۱/1 Unrelated Iran assassination plot on former President Donald Trump
On July 16, CNN reported that US officials had received intelligence from a “human source” just weeks prior to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. There’s no evidence that would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks was connected to Tehran. Nevertheless, the information shared by the National Security Council resulted in the Secret Service increasing assets and resources around the Republican presidential nominee, though that didn’t prevent the attack on his life on July 13.
An individual briefed on the interactions between the Trump campaign and the Secret Service told the New York Times:
“The Trump campaign was informed ‘in passing’ by the Secret Service of a general uptick in threats against Mr. Trump but was not made aware of any specific dangers related to Iranian individuals or groups… It was not clear what, if anything, Mr. Trump himself was told.”
Iran has repeatedly vowed revenge for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani’s assassination via US drone strike in 2020 and has singled out former Trump officials for their direct or indirect involvement. Since then, security has increased for former US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook, former Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, and several others—all of whom have continued to receive security details after their tenure ended (New York Times). In 2022, the US Justice Department announced criminal charges against an IRGC member for allegedly trying to plan the assassination of Bolton, while Pompeo was also reportedly the target of an assassination plot.
In 2022, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech:
“You Americans openly declared that you killed our fearless general… We will never forget the martyrdom of Martyr Soleimani. We have said things about this and we stand by our word. It will happen at the right time, at the right place, God willing.” (khamenei.ir)
An animated video of Trump in the crosshairs of a drone while playing golf was also published on his website, khamenei.ir, and by state media outlets. Watch the video. (FYI: The audio of Khamenei in the video is from the speech)

Responding to the news, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations said:
“These accusations are unsubstantiated and malicious. From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani. Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice.”
Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani was asked by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria in an upcoming interview airing July 21 (Sunday) whether this was retaliation for Soleimani.
Bagheri Kani replied:
“I told you explicitly that we would resort to legal and judicial procedures and frameworks at the domestic level and international level in order to bring the perpetrators and military advisers of General Soleimani’s assassination to justice. We will only resort to Iranian and international legal and judicial procedures. Until now, we have done it, and this is our right and of course we will continue it. And the Americans openly said that, that they assassinated the senior Iranian military commander. So it is our natural right in order to follow this issue, and those who are accused in this case, they should be brought to justice in a—in a just court.” (CNN)
Not surprisingly, state media circulated fake news about Trump’s shooter (X). Meanwhile, Iranian outlets reported that the failed assassination plot would increase the Republican candidate’s chances of winning the presidential election in November (Amwaj.media).
IRANIAN JOURNALIST FLEES UK A former Iran International journalist who was the target of transnational repression in March has fled the United Kingdom out of fear for his safety (The Guardian). According to the now-changed headline of The Guardian piece, Pouria Zeraati—who was stabbed multiple times outside his London home—moved to Israel. The incident was being investigated by the UK Metropolitan Police (Met Police) Counter Terrorism Command, given a “significant escalation” of threats from the Islamic Republic in recent years—prompting the outlet to temporarily suspend its UK operations and relocate to Washington, DC. Last year, Britain’s ITV revealed that Iranian intelligence had paid $200,000 to assassinate two Iran International anchors, Fardad Farahzad and Sima Sabet, in 2022. (Read more about the attempted assassination)
۲/2 Trump’s vice presidential pick talks Iran
On July 16, Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH), the Republican vice presidential candidate, discussed Iran during an interview with Fox News at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Vance told host Sean Hannity:
“A lot of people recognize that we need to do something with Iran, but not these weak little bombing runs (referring to the Joe Biden administration’s response to proxies in Iraq and Yemen). If you’re going to punch the Iranians, you punch them hard, and that’s what he did when he took out [Qasem] Soleimani. By the way, that action, people said that it would lead to broader war. It actually brought peace, it actually checked the Iranians and slowed it down a bit…
If you want to check Iran, the way to do it is one, withdraw their oil money, which Joe Biden has been bad about. But you’ve also got to enable the Israelis and the Sunni Arab states to work together and actually provide a counterbalance to Iran. Joe Biden has done nothing. You have the infrastructure there, sitting there, to weaken Iran, to strengthen our ally Israel. Joe Biden has done nothing with it, Donald Trump would reinvigorate it.”
۳/3 President-elect publishes English op-ed addressing ‘New World’
READ: How Iran’s Khamenei elevated a little-known moderate to the presidency (Reuters)
۴/4 266+ prisoners executed during the first half of 2024
۵/5 Israeli recruited by Iranian intelligence arrested and charged
Three Israeli citizens were arrested in the past two weeks on allegations of carrying out operations and tasks under the guidance of Iranian intelligence, according to Israeli police and the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service (CNN). On July 16, Elimelech Stern, 21—one of the three—was charged with hiding money in various locations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, posting public notices in Tel Aviv, and delivering packages on doorsteps containing threatening messages, including a severed head of an animal or a doll next to a knife. Stern was also asked to set a forest fire and commit a murder, which he declined to do.
An individual using the alias “Anna Elena” had contacted Stern on the Telegram messaging app and asked him to carry out various tasks. In return, Stern was paid in cryptocurrency and was promised rewards of between $100 and $100,000, depending on the mission. He also recruited the two unnamed Israeli citizens who were arrested. According to reports, there’s been an uptick in Iranian intelligence contacting Israeli citizens through social media networks and messaging apps using fake accounts (Times of Israel).
۶/6 US privately warned Iran over suspicious nuclear activities
۷/7 Hacktivist group Edalat-e Ali (Ali’s Justice) may be tied to Israel
OTHER اخبار/NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES:
Human rights
۰ Iran executes man for alleged killing of Basij agent in Zahedan (IranWire)
۰ Political prisoner sentenced to imprisonment and exile (HRANA)
۰ Forces arrest Baha’i researcher on unknown charges (IranWire)
۰ Political Prisoner blames supreme leader for national crises (IranWire)
۰ Rapper Vafadar on trial for national security charges (IranWire)
۰ Iran summons women for hijab violations on Ashura (IranWire)
۰ Iran locking up its labor activists as worker demands grow (CHRI)
Domestic issues
۰ Over 800 poisoned by drinks during Muharram in northern Iran (IranWire)
۰ Devastating fire in Asadabad destroys 100 hectares of land (IranWire)
۰ IRGC kills 19-year-old kolbar, injures others (IranWire)
Foreign policy + security
۰ Exiled prince urges UK to list IRGC as terrorist organization (Iran International)
۰ Azerbaijan reopens embassy in Tehran following deadly attack (RFE/RL)
۰ Netanyahu says Iran has been planning multi-front ground invasion to destroy Israel (Times of Israel)
۰ How Iran’s new government will impact ties with Pakistan (Al-Monitor)
Iran deal + sanctions
۰ Iran open to resuming nuclear talks - acting foreign minister (Iran International)
۰ US renews sanctions waiver for Iraq to purchase Iranian electricity (Al-Monitor)
۰ Iran demands US pay $6.8 billion for sanctions impact on patients (AFP)
۰ Tea-for-oil deal: Sri Lanka pays $55 million of $251 million debt to Iran (IranWire)