Iran

Spotlight on Iran (July 14 – July 28, 2019)

The former commander of Iranian forces in Syria revealed for the first time details from the meeting between the Commander of the Qods Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Qasem Soleimani, and Russian President Putin in the summer of 2015. In mid-July, the Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs to the Chairman of the Majlis, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, paid a visit to Syria and Lebanon and met with senior officials from both countries. On July 22, Iraq’s Prime Minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, arrived for a visit in Tehran and met with President Rouhani. The spokesman of the Popular Mobilization Units (al-Hashd al-Shaabi), the pro-Iranian Iraqi militias, denied the reports about presence of Iranian forces in the Amerli base in northern Iraq. A senior delegation of Hamas officials, led by the Deputy Head of the Political Bureau of the organization, Saleh al-Arouri, visited Tehran and met high-ranking Iranian officials. Read more...

Syria is preparing to open the new, upgraded Albukamal Border Crossing with Iraq, with Iran support. The crossing is expected to serve as an Iranian land bridge through Iraq to Syria and from there to Lebanon.

The Iraqi, Syrian and Lebanese media recently reported that preparations were made to open the Albukamal border crossing between Syria and Iraq. So far no formal statement has been issued regarding the date of its opening. According to a number of reports the crossing is supposed to open within two months. The preparations included security coordination meetings held in Damascus and attended by high-ranking Syrian, Iraqi and Iranian military commanders. Read more...

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (July 17 – 23 , 2019)

On Friday, July 19, 2019, the return march in the Gaza Strip was held with about 6,500 participants. The scope of incendiary and IED balloons launched into Israeli territory continued to decrease, but the launchings continue. A Hamas delegation headed by Saleh al-'Arouri, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, visited Tehran. This past week Hamas' summer camps began, supervised by its military wing. Read more...

The “Foundation of the Oppressed” – A Tool for Entrenching Iranian Influence in Iraq and Syria

“The Foundation of the Oppressed” is the largest charitable foundation in Iran and the second largest economic entity in the country. Since the late 1980s, the Foundation of the Oppressed has become a large economic holding company controlling firms and groups in the sectors of services, industry, mining, energy, construction and agriculture. Read more...

Jerusalem Days: The Mirror Image of the Struggle Between Israel and Iran

The perception of Iran as a threat in Jerusalem is quite similar to the perception of Israel as a threat in Tehran. Forty years after Iran turned from a close partner, at the heart of Israel’s regional alliances versus the Arab world, to the enemy against whom alliances are formed between Israel and Arab countries – it is worth examining what remains in place and what has changed in the fundamental approach of the Iranian regime vis-à-vis Israel. Read more...

Hassan Nasrallah again boasts of Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities, emphasizing its ability to hit strategic targets and the population in the center of Israel

On July 12, 2019, Hassan Nasrallah was interviewed and again boasted of Hezbollah's improved offensive capabilities to attack Israel. He particularly emphasized Hezbollah's ability to attack strategic targets in the center of Israel with rockets and precision missiles. To illustrate the threat he used of map of Israel marked with demographic data, a list of designated strategic targets and pictures to illustrate vital targets in Israel (Ben-Gurion International Airport, the nuclear facility in Dimona, the power plant in Hadera and the ammonia tank in Haifa Bay). Read more...

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