Spotlight on Iran

Key Trends

• Iran once again emphasized the linkage between ending the war in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip and a possible agreement with the United States.
• Contacts between Iran and Iraq continue amid the crisis with the United States and the approaching expiration of the Iraqi ultimatum for the Shiite militias to disarm.
• Security coordination between the Houthis and al-Qaeda’s branch in Somalia is intensifying.

 

Highlights^[1]

• At a conference in Tehran, the secretary general of the Supreme Council of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening expressed Iran’s support for resolving the Palestinian issue and eliminating “criminal Israel” through elections involving “all Palestinian residents.”
• In an interview with Al-Manar, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei emphasized Iran’s support for Lebanon and Hezbollah and its commitment to linking an end to the war in Lebanon with a future agreement with the United States.
• The Iranian Foreign Minister met in Tehran with the vice president of the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council in Lebanon.
• The Iraqi Foreign Minister met in Baghdad with the Iranian Ambassador to Iraq. The Ambassador conveyed a message from the Iranian Foreign Minister.
• A pro-Iranian militia in Iraq presented conditions for relinquishing its weapons, including the complete withdrawal of the “American occupation” and of Kurdish and Turkish forces, as well as Iranian opposition organizations.
• The Houthis and al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda’s branch in Somalia, have reportedly intensified their military cooperation in preparation for a possible Israeli presence in Somaliland.

Iranian Involvement in the Palestinian Arena

• The Supreme Council of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening convened in Tehran under the title “The Solution to the Palestinian Issue in the Thought of the Martyr Leader [Ali Khamenei].” The Assembly’s Secretary General, Mohammad Hassan Akhtari, said that the Palestinian issue is one of the central issues of the Islamic world and that the “poisonous tree of Israel” had been planted in the soil of “Palestine” as a result of an “imperialist crime by British policymakers,” which brought disgrace upon the Muslim people in that land. He noted that over the years, many meetings had been held between the Palestinians and Israel under US leadership, but none had produced results. He added that one of the United States’ plans had been to divide “Palestine” into two states, but that plan had also failed to materialize, and those who supported the two-state solution had so far failed to implement it. Akhtari stressed that Iran had presented a plan to resolve the Palestinian issue based on Khamenei’s thought and founded on “democratic principles.” According to him, Iran’s Supreme Leader proposed holding elections in “Palestine” with the participation of all its Palestinian residents, including Muslims, Christians, and Jews, so that they could choose their system of government and determine their future. According to Akhtari, the plan is the best solution for liberating “Palestine” and ending “the aggression and crimes of the Zionist regime,” and if implemented, “criminal Israel” would be eliminated, and the region would enjoy peace and calm (Shafaqna, August 29, 2026).

Iranian Involvement in Lebanon

• Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said in an interview with Hezbollah’s Al-Manar that Tehran views Lebanon’s security as part of the security of the entire West Asia region. He stressed that Iran would continue to support Lebanon with all its capabilities and resources. Rezaei praised the unity of the Lebanese people in confronting Israel and thanked Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem for leading the “resistance” under the current circumstances, as well as Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri for his role in the country’s political arena. He added that one of Tehran’s conditions for any understanding with the United States is an end to the war in the various arenas in West Asia, particularly in Lebanon. According to him, other conditions Iran has set for understandings with the United States include Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories in Lebanon, an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, and an end to Israeli attacks in Syria. Referring to military developments in Lebanon, Rezaei pointed to the damage Hezbollah had inflicted on Israel in recent months and stressed that Israel is no longer capable of advancing toward Beirut’s Dahiyeh or Beirut itself. He noted that Beirut’s Dahiyeh and Beirut itself are a red line for Iran and that Tehran is monitoring developments with the utmost seriousness. He stressed that Lebanese territory cannot be occupied or seized and that Israel would be forced to withdraw from the areas of Lebanese territory it had entered. Rezaei further claimed that Iran does not interfere in the details of Hezbollah’s military structure or in its operational decisions on the ground. According to him, Hezbollah currently has a skilled military cadre and new generations of young commanders capable of managing its affairs and making the necessary decisions. Rezaei also addressed developments in Syria and assessed that Syria is unlikely to join the campaign in Lebanon because its government is dealing with numerous problems (Al-Manar, August 27, 2026).

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with the Vice President of the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council in Lebanon, Sheikh Ali al-Khatib, who briefed him on the situation in Lebanon and the south of the country. Araghchi stressed to the senior Shiite cleric that Iran stands by the Shiites in Lebanon (Tasnim, August 29, 2026).

• Amal Movement representative in Tehran Salah Fahs said in an extensive interview that relations between Amal and Iran are very good and that the movement has great confidence in the Islamic Republic and cooperates with it. He criticized the measures being taken by the Lebanese government toward Iran despite Iran’s support for Lebanon. Referring to the Lebanese government’s handling of the issue of the designated Iranian ambassador to Beirut, Fahs said that Amal opposes some of the measures taken toward him and that the issue had not been handled rationally from the outset (ISNA, August 31, 2026).

