Trump working on 'final piece' of Iran deal, House Speaker Johnson says

Inspectors general for the Department of War, State Department and US Agency for International Development have begun legally mandated oversight coordination for Operation Epic Fury, the Department of War Office of Inspector General said in a press release on Wednesday.

Department of War Inspector General Platte B. Moring III was designated lead inspector general for the operation on May 12, after the military operation exceeded 60 days as an overseas contingency operation, the statement said.

Moring will coordinate US government oversight activities tied to the operation, including a joint strategic oversight plan and quarterly reports to Congress. The first quarterly report is expected in the fall.

"This Lead Inspector General designation not only follows the framework required in the IG Act, it also reflects the extensive experience of the DoW OIG with comprehensive oversight of overseas contingency operations," Moring said.

"We are collaborating closely with our colleagues to promote accountability and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars," he added.

Eyewitness accounts sent to Iran International reported sounds of explosions and air defenses in several Iranian cities on Wednesday, including Tehran, Karaj, Bojnourd, Robat Karim and Urmia.

Locals reported consecutive air defense sounds in eastern Tehran and a loud explosion around 8:45 p.m. in the Hakimiyeh area.

Residents also reported several explosions around 10 p.m. in Tehran’s District 14 and unusual sounds in the Narmak neighborhood.

Other accounts said air defense sounds were heard in Karaj and Urmia, the capital of West Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran, explosions were heard from Bojnourd Airport, and explosions and limited anti-aircraft fire were heard in Robat Karim, southwest of Tehran.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington and Tehran were studying the texts that had been exchanged, in an interview with Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen.

Araghchi warned that Iran would respond decisively if Israel attacked Beirut.

He added that Tehran's contacts with ⁠Washington have not ‌been ​cut off, but ​no ⁠progress has ‌been made ​in the negotiations.

A possible memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington would be implemented through a four-stage mechanism if finalized and agreed, Saeed Ajorlou, a member of Iran’s negotiating delegation’s media team said in excerpts of an interview published by IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency on Wednesday.

Ajorlou said the first stage would be the end of the war and the complete halt of military action, covering all parties and all fronts, including Iran, the United States and Tehran's regional allied groups.

He said the second stage would involve "executive and tangible measures," including arrangements related to the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of the blockade, the removal of oil restrictions and sanctions, and the release of part of Iran’s blocked assets and resources.

The third stage would focus on talks about sanctions and the nuclear file, after the implementation of concrete and verifiable measures, Ajorlou said.

He added that the fourth stage would involve forming a monitoring committee to implement the understanding and follow up on the commitments of both sides.

A dual US-Iranian citizen in California was arrested on a federal criminal complaint accusing him of selling computer technology to Iranian companies and Iran's government, including technology allegedly intended to help Iran's military and nuclear program, Acting Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

Blanche identified the man as Jamshid Ghomi and said he lived in a $35 million mansion in Orange County, California.

"These allegations assert that the defendant violated U.S. sanctions against Iran, aided one of our nation’s enemies, supported Iran’s nuclear program, and got rich doing it," Blanche said in a post on X.

Blanche said authorities were also beginning the process of seizing Ghomi's mansion, which he said was bought with illegal proceeds.