a figure that he said includes the anticipated cost of military pay through the end of the fiscal year. Hegseth offered the latest estimate—up from $29 billion in May—during questioning by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois in a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. … ‘I acknowledge they still have capabilities, no doubt, but the amount of damage that we’ve done to them over the course of these series of operations has put them in the worst place they’ve ever been,’ Hegseth said.”
Caine Acknowledges Limits of Air Strikes to Win War | Associated Press
“‘As you look across the totality of history, airpower’s got limits, and we always have to be mindful of those,” [Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan] Caine said. ‘I think where America’s area of exclusivity is, is when we bring the totality of the diplomatic, informational, economic and pair that with the military. And there’s a lot of that work going on.’ Caine declined to say whether ground combat could be next after being pressed by Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat who noted the likely costs of having boots on the ground. The general later said: ‘Iran will continue to be a challenge moving forward.’”
New UK PM Burnham Keeps British Bases Open for US Defensive Strikes on Iran: Report | Fox News
“The United Kingdom's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, has approved the use of British military bases by the United States for ‘defensive strikes against Iran,’ Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing a source.”
Unfazed by Iran’s Threats, Bulgaria Moves to Aid U.S. Military Operations | Defense News
“The Bulgarian parliament’s Defence Committee has voted to approve a draft decision enabling U.S. tanker aircraft to support military operations against Iran from an air base on the Balkan country’s territory. The decision comes despite thinly veiled threats from Iranian officials who warned Sofia against aiding Washington.”
DIPLOMACY
“It was Tehran that initiated the proposal now being advanced by mediators for a 10-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, two sources familiar with the negotiations told The Jerusalem Post. . . . According to the two sources, the purpose of the proposed ceasefire is to find a solution regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the issue that triggered the crisis over the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last month, after which both Tehran and Washington effectively declared that the agreement was no longer in force. The mediators, including senior Qatari, Egyptian, Omani, and Pakistani officials, have presented the proposal to the United States and have added further elements during discussions with both Washington and Tehran. One such idea is the creation of a ‘middle corridor’ through the Strait of Hormuz, located between Omani-controlled and Iranian-controlled waters, through which commercial vessels could safely transit. Two sources told the Post that, at this stage, the United States is demanding a longer ceasefire. They added that Washington also insists on reaching at least a partial understanding regarding freedom of navigation through the strait before any ceasefire takes effect, with the remaining details to be finalized during the proposed 10-day pause.”
Rubio Says US Will Strike Iran Shipping Threats, Remains Open to Diplomacy | Iran International
“US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Iran was under severe economic and military pressure but the United States would continue targeting its ability to attack commercial shipping while remaining open to a negotiated solution. ‘Iran’s in a lot of trouble,’ Rubio told reporters on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit. He said Iran was facing ‘hyperinflation, runaway inflation, high food costs,’ adding that the country’s military infrastructure had suffered ‘a tremendous amount of damage.’”
“Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for restraint from all sides in the Iran war during a meeting Tuesday with Iran's visiting interior minister, Sharif's office said. . . . Sharif had told Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni that Pakistan would continue to act as a mediator between the U.S. and Iran.”
PROXY WARS
“At least five vessels, including several laden with Saudi crude oil, made u-turns before reaching the Bab el-Mandeb strait to exit or enter the Red Sea on Tuesday, CBS News has confirmed based on tracking data. The turnarounds came after Yemen's Iranian-allied Houthi rebels vowed to block Saudi-linked ships from using the strait.”
“President Trump said Tuesday that there was currently no blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb strait or the Red Sea, despite at least five commercial vessels appearing to turn back from the vital shipping chokepoint in the Middle East under a threat from Iran’s powerful Houthi rebel allies in Yemen. Speaking at the White House alongside Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Mr. Trump said a blockade in the Red Sea was possible, but ‘so far it hasn't happened.’ ‘It might happen,’ Mr. Trump said, adding that if it did, ‘we take care of things. If something like that happens, we take care of that.’”
