At UN Iran and Europeans to Test Diplomacy With US Election Looming

Iran's leaders hope to see an easing of U.S. sanctions over its nuclear programme. It is unclear whether the Europeans and Iranians can find areas for compromise in New York. Kelsey Davenport, director of non-proliferation policy at the Arms Control Association advocacy group, said substantive talk before the U.S. election were unlikely. But interim steps, such as Iran receiving some sanctions relief in return for expanding IAEA monitoring of its nuclear facilities, could be possible (Read more at USNews).

US issues fresh sanctions on Iran over human rights violations

The measures come two years after the death of Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini while in police custody. The sanctions focus on members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iranian prison officials, and those involved in lethal operations abroad, according to a statement from the US Treasury Department (Read more at Indian Express).

Iran says it is open to talks but rejects pressure as US, EU impose sanctions

The United States, Germany, Britain and France on Tuesday imposed new sanctions on Iran, including measures against its national airline Iran Air. Araqchi said that Tehran had not delivered any ballistic missiles to Russia and sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and three European powers would not solve any problems between them (Read more at Business Standard).

White House Says Will Sanction Iran and Russian Targets

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that new sanctions on Iran Air would restrict its commercial flights from Iran to British and continental Europe. "The supply of these Iranian missiles, which have a maximum range of about 75 miles, could allow Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets beyond the front line while employing Iranian warheads for closer-range targets," Kirby said. Kirby said it would also be dangerous for the Middle East that Iran would now be able to avail itself of Russian technology, including on nuclear issues (Read more at USNews).

US 'alarmed' by reports of Iranian missile transfer to Russia

Nnnamed US and European officials believe Iran has already provided ballistic missiles to Russia. White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett stated that any missile transfer from Iran to Russia would be a "dramatic escalation" in their military partnership. However, Savett did not confirm whether the transfer had already occurred (Read more at Tribune).

US Calls on Big Tech to Help Evade Online Censors in Russia, Iran

(Reuters) - The White House convened a meeting with representatives of Amazon.com, Alphabet's Google, Microsoft, Cloudflare and civil society activists in a bid to encourage U.S. tech giants to offer more digital bandwidth for government-funded internet censorship evasion tools. The tools, supported by the U.S.-backed Open Technology Fund (OTF), have seen a surge of usage in Russia, Iran, Myanmar and authoritarian states that heavily censor the internet (Read more at USNews).

US says it rescued two Iranian mariners in trouble

The two were found in the water when a US inflatable boat and helicopter took them in from the water. They were taken to the USS Theodore Roosevelt to receive medical care, as well as food and water (Read more at The National).

U.S. says Iran cyber operations targeted Trump, Harris campaigns

It says it targets the American public with influence operations aimed at fanning political discord (Read more at Reuters).

U.S. intelligence indicates it is increasingly likely Iran will attack Israel this week

Israeli and U.S. officials tell Axios Iran has taken significant preparatory steps in its missile and drone units, similar to those it had taken before the attack on Israel in April (Read more at Axios).

US Prepared for Possible Significant Attacks in by Iran

"We obviously don't want to see Israel have to defend itself against another onslaught, like they did in April. But, if that's what comes at them, we will continue to help them defend themselves," Kirby said. But a U.S. official told Reuters the Lincoln carrier strike group was currently close to the South China Sea and would likely take over a week to reach the Middle East (Read more at Reuters).

U.S. sends more forces to region ahead of possible Iranian attack on Israel

The US Secretary of Defense ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and to send additional cruisers and destroyers which have a system for intercepting ballistic missiles to the U.S. European Command and U.S. Central Command regions. The Department is also taking steps to increase their readiness to deploy additional land-based ballistic missile defense and deploy additional fighter jet squadron (Read more at Axios).

Iran Confirms Rare Talks With US on Escalating Regional Attacks

It is quoted that “these negotiations were not the first and will not be the last.” (Read more at Defense Post).

U.S., Iran held indirect talks this week on avoiding more attacks

The talks — involving President Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, and Abram Paley the acting U.S. envoy for Iran — were the first round of discussions between the U.S. and Iran since January, when similar negotiations were held in Oman. The sources said the talks focused on clarifying the consequences of actions by Iran and its proxies in the region and to discuss U.S. concerns regarding the status of Iran's nuclear program (Read more at Axios).

US calls on Iran to halt weapons transfers to Houthis

US deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the UN Security Council that there is extensive evidence that Iran is providing advanced weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles, to the Houthis in violation of UN sanctions. The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, the US Maritime Administration said late last month. Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a US-led airstrike campaign in Yemen (Read more at IrishExaminer).

Iran's Capacity to Move Oil Reliant on Malaysian Providers, US Official Says

Brian Nelson, Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, was speaking during a four-day visit to Singapore and Malaysia, which the department said aimed to advance its work in countering financing and revenue generation by Iran and its proxies (Read more at USNews).

US Official in Singapore, Malaysia to Discuss Sanctions against Iran

there has been an uptick in money moving to Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, through the Malaysian financial system. Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brian Nelson, is expected to discuss U.S. concerns. The visit comes as Treasury has increased its focus on terrorist financing through Southeast Asia, including through fundraising efforts and illicit Iranian oil sales (Read more at USNews).

US Sanctions Four Over ‘Malicious Cyber Activity’ for Iran’s Military

These actors targeted more than a dozen US companies and government entities through cyber operations, including spear phishing and malware attacks (Read more at Defense Post).

