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December 1, 2022 Eyeing Iran, the U.S. and Israel Conduct Combined Air Exercise The United States Air Force and the Israeli Air Force began a combined air exercise in Israel on Tuesday that includes fighter aircraft from both countries and a U.S. air refueling tanker. The exercise helps build the readiness of both air forces and their ability to operate together while honing some of the exact capabilities Israel would need to conduct a successful kinetic strike against the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program. While a Pentagon spokesperson portrayed the exercise as routine, statements from the Israeli prime minister and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) left little doubt about their intended audience in Tehran. November 30, 2022 Palestinian Terrorist Groups Continue to Build Tunnels Under UNRWA Schools The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) announced that it identified a “man-made cavity” beneath an UNRWA school in the Gaza Strip. UNRWA stopped short of blaming Hamas or other militant organizations, saying that it “protested strongly to the relevant authorities.” The discovery is likely the latest example of a Palestinian terrorist organization using UN facilities, including schools, as shields for its belligerent activities against Israel. November 30, 2022 Iran Arrests Niece of Supreme Leader as Death Toll of Protesters Mounts The niece of Iran’s supreme leader called for the clerical regime’s downfall in a video statement that her brother posted online after Tehran’s security services arrested her last week. Comparing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to Hitler and Mussolini, Farideh Moradkhani said in the video that other countries should cut ties with the “murderous and child-killing regime” in Tehran. Her arrest reflects Khamenei’s growing fears of ongoing protests in Iran, which constitute one of the greatest threats to the regime’s survival since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. November 28, 2022 Iran Linked to Attack on Commercial Tanker A U.S. Navy lab confirmed Iran’s connection to a November 15 drone attack on the Liberian-flagged, Israeli-linked commercial tanker M/T Pacific Zircon, according to a press release... November 25, 2022 Qatar Forced to Allow Israelis at World Cup Thousands of Israelis are expected to visit Qatar this month as the Gulf nation hosts the World Cup. Despite the influx of visitors, there are strong indications that the tournament will not herald a diplomatic breakthrough between the two countries. Rather, the developments suggest a pragmatic Qatar willing to do what is required to host the world’s biggest sporting event. November 23, 2022 Jerusalem Bombings, Jenin Body-Snatch Rock Israel Remote-controlled bombs exploded near-simultaneously at two Jerusalem bus stops during Wednesday's morning rush hour, wounding at least 22 and killing a 16-year-old Canadian-Israeli dual national. One day earlier, in the West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian gunmen seized the body of an Israeli Druze youth, Tiran Ferro, who was critically injured in a car accident. While initial coverage reported Ferro was dead when his body was seized by Palestinian gunmen, Ferro’s uncle has claimed he was alive when taken from the Jenin hospital. November 22, 2022 Canada Intensifies Sanctions on Iran, But Further Action Needed The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is investigating Iranian death threats against Canadians who have publicly criticized Tehran, the spy agency said last week. The announcement appears to reflect Ottawa’s increasing efforts to hold Iran accountable for its bloody suppression of anti-regime protests. Last Wednesday, Canada imposed its fifth round of sanctions this year against regime targets pursuant to the Special Economic Measures Act, bringing Ottawa’s total number of designations to 280. However, Ottawa has stopped short of perhaps the most impactful step it could take: designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization pursuant to Canada’s Criminal Code. November 21, 2022 Iran Caught Again Trying to Kill Israeli Civilians Abroad Georgia’s state security announced last Tuesday the arrest of a Pakistani national affiliated with al-Qaeda and of two Iranian nationals who attempted to murder a prominent Israeli in the capital of Tbilisi. An Israeli media report, citing an unnamed Israeli security official, said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force orchestrated the assassination attempt, which sought to target Israeli-Georgian businessman Itzik Moshe. Georgian security alleged the would-be attacker received weapons from Iranian citizens living in the country via drop-offs and hideouts. November 18, 2022 The World Cup Spotlights Qatar’s Abuses Latest Developments With the World Cup kicking off this Sunday, Qatar hopes to improve its image by hosting the planet’s largest sporting event. However, the added attention generated by the tournament... November 17, 2022 Abu Akleh Investigation Conflicts With Prior Assessment, Increases Risk for U.S. Military Israeli officials this week confirmed that the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into the