Iraq

Spotlight on Iran (May 31, 2020 – June 14, 2020)

Sources tracking the movement of freighter planes reported intensive activity between Iran and Syria, which included both Syrian and Iranian cargo planes. The spokesman of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lambasted the tightening of sanctions against Syria ahead of the entry into force of the Caesar Act, which places sanctions against any company and actor that will maintain economic ties with Syria in several sectors of the economy. Ahead of the start of the strategic dialogue between Iraq and the United States, the Commander of the Qods Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Esmail Qa’ani, visited Baghdad, likely to coordinate a united front with senior commanders of the Iraqi factions loyal to Iran. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (June 4-10, 2020)

In the past two weeks, there has been a decrease in ISIS’s activity in the various provinces, after it concentrated its effort on carrying out the wave of attacks in the second half of May (the Raids of Attrition). In the Idlib area, the erosion of the ceasefire agreement reached between Russia and Turkey is evident. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (May 27 – June 3, 2020)

Over the past week, there was a decrease in the intensity of ISIS’s activity in Iraq, Syria and the various provinces around the globe. Most of the attacks carried out by ISIS as part of the Rates of Attrition were in Iraq (132, about 58%), followed by Syria (51, about 22%). An editorial published in ISIS’s Al-Naba’ weekly discusses the ISIS’s current strategic concept. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (May 21-26, 2020)

The synchronized wave of attacks known as the Raids of Attrition, which began on May 14, ended on May 24, 2020. Over a period of 10 days, more than 100 attacks were carried out, the vast majority in Iraq (about 40) and Syria (about 30). After them, by a wide margin, are Nigeria (8 attacks) and other provinces in Africa and Asia (a few attacks in each province). Hence, an analysis of the current wave of attacks indicates an improvement in ISIS’s operational capability, mainly in the Iraqi arena and to some extent in the Syrian arena as well, in contrast with ISIS’s other provinces around the world. Read more...

The Nujaba Movement, an Iraqi Shiite militia handled by Iran, also operates in the Gaza Strip

The Nujaba Movement is an Iraqi Shiite militia handled by the Iranian Qods Force. It was established in 2013 by Sheikh Akram al-Ka’abi, who has had a close connection with Iran since the time he was fighting against the American forces in Iraq. Read more...

Spotlight on Global Jihad (May 14-20, 2020)

On May 14, 2020, ISIS carried out a synchronized wave of terrorist attacks, accompanied by a media campaign, called Raids of Attrition. The waves of attacks and the accompanying media campaigns are intended to convey a message of strength to ISIS’s operatives, to its enemies, and to the international community. Most of the attacks carried out as part of the Raids of Attrition were carried out in Iraq, which continues to stand out as ISIS’s main arena. Read more...

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