The UN human rights office called for restraint in Iran after authorities shut down the internet and detained hundreds of people in response to protests sparked by a hike in the price of fuel last week. Amnesty International reported that more than one hundred protesters across twenty-one cities have been killed, though it warned the death toll could be much higher (Guardian)
Iran Offers Cash Handouts Amid Protests
Tehran pledged to make monthly payments of between $13 and $48 to more than 70 percent of Iranians in a bid to quell protests across the country that were sparked by a fuel price hike last week (Financial Times)
Iran Shoots Down Drone
Iran’s Air Defense Force shot down an unmanned drone today near the country’s southwestern coast that officials say belongs to a foreign country, state media reported (Al Jazeera)
Iran Accused of Holding UN Nuclear Inspector
Jackie Wolcott, U.S. Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), accused Iran of detaining an IAEA inspector and withholding access to its nuclear facility in Natanz. Iranian officials claimed that the inspector tested positive for traces of explosive materials, and requested the inspector be removed from the IAEA list of investigators (Reuters)
Iran Continues to Boost Uranium Enrichment
The head of Iran’s atomic agency said the country is now producing five kilograms of enriched uranium per day, more than a tenfold increase from two months ago (Guardian)
At the same time, President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will activate its Fordow facility, where enrichment was banned under the 2015 nuclear agreement (Washington Post)
Iran to Begin Enriching Uranium at Higher Speeds
The leader of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, said that Iran would begin operating centrifuges at ten times the limit imposed by the 2015 nuclear agreement (Reuters)
U.S. Reportedly Conducted Cyberattack on Iran
The United States reportedly carried out a cyberattack in late September targeting physical hardware and aiming to counter Iran’s ability to spread “propaganda” following the attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities (Reuters)
Explosions on Iranian Tanker in Red Sea
The oil tanker was around sixty miles from the Saudi port city of Jeddah when it sustained two explosions, the National Iranian Oil Company said (Al Jazeera)
State media initially described the incident as a suspected missile attack (New York Times)
U.S. Sends Troops, Defense Systems to Saudi Arabia
The United States is deploying about two hundred troops, one Patriot missile battery, and four ground-based radar systems to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said. Officials said the deployment will help Riyadh protect itself against Iranian attacks (Associated Press)
U.S. Imposes Travel Restrictions on Iranian Officials
The United States barred senior Iranian officials and their families from entering the country, and imposed sanctions on six Chinese firms for helping Iran export oil, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced (New York Times)
Iran’s Rouhani: U.S. Talks Conditional on Sanctions Relief
President Hassan Rouhani, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, said that Washington must lift sanctions it imposed on the country after exiting the 2015 nuclear deal in order for Tehran to return to the negotiating table. Trump, in his UN address, said the United States wants “partners, not adversaries.” Rouhani will address the UN General Assembly today (Associated Press)
European Leaders Blame Iran for Attacks on Saudi Arabia
The leaders of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, in a joint statement, blamed Iran for attacks on Saudi oil facilities earlier this month (Politico)
U.S. Announces Military Deployments to Middle East
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced Friday that the United States would deploy troops and defensive military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in response to attacks on a Saudi oil facility last week. The Trump administration has blamed Iran for the attack, and is considering “a range of military options” in addition to new economic sanctions imposed on Iran’s central bank last week (Hill)
U.S. Convenes Mideast Allies Over Saudi Attack
Representatives of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States met in Washington to discuss last week’s drone attack on Saudi oil facilities (U.S. State Department)
U.S. and Saudi officials have accused Iran of involvement in the attack. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said a military strike by either country against Iran would result in “all-out war” (Reuters)
Pompeo Visits Mideast After Attacks on Saudi Oil
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Saudi Arabia today and will travel to the United Arab Emirates tomorrow to discuss the weekend drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities and efforts to counter Iran (U.S. State Department)
