US citizens taken hostage, Beirut mad at Iran—and more
The Iranist for the week of August 8, 2025
NOTE: Due to travel, there’ll be no newsletter next week.
THE هفت/SEVEN THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK:
۱/1 Supreme National Security Council restructured
On August 3, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) approved the establishment of a National Defense Council, to be chaired by President Masoud Pezeshkian (Reuters). Tasked with responding to national emergencies or wartime situations, the council will include the speaker of parliament, the judiciary chief, two SNSC representatives appointed by the Supreme Leader, the intelligence minister, the chief of the general staff, and the commanders of the army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Khatam-al-Anbia Central Headquarters, and related ministries (AP).
A senior military officer, appointed by the president, will serve as the council’s secretary. As IranWire notes, “The formation of the council follows recent structural changes within the National Security Council and is intended to accelerate military and security decision-making.” A similar body existed during the eight-year bloody Iran-Iraq War, suggesting that the clerical establishment doubts the ceasefire will hold—thinking that the average Iranian shares as well. Not surprisingly, analysts are describing the new council as a “permanent war room.” (IranWire) On the same day, commander-in-chief of the Iranian army Amir Hatami warned against underestimating Israel or dismissing “its threats as over.” (Reuters)
On August 5, the former Speaker of Parliament and advisor to the Supreme Leader, Ali Larijani, was appointed by the president as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (Reuters). This is noteworthy, as the Financial Times reports:
“A conservative politician, Larijani has distanced himself from hardliners and moved closer to moderate forces during his decades in power. He was barred from running in two presidential elections by hardline elements in the vetting body, the Guardian Council, including last year’s vote for the presidency. Some commentators in Iran said his appointment suggested a cautious shift towards pragmatism in Iran’s postwar policymaking.”
۲/2 Nuclear scientist executed over espionage allegations
Meanwhile, ProPublica is reporting that Israel recruited and trained Iranians and citizens from neighboring countries to attack Iranian defenses from within during the 12-day war.
۳/3 At least 4 US citizens detained since 12-day war
Here’s a list of current hostages and wrongful detainees in Iran from my article for The Washington Institute:
۴/4 Iran accused of meddling in Lebanon’s decision on Hezbollah disarmament
On August 7, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi wrote on X:
“The recent remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Mr. Abbas Araghchi, in which he addressed internal Lebanese affairs that are in no way the concern of the Islamic Republic, are firmly rejected and condemned. Such statements undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty, unity, and stability, and constitute an unacceptable interference in its internal matters and sovereign decisions… It is completely unacceptable for these relations to be used to promote or support domestic actors outside the framework of the Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions or at the expense of the state itself.”
۵/5 Asiatic cheetah population edges up to 26
The Asiatic cheetah remains critically endangered, with twenty living in the wild and six in captivity in Iran (Tehran Times). Meanwhile, a rare video captures the animal sharing a habitat with a Persian onager and even shows the cheetah curiously inspecting the trap camera (IFP).
۶/6 Banks and gov’t offices shut on Wednesday to relieve electric grid
Despite official claims, power outages in Tehran and other cities are lasting up to four hours (IranWire).
۷/7 Iranian version of Craigslist under pressure by IRGC
OTHER اخبار/NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES:
Human Rights
۰ Drug-related offenses: 7 prisoners executed in Karaj Central Prison (HRANA)
۰ Iran executes man accused of ISIS membership (Iran International)
۰ Court considers rapper Tataloo’s ‘repentance request’ (IranWire)
۰ Former political prisoner dies by suicide after torture (IranWire)
۰ Singer Danial Moghaddam arrested in Shiraz (HRANA)
۰ Children’s rights activist arrested in Northern province (IranWire)
۰ Filmmaker’s home raided by armed forces (IranWire)
۰ British couple held in Iran moved to separate prisons heightening welfare concerns (The Guardian)
۰ Couple detained in Iran allowed first call home (BBC News)
۰ Iran threatens Iran International reporters with execution (Jerusalem Post)
۰ Over 1,300 activists demand end to brutal anti-Afghan crackdown (CHRI)
۰ Iran blocks citizens' phones to control social media posts (IranWire)
Domestic Issues
۰ Psychiatrist sentenced to over 5 years for Israel-related charges (IranWire)
۰ Khamenei’s Gen Z? How Tehran is selling a new face of ‘resistance’ (Iran International)
۰ Is Ahmadinejad eyeing a political comeback as ‘Iran’s Yeltsin’? (Amwaj.media)
۰ Official says ‘not the time’ for strict hijab enforcement (IranWire)
۰ ‘I’m not a slave’: Iran struggles to fill nursing jobs despite high unemployment (IranWire)
۰ Truck drivers protest steel company monopoly in East Azerbaijan (IranWire)
۰ Crypto mining accounts for up to 20% of power shortage (Iran International)
۰ ‘20 Asiatic cheetahs spotted in Iran’s wildlife reserves’ (Tehran Times)
۰ Earthquake of magnitude 5.73 strikes southern Iran, GFZ says (Reuters)
Foreign Policy + Security
۰ Trump calls Iran ‘a very evil place,’ says future will look different (Iran International)
۰ Trump: All of Middle East should join Abraham Accords after Iran nukes ‘obliterated’ (Times of Israel)
۰ US offers up to $10 million for information on Iranian cyber group (Iran International)
۰ This diplomat saw the fall of the Shah coming. Jimmy Carter ignored him. (Politico)
۰ No guarantee Iran regime change in Iran would improve upon IRGC, UK says (Iran International)
۰ A network of X Accounts is amplifying an Israeli minister—in what appears to be a foreign influence campaign (Haaretz)
۰ Mossad’s missed chance to stop Iran’s Islamic revolution (Jerusalem Post)
۰ Iran says it detained members of sabotage cell linked to banned MEK opposition group (AFP)
۰ Iran’s president to visit Armenia, China: What to know (Al-Monitor)
۰ Russia built a massive drone factory to pump out Iranian-designed drones. Now it’s leaving Tehran out in the cold (CNN)
۰ How concerned is Iran about the US-Pakistan partnership? (DW)
۰ Iraq prevented 29 attacks by Iran-aligned militias amid Israel-Iran war, PM says (Iran International)
۰ Iran asks Taliban for ‘kill list’ so it can hunt down MI6 spies (Telegraph)
Iran Deal + Sanctions
۰ The covert trip by Iranian nuclear experts to Russia (Financial Times)
۰ Iraq denies any role in sanctioned Iran oil smuggling (AFP)
۰ US issues new Iran-related sanctions, Treasury says (Reuters)
۰ China pushes back at US demands to stop buying Russian and Iranian oil (AP)
۰ Gold reserves are buffer against snapback of UN sanctions, ex-banker says (Iran International)
۰ Forbidden fruit: Uncovering the secret food trade that corrupts Iran’s neighbors (The Economist)
Economy
۰ Iran moves to slash zeros from its plunging national currency (AFP)
Diaspora
۰ He left Iran 40 years ago. He may be deported to Romania. Or Australia. (Washington Post)
۰ A chat with the princess of Iran (The Spectator)