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“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.

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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.

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“Iran’s Perilous Path Back to Power:  Tehran Has Few Options, but the Best One Depends on China,” Foreign Affairs, 9-17-25.  While accurately describing Iran’s reliance on China to rebuild defenses in the short term, particularly regarding air, and Iran’s desire to rebuild proxy networks, this article makes no mention of what Iran should really try to do if it wants to become great and powerful in its region—to act as a normal country, not a revolutionary.  In the process, this article displays why Iran will continue to miss the mark for what it could be become, instead of remaining a pariah.

“U.S. Designates 4 ‘Iran-Aligned’ Militias in Iraq as Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” FDD, 9-17-25.  “The State Department designated four Iraq-based, “Iran-aligned” armed militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) on September 17. The groups are Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN), Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (HAAA), and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali (KIA), all of which were previously assigned the status of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.“ As the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, Iran continues to provide support that enables these militias to plan, facilitate, or directly carry out attacks across Iraq,” the announcement stated, adding that the “groups have conducted attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and bases hosting U.S. and Coalition forces, typically using front names or proxy groups to obfuscate their involvement.” … All four designated groups are part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), a coalition of Iran-aligned Shia Islamist armed militias that have launched attacks against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, atrocities in Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.”

Never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.  “‘Ball still in Iran’s court,’ European powers say after nuclear issues call,” Al Jazeera, 9-17-25.

“Iran executes man it says spied for Israel, activists say false confession,” Al Jazeera, 9-17-25.

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“Treasury Sanctions Sudanese Islamist Actors to Counter Regional Instability and Support for Iran,” U.S. Treasury, 9-12-25.

And expel U.S. forces.  And close Al Udeid Air Base.  But consider the success rate of Iran’s missiles versus Israel’s attacks in the 12 Day War.  “Iranian lawmaker suggests Qatar host Revolutionary Guards missiles,” Iran International, 9-12-25.

“Iran Update, September 12, 2025,” ISW, 9-12-25.  “Iranian officials are using Israel’s September 9 strike in Doha, Qatar, to frame the United States as an unreliable security guarantor for Gulf states in an effort to break the nascent anti-Iran coalition in the region.”

He makes drones, that kill in Ukraine.  “US seizes nearly $600k in crypto from Iranian tied to IRGC drones,” Iran International, 9-12-25.  “Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi … is the founder and managing director of San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA), a company that manufactures navigation system modules, including the Sepehr Navigation System (SNS), used in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military drone program.”

“Iran-linked hacker group doxes journalists and amplifies leaked information through AI chatbots,” Government of Canada, 9-12-25.

“Several suspects detained by Israeli troops in southern Syria in recent months were in terror cells and operating on behalf of Iran’s Unit 840, a clandestine unit within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force.”  See “IDF says it nabbed suspected terror cells working for Iran’s IRGC in Syria,” Times of Israel, 9-12-25.

“Iran Uses Fake Airlines to Dodge Nuclear Sanctions,” Iran Wire, 9-12-25.

“Exclusive: With Khamenei Unreachable, Iranian Officials Fear for His Health and the Regime,” Iran Wire, 9-12-25.