US Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Thursday that the United States does not plan to hold talks with Iran unless Tehran stops attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
„They‘ve got to stop. It‘s that simple,“ he said.
Archiv: 07-07-2026 in an incredibly bonkers act of self-sabotage Iranian state leadership is ruining an extremely favorable deal with the USA by attacking three oil tankers in Omani waters
Der Iran wird zu einem Verlierer des Westasienkrieges
(July 19, 2026)
Für den einigermaßen wachen Beobachter erscheint es, als ob Mossad, CIA, MI6 und BND in Teheran an der Macht wären und sich einen ihren üblichen grausamen Scherze erlauben.
President Pezeshkian: Iran never acted outside international law
(August 12, 2026)
In a telephone conversation on Wednesday, Pezeshkian said Iran had never sought regional unrest and denounced the United States and the Israeli regime for undermining regional peace and stability through aggression against Iran and attacks that led to the martyrdom of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and a large number of civilians, including defenseless Minab children in their classrooms, as well as destroying civilian infrastructure.
Pezeshkian expressed hope that Japan’s diplomatic efforts to establish peace and stability in the region would bear fruit and prevent crimes and warmongering by aggressive powers.
Iran‘s new Security Council shake-up reveals growing divisions over US deal
In the mid-1980s, Rezaei became involved in secret contacts with the United States during the Iran-Contra affair, in which Iran received American weapons while proceeds from the arms sales were diverted to support the Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani once told local media that his nephew, Ali Hashemi, a key intermediary in contacts with the administration of then-US President Ronald Reagan, had informed him and, subsequently, Rezaei about meetings with American officials.
Reopening Strait of Hormuz is a humanitarian imperative
It is worth recalling that the conflict did not begin over disputes about the Strait of Hormuz. As recently as February 28, commercial ships transited the waterway without restriction.
(…)
With the US maintaining the naval blockade during the ceasefire period, Iran responded by stopping and, in several cases, attacking vessels attempting to cross the Strait without its approval. Insurance rates spiked, shipping lines rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope, and transit times increased by up to three weeks.
Wars of this nature benefit no party in the long term, and they rarely reach a logical conclusion. Their primary victims are innocent civilians who have no role in the conflict. Many civilians in Iran and Lebanon have lost their lives directly to strikes.
Inside the growing rift between Iran’s dealmakers and ultraconservatives
It was in this climate that a leaked video of Mohammad-Bagher Kharrazi, the brother-in-law of Masoud Khamenei, the younger brother of Iran’s supreme leader, emerged as part of what critics describe as a broader hard-line campaign.
In the video, Kharrazi claimed that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had “formally and publicly announced” that if Pezeshkian attempts to resign one more time, his resignation would be accepted.
(…)
Soon afterward, however, another audio file surfaced in which Ali Saeedi, a conservative senior figure close to the Khamenei‘s office, claimed that the supreme leader had expressed support for the negotiations and criticised hard-line opposition to diplomacy.
According to Saeedi, Khamenei told one of his brothers: “I have never opposed negotiations, and I still do not. I was the one who authorised the negotiations, and I am not satisfied with the hard-line positions adopted by some people.”
Saeedi also claimed that Khamenei supports Ghalibaf, saying: “He is like [the late Quds Force commander] Haj Qassem Soleimani.”
Iran’s military reshuffle signals more offensive strategy
Khoshcheshm noted the appointments could also herald a major restructuring of Iran’s security and military apparatus, with a greater focus on pre-emptive strikes and more powerful responses to any US attack.
While he does not believe Iran would attack the US “offhand with no reason”, he says the new leadership is preparing Iran to develop its capabilities for pre-emptive strikes and stronger attacks on US military forces and positions in the region.
He described the appointments as creating a “more offensive-minded leadership for Iran’s security establishment across the board”.
Iran‘s Security Reshuffle Exposes Rift Dating Back To Cease-Fire Deal
Rezaei is a commander who holds some of the most closely guarded secrets of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war and the IRGC‘s founding years, and for just as long, he‘s been a favorite target of Iranian political satire. Now, at 71, he‘s back at the center of the Islamic republic‘s security decision-making.
Rezaei traded his uniform for politics in 1997 and ran for president four times, dropping out before the vote in 2005, then losing in 2009, 2013, and 2021, never pulling in more than about 3.9 million votes.
Iran Preparing To Fight A FOREVER WAR
Cenk Uygur and John Iadarola discuss how Trump’s war with Iran is pushing Tehran to dig in for a prolonged conflict.
