Month: September 2025

“Return of EU sanctions against Iran,” European Parliament, 9-29-25.

“Canada’s attempt to deport Iranian regime members fails again,” Global News, 9-29-25.   The Canadian judge is wrong, and needs to read the below.  Canada had better start acting if it will stem the tide of Regime members taking safe harbor.  See “Iranian regime officials are entering Canada with alarming ease,” Policy Options, 8-13-25.  The Canadian government is within its rights to deport officials, as the policy is not limited to what a judge believes is only a senior official.

“Iran hangs ‘one of most important spies’ for Israel amid wave of executions,” AP, Times of Israel, 9-29-25.

That’s the spirit.  Regardless, under international law (really contract law in this case) Iran doesn’t have a leg to stand on. “Iran slams ‘illegal’ reimposition of UN nuclear sanctions, urges countries not to comply,” Times of Israel, 9-28-25.

What is illegal about the snapback sanctions?  Iran agreed to them when they were put in writing.  That’s because they are legal under international law.  “Iran slams ‘illegal’ reimposition of UN nuclear sanctions, urges countries not to comply,” Times of Israel, 9-28-25.

Sore losers.  Months of stonewalling.  Unwilling to change to a peaceful program.  “Iran recalls envoys to UK, France, Germany as UN sanctions reimposed,” Al Jazeera, 9-27-25.

“European nations hit Iran with ‘snapback’ sanctions over its nuclear program. Here’s what that means,” CNN, 9-27-25.  “Snapback restores UN sanctions that were introduced between 2006 and 2010 – including an arms embargo, and a ban on Iran getting technology for its ballistic missile program. Iran’s oil and financial services sectors were also targeted. But the European decision is not binding on the other signatories to JCPOA, China and Russia, historical allies of Iran.”

Lest there be any doubt the Regime has not learned any lessons from the 12 Day War, nor the U.S. nuclear strikes, and that the Ayatollah and the government refuse to become a normal state.  “Satellite images show construction under way at Iran nuclear sites hit in strikes,” BBC, 9-26-25.

What?  Another site?  The Washington Post reports.  “The ongoing work is at a site known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, or Pickaxe Mountain, where since 2020 Iranian engineers have been tunneling deep into the Zagros mountain range — about a mile south of the nuclear complex at Natanz, which was a target of U.S. bombing strikes on June 22.  The purpose of Pickaxe Mountain remains unclear. International nuclear inspectors have never visited and Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Tehran rebuffed his questions about the site earlier this year.  Analysts who have monitored its construction estimate the halls under Pickaxe Mountain may be even deeper — between 260 and 330 feet — than those at Iran’s Fordow facility, which U.S. warplanes struck with massive earth-penetrating bombs. The site’s aboveground footprint sprawls over roughly a square mile of mountainside, with a pair of tunnel entrances on the east and west sides.  Iran said in 2020, when it announced plans for the facility, that it would house a production plant for assembling centrifuges, fast-spinning machines for enriching uranium, replacing a site destroyed earlier that year in what Tehran called an act of sabotage.  Construction on the tunnels began that December, according to an analyst at the satellite firm Maxar. But its dimensions and depth have generated suspicions among analysts that it is intended for other purposes, either as a covert uranium enrichment facility or a secure storage site for Iran’s stockpiles of near-weapons-grade uranium.  See “After U.S. strikes, Iran increases work at mysterious underground site,” WPost, 9-26-25.

SA won’t fall for Iran’s threats.  “Hezbollah appeal to Saudi Arabia was spurred by Iran, sources say,” Reuters, 9-26-25.  “Saudi Arabia, a Sunni power that has long regarded Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation that exercises undue influence over Lebanon on Iran’s behalf, has consistently backed disarmament [in Lebanon] and has shown no signs of changing course since Qassem’s appeal.”

“Iran’s president says Trump administration is on a path that will ‘set fire’ to the Middle East,” NBC, 9-26-25.

“The United Nations Security Council has voted against a resolution drafted by Russia and China to delay by six months the reimposition of sanctions on Iran.”  See “Sanctions against Iran set to snap back after UN Security Council vote,” Al Jazeera, 9-26-25.

25B deal for four electricity reactors.  Bad idea.  They have all the gas and oil they need.  Etc.  “Putin’s $25 Billion Nuclear Deal With Iran,” Newsweek, 9-26-25.

Yes, a strong argument can be made that the turning point was the removal of Soleimani.  “Khamenei comes up short in rhetorical duel with Trump,” Iran International, 9-25-25.

“Iran likely carried out undeclared missile test, satellite photos analyzed by AP show,” PBS, AP, 9-25-25.  PBS jumps on the bandwagon.

“Iran Hits 1000 Execution Mark, Highest Total in Three Decades,” DPIC, 9-25-25.

Thank you FDD.  “Iran Rebuilding Missile Sites Targeted by Israel During Extensive Air Strikes,” FDD, 9-25-25.

No one accused Mohammad Eslami of finishing an advanced degree in discreetness.  “Iran’s vice president says it won’t waver from its nuclear programme,” Reuters, 9-25-25.

And another story.  “Russia Delivers MiG-29 Jets to Iran Air Force,” Newsweek, 9-24-25.  “Russian MiG-29 fighter jets have touched down in Iran, giving the country’s aging air force a short-term boost amid escalating Middle East tensions, an Iranian lawmaker said Tuesday.”  Newsweek did not check for itself.

