Key Takeaways: Northern Gaza Strip: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) engaged Palestinian militias north of Gaza City, including in Beit Hanoun.Israeli forces continued operations near al Shifa Hospital, Gaza City, on March 24. CTP-ISW inaccurately reported on March 23 that the IDF had concluded its operation at al Shifa Hospital. …
Read More »Why the Red Sea matters to Iran
Yemen’s Red Sea naval operations have drawn attention to Iran’s own strategic calculations for this vital maritime corridor, most of them driven by Tehran’s valid security and economic interests. The Red Sea has been a crucial historical nexus for Iran, with its roots tracing back to ancient times when the …
Read More »Iran Update, March 22, 2024
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued to conduct an operation in and around al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on March 22.[i] The IDF 401st and Nahal Brigades (162nd Division) and Israeli special operations forces have killed approximately 150 Palestinian fighters in the hospital area since the operation began on …
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In the wake of American-Israeli bombardment
Iranian presence in Syria: A repositioning, not a withdrawal
The Iranian presence in Syria has always been a source of concern at a regional level, for Arab countries on the one hand, and for Israel on the other. If the partial Arab severance of relations with al-Assad has pushed the issue of Iranian presence off the negotiation table, this …
Read More »IntelBrief: Iran-Backed Militias in Iraq and Syria Standing Down, for Now
U.S. officials are increasingly confident they have deterred Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, which have not attacked U.S. forces for more than one month. U.S.-Iraq talks to limit or potentially end a U.S. military presence in Iraq appear to have contributed to the decision by pro-Iranian groups to halt …
Read More »Iran Update, March 21, 2024
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other Palestinian militias cooperating against Israel have likely established at least one cell in Jenin to target Israeli civilian areas outside of the West Bank. Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man from Jenin carrying a weapon and “ready-to-use explosive device” in Zeita, along the West …
Read More »Iran Update, March 20, 2024
Kataib Hezbollah Secretary General Abu Hussein al Hamidawi said during a meeting with unspecified leaders in Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” in Tehran on March 20 that the current pause in attacks on US forces does not mark the end of efforts to expel US forces from Iraq .[i] Hamidawi …
Read More »Behind scenes US-Iran talks aim to expand Iraq truce and calm regional conflict
Indirect talks between the US and Iran have attempted to build on an unannounced truce in Iraq to expand it across conflict-hit areas of the Middle East, sources have told The National. Although Washington has not commented on the latest discussions, Iranian state media confirmed the most recent rounds of …
Read More »Reported US-Iran Talks Explain Saudi Sitting Out Red Sea Operations
Wafic Safa, a top Hezbollah official, is on an unprecedented visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a country that classifies the Iran-backed Lebanese militia as a terrorist organization. The visit came less than a week after The Financial Times reported that Bret McGurk, a senior Biden official, had held …
Read More »U.S. Accuses Niger of Iran Uranium Deal
Latest Developments Niger may end counterterrorism cooperation with America over U.S. accusations that Niger’s ruling junta is negotiating a deal to sell uranium to Iran, reported The Wall Street Journal on March 17. The termination of cooperation could lead Niger to follow through on plans to eject U.S. military and …
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