Just days into the new year, Iran announced that “a couple of hours ago,” it had started enriching uranium to 20 percent—a level that experts say would put it within a six-month sprint of converting its entire nuclear stockpile to bomb-grade material. Tehran’s move Monday raises the pressure on President-elect …
Read More »Israel Says Iran Likely Behind Explosion On Israeli-Owned Cargo Ship
Top Israeli defense and political leaders are scheduled to meet on February 28 to discuss a response to what Israel’s defense minister says was likely an attack by Iran against a an Israeli-owned cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman. Israel’s state-owned Kan television quoted unnamed Israeli officials as saying …
Read More »Iran In South Caucasus: Adjustment And Evolution – Analysis
Iran’s position in the South Caucasus, a region it sees as a part of its historical interests, is coming under tremendous pressure. The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War underlined the need for Tehran to rapidly adjust its approach in light of Turkey’s and Russia’s growing power. The November 2020 peace deal which …
Read More »Iran: Rouhani Underlines Importance Of Non-Oil Exports In Combating Sanctions
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on local manufacturers to focus on non-oil exports and expanding access to world markets as an effective instrument for defeating the sanctions. Speaking at a Sunday session of the Administration’s Economic Coordination Headquarters, Rouhani described non-oil exports as the key to Iran’s participation in the …
Read More »Iran suspected in attack on Israeli ship, UAE to assess the damage
The ship is being sailed to Dubai and should arrive there on Monday for the UAE to assess the damage. Iran is the main suspect behind the attack overnight Thursday on an Israeli-owned cargo vessel that was damaged by a mysterious explosion in the Gulf of Oman, Defense Minister Benny …
Read More »Iran’s cyber future
Iran’s attempts to achieve cyber dominance both within the MENA region and around the world have been well documented, particularly its efforts to spread pro-Iranian messaging and “tell Iran’s story.” This strategy is shaped by the challenging international context facing Tehran, which is suffering economically under U.S. sanctions and largely …
Read More »Iranian forces form new groups to boost influence in east Syria
The Fatemiyoun Brigade and the Iranian militias have beefed up their presence in Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria by bringing in more Syrian elements into their ranks and intensifying their religious, military and cultural activities in order to expand and preserve their interests. Iranian forces and affiliated militias in …
Read More »IAEA Demands Iran Explain ‘Undeclared Nuclear Material’
The UN nuclear watchdog said on February 23 that it is “deeply concerned” that Iran secretly kept “undeclared nuclear material” at an “undeclared location” as the agency warned that Tehran continued to exceed “many limits” set by its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Read More »Iran Says It’s Developed New Long-Range Combat Drone
Iran says it has developed a new long-range wide-body combat drone that has a range of 3,000 kilometers, reports local media. The IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency, cited Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh as saying the Kaman-22 (Bow-22) is the first wide-body combat drone manufactured by local experts.
Read More »Iran begins restricting short-notice nuclear inspections
Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif tweeted that Iran has halted its implementation of the Additional Protocol. Iran has begun restricting inspections of its nuclear facilities by the global atomic watchdog, the Iranian foreign minister said Tuesday. A law passed by Iran’s hard-liner-dominated parliament in December called for stopping the country’s …
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