Spotlight on Iran

Highlights^[1]

• Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei reiterated his call for cooperation among Islamic countries in support of the Palestinians and resistance to Israel. In a statement on the occasion of the pilgrimage to Mecca, Khamenei called for taking advantage of the growing hostility in the world toward Israel to help the Palestinian people.
• Iran and the Houthis condemned the American veto of the Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as well as the IDF’s takeover of the ship Madleen, which was en route to Gaza.
• A delegation headed by the deputy secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) visited Tehran and met with the Iranian foreign minister, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and the IRGC commander. They all stressed Iran’s support for the Palestinians and the “Palestinian resistance.”
• As part of his visit to Beirut, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Hezbollah secretary-general Naim Qassem. The minister noted that Tehran supports Hezbollah but stressed that the issue of disarming the organization is an internal Lebanese matter that should be regulated between the Lebanese government and the various forces in the country.
• Iran condemned the Israeli attacks on the Dahiyeh in Beirut and the Israeli attacks in Syria and called for international intervention to stop them.
• The Houthis claimed responsibility for three attacks using ballistic missiles and drones against Ben Gurion Airport. The IDF Spokesperson reported two cases of intercepting a ballistic missile launched from Yemen and the interception of a drone. The Israeli Navy carried out its first attack against the port of al-Hudaydah.
• It was reported that the Houthis are planning to attack Israel with new weapons, including missiles with “cluster warheads.”
• The commander of the US Central Command said that IRGC operatives are still in Yemen and are helping the Houthis assemble weapons. Sources reported that the Houthis are also being assisted by China for their weapons buildup.
• The leader of a pro-Iranian Iraqi militia condemned the “silence of the world” in the face of “the crimes of Israel and the United States” and threatened that “patience has run out.”

Iran and the militias amid developments in the Palestinian arena

Iran

• Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued a statement on the occasion of the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj), in which he stressed that Islamic governments must cooperate on the “great catastrophe of Gaza,” protect “the most oppressed human group in the world today,” block all avenues of aid to the “Zionist regime,” and prevent it from continuing its “cruel behavior” in the Gaza Strip. He noted that the “criminal Zionist gang that controls Palestine” has brought the disaster in the Gaza Strip to an unimaginable point with shocking cruelty and unprecedented wickedness. Khamenei accused the US of full complicity in the “crimes of the Zionist regime” and urged its regional partners and the broader Muslim world to pressure it to end its “cruel behavior.” He also wrote that the “amazing resistance” of the residents of the Gaza Strip had placed the issue of “Palestine” at the forefront of the Islamic world’s attention and had increased public hatred of the “Zionists” and their supporters, saying this opportunity must be seized to help the oppressed Palestinian people (Iranian Supreme Leader’s website, June 5, 2025).
• In a round of telephone conversations held by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the occasion of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, he raised the Palestinian issue and Israel’s continued activity in the Gaza Strip. In his talks with the Turkish president, the Egyptian president, the emir of Qatar, the prime minister of Iraq, the president of Tunisia, and the emir of Kuwait, the Iranian president called for Muslim unity around the Palestinian issue and for the Muslim world to mobilize to stop the “crimes of the Zionist regime” in the Gaza Strip (Iranian president’s website, June 4, 2025). The developments in the Gaza Strip were also discussed in a telephone conversation between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty (Iranian Foreign Ministry website, June 7, 2025).

• Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei strongly condemned the American veto of a Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. He noted that this step is a continuation of the United States’ complicity in the “crimes of the Zionist regime,” a clear expression of its contempt for the desire of the international community and the peoples of the region to end the “crimes of Israel” and evidence of the moral low of American decision-makers. He stressed the responsibility of all governments and international organizations to deal with the “war crimes and genocide of the Zionist regime” and called on countries, especially the countries of the region and the Muslim world, to use all means at their disposal to force the “Zionist regime” and its supporters to end the “massacre” in the Gaza Strip and to deal with Israel’s growing threat to peace and security in the region and the world (Iranian Foreign Ministry website, June 5, 2025).
• At his weekly press conference, Baghaei referred to the IDF’s takeover of the ship Madleen, which was en route to Gaza with 12 foreign nationals, calling it “a form of maritime piracy” intended to prevent aid to the people of the Gaza Strip. He expressed regret that international organizations, including the UN Security Council, are not fulfilling their responsibilities and are not acting immediately to “break the siege on Gaza and prevent the continued killing of innocents” (Fars, June 9, 2025).
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met in Tehran with the deputy secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Jamil Mazhar, who arrived in Iran at the head of a delegation of members of the organization’s political bureau. Araghchi praised the “resistance and steadfastness” of the Palestinian people in the face of “the crimes of the Zionist regime” and said that Iran views the PFLP as one of the oldest groups of the “resistance against the Zionist regime” in the Palestinian arena and holds it in high regard. He emphasized Iran’s principled and firm position in supporting the Palestinian people and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. He added that Iran would continue its support for the Palestinian people and the “resistance,” especially in the political-diplomatic arena, in the legal arena, and in regional and international forums. He also stressed the need for unity among the Palestinian factions, noting that developments since October 7, 2023, have strengthened the importance of the Palestinian cause in the regional, Islamic, and global arenas. Jamil Mazhar thanked Iran for its support for the Palestinians and their struggle against Israel and reviewed the situation in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem (Iranian Foreign Ministry website, June 9, 2025). During his visit to Tehran, Mazhar also met with IRGC commander Hossein Salami, who told him that this is the ideal time for “Palestine” to bring its full capabilities to the battlefield because it is the best opportunity to strike at the “Zionist regime” (Tabnak, June 9, 2025). Mazhar also met with the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali-Akbar Ahmadian, who said that “the Zionist regime is committing the greatest crime against humanity” and that its leaders must be held accountable for their “criminal acts” before the free peoples of the world (Nur News, June 10, 2025).

The Houthis

• Senior Houthi leaders used their Eid al-Adha speeches to express their support for the Palestinians and to condemn Israel and the United States for the continued “crimes” in the Gaza Strip:
  • Abd al-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi movement, praised the Islamic nation, and in particular the “oppressed” Palestinian people, which he claimed are subjected to “Israeli genocide.” He added that these “crimes” are perpetrated in cooperation with the United States and are met with shameful Arab and Islamic inaction (Al-Masirah Telegram channel, June 5, 2025).
  • Mahdi al-Mashat, chairman of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, warned that Israel’s ambitions are not only aimed at “Palestine,” Lebanon, Iran, or Yemen but at the entire Muslim nation. As “evidence” of his claim, he presented “the approval of a bill allowing settlers to take over West Bank land by the Israeli Knesset, the declaration of the enemy on strengthening settlements on the eastern border with Jordan, the establishment of three new settlements in the Jordan Valley with 10,000 housing units, and the construction of demilitarized settlement outposts in Syria.” According to al-Mashat, dealing with these “plots” is not the responsibility of one side alone, but a religious, national, and moral obligation that falls on everyone. In addition, al-Mashat said that the American position “supporting the genocide perpetrated by the Zionist enemy” in the Gaza Strip is a disgrace that exposes the American crime to the world. He also said that “the cruel murders committed by the enemy Zionist entity, thirsting for the blood of children and women in Gaza, would not have taken place and would not have continued without the unprecedented political and military support of the United States” (Saba, June 5, 2025).
• The Houthis’ political bureau condemned the veto imposed by the United States in the UN Security Council on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The political bureau said in a statement that “the shameful American position in light of the global consensus against the continuation of the crime of the century in Gaza constitutes additional direct support for the criminal entity” (X account of the media arm of the Houthi forces, June 5, 2025).
• Senior Houthi officials condemned Israel after the Israeli Navy prevented the ship Madleen from reaching the Gaza Strip:
  • Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, said that “the arrest of activists and a European representative confirms the ugliness of the occupation and its criminal persistence in the war of destruction of Gaza and its aggression against all those who reject the terror and crimes of the entity in Gaza.” He expressed solidarity with “these free people” and expressed support for their position in favor of lifting the “siege” and stopping the “aggression” (Mohammed Ali al-Houthi’s X account, June 9, 2025).
  • Muhammad al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, added that Israel’s “attack” on the ship Madleen confirms that it and its allies, the United States and Britain, are attacking international freedom of navigation and that the naval blockade imposed by Yemen is legitimate because its purpose is to protect international freedom of navigation (Muhammad al-Bukhaiti’s X account, June 9, 2025).
• Muhammad al-Ghamari, the Houthi chief of staff, sent a letter to the commanders and fighters of Hamas’ military wing, expressing appreciation for their “steadfast stand” and praising their work. He stressed that the Houthis would continue the campaign until “the land returns to its people” (Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades Telegram channel, June 9, 2025).

