Brief Notes

Islamic Republic Commanders Attend Mourning Ceremonies: Top regime commanders today attended mourning ceremonies marking 40 days since the deaths of senior officials killed during the 12-Day War. The traditional mourning period in Iranian culture lasts 40 days. Usually, immediate family members wear black during this period, holding a mourning ceremony on the last day. Commander of Key IRGC Base Dies from 12-Day War Injuries: Armed forces-run Defa Press reported that a commander of the Hamze Seyyed-al-Shohada base, a key IRGC command center which oversees the country’s western borders with Iraq and Turkey, died from injuries sustained during the 12-Day War.

Tehran Sets Conditions for U.S. Talks Ahead of E3 Meetings

The Islamic Republic and the E3 will hold deputy ministerial-level talks tomorrow at the Islamic Republic’s consulate in Istanbul. Regarding Tehran’s willingness to engage in negotiations with the U.S., Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on his official X account: “For entering negotiations, several key principles are important: gaining Iran’s trust, as Iran has no trust in the United States, not using negotiations as a platform for hidden agendas such as military action—although Iran will be fully prepared—respecting and recognizing Iran’s rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, including enrichment in accordance with Iran’s desired needs, and lifting sanctions.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated in a domestic televised interview that the upcoming negotiations with the E3 are intended to tell Europeans that the Islamic Republic’s position “remains unchanged,” and that the government “will continue enrichment.” Meanwhile, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer arrived in Paris today to meet French officials ahead of the Islamic Republic-E3 talks tomorrow. The talks come amid E3 warnings that it will trigger the JCPOA snapback mechanism unless Tehran shows progress towards a nuclear deal by the end of August.

Tehran’s Reaction to the U.S. Zangezur Proposal

Using past comments by senior officials, Islamic Republic media have raised alarms over a reported U.S. proposal to place the proposed Zangezur corridor, linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave via Armenia, under U.S. oversight. In a 2022 meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said, “The Islamic Republic will oppose any policy that aims to block the Iran-Armenia border, as this border has served as a communication route for thousands of years.” Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian recently echoed this message to Armenia, underscoring Tehran's objection to any geopolitical reshaping of the region while expressing support for Yerevan’s stance and approach to the issue. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said of the proposal: "Such measures should neither affect regional borders nor bring about changes in its geopolitics." This all comes after President Trump reportedly said during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on July 14: “And we’ve solved another one: Armenia and Azerbaijan. It looks like that’s going to come to a conclusion, a successful conclusion.” Additionally, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, said on July 11: “They're arguing over 32 kilometers of road, but this is no joke. It's been going on for a decade...So what happens is America comes in and says, 'Okay, we'll take it over. Give us the 32 kilometers of road on a hundred-year lease, and you can all share it.’”

Iranians Fearful of Rationing Amid Water Scarcity Crisis

Amid Iran’s deepening water crisis, reports emerged that the Tehran Provincial Water and Wastewater Company had announced that it would begin distributing drinking water in sealed plastic pouches in areas experiencing water scarcity. In response, the municipal-run water management organization issued a statement denying any plans to distribute packaged or bottled water, calling related media reports false and misleading. Additionally, a spokesperson for the Islamic Republic’s water industry denied the reports, stating there are currently no plans for the rationing or selling of water in Tehran. He further clarified that sealed water distribution may only occur in emergency cases for areas facing supply disruptions.

On the Radar

In a post on X, the Islamic Republic’s embassy in Japan denounced the 23 July EU–Japan summit joint statement as “biased and misleading,” accusing both parties of equating “the aggressor and the victim” in the 12-Day War. The joint statement had welcomed the cessation of hostilities between Israel and the Islamic Republic, urged restraint, reaffirmed that the Islamic Republic must never acquire a nuclear weapon, and called for renewed cooperation with the IAEA.
Security forces arrested a resident of Marivan, Kurdistan Province, and took him to an undisclosed location. The charges against him and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Regime intelligence officers arrested a Baha’i resident of Shiraz, Fars Province, and searched her family home, seizing electronic devices, religious texts, and identification documents on July 22. Her fiancé had also been previously detained and was released on bail at the time of the incident. Her charges and whereabouts remain unknown.
The Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry today condemned the Israeli Knesset’s “West Bank annexation” vote as a “manifestation of the expansionist and domineering nature” of its government. The Ministry linked the move to what it called “genocide in Gaza” and “gross human rights violations” in the West Bank, accusing Israel of aiming to “completely eradicate Palestine as a land, a people, and an independent identity.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a phone call with his Bangladeshi counterpart, said Israel aimed to "erase Palestine."
Security forces have arrested 12 individuals and seized 43 illegal firearms in Hormozgan Province over the past 72 hours. The head of the provincial police command said the weapons were found during a targeted crackdown on high-crime areas. Authorities confiscated 20 firearms, 23 unlicensed hunting rifles, and related ammunition. The suspects have been handed over to judicial authorities.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) report that over 2.6 million people have returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan in recent months, many with little or no possessions. IFRC Afghanistan Head of Delegation Sami Fakhouri warned, “Right now, only ten percent of the required funding has been secured.”
A large fire broke out on Mount Abidar in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, yesterday, with videos showing a thick plume of smoke rising from the location. Local sources reported hearing an explosion before the blaze erupted, although the local fire department has declared it a heat-induced wildfire. ISNA confirmed the fire, saying over 20 hectares of natural land were affected.

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