Spotlight on Iran

Highlights^[1]

• Senior Iranian regime officials condemned Israel for the escalation of attacks in the Gaza Strip. Iran’s Supreme Leader called Israel “a dangerous and deadly cancerous tumor that must be uprooted.” The Iranian foreign minister met with a Hamas delegation and condemned the international community’s impotence in the face of Israel’s actions.
• Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon met with the commander of the Lebanese army and discussed developments in the country.
• The commander of the Qods Force visited Iraq and met with Iraq’s national security advisor and senior members of the pro-Iranian Shiite militias.
• The Houthis claimed responsibility for four attacks on Ben Gurion Airport using ballistic missiles and drones. The IDF Spokesperson reported two cases of intercepting a ballistic missile and another interception of a drone. In response, the IDF attacked two Houthi seaports. The Houthis, in response, threatened to continue the attacks and also announced the imposition of a “siege” on the Israeli port of Haifa.

Iran amid developments in the Palestinian arena

• Senior Iranian figures condemned Israel’s increasing attacks in the Gaza Strip, accusing it of committing “horrific crimes.” They also reiterated their support for the Palestinian “resistance.” The following were prominent statements:
  • Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a meeting with members of the National Congress of Medical Volunteer Martyrs that “the crimes and barbarism of the Zionist regime” in the Gaza Strip and the support provided to it by the West are the opposite of the spirit of sacrifice and humanity of the Iranian people. Khamenei noted that standing up to this bloodshed is a worldwide obligation. He added that the cruelty of the “Zionists,” which is expressed in “attacking ambulances, bombing hospitals, and murdering the sick and defenseless children,” is contrary to the spirit of volunteering and assistance. He noted that the Islamic Republic considers it its duty to stand “in the face of this savagery and bloodshed,” and that this sense of duty ignites the light of hope in hearts (Tasnim, May 14, 2025).

• • In a meeting with teachers, Khamenei strongly criticized American assistance to Israel, saying that President Trump, senior officials, and American administrations used their power to supply 10-ton bombs to the “Zionist regime” to drop on the heads of Gaza’s children, hospitals, and civilians. He stressed that the “Zionist regime” is the epicenter of corruption, wars, and division in the region and a “dangerous and deadly cancerous tumor” that must be and would be uprooted (Iranian Supreme Leader’s website, May 17, 2025).
  • Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech at the Tehran Dialogue Forum that at the top of the painful events of the past year are the “acts of aggression and crimes of the Zionist regime” in the Gaza Strip, which, he said, constitute a clear and unprecedented example of “genocide.” He expressed regret that the world failed to respond appropriately and responsibly to “these crimes.” According to him, the crisis in the Gaza Strip has proven that beyond the impotence of the international system, the fate of the region cannot and should not depend on the decisions and interests of external parties. He stressed that there can be no peace and security in the region without a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, which is the most important and immediate issue on the region’s agenda. He added that Iran’s solution to the issue is to hold a referendum with the participation of all the original residents of “Palestine” to determine its fate (Iranian Foreign Ministry website, May 18, 2025).

• • Foreign Minister Araghchi met on the sidelines of the Dialogue Forum in Tehran with a delegation of senior Hamas figures headed by members of the movement’s political bureau, Bassem Naim and Osama Hamdan (Iranian Foreign Ministry website, May 19, 2025). It was reported that during the meeting, the Iranian foreign minister stressed Iran’s continued support for the “resistance” and the Palestinian people against the “crimes of the Zionist entity.” Bassem Naim emphasized the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and “the Zionist entity’s use of food as a weapon.” According to him, the “resistance” will not stop until the interests of the Palestinian people are achieved, and its only objective in any negotiations is the complete cessation of the war, the withdrawal of the “occupation” from the Gaza Strip, and the lifting of the “siege” (IRNA, May 19, 2025).

• • Iran’s representative to the UN, Amir-Saeed Iravani, addressed Israel’s continued attacks in the Gaza Strip in a speech at the UN General Assembly. He noted that “the evidence of the horrific crimes of the Zionist regime is undeniable” and that the international community and the competent legal institutions are well aware of “the extent of this barbarism.” He added that Israel and its supporters bear the main responsibility for the disaster and instability in the region and stressed the Palestinian people’s right to self-defense and to return to their land (ISNA, May 15, 2025).
  • Gholam-Reza Soleimani, the Basij commander, said at the opening ceremony of the “18th International Resistance Film Festival” that the Palestinian people are the standard-bearers of the struggle and steadfastness, after having suffered since 1917 (“the Balfour Declaration”) dozens of massacres throughout history, the greatest of which occurred after “Al-Aqsa Flood.” He noted that the “resistance” in the Islamic Republic and in “Palestine” is the result of a bitter historical experience. Soleimani added that Muslims are not only partners in the suffering of the Palestinian people but also bear religious responsibility to support them. He added that the “resistance” plays a vital role in defending the rights of the Palestinian people and that “resistance cinema” plays a central role in exposing the truth and establishing global unity against the “Zionist regime” (snn.ir, May 17, 2025).

Iran’s involvement in Lebanon

• Lebanese Army Commander Rodolphe Haikal met in his office with the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, and discussed with him the general developments in Lebanon and the region (MTV Lebanon, May 15, 2025).

Iran’s involvement in Iraq

• Qods Force commander Esmail Qaani met in Baghdad with Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassem al-Araji. The two discussed the relations between the two countries, joint efforts to ensure border security, and the implementation of the security agreement between Iran and Iraq (Fars, May 14, 2025).
• Qaani also met with senior figures in the “Coordination Framework” of the pro-Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq, including Nouri al-Maliki and Hadi al-Ameri, and discussed with them the preparations for the Arab summit in Baghdad (May 17, 2025) and the need to formulate an Arab position that would support Iran in the nuclear negotiations with the United States and prevent a regional war. Qaani reportedly asked Iraq to act vis-à-vis Syria to maintain regional stability and exert political pressure on Turkey to withdraw from northern Iraq. He also stressed the importance of lifting the sanctions on Syria, which would allow the flow of funds to the Syrian regime, and expressed hope for Iraqi mediation to help repay Syrian debts to Iran. It was also reported that Iran is interested in enlisting Arab support for its positions and deepening its economic, security, and political partnership with Iraq, as part of an Iranian effort to present a clear message to Washington regarding the importance of the Iranian-Iraqi partnership (Shafaq, May 15, 2025).

• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met in Tehran with the president of the Kurdish region in northern Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani, and discussed with him the strengthening of cooperation between Tehran and Erbil, especially in the fields of economy and trade, and regional developments. The president of the Kurdish region arrived in Tehran at the invitation of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to participate in the international conference of the Tehran Dialogue Forum (Kurd Press, May 18, 2025).

• Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein also arrived in Tehran to participate in the Tehran Dialogue Forum. He met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Araghchi and discussed cooperation between the countries and developments in the region (ISNA, May 19, 2025).

The Houthis in Yemen

The direct confrontation with Israel

• In the past week, the Houthis’ military spokesman, Yahya Saria, claimed responsibility for four attacks on Ben Gurion Airport. According to Saria, three of the attacks were carried out using three ballistic missiles, and another attack was carried out using a drone. He claimed that the missile attacks achieved their objectives and caused millions of “occupying Zionists” to flee to bomb shelters, while the airport’s operations were halted for about an hour. He emphasized that military operations, including the air “blockade” and the ban on sailing in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, would continue until the end of the “aggression” in the Gaza Strip and the lifting of the “blockade” (Yahya Saria’s X account and Telegram channel, May 14-21, 2025). The IDF Spokesperson announced two cases of intercepting a single missile launched from Yemen and intercepting a drone launched from the east. There were no casualties, and no damage was reported (IDF Spokesperson, May 14–21, 2025).
• Similar to the IDF Spokesperson’s announcement in Arabic before the attacks in Yemen, the Houthis issued an “evacuation warning” to Ben Gurion Airport for the first time. The statement said that “over the next few hours, we will carry out military operations directed at Ben Gurion Airport and other Zionist airports.” The statement also noted that the airlines still operating at Ben Gurion Airport are responsible for evacuating immediately, and that all foreigners must leave out of a desire to ensure their safety (Nasreddin Amer’s Telegram channel, May 18, 2025).

