Brief Notes

Tehran Aiming to Acquire Fighter Jets From Russia: Alleged leaks from Rostec, Russia’s state defense conglomerate, suggest that the Islamic Republic is trying to acquire dozens of Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets in a landmark deal with Moscow. For years, there have been reports of such an acquisition, but none have come to fruition. If the transfer happens, it would violate the UN arms embargo implemented as a result of the snapback mechanism. IRGC Navy ‘Ready to Confront the Enemy’: The IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency reported that the IRGC’s top commander, Mohammad Pakpour, visited the Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb to evaluate the preparedness of the IRGC Navy. After the visit, he told Tasnim, “The IRGC Navy is equipped and ready to confront any move by the enemy.” Teenage French-German Cyclist Acquitted Following Macron–Pezeshkian Meeting: According to the Judiciary’s Mizan News Agency, the Revolutionary Court of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan Province has acquitted dual French-German national Lennart Monterlos of espionage charges against him. Monterlos, a teenage cyclist traveling from France to Japan, was arrested in Iran during the 12-Day War. His acquittal follows a meeting between President Masoud Pezeshkian and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, after which France withdrew its International Court of Justice case against Tehran over violations of consular protection for two French citizens detained by the regime for more than three years, fueling speculation about a new hostage deal with Tehran. Oil Minister Says New Gas and Oil Reserves Discovered in Iran: Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad today announced the discovery of a major gas field in southern Iran. Paknejad claimed the newly identified Pazan gas field, spanning southern Fars Province and northern Bushehr Province, increases the country’s in-place gas reserves to 10 trillion cubic feet. He further said that, with a 70% recovery rate, the extractable reserves amount to around 7 trillion cubic feet, roughly equivalent to 17 to 18 years of current production from a single South Pars Gas Field zone. Tehran Appeals Seizure of Oil Office in London: On September 30, the UK Court of Appeal ordered the seizure of the London offices of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) to partially satisfy a $2.4 billion arbitration award in favor of the UAE-based Crescent Gas, stemming from a 2001 long term gas sales and purchase agreement between the two that the Islamic Republic has not honored. On October 3, the Islamic Republic filed an appeal against the decision, now expecting a reply from the courts within days. The ruling followed a lawsuit by Crescent Gas, which alleged that NIOC attempted to transfer ownership of the London offices to the Iran Oil Industry Employees Pension and Welfare Fund in an effort to evade seizure of the property.

Regime ‘Expects’ UN to Consider Sanctions Terminated on October 18, Says Cairo Agreement Invalid

Yesterday in Tehran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with “ambassadors and heads of foreign diplomatic missions.” In the meeting, he stated that Tehran expects the UN Secretariat and all UN member states to consider reinstated sanctions under UNSCR 2231 as terminated as of October 18. Araghchi also said, during his meeting, that the Cairo agreement with the IAEA is no longer valid: “The Cairo deal can no longer be the basis for our cooperation with the IAEA, and Iran’s decision on the continuation of cooperation with the IAEA will be announced. As I said after signing the agreement in Cairo, the implementation of snapback has changed the whole situation, and we are now facing a new situation.” On October 5, Araghchi hosted members of the Majles (Parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, presenting a report on the Foreign Ministry’s activities over the past year. He detailed recent diplomatic efforts aimed at “countering the destructive approach of the three European countries and the United States in abusing the JCPOA dispute resolution mechanism.”

Tehran Responds to Trump Norfolk Comments

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei condemned U.S. officials for “taking pride in committing a criminal act,” referring to comments made during President Donald Trump’s October 5 address at Virginia’s Naval Station Norfolk. During President Trump’s address, he said that without U.S. strikes, the Islamic Republic would have had a nuclear weapon “within a month,” and that if the regime “starts the operation all over again,” the U.S. will respond with another operation targeting nuclear facilities. Baghaei, during his weekly news conference today, said that making such comments only “increases the international responsibility of the American government.” Baghaei further claimed that the comments proved that the United States was “a law-breaking and irresponsible actor.” Baghai also dismissed U.S. claims that the attacks set back the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, insisting that it has “always been peaceful.” He further emphasized Tehran does not recognize the legitimacy of snapback sanctions, which Baghaei described as “an act of stubbornness” carried out at the behest of the U.S. He urged other countries not to enforce UN sanctions. Concluding his remarks, Baghaei declared that the Islamic Republic “cannot be isolated,” pointing to the recently enacted long-term strategic partnership agreement with Russia.

On the Radar

Hossein Shahrabi, head of the Tehran-based aerospace firm Omid Faza, told ISNA that the Islamic Republic’s two domestically designed satellites, Kowsar and Hodhod, have malfunctioned. He said Kowsar failed to transmit images while Hodhod went out of control after “receiving commands from external sources” about two weeks before the 12-Day War, leading to a complete loss of communication. Shahrabi noted that while a technical defect is likely, the timing raises questions of external interference.
Ali Khomeini, grandson of the first Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini, has urged the government to take stronger measures of deterrence against “Zionist threats.” He also claimed that Israel’s psychological warfare can swiftly turn tactical losses into strategic ideological defeats, and therefore, the regime must expand its deterrence capabilities.
Today, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement on President Trump’s Gaza peace plan. It reads, “The Islamic Republic of Iran, considering the dangerous dimensions and implications of this plan, and while once again warning against the repetition of breaches and obstruction by the Zionist regime in fulfilling its promises, particularly in light of that regime’s expansionist and racist schemes, has stated that any decision regarding this matter lies within the authority of the Palestinian people and resistance.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected reports that the Islamic Republic engages in disinformation/misinformation campaigns on social media, instead accusing Israel of doing so. In an English-language post on X, he referred to reports that the Israeli government has paid American social media influencers to promote pro-Israel content, writing, “We don’t pay people to lie on social media. That’s what Israel does.”
On October 5, Artesh Navy commander Shahram Irani arrived in Russia to attend a meeting of the Caspian states’ naval commanders in Saint Petersburg. Vladimir Zemtsov, the deputy commander of the Russian Navy, welcomed him.