Key Takeaways:

  1. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the nuclear deal will not change Iran’s policy towards the United States. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) approved a resolution endorsing the nuclear agreement on July 20. Shortly before the UNSC vote, IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said that Iran will never accept provisions in the resolution regarding Iran’s “armament capabilities.”
  2. Yemen’s exiled government may be attempting to re-establish a foothold in the country, which would serve to counter the al Houthi-run government in Sana’a. Yemeni government officials began returning to Aden after fighters retook the city under “Operation Golden Arrow,” backed by the Saudi Arabian-led coalition.
  3. AQIM may be looking to reemerge in the North African region after a period of lessened activity. Militants carried out the group's deadliest attack in over a year in Algeria, killing nine soldiers. AQIM may also be seeking to increase its activity in light of the recent rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and al Sham’s popularity in the region.