Iran

Spotlight on Iran (October 29 – November 12, 2017)

Iranian reactions to the resignation of the Lebanese prime minister. In light of the Assad regime’s gains in the campaign against ISIS, Iran is persisting with its effort vis-à-vis the leaderships of Syria and Russia to shape the Syrian arena. In Iraq, Iran has intensified its efforts to increase its economic foothold in the post-ISIS era.
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Spotlight on Iran (October 15-29, 2017)

At the center of events of the past two weeks was the visit to Syria of the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri. Alongside its military effort, Iran is acting to increase its reliagious influence in Syria. The visit of the Commander of the Qods Force of the IRGC, Qasem Soleimani, to the Kurdish region in northern Iraq was at the center of events in Iraq.
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News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (October 18 –24, 2017)

This past week was relatively quiet. A vehicular attack was apparently prevented in central of Israel and a stabbing attack was prevented at the Gush Etzion Junction. The Gaza Strip remained quiet. Implementing the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation continued, although senior Hamas figures asserted their refusal to discuss the future of the military-terrorist wing and its weapons. A Hamas delegation headed by Saleh al-'Arouri, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, visited Iran.
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Iranian Responses to President Trump’s Speech

On October 13, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Iran has committed multiple violations of the nuclear agreement and thus he will not certify the deal. He accused the Iranian regime of supporting terrorism around the world and repeatedly criticized the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). According to Trump, Tehran’s “dangerous aggression has only escalated” since the signing of the nuclear deal in the summer of 2015.
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Spotlight on Iran (October 1-15, 2017)

Turkish-Iranian coordination is increasingly invigorated following the independence referendum in the Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Senior Iranian officials rebuked the reports about the intension of the U.S. administration to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization. Iran continues to be involved in the campaign against the last pockets of ISIS resistance in Iraq. Bolstering of the economic cooperation between Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon continues apace.
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Spotlight on Iran (September 17- October 1, 2017)

Last week, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) struck several ISIS positions along the Syria-Iraq border. As the campaign against ISIS is drawing to a close, Iran continues to expand its foothold in Syria’s economy.
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