“Fearing another war with Israel, Iran begins rebuilding missile sites, but key component is missing,” Columbian, AP, 9-24-25.  “During the war, Iran fired 574 ballistic missiles at Israel, according to the Washington-based Jewish Institute for National Security of America, which has a close relationship with the Israeli military. In two exchanges of fire before the war, Iran launched another 330 missiles, the think tank said. The Israeli military had estimated Iran’s total arsenal at around 2,500 missiles, meaning that over a third of its missiles were fired.”

“Iran receives Russian MiG-29 jets, expects more advanced systems, lawmaker says,” Iran International, 9-23-25.  MiG-29s in Shiraz, Su-35s to follow.

One of the challenges in relying on open sources is the contrast sometimes seen in reporting.  “Iran Not Likely Getting Its Air Force Upgraded By Russia Or China Soon,” Forbes, 9-23-25.  “In a hugely consequential claim, a member of Iran’s parliament announced on Tuesday that not only will Iran soon receive its long-awaited Su-35 Flanker fighter jets from Russia, but it already has new MiG-29 Fulcrums as a stopgap. Furthermore, he claimed, Iran is receiving both Russian S-400 and Chinese HQ-9 strategic air defense missile systems. Iran analysts are, to say the least, highly skeptical.  …  If even partially true, Zohrevand’s claim would indicate that Tehran is rapidly reinforcing its severely battered air defense in the aftermath of the 12-day war with Israel in June. Analysts are beyond skeptical. “I don’t believe there is any truth in the claims made by the Iranian parliament member,” Farzin Nadimi, a defence and security analyst and Senior Fellow of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told me. “At best, it could be a desire or request communicated to the Russians by the extremely worried Iranians, but chances of it, or a HQ-9B delivery by China, happening in the foreseeable future is close to zero.”

The Supreme Leader watches soap operas.  How do I know?  Because the plot continues over and over the same, over the years.  “Khamenei rules out talks with US over Iran’s nuclear programme,” Al Jazeera, 9-23-25.  More seriously, “If no diplomatic deal is found this week, the sanctions will automatically “snap back” on Saturday evening. That would again freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran and penalise any development of Iran’s ballistic missile programme, among other measures.”

“Iran has executed at least 1,000 people in a “mass killing campaign” over the past nine months, it has been revealed. The campaign of hangings carried out between January and September was the highest number in more than three decades, rights groups said. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights organisation (IHR), which tracks executions, said at least 64 executions happened in the past week alone, averaging more than nine hangings per day.”  See “Iran executes at least 1,000 people in ‘mass killing campaign’,” Telegraph, 9-23-25.

“Hardline lawmakers demand nuclear bomb as Iran braces for UN sanctions,” Al Jazeera, 9-22-25.

“Iran’s nuclear chief in Moscow to sign power plants deal as UN ponders sanctions,” Reuters, 9-22-25.

“Iran says it will suspend cooperation with UN’s nuclear watchdog,” Al Jazeera, 9-21-25.

Big news.  See “UN Security Council votes against lifting Iran ‘snapback’ sanctions,” PBS, 9-20-25.  See also “Iran Loses ‘Snap-Back’ Vote in a Landslide,” WSJ, 9-19-25.  The full editorial.  “Iran still isn’t serious about giving up the remains of its nuclear-weapons program. The consequence on Friday was the clinching of “snap-back” United Nations sanctions, set to take effect on Sept. 28. The Iranian regime has only itself to blame. The foreign ministers of the U.K., France and Germany offered in late July to extend the sanctions deadline in exchange for common-sense steps: Resume U.N. nuclear inspections and U.S. nuclear talks. Iran didn’t respond for a month, snubbed U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, and threatened the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief. On Aug. 28 the European powers triggered what’s known as the snap-back mechanism. This started a 30-day countdown to the reimposition of sanctions lifted by Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal. These include an arms embargo, a ban on nuclear enrichment, and a ban on tests and transfers of ballistic missiles. As part of the countdown, a U.N. Security Council resolution had to be introduced proposing to save the sanctions relief. This way Iran would have one last chance to comply and get the sanctions called off, but the resolution could be vetoed if it didn’t. In the end, a veto wasn’t necessary. The resolution failed 9–4 on Friday, with two abstentions. Only Algeria, China, Pakistan and Russia voted to shield Iran from the sanctions. Iranian intransigence had antagonized the rest. Tehran now has only a week left to make real concessions before Sept. 28 arrives. So far it doesn’t seem interested. This week Iran’s regime asked the Europeans to cancel the snap-back and give up their leverage in exchange for mere promises ahead of negotiations. With IAEA inspectors sidelined, Iran also sought a U.S. guarantee that it would be allowed to extract its remaining stockpile of highly enriched uranium from under the rubble of its nuclear facilities. Nice try. Once in possession of that nuclear material, what if the Iranian regime decided not to dilute it as promised or squirreled some away? Tehran would be well on its way to nuclear weapons again. At present Iran can’t easily extract the highly enriched uranium without risking another U.S. or Israeli strike. The European powers have done well to see through Iran’s games. As IAEA reports from before the war in June laid bare, the regime has cheated for years on its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty commitments and then lied, stonewalled and covered up evidence. Iran had time to negotiate and blew it off. Now, if it wants a sanctions reprieve, let it return to compliance with its nuclear obligations. The only reason not to do so is to preserve the regime’s path to a nuclear weapon. After Israel exposed Iran’s vulnerability in June’s 12-day war, and President Trump sent the Air Force to remove all doubt, there’s less reason than ever to defer to Tehran. Now even the U.N. Security Council has rallied to the U.S. position: Zero Iranian enrichment, zero nuclear-capable missiles, full dismantlement.”

“Preparing for the End of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” National Interest, 9-19-25.