Iran

Information Cutoff: 2:00 pm ET The Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) publish the Iran Update, which provides insights into Iranian and Iranian-sponsored activities that undermine regional stability and threaten US forces and interests. CTP-ISW publishes the Iran …

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed pessimism about the US-Iran nuclear negotiations and explicitly rejected the US demand for zero uranium enrichment.[i] Khamenei’s statements are consistent with CTP-ISW’s assessment that disagreements between Iran and the United States about the issue of zero uranium enrichment may stall the negotiations or delay …

Senior Iranian regime officials condemned Israel for the escalation of attacks in the GazaStrip. Iran’s Supreme Leader called Israel “a dangerous and deadly cancerous tumor that mustbe uprooted.” The Iranian foreign minister met with a Hamas delegation and condemned theinternational community’s impotence in the face of Israel’s actions. Iran’s ambassador …

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An Iranian vessel may have harassed a commercial vessel in the Persian Gulf on May 10. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a small craft collided with a merchant vessel and attempted to collide with other vessels about 80 nautical miles northwest of Jebel Ali, the United …

The president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Muhammad al-Julani), confirmed that indirectcontacts were being held by Syria and Israel to achieve calm and prevent escalation, and heexpressed commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement. IDF forces continued operatingin the buffer zone in the Golan Heights and supporting the Druze in southern …

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei re-emphasized the importance of the Palestinian issuefor the Muslim world and called for not ignoring the “crimes of the Zionist regime.” The Iranianforeign minister emphasized in discussions with his Arab counterparts the need forcooperation between regional countries to stop Israel’s attacks in the Gaza Strip. …

Israel targeted Houthi-controlled al Salif and Hudaydah ports on May 16 as part of an Israeli campaign to disrupt the Houthi ability to enable attacks targeting Israel.[i] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated after the airstrikes on May 16 that Israel will continue to strike Houthi targets “including [Houthi] leadership …

Syrian President Ahmed al Shara has continued to prioritize appeasing loyalists in his ruling coalition over reassuring minority groups that the government will protect them, which risks future instability. The Syrian Interior Ministry promoted Latakia Province General Security Service (GSS) Director Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Knefati to commander of the Interior …

Iran’s refusal to accept US demands for zero uranium enrichment and the complete dismantlement of its nuclear program could stall US-Iran nuclear negotiations. The United States and Iran held their fourth round of nuclear talks in Oman on May 11.[1] US Special Envoy to the Middle East and lead US …