Iranian President Pezechian was riding high in early July. He had just successfully pushed for a peace agreement with the United States and traveled to neighboring Iraq for a week-long funeral for Iran's late Supreme Leader. However, he was then suddenly struck by shocking news: Iranian armed forces had opened fire on three merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz, catching one Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier ablaze and damaging the others. This put Iran on the defensive in international public opinion. According to five Iranian officials and two members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps familiar with the incident, Pezechian was furious and called Ahmed Vahidi, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He raised his voice on the phone, condemning the action as reckless and demanding an explanation. The five officials stated that Vahidi told Pezechian that he had neither authorized the attack nor received prior knowledge of it. They also indicated that the Supreme National Security Council, which plays a key role in the war and negotiations, was equally unaware of the operation. In fact, most of Iran's leadership was unaware that a marginalized hardliner had decided to act on its own. Ultimately, these covert operations undermined efforts by moderates and pragmatists within Iran to end hostilities with the United States and revive the country's weak economy. (The above content is from a New York Times report on September 13.)

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut stated that the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon is the only mechanism for restoring the sovereignty of both countries; the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors will meet in Washington next week to discuss the continued implementation of the framework agreement. The next round of negotiations will be held in Rome in October.

U.S. Energy Secretary Wright stated that the U.S. will terminate Iran's nuclear program "no matter what"; the U.S. expressed concern over the suspension of inspections of Iran's nuclear program. Hoping to reach a Hormuz-related agreement with Iran is not a prudent option.

Musk confirmed that Tesla will livestream the Roadster electric sports car launch event on the X platform.

Doha Graduate School professor Mohammad Elmasri stated that Monday's meeting between Iranian and Gulf officials regarding the Strait of Hormuz could be a key turning point in the US-Iran war. He doesn't believe Iran wants a complete break with its Gulf neighbors. They must coexist with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and all other Gulf states. The Iranian leadership anticipates a post-war era, hoping to see a future where regional security is no longer dominated by the US, but rather where regional countries manage their own security affairs. This, of course, requires Iran to establish cooperative relationships with Saudi Arabia and all other countries in the region. The outcome of Monday's meeting between Gulf states and Iranian officials is worth watching. One can only speculate on what the Gulf leaders are thinking when they enter this meeting tomorrow. The biggest question is, if they reach some kind of understanding with Iran, what will the US do? What are their plans?

According to Iran's Mehr News Agency, US President Trump attempted on Sunday to justify the economic problems caused by his costly aggression against Iran, making the absurd claim that "Iran is willing to make a deal at any cost, but I will not sign any imperfect deal!" Trump, believing his Republican colleagues are doomed to lose in the upcoming midterm elections, tried to justify the US government's multi-billion dollar spending and repeated failures in its aggression against Iran, claiming that "the war with Iran will end before or immediately after the midterm elections."