Tag Archives: Iran




Port of Beirut

Iran reportedly smuggling weapons to Hezbollah via Beirut port

A “Western security source” told Al Arabiya that Hezbollah is using the Port of Beirut to smuggle weapons into Lebanon from Iran. In early March, Israel assassinated a Hezbollah commander in charge of maritime weapons smuggling, saying his activities had continued after the November 27 Lebanon-Israel ceasefire.


IRGC missiles

Iran braces for possible US attack amid proxy setbacks

Amid mounting proxy losses and a major US military buildup across the Middle East, Iran has placed its armed forces on high alert and warned neighboring states against facilitating a potential American strike. Tehran is suffering setbacks in Iraq and Yemen while ramping up deterrence through inflammatory propaganda.


Houthi missiles

Iranian personnel leave Yemen as US strikes intensify

Iran has reportedly ordered its military personnel to leave Yemen amidst the growing US bombing campaign. The move reflects a broader pattern of the Islamic Republic recalibrating its regional strategy in response to the Trump administration’s moves to curtail Tehran’s influence in the Middle East and threats to potentially strike Iran’s nuclear sites.


Quds Day poster

Pro-Iran militias parade for ‘Quds Day’ in Iraq

Pro-Iranian militias from Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) took part in Quds Day events in Iraq. The events on March 28, part of an annual worldwide campaign backed by Iran to encourage protests against Israel, appeared to have a relatively low turnout and happened amid continuing controversy in Baghdad over parliamentary attempts to rein in or streamline the PMU.


IRGC speedboats

Iran strengthens its military in the Persian Gulf

Amid rising tensions with the US, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has increased its military presence in the Persian Gulf. Over recent months, Iran has intensified exercises on islands located along a vital maritime corridor for global energy transit. Over one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Persian Gulf, making it a key geopolitical hotspot.


Abdul-Mahdi visits Yemen

Iraq’s former PM visits Houthis amid US strikes and Houthi attacks on ships, Israel

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi traveled to Houthi-controlled Sanaa in Yemen on March 20, according to reports in Iranian and Yemeni media. His visit occurred as the US continued its campaign of airstrikes against the Iranian-backed Houthis. Sources Abdul-Mahdi was in Yemen to attend a conference in support of Palestinians, but other reports speculated that his visit may be linked to the US conflict with the Houthis and Iran’s historic backing of the group.


Houthis and Iran meeting

Iran reportedly urges the Houthis to de-escalate ‘tensions’

Iran reportedly urged the Houthis to de-escalate tensions in the Red Sea following President Donald Trump’s warning the US will hold Tehran accountable for its proxy’s destabilizing activities. Iranian calls for de-escalation, along with previous communications with other regional proxies, may signal a shift in the Islamic Republic’s proxy strategy.


US vessel fires at Houthis

US continues operations against the Houthis

The US has continued striking the Houthis in Yemen, hitting targets across territory controlled by the group, including military sites, infrastructure, and personnel. The Houthis have unsuccessfully attempted to target US naval assets in response.


Iran special forces

Iran’s ties to Western organized crime networks

Tehran’s ambitions extend beyond backing Shia and Sunni Islamist groups in the Middle East. On March 13, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Sweden’s Foxtrot gang for its ties to the Iranian regime, underscoring Tehran’s longstanding practice of cultivating criminal networks across Europe and the Americas to assassinate dissidents and target American, European, and Israeli interests.



Abol Korkor Iranian dissident

Iran cracks down on armed nationalist group

In a rare escalation, a group of armed men with nationalistic aspirations clashed with regime security forces in the southwestern city of Izeh. Livestreamed footage captures the final moments of four surrounded men, one of whom takes his own life rather than face arrest.


PKK demonstration

Analysis: Iran’s loss is Turkey’s gain

Tehran’s recent setbacks have paved the way for Ankara’s ascent. The Ankara-backed Azerbaijan’s triumph over Tehran-backed Armenia, Turkish-supported militias outmaneuvering Iran’s influence in Syria, and now, the unraveling of the Iran-backed PKK further tilts the balance in Turkey’s favor.


Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport

Lebanon seizes funds bound for Hezbollah at Beirut airport

Lebanon seized $2.5 million in cash destined for Hezbollah carried by a man arriving from Turkey. This development follows Israeli accusations that Turkey is being used as a conduit for Iranian funds to reach Hezbollah and may be facilitating the transfers.


Israel Katz

Israel strikes southern Syria amid continued demands for demilitarization

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out airstrikes in southern Syria on February 25 after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said that southern Syria must be a demilitarized zone. Local reports said that the strikes hit several areas in Daraa province, not far from Israel’s Golan Heights.


Khamenei propaganda

Analysis: Is Iran poising itself for escalation with Israel?

Recent statements by Islamic Republic officials indicate Tehran’s staunch commitment to rebuilding Hezbollah’s capabilities and achieving “final victory.” These threats may signal a renewed escalation in the region after Israel’s crippling blow to Iran’s missile arsenal and the collapse of the Islamic Republic’s Syrian ally.



Islamic State map

Analysis: From Afghanistan to America: the rising reach of the Islamic State Khorasan Province

Four years after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the threat posed by the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has expanded beyond the region, now endangering both America and Europe. With the group actively recruiting and transferring fighters across borders, regional actors such as the Taliban, Iran, Tajikistan, and Pakistan have proven unable to curb its growth.



Iran intelligence agent wanted poster

Analysis: Unpacking Iran’s counterintelligence apparatus

Iran’s intelligence network is not a monolithic entity but a web of competing and cooperating factions that execute the regime’s global ambitions. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Quds Force, and Ministry of Intelligence each play distinct yet overlapping roles in conducting assassinations, abductions, and sabotage operations worldwide. While institutional rivalries persist, their shared objective—suppressing dissent and expanding Iran’s geopolitical reach—ensures continued collaboration.


Drone attack on Kurdistan gas field

Drone attack targets gas field in northern Iraq

On February 2, a drone targeted the Khor Mor gas field in the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Dana Gas, which runs the facility, said that operations continued as normal, and there were no injuries. The same area has been attacked several times in recent years, including by an Iranian-type Shahed drone in April 2024. The US Embassy condemned the attack, and Iraq’s prime minister called for an investigation.


Iraqi militia leader speech

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq face an uncertain future

Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, collectively part of the Hashd al Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units), face increasing calls to place their arms under state control or lay them down entirely. The fall of the Assad regime, a new administration in Washington, and the Gaza ceasefire have put these groups under the spotlight in Iraqi politics.



Tehran’s pawns in Iraq

Bill is joined by show regular Edmund Fitton-Brown to discuss Edmund’s latest analysis for FDD’s Long War Journal: The role of Iraqi Shia militias as proxies in Iran’s Axis of Resistance.





Iranian air defense system and missile

Analysis: Tehran’s triad: propaganda, proxies, and preparedness

The Tehran regime faces significant challenges, including the diminished influence of its regional proxies and the potential for an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities. In response, the Islamic Republic has devised a three-pronged strategy: bolstering morale through propaganda, conducting extensive military drills as a deterrent, and amplifying support for its remaining proxies.