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Iran

Spotlight on Iran (August 28- September 11, 2023)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein-Amir Abdollahian held a several-day visit to Syria and Lebanon. An IRGC member was killed in late August 2023 in Syria. The circumstances of his death were not disclosed. The IRGC and pro-Iranian militias in eastern Syria have taken increased security measures in Deir ez-Zor amid violent clashes between Kurdish SDF forces and Sunni Arab tribesmen. About four million Iranian pilgrims arrived at Shiite holy sites in Iraq in early September 2023 as part of the Arbaeen ceremonies. IRGC’s Qods Force Commander Esmail Qaani arrived in Iraq as part of the Arbaeen ceremonies and visited the cities of Najaf and Samarra, as well as the memorial in Baghdad to Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was assassinated by the United States in January 2020. Qaani also met with commanders of the Shiite pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.
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Iranian activity to expand its regional religious-cultural influence through soft power

In recent years, Iran has expanded its religious and cultural activities in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. It invests substantial effort in spreading Shi'ite Islam, Iranian culture, and the ideology of the Islamic Revolution. As used by Iran, soft power includes elements of both Shi'a-religious and Iranian national-cultural features, chiefly the Persian language. Iranian institutions work to restore and expand the Shi'ite shrines in Syria and Iraq, establish religious and cultural centers, open schools and branches of Iranian universities, encourage the study of Persian in educational institutions, and promote communication and propagandist activities to spread the Islamic Republic's official positions and ideology. In addition to religion and culture, Iran exploits the socio-economic crisis in the Arab countries to increase its civilian influence by establishing social institutions that provide health, education, and welfare services, mainly to low socio-economic strata.Iran's promotion of its influence through soft power is part of its efforts to establish itself in the Arab region.
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Spotlight on Iran (August 14-28, 2023)

Qods Force Commander said Israel is under difficult conditions both from within and without and is undergoing a process of decline and collapse. He said the “resistance front” had the upper hand. Senior advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader, spoke by phone with the head of Hamas’s Political Bureau and the secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), stressing Iran’s continued support for the Palestinians and praising the “resistance of the Palestinian people,” especially in the West Bank. As part of a joint operation by the ISA, the Israel Police, and the IDF, several Israeli civilians were detained in possession of Iranian-made IEDs and a large quantity of other weapons. A Syrian news channel reported on the ongoing increased activity of the IRGC and pro-Iranian militias in Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria. Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah met with the advisor to the Iranian foreign minister and the Iranian ambassador to Beirut to discuss the latest developments in Lebanon and the region. Before that, the Iranian foreign minister’s advisor met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
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Spotlight on Iran (July 31-August 14, 2023)

The Syrian foreign minister arrived in Tehran for an official visit, during which he met with senior Iranian officials. Concurrently with the foreign minister’s visit, the joint economic committee of the two countries convened in Tehran. IRGC’s Qods Force Commander Esmail Qaani recently visited Syria and Lebanon. Syrian sources reported ongoing activity by the IRGC and pro-Iranian militias in eastern Syria, possibly in view of preparations for a possible confrontation between the United States and Iranian-backed militias in the region. An Iranian parliamentary delegation headed by the chairman of the Majles National Security and Foreign Policy Committee visited Syria and Lebanon and met with senior officials from both countries as well as representatives of Palestinian organizations. The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman expressed Iran’s concern over the recent violent incidents in the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp on the outskirts of Sidon in southern Lebanon. He stressed the need for unity among the Palestinians so that all resources could be devoted to continuing the struggle against Israel.
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Israel’s legal reforms continue to be of interest to the Palestinians, Hezbollah and Iran, who perceive the country as weakened

The Palestinians and Hezbollah continue to monitor and extensively report on the protests in Israel following the ongoing promotion of legal reforms in Israel and the reversal of the "reasonableness doctrine . In Iran and Arab world there has been a recent decline in interest in events in Israel. Special attention has been paid to the declarations of reserve soldiers. In Arab-Muslim perception, the events indicate that Israel is militarily weak, has lost its deterrence and the rift in Israeli society is widening, all giving them an opportunity to attack Israel. Some of the reports were based on Israeli media coverage. Others related to the possibility that Israel was liable to take advantage of the situation vis-à-vis the Palestinians and toughen its policy towards them, or initiate military action against its opponents to unite the Israeli public and end the protests.
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Spotlight on Iran (July 20-31, 2023)

Iran condemned the IDF operation in Nablus, in which three armed Palestinians were killed. Additionally, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount. Reuters reported on a recent meeting between senior officials from the IRGC’s Qods Force and Hamas, during which they discussed the internal crisis in Israel. Newsweek published an investigative report on the Imam Hossein Division, the pro-Iranian militia considered the strongest in Syria and linked to the IRGC’s Qods Force. Iran condemned the attack carried out by ISIS on July 27, 2023, in the Shiite quarter on the outskirts of Damascus, in which six people were killed. There were no casualties among Iranian pilgrims.
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