Iran arrests German tourist for alleged spying near military sites

Petraeus emphasized that Trump’s move to give Iran a two-week deadline is not mere posturing. It reflects a deliberate and calculated buildup of US military forces in the region.

“The real reason behind the two-week window is to allow the second US aircraft carrier strike group to arrive in the region and for the US military to be fully positioned,” he said.

“This setup would effectively neutralize any attempt by the Iranian regime to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20% of the world’s crude oil passes," the former CIA director added.

Senior Revolutionary Guard commander Esmail Kowsari said last Saturday that Iran is considering closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to the Israeli war.

The strait, a key route for global oil shipments, has been at the center of past tensions. Iran has repeatedly threatened to block it, including in 2018 after the US withdrew from the Obama-era nuclear deal with Tehran.

Congressional approval for Iran attack

In his interview with Iran International, Petraeus said the White House is working to engage Congress and may use the 14-day window for winning the lawmakers' support for a possible attack on Iran.

“This period also provides time for congressional consultation — for debate, hearings, and potentially even a vote to authorize a strike. If the president clearly communicates that no ground invasion is planned and defines the mission objectives precisely, I believe Congress would support it," he said.

Petraeus said the Fordow enrichment facility, buried deep within a mountain in central Iran, first came to light during his time as CENTCOM Commander in 2009.

“We had developed and rehearsed a strike plan targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure,” he said. “We fired the actual munitions in exercises to ensure the mission could be carried out successfully — and we succeeded.”

Now, as tensions escalate, Fordow remains a critical concern.

“The central question is whether one bomb would be enough to destroy the facility, or if it would take two or three — or more. I firmly believe the United States can accomplish this mission.”

Petraeus added that success would depend on strike precision, geological factors, and penetration depth — but he expressed full confidence in US military capabilities.

A moment of strategic choice for Iran

Petraeus urged Iran’s leadership to recognize the gravity of the moment.

“Refusing to abandon the nuclear program, continuing uranium enrichment, and denying full and permanent access to IAEA inspectors will lead only to ruin — without achieving any meaningful strategic gain.”

He cautioned that continued defiance would bring further Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure, worsening the suffering of the Iranian people already burdened by sanctions and economic hardship.

"If Iran shifted from being a revolutionary state to a status-oriented one, focused on rebuilding its economy, investing in human capital, and leveraging its vast natural resources, the country could have an incredibly bright future.”

Petraeus also acknowledged the complexity of regime change scenarios, pointing to past failures in Libya, Iraq, and Yemen. But he suggested that even within the Iranian government, there may be pragmatic voices ready to move away from nuclear ambitions and support for proxy groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis.

“Perhaps now is the time for Iran to embrace a strategy of national renewal,” Petraeus added. “The opportunity is there — but so is the risk of catastrophic loss if the current path continues.”

“My direct message to Iran’s Supreme Leader is this: the time has come to do what your predecessors did at the end of the Iran-Iraq war — to drink from the ‘poisoned chalice.’ Either you change course now, or face the destruction of your country’s security, energy infrastructure, and nuclear program.”

In messages sent to Iran International, Iranians from across the country described severe connectivity outages affecting both mobile networks and home internet services which left them in the dark about the historic attack on the country.

The shutdown, which some residents say has lasted more than 24 hours, is the most severe connectivity crisis since the November 2019 protests, according to monitoring group NetBlocks.

The disruption has left millions struggling with basic daily tasks, from financial transactions to communicating with loved ones abroad.

“I am a driver for Snapp (a popular ride-hailing app), and with GPS and navigation systems down, I can’t work anymore,” said one message.

“This is how I made a living. Now, in these conditions of war and economic hardship, how am I supposed to support my family?”

Users across the country described scenes of isolation and desperation, with one resident characterizing the situation as “being held hostage.”

“We feel like hostages," the contributor wrote. "The only reason I could even send you this message was through VPNs."

Multiple Iranians confirmed that the internet is entirely down in their areas, preventing the sending of videos or voice messages.

“Even basic messaging barely works," One user from Tehran said. "I managed to connect to the global internet by accident using Psiphon on Windows. Please inform others that this method might still work.”

As international lines remain disrupted, many Iranians living abroad are unable to reach their families.

“I am a student living outside Iran and haven’t been able to contact my family,” another person said.

'Please, Elon'

Others appealed directly to global figures. “Please, we are asking the Iranian people and international media to call on Elon Musk to provide satellite internet to the people of Iran, like he did for Ukraine during the war,” wrote a user in central Tehran.

Home internet services appear to be limited to internal Iranian websites and apps, such as Rubika, and even then operate at extremely low speeds.

In Arak, central Iran, residents reported complete disconnection and uneasiness.

“Even text messages sometimes don’t send. There are still long queues at bakeries and gas stations, even though the city is quiet and most shops are closed.”

Messages also highlighted emotional distress caused by the isolation.

“We are psychologically exhausted. Only Netanyahu finishing this [conflict] can save us,” one person wrote.

Losing touch

Another said, “It’s been over 48 hours since I last heard from my family in Qom. Every call just rings endlessly.”

One message by read, "Since yesterday afternoon, I have not only been unable to contact my loved ones living in Tehran and nearby cities, but I’ve also lost all means of communication with my mother and immediate family, who live in a northern city. I can’t reach them by landline or mobile."

"Today, I tried calling more than a hundred times at different hours. At one point, my call unexpectedly connected to other numbers in Iran — though they couldn’t hear me."