death of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh. The Palestinian-American journalist tragically died last May during an Israeli military counter-terror operation targeting Iran-sponsored Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in the West Bank city of Jenin. Israel has increased counter-terror operations in the West Bank in response to Tehran’s attempt to stoke violence. The Justice Department investigation, which appears to conflict with a previous U.S. government assessment that Israeli forces likely struck Abu Akleh unintentionally, could put U.S. and Israeli troops and other officials at increased risk for international investigations. November 15, 2022 The IDF is Holding Hamas Responsible for Rocket Attacks On November 3, four rockets were launched from Gaza towards southern Israel. Three fell inside Gaza, and one was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome aerial defense system. The rockets were the first fired from the coastal enclave since this past August’s Operation Breaking Dawn, during which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sought to degrade Islamic Jihad in Gaza. While Palestinian factions denied responsibility, the IDF responded to the attack by targeting a Hamas weapons facility in Gaza, saying, “We hold Hamas responsible for all terrorist activity emanating from Gaza.” November 15, 2022 Turkey Accuses the U.S. of Complicity in Istanbul Terror Attack Turkey’s Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu accused the United States of complicity in Sunday’s terror attack in Istanbul, which killed six people and injured more than 80... November 14, 2022 Turkey Seeks Sovereign Immunity in Two Cases Before the Supreme Court Two recent Supreme Court rulings in the United States may shed light on whether entities owned by foreign governments can claim immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA)... November 10, 2022 Israeli Weapons Sent to Ukraine Could End Up in Iran According to a report published on Wednesday, a Russian military aircraft secretly transported a British NLAW anti-tank missile, a U.S. Javelin anti-tank missile, and a Stinger anti-aircraft missile to Tehran on August 20. This news will reinforce opposition in Israel to sending weapons to Ukraine for fear they could end up in the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran. November 10, 2022 Presidential Vacuum Persists in Lebanon The term of Lebanese President Michel Aoun ended last week, but the country’s parliament has so far failed to elect a successor. The presidential vacuum, which compounds Lebanon’s political and economic problems, persists because Iranian proxy Hezbollah, the dominant political force in Lebanon, has yet to choose a president from among its two main Christian allies: Aoun’s son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, and Suleiman Franjieh, a grandson of Lebanon’s fifth president, also named Suleiman Franjieh. Hezbollah fears that favoring one means losing the support of the other. November 7, 2022 Biden Calls for a Free Iran “We’re gonna free Iran,” said President Joe Biden on Thursday. “They’re gonna free themselves pretty soon.” A White House spokesperson appeared to back-pedal the statement the next day, saying that Biden was merely “expressing, again, our solidarity” with Iranian protestors rather than articulating a new U.S. policy. Still, the president’s declaration constitutes an apparent endorsement of regime change in Iran, implicitly repudiating his current policy, which centers on engaging the regime in hopes of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. November 4, 2022 Islamic Jihad Militant with Links to the Lions’ Den Killed in West Bank Islamic Jihad militant Farouk Salameh — wanted by Israel for his involvement in the shooting death of an Israeli police commando officer earlier this year — was killed Thursday during an Israeli raid in Jenin in the northern West Bank. Salameh also had ties to the Lions’ Den terrorist group and was suspected by Israel of planning additional attacks against Israelis. FDD’s Long War Journal reported that Israeli officials also suspected that Salameh conspired to secure funding for the Lions’ Den. November 2, 2022 Hamas Operations Continue Unhindered in Turkey Israel indicted three of its citizens in late October for providing intelligence to Hamas operatives in Turkey. Authorities have only identified the suspects by their initials but said they identified with Hamas ideology and planned to carry out a cyber-attack against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The main suspect worked as a software engineer for an Israeli communications firm and met Hamas operatives in Turkey multiple times to transfer sensitive information about Israeli communications infrastructure. November 1, 2022 Iran May Provide Russia with Short-Range Ballistic Missiles Iran reportedly may soon provide Russia with short-range ballistic missiles in addition to armed drones for use against Ukraine. The revelation of Iran’s potential missile transfers comes amid growing controversy over whether the U.S. and its allies should formally withdraw all offers of sanctions relief for the regime in Tehran and complete the snapback of United Nations sanctions as provided under UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2231. Without completing the UN snapback, the international arms embargo on Iran will remain expired and UN restrictions on missile transfers will expire next October. The proposed nuclear deal with Iran, which remains on the table for Tehran’s acceptance, would lift sanctions on sectors of Iran’s economy tied to its missile program. October 28, 2022 Iraqi Parliament Approves New National Unity Cabinet The Iraqi parliament on Thursday approved the “national unity” cabinet of Prime Minister Mohamed al-Sudani. While Sudani presented his 23-minister cabinet as a harmonious team of technocrats, the appointment of holdovers and new figures suggests that his government is not a coherent bloc but a gathering of competing powers. The development comes a year after Iraqis voted out incumbents and their power-sharing arrangements. October 27, 2022 More Chaos in the West Bank as Palestinian Authority Loses Grip On Tuesday, the leader of the new Palestinian terrorist group, Lions’ Den was killed along with four other Palestinian gunmen during a raid by Israeli troops. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) undertook the raid into Nablus as part of Operation Breakwater, which the IDF launched in March following a Palestinian terrorism spree that killed 19 in Israel. The week’s violence shows that the IDF will continue to address the lack of Palestinian Authority (PA) governance of the West Bank with military action. October 24, 2022 Iran Using Minors to Suppress Protests in Iran Iran is reportedly using minors to crush protests in Iran. In recent weeks, photos have emerged showing children wearing unforms of the Basij militia, a branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). “Alongside the uniformed police stood many more plainclothes Basiji units. Some of them were clearly minors,” one Iranian protester reported. International law prohibits the recruitment or use of children in hostilities. Two U.S. laws penalize foreign countries and persons who recruit or use children in hostilities. October 21, 2022 Despite Iran Providing Arms to Russia, U.S. Still Considering Sanctions Relief for Iran Russia conducted strikes against targets across Ukraine over the past week using drones acquired from Iran. These Iranian drones — including the Shahed-136, the Shahed-131, and the Mohajer-6 — have enhanced Russia’s ability to conduct strikes against the Ukrainian military, critical infrastructure, and civilian targets. Despite the U.S. and EU’s imposition of sanctions on Iran for transferring the drones, Kyiv’s allies in London, Paris, Berlin, and Washington have not rescinded their offer of other sanctions relief to Iran as part of a revived nuclear deal. They have also refrained from snapping back prior UN sanctions on Iran that would restore the UN arms embargo and maintain key missile restrictions indefinitely. October 20, 2022 U.S. Offer of Sanctions Relief Remains Active Despite Iran Protests Human rights groups report that the Islamic Republic of Iran has killed at least 233 Iranians, including at least 32 minors, while detaining thousands more during mass protests over the past five weeks. Though the State Department said last week that nuclear talks with Iran are “not our focus right now,” the Biden administration has yet to withdraw offers of sanctions relief already made to the regime in Tehran — leaving the door open for lifting sanctions on entities and sectors of Iran’s economy that finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has played a role in suppressing protests. October 14, 2022 Israel-Lebanon Maritime Deal Elicits Dueling Arguments Israel and Lebanon reached a maritime deal on Tuesday, eliciting robust debate over its prospective merits, flaws, and implications for regional security. Supporters of the agreement argue that it averts a potential war between Israel and Hezbollah, weakens Hezbollah, strengthens Israel’s economy, and constitutes de facto Lebanese recognition of Israel. Critics contend that the accord by definition is an act of appeasement that empowers Hezbollah, cementing its partnership with France under a U.S. umbrella and forcing Israel to concede to all of the group’s demands under the threat of force. October 13, 2022 New Terrorist Group on the Rise in the West Bank A new Palestinian terrorist group known as The Lions’ Den claimed responsibility on Tuesday for killing an Israeli soldier in the West Bank. An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) statement said two suspects “arrived in a vehicle adjacent to the community of Shavei Shomron” and shot at IDF soldiers “conducting operational security activity.” The shooting follows a string of high-profile attacks claimed by the Nablus-based group against IDF troops and Israeli communities in recent weeks. The organization’s establishment reflects the undermining of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) rule by terrorist groups. October 6, 2022 North Korea Conducts Provocative Missile Launch North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan on October 3 for the first time in five years. Pyongyang has returned to its robust testing pace of 2017. This latest escalation could signal dictator Kim Jong Un’s intention to