Iran Claims New Version of Bavar-373 Can Take Out US-Made Stealth Jets

It can also identify up to 100 aerial targets simultaneously and engage them with Sayyad-4B missiles. With the Bavar’s alleged enhanced capabilities, several Iranian officials are claiming that the system now matches or even surpasses the capabilities of the Russian S-400 missile system  (Read more at Defense Post).

Biden slaps new sanctions on Iran after attack on Israel

The new package of penalties is aimed at disrupting Iran’s production of drones that were used in the attack. They also target Iran’s steel industry and automotive companies that supply the country’s military. The Republican-led House this week passed a series of sanctions bills, including a bipartisan measure that would target China’s purchase of Iranian oil (Read more at Politico).

US will ‘wait and see’ on Iran response after attempted Israel strike

President Biden, since the beginning of this conflict, has worked very hard to keep this from becoming a broader regional war. If successful, this attack could have caused an uncontrollable escalation and broad regional conflict, something we have worked day and night to avoid since October 7 (Read more at CNBC).

US prepares for Iran retaliation after Israel hit Tehran's Syria embassy

Iran retaliatory attack would include a swarm of Shahed loitering drones and cruise missiles, citing US intelligence. US President Joe Biden discussed the threat from Iran in a phone call on Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Officials say the timing and target are unknown, but a proportional response to the Damascus attack would be to hit an Israeli diplomatic facility (Read more at TRTWorld).

At UN, US warns Iran not to target it over Syria strike

Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood said, "We will not hesitate to defend our personnel and repeat our prior warnings to Iran and its proxies not to take advantage of the situation - again, an attack in which we had no involvement or advanced knowledge - to resume their attacks on U.S. personnel." (Read more at MSN).

U.S. tells Iran it "had no involvement" in Israel strike

The rare message shows the Biden administration is deeply concerned that the Israeli strike could lead to a regional escalation and the resumption of attacks by pro-Iranian militias against U.S. forces. Israel notified the Biden administration a few minutes before its air force conducted the strike but didn't ask for a U.S. green light, Israeli and U.S. officials said (Read more at Axios).

US presses Panama to ban Iranian ships from bearing its flag

Panama is the largest ship registration hub in the world. Over 8,000 vessels sail under its flag, representing about 16 percent of the global fleet. Abram Paley, the US Deputy Special Envoy for Iran said that six vessels that violated US sanctions have flown the Panamanian flag since the start of this year. In January last year, the Panamanian maritime authority withdrew its flag from over 130 Iranian-linked vessels at Washington’s request (Read more at The Cradle).

Iran and U.S. Held Secret Talks on Proxy Attacks and Cease-Fire

The talks underline how the Biden administration is using diplomatic channels with its foe, alongside military deterrents, in a bid to de-escalate a wave of regional hostilities involving Iranian-backed militant groups. US officials acknowledge that military action alone will not be enough to deter the Houthis, and believe that ultimately Tehran will need to pressure the group to curb its activities (Read more at Financial Times).

US, G7 warn Iran not to provide Russia with ballistic missiles

The U.S. has yet to confirm that missiles have moved from Iran to Russia. But U.S. officials are alarmed by comments by Iranian officials that suggest that a deal is imminent. One action that the Group of Seven countries are mulling is to prohibit Iran Air, the country’s national air carrier, from flying to Europe (Read more at ABCNews).

US Threatens Action Against Iran at IAEA Over Continued Stonewalling

"We believe we have come to the point that we and the broader international community must consider anew how to respond to Iran's continued stonewalling," the United States said in a statement to the Board meeting. "We cannot allow Iran's current pattern of behavior to continue." (Read more at USNews).

US imposes sanctions on entities in Iran, Russia over election interference

The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement the entities - a subsidiary of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and an organization affiliated with Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU) - aimed to "stoke socio-political tensions and influence the U.S. electorate during the 2024 U.S. election" (Read more at Reuters).

US Hits Iran With New Sanctions Targeting Commanders, Shipping

The United States targeted Iranian and Houthi commanders and a vessel that shipped more than $100 million in Iranian commodities to businesses in China in sanctions announced on Tuesday (Read more at USNews).

US impose more sanctions if Tehran provides Russia with ballistic missiles

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Iran has been sending “significant numbers” of drones, guided aerial bombs and artillery ammunition to Russia, and the US is closely monitoring whether Iran has transferred any close-range ballistic missiles”. He added, "I can assure you that the response in the international community will be swift and it will be severe.” (Read more at The National).

US charges Japanese crime boss over alleged trafficking of nuclear materials to Iran

The nuclear materials came from Myanmar, with defendant Takeshi Ebisawa accused of selling them to a US undercover agent. The nuclear material came from an unidentified leader of an "ethnic insurgent group" in Myanmar who had been mining uranium in the country (Read more at Skynews).

US confronts ‘Axis’: Who are Iran’s allies? Can they be deterred

Analysts say the current escalation is dangerously prone to overreach and miscalculation that could lead to a direct U.S.-Iran conflict. American troops number 2,500 in Iraq and 900 in Syria. About the proxies, Renad Mansour, head of the Iraq Initiative at the Chatham House says, “The word ‘proxy’ here is difficult, because it implies just working entirely on behalf of someone else. These groups have their own interests.” (Link)

US conducted cyberattack on suspected Iranian ship

The cyberattack took place a week ago as part of a government response to a drone attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan late last month and wounded dozens of others. It is said that the ship had been collecting intelligence on cargo vessels (Link).