TOP STORIES
Iran Could Assassinate Sunbathing Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Khamenei Ally Says | Newsweek
An ally of the Iranian Supreme Leader joked that Iran could assassinate President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. "Trump can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago, because while he's lying down, a micro-drone might target and strike him right in the navel," said Mohammad-Javad Larijani, a regime figure and adviser to Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Larijani laughed as he made the remark on Iranian television, which was broadcast on Wednesday, July 9, as part of a discussion about the country's military technology.
Donald Trump Responds to Iran Mar-a-Lago Assassination ‘Threat’ | Newsweek
Later on Wednesday, Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Trump if he would classify the comments as a threat. “Yeah, I guess it's a threat. I’m not sure it’s a threat, actually, but perhaps it is,” Trump responded. Doocy also asked Trump, “When was the last time you went sunbathing?” to which the president said, “It’s been a long time. Maybe I was around 7 or so. I’m not too big into it.”
Iran Tried to Kill or Kidnap Jews in Britain | Telegraph
Iran has targeted “prominent Jewish individuals” among at least 15 attempts to kill or kidnap people in Britain, the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) has warned. A report by the parliamentary committee warned of a “sharp increase” in the “physical threat” posed to critics of the regime. Iranian intelligence services often use third-party agents to “attempt assassination” within the UK, the report warned, highlighting a particular threat to dissident media organisations and “prominent Jewish individuals.” MI5 said: “It is not typically Iranian nationals that are conducting the operations themselves . . . They use criminal groups that you wouldn’t at all expect.” GCHQ said that Iran had used “very specific capabilities targeting the individuals, for example spear-phishing in order to gain access to targets’ accounts but also potentially deploying malicious software onto the targets’ phones.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
We Could Assassinate Trump Sunbathing, Iranian Official Claims | Times of London
A senior Iranian official has suggested President Trump could be assassinated while he sunbathes at his estate in Florida. Javad Larijani, an adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued the warning on Iranian state television in the wake of US intervention in Iran’s conflict with Israel. “Trump has done something so that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago. As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel. It’s very simple,” he said with a laugh, according to the London-based media outlet Iran International. . . . On Wednesday the policy group United Against Nuclear Iran called for the US government to sanction senior Iranian clerics for promoting fatwas to kill Trump. The group, which is chaired by Jeb Bush (the former governor of Florida whose father and brother served as president), published a list identifying 11 people and two entities aligned to the regime that should be sanctioned.
Jason M. Brodsky, Policy Director at UANI, appeared on Iran International to discuss the recent fatwa that calls for the assassination of U.S. President Donald Trump.
US Sanctions on Hong Kong, UAE, Turkey Target Iran’s Shadow Banking Network | Kyiv Post
For Iran watchers in Washington, such as Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, a nonprofit that focuses on countering threats posed by the Islamic regime, it is critical to continue to aggressively enforce US sanctions to weaken Tehran’s capacity for aggression. “These sanctions deprive Iran’s regime of resources to rebuild and refinance its nuclear and military programs after the US and Israeli military strikes,” Brodsky told Kyiv Post.
Bonus Pod: Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth plus Iranian Fatwas Target Trump | Verdict with Ted Cruz
The organization United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is calling for sanctions against individuals and entities involved.
NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
A senior Israeli official says Israeli intelligence shows that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was not removed from the three nuclear sites at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan before they were struck by the US last month amid Israel’s 12-day war with Iran, and has not been moved since. The stockpile of some 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent stayed there, and was not removed, the unnamed official tells Reuters. The official suggests, however, that the Iranians might still be able to gain access to the enriched uranium at Isfahan—where the International Atomic Energy Agency said the stockpile was believed to be located before the war—but that it would be very difficult to remove it.
Iran Is ‘Afraid’ to Continue Nuclear Program, Netanyahu Says | Yedioth Ahronoth
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that he does not believe Iran will continue to develop its nuclear program after Operation Rising Lion—but emphasized the issue demands constant monitoring by Israel and the U.S., comparing the Islamic Republic to cancer. “They’re afraid,” Netanyahu said of the Iranians during his visit to the U.S. in an interview . . . “They know they felt the might—the might of America, the might of Israel and the combined might of Israel and America. It’s made an impact, not only in the Middle East, it’s made an impact around the world. Everybody sees this.” . . . The prime minister also disputed claims from the Trump administration denying Iran's success in moving enriched uranium from Fordow before the U.S. strikes. “Well, we think we know where it is, it’s sort of buried underground,” Netanyahu said, adding: “Enriched uranium is not enough to make atomic bombs. Okay, it’s a necessary component, but it’s not sufficient.”
