Reza Sayah

Milky’s Dad

[Fereshteh Sadeghi فرشته صادقی 🟩 ☫ 🟥 @fresh_sadegh]

Southern suburb of Beirut, today

[Drop Site @DropSiteNews]

⭕️ Jeremy Scahill on what Iranian sources told him about dealing with President Trump: “‘We’ve had senior psychologists work up a psychological profile of what they think is going on with Trump’s brain. And we started to cater our messages by running them past senior psychologists before delivering them to Trump.’ And they said that ‘we then started to see some progress.’ They almost talked about like a clinical sense, like they’re dealing with a patient.”

[Trita Parsi @tparsi]

I have fought the neocons and warmongers in Washington for more than 25 years. Throughout, they have tried to silence, discredit, slander, and cancel me. Only recently, however, have they tried to deport me.

At least, that appears to have been the aim of a hit piece in Bari Weiss’s The Free Press, which claimed that Marco Rubio’s State Department was “investigating” me for allegedly seeking to “undermine the U.S.”—presumably because of my opposition to war with Iran.

Yet just hours later, the State Department issued a statement to reporters clarifying that “the State Department has no plans to revoke the green card of Mr. Parsi at this time.” Nor did it provide any confirmation for the central premise of the Free Press story—that an investigation of me existed in the first place.

So here’s what I think happened.

Read the full piece on my Substack: https://t.co/bjh5aEoLnL

[Murtaza Hussain @MazMHussain]

No matter how self-evidently disastrous the Iran War was the FDD and other more sophisticated institutional advocates for it will continue doing everything they can to stay upbeat and frame it as a positive because that is the only way they can hope to sell a future president on somehow resuming it, or even generally just staying involved in the region at this point.

People who advocated for this war for decades are like the proverbial dog who caught the car and would have been better off had it not happened. The fulfillment of their wildest dream turned out to be something far more onerous than they bargained for and they wound up doing serious harm to the United States in the process.

[Barak Ravid @BarakRavid]

🚨🚨🚨Trump on Truth Social: Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening. Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others. The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized — Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly.

[Mohammad Ali Shabani @mashabani]

BIG: Veteran political insider in Tehran with knowledge of Iran-US negotiations alleges that a draft agreement has finally been prepared. Speaking with @amwajmedia late on June 10, the insider said, “The text is ready. It was finalized tonight,” explicitly giving credit to Qatar, which has been separately engaging with both Iran and the US to forge a deal. “If they can get the final approval by tomorrow, it will be initiated,” he added, seemingly referring to the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), which gathers Iran’s civilian and military leadership, and the White House.

Spike in Iran-US violence comes amid mixed signaling that suggests possible disconnect between what the respective militaries are doing, and what political leaderships are discussing.

Senior Iranian political source interpreted Trump’s decision to conduct strikes for a second night as reflecting anger with an apparent deadlock in negotiations. While describing Trump as “angry,” the senior source lamented that there appeared to be little cognizance in the White House of how real-world armed confrontations “are not a videogame.”

While the Iranian leadership has authorized retaliatory strikes on US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait—casting doubt on the prospect of a nod to an imminent deal—there are indications that both sides ultimately want to avoid renewed all-out war.

Late on June 10, Trump claimed to have ordered a halt to bombings after speaking directly with Iranian officials, alleging that he was asked to cease attacks. The US military on June 10 struck a number of military sites in southern Iran as well as near the capital, Tehran. Although Iranian media have denied the claims about any direct contact, Trump notably alluded to the coming 24 hours being decisive, saying that if an agreement on the table is not signed on June 11, “We’ll bomb the shit out of them.” Separately, Vice President J D Vance said the US is engaged with both moderate and hardline voices in Iran as part of the negotiations.

Mindful of the tough rhetoric by military officials in both Tehran and Washington, it is difficult to decipher whether the exchanges of fire are about attempting to set the terms of a deal, or at this point mainly about the optics ahead of an announcement.

[Drop Site @DropSiteNews]

⚡️NEW from @DropSiteNews: Surging Inflation and Soaring Unemployment Batter Iranian Economy

As Trump weighs peace deal, Iranians face inflation and unemployment from sanctions and a U.S. blockade.

Story by @SayahTweets and @MazMHussain

https://t.co/KOnuTqEzA2

[Drop Site @DropSiteNews]

📉 REPORT | As U.S.-Iran negotiations appear to be moving toward a possible agreement, Iran’s economy is facing one of its worst crises in decades.

