Brief Notes

Amid Security Concerns, Islamic Republic Begins Turning on Its Own: Hassan Younesi, a licensed attorney in Iran and the son of former six-year intelligence minister Ali Younesi, wrote on his X account that Tehran’s public prosecutor charged him with “strengthening the Zionist regime” and “spreading falsehoods against the Islamic Republic.” Ironically, Hassan Younesi’s father, Ali, has for decades warned of Israeli infiltration into the Islamic Republic “so deep that all officials of the regime should fear for their lives.” Tehran, Yerevan Hold Joint Conference Opposed to Azerbaijan’s Zangezur Corridor: Tehran hosted the “Zangezur Corridor: Geopolitical Threats to Iran and Perspectives of Various Actors” conference today, highlighting the Islamic Republic's concern of being economically shut out of Azerbaijan’s planned Zangezur Corridor through Armenia. The event was jointly organized by the Islamic Republic’s state-run Mehr News Agency and Armenia’s state-run think tank, the Orbeli Center. The Islamic Republic claimed that it would build a transit route between Tabriz and Yerevan in response to the Zangezur Corridor.

New Security Council Secretary Appointed

President Masoud Pezeshkian today appointed former Speaker of the Majles (Parliament) Ali Larijani as the secretary of the Islamic Republic’s top security body, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC). This appointment comes only two days after the announcement of the new “National Defense Council” within the SNSC structure. Ahead of the announcement, the Supreme Leader-controlled Kayhan newspaper notably criticized both Larijani and the speculation surrounding his potential appointment. Similarly, Nour News, affiliated with Larijani’s political rival, former SNSC secretary Ali Shamkhani, expressed concern over the restructuring of the SNSC and the new appointment, warning that it could jeopardize the “security of national infrastructure.” Despite these objections, other factions within the Islamic Republic have fully endorsed both the structural changes and Larijani’s appointment. It is important to note that such rivalries within the regime represent power struggles rather than genuine shifts in foreign policy. Historically, these internal competitions have not translated into changes in the Islamic Republic’s international posture.

Iran’s Water, Electricity Crises Continue

Amid soaring summer temperatures and critical shortages of water and electricity, the Islamic Republic has again ordered the closure of public offices across several provinces for the dates of August 5 and August 6. The closure is in effect for the provinces of Tehran, Yazd, Qom, Gilan, Kerman, Hormozgan, Semnan, Isfahan, East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ilam, Mazandaran, and Golestan. In response to the crisis, President Masoud Pezeshkian made a surprise visit to the Ministry of Energy, warning that all future development must be contingent on water availability. He criticized unregulated urban sprawl and called for faster adoption of renewable energy. The closures come as Iran ranks among the hottest places on Earth, with cities like Omidiyeh, Khuzestan Province, reaching 50.4°C (122°F). Meanwhile, public frustration has grown online, with users criticizing the government for prioritizing the Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq over domestic utility needs, highlighting the regime’s characteristic mismanagement amid an escalating crisis. In the cities of Mahabad and Fereydunkenar, people protested against the ongoing water and electricity cuts.

On the Radar

Yesterday, at least 14 protests took place across Iran. Demonstrations in Zabol, Shadegan, Asaluyeh, Mashhad, and Rasht focused on economic grievances. Meanwhile, families of prisoners gathered in Kermanshah, citing unofficial verbal notices from Dizel-Abad Prison officials to inmates about sudden and extensive changes in the facility.
IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency reported that law enforcement seized over 180 units of “illegal weapons and ammunition” in a border region of Iran’s West Azerbaijan Province, which borders Iraq, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. West Azerbaijan Chief Justice Naser Atabati stated the seizure was conducted in coordination with judicial, intelligence, and law enforcement bodies. The confiscated arms included “hunting weapons and sidearms, which could be used in riots.”
According to several Kenyan domestic news outlets, the U.S. may be reconsidering Kenya’s Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status. U.S. concerns reportedly include Kenya's growing ties with China, Russia, and the Islamic Republic, as well as Kenyan President Ruto’s rhetoric during his April visit to Beijing, where he criticized Western “hegemonic power.”

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