Iran Demands UN’s IAEA Drop ‘Double Standards’ on Nuclear Monitoring | Jerusalem Post
Iran’s president said on Thursday the UN nuclear watchdog should drop its “double standards” if Tehran is to resume cooperation with it over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, Iranian state media reported.
Inside the Risky Shooting Orders Behind the Assassination of Iran’s Nuclear Chief | Jerusalem Post
The founder and chief of Iran’s nuclear program, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was assassinated on November 27, 2020, with Iran pointing the finger at the Mossad. Israel, even after the June conflict with Iran, has not taken responsibility for the episode. While many details of Fakhrizadeh’s assassination were previously disclosed by The Jerusalem Post and other media outlets, there is one new major detail that has not been reported to date. At a key point during the operation to kill Fakhrizadeh, he was hit by gunfire from his assassins while inside his car. The Post understands, however, that operation commanders believed Fakhrizadeh was still alive and might survive, and that the operation should continue until his death was confirmed.
SANCTIONS, SHIPPING, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
New US Sanctions Target Iran’s Shadow Banking Network | Bloomberg News
The US applied more pressure on Iran with sanctions targeting companies that help the country sell oil through a “shadow banking” network for the benefit of its most powerful paramilitary force. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said it imposed limits on 22 entities based in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey that serve as front companies for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force, designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organization, to transfer hundreds of millions of dollars in profits from oil sales through offshore accounts.
Embattled Iran Slams Consequences of War on Oil Markets | CNBC
Iran’s oil minister on Wednesday criticized the effects of war-led disruptions to oil markets, weeks after Tehran’s 12-day hostilities with Israel sent crude price soaring.
India’s Iron Ore Pellet Makers Seek Curbs on Iranian Imports via Oman | Reuters
India’s iron ore pellet makers have urged the government to curb a surge in imports routed through Oman, which they say originate from Iran despite U.S. sanctions, warning that the cheaper supplies could hurt the local industry, sources and an analyst said.
The Window for Sanctioning Iran Is Closing | Gabriel Noronha in the National Interest
Israel and the United States did Europe and the civilized world a massive favor by striking Iran’s nuclear program and much of the regime’s ballistic missile production facilities. Iran’s missiles and drones have already helped slaughter European civilians and cities in Ukraine—a successful nuclear weapon program would imperil European capitals as well. The United States never expected Europe to participate in the strikes, but now Europe must do its part in implementing sanctions—and fast.
HOSTAGES
Son of Couple Held in Iran: ‘They Aren’t Spies, They’re Mum and Dad’ | BBC News
The son of a British couple detained in Iran has said he broke down in tears when he learned of their arrest and has not heard from them in six months. Craig and Lindsay Foreman were on a “once-in-a-lifetime” motorbike trip around the world when they were arrested in January and later charged with espionage, which the family denies. Their son Joe Bennett told BBC Breakfast: “I want to be crystal clear, my parents aren’t spies, they’re not political players, they aren’t criminals. They’re Mum and Dad.”
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Netanyahu Praises Trump’s Decisive Action on Iran | Jewish News Syndicate
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a forceful address Wednesday night at a reception for Jewish and Christian leaders at Blair House in Washington, attended by U.S. generals, senators and other dignitaries. The prime minister thanked President Donald Trump for his historic preemptive actions against the Iranian nuclear threat, saying it was an existential threat to both countries.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian tells European Council president in case of repeated aggression against Iran, its response will be “more decisive and regrettable,” Reuters reports citing Mizan media outlet.
US Strikes on Iran Included F-22s, F-35s, Hegseth Says | Al-Monitor
The US Air Force’s long-range bombing of Iran’s strategic nuclear facilities included stealth-capable F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft, the Pentagon’s top official revealed on Wednesday. Seated across from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of a bilateral meeting at the Pentagon, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth credited the American pilots who flew B-2 Spirit bombers and the fifth-generation fighter jets in the June 22 surprise strikes that knocked out key Iranian nuclear facilities.
CYBERSECURITY MATTERS
Iranian Hacker Group Claims Full Breach of ‘Iran International’ Network | Kurdistan24
The Hanzaleh hacker group has claimed responsibility for what it described as a comprehensive cyberattack against the London-based Persian-language television channel “Iran International,” stating that all of the outlet's systems, servers, and communication infrastructures have been compromised. According to a report by Iran’s state-run IRIB News Agency, the hacker group announced that it had extracted a wide range of internal data from Iran International, including "confidential correspondence, personal information of employees, financial records, and communications with foreign institutions." The report noted that the hacking group has promised to begin releasing the obtained data soon. It also claimed that the first wave of leaked material would be part of “a surprise” allegedly planned by the hackers.