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Pezeshkian: Access to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Has Increased | IranWire
“President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that ‘communication and access levels’ to Mojtaba Khamenei, the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, have increased. He also criticized IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting), accusing the state broadcaster of selectively airing only those portions of Khamenei’s remarks that focus on ‘refusing negotiations.’”
Hardliner Accuses Ghalibaf of Paving Way for Coup Through US Deal | Iran International
“Hardline Iranian lawmaker accused parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf of backing a US deal that blocks revenge for Ali Khamenei’s killing and could paralyze the state, paving the way for a bloodless coup. Hamid Rasaei said the memorandum negotiated with Washington was fundamentally incompatible with retaliation, accusing Ghalibaf of trying to disguise that contradiction through religious and ideological rhetoric.”
CONGRESS & IRAN
Speaker Mike Johnson on Iran War: “We Gotta Wrap It Up” | CBS News
“I don't think an [Authorization for Use of Military Force vote] is in order right now,’ he said, referring to the vote that would officially authorize President Trump to declare war. ‘I think we need to bring this to a resolution. I think it's important for all of our international partners, this is my personal view, to have a role in this.’ He continued, ‘It shouldn't just be America's obligation. My view is that everybody needs to play a role.’”
House Democrat: Trump Not Sharing Iran War Casualty Statistics with Congress | The Hill
“Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) on Monday said President Trump has not shared Iran war casualty statistics with Congress, a point of contention after three U.S. service members were killed over the last week as hostilities with Iran resumed.”
Peters Calls Hegseth a ‘Failure’ at Hearing | The Hill
“Democratic Sen. Gary Peters (Mich.) on Tuesday said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was a ‘failure’ and lacked the leadership necessary to win the Iran war.”
Ossoff Spars with Hegseth over Claims of ‘Overwhelming Victory’ in Iran | The Hill
“Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) sparred with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday over whether the U.S. military obtained an ‘overwhelming victory’ in Iran as he declared in April.”
EUROPE & IRAN
Iran Condemns ‘Unprofessional’ Actions of French Diplomats | Al Jazeera
“Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has condemned the ‘unconventional and unprofessional’ actions of two French diplomats stationed in Tehran as ‘unacceptable’ during a phone call with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot. During the conversation, Araghchi ‘expressed his objection to the unconventional and undiplomatic actions of two French diplomats in Tehran,’ according to a message shared on Araghchi’s Telegram channel. Without saying what the French diplomats had done, Araghchi said that ‘respecting the laws and regulations of the host country and adhering to established diplomatic principles and norms are essential for the continuation of the activities of foreign missions.”
Iranian Official Denies Two French Diplomats Were Mistreated | Reuters
“An Iranian foreign ministry official denied on Wednesday that two French diplomats were mistreated by Iranian security personnel who detained them for several hours in Tehran. Paris swiftly dismissed the Iranian official’s comments, which were reported by state media, and has warned that there will be consequences over the incident.”
ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Israel, Lebanon Trade Accusations over Gunfire on First Day of “Pilot Zone” Takeover | CBS News
“The beginning of Lebanon's move into taking responsibility for security in the southern part of the country has gotten off to a rocky start on Tuesday. Israel and Lebanon have traded accusations over gunfire that broke out as the Lebanon army moved into a ‘pilot zone’ as part of the trilateral deal negotiated between the two sides and the U.S. in June.”
GULF STATES & IRAN
US Allies in Persian Gulf Exasperated as Iran War Escalates | Bloomberg
“Washington’s Gulf Arab allies are increasingly frustrated as hostilities between the US and Iran intensify, jeopardizing their national security and economies. The Gulf states’ exasperation is underscored by their wide-ranging views on what the US should do next. Some officials believe President Donald Trump should escalate military operations by deploying ground troops in parts of Iran and perhaps even seizing its crucial oil export hub of Kharg Island, according to people familiar with the matter . . . These officials believe Iran’s leaders won’t back down and relinquish their grip over the Strait of Hormuz unless the US takes more aggressive action, said the people.”