Brief Notes

IRGC-Affiliated Outlet Demands Mass Execution: IRGC-linked Fars News Agency today demanded the execution of “mercenaries, including Iranians and foreign nationals” accused of collaborating with Israel during the recent 12-day conflict by “handing over information to the Zionist enemy and smuggling weapons into the country.” The outlet argued that the 1988 mass execution of political prisoners should be followed as an example. In 1988, thousands of political prisoners were summarily sentenced to death, executed, and buried in mass graves. U.S. Sanctions International Elements of IRGC Oil Export Network: The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control today designated 22 entities based in Hong Kong, the UAE, and Turkey for their roles in facilitating the sale of Islamic Republic oil that benefits the IRGC-Quds Force. Security Crackdown in Sistan and Baluchestan Province: IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency reported that the Guards, in coordination with the Ministry of Intelligence, dismantled a “terrorist cell” in the Sistan and Baluchestan Province city of Chabahar. It added that six individuals were either killed or arrested in a swift raid. A statement from the public relations office of the IRGC Ground Forces said that the operation was carried out as part of the "Martyrs of Security" military exercise, which is currently taking place in the area. Tensions have surged in the province amid sporadic protests and the killing of an unarmed woman protester last week.

Tehran Eyes Resumption of Talks

The Islamic Republic has signaled interest in resuming nuclear negotiations with the United States. At a press conference yesterday, Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said the regime has received communication from the U.S. expressing interest in renewed negotiations. Khatibzadeh further said, “The United States violating Iran’s sovereignty is not forgivable, but diplomacy has always been a fundamental principle of the Islamic Republic's foreign policy.” He added that at the appropriate time, senior officials will announce their decision regarding the negotiations. This message was echoed through Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on his way back from the BRICS summit in Brazil. Bin Salman stressed the importance of Saudi Arabia’s “position in supporting dialogue through diplomatic means as a way of resolving disputes,” a move seen as part of broader efforts to rebuild diplomatic capital ahead of potential talks between the Islamic Republic and the West. Meanwhile, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s interview with American commentator Tucker Carlson has drawn intensified domestic criticism of his leadership from conservative circles. Many conservative outlets expressed surprise that Pezeshkian was “ready to return to the negotiating table” after the U.S. “dropped a bomb on it.” The regime’s international-facing media underlined Pezeshkian’s complaints about "decades of Israeli misinformation" regarding the regime’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and that a return to negotiations hinged on U.S. assurances that Israel would not attack Iran again.

Domestic Crackdown Maintains Intensity

Yesterday, at least three protests were held in Iran, including families of two death row political prisoners in Tehran, and bakers in Mashhad and Rasht. Workers at the automaker Machine Sazi Arak went on strike in Markazi Province. Additionally, security forces arrested four citizens in Oshnavieh, West Azerbaijan Province. The reasons for their arrest, their whereabouts, and the charges against them remain unknown. The Rasht Revolutionary Court summoned Younes Azadbar, a 62-year-old activist, on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “insulting the Supreme Leader.” In Khash, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, IRGC forces opened fire at a vehicle at a checkpoint without warning, seriously injuring a 27-year-old, who was arrested after hospitalization. Individuals allegedly gathered outside the Tehran Stock Exchange building as the country’s stock market continued its nosedive. The Securities and Exchange Organization of Iran has disputed the authenticity of the reports.

On the Radar

Islamic Republic Minister of Health Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi claimed Israeli strikes last month killed nearly 700 Iranian civilians and injured over 5,000 others. Zafarghandi additionally alleged that 18 medical staff were killed, including six doctors, and that seven hospitals were targeted.
IRGC-linked Mashregh News reported that 80 people, including 13 military conscripts and 41 staff members, 11 of whom were women, were allegedly killed in Israel’s June 23 strike on Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.
IRGC General Mohsen Rezaei, in a televised interview, said that if Tehran “maintains its military readiness, a [future confrontation] can be postponed for a few months or a year.” He also boasted that Tehran, and not Israel, will initiate the next round of kinetic action.
Afghan migrants deported by the Islamic Republic in recent days report being forced to abandon all belongings. According to the UN, more than 700,000 Afghan migrants have returned to Afghanistan from Iran so far this year, including 256,000 in June alone.
Islamic Republic Ambassador to Venezuela Ali Chegini attended an event marking the arrival of the first Iranian-made production line in Venezuela. The fiber optic production line is part of a wider project for the expansion of economic ties between the two states.