Iran

• The U.S. and Iran finalized an agreement that will secure the release of five American citizens jailed (but recently moved to house arrest) in Iran in exchange for the U.S. allowing Iran to claim $6 billion in funds that had been trapped in South Korea and Qatar because of sanctions.
• The U.S. will also release five Iranian citizens, four of whom were arrested for sanctions violations. The fifth was charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent of Iran.

• Libya is facing catastrophic flooding following recent storms. The deluge has killed at least 2,000 in and around the city of Derna, and up to 10,000 people are still missing. The WSJ thinks the final death toll could reach 5,000.
• The country's rival governments aren't exactly tripping over each other to come to the rescue: aid has been slow to reach the areas affected.

• Ukraine struck a naval shipyard in Russian-occupied Sevastopol, causing large fires on two Russian ships - and at least 24 injuries (according to the regional governor).
• Ukraine also claimed to have recaptured multiple oil and gas platforms in the Black Sea. The platforms - known as the Boyko Towers - form a network that Russia used to ensure control of the area; that will be harder to maintain now that some nodes have reverted to Ukrainian control.

• North Korea's Kim Jong Un is reportedly in Russia now and aims to secure a trade with Pres. Putin that would see North Korea offer Russia ammunition for it to use in Ukraine. In return, Russia would offer North Korea food aid and technical expertise.
• This is Kim's first trip outside of North Korea since the start of the pandemic, and it's no coincidence that it was to a fellow pariah state. Kim is framing their marriage of convenience as a "fight against imperialism."
• Japan and South Korea both reported that North Korea launched one or two possible ballistic missiles this morning. Both appeared to be short range and not particularly remarkable.

• China is proposing a new law that would slap fines and even jail time on people who wear clothes "that are detrimental to the spirit of the Chinese people and hurt the feelings of Chinese people," and critics worry police will use it as a license to bully or control dissidents.

• Niger's junta suspended a military pact it had with neighboring Benin over accusations that Benin is helping ECOWAS and France prepare for a military intervention in Niger.
• Benin didn't respond to the suspension and neither ECOWAS nor France have commented on a possible deployment to Niger.

• The supply routes agreed in a recent deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia have now reopened. The deal had been in doubt after roads remained blocked in the first few days after it was signed, but now it appears both sides are abiding by their end of it.