Iran

IntelBrief: Iran and the Taliban Clash

A recent border clash between Iranian and Taliban forces marked the latest phase of a longstanding water rights dispute between the two countries. The fighting might upend Tehran’s relationship with Taliban leaders, which is already burdened by the Taliban’s brutal treatment of Shia Muslims and some Persian-speaking Afghan groups. Both …

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Iran unveils first hypersonic missile ‘Fattah,’ says no system can intercept it

Boastfully adding to its already massive stockpile of long-range projectiles, Tehran appeared headed for a fresh collision course with Israel and its Western adversaries, which remain unnerved by Iran’s missile program. Iran unveiled on Tuesday what it described as its first domestically developed hypersonic missile, pressing ahead with the controversial …

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Iran’s Growing Rift Between Theocrats and Security Elites

In the aftermath of nationwide protests, tensions are rising among the Iranian establishment. One consequence of the nationwide protests in Iran sparked by the tragic death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022 has been the widely celebrated retreat of the morality police responsible for enforcing Iran’s mandatory …

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Iran’s IRGC speed boats ‘harassed’ ship in Strait of Hormuz: US Navy

There have been several incidents involving US and Iranian naval forces in the strategic waterway in recent years, prompting the US to increase patrols. The US Navy said an American destroyer and UK Navy frigate responded to a distress call by a commercial ship pursued by fast boats belonging to …

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Iran set to reopen embassy in Saudi Arabia after 7 years of closure

The move is the latest sign of rapprochement between the two countries since reaching a China-brokered deal to resume ties. Iran will reopen its diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said, months after the two countries signed a China-brokered agreement to restore ties after a …

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Iran: Heroic Flexibility Returns

[“Supreme Guide” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] has decided to perform what he calls “heroic flexibility” in foreign policy in the hope of focusing on a slow but steady suppression of dissent at home. In a speech last week, he said he was applying the tactic of “taqiyeh” (dissimulation), a theological concept, …

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After Saudi Arabia: Iran’s Rapprochement With Egypt – Analysis

Intense political discussion and speculation have followed the recent agreement between Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which China brokered. While some are in favour of the implementation of the agreement, others remain sceptical. From a geopolitical standpoint, it is imperative to address the ongoing concerns surrounding Iran’s …

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Militarization Of Iranian Politics In Context Of Regional Detente – OpEd

At a time of renewed regional dialogue and an apparent opening between Iran and its neighbors, one could be surprised by the appointment of Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a member of the Expediency Council, as the new secretary of the Supreme …

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Latest in Ukraine: Ukraine Proposes Massive Sanctions Against Iran

Latest developments South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will investigate U.S. allegations that a Russian ship had collected weapons from a naval base near Cape Town last year, his office said Sunday in a statement. South Africa denies the allegations which have caused a diplomatic row among the U.S., South Africa …

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Iran’s Nuclear Program: Does the Biden Administration Have a Policy?

Since 2021, the Biden Administration has been cozying up to Iran in a way that has often seemed agonizingly embarrassing to entice it back to the disastrous 2015 “JCPOA” nuclear deal of the Obama Administration. Mercifully those efforts did not succeed: the new deal would still most likely have enabled …

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