Iran has long backed a network of armed groups in the Middle East to advance its regional interests. These groups, which include U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and which sometimes style themselves the “Axis of Resistance,” have conducted attacks on U.S., Israeli, and other targets for years. The number, pace, …
Read More »Could Jordan become a new battleground in US-Iran tensions?
From the empty expanse of the desert, one of Jordan’s worst nightmares unfolded: the death of US troops on its soil. On 28 January, an attack drone infiltrated the darkness surrounding an isolated US outpost along Jordan’s border with Syria, known as Tower 22. The drone crept past the advanced …
Read More »Iran Reinforces Positions in Hama, Deir-ez-Zor and Homs, Withdraws Thousands of Troops From Aleppo
Iran aims to reinforce its forces in its areas of presence in Syria, according to Baladi News. Informed sources have disclosed that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard militias have withdrawn thousands of Syrian members affiliated with them from the Aleppo governorate. These members were relocated to positions in the governorates of …
Read More »South Caucasus Turns Away From Russia Toward Middle East
Rapid geopolitical change is curtailing Russian power in the South Caucasus, boosting the influence of Middle Eastern countries and bookending the region’s “post-Soviet” history. The South Caucasus is undergoing a geopolitical transformation. The war in Ukraine and the effective resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan mean that …
Read More »Iran Update, February 8, 2024
Northern Gaza Strip: Palestinian fighters are continuing to infiltrate previously cleared areas.Southern Gaza Strip: The Israel Defense Forces 98th Division continued to conduct clearing operations in Khan Younis.Political Negotiations: Israel reportedly proposed to the United States exiling the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, in exchange for …
Read More »Iran Executes Four Men Falsely Accused of Mossad Ties
Latest Developments Iran on January 29 hanged four prisoners falsely accused of planning to sabotage a Defense Ministry factory and having links with Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. Iranian state media reported that the judiciary charged the four men with “collusion with the Zionist regime” and “disrupting national security by establishing …
Read More »Why Don’t We Want a War with Iran?
There are, of course, alternatives less than all-out war, and more than attacks on proxies. They involve the bombing of military targets inside Iran. These include sites used for Iran’s nuclear program, its naval bases and ships, its military drone production, its oil and gas facilities and its command centers. …
Read More »Escalation scenarios between Iran and the United States in Syria and Iraq
The US-Iranian escalation has taken a new turn when Washington announced strikes on command and control centers, intelligence facilities, and weapon storage facilities used by Iran-backed militias to attack American forces and the International Coalition. Through a series of attacks, the United States targeted 85 locations in Syria and Iraq, …
Read More »Deal With Iran Politically and Diplomatically, Not Militarily
There is a consensus on the right and the left that the only way to deal with Iran is with military force. The conservative Chicken Hawks in the Senate and the House of Representatives believe targeting Iran—and not merely Iranian proxies—is essential. Senator Lindsay Graham (R/SC) wants to “hit them …
Read More »Iran-Backed Militias In Iraq, Lebanon, And Yemen Condemn U.S. Strikes In Iraq And Syria, Accuse U.S. Of Escalating Conflict, Undermining Global Security, Reiterate Calls To Expel U.S. Forces From Iraq
On February 2, 2024, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that its forces had conducted airstrikes earlier that day against over 85 targets of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militias, including command and control operations centers, intelligence centers, rocket, missile, and unmanned aerial vehicle storage …
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