Iran

US plans ‘Goldilocks’ retaliation that will kill Iranians, but not in Iran

US networks report plan for sustained campaign against Iranian oversea assets, citing White House officials The US will seek a “Goldilocks” retaliation against Iran by striking its assets abroad in a campaign calibrated to restore deterrence while mitigating escalation risks, according to military sources and current and former officials. Washington …

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U.S. And Iran-Backed Huthis Engaged In High-Stakes Fight Tehran Wants To Avoid

It is not only missiles that are being lobbed as U.S. and U.K. air strikes aim to stop the Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen from targeting ships in a key global trade route — mutual threats of continued attacks are flying around, too. The question is how far each side …

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Sanctions Add Pressure on the Axis of Resistance

The United States and its partners have imposed additional sanctions on Iran and its axis of resistance partners to try to deny them the resources to continue their ongoing campaign of armed attacks. Sanctions imposed since mid-January have targeted Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iranian allies in Yemen, Iraq, …

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U.S. Strikes Aimed at Restoring Deterrence without Escalating Conflict with Iran

The United States’ opening salvo in response to the attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. troops last week included attacks against targets in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. The U.S. response is expected to be multi-tiered and unfold over weeks, targeting an array of groups that form part of Iran’s …

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Iran-Backed Militias In Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen And Bahrain Condemn U.S. Attack On Iraqi PMU Officials In Baghdad; Threaten ‘Stupefying’ Response Against U.S., ‘Its Helpers, Partners And Interests’ In The Region

On February 7, 2024, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that at 9:30 p.m. (Baghdad time) its forces conducted a unilateral strike in Iraq in response to the attacks on U.S. service members, killing an Iran-backed Iraqi Hizbullah Brigades commander responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on U.S. …

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Iran-Supported Groups In The Middle East And US Policy – Analysis

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, …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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