Iranian Involvement in Iraq

• Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met with Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Mohammad Kazem Al-e Sadeq. The Ambassador conveyed to Hussein a message from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and discussed with him the latest developments between Iran and the United States. The two stressed the importance of continuing diplomatic efforts to achieve peaceful solutions that would help reduce tensions and strengthen stability in the region (Iraqi News Agency, August 30, 2026).

• Iraqi Minister of Communications Mustafa Jabbar Sanad arrived in Tehran and met with his Iranian counterpart, Seyyed Sattar Hashemi. Sanad attended an international technology and communications exhibition in Tehran and discussed with Hashemi the expansion of cooperation between the two countries in communications and technology (ISNA, August 31, 2026).

Pro-Iranian Militias in Iraq

• Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada issued an official statement presenting its position on the issue of weapons held by the pro-Iranian militias. The militia stressed that the need for the “resistance” to possess weapons is not an unjustified luxury but rather stems from circumstances and requirements imposed by genuine challenges. Accordingly, the militia listed conditions for relinquishing its weapons: the complete withdrawal of the “American occupation” from Iraq, including the use of Iraqi airspace to attack another country; approval of the “Popular Mobilization Forces laws,” which would guarantee the rights of PMF members and regulate their activities; the extension of the Iraqi security forces’ full sovereignty over the entire territory and airspace of the country; the removal from Iraqi territory of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters, Turkish forces, and Iranian opposition organizations; and Iraqi economic and political independence and liberation from the “American hegemony” imposed on the country in those spheres (Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada Telegram channel, August 29, 2026).
• “Several informed sources” reported that the United States had rejected a proposal by five pro-Iranian militias to freeze their military activity for two years instead of relinquishing their weapons and disbanding. According to the report, three of the five militias are Kata’ib Hezbollah, Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, and Harakat al-Nujaba, which adhere to a hardline stance toward the United States and are considered the closest to the Iranian regime (Rudaw, August 27, 2026).

The Houthis in Yemen

• It was reported that relations between the Houthis and al-Shabaab in Somalia, al-Qaeda’s branch in the Horn of Africa, have significantly intensified in recent years and that they are now engaged in broad cooperation that includes arms trafficking, joint training, and preparations for action against a potential Israeli presence in Somaliland. The report claimed that the Houthis fear that Israel could establish an operational platform in Somaliland that would enable it to monitor their activities and carry out attacks at short notice, given Somaliland’s proximity to Yemen. It was further reported that the Houthis had sent a four-member delegation to southern Somalia, where its members met with senior al-Shabaab officials to coordinate the activities of the two organizations to disrupt Israeli activity in the region in exchange for the transfer of advanced weapons from the Houthis and training for al-Shabaab operatives. According to a “US intelligence official,” at least one hundred al-Shabaab operatives had been sent to Yemen for training in the operation of advanced weapons, while another group of operatives sent to Yemen had been trained in operating drones. At the same time, Houthi instructors are reportedly being sent to Somalia to train al-Shabaab fighters in the country (Wall Street Journal, August 31, 2026).
• The National Resistance organization, which is subordinate to the internationally recognized Yemeni government, announced that on August 24, 2026, its forces had intercepted and seized a vessel in the Red Sea that was carrying weapons and traveling from Iran to the Houthi-controlled area. According to the announcement, the vessel was carrying electronic components for assembling drones, including control systems, imaging technologies, and communications systems intended for drones (X account of the Yemeni Armed Forces Media Center and the December 2 website, August 30, 2026).
• Houthi Deputy Foreign Minister Abdulwahid Abu Ras claimed that Israel continues its “aggression” while “violating” international agreements, with American support and amid the silence of the international community, which he claimed constitutes “complicity in the crimes of the Zionist enemy.” Abu Ras stressed the need to move from condemnations to practical measures that would stop the “enemy’s crimes” and called on the countries of the region to form an alliance to stop and eradicate the “Zionist enemy” (Houthi Foreign Ministry Telegram channel, August 28, 2026).
• The Houthi Foreign Ministry warned Israel against “continuing to desecrate Al-Aqsa Mosque,” following Minister Ben-Gvir’s “storming” of the Temple Mount on August 31, 2026. According to the ministry, the “complete silence” of the Islamic countries encourages the continuation of such actions. However, the ministry claimed that the “enemy entity” would not succeed in achieving its “malicious objectives” and that an attack on Islamic holy sites is a red line that, if crossed, would have “severe, unforeseen consequences” (Houthi Foreign Ministry Telegram channel, September 1, 2026).

^[1] The weekly study includes the activities of Iran, the Shiite militias in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen.

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