Before the US election, the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq were increasing their drone threats to Israel. They have been launching drones and making more statements about potential involvement in attacks on Israel. The militias are part of the larger Iranian-backed milieu in the region. There is no doubt that Iranian messaging after the US … Read more
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have increased threats in recent days. Their increase in rhetoric appears tied to two developing trends. First of all, the IDF continues to fight in Gaza. Second, Israel-Hezbollah tensions are rising. The latest threat is to target US “interests” in Iraq. The Iranian-backed militias have already carried out more than … Read more
More than three decades after his death, the shadow of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini is still cast into the deepest corners of Iran. The man who founded the Islamic Republic of Iran after the overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979 led the country for its first decade, transforming a 1,300-year-old monarchy into a … Read more
Having learned of a local farmers’ revolt in Massachusetts, Thomas Jefferson jotted one of the most memorable statements about revolution: “The tree of liberty must from time to time be refreshed with the blood of patriots and tyrants,” wrote the future president. Written in Paris in 1787, Jefferson’s insight soon proved prophetic when the … Read more
Iran’s proxy groups in the region continue to claim they are carrying out attacks on Israel. The claims come amid ongoing talks of a ceasefire. This is important because it reveals how Iran seeks to use the leadup to any kind of agreement to solidify its regional advantage. Iran has exponentially increased the role … Read more
The Iranian pro-government Tasnim news media claimed that the “Islamic Resistance of Iraq announced that in support of the people of Gaza…it targeted the power plant of the Zionist regime in ‘Tel Aviv’ with a drone early this morning, Thursday.” The Iranian media included an image of an explosive-laden kamikaze drone in the report. … Read more
Iraq’s ruling coalition plans to call for early elections in an attempt to overthrow Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani. Al Sudani belongs to the Coordination Framework, an alliance of Shiite parties loyal to Iran. But after assuming the premiership, Al Sudani changed his approach toward the parties and came to disagree with many … Read more
US Central Command said on Wednesday evening that it conducted a strike, killing a leader of the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah. It happened on a busy street in Baghdad, and a car was seen in flames after it was hit. This is a game-changer. It has some parallels with the US strike in January 2020 … Read more
US media is being very transparent in discussions about how the US might respond to the Iranian-backed militia attack that killed three Americans in Jordan. CNN reports that the US response is expected to be “powerful.” NBC reported that the White House has faced pressure to get “approval” from Congress on any retaliation. Iran’s … Read more
The US Embassy in Iraq came under attack Thursday night, according to preliminary reports shared at about 02:00 Israel time in The Jerusalem Post‘s sister publication Maariv. The event came within a half hour of reports that the United States and Britain had begun striking Houthi targets in Yemen, and if it was indeed … Read more