Surprise strikes signal Iran is digging in for a long war
(August 6, 2026)
In recent weeks, Iran has gone on the offensive, striking commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and launching a surprise attack on U.S. forces in Jordan. From a distance, these moves look like self-defeating escalation. Why should a badly damaged state, under severe economic pressure, lash out at the U.S. instead of pushing for a ceasefire?
The answer, simply put, is that Iran is digging in for a long war. Whatever Washington‘s intentions, Tehran increasingly interprets sanctions, negotiations, temporary ceasefires and military strikes as different instruments aimed at a single objective: regime change.
As long as this primary objective remains, Iran expects no sanctions relief or meaningful de-escalation. My conversations with Iranian foreign policy analysts suggest that Tehran now believes the war will continue in different forms until the end of Donald Trump‘s presidency.
Der Iran wird zu einem Verlierer des Westasienkrieges
(July 19, 2026)
Irgendeine Gruppe oder Fraktion hat die Staatsführung des Iran übernommen, in deren Interesse nicht der Iran selbst, sondern die Fortführung des Krieges auf unabsehbare Zeit steht. Welche Rolle dabei der Sohn des in der ersten Angriffswelle auf den Iran am 28. Februar ermordeten „Obersten Führers“ („Supreme Leader“) Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei spielt, erscheint völlig unklar. Bisher ist er nicht in der Öffentlichkeit aufgetreten. Ausgerechnet über israelische Medien wird gestreut, dies werde so bleiben bis zum unabsehbaren Ende des Krieges. Die formal dem „Obersten Führer“ unterstellten Revolutionsgarden agieren gegen die iranischen Interessen. Gewinner des Krieges sind u.a. Ölmagnate, Kriegsproduzenten und der internationale geheimdienstliche Komplex, nicht zuletzt in der Russischen Föderation, sowie der zum Machterhalt auf Krieg und externe Bedrohung angewiesene Machthaber in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Dabei ist das Interesse der Kriegsgewinnler auf allen Seiten den Westasienkrieg insgesamt noch auszuweiten.
Iran appoints new Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council
(August 6, 2026)
Iranian media reported on Thursday that former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohsen Rezaei had been appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).
UAE says ADNOC tanker attacked in Hormuz
Dubai: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday said Iran had targeted a tanker belonging to the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The foreign ministry in a statement condemned „the hostile Iranian attack that targeted a tanker belonging to ADNOC with a missile while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, without causing casualties“.
Iran-Oman understanding on Hormuz ‘on verge of being finalised’: Iran’s deputy foreign minister
In comments shared by Iran’s IRNA news agency, Gharibabadi said a final understanding between the two countries is “on the verge of being finalised”.
Iran’s leaders show a united front over the war but are divided over what the goal is
On one side, the ultra-hardliners who oppose any negotiations with the United States are pressing for total victory in the war. Known as the “Paydari” movement – Persian for “stability” – they are hard-core ideologues who want to enforce the Islamic Republic’s control over society.
On the other, those who support President Masoud Pezeshkian and powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf — who doubles as Iran’s chief negotiator — see military pressure as a way to win a negotiated deal with the United States. This camp is also spurred by concern over the economic toll Iran is suffering from the war and the need to adapt to social change in the country.
Yemen’s Houthis claim 8 Saudi oil tankers diverted via Cape of Good Hope
Military spokesperson says maritime blockade has forced Saudi tankers to avoid Red Sea route
US launches strikes on Iran after Trump says it’s „our turn“ following intercepted Iranian attack
(10 hr 54 min ago)
“We’re going to be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple ballistic missiles towards US forces in the region, and Jordan’s military said it intercepted five missiles.
Der Iran wird zu einem Verlierer des Westasienkrieges
(July 19, 2026)
Für den einigermaßen wachen Beobachter erscheint es, als ob Mossad, CIA, MI6 und BND in Teheran an der Macht wären und sich einen ihren üblichen grausamen Scherze erlauben.
Who Is Running Iran? Mojtaba Khamenei’s Public Absence Sparks ‚Command Crisis‘ Rumours
(March 22, 2026)
Despite the expectations of CIA and Mossad for a traditional New Year’s speech, Mojtaba Khamenei remained out of sight, issuing only a text-based statement on Telegram for Nowruz.
Sources cited by The Jerusalem Post indicate that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) may currently hold the reins of the country, with one source suggesting the Guard is controlling Mojtaba rather than following his lead.
