TOP STORIES
Counter-Terror Police Investigate Iran Link to Suspected RAF Base Bomb Plot | Telegraph
“Counter-terrorism police are investigating whether Iran was behind a suspected bomb plot targeting a Royal Air Force base used by the US military. Five men were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offences after three suspicious vans were discovered 400m from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The base is a key US air force outpost in Europe and has been used by American aircraft involved in defensive strikes against Iran. Police are understood to suspect that Iran is the most likely state actor behind the alleged plot. In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to attack RAF Fairford, warning that any base used to launch attacks against the country was a ‘legitimate target.’”
U.S. Marines Injured in Recent Iranian Attack | NBC News
“Eight U.S. Marines were injured two weeks ago when an Iranian cruise missile attacked the ship they were operating on in the Strait of Hormuz, according to three U.S. officials. The Marines were not seriously injured, but they sustained smoke inhalation and possibly traumatic brain injuries, as they had symptoms of concussions, such as headaches, the officials said.”
Trump Rejects Iran’s Proposal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz, Restart Peace Talks | Washington Post
“President Donald Trump on Saturday dismissed Iran’s latest proposal to end the war, a plan Tehran said would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart peace talks within seven days.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
Interview with UANI Senior Advisor Charlie Brown | Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific?
“We should care about these illicit dark-fleet tankers and their maneuvers and ship-to-ship transfers because they are a risk to everybody who follows the rules. They are a risk to the environment, with the possibility of having oil spills; they are a risk to legitimate trade, because these ships operate outside the bounds of all the inspection regimes and safety regulations that have been set up to ensure that there’s not accidents; they’re a risk to the seafarers who operate on these ships and other ships nearby, because they often practice deceptive behaviors that put legitimate shipping at risk; they’re a risk to the coastal environment; and they’re a risk to all of us that follow the rules.”
Interview with UANI Policy Director Jason M. Brodsky | i24 News
“This deal is not happening. Both sides are far apart. Iran wants to go back [to the Memorandum of Understanding] and the U.S. wants more concessions.”
“Jason Brodsky, policy director at the think tank United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), noted that the attempted attack ‘comes as [Iranian Foreign Minister] Abbas Araghchi is still in New York giving more propaganda interviews with American media, dangling worthless diplomatic offers, and wasting time as always.’ Writing on 𝕏, Brodsky said Araghchi ‘speaks of ‘confidence building measures’ while the Islamic Republic's security services plot terror. Araghchi's visa should be rescinded and he should be put on the next plane to Tehran.’”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
US Treasury Chief Bessent Claims Successes in Isolating Iran | Straits Times
“US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sept 26 that he had sent envoys around the world to pressure countries to economically isolate Iran, hailing new restrictions targeting the country’s airlines and banks.”
“Reza Dindar, an Iranian citizen who used a China-based company to conceal plans to ship U.S. military sonar parts to Iran, was sentenced Friday in Seattle to 18 months in prison for violating U.S. sanctions against Iran.”
MILITARY MATTERS & SHIPPING
Iran’s Army Voices Readiness for Potential Renewed US Attack | Reuters
“Iran’s armed forces are prepared for any renewed U.S. attacks, state media quoted army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia saying on Sunday, after US President Donald Trump said he rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting.”
Iran Claims Seizure of an Underwater US Drone in Hormuz, US Denies the Claim | Euronews Persian
“Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claims to have intercepted a US underwater vehicle during a reconnaissance mission in the Strait of Hormuz, but the US military denied the Iranian claim shortly after.”
“He just won’t die. Mojtaba Khamenei was rushed to a Tehran hospital after the February strikes targeting his father nearly killed him, only to be ‘pulled from the rubble’ again after the United States and Israel bombed the medical center, an Iranian cleric revealed in an interview with Qatari television this week.”
The Brits Foil a Possible Terror Attack | Wall Street Journal Editorial
“The episode is a reminder that today’s conflicts aren’t limited to the immediate battlefield. Adversaries will use asymmetric means to inflict damage, if they can, on the U.S. homeland, its troops and diplomats abroad, and American allies. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard and its Quds force specialize in terrorist attacks abroad. They have plotted to kill former U.S. officials John Bolton and Mike Pompeo from Mr. Trump’s first term, and probably Mr. Trump himself. The Tehran regime won’t stop these attacks even if it signs a cease-fire deal to open the Strait of Hormuz. This is what a revolutionary regime does.”
DIPLOMACY
Trump Asked Xi to Stop Supporting Iran | Axios
“President Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to halt any assistance to Iran when the two spoke during his state visit, U.S. Ambassador to Beijing David Perdue said Friday. . . . ‘We have seen evidence that they have listened to us. They pulled some things down. We have evidence they pay attention when President Trump speaks about Iran,’ he said.”
