Overview

• Israeli, Syrian and US officials held direct talks in Paris on July 24 to reinforce the Syria-Israel ceasefire, but they remain divided over integrating and disarming the Syrian Democratic Forces.
• Iran met E3 envoys in Istanbul on July 25 to discuss extending the JCPOA snapback trigger and agreed to continue negotiations while insisting on its non-negotiable uranium enrichment rights.
• Russia launched Iran’s Nahid-2 communications satellite on July 25, deepening Tehran’s military-technical cooperation with Moscow and raising concerns about future missile development.
• Pragmatic factions are consolidating influence within Iran’s leadership even as IRGC-linked media warn that half of the country’s urban population faces severe water shortages.
• Leaders of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias cited sectarian violence in Syria to justify the Popular Mobilization Forces’ ongoing role, highlighting persistent proxy tensions across the region.