The militias in Iraq

• Akram al-Kaabi, secretary-general of the Nujaba Movement, expressed protest against “the silence of world leaders in the face of crimes in the world led by the United States and Israel.” He accused that “children’s blood” flows with “blatant” American and Western support while the world ignores it. He added that the “criminal entity” imposes a “complete siege to starve civilians and deny them the most basic medical services to destroy them and occupy their lands.” Considering this, al-Kaabi emphasized that “patience has run out” (Akram al-Kaabi’s X account, June 7, 2025). It should be recalled that the Islamic Resistance militias in Iraq, including the Nujaba Movement, stopped their attacks against Israel at the end of November 2024.

Iran’s involvement in Lebanon

• During his visit to Beirut, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi met with Hezbollah secretary-general Naim Qassem and discussed the situation in the region. At the meeting, which was also attended by Iranian Ambassador to Beirut Mojtaba Amani, Araghchi stressed the importance of bilateral relations between Iran and Lebanon and its desire to help Lebanon and stand by it based on mutual respect and strengthening cooperation. Qassem thanked Iran and its senior officials for their support for the Lebanese people and the “resistance” in Lebanon and stressed Tehran’s positive role in the region and its support for the Palestinian people and the “resistance” (ISNA, June 4, 2025).
• In an interview with Hezbollah’s Al-Manar network, Araghchi said that Tehran supports Hezbollah, but stressed that Iran respects the organization’s independence and its national decisions. He noted that the weapons of the “resistance” are an internal Lebanese matter that must be arranged within an internal Lebanese political framework between the government and the various forces. He also said that the purpose of his visit to Beirut is to strengthen ties with the new Lebanese government, as part of the Iranian government’s foreign policy, which focuses on strengthening regional cooperation and a policy of good neighborliness. He noted that his meetings with senior government officials in Beirut were constructive and led to understandings regarding the expansion of economic and political cooperation while emphasizing respect for sovereignty and avoiding mutual interference. Referring to the ban on direct flights between Tehran and Beirut, Araghchi said that there is a willingness on the Lebanese side to find a solution and that Iran is ready to remove any technical or operational obstacle. He added that Iran had expressed its willingness to participate in infrastructure reconstruction projects in Lebanon through Iranian companies and that cooperation would be carried out only within an official governmental framework and according to priorities set by the Lebanese government (Al-Manar, June 4, 2025).

• Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei strongly condemned Israel’s attacks on the Dahiyeh in Beirut on June 5, 2025. He noted that the countries guaranteeing the ceasefire in Lebanon, led by the United States and France, bear direct responsibility for Israel’s repeated attacks on Lebanon, stressing that the “Zionist regime” could not have continued to violate the law and the principles of the UN Charter without a “green light” and support from the United States. He added that the continuation of Israeli attacks in the region emphasizes more than ever that the only way to ensure the national independence and sovereignty of regional countries is through strengthening defensive capabilities and “dignified resistance against the Zionist regime” (Iranian Foreign Ministry website, June 6, 2025).
• The Iranian Mehr News Agency called for escalating the response in light of the continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon. In a commentary article published by the news agency following Israel’s attack in Beirut, it was written that the attack crossed red lines and constituted a “blatant violation” of international law and Lebanese sovereignty. Furthermore, it reflects an attempt by Israel not only to prevent or delay the process of rebuilding Hezbollah’s military power but also to undermine the political space in Lebanon and present the organization as vulnerable in the eyes of other Lebanese parties. According to the news agency, the experience of the IDF’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 and “Hezbollah’s victory in the Second Lebanon War” prove that only through armed “resistance” can the “Zionist regime” be defeated. At the same time, the Lebanese government must be convinced that the continuation of the current situation does not constitute a threat only to the “resistance,” but also to Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The article also stated: “Resistance to the Zionist regime is not just a choice but a religious and human duty to preserve the dignity and independence of the Islamic nation.” In conclusion, it was emphasized that Lebanon, which has been repeatedly harmed by Israel’s “aggression,” has the right to defend itself through “popular resistance” and efforts in the legal and political arena while strengthening regional unity and using diplomatic tools (Mehr, June 9, 2025).

