The U.S. Treasury Department issued a revised general license concerning Iran, lifting sanctions against the country.
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Less than 20 days after the ceasefire between the US and Iran, the situation has changed again: the US has intensified its attacks on Iran, revoked oil waivers, and increased the scale of its strikes fivefold.
PANews reported on July 8 that, according to Jinshi News, the United States launched a new round of airstrikes against Iran and revoked a waiver allowing it to sell oil globally. This move further jeopardizes the peace agreement between the two countries following frequent attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Central Command issued a statement on the X platform stating that this "powerful strike" was intended to "impose a heavy price on attacks and harassment of merchant ships carrying innocent civilians in international waters," and that Iran's aggression was "unjustified, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement." According to the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control on July 7, the U.S. revoked a general license authorizing the sale of Iranian oil, with the remaining transactions allowed to continue until midnight Eastern Time on July 17.
A summary of the latest situation in the Middle East: Trump approves plan to strike Iran; Iran believes the US will cause peace talks to fail.
BlockBeats reports the following is a summary of the latest situation in the Middle East on July 8th: Conflict Situation: Trump approved the strike plan against Iran. US officials stated that the strike against Iran was a "punitive action, not a reciprocal response," and that the operation "will not end anytime soon." A US official stated that the strike launched by the US against Iran on Tuesday was four to five times larger and more powerful than the strike launched 10 days earlier. The US revoked a general license authorizing the sale of Iranian oil, allowing related final transactions to continue until midnight Eastern Time on July 17th. This move is reportedly in response to Iran's recent firing on three merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that some merchant ships were sailing without coordination and had turned off or tampered with AIS signals, hindering safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. It urged regional countries and shipping companies to avoid any actions that violate the memorandum. The U.S. Central Command stated that its forces have initiated a series of powerful strikes against Iran in response to Iranian targeting and attacks on commercial shipping operated by civilian crews in international waterways. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. Treasury Department's revocation of the temporary suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil sales. U.S.-Iran Negotiations: Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi stated that if the threats persist, negotiations for a final agreement will not begin; please honor your commitments. Iran's Supreme Leader's advisor, Rezaei, stated that it is clear the U.S. will cause the negotiations to fail. Lebanese diplomatic sources indicated that Lebanon refused to hold the sixth round of Lebanon-Israel talks in Rome, insisting that negotiations should continue in Washington. Strait of Hormuz: A liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier was attacked in the Gulf of Oman. Multiple explosions occurred in the southern Iranian port city of Sirik. Explosions were heard on Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. British Maritime Authority: The threat level in the Strait of Hormuz has been raised to "serious".
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General: Iranian attacks undermine regional peace efforts
Odaily Odaily that the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned Iran's attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, stating that these actions blatantly violated the sovereignty of both countries and continued Tehran's efforts to undermine regional peace. According to a statement released by the Riyadh-based GCC, Secretary-General Abdelaziz Boudewi stated that the attacks directly threatened the safety of citizens and residents and constituted a serious violation of international law and the UN Charter. Boudewi said, "These attacks confirm Iran's consistent strategy of undermining international and regional efforts to build security and peace and resolve crises." (Jin Shi)
Iran condemned the United States for violating the armistice memorandum and vowed to take necessary measures in response.
BlockBeats reports that on July 8, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement strongly condemning the US Treasury Department's revocation of sanctions suspending Iranian oil sales, calling the action a "serious violation" of Article 10 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 18, and demanding that the US be held accountable for the consequences. Iran stated that the US's cancellation of the authorization issued on June 21, less than 20 days after the memorandum's signing, further proves that the US is "unfriendly, unstable, and untrustworthy." Iran accused the US of violating the memorandum's contents through multiple actions against Lebanon, directly or through Israel, over the past 20 days. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that Iran has consistently fulfilled its commitments under the memorandum in good faith, and if the US continues to violate the agreement, Iran will take all measures it deems necessary to safeguard its national interests and security.
The Iranian military issued a strong warning: any attacks during Khamenei's state funeral will be met with "brutal retaliation."
According to Mars Finance, on July 2nd, as Iran prepares for the state funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the military issued a stern warning. Ali Abdourahhi, commander of the Central Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces at Hatem Anbia, stated, "We warn the United States and Israel not to make any miscalculations. Any threat or aggression will invite brutal retaliation from the Iranian armed forces." Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi also spoke out on social media, urging Trump to "keep his henchmen in Tel Aviv in check." The state funeral arrangements include a procession starting in Tehran on July 4th, followed by burial in Mashhad on July 9th, with commemorative events held in Qom and Iraq. Iran has raised its national security level and implemented temporary airspace controls in several areas. Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf called for large-scale public participation in the funeral, "letting the call for revenge resound throughout the world." Currently, the next round of indirect negotiations between the US and Iran will begin after the funeral, focusing on issues such as the implementation of the ceasefire memorandum, the unfreezing of frozen assets, and the Strait of Hormuz. Sharp disagreements remain between the two sides over freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on February 28, the first day of the war, and his son Mujtaba Khamenei has succeeded him as Supreme Leader.
The U.S. Treasury Department released the investment portfolio of the "Trump Account," which primarily invests in broad-based S&P 500 ETFs.
PANews reported on July 2nd that, according to Jinshi, the U.S. Treasury Department announced today the investment portfolio for the "Trump Account," including the initial default investment plan to be launched, and four additional low-cost index fund options to be available to stakeholders in the coming months. Upon account launch, all funds deposited into the "Trump Account" will be invested in the State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPYM).