Iran Update, September 1, 2025

Information Cutoff: 2:00 PM ET

The Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) publish the Iran Update, which provides insights into Iranian and Iranian-sponsored activities that undermine regional stability and threaten US forces and interests. CTP-ISW publishes the Iran Update daily.

Click here to see CTP and ISW’s interactive map of assessed control of terrain in Syria, and here to see CTP and ISW’s interactive map of Israeli ground operations. The Syria map is updated daily alongside the static Syria maps in this report. CTP-ISW ended daily maps of Israeli ground operations in February 2025.

Click here to see ISW-CTP's interactive map showing the total strikes in Iran since June 12, as well as an interactive timelapse showing the strikes day-by-day.

Note: CTP-ISW will publish an abbreviated Iran Update on September 1 and will resume full coverage on September 2.

Key Takeaways:

• Iran: Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani appointed Ali Bagheri Kani as the SNSC deputy for international affairs on August 29. Larijani may have appointed Bagheri Kani due to his close ties to Paydari Front leader Saeed Jalili as part of an effort to reduce recent fissures between hardliners and more moderate elements of the regime.
• Iran: An Iranian delegation headed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China on August 31 and September 1. Iran views multilateral institutions such as the SCO as necessary to counter and undermine the US-led international order.
• Iran: Israel located and killed Iranian officials during the Israel-Iran War by tracking their bodyguards’ cellphones, according to Israeli and Iranian officials speaking to the New York Times on August 30. Israel similarly exploited lapses in Hezbollah’s operational security following the Israeli pager and walkie talkie attacks in September 2024 to kill senior Hezbollah officials.
• Yemen: The Houthis confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghalib al Rahwai and 10 other senior Houthi political officials in an airstrike in Haddah District, southern Sanaa City, on August 28. These targeted killings are unlikely to disrupt Houthi military operations against Israel.

Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani appointed Ali Bagheri Kani as the SNSC deputy for international affairs on August 29.[i] Bagheri Kani's appointment may aim to placate hardliner criticism about Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's government. Bagheri Kani’s appointment comes amid growing criticism from hardliners, particularly members of Saeed Jalili’s Paydari Front, toward the Pezeshkian administration. Hardliners oppose the recent resurgence of moderates and pragmatists in the Iranian political sphere following the Israel-Iran War and have criticized Pezeshkian administration officials, such as Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi, who support renewed negotiations with the United States.[ii] An Iranian professor told Iranian reformist media on August 30 that Larijani is a pragmatist and that Bagheri Kani's appointment may be "the result of bureaucratic processes and political bargaining."[iii] Bagheri Kani has historically had close ties to Saeed Jalili.[iv] Bagheri Kani served as the SNSC deputy secretary under Jalili from 2007 to 2013.[v]  Bagheri Kani subsequently managed Jalili's presidential campaign in 2013. Bagheri Kani served as deputy foreign affairs minister and chief nuclear negotiator under former hardline President Ebrahim Raisi between 2021 and 2024.  Some Iranian media outlets reported that Bagheri Kani and Jalili came into disagreement during Raisi’s administration over Bagheri Kani's support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or 2015 nuclear deal.[vi] Bagheri Kani’s current position on negotiations is unclear.  Larijani may have appointed Bagheri Kani due to his close ties to Jalili as part of an effort to reduce recent fissures between hardliners and more moderate elements of the regime.

An Iranian delegation headed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China on August 31 and September 1. Iran views multilateral institutions such as the SCO as necessary to counter and undermine the US-led international order. The SCO, which Iran joined in 2023, is a multilateral forum that was established by Eurasian countries, including China and Russia, to coordinate on political, military, and economic issues.[vii] Representatives from China and Russia, among other countries, attended the summit. Iran, China, and Russia jointly seek to counter Western influence, bypass international sanctions, and undermine US interests. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated prior to departing for China that the SCO aims to “confront unilateralism and totalitarianism.” Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasir Zadeh similarly stated that organizations such as the SCO and BRICS can help Iran confront “unilateralism.”[viii]

Iran seeks to deepen its ties with SCO member states to undermine international sanctions.  Pezeshkian proposed the formation of a “shared digital infrastructure” using central bank digital currencies to circumnavigate financial sanctions during his speech at the summit.[ix] Pezeshkian met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit. Pezeshkian and Putin discussed economic cooperation and political alignment on Iran’s nuclear program.[x] Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi separately met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the summit.[xi]

Israel located and killed Iranian officials during the Israel-Iran War by tracking their bodyguards’ cellphones, according to Israeli and Iranian officials speaking to the New York Times on August 30.[xii] Israel used the cellphone location of Iranian officials’ bodyguards to attack a Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) meeting on June 16. The SNSC is Iran’s highest foreign policy and national security decision-making body and includes the heads of Iran’s three branches of government and senior military commanders, among other officials.[xiii] Israeli and Iranian officials told the New York Times that Iranian bodyguards’ “careless” use of cellphones played a “central role” in Israel’s ability to kill Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists during the war.[xiv] Israel similarly exploited lapses in Hezbollah’s operational security following the Israeli pager and walkie talkie attacks in September 2024 to kill senior Hezbollah officials.[xv]

The Iranian regime has continued to crack down on Israeli infiltration following the Israel-Iran War. Three senior Iranian officials and a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) told the New York Times that Iranian authorities have arrested or placed under house arrest dozens of military, intelligence, and government officials, including high-ranking officials, for spying for Israel.[xvi] The Iranian regime has also arrested hundreds of civilians since the end of the war for allegedly spying for Israel.[xvii] The IRGC Intelligence Organization recently announced on August 30 that it arrested eight individuals linked to Mossad in Iran’s northeastern Khorasan Razavi Province.[xviii] The IRGC Intelligence Organization claimed that the individuals had provided Mossad with coordinates for “vital and sensitive” Iranian sites and information about Iranian military officials during the war. The IRGC Intelligence Organization added that the individuals planned to conduct attacks targeting unspecified important sites in Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Province.

The Houthis confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghalib al Rahwai and 10 other senior Houthi political officials in an airstrike in Haddah District, southern Sanaa City, on August 28.[xix] These targeted killings are unlikely to disrupt Houthi military operations against Israel. The individuals killed in the August 28 IDF strike do not hold positions within the Houthi military chain of command. The prime minister and cabinet positions are largely "ceremonial,“ according to local sources.[xx] The Houthis have already replaced Rahwai with Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ahmed Miftah.[xxi] A Yemen analyst claimed on September 1 that the Houthis replaced the killed officials with individuals even more committed to the Houthis’ cause.[xxii] The Houthis confirmed the deaths of the following senior political officials:[xxiii]

• Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Jamal Ahmed Amer
• Economy, Industry, and Investment Minister Muin Hashem Ahmed al Mahaqri
• Electricity, Energy, and Water Minister Ali Saif Mohammad
• Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources Minister Radwan Ali al Rubai
• Justice and Human Rights Minister Mujahid Ahmed Abdullah Ali
• Social Affairs and Labor Minister Samir Mohammad Bajala
• Youth and Sports Minister Mohammad Ali al Mawla
• Culture and Tourism Minister Ali Qasem Hussein al Yafii
• Director of the Prime Minister's Office Mohammad Qasim al Kubaisi
• Council of Ministers Secretary Zahed Mohammad al Amidi

Unverified reports claimed that three senior Houthi security officials were injured or killed in the August 28 IDF airstrike.[xxiv] Israeli media speculated on August 28 that the IDF airstrike killed Houthi Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Mohammed Abdulkarim al Ghamari and Defense and Military Production Minister Major General Mohammed Nasser al Atifi.[xxv] Ghamari and Atifi published statements on August 29 and 30, respectively, criticizing US support for Israel, but neither official has been seen publicly since the August 28 strike.[xxvi] A local source separately claimed on August 29 that the IDF airstrike seriously injured Atifi.[xxvii] A Yemeni journalist circulated unconfirmed reports that the IDF airstrike also killed Houthi Deputy Interior Minister Abdul Majid al Murtada, who is responsible for internal security and suppressing political dissent in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.[xxviii] Ghamari, Atifi, and Murtada are all prominent Houthi commanders who are responsible for planning and conducting Houthi military operations, overseeing arms production, and ensuring Houthi domestic control.

