Spotlight on Iran

Overview

• On March 7, two officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were killed in a strike attributed to Israel near Damascus. In a statement issued by the IRGC, the organization threatened to avenge the death of the two officers. During the burial ceremony of the two men, the commander of the IRGC, and the commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, were uncharacteristically in attendance.
• On the night between March 12 and March 13, Iran launched at least ten rockets toward the city of Erbil in northern Iraq. The IRGC claimed responsibility for striking “a Zionist base” in the Kurdistan region. The Lebanese al-Mayadeen channel, affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that the attack targeted an Israeli intelligence base from which in mid-February, Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were launched to carry out an attack on a military base in Kermanshah in western Iran. The spokesman of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed the attack on Erbil, stating that Iran warned the Iraqi government on multiple occasions to not allow foreign actors use its territory to harm Iran, and that the “Zionist regime” previously used the territory of Iraq to destabilize Iran’s security.
• Iranian economic activity in the region: the Syrian ambassador to Iran met with senior officials from the Joint Iranian-Syrian Chamber of Commerce and discuss with them expanding the role of private Iranian firms in the reconstruction process of his country; Iranian representatives launched negotiations with representatives of the Taliban in Afghanistan regarding resuming the project to lay a railway connecting northeastern Iran to northwestern Afghanistan; and Iranian companies that manufacture military systems took part in the International Security Fair recently opened in Baghdad.

The Iranian Attack on an Alleged Israeli Target in Iraq

•  At least 10 missiles were fired on the night between March 12 and 13 from northwestern Iran toward Erbil in northern Iraq, exploding near the building under construction intended for the American consulate in the city. The governor of Erbil province reported that two people were wounded in the strike (Rudaw, March 13). Iranian television reported (March 13) that the attack targeted “secret Israeli bases.” The news outlet Sabreen News, run by pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, reported that according to a security source (March 13) the missile attack was aimed to hit targets of the Mossad in retaliation to strikes that Israel carried out against Iran originating from the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. The outlet assessed that the attack was not carried in retaliation to the killing of two IRGC officers, who were slain in the Israeli Air Force strike in Syria, and that “the resistance” reserves the right to retaliate to Israeli strikes at the appropriate time and place. The Lebanese TV channel al-Mayadeen reported (March 13) that on February 14, six Israeli drones took off from the Israeli intelligence base that was hit in Erbil, and proceeded to carry out airstrikes on a military base in Kermanshah in western Iran, causing casualties.

• The IRGC claimed responsibility for the attack on “the Zionist base” in northern Iraq. The statement of the organization asserted that the attack using precision-guided missiles came in retaliation for the “crimes of the Zionists in recent weeks.” The IRGC warned Israel against carrying out any further action, which will lead to a harsh response from Iran. The statement also proclaimed that Iran’s armed forces consider the stability and security of the country to be a “red line” (Fars, March 13).
• Addressing the missile strike on Erbil, the Commander of the IRGC’s Qods Force, Esmail Qa’ani, declared that the strike against the base of “the Zionist entity” in Erbil was decisive. On March 15, during a conference of IRGC commanders, Qa’ani claimed that Israel has become enfeebled to such an extent, that in Israel, people are sleeping in fear of waking up and discovering that they have lost some of their occupied lands. The commander of the Qods Force also addressed the penetration of a UAV operated by Hezbollah into Israeli airspace, mocking the capabilities of the anti-missile system Iron Dome, stating that the UAV manufactured by Hezbollah was able to overcome the system, penetrate Israel and return to its base (Tasnim, March 15).
• The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the strike, without mentioning the perpetrator. The statement read that the strike is a grave violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, terrorized its citizens, and destabilized Iraq during a highly important period [of government formation] (Telegram channel of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March 13). Additionally, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs demarched the Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi (ISNA, March 13). On March 14, the Spokesman of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saeed Khatibzadeh, addressed the strike on Erbil, stating that Iran warned the government of Iraq on multiple occasions not to allow foreign actors to use its soil to harm Iran. He stressed that it is unacceptable that a country with which Iran maintains deep ties will become a source of threat for it, and that Iran expects Iraq to put an end to this, once and for all. He added that “the Zionist regime” created insecurity in Iran from Iraqi soil on numerous occasions (IRNA, March 14).
• Addressing the strike on Erbil, the Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi, insisted that Iran respects Iraq’s sovereignty and that the strike toward Erbil was not aimed at Iraq’s sovereignty, but against the Zionists and their spy headquarters. He remarked that a base was established for the Israelis in Kurdistan, from which they operated against the security of the Islamic Republic. Iran asked the authorities in the Kurdistan region to shutter the offices, but nothing was done, and Iran was left with no choice but to act itself. Masjedi added that the attack had nothing to do with the Americans and it was not targeted at the American consulate (IRNA, March 14).

Death of 2 IRGC Officers in a Supposed Israeli Strike in Syria

• Prior to this, on March 7, two senior IRGC officers were killed in a strike attributed to the Israeli Air Force near Damascus. Iranian media outlets reported (March 8) that those killed were Colonel Morteza Saeednejad and Colonel Ehsan Karbalaeipour. The statement of the IRGC vowed that “the Zionist regime” will pay for the crime it committed (IRNA, March 8). The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also published a statement of condemnation, asserting that “the actions of the Israeli killing machine will not go unpunished” (Fars, March 9).

• The funeral of the two colonels was uncharacteristically attended by both the Commander of the IRGC, Hossein Salami, and the Commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, Amir Ali Hajizadeh (Tasnim, March 9).

