Iran

THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF IRAN-BACKED MILITIAS IN IRAQ

Iran is pursuing a strategy in Iraq similar to that which it employed in Lebanon, where it built Lebanese Hezbollah into a major military and political force. Hezbollah has become a ‘kingmaker,’ determining who occupies key leadership positions in the Lebanese government. Similarly, with Iran’s extensive assistance, several Iraqi militias …

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Iran Hints at Using Foreign Militias in Domestic Crackdown

An influential Iranian cleric says Iran might bring Shiite militias to the country from other parts of the Middle East to fight threats to the government. Musa Ghazanfarabadi, head of the Tehran Islamic Revolution Courts, told religious students in Qom this month that his government could use foreign fighters to …

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Iran Inches Closer to its Goal: "Wipe Israel off the Map"

Iran’s military activities and clear public threats to annihilate Israel continue to grow in frequency and intensity. These moves not only instill fear, as they are doubtless meant to do; they also threaten to disrupt the international community. With such dire promises of conflict, it would be expected that the …

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US adds Iranian-backed Shia militia and its leader to list of global terrorists

The US Department of State added Harakat al Nujaba (HAN), or Movement of the Noble, an Iranian-supported Shiite militia which operates in both Iraq and Syria, and its leader, Akram ‘Abbas al Kaabi (or Kabi) to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists today. In the recent past, Kaabi has …

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Fortieth Anniversary of Iranian Revolution: How Iran became Islamic Republic

This February marks 40th anniversary of Iranian Revolution. 1979 Iranian Revolution—having overthrown the last king of Pahlavi dynasty Mohammed Reza Shah Pehlavi—had led to religious establishment. Iran became ‘Islamic Republic of Iran’. A lot is being talked about how ‘Islamic Republic’ has survived and lived a long period of forty …

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