The Houthis conducted an unsuccessful ballistic missile attack targeting the Liberian-flagged Scarlet Ray oil tanker approximately 40 nautical miles southwest of Yanbu Port, Saudi Arabia, on August 31, possibly in response to the recent Israeli airstrike that killed senior Houthi leaders.[xxix] The Houthis claimed that they successfully targeted the "Israeli" Scarlet Ray oil tanker and stated that this attack was part of their ongoing economic “blockade” on Israel.[xxx] Scarlet Ray is owned by a Liberian-registered shell company that is connected to a Netherlands-registered tanker company owned by Israeli businessman Idan Ofer.[xxxi] The Scarlet Ray crew reported on August 31 that a munition fell in the vicinity of the vessel but did not cause any damage or casualties, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations.[xxxii] The IDF confirmed that the Houthis launched a missile in the direction of Israel that malfunctioned and crashed .[xxxiii] This attack marks the first claimed Houthi attack since Israel‘s August 28 strike that killed the Houthi Prime Minister and several cabinet members.

[i] https://www.irna dot ir/news/85926174/

[ii] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-july-10-2025 ; https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/iran-update-august-11-2025  ; https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/world/middleeast/where-is-khamenei-iran-supreme-leader.html

[iii] https://www.entekhab dot ir/fa/news/882658

[iv] https://www.entekhab dot ir/fa/news/882658 ; https://www.aljazeera dot com/news/2024/5/21/who-is-ali-bagheri-kani-irans-acting-foreign-minister ; https://www.rouydad24 dot ir/fa/news/408647

[v] https://www.aljazeera dot com/news/2024/5/21/who-is-ali-bagheri-kani-irans-acting-foreign-minister

[vi] https://www.rouydad24 dot ir/fa/news/426209 ; https://www.rouydad24 dot ir/fa/news/408647 ; https://fararu dot com/fa/news/899678

[vii] https://www.uscc.gov/research/shanghai-cooperation-organization-testbed-chinese-power-projection

[viii] https://defapress dot ir/fa/news/774376

[ix] https://x.com/IranNuances/status/1962459137293312030

[x] https://x.com/IranNuances/status/1962537476381090046  ; http://en.kremlin dot ru/events/president/news/77899

[xi] https://x.com/IranNuances/status/1962561845119655943

[xii] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/30/us/politics/israel-iran-assassination.html

[xiii] https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/iran-update-august-7-2025

[xiv] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/30/us/politics/israel-iran-assassination.html

[xv] https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/iran-update-september-20-2024

[xvi] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/30/us/politics/israel-iran-assassination.html

[xvii] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/06/world/middleeast/iran-executes-nuclear-scientist-espionage.html

[xviii] https://defapress dot ir/fa/news/773854

[xix] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/prime-minister-yemens-houthi-run-government-killed-israeli-strike-2025-08-30/ ; https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1962477995379048773 ; https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1962465959890833455 ; https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1962462903044366626 ; https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1962459891362103379 ; https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1961837774354423978 ; https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1961836633445040318

[xx] https://x.com/FaresALhemyari/status/1961184455168815265 ; https://x.com/A_ALGABARNI/status/1961184976327852134 ; https://almasdaronline dot com/articles/325101

[xxi] https://x.com/2011arabrevolut/status/1962428232596382062

[xxii] https://x.com/BashaReport/status/1962506372769063293

[xxiii] https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1962477995379048773; https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1962465959890833455; https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1962462903044366626; https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1962459891362103379; https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1961837774354423978; https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1961836633445040318

[xxiv] https://x.com/N12News/status/1961113600514257337 ; https://x.com/Alsakaniali/status/1961860650139013551; https://x.com/Alsakaniali/status/1961510115355570214; https://x.com/ariheist/status/1961516892683661713

[xxv] https://x.com/N12News/status/1961113600514257337 ; https://x.com/Osint613/status/1961075938956902592; https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2024/10/06/the-houthis-leadership-structure/

[xxvi] https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1961550661520183394;  https://x.com/MMY1444/status/1961808505981071693;

[xxvii] https://x.com/Alsakaniali/status/1961860650139013551

[xxviii] https://x.com/Alsakaniali/status/1961510115355570214; https://x.com/ariheist/status/1961516892683661713

[xxix] https://t.me/army21ye/3330?single ;

https://x.com/UK_MTO/status/1962238487647678768

[xxx] https://t.me/army21ye/3330?single

[xxxi] Starboard Maritime Intelligence. Available by subscription at https://www.starboardintelligence.com/

[xxxii] https://x.com/UK_MTO/status/1962238487647678768

[xxxiii] https://t.me/moriahdoron/24987