Iran amid developments in Syria

• Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei condemned the Israeli attacks in Syria, calling them a “grave violation” of the principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms of international law. He added that the attacks were a clear expression of “aggression” against Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and were intended to destroy and weaken the country. He stressed the need for action by the international community to put an end to Israel’s “occupation” of large parts of Syria and blamed Israel’s supporters and arms suppliers in the West, especially the United States, for the increased instability in the region and the violation of international peace and security (ISNA, June 7, 2025).
• The Iranian Foreign Minister’s Special Representative for West Asian Affairs, Mohammad-Reza Raouf Sheibani, referred to the situation in Syria in a speech at a conference on geopolitical changes and European strategies in West Asia. He noted that the situation in Syria is still fragile, both politically and security-wise, and that the country has not yet reached a stage of lasting stability due to several reasons, including the intervention of foreign actors with conflicting interests, internal division between Syrian and non-Syrian armed groups, growing demands from ethnic minorities, and military operations by Israel in Syrian territory. He added that Syria is currently facing two main challenges, in the economic and security spheres, and criticized Western policy, which, he said, has led to the weakening of the central government, the strengthening of armed groups, the occupation of large parts of Syrian territory, and the establishment of a weak regime dependent on foreign aid. However, he stressed that despite the gaps between Iran and the West, the two sides share several common concerns regarding the future of Syria, such as the violation of the rights of minorities, the renewal of the activity of terrorist organizations, migration from Syria, and competition between regional actors, which could provide a basis for limited cooperation between Iran and Europe in certain areas, such as intelligent removal of sanctions and fighting terrorism (IRNA, June 10, 2025).

The Houthis in Yemen

The direct confrontation between the Houthis and Israel

• In the past week, the Houthis’ military spokesman, Yahya Saria, claimed responsibility for three attacks using three ballistic missiles and two drones, all against Ben Gurion Airport. According to Saria, the attacks achieved their goal, and the missile launches caused millions of “occupying Zionists” to “flee” to shelters, and air traffic at the airport was stopped (Yahya Saria’s X account and Telegram channel, June 4-11, 2025). The IDF Spokesperson reported two incidents of intercepting a ballistic missile launched from Yemen and the interception of a drone launched from the east. There were no casualties, and no damage was caused (IDF Spokesperson, June 4-11, 2025).
• On June 10, 2025, Israeli Navy missile boats attacked critical infrastructure at the al-Hudaydah port docks. The IDF noted that the Navy’s first attack against Houthi targets was intended to deepen the damage to the military use of the port, which has been attacked by the IDF in the past year and continues to serve terrorist operations and the transfer of combat equipment while exploiting civilian infrastructure. The IDF emphasized that the attack was carried out after many advance warnings to minimize possible harm to the civilian population (IDF Spokesperson, June 10, 2025).

   
Right: The IDF Spokesperson’s advance warning in Arabic against an attack on the ports of Al-Hudaydah, Ras Issa, and Al-Salif (Avichay Adraee’s X account, June 9, 2025). Left: The attack on the port of Al-Hudaydah (Muhammad al-Masuri’s X account, June 10, 2025)

