Brief Notes

IAEA Official to Visit Tehran Soon: Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei announced today that a senior IAEA official will visit Tehran within the next 10 days. However, the visit will not involve inspections, as Islamic Republic law now bars IAEA access to nuclear sites. Baghaei said the government is open to a “regional nuclear consortium” if its right to enrich uranium domestically is upheld. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Majles (Parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said, “The IAEA delegation set to visit Iran next week will be allowed only technical discussions, not inspections.” He added, “Inspection or access by this or any foreign entity is absolutely off the table.” Pakistan Supports Islamic Republic Nuclear Program: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today pledged support for the Islamic Republic in Iran’s right to develop nuclear capabilities for “peaceful” purposes and announced a $10 billion bilateral trade target. The announcement came during President Masoud Pezeshkian’s official three-day visit to Islamabad, which ended today. Sharif also highlighted the signing of 13 memoranda of understanding to enhance cooperation in trade, security, and cultural exchange with the Islamic Republic. Tehran Preparing Legal Action Against Israel: Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi announced yesterday that Tehran is preparing legal action against Israel over its strikes during the 12-Day War, saying, “documentation of the damage has almost been completed.” Four More Iranian Jews Arrested in Tehran, Shiraz: In the aftermath of the 12-Day War, security forces have arrested multiple members of the Iranian Jewish community. In recent days, four additional individuals were arrested in Tehran and Shiraz.

SNSC Approves New ‘National Defense Council’

The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) approved the creation of the National Defense Council. The body will “centrally review defense strategies and plans aimed at strengthening the capabilities of the Armed Forces,” according to a statement from the secretariat of the SNSC. The president (currently Masoud Pezeshkian) will serve as the head of the Council, while membership will include top judiciary, parliamentary, military, and ministerial officials. State-run daily newspaper Jam-e Jam praised the move as a “strategic response to modern threats,” while the Supreme Leader-controlled Kayhan criticized media speculation over the potential appointment of Ali Larijani as SNSC secretary, rejecting claims he would bring “rationality, wise behavior, and moderation” to national security policymaking.

On the Radar

The Artesh (the conventional/“regular” armed forces, as opposed to the IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Amir Hatami said that the regime’s missile and drone systems remain “fully operational,” despite losses during the 12-Day War. Hatami emphasized continued vigilance, stating: “We must not underestimate the enemy or consider its threats over.” He credited the Islamic Republic’s “bravery and resilience” for thwarting Israeli aims.
The Islamic Republic condemned a Jewish prayer held at al-Aqsa Mosque, located atop Temple Mount, calling it a “renewed desecration by extremist Zionists.” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused Israel of trying to erase the site’s “Islamic identity.”
Esmaeil Baghaei today condemned new U.S. sanctions as “illegal” and vowed the Islamic Republic would continue to “resist coercive measures.” The sanctions, announced by the U.S. Treasury on July 30, target the Islamic Republic’s oil and petrochemical sectors, including Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Khamenei. Baghaei also rejected UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s recent criticism of the regime’s 60% uranium enrichment, calling his remarks “political and interventionist” and reflective of a “colonial mindset.”
Security forces in Iran’s southern Bushehr Province have seized 844 unmanned micro air vehicles (MAVs) and arrested two individuals in connection with the MAVs. The provincial police chief estimated the value of the confiscated drones at 330 billion rials, or approximately 3.6 million USD. Security forces have recently ramped up surveillance of import routes and major roads in response to the 12-Day War.
Russian military bloggers report that a new version of the Geran drone, the Geran-3, was used against Ukraine on July 31 to target Kyiv and Pavlohrad. The Geran-3 is a faster and more powerful modification of the Islamic Republic’s Shahed drones, with enhanced speed (370+ mph) and the ability to carry a warhead of up to a little over 660 pounds, making it somewhat comparable to a low-cost cruise missile.
The Majles (Parliament) Economic Committee has proposed a redenomination plan under which a single new rial would equal 10,000 rials at the current value (effectively “removing four zeroes” from current rial values). The measure comes in response to the rial’s devaluation. Local media and experts have widely described the plan as a “temporary remedy,” with some warning that it may prove ineffective without tackling broader inflation. Today, each U.S. dollar traded at 937,500 rials in Tehran.
The Islamic Republic has endorsed Armenia’s Crossroads of Peace transit proposal as a positive step towards enhanced regional connectivity, while stressing “respect for recognized borders.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told Armenia’s state-run Armen Press that the Islamic Republic views South Caucasus peace as vital to its own security and supports expanded Armenia-Azerbaijan-Iran transport links. Baghaei warned against interference by “non-regional actors.” Baghaei also described Armenia’s deepening ties with the EU and U.S. as “natural,” but emphasized that the Islamic Republic expects neighboring countries’ foreign relations not to be used against Tehran’s interests.
At least 11 protests were held across Iran yesterday. In Tehran, a group of National Housing Plan applicants, long-haul truckers, engineers, and pensioners, held demonstrations. Social Security pensioners and oil company employees protested in Khuzestan Province, while municipal workers in Kurdistan Province, steel industry pensioners in Isfahan Province, housing applicants in Markazi Province, and farmers in Fars Province also held demonstrations against the Islamic Republic's economic policies. Students in Yasuj, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, held a protest outside the provincial governor’s office regarding the regime’s environmental mismanagement.

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