Others warned of the broader economic impact. “All banks are closed. Nationalized internet systems are down. No one can even update their debit cards,” said one message.

Those operating online businesses have reported losses. “I am a trader, and for the past week, my group of nearly 800,000 members has made no income.”

Meanwhile, some Iranians abroad shared partial workarounds. “My mother just managed to call me directly from Iran. Please let families know that direct calling might still work occasionally. It will help relieve some of the anxiety,” a user in Sweden reported.

The nationwide blackout has stoked fears of increased censorship and state control of digital communication.

“The ongoing blackout incident is the most severe tracked since the November 2019 protests and impacts the public's ability to stay connected at a time when communications are vital,” NetBlocks said.

Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, published an article on Thursday calling for a total internet blackout for people. The outlet described the blackout as a necessity “to disrupt enemy cyberattacks and drone operations.”

“In addition to its nuclear program, Iran pursues one of the most extensive missile programs in the Middle East,” Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), equivalent to the FBI in the US, asserted last week.

“Procurement activities in Germany in the area of Iranian missile technology/missile programs remain high – and are on the rise.”

The report added that Iran continued to violate key commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), prompting the EU to maintain a partial embargo banning the transfer of sensitive goods, weapons, and delivery systems.

Calls for snapback sanctions

In May, Austria’s intelligence service concluded that Iran’s nuclear weapons development is “well advanced” and that it now has a growing arsenal of ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads.

On June 12, the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) censured Tehran for failing to meet its safeguard obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

“The E3 (Britain, France and Germany) should invoke the snapback sanctions mechanism,” Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Iran International.

“Invoking snapback would restore previous UN Security Council resolutions requiring Iran to suspend all uranium enrichment and reinforce the US position of zero enrichment in Iran,” he added, pointing out that snapback would also reinstate the arms embargo and missile restrictions.

Espionage, repression, regional threats

The report also named Iran, along with Russia, China, and Turkey, as among the top four states conducting espionage, cyberattacks, influence operations, and proliferation inside Germany.

Each country, it noted, pursues different priorities.

Proliferation was defined as acquiring products and knowledge for weapons of mass destruction, delivery systems, and other advanced military technologies. Iran was mentioned 84 times in the 412-page report, which outlines threats to German democracy.

It also condemned Tehran’s domestic crackdown and support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Due to the violent actions of Iranian security forces within the country and the support of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU imposed further sanctions against the country in 2023 and 2024,” the report said.

German-Iranian political scientist Dr. Wahied Wahdat-Hagh told Iran International that Berlin is increasingly alarmed by Tehran’s continued defiance. He said snapback under UNSCR 2231 is likely unless Iran yields to US demands.

He also warned that Iran’s missile program poses a threat to Europe, citing its threats to close the Persian Gulf, disrupt global markets, and target countries allied with Israel.

Iran International contacted Israeli officials for comments on the German findings. No response was received at the time of publication.

Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Islamic Republic, the session outlined several key concerns and scenarios.

IRGC members seeking asylum

Facing potential instability, senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could flee Iran and seek refuge in Afghanistan. GDI discussed the possibility during the session that such individuals might request protection from the Taliban, according to Afghanistan International’s sources.

Risk of al-Qaeda member relocation

Senior al-Qaeda figures such as Saif al-Adel and Abu Abdulrahman, who are believed to currently reside in Iran, may attempt to escape the country amid instability. GDI has asked the Taliban leadership for guidance on how to respond if they attempt to enter Afghanistan—whether to accept them, place them under surveillance, or reject their entry altogether. This discussion was part of the internal analysis obtained by Afghanistan International.

In 2021, then–US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of harboring al-Qaeda leaders. US and UN intelligence agencies later confirmed that Saif al-Adel was residing in Iran and is now considered al-Qaeda’s de facto leader. In 2024, the US State Department reaffirmed that Iran continues to provide safe haven to senior al-Qaeda operatives.

Preparedness for influx of Iranian refugees

GDI has posed a critical question: Can Afghanistan absorb a possible wave of Iranian refugees? The session called for urgent contingency planning to evaluate national capacity, political risks, and humanitarian consequences.

“I want total and complete victory,” Trump said in Washington, dismissing any notion of a ceasefire and suggesting Iran had asked for talks. “They should have negotiated sooner.”

The president said Iranian officials had even proposed a visit to the White House, a remark later denied by Iran’s UN mission in New York.

The statements came as ABC News reported that Trump was increasingly open to a military strike on Iran’s underground Fordow nuclear site, citing a source familiar with current intelligence.

Democratic senators call for legal authority

Five senior Senate Democrats issued a joint statement criticizing what they called the administration’s “lack of preparation, strategy, and clearly defined objectives” on Iran.

“The United States cannot sleepwalk into a third war in as many decades,” the senators wrote, warning Trump against bypassing congressional approval.

“By law, the president must consult Congress and seek authorization if he is considering taking the country to war," they said.

“He owes Congress and the American people a strategy for US engagement in the region.”

The signatories included Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Chris Coons, Mark Warner, Jack Reed, and Patty Murray.

Iran vows response if provoked

Iran’s UN ambassador in Geneva warned that any trace of US involvement in Israeli attacks would trigger retaliation.

Mojtaba Ranjbar, a Iranian cleric, said, “If the United States targets the Supreme Leader, Iran will strike Washington and New York.”

Trump described Iran as “totally defenseless,” intensifying speculation over imminent military action.

With threats traded and authorizations absent, the risk of open conflict is rising as Washington and Tehran continue to exchange warnings without resolution.