• On May 19, 2025, the spokesman for the Houthi forces, Yahya Saria, announced that they would begin enforcing a naval blockade on the port of Haifa in response to “the escalation of the brutal aggression of the Israeli enemy against our brothers in the Gaza Strip, and the perpetration of dozens of massacres on a daily basis that claim the lives of hundreds.” According to Saria, any company that owns a ship that is in the port of Haifa or on its way to the port must know that the place has entered the Houthis’ target bank. He further said that the Houthis had already succeeded in implementing a siege on the port of Eilat and preventing traffic there (Yahya Saria’s Telegram channel, May 19, 2025). According to “sources close to the government in Sana’a,” the ban on entry to the port of Haifa brings the “unity of the arenas” back to the forefront, since it is a continuation of attacks by Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq last year. They recalled that the Houthis had already carried out joint attacks with the Iraqi resistance against the port during the “first round of the support war” (Al-Akhbar, May 21, 2025).

     
Right: Poster threatening to attack Haifa Port, Eilat Port, and Ben Gurion Airport (Hezam al-Asad’s X account, May 20, 2025). Left: Poster threatening to attack the port of Haifa (X account of the Houthi media arm, May 19, 2025)

• In response to the continued attacks, the IDF carried out an airstrike against the seaports of Al-Hudaydah and Al-Salif. The IDF Spokesperson said that terrorist infrastructure belonging to the Houthi regime had been attacked, and that the ports are used to transport weapons and promote terrorism. He said the attack had been carried out after many advance warnings from the IDF to minimize harm to the civilian population (IDF Spokesperson, May 16, 2025).
• According to the Houthi Ministry of Health, one person was killed, and 11 others were wounded in the “Israeli aggression” against the port of Al-Hudaydah. There were no reports of casualties in the attack in Al-Salif. Footage from the port of Al-Hudaydah shows damage to installations and buildings (Al-Masirah, May 17, 2025).

      
Right: Aerial photograph of infrastructure attacked in the port of Al-Hudaydah (IDF Spokesperson, May 16, 2025). Left: Damage caused by the Israeli attack on the port of Al-Hudaydah (Al-Hadath X account, May 17, 2025)

