The visit of IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi to Paris offered Jerusalem the possibility to discuss the security situation in Lebanon, and how France can play a constructive role against the Hezbollah threat. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi concluded his visit to Europe today. Kochavi …
Read More »Hamas normalizes ties with Syria under Iranian mediation
Hamas officially announced the resumption of relations with the Syrian government after a decadelong hiatus caused by the 2011 Syrian uprising, raising questions about the gains Hamas might achieve and why Iran sought to mediate the reconciliation. In a statement Sept. 15, Hamas officially announced the resumption of diplomatic relations …
Read More »Iran’s morality police hit with US sanctions as nationwide protests rage
The sanctions come less than a week after Mahsa Amini’s death in custody of the morality police. The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on Iran’s so-called morality police following the death in custody of a 22-year-old Iranian woman detained for violating the country’s hijab rules. The Treasury Department accused …
Read More »Iran cracks down on protesters after death of woman arrested over hijab
Mahsa Amini’s death ignited a wave of protests against the government. Iranian security forces opened fire on Saturday on a crowd of protesters mourning the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest by the “guidance patrol,” a police unit in charge of enforcing mandatory hijab rules. According to Hengaw, …
Read More »Are Iranian products banned into Syrian opposition-held areas?
The Syrian Islamic Council close to the Syrian opposition issued a fatwa prohibiting the entry of Iranian goods into opposition areas, claiming Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is allowing the spread of the goods in its areas in northwest Syria. The Syrian Islamic Council issued Aug. 30 a fatwa on trading in …
Read More »Iran-linked militias claim arrest linked to threats to disrupt religious holiday
Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units have conducted numerous arrests of alleged ‘Bathists’ in recent days that raise questions about the legitimacy of the arrests and the political reasons behind them. As intra-Shiite conflict simmers in Iraq, arrests and questions about them threaten to derail attempts to restore calm after some of …
Read More »Iran to join Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Iran took a step toward joining in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at a summit in Uzbekistan this week. Iran is getting closer to joining China and Russia in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Reuters reported Thursday that at a summit in Uzbekistan this week, Iran signed a memorandum of obligations to …
Read More »Ahead of UN address, Iran’s Raisi says ‘no trust’ in US on nuclear talks
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has said he would not meet with US President Joe Biden in New York this week. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi dismissed the possibility of a meeting with US President Joe Biden during this week’s UN General Assembly summit, where the Iranian leader will address the gathering …
Read More »Iran-linked militias claim arrest linked to threats to disrupt religious holiday
Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units have conducted numerous arrests of alleged ‘Bathists’ in recent days that raise questions about the legitimacy of the arrests and the political reasons behind them. As intra-Shiite conflict simmers in Iraq, arrests and questions about them threaten to derail attempts to restore calm after some of …
Read More »Iran and Russia: The New Alliance
Significantly, Russia and Iran’s cooperation extends to the military and space fields, with Russia recently helping Iran to launch a new satellite into space. Iran’s Khayyam satellite “will greatly enhance Tehran’s ability to spy on military targets across the Middle East… [and give] Tehran “unprecedented capabilities, including near-continuous monitoring of …
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