TOP STORIES
Inside The Secret Oil Trade That Funds Iran’s Wars | The Economist
In a war with Israel, Iran would need money. Not just to buy weapons and keep its economy afloat, but to re-arm militias such as Hamas and Hizbullah. Many assume that, after years of sanctions, it would struggle. They are wrong. Every year Iran funnels tens of billions of dollars from illicit oil sales to bank accounts all over the world. This huge, secret treasure was used to fund Hamas’s attack on Israel a year ago, swarms of Russian drones in Ukraine and Iran’s own nuclear programme. It has already seeded many crises—and could soon fuel the mother of them all.
US B-2 Bombers Strike Iran-Backed Houthis In Yemen | CNN
The US carried out a round of strikes in Yemen against the Iran-backed Houthis on Wednesday evening, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, targeting five underground weapons storage facilities using B-2 stealth bombers. The facilities housed advanced conventional weapons used to target military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, three US defense officials told CNN following the attack. “This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified,” Austin said in a statement. “The employment of US Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrates U.S. global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere.”
The parents of the Israeli-Americans still being held hostage by Hamas are urging President Biden to stand up to Iran — as they fear time is running out to save their children. New Yorkers Orna and Ronen Neutra told The Post that America’s current strategy to free her son Omer through diplomacy was clearly not working and that President Biden’s legacy will be cemented by what happens to the seven Americans still trapped in Gaza. “This solidifies his legacy,” Orna said. “We know that the president cares about this issue, we know that he’s been pushing for a deal, but this version of the deal has been on the table since probably December of last year, and it’s not working.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
'Death To Canada' Samidoun Group Blacklisted For Backing PFLP | Iran International
Canada designated Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian group responsible for leading "death to Canada" chants and burning the Canadian flag during an anti-Israel protest in Vancouver earlier this month, as a terrorist entity on Tuesday... Some Iran watchers like Jason Brodsky say that the PFLP's direct links to Iran are evidence enough linking Samidoun to the Islamic Republic. Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), says Kates' official visits to Iran, appearance on state TV and meeting with high-level officials like Iran's Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei points to an official link with the Islamic Republic.
Iran Has Made Nearly $200 Billion In Illegal Oil Sales Under Biden-Harris | The Daily Wire
Iran’s illegal oil sales have exploded under the Biden-Harris administration, providing a much larger sum of cash than was previously known to the Islamic regime that it has used to fund terrorism throughout the Middle East... Claire Jungman, director of United Against a Nuclear Iran’s (UANI) Tanker Tracking Program, told the publication that the numbers should serve as a “catalyst for the administration to enforce sanctions more aggressively on vessels transporting Iranian oil.” “The illicit activity detailed in the report underscores the need for firm action to hold these vessels accountable and ensure that sanctions are effectively implemented to curtail Iran’s ability to export oil in violation of U.S. sanctions,” she added.
How Iran’s Ghost Fleet Sidesteps U.S. Sanctions | The Dispatch
Last week, the U.S. Treasury and State Departments announced new sanctions that represent the latest salvo in their fight against so-called “ghost fleets.” And that’s not a reference to Davy Jones or the Flying Dutchman. Rather, the Biden administration slapped penalties on vessels and companies associated with the Iranian government that have enabled an illicit and far-reaching trade in oil to help fund the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and proxy military forces throughout the Middle East. […] United Against Nuclear Iran, a New York-based, nonprofit advocacy group, is one of the main sources of information on suspected ghost ships registered in countries like the Cook Islands. The chaotic and decentralized nature of ghost fleets make it extremely difficult for countries to determine who, exactly, is transporting oil.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
US Unveils Sanctions Targeting Hezbollah Funding | The Hill
The Biden administration announced new sanctions Wednesday against three individuals and four companies with alleged ties to revenue streams for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. A press release from the Department of Treasury said the individuals and companies were involved in a Lebanon-based sanctions evasion network that “generated millions of dollars in revenue” for Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. The department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is also targeting three others for the illegal production and trafficking of Captagon, “a dangerous, highly addictive amphetamine” that benefits the Syrian regime, the release said.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Freedom House Slams Iran For Censoring Online Election Criticism | Iran International
Rights watchdog Freedom House ranked Iran as having the world’s third most repressive internet environment and lambasted the Islamic Republic for criminalizing online criticism to boost voter turnout and legitimize its presidential elections. "(Authorities) criminalized any content that encouraged election boycotts or protests, or that criticized candidates ... (for) higher voter turnout to make the election seem legitimate, despite the arbitrary disqualification of most candidates," the group said in a report on Thursday.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
Kamala Harris Reveals Why She Believes Iran Is America's Biggest Adversary | Fox News
Vice President Kamala Harris discusses responding to U.S. adversaries on 'Special Report.'
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
U.S. Strikes Target Houthi Weapons Stores In Yemen | The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. said Thursday it hit Houthi targets in Yemen with long-range bombers, the latest in a series of strikes aimed at stopping the Iran-backed group from attacking commercial and military vessels in the Middle East. U.S. Air Force and Navy assets, including B-2 Spirit bombers, targeted underground weapons stores that help the Houthis launch attacks on ships traveling through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the Pentagon said, adding that it was assessing the damage from the strikes on the Houthis. The U.S. has conducted scores of strikes against the Houthis since late last year, when the Iranian ally began firing at ships in support of Hamas, the militant group that sparked a war with Israel in Gaza that has since morphed into a multifront conflict in the Middle East.