• Against the backdrop of Israeli attacks and continued launches into Israel, senior Houthi officials made it clear that they have no intention of ending their “support” for the Gaza Strip. They stated that they would continue to act against Israel until the “aggression” ended and the “siege” was lifted, and that they are also preparing to escalate their attacks:
  • Nasreddin Amer, deputy chairman of the Houthis’ Media Authority, reported that the “enemy’s aggression” was carried out using two missiles launched toward the port of al-Hudaydah. According to him, the attack on the port by naval forces rather than by aircraft as in previous attacks is a result of the threat published by the chairman of the movement’s Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, on May 31, 2025, according to which the Yemeni air defense system “will confront the enemy’s aircraft and turn them into objects of ridicule.” Amer also emphasized that “this Zionist aggression does not affect our operations to support the Gaza Strip and our preparations for escalation and expanding operations in the depth of the entity and will not remove the siege on Israel.” He added that the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are not alone and that “escalation and expansion of operations are on their way” (Nasreddin Amer’s Telegram channel, June 10, 2025).
  • Mahdi al-Mashat, the chairman of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, said following the attack that the Houthis’ response to the “Zionist aggression” against their country would be on different levels and that their attacks would be “calculated, effective, and vital.” He added that “for the security of embassies close to our forces’ targets in Jaffa, we must require the enemy government to distance them.” He threatened that if the “enemy government” does not respond to this request, they recommend that embassies leave so that “the enemy does not expose them to danger.” Al-Mashat said that foreign ministries of foreign embassies in Israel can communicate with the Houthis’ Foreign Ministry in Sana’a to ensure that “their environment is clean of any target” (Saba News Agency, June 10, 2025). Earlier, in a speech he gave marking Eid al-Adha, al-Mashat said that Houthi forces would continue their operations against Israel, including imposing a no-fly zone in Israeli territory and a ban on docking at Haifa port, as well as a ban on Israeli maritime and air navigation until “the end of aggression and removal of the siege from our brothers in Gaza” (Saba, June 5, 2025).
  • Hezam al-Asad, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, published several messages in Hebrew during the past week. They read as follows: “We renew the warning to airline companies not to operate at the occupied Lod airport (called ‘Ben Gurion’), and place full responsibility on them for any risk that may arise from ignoring this warning”; “Neutralizing the Zionist air force and its response by launching two failed missiles toward Yemen — constitute evidence of the opening of a new phase of Yemeni deterrence and enemy destruction.”; “Leave now… before you have neither an airport nor a seaport to leave from.”; “The rage within the occupation entity towards Netanyahu is growing, with growing calls to attack his son’s wedding in the Sharon coast area on Monday, due to his ignoring the fate of prisoners and hostages in resistance tunnels and to his continued massacre of children and women in Gaza. Such a criminal deserves only a deterrent punishment” (Hezam al-Asad’s X account, June 4-11, 2025).
• A “Houthi military source” said that the Houthi forces plan to introduce new weapons, including missiles with “cluster” warheads, as well as long-range drones with better maneuverability and large warheads. He added that “the military equation to which Yemen is committed in the depths of the entity will double Israel’s military losses.” According to him, Israel is facing a “heavy military war of attrition,” especially since the Houthis’ missiles require the use of expensive Arrow interceptor missiles (Al-Akhbar, June 5, 2025). In an article about “the new Houthi missiles with cluster warheads,” an “official Houthi source” claimed that if they tried to intercept these missiles, they would become “more lethal and cause explosions throughout the entity” (Press TV, June 3, 2025).

The Houthis’ weapons buildup efforts

• “Western officials and diplomats” said that Chinese influence in the conflict in Yemen has been increasing in recent times, both directly and indirectly. The “sources” claimed that this is reflected in the capabilities and weapons of the Houthis in their confrontation against the Western-backed Yemeni government, as well as in the confrontation they waged against the United States, in which they used Chinese-made technologies and weapons. According to “Yemeni army sources,” the forces loyal to the Western-backed Yemeni government have seized arms shipments destined for the Houthis, some of which contained equipment originating in China (Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, June 8, 2025).

Iranian involvement with the Houthis

• IRGC commander Hossein Salami congratulated the Ansarallah movement (the Houthis) and the Yemeni people for standing by the Palestinian people. He said that the movement had shown extraordinary Islamic courage and willingness in defending “Palestine” and that the Yemenis had not left the Palestinian people alone on the battlefield and had stood by them with determination in their time of distress (Al-Masirah Network, June 4, 2025).
• Michael Kurilla, commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), told the Senate Armed Services Committee that there are still IRGC operatives in Yemen who are helping the Houthis assemble Iranian-made weapons. He stressed that action must be taken to stop the flow of Iranian weapons to Yemen (Al-Monitor, June 10, 2025).

“Houthi spy for Israel” arrested in Lebanon

• The Lebanese authorities reportedly arrested a “senior Houthi official” who was allegedly recruited by the Mossad and provided Israel with important information related to Yemen and coordination between the Houthis and Hezbollah. According to the report, the “source” is a Yemeni citizen whose job was to coordinate between the Houthi movement and Hezbollah (Lebanon 24, June 10, 2025). An “official source in the Houthi Foreign Ministry” denied the report and claimed that “there is no presence of Houthi leaders in Lebanon.” He noted that these claims were part of an attempt to “mislead the media and distort the firm positions of Houthi Yemen on state-related matters, especially the Palestinian issue.” “Additional sources” stated that the detainee does not belong to any organization, particularly not the Houthi movement (Lebanon’s unews News Agency, June 10, 2025).

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

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