February 3
International: The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, said that, despite the success of Iran’s enemies in Syria, the situation will change. His comment followed repeated hostile statements by Iranian officials towards Syria’s transitional government since the regime of Iranian ally Bashar al Assad fell on Dec. 8, 2024.
International: Former British soldier Daniel Khalife was sentenced to 14 years and three months in prison for spying for Iran and attempting to escape from a London prison. The judge said Khalife had “recorded a great deal of information,” met with intelligence officers from Iran in Turkey, and had received payment on two separate occasions.
February 4
Economy: President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum ordering the U.S. Treasury Department to reimpose maximum economic pressure on Iran. The memo detailed efforts to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero.
February 5
Nuclear: Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that President Donald Trump’s plan to impose “maximum pressure” on Iran to curtail its nuclear program was a “failed experiment.” Araghchi did not rule out diplomacy. “If the main issue is that Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons, this is achievable and much of a problem.”
International: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem as his representative in Lebanon, which means that he will act on behalf of Khamenei on “non-litigious matters” and “managing religious affairs.”
Military: Iran used Russian-made S-300 long-range air defense systems to shoot down missiles in a military exercise. The exercise showed that Iran retained long-range air defense systems after the Israeli counterstrike in October, according to state-run media.
February 7
Nuclear: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that negotiations with the United States over Iran’s nuclear program “are not intelligent, wise or honorable,” and that “there should be no negotiations with such a government.”