• On May 15, 2025, the Houthi Minister of Transportation, Mohammed Ayash Qahim, announced that a plane had landed at Sana’a Airport for the first time since the Israeli attack that shut down the airport on May 6, 2025. He said that the plane belonged to the World Food Program and that flights to the airport would be resumed with five UN flights (Mohammed Ayash Qahim’s X account, May 15, 2025).
• Senior Houthi regime officials condemned the Israeli attack on Yemen’s seaports. They made it clear that they would continue to act against Israel in support of the Palestinians and the Gaza Strip and that they would continue to impose an “air blockade.” The following are prominent statements:
  • The leader of the Houthi movement, Abd al-Malik al-Houthi, said in his weekly speech that the “crimes of the enemy” undermine all ideas and calls for surrender and coexistence between Arabs and “Zionists,” that normalization is “a great betrayal of this nation,” and that there is no excuse for all regimes and peoples that do not support and back the Palestinian people. He emphasized that Israeli shipping and vessel movement in the Red Sea through Bab al-Mandab, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea is prohibited for “the Israeli enemy,” which “continues to pursue extermination through starvation” (Al-Masirah Telegram channel, May 15, 2025).
  • In response to the Israeli attack, the Yemeni Foreign Ministry reported that “the continued aggression of the Zionist entity is evidence of its complete failure to achieve its goals in Yemen and will be met with a painful response.” It was further stated that the “Zionist aggression” is a “blatant violation” of Yemen’s sovereignty, the UN Charter, and all international norms, conventions, and laws. The ministry condemned the silence of the international community and called for adopting “a strong Arab position to support the Palestinians” (Al-Masirah, May 16, 2025).
  • The deputy chairman of the Houthi media authority, Nasreddin Amer, threatened that they would confront any “aggression” that tries to stop their support for Gaza. According to him, by attacking, Israel confirms that it is weak and that Washington has abandoned it. He emphasized that they are working to increase the escalation as long as “the aggression continues against our people in Gaza” and added that Israel’s threats are “worthless because the enemy is not capable of carrying them out” (Al-Jazeera, May 16, 2025).
  • Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a Houthi political bureau member, said that “crimes are not foreign to Zionists; what is foreign to them is peace.” He criticized Arab countries that do not consider using the weapons they possess, nor doing “something small like breaking diplomatic relations with the entity.” He added that what prevents Arab peoples from expressing themselves is the fear that their relations with the US and Israel will be compromised, but this does not exempt them from the fact that there are different ways in which they can act, such as an economic boycott. When asked what weapon, if the Houthis were attacked with it, would make them withdraw from their support for Gaza, he replied: “We do not fear anyone, there is nothing that would make us abandon our support for Gaza — only if Allah decides to harm us” (Al-Masirah, May 18, 2025).
  • Hezam al-Asad, the movement’s political bureau member, published a message in Hebrew stating that “as long as the attack and siege on Gaza continue — you will have no rest and will not find peace, and death will chase you to your shelters.” In another message in Hebrew that he published, he wrote, “The port of Eilat, Haifa, and Ben Gurion Airport have become legitimate targets — the countdown has begun” (Hezam al-Asad’s X account, May 18-20, 2025).
• The Houthis also received support from Iran and their counterparts in the “axis of resistance” amid their continued attacks against Israel:
  • Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei strongly condemned the IDF airstrikes on the ports of Al-Hudaydah, Ras Issa, and Al-Salif in Yemen, describing the action as a flagrant violation of international law and a “war crime.” He noted that hitting vital infrastructure is a “cruel action” designed to exacerbate the suffering of Yemeni citizens. Baghaei criticized the silence of the UN Security Council and the support of the US, Britain, and other Western governments for “the crimes of the Zionist regime.” He called for unity and a resolute response from the Muslim world in the face of “the aggressive and destabilizing actions of the Zionist regime” (Iranian Foreign Ministry website, May 17, 2025).
  • Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said that Yemen is a role model for the “axis of resistance” and that the Yemeni people have proven they are the bravest people, and the US was defeated in the face of their courage. He added that the Yemeni people do not fear the US, believe in Allah and trust Him, and that the Americans are incapable of understanding this. Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib said that Yemenis today stand at the forefront of support for “Palestine,” and that the power of the Yemeni people and their courage are a source of pride for the “resistance.” He added that Yemenis fight like lions and stand against enemies without any fear (Al-Masirah, May 18, 2025).
  • Osama Hamdan, the Hamas senior official in Lebanon, thanked the Houthi leadership in Yemen for their activities for “Palestine.” He noted that Yemen taught two lessons — support for the “resistance” and steadfast standing against “American aggression and forcing it to retreat.” He added that the connection between Ansar Allah (the Houthis) and the “resistance in Palestine” has become one of the strongest connections and that they will continue it until “victory” (Al-Masirah, May 18, 2025)

Ceasefire between the US and the Houthis

• An “American official” said that the United States and the Houthis are committed to stopping the mutual attacks, despite the Houthis’ continued attacks against Israel. He also noted that the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman is on its way to leave the Middle East, and there are no plans to replace it. However, he stressed that they would maintain additional military reinforcements in the region and would continue to monitor developments between Israel, the Houthis, and Iran (Al-Jazeera, May 16, 2025).

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

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