Iran

Policy Analysis | This paper deals with the scenario of Iran becoming a nuclear state. Many estimates indicate that Tehran is close to crossing the nuclear threshold for military purposes. This analysis investigates two views, one sees Iran’s possession of a nuclear weapon as a condition that can be tolerated, …

While the prospect of a full-scale war between Iran and Israel is a worry for the Kremlin, it could also have a significant financial upside for Russia. The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran is beginning to impact Russian interests in the Middle East, as well as threaten a whole …

The US Defense Department announced Sunday that a THAAD missile defense battery manned by US soldiers is being deployed to Israel, marking the first time US “boots on the ground” are being deployed to Israel since October 7, 2023. The move comes amid statements by US officials to NBC that …

Iran’s nuclear program and missile arsenal have garnered increased international scrutiny amid its flaring conflict with Israel. Introduction Many foreign policy experts warn that if Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, it would be broadly destabilizing for the Middle East and nearby regions. A first-order concern is that Iran’s possession …

AnalysisMilitary analysts suggest the only bomb capable of piercing Iran’s targets would be the US-made GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator Israel lacks the capabilities to inflict major damage on Iran’s nuclear sites alone, but an escalation of the conflict could lead to US participation in attacks on Iran, analysts believe. Israeli …

As Israel continues to prepare its response to Iran’s missile barrage, one of the target sets could include Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, including striking weaponization facilities, fuel enrichment plants, and/or research and development laboratories.In the event of a significant strike on Iran, the Supreme Leader may opt to pursue nuclear deterrence …

For nearly a year, the ongoing regional conflict, which started as a war between Israel and Hamas, seemed to contradict the old formula long thought to be one of the few certainties in global petroleum markets: that “war + Middle East = high oil prices.” While the conflict has taken …

On October 1, 2024, the IRGC fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and Hassan Nasrallah and a senior IRGC officer in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. Most of the missiles were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force and air …

Israeli political leaders indicated that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed Hashem Safi ed Din—the presumed successor to Hassan Nasrallah—in an airstrike on Beirut on October 4.[i] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on October 8 that Israel killed “Nasrallah himself, and Nasrallah’s replacement, and the …

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The destabilizing actions of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its armed proxy groups, known as the Axis of Resistance, threaten vital US interests in the Middle East and beyond, ranging from the security and stability of US allies to the free flow of energy and maritime commerce—and …