Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (July 16—23, 2025)
The chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, and the commander of the regular army stressed that the Iranian forces are prepared to resume the war with Israel if it attacks Iran again; Amid reports of a worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the Iranian leadership and the heads of Shiite militias called for the Muslim world to mobilize against Israel and support the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip; Iran has reportedly transferred weapons to Hezbollah via Iraq and Syria and begun using small vehicles instead of large trucks for smuggling; Iran strongly condemned the IDF’s attacks in Syria, especially in Damascus. Senior Iranian officials warned that the developments in Syria provide further evidence of Israel’s threat to stability in the entire region. A senior member of a pro-Iranian militia in Iraq said that events in Syria show that there is no justification for the demand to disarm the militias; The IDF attacked the port of Hodeidah after the Houthis attempted to restore infrastructure that had been damaged in previous attacks. The Houthis claimed responsibility for launching four ballistic missiles and nine drones in four attacks on Israel. The IDF Spokesperson said that three ballistic missiles and a drone launched from Yemen were intercepted, and another missile fell on its way to Israel. There were no hits in Israeli territory; The US Central Command said that anti-Houthi forces in southern Yemen seized a vessel carrying 750 tons of Iranian weapons for the Houthis, including cruise missiles and anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman denied the report, claiming that it was an attempt to distract attention from the “crimes of the Zionist regime"; The Islamic Resistance Front in Syria called on its operatives to raise their alert level and prepare for an Israeli operation in the south of the country.
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