Saudi defense officials say they will present evidence of Iranian involvement in the attacks at a news conference today, while Tehran warned Washington that it would retaliate against any attacks, state media reported (Washington Post)
While Pompeo has linked Iran to the drone strikes, President Donald J. Trump has said he would like to avoid a military conflict with Iran. The United States is reportedly considering seeking a response from the UN Security Council (Reuters)
Trump Says He Wants to Avoid War With Iran
President Donald J. Trump scaled back remarks about retaliation for drone strikes on Saudi oil facilities, saying that Iran appeared to be behind the attack but that he would like to avoid a military conflict (New York Times)
Trump said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other officials will soon travel to Riyadh (National)
Trump Considers Easing Sanctions on Iran in Exchange for Talks
President Donald J. Trump suggested he is open to easing sanctions if it helps Iranian President Hassan Rouhani come to the negotiating table. Rouhani had previously ruled out meeting with Trump if sanctions against Tehran remain in place (Voice of America)
Iran Takes Another Step Away From Nuclear Deal
Iran will no longer restrict its development of centrifuges for uranium enrichment, President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised address. The announcement marks Tehran’s third major step away from the terms of the 2015 nuclear agreement (Al Jazeera)
Rouhani called the latest move peaceful and reversible if other signatories to the deal make firm commitments to provide economic relief for Tehran within two months (Reuters)
France proposed a $15 billion credit line for Iran, even as U.S. envoy Brian Hook said Washington will continue its pressure campaign against the country (BBC)
Hook announced a $15 million reward for information to help disrupt the operations of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as sanctions on an oil network linked to the Revolutionary Guards (U.S. State Department)
Iran’s Rouhani Rules Out Talks With United States
President Hassan Rouhani, in a speech to parliament, said he will not hold talks with the United States unless they are multilateral and Washington lifts sanctions it imposed after its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal (Al Jazeera)
Rouhani said Tehran will further breach the terms of the deal in two months if remaining signatories do not provide financial relief (Middle East Eye)
Iranian Rocket Appears to Explode on Launchpad
An Iranian rocket that was set to launch a satellite failed due to technical issues, according to an Iranian official (Reuters)
The satellite, the Nahid-1, would reportedly be used for telecommunications (Associated Press)
France Looks to Broker U.S.-Iran Talks
After France encouraged dialogue with Iran at the Group of Seven (G7) summit, U.S. President Donald J. Trump said he is open to meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Rouhani said he will not hold talks with the United States unless it lifts sanctions against Iran (Financial Times)
Separately, Iran announced that it sold 2.1 million barrels of crude oil that were aboard the Iranian oil tanker recently released by Gibraltar (Associated Press)
Iran Unveils Missile Defense System
Tehran has displayed what it described as a new long-range, surface-to-air missile defense system. Iranian media have described it as a competitor to Russia’s S-300 (Reuters)
Australia Joins U.S.-Led Hormuz Patrol
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the country’s military will join a U.S.-led effort to protect commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Bahrain and the United Kingdom have already pledged to participate in the patrol (New York Times)
Separately, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani sent a bill to parliament to drop four zeros from the country’s currency. If approved, the move could trigger a process to rename the rial (Associated Press)
Iranian Oil Exports Decline
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said yesterday that U.S. sanctions have removed 2.7 million barrels of Iranian oil from global markets daily (Reuters)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today that, should Iran’s oil exports be cut to zero, international waterways will not be as secure as before (Reuters)
Separately, Pompeo warned against ending an arms embargo on Iran set to expire in October 2020 (CNN)
Pompeo also warned that the United States will take action if a recently released Iranian tanker delivers oil to Syria and thereby violates U.S. sanctions (Reuters)
United States Organizes Talks Between Israel, UAE on Iran
The United States reportedly held secret discussions over several months with Israel and the United Arab Emirates to coordinate information sharing and containment efforts toward Iran (Wall Street Journal)
Additionally, U.S. officials said they expect an Iranian rocket launch soon (CNN)
Finally, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said today that Iran is not interested in negotiating a new nuclear deal with the United States (Reuters)