US air base, CENTCOM headquarters in Jordan targeted: IRGC
Tehran, IRNA – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says that its Aerospace Force has targeted a US air base and the US military’s CENTCOM headquarters in Jordan with ballistic missiles.
In a statement issued early Wednesday, the IRGC Aerospace Force said the attack was carried out in response to aggressive actions by the US military against Iran.
The brave combatants of the IRGC Aerospace Force targeted the US air base and the CENTCOM headquarters of the US military in Jordan with several ballistic missiles, the statement said.
Tehran says it will halt attacks as long as US maintains pause
The senior Iranian source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters: „Iran’s position remains ‘attack for attack’: if the attacks stop, Iran will also halt its operations. That message has already been conveyed to the United States.“
Talks between Iran and Oman have been constructive, moving in positive direction, official says
(46 min ago)
Discussions between Iranian officials and their Omani counterparts over the last two days have been constructive, one Iranian official told CBS News on Sunday. Talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are also moving in a positive direction, the official said.
Mojtaba Khamenei: Iran‘s unseen leader shadowed by late father
(July 1, 2026)
Despite the messages and activity on social media channels, there has been no concrete proof that Mojtaba Khamenei is even alive after the February 28 attack that also killed his wife Zahra Haddad Adel and other members of the Khamenei family.
Iran’s government spars with state TV as mediators push talks with US
The broadcaster, whose head is appointed by the supreme leader, issued a response on Saturday rejecting the government’s “accusations and improper attributions”, and emphasised that it has a duty to prevent “an incorrect and unreal suggestion of duality in the country’s leadership pillars”.
In his speech, Pezeshkian had pointed out that after last year’s 12-day war with Israel, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly said there would be no negotiations with Washington – but privately had given his approval.
Trump tells Axios he‘s considering a „bigger than ever before“ attack on Iran
„I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,“ Mr. Trump told Axios, adding that he believed Iran‘s leaders „want to negotiate,“ but aren‘t yet ready to make a deal.
„They haven‘t received enough pain yet,“ he told the outlet.
U.S. forces carried out a 12th consecutive night of strikes across Iran on Wednesday, and Mr. Trump warned in a social media post Thursday that the Islamic Republic and its Houthi allies would both face „major military punishment“ if the Yemeni rebels repeat their attacks from earlier this week on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
Watch: Houthi spokesperson says group targeted Saudi oil tankers
(10 hours ago)
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said its armed forces targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, claiming the vessels had violated a ban imposed by the group.
Saudi Arabia‘s state media later confirmed that one of its vessels was struck and the bow of the ship caught fire, with a source adding that all crew members onboard Encelia were safe.
Araghchi interview draws fire from Iran hardliners
Javan, a newspaper affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, wrote on Tuesday that confirming details surrounding the attacks, discussing the day the former leader was killed or revealing that the foreign minister had no contact with new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei were not matters that should have been disclosed publicly.
Der Iran wird zu einem Verlierer des Westasienkrieges
Irgendeine Gruppe oder Fraktion hat die Staatsführung des Iran übernommen, in deren Interesse nicht der Iran selbst, sondern die Fortführung des Krieges auf unabsehbare Zeit steht. Welche Rolle dabei der Sohn des in der ersten Angriffswelle auf den Iran am 28. Februar ermordeten „Obersten Führers“ („Supreme Leader“) Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei spielt, erscheint völlig unklar. Bisher ist er nicht in der Öffentlichkeit aufgetreten. Ausgerechnet über israelische Medien wird gestreut, dies werde so bleiben bis zum unabsehbaren Ende des Krieges. Die formal dem „Obersten Führer“ unterstellten Revolutionsgarden agieren gegen die iranischen Interessen. Gewinner des Krieges sind u.a. Ölmagnate, Kriegsproduzenten und der internationale geheimdienstliche Komplex, nicht zuletzt in der Russischen Föderation, sowie der zum Machterhalt auf Krieg und externe Bedrohung angewiesene Machthaber in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Dabei ist das Interesse der Kriegsgewinnler auf allen Seiten den Westasienkrieg insgesamt noch auszuweiten.
Iran in ‘real danger of overplaying its hand’
“Tehran has repeatedly overplayed its hand throughout history, and these repeated attacks across the Gulf Cooperation Council could end up making the Strait of Hormuz redundant,” Kamrava told Al Jazeera.
He noted some Gulf countries have already invested in alternative routes to export oil and gas.
“Tehran is running a real danger of overplaying its hand,” Kamrava reiterated.