Iran

Bennett meets Putin in Sochi to discuss Iran, Syria

The meeting in Sochi between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Russian President Vladimir Putin covered a large range of strategic and economic issues, focusing on Israeli concerns over Iranian military entrenchment in Syria and the Iran nuclear talks. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met today, Oct. 22, in Sochi with Russian …

Read More »

Discordance in the Iran Threat Network in Iraq: Militia Competition and Rivalry

Abstract: Iran-backed militias have been scrambling to recover after the loss of their patriarchs Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis on January 3, 2020. Attempts to preserve a top-down, Iran-directed system of command have met resistance, both from independent-minded upstarts like Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and the fragmenting powerbases within Kata’ib …

Read More »

Turkey’s spy bust escalates rivalry with Iran

The reported capture of Iranian spies in Turkey comes as the latest sign of the rivalry heating up between Ankara and Tehran, as bilateral tensions over Iraq and Syria have been steadily expanding to the Caucasus since last year’s war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Turkey extended strong military support to …

Read More »

The Taliban Takeover of Kabul and Implications for the India-Iran-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Transit Corridor

The port of Chabahar—located on the Makran coast of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan Province, near to the Gulf of Oman and at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz—is the only Iranian port with direct access to the Indian Ocean. Thanks to its strategic position and links to north-south transit …

Read More »

Bombers, Fighter Planes and Drones: Iran Launches Countrywide Air Force Drill

Iran launched a countrywide air force drill on Thursday, involving bombers, fighter planes and surveillance drones, as well as weapons that use laser-guided missiles. A report on state television said that all of Iran’s military air bases – reported to be 12 – are participating in the exercise. The drill …

Read More »

Iran: Israel’s espionage in Azerbaijan ‘fully monitored’

Border Guard Commander in the Iranian Law Enforcement Force Brigadier-General Ahmed Ali Goudarzi confirmed that Israeli espionage in Azerbaijan is being “fully monitored”, Al Mayadeen reported on Friday. Goudarzi stressed that his country’s border, especially in the north and northwest: “Is safe, and there is nothing to worry about.” Speaking …

Read More »

The Huseynyun: Iran’s new IRGC-backed movement in Azerbaijan

The distinctive symbol of the clenched fist has become synonymous with various revolutionary, social and political movements across the world. The imagery of a fist clutching an assault rifle is commonly associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and supported armed movements in other countries, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, …

Read More »

Pro-Iran militias warn of forceful response after Israeli strike on Syria’s Palmyra

Iran-backed forces in Syria said on Thursday they would respond forcefully to an Israeli strike over Syria’s Palmyra area in the province of Homs on Wednesday evening in the second such strike within a week. The Syrian defence ministry said in a statement that one soldier was killed in the …

Read More »

Russian-Iranian competition heats up in South Caucasus

For Moscow, contradictions with Tehran may turn out to be much more sensitive than disputes with Ankara. During Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian’s visit to Moscow on Oct. 5, one of the main topics of the talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was rising tensions in Iranian-Azerbaijani ties. At …

Read More »

Iran’s threats could strengthen Azerbaijan-Israel relations

Iran-Azerbaijan relations have been going through a rough patch recently; both sides have genuine concerns that they want addressed. Iran could have addressed its various bones of contention with Azerbaijan through diplomatic channels. After all, both countries have full diplomatic relations; this includes fully functioning embassies and ambassadors on each …

Read More »