Iran

Spotlight on Iran (May 29—June 5, 2024)

In view of Israel’s continued operation in Rafah, senior Iranian officials reiterated their support for the Palestinians. The supreme leader of Iran declared that Israel would not be able to recover from the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and that Operation al-Aqsa Flood had foiled the plan of the “enemies” to take over the region and the Muslim world; Acting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri-Kani held a series of telephone conversations with foreign ministers around the world and made his first visit to Syria and Lebanon; An IRGC officer was killed in an attack attributed to Israel in the Aleppo area of Syria. He is the first Iranian officer killed in Syria since the targeted killing of the IRGC commander in Syria and Lebanon on April 1, 2024, attributed to Israel; The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for carrying out five drone attacks against Israel, most of them towards Haifa. The IDF reported that a cruise missile had been intercepted in the Golan Heights; The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks against military and civilian vessels, including two attacks on the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower. The US Central Command denied any damage to its ships. The Houthis also claimed responsibility for launching a ballistic missile at Israel, and the IDF confirmed that an interception had been carried out in the Eilat area.
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Spotlight on Iran (May 22—29, 2024)

The deaths of the senior Iranian officials, first and foremost President Raisi and Foreign Minister, provided Iran with an opportunity to demonstrate the cohesion of the “resistance front” and to emphasize its continued adherence to the strategy of supporting its proxies in the region. Following the funeral, senior Iranian government officials, headed by the Supreme Leader of Iran, held meetings with senior members of the “resistance front,” in which they stressed their commitment to continued support for Iran’s network of proxies in view of the ongoing campaign in the Gaza Strip and other battlefields. On the sidelines of the funeral, representatives from the “resistance front” and the IRGC met in Tehran to discuss the continuation of the regional campaign. According to a Syrian news channel, the IRGC’s Qods Force commander in charge of the pro-Iranian militias in eastern Syria returned to the Albukamal area. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for eight attacks against targets in Israeli territory using UAVs and cruise missiles. The IDF confirmed that six UAVs had been intercepted on three occasions en route to Eilat and northern Israel. The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks against civilian and military vessels in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean, as well as in the Mediterranean. The US Central Command confirmed that a Greek-owned ship had been damaged but continued on its way without casualties. A report in Iran confirmed that Iran had provided the Houthis with Iranian technology that made it possible to develop precision anti-ship missiles.
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Spotlight on Iran (May 16-22, 2024)

This past week was marked by the deaths of Iranian President Raisi, Foreign Minister Abdollahian, and other senior Iranian officials in a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran on May 19, 2024. The Shiite pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Yemen expressed deep sorrow. Senior Iranian officials continued to express confidence concerning Israel’s situation, especially following the Iranian attack on Israel last month. The IRGC has reportedly begun transferring new shipments of weapons to an underground warehouse set up in eastern Syria, near the border with Iraq. There was a decline in the number of attacks carried out by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq against targets in Israeli territory. They claimed responsibility for five attacks compared to 13 the week before. The IDF confirmed that it had intercepted three UAVs east of Israel. The Houthis did not claim responsibility for attacks against vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The US Central Command reported that an oil tanker had been damaged by a Houthi ballistic missile, with no casualties, and that another ballistic missile had been fired. The Houthis claimed responsibility for downing two American drones over Yemen.
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Spotlight on Iran (May 8-16, 2024)

The chief of staff of the Iranian army declared that the "al-Aqsa Flood" and the Iranian attack on Israel accelerated the process of eliminating Israel and brought about regional and global strategic changes. The commander of the IRGC’s Qods Force said that Israel and the United States had been humiliated by the “resistance” in the Gaza Strip, and that the Palestinians’ situation has hardly changed compared to their situation at the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip seven months ago. Jordan thwarted two attempts to smuggle weapons from Syria to the Muslim Brotherhood in the country, with Hamas involvement, apparently directed by Iran. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq continued to claim responsibility for UAV and cruise missile attacks on targets in Israeli territory, including IDF bases and energy facilities. The IDF confirmed that it had intercepted three UAVs east of Israel. The Houthis renewed their attacks against military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean. The Houthi leader threatened to expand the fighting against Israel if Israeli activity in Rafah was expanded.
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Spotlight on Iran (May 1-8, 2024)

Senior Iranian officials continued to present the Iranian attack on Israel on April 13-14, 2024, as an Iranian success and a defeat for Israel. Iran welcomed Hamas’ announcement that it agreed to the ceasefire proposal in Gaza. The Iranian foreign minister spoke with the head of Hamas’ political bureau, and the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry praised the “political wisdom of the resistance.” At the same time, Iran condemned the Israeli military operation in Rafah. The Saudi newspaper al-Hadath reported that several weeks ago, Qods Force commander Esmail Qaani had visited Beirut and discussed future military measures with Hezbollah’s secretary-general in light of developments on the Gaza Strip and Lebanese fronts. In early May 2024, sources in Iraq and Iran reported Qaani’s visit to Baghdad for consultations with the heads of the pro-Iranian Shiite militias. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq continued to claim responsibility for attacks on “vital targets” in Israeli territory, also claiming that they had carried out an attack on Tel Aviv for the first time. The IDF confirmed interceptions of two aircraft from east Israel and another in the Eilat area. The Houthis in Yemen announced the opening of the fourth phase of fighting in the conflict and threatened to attack vessels sailing to Israel in the Mediterranean Sea as well.
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Spotlight on Iran (April 17-May 1, 2024)

Amid the recent escalation between Iran and Israel, the Iranian president warned that if Israel attacked Iran again, “nothing will remain of the Zionist regime.” Iran welcomed the pro-Palestinian student demonstrations at universities across the United States and Europe and condemned the suppression of protests by the authorities in Western countries. Iran had reduced its military presence in southern Syria following the Israeli attacks against senior IRGC officers. The report was denied by a source in the resistance front. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq continued to claim responsibility for UAV attacks against what they referred to as “vital targets” in Israeli territory. In practice, none of the incidents have been detected. The Houthis in Yemen have resumed their attacks against vessels they regard as Israeli or linked to Israel. Most of the attacks were thwarted by American and European forces in the Red Sea.
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