Iran

Iran has been backing its proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas, in their fight against Israel since the Gaza war erupted. Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani pledged on Tuesday to maintain close relations with Syria during a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad amid escalating tensions in the region. Bagheri …

A senior Hamas official responded negatively on June 4 to the latest Israeli ceasefire proposal for the Gaza Strip. Hamas appears unlikely to accept a proposal that does not meet the maximalist demands that Hamas has maintained since December 2023. Hamas Political Bureau member Osama Hamdan said Hamas cannot agree …

Iran-backed Shi’ite armed groups in Iraq have ramped up rocket and missile attacks on Israel in recent weeks, raising concerns in Washington and among some Iranian allies of potential Israeli retaliation and regional escalation should they draw blood. Though the attacks, often from hundreds of miles (kms) away, are not …

Iran seized control of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs several decades ago, though the United Arab Emirates has long claimed sovereignty over the islands, a claim backed by Gulf states and Russia. China reiterated on Monday its support for the United Arab Emirates regarding its dispute with …

Analysis: Upcoming elections and the succession race for Supreme Leader could deepen infighting among Iran’s conservative political camp. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, 63, died in a helicopter crash in the north-western province of East Azerbaijan province on 19 May, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six others. To demonstrate …

Hardliners overwhelmingly dominate the candidate pool for the upcoming Iranian presidential election. The registration period for the election ended on June 3, and 80 individuals registered to compete in the election.[i] The Guardian Council—a regime body responsible for supervising elections and approving candidates—will vet candidates between June 4 and 10, …

Senior Iranian regime officials, along with regime mouthpieces, are referring to the recent pro-Palestinian student protests at university campuses across the U.S. and Europe as “exporting [Iran’s Islamic] revolution” to the West, which has been a key policy goal of Iran’s Islamic regime since its founding. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali …

Another hard-liner and a Reformist recently declared their candidacies, and others may soon announce theirs in the election to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi. A number of potential candidates have emerged in Iran’s upcoming presidential elections, possibly setting up a crowded field with the important vote weeks away to …

Iran’s former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday registered to be a possible candidate for the upcoming presidential election following Raisi’s death. Iran’s hard-line former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad registered on Sunday as a possible candidate for the presidential election, seeking to regain the country’s top political position after a helicopter crash …

Information Cutoff: 2:00 pm ET The Iran Update provides insights into Iranian and Iranian-sponsored activities abroad that undermine regional stability and threaten US forces and interests. It also covers events and trends that affect the stability and decision-making of the Iranian regime. The Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American …