Israel accused Iranian diplomats and Turkish citizens of smuggling tens of millions of U.S. dollars in suitcases through the Beirut airport to Hezbollah. The Lebanese government is obligated to secure the country’s ports of entry and prevent the supply of arms and related materials to Hezbollah under the terms of a November ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, however the agreement does not specifically mention cash transfers. Israel has threatened air strikes on the Beirut airport if it continues to be used to supply Hezbollah.
News Briefs
January 31, 2025
-- Wall Street Journal
January 27, 2025
Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Ali Shadmani announced that Iran has purchased Sukhoi-35 fighter jets from Russia. Shadmani did not state how many jets were purchased or whether they had been delivered to Iran. Shadmani is also Deputy Coordinator of Khatam-ol-Anbia Central Headquarters.
-- Reuters
January 23, 2025
U.S. president Donald Trump redesignated Yemen’s Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), imposing more restrictive sanctions than the Houthi’s former designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The move will trigger a review of U.N. partners, non-governmental organizations and contractors operating in Yemen. Earlier in the week, the Houthis released the crew of the Bahamas-flagged commercial vessel Galaxy Leader, whom they had detained along with the ship in 2023.
-- Reuters
January 22, 2025
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi announced that Iran has begun to dramatically accelerate its uranium enrichment program. According to Grossi, Iran plans to produce more than 30 kg of uranium enriched to 60% purity per month, up from 7 kg previously. Iran notified the IAEA of its plans in December, and its enrichment capacity will increase as new centrifuges are brought online.
-- Reuters
January 22, 2025
Two Iranian cargo ships are scheduled to transport a chemical precursor for missile propellant from China to Iran, according to Western security officials. The two ships, the Golbon and the Jairan, will carry more than 1,000 tons of sodium perchlorate for delivery to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) within weeks, according to the officials. Sodium perchlorate is used to produce ammonium perchlorate, which makes up 70% of solid-fuel missile propellant and is controlled by the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, said it was not familiar with the report.
-- Financial Times
January 17, 2025
Russian president Vladimir Putin and Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty during a visit by Pezeskhian to Moscow. The 20-year treaty covers trade, intelligence sharing, and military cooperation, as well as cooperation in other sectors including science, education, and culture. It does not include a mutual defense pact, but requires both countries refrain from providing military support or aid to any country attacking the other party. It also provides for the two countries to coordinate their response to external sanctions and to facilitate payments in their national currencies.
-- Associated Press
January 15, 2025
Iranian vice president and former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif acknowledged that Israeli sabotage was responsible for explosions at Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in 2020 and 2021. Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency had already signaled its responsibility for the attacks, which involved the sale of explosive-packed centrifuge platforms to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran through an infiltrated dealer.
-- Associated Press
January 14, 2025
Iran, Britain, France, and Germany held talks in Geneva intended to restart negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and related sanctions. The four countries' representatives also met for discussions in November 2024.
-- Reuters
January 12, 2025
Iranian national Mohammad Abedini was released from detention in Italy and returned to Iran after Italy's justice minister revoked his arrest. Abedini had been detained on a U.S. warrant for allegedly having supplied microelectronics to Iran that were subsequently used in a fatal drone attack on U.S. troops in Jordan. The Italian justice ministry claimed that the charges had no parallel in Italian law, preventing extradition. Italian media linked the case to the Iranian detention of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, which took place three days after Abedini's arrest. Iran released Sala shortly before Abedini’s release from Italy.
-- Reuters
January 11, 2025
Iran withdrew nearly three million barrels of oil from a stockpile at the Chinese port of Dalian. The oil is part of a 25-million-barrel supply Iran stored in China in 2018 because of the threat of U.S. sanctions. The oil was withdrawn by two tankers, Modestar and CH Billion, and would need to be transferred to another vessel and its Iranian origin disguised before it could be sold in China or elsewhere. The approximately $1 billion expected net proceeds are reportedly intended for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
-- Wall Street Journal