Iran Warns Israel Against Retaliation For Missile Attack | Reuters
The commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards warned Israel on Thursday against attacking the Islamic Republic in retaliation for a missile barrage as the Israeli military stepped up its offensive in Lebanon against Tehran-backed Hezbollah. Fears of a wider Middle East conflict have grown as Israel plans its response to the Oct. 1 missile attack carried out by Iran after Israeli airstrikes on Iranian-allied militants. "We tell you (Israel) that if you commit any aggression against any point we will painfully attack the same point of yours," Hossein Salami said in a televised speech, adding that Iran can penetrate Israel's defences. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday about Israel's operations in Lebanon and Gaza, aiming to avert a regional war.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Israel Pounds Hezbollah Strongholds In Lebanon, Killing Mayor | Al-Monitor
Israel carried out dozens of strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Wednesday, killing a city mayor, toppling buildings and causing widespread destruction in several southern areas. The latest exchanges came as Israel faced increasing international pressure after UN peacekeepers in Lebanon were wounded, as well as over the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Israeli military said its warplanes struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh, where the Iran-backed militant group and its ally Amal hold sway. Lebanon's health ministry said 16 people were killed and 52 wounded in strikes on two municipal buildings. At least six people were killed in other strikes, according to officials and reports.
CHINA & IRAN
China-Led Regional Group Calls For Countering Protectionist Policies, Sanctions | Reuters
A China-led 10-state regional group criticised what it called protectionist trade measures on Wednesday, part of an intensifying standoff between Beijing and Western countries over tariffs on Chinese products. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a Eurasian security and political group, also hit out at "unilateral sanctions" as member states Iran and Russia face curbs on trade. The criticism came in a joint statement, following a heads of government meeting of the SCO in Islamabad, signed by 10 countries, including China, Russia, Iran, India and host Pakistan.
GULF STATES, YEMEN, & IRAN
US Stealth Bombers Strike Underground Houthi Weapons Sites In Yemen | Reuters
The United States said it carried out strikes on Wednesday against five underground weapons storage facilities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, in a strike that used B-2 stealth bombers against the Iran-aligned group for the first time. In wording that could also be interpreted as a signal to Iran, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strike was a unique demonstration of the Pentagon's ability to strike hard-to-reach facilities, "no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified."
IRAQ & IRAN
Iraq Militias Step Up Israel Attacks As Iran Looks To Junior Proxies | The Guardian
Iran-linked militias in Iraq have launched about 40 attacks involving missiles, drones or rockets on Israel in the past two and a half weeks, the latest escalation in a largely clandestine proxy battle fought across a swath of the Middle East. The attacks began in October last year when the war in Gaza started, but data compiled by the Washington Institute, a US-based thinktank, shows a sharp increase in their pace after Israel killed the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in an airstrike on 27 September.
AFGHANISTAN & IRAN
A United Nations expert is calling for an investigation into reports that an attack by Iranian security forces on the border with Afghanistan killed and wounded migrants. Iran has denied any shooting took place Sunday near Saravan, a town in the country’s restive southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, which borders Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. However, anti-Afghan migrant rhetoric has escalated in Iran in recent months as Western sanctions grind down its economy, with the country’s police chief claiming some 2 million migrants would be deported in the next six months.
The Taliban said Thursday they are investigating reports of Afghan casualties on the Iran border. It’s their first acknowledgement of the alleged killing and wounding of Afghan nationals by Iranian security forces in an attack Sunday. They previously described the reports as rumors. Iran has denied any shooting took place near Saravan, a town in the country’s restive southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, which borders Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. However, anti-Afghan migrant rhetoric has escalated in Iran in recent months as Western sanctions grind down its economy, with the country’s police chief saying some 2 million migrants would be deported in the next six months.
OTHER FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Egypt's Sisi Meets With Iran's Foreign Minister | Reuters
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday, Egypt's presidency said in a statement. The meeting focused on regional developments, with al-Sisi reiterating Egypt's call to avoid the expansion of conflict and the need to halt escalation to prevent a full-scale regional war. Araqchi emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to explore prospects for mutual development of relations between the two countries, the statement added.
Iran's FM Seeks Regional Backing Against Israel In Mideast Tour | Iran International
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has departed for Jordan, advancing his Middle East tour to rally support among regional countries as Tehran braces for a promised Israeli retaliatory strike. The overarching message from his previous meetings, Araghchi has reaffirmed Iran’s position that it "does not want war" but is "fully prepared for a war situation." Following visits to Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, and Oman, Iran’s top diplomat will continue to Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey.
CYBERWARFARE
Iran Shifted Focus Of Cyberattacks From US To Israel, Microsoft Says | Iran International
Iran trained most of its cyber might away from the United States toward Israel since the Gaza war began last year, according to a report by technology giant Microsoft. "Iranian nation-state actors used ransomware in a cyber-enabled influence operation, marketing stolen Israeli dating website data," Microsoft said. Following October 7, when Iran-backed Hamas led an attack on Israel, the report cites a marked increase in cyber operations aimed at Israel. From October 7, 2023 to July 2024, "nearly half of the Islamic Republic's cyber operations… targeted Israeli companies", it said.