▪️ The IMF projects Iran’s economy will shrink by 6% in 2026, while inflation could approach 70%. Iranian officials estimate Israeli and U.S. attacks on infrastructure, factories, pharmaceutical plants, and industrial sites have contributed to the loss of roughly one million jobs.

▪️ Businesses across the country are laying off workers. One Tehran engineering firm told Drop Site it reduced its staff from 25 employees to just six as war, sanctions, internet shutdowns, and a lack of investment crippled operations.

▪️ Food prices have surged. Reports indicate staples such as cooking oil, rice, and chicken have doubled or even tripled in price compared to a year ago, worsening an inflation crisis that already existed under sanctions.

▪️ The UNDP estimates as many as 4.1 million Iranians could fall into poverty as a result of the war and blockade. A major employment platform reported a record 320,000 job applications in a single day, reflecting growing desperation in the labor market.

▪️ Economists and analysts interviewed by Drop Site warned that reconstruction costs, corruption, inequality, and continuing sanctions could deepen the crisis, while some reformist figures argue Iran must rebuild public trust and pursue economic reforms to prevent further social instability.

Read the full story by Reza Sayah and Murtaza Hussain at the link below.

[Reza Sayah @SayahTweets]

Our report from the Strait of Hormoz

[PBS News @NewsHour]

The Strait of Hormuz has been the focus of this war since Iran shut it down in the war's first days. But rarely do American reporters actually get to visit the crucial body of water. https://t.co/ShelOKfJOj

[Esfandyar Batmanghelidj @yarbatman]

A new FT report reveals that Iran International's parent company, based in the Cayman Islands, is controlled by Saudi Research and Media Group, which is effectively a state media platform.

The report also shows that the network's owners have spent nearly $1 billion funding the channel over the last five years. Yet the company has no real revenue!

Gift link in reply.

[PBS News @NewsHour]

The U.S. and Israel's air war with Iran has killed thousands since its launch, but few attacks have left a deeper mark than the strike on a school in Minab.

More than 150 Iranians were killed, most of them schoolchildren. Both physical and video evidence strongly suggest the U.S. was behind the strike, though the Pentagon says the incident is still under investigation.

Special Correspondent Reza Sayah (@SayahTweets) is the first American television correspondent to report from the site.

[PBS News @NewsHour]

The U.S. and Israel’s air war with Iran has killed thousands since it started nearly three months ago. But few attacks have left a deeper mark than the strike on a school in southern Iran.

More than 150 people died, most of them children, and there is little dispute that the missiles were American-made.

@SayahTweets is the first American television journalist to report from the site.

[Reza Sayah @SayahTweets]

Our report from Minab, Iran- At Iranian school devastated by airstrike, grieving families say they wi... https://t.co/5zyyOd3sVV via @YouTube

[PBS News @NewsHour]

The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is now four weeks old. For the people of Iran who've endured decades of repression, economic privation and now a devastating air war, the ceasefire has brought a reprieve. But the threats and counter threats between the U.S. and Iran persist, as does the specter of renewed conflict.

@SayahTweets reports.

[Esmaeil Baqaei @IRIMFA_SPOX]

The elementary school in the city of Minab was just one of the first civilian locations targeted by American/Israeli brutal aggression; many more have been attacked during the past 5 days. Here is some of them:

• Residential areas in Niloufar Square, Tehran (over 20 innocent people were killed)
• A densely populated residential complex in Sanandaj, western Iran
• The historic Radio Citadel and Golestan Palace, south of Tehran
• Gandhi Hospital, Tehran
• Tehran Grand Bazaar, Tehran
• Abuzar Hospital, Ahvaz, southwestern Iran
• The vicinity of the Iranian Red Crescent Society building, Tehran
• Khatam al-Anbia Hospital, Tehran
• The Welfare Organization, Tehran
• Motahari Hospital, Tehran
• Vali-Asr Hospital, Tehran
• Trauma and Burn Hospital, Tehran
• Ameneh Infant Care Centre, Tehran
• Shahid Rajaei Heart Hospital, Tehran
• Residential homes surrounding Sepah Square, Tehran
• Residential areas in Maragheh, northwestern Iran (over 27 innocent people were killed)
• Baqaei Hospital, Ahvaz, southwestern Iran
• Emergency medical base, Chabahar
• Emergency medical base, Sarab, northwestern Iran
• Emergency medical base, Hamedan, central Iran
• Hazrat Abolfazl Hospital, Minab, southern Iran
• Shahid Mahallati Primary School, Tehran
• Hedayat School, Narmak, Tehran
• A sports hall in Lamerd, Fars Province, southern Iran (18 innocent boys and girls were killed)
• 35 innocent people were killed in Fars Province, central Iran
• Bazaar in Baharestan Square, central Tehran
• A park for children in Tehran
• Emergency medical centre, Tehran
A kindergarten in Narmak
•Residential homes in Narmak district, Araghi st., Marzdaran blvd, Tehran
•Arg Square, The historic Radio Citadel and Golestan Palace, south of Tehran
•Attack on Mir-Damād Boulevard, causing damage to residential and medical facilities
•Attack on 2 headquarters of the Diplomatic Police