Officials Say Mediators Are Still Working with Iran and the US on a Possible Deal | Associated Press
“Three officials tell The Associated Press that mediators were still working with Iran and the United States on a deal to end the fighting and open the Strait of Hormuz, with the indirect talks expected to resume on Monday. . . . Two of the officials speaking to the AP on Monday confirmed that mediators are working with both sides on a proposal that would include reopening the strait and lifting the U.S. blockade, and then removing sanctions. According to the draft text being discussed, the strait would reopen in accordance with a separate deal that Iran has been discussing with Oman, on the other side of the strait, and it would include no tolls—something Tehran has pursued.”
Iran Is Pressed to Make Nuclear Concessions to Revive Peace Talks with U.S. | Wall Street Journal
“Peace negotiators are pressing Iran to make a concession on its nuclear program to revive ceasefire talks with the U.S. after President Trump rejected Tehran’s truce proposal, in a race to stop the conflict from escalating back into all-out war. Mediators involved in the talks said it is a long-shot bid to get Iran to placate Trump on the issue he cares about most. . . . But Iran has given mediators little indication that it is ready to talk about its nuclear program. Iranian leaders are confident that they can withstand a long-term U.S. blockade or a renewed bombing campaign from the Americans, said Middle East government officials who speak with Tehran regularly.”
“Iran’s foreign minister said on Sunday that his country was waiting for mediators to communicate an official U.S. response to its latest cease-fire proposal before abandoning efforts to restart talks about the plan, despite President Trump’s public rejection of it.”
UN Ambassador Waltz Says Iran Was Not Negotiating ‘In Good Faith’ to End War | Guardian
“The Trump administration’s ambassador to the United Nations said the US rejected Iran’s proposal to end the ongoing war there because Iranian negotiators ‘were asking for everything up front.’ Echoing comments by Donald Trump on Saturday, the president’s UN ambassador Mike Waltz told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that Iran had asked for relief ‘from billions and billions of sanctions that are going into place’ as part of an economic blockade on Iran.”
Mike Waltz: US Offered to Sell Iran Uranium for Civilian Programme | Al Jazeera
“As part of previous negotiations aimed at ending its war on Iran, the United States offered to sell Tehran uranium for use in a civilian programme, but Iran refused, a top US official said on Sunday. ‘Heck, our negotiators even offered to sell them uranium,’ US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on NBC’s Meet the Press. He said the agreement would have been akin to that with the United Arab Emirates, which has ‘a peaceful programme, right there in their neighbourhood, and they abide by international law and inspection regimes.’”
China Pushes Back Against US on Iran and Cuba in UN Speech | Reuters
“China pushed back against the United States in its speech at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, saying sovereignty of countries in the Gulf should be respected and urging the ‘relevant country’ to stop threatening Cuba and lift its blockade on it.”
TERRORISM & PROXY WARS
Yemen Forces Say Four Iranian Drone, Missile Experts Killed in Taiz | Iran International
“Four Iranian experts specializing in operating and launching drones and missiles were killed in Yemen’s Taiz province, a spokesperson for Yemen’s armed forces said. The deaths occurred during 756 operations against Houthi forces over the past 72 hours, Colonel Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili said, according to Yemen’s Saba news agency.”
Belgium Attributes a Coordinated Campaign of Attacks Against Jewish Targets to Iran | i24 News
“The Belgian authorities are now establishing a direct link between Iran and several attacks that targeted Jewish interests in the country in March. Gert Vercauteren, director of the Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis (OCAM), stated that the perpetrators had ‘certainly’ responded to a call from Iran to strike Jewish and Israeli interests around the world.”
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Father of Two Sentenced to Death for Filming of Iran’s January Protests | IranWire
“According to information obtained by IranWire, Markazi Province intelligence agents raided the home of 43-year-old Arman Almasi in the early hours of January 4, 2026, arresting him for participating in protests on January 3. Following eight months of physical and psychological torture, and based on forced confessions, the protesting citizen was sentenced to death on charges of filming the burning of public property.”
Six Teachers and Union Activists Arrested During Friendly Visit in Iran | IranWire
“The Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations reported that six teachers and union activists were arrested in Nurabad Mamsani, Fars Province, after visiting a fellow educator and were subsequently transferred to the local prison. According to the report, Shekrollah Ahmadi, Ali Safari, Rasoul Bodaghi, Ghaffar Dindar, Ali-Hassan Behamin, and Hojjat Sadat were detained by security forces on Friday, September 25, 2026, while in Nurabad Mamsani for a friendly visit with a teaching colleague.”
Iran’s Regime Is Weaker than It Looks | Emad Shargi for Cipher Brief
“For five and a half years, I was a hostage of the Islamic Republic of Iran. During that time, I came to believe something about the regime that may seem improbable from the outside: It is far weaker than it looks. Today, I believe we are closer to its end than many Americans realize. . . . If the curtain is finally beginning to fall on the Islamic Republic, it will not be Americans who take the stage for the finale. It will be the Iranian people. Our responsibility is simpler: Don't abandon them as they prepare to take the stage.”
CYBERWARFARE
“Iranian-linked actors have been linked to a series of social media accounts posing as Israeli citizens, where they are posting allegations about the upcoming election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and divisive issues such as the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft, according to a new open-source intelligence investigation published by Golden Owl.”