Iranian Involvement in Syria

• On March 8, the Syrian Ambassador to Iran, Shafiq Dayoub, met with the Director of the Joint Iranian-Syrian Chamber of Commerce, Keyvan Kashefi, and with the Secretary General of the Joint Chamber of Commerce, Hassan Shamshadi. During the meeting, the ambassador stressed the importance of Iranian companies’ participation in the international conference on Syria’s reconstruction that is set to be held in Damascus in June 2022. Dayoub remarked that the conference will be a valuable opportunity for private Iranian firms to become familiar with the new investment opportunities in Syria and play a greater role in Syria’s reconstruction. The Syrian ambassador also mentioned the new Syrian investment law, which facilitates investment in the country, by exempting investors from paying customs, providing them with guarantees and assistance. Additionally, the ambassador called for holding commercial trade shows in Iran that would display Syrian goods, to facilitate the expansion of economic and trade ties between the two countries. The director of the Joint Iranian-Syrian Chamber of Commerce stated in the meeting that the private sector in Iran has the desire and ability to enter the Syrian market, and that the Joint Chamber of Commerce is working to remove the barriers hindering Iranian investments in Syria. The director of the Joint Chamber of Commerce provided an overview of the steps the Chamber intends to take to increase the involvement of Iranian businessmen, traders and investors in the Syrian market. Those steps include establishing a database of traders from both countries, conducting training sessions on laws and regulations pertaining to import and export in both countries, presenting investments opportunities to the Iranian private sector, and organizing visits of Iranian and Syrian businessmen to Syria and Iran, respectively (PollPress.ir, March 8).

Iranian Involvement in Iraq

• The Spokesman of the Iranian Ministry of Electricity, Ahmad al-Abadi, announced that a high-ranking Iraqi delegation will travel to Iran in mid-March to conduct negotiations concerning the settlement of the Iraqi debt to Iran for the import of electricity and gas. The Iraqi delegation will include the Iraqi ministers of electricity, finance and oil, and the governor of Iraq’s Trade Bank. Al-Abadi reported that the members of the delegation, who were selected by the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kazimi, will conduct negotiations with Iranian representatives concerning agreements to supply electricity and gas, and following the conclusion of the talks, Iraq will pay a share of its debts to Iran, to enable increasing the volume of Iranian gas exports to Iraq. He remarked that the Iraqi debt totals in more than 1.6 billion dollars, and that it is still unclear whether it will be paid in several installments over three years, or in one single payment. Al-Abadi added that due to the Iraqi debt, Iran reduced the supply of gas to Iraq from 45 million square meters per day to only eight million square meters (ILNA, March 6).
• On March 5, the Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi, visited the Iranian booth at the International Security Fair in Baghdad, which was inaugurated on March 2. The ambassador was welcomed by senior Iraqi officers and security experts. About 60 companies that produce military systems from 13 countries in Asia and Europe are participating in the Fair. Masjedi declared that Iran’s participation in the Fair is a reflection of its policy to support the countries of the region and expand cooperation with them, particularly in the security sector (website of Iran’s broadcasting authority, March 5).

• On March 9, the Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi, met with Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the former Dutch Minister of Defense, and the current Special Representative for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq. The two discussed the political state of affairs in Iraq, and the government formation talks in Baghdad, and stressed the need for all political groups to take part in the next government (ISNA, March 9).

• Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, the Iranian Deputy President and the Director of the Martyr’s Foundation, which assists the families of Iranians killed in war, announced the intention of the Fund to establish a union of martyr funds of countries belonging to the “resistance axis.” In a speech in Tehran, the senior Iranian official proclaimed that “the resistance axis” has become a symbol of self-sacrifice and martyrdom and that Iran must cooperate with the brothers around the world who are committed to the culture of revolution. He remarked that the Martyr’s Fund aims to establish a union of martyr’s funds of the countries belonging to the Axis, and that Iraq and Lebanon have already expressed their agreement to this idea (Tasnim, March 11). In early March, the chairman of the Martyr’s Foundation visited Iraq and met with senior government officials, chief among them the prime minister and president, and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Iraqi Martyrs Foundation (website of the Iranian broadcasting authority, March 1).

Iranian Involvement in Afghanistan

• The Deputy Director of the Iranian Company for Transportation Infrastructure, Abbas Khatibi, reported that Iran launched negotiations with representatives of the Taliban concerning the laying of a railway between Khaf in northeastern Iran to Herat in northwestern Afghanistan. This railway constitutes a part of the large-scale railway project that would connect China in the east, through Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey to Europe in the west. Khatibi remarked that the railway from Khaf to Herat, 77 kilometers of which pass through Iranian territory, could be used to ferry about one million passengers and six million tonnes of goods every year. He added that Iran proposed to Afghanistan a number of ways for Iran can make additional investments in the project. The laying of the railway commenced several years ago and Iran completed the first two parts of the project, which entailed laying the railway in its territory. The laying of the railway in Afghanistan came to a halt due to political developments in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s takeover. According to Khatibi, Iranian representatives recently held talks with representatives of the Taliban government and reached an agreement to resume the project (Tasnim, March 7).
• The Iranian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Bahador Aminian, stated during a conference focused on commercial cooperation between Kerman province in western Iran and Afghanistan, that the current conditions in Afghanistan represent an opportunity for Iran. He stated that the annual volume of Iranian exports to Afghanistan totals about 3.5 million dollars, and that about 60 percent of the challenges facing Iranian exporters stem from domestic issues pertaining to customs, legislation and the bureaucracy. He asserted that the takeover of the entire territory of Afghanistan by the governing authority in Kabul has improved the security situation in the country and reduced the extent of corruption. Thus, this political change presents good opportunities for the Iranian private sector to expand its activities and investments in Afghanistan, for examples in the sectors of energy and agriculture (the website of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, March 12).

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