[Ryan Grim @ryangrim]

This is precisely what the CIA was hoping to provoke by leaking reports of an uprising and invasion that isn’t happening

[Drop Site @DropSiteNews]

🚨NEW from @DropSiteNews: Kurdish, Iranian sources reject claims of incursion

Multiple media reports, including some citing anonymous U.S. officials, have indicated that Kurdish militants have now crossed from Iraq into Iran in order to seize Kurdish territory and spark an uprising. The reports follow claims that the CIA has been seeking to arm Kurdish fighters to destabilize Iran.

Such an incursion remains a future possibility, but well-informed sources tell Drop Site News that no such invasion has yet to take place. Journalist @Alexis_Daloumis, who is in Syrian and Iraqi Kurdistan reporting for Drop Site, reports that three sources from the Kurdish liberation movement with knowledge of the situation have told him that no such invasion is underway and that PJAK, the only Kurdish organization with robust military capacity that is part of the coalition being discussed, is unlikely to make such a move at this moment.

Kurdish sources have denied the claims of an invasion to Drop Site’s @ryangrim and officials from Komala, an Iranian Kurdish organization, similarly have said no such action is being taken. An Iranian official with knowledge of the situation tells Drop Site’s @JeremyScahill that there have been no reports of any breach of the border in that region. Sources in Rojava similarly dismissed reports of any current invasion.

These reports may be aimed at sparking an uprising that is not yet happening. Reporters for CNN, Axios, and the Economist, some of whom are well sourced with the U.S. security establishment, have been leading sources of the claims. U.S. and Israeli officials have made no secret that they want to create conditions for an internal uprising to implement their regime change agenda on the ground.

Events on the ground are fluid and such an attempted incursion is possible, particularly if the CIA is coordinating or encouraging it, but as of now, reports of an ongoing and active ground operation appear premature.

The Associated Press, in a much more careful report Wednesday, said that some minor Kurdish forces were on “standby” and preparing to invade, further undercutting the claim of an active incursion.

We’ll continue to update with new developments as we hear more from our sources.

[Drop Site @DropSiteNews]

🚨 Report: ‘Double-tap’ strike killed 165 Iranian schoolgirls in Minab

An investigation by Middle East Eye finds the deadly strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, involved two explosions, with the second blast hitting survivors who had taken shelter after the first attack.

▪️ Witnesses and Red Crescent medics said students were moved to the school’s prayer hall after the initial strike. A second missile then hit the same area.

▪️ 165-181 people were killed, almost all girls aged 7–12. Many parents had been called to collect their children when the second strike occurred.

▪️ Officials say the destruction was so severe that dozens of victims remain unidentified, with DNA testing underway.

U.S. and Israeli officials say they are “investigating” the incident. White House Press Secretary @PressSec responds in the clip below from today. 👇

[PBS News @NewsHour]

Iran experienced a fourth day of airstrikes on Tuesday from U.S. and Israeli forces.

Special correspondent Reza Sayah, reporting from the Iranian capital city of Tehran, called the strikes "intense," "unnerving" and "frightening."

As President Donald Trump announced the start of U.S. strikes against Iran early Saturday, he told Iranians to "take over your government." While there have been reports of people celebrating in the streets, "at this point, we're not" seeing indications of larger protests, Sayah told PBS News' Amna Nawaz (@IAmAmnaNawaz).

[Reza Sayah @SayahTweets]

@ncitayim @DropSiteNews @jeremyscahill He serves as both.