Iran-Linked Hackers Target US Transportation, Manufacturing Firms | Cybersecurity Dive
Hackers linked to the Iranian government have escalated attacks against certain U.S. critical infrastructure since the beginning of the Israel-Iran conflict, according to new research. The Iran-linked threat groups, tracked as MuddyWater, APT33, OilRig, CyberAv3ngers, FoxKitten and Homeland Justice, tried to breach at least 10 U.S. companies, mostly in the transportation and manufacturing sectors, researchers at Nozomi Networks said on Wednesday. MuddyWater targeted five firms, APT33 targeted three and the others targeted two, according to the research.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Pezeshkian Weathered Rough First Year, but Worst May Be Yet To Come | Iran International
When Masoud Pezeshkian was elected Iran’s president last July, jokes circulated that he wouldn’t last six months. He did, but the road ahead looks even more rocky now than it did then. Tepid support from the hardline establishment and deepening economic woes defined his first year, in which the Iranian currency lost a full half of its value. Now after an Israeli-American military drubbing dealt the Islamic Republic its greatest ever challenge, his problems may only deepen.
EUROPE & IRAN
UK Faces Rising and Unpredictable Threat from Iran, Report Warns | BBC News
The UK faces a “rising” and unpredictable threat from Iran and the government must do more to counter it, Parliament's intelligence and security committee has warned. The call comes as it publishes the results of a major inquiry which examined Iranian state assassinations and kidnap, espionage, cyber attacks and the country's nuclear programme. The committee, which is tasked with overseeing Britain's spy agencies, has raised particular concern over the “sharp increase” in plots against opponents of the Iranian regime in the UK. "Iran poses a wide-ranging, persistent and unpredictable threat to the UK, UK nationals and UK interests," said Lord Beamish, committee chair. “Iran has a high appetite for risk when conducting offensive activity and its intelligence services are ferociously well-resourced with significant areas of asymmetric strength.” He added: “Iran is there across the full spectrum of all the kinds of threats we have to be concerned with.”
Iranian Man Wanted by US Worked for Swiss, EU-Funded Drone Lab | Iran International
An Iranian man wanted by the United States on terrorism charges worked for Swiss university lab which received state and European Union funding, the Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported. Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, who was at the center of hostage standoff between Italy and Iran earlier this year, worked in a drone research lab funded by European Union and Swiss state innovation agency, NZZ reported. His activities helped Tehran acquire cutting-edge Western technology for its drone program, the German-language daily wrote. US authorities issued an arrest warrant last year for Abedini over his alleged role in a drone attack that killed three US Army soldiers in Jordan last year and injured dozens.
Spain's High Court charged eight individuals on Wednesday with the attempted assassination of former right wing politician Alejo Vidal-Quadras over his ties to an Iranian opposition group and support for dissident groups. Vidal-Quadras, 80, a founder of Spain’s far-right Vox party, was shot in the face by a motorbike pillion passenger as he walked through Madrid’s upscale Salamanca neighbourhood on November 9, 2023.
After US Strikes, Iran Is Seeking Closer Ties to Europe’s Pariah States | The Hill
One element of [Iran’s] post-war strategy that has received less attention is Iran’s push to strengthen ties and seek stronger commitments from Belarus and Serbia, its key European allies. Since the full scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, Iran has increasingly sought to integrate into the Russia-led multi-pariah order, viewing relationships with similarly isolated regimes as a means of relieving diplomatic and economic pressures. However, Russia’s lack of overt support for Iran in its conflict with Israel has led some to speculate that the two regimes may be having a falling-out. This apparent rift offers the likely motivation behind Iran’s recent effort to shore up relations with other pariah regimes, both to ensure that this pattern does not repeat and to compensate for shortcomings in its partnership with Russia. Such actions are necessary for the Islamic Republic, should the regime seek to resume direct hostilities with the U.S. and Israel as part of a more protracted war.
PAKISTAN & IRAN
Did Pakistan Help the US Bomb Iran? | Sania Muneer and Saroj Aryal in the National Interest
In the wake of the United States’ aerial bombardment of Iran’s enrichment facilities on June 22, 2025, Pakistan’s foreign policy entered a zone of acute dissonance between public solidarity and private pragmatism. The Pakistani government’s official statements condemned the strikes as an unwarranted violation of Iranian sovereignty and international law, invoking historical ties of culture, religion, and regional interdependence. Yet, behind closed doors, chronological events suggest that Islamabad continued to engage in indispensable security cooperation with Washington, providing overflight rights, intelligence sharing, and logistical support that materially underpinned US operations in the region.