July 29
International: U.S. officials accused Iran of heading a campaign to undermine former President Donald Trump’s candidacy in the November 2024 election. The election security update from the Office of the Director of Natonal Intelligence warned:
Iran is continuing efforts to fuel distrust in U.S. political institutions and increase social discord. Since our last update, the IC has observed Tehran working to influence the presidential election, probably because Iranian leaders want to avoid an outcome they perceive would increase tensions with the United States. Tehran relies on vast webs of online personas and propaganda mills to spread disinformation and have notably been active in exacerbating tensions over the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Iran’s U.N. mission insisted that “Iran does not engage in any objectives or activities intended to influence the U.S. election.” During the 2020 presidential election, U.S. officials had accused Iran of leading similar efforts to undercut Trump, whose imposed severe sanctions on Tehran and ordered the assassination of Qods Force General Qassem Soleimani.
July 30
Domestic: President Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn in as the Islamic Republic’s ninth president during a ceremony in Parliament. “My government will never succumb to bullying and pressure,” Pezeshkian said after taking oath. “I will not stop trying to remove the oppressive sanctions. I am optimistic about the future.”
Foreign leaders and diplomats as well as senior officials from Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Iranian allies attended the ceremony. At one point, members of the audience chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” In response, Pezeshkian said that “those who supply weapons that kill children cannot teach Muslims about humanity.”
Diplomatic: Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei met with leaders of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis – all members of the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance – prior to the swearing-in of president-elect Pezeshkian. “We are certain that the resistance of the Palestinian people and fighters will lead to ultimate victory and the liberation of the land of Palestine," he told Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. Pezeshkian lauded the Houthi attacks against Israel. “Your actions have clearly put pressure on the Zionist regime and its supporters," he told Houthi spokesman Mohammad Abdul Salam.
Domestic: A total of 474 earthquakes were recorded across Iran in July 2024, with 19 of them having epicenters in neighboring countries. While the vast majority had a magnitude of less than three on the Richter scale, eight earthquakes fell between four and five, with the highest recorded magnitude of 4.9 occurring on July 16 with an epicenter in Sirach. Iran’s seismic activity has increased since 2017 due the Iranian plateau shrinking 30 mm per year, according to Mehdi Zare, professor of engineering seismology at the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology.
Domestic: Security forces reportedly killed one Baluch woman and injured three others in a raid on a house in southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province. The raid, allegedly carried out without a judicial warrant, sparked protests among residents. Police opened fire and killed one woman. The police also allegedly blocked emergency services from accessing the area. Fars News Agency, which was associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said that the raid targeted a team transporting explosive materials for the Jaish ul Adl, a separatist militia that operates along the border with Pakistan. But the organization dismissed the claim as “a blatant falsehood and an attempt to justify and cover up the atrocity committed by the notorious security forces in this village.” Iran has long considered the group a terrorist organization.
July 31
International: Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in Tehran after he attended the inauguration of Iranian President Pezeshkian. Iran and its allies condemned the attack. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “harsh punishment” for Israel. Foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani also blamed the United States. “As a supporter and accomplice of the Zionist regime in the continuation of the occupation and genocide of Palestinians, the U.S. government is responsible in committing this heinous act of terrorism.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken denied prior knowledge of the assassination plot.
International: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that “Israel will charge a very heavy price for any aggression from any arena” in a national address. "In recent days, we delivered crushing blows to all of our enemies, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis," he said. "In the strike yesterday, we eliminated Nasrallah's deputy, he was responsible for the murderous attack on Majdal Shams and one of the most wanted terrorists in the world. We settled the score and we will settle the score with all those who massacre our citizens." But he did not claim responsibility for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.