U.S. Attempt to Block Iranian Tanker’s Release Fails
Gibraltar allowed an Iranian oil tanker to leave the British overseas territory today, following a last-minute application by the United States to seize the tanker that has been held since early July (Associated Press)
The U.S. bid to seize the tanker comes after two days of meetings in London between U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton and top officials in UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government (Guardian)
United States Builds Gulf Coalition
While visiting South Korea, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper reportedly asked South Korea to send forces to the U.S.-led naval coalition in the Strait of Hormuz (Reuters)
Separately, Iran warned against Israeli involvement in the Gulf coalition, following reports that Israel was considering joining the U.S.-led operation (Reuters)
Additionally, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton will reportedly urge the United Kingdom to adopt a tougher stance on Iran (Reuters)
Iran Asks United Nations to Push Back on U.S. Sanctions
Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi requested that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres push back against U.S. sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (Reuters)
Separately, the owner of the British oil tanker that Iran seized in July expressed concern for the wellbeing of the tanker’s crew, which has been in confinement for nineteen days (Reuters)
United Kingdom Joins U.S.-led Mission in the Strait of Hormuz
The United Kingdom announced today that it will join a U.S.-led navy mission in the Strait of Hormuz (Associated Press)
Iran Seizes Oil Tanker in Persian Gulf
Iranian authorities yesterday seized an oil tanker suspected of smuggling fuel in the Persian Gulf. Iran reported that the vessel belongs to Iraq, but Iraq’s oil ministry denied this claim (Al Jazeera)
This is the third foreign tanker Iran has seized in recent weeks (Washington Post)
Separately, Iran rejected an offer from U.S. officials to visit the White House (Al Jazeera)
U.S. Sanctions Iran’s Foreign Minister
The Trump administration has announced sanctions on Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister and a lead negotiator of the 2015 nuclear deal, freezing any of his U.S. assets and prohibiting any U.S. financial dealings with him. He and other Iranian officials were already barred from travel to the United States (Washington Post)
The U.S. State Department called Zarif an “enabler” of Iran’s “destabilizing policies,” and said it will continue a maximum pressure campaign against Tehran until the countries find a diplomatic solution that “addresses the Iranian regime’s destructive behavior” (State Department)
U.S Reportedly Planning to Renew Iranian Sanctions Waivers
The United States reportedly plans to renew sanctions waivers this week for foreign companies working with Iran on its civilian nuclear program. The waivers affect Chinese, European, and Russian firms (Washington Post)
Diplomats Meet to Salvage Iran Nuclear Deal
Remaining signatories of the 2015 nuclear agreement met in Vienna yesterday to discuss conditions for keeping the deal alive. The talks come as the United Kingdom and Iran have debated whether to release tankers from each other’s countries seized earlier this month (Associated Press)
Iran Announces Detaining U.S. Spies
A top Iranian intelligence official said yesterday that security agencies detained seventeen CIA spies, sentencing some of them to death. U.S. President Donald Trump denied the claim (Vox)
Separately, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt proposed creating a European-led coalition to ensure safe navigation for commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz (Guardian)
United Kingdom Weighs Response to Tanker Seizure By Iran
UK Prime Minister Theresa May is holding an emergency meeting today to determine how the country should respond to Iran’s seizure of a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz (BBC)
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the tanker violated maritime regulations (Reuters)
An Iranian official said the British vessel had collided with an Iranian fishing boat, while other officials described the seizure as retaliation for the British seizure of an Iranian tanker earlier this month (New York Times)
United States Destroys Iranian Drone
U.S. President Donald J. Trump said that an American warship had destroyed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz today. Iranian officials denied having lost any drones (New York Times)
Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the country would be open to allowing inspections of its nuclear facilities in exchange for permanent sanctions relief (Guardian)
United Kingdom Says Iranian Ships Tried to Block Tanker
The UK Defense Ministry said today that three Iranian ships attempted to block a BP-operated tanker in the Strait of Hormuz but were deterred by a British warship. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied approaching a British tanker (New York Times)
Separately, tensions between Iran and the United States over Iran’s violations of the 2015 nuclear deal continued during an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (Reuters)
United States Seeks Military Coalition in Gulf to Constrain Iran
Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford said yesterday that the United States hopes to enlist allies in the coming weeks to help patrol waters off Iran and Yemen and to escort commercial vessels in the area (Reuters)
France Sends Envoy to Iran
French President Emmanuel Macron’s top diplomatic advisor visited Tehran after Iran announced that it breached parts of the 2015 nuclear agreement (Associated Press)
Macron spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump about Iran in a phone call yesterday (Reuters)
Iran Announces New Breach of Nuclear Dear
Iran’s atomic energy agency declared that the country has begun to enrich uranium past the cap set by the 2015 nuclear agreement. Tehran also said it will give the remaining signatories another sixty days to provide sanctions relief before it continues to move past the deal’s limits (New York Times)
Iran Breaches 2015 Nuclear Deal
Iran announced that it has breached the limit for stockpiled low-enriched uranium set out in the 2015 nuclear agreement, prompting the International Atomic Energy Agency to dispatch inspectors to verify the claim (Reuters)
Separately, the European Union announced that its system for facilitating trade with Iran is now operational (Deutsche Welle)
Iran Nears Uranium Ceiling From 2015 Deal
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said yesterday that it will speed up production of enriched uranium, soon surpassing the cap set by the 2015 nuclear agreement (Guardian)
Some diplomats reported that Iran would not reach the cap until the weekend, prompting a meeting tomorrow to save the deal (Reuters)
United States Seeks Backing on Iran at NATO Meeting
Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said he aims to unity North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries in deterring Iran and forcing it to return to negotiations as the alliance’s defense ministers meet today in Brussels. European leaders cautioned against the U.S. pressure campaign as the United States freshly sanctioned top Iranian officials and President Donald J. Trump promised military retaliation for an Iranian attack on “anything American.” (Associated Press)
Iranian Leaders Rebuke New U.S. Sanctions
Iranian officials harshly criticized new U.S. sanctions that target Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, his appointees, and a group of military commanders. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who negotiated the nuclear accord, will be added to the list this week, the U.S. Treasury said (New York Times)
United States Plans to Increase Sanctions on Iran
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said new sanctions against Iran will be announced today (Voice of America)
Separately, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he is open to negotiations with Iran, while an advisor to Iran’s president tweeted today that if the United States wants a deal broader in scope than the 2015 nuclear agreement, it must offer greater incentives (Reuters)
United States Steps Back From Strikes on Iran
Late yesterday U.S. President Donald J. Trump approved, and then called off, strikes on Iranian radar and missile batteries in response to Iran shooting down a U.S. surveillance drone (New York Times)
A U.S. envoy, traveling to coordinate strategy with Gulf allies, called for de-escalation, after Trump yesterday downplayed the significance of the drone’s downing (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Iran Shoots Down U.S. Drone
Iranian officials said the drone, shot down today, was flying in Iranian airspace, while a U.S. official said it was in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz (Associated Press)
U.S. special envoy Brian Hook traveled yesterday to the Persian Gulf for a series of bilateral meetings (State Department)
European Leaders to Make Iran Diplomatic Push
Leaders from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom will meet in Brussels this week to discuss measures to save the Iran nuclear agreement (Reuters)
Meanwhile, an Iranian energy official said that Tehran will not wait beyond July 8 for a plan to salvage the nuclear deal (Reuters)
United States to Deploy More Troops to Middle East to Counter Iran
Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan announced yesterday that one thousand additional troops will be sent to the Middle East (Politico)
The move comes after the United States blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a TV address today that “Iran will not wage war against any nation” (Reuters)
Iran on Track to Breach Uranium Limits
Iran will soon breach its limit for low-enriched uranium set in the 2015 nuclear agreement, the country’s atomic energy body said today. The announcement increases pressure on remaining signatories to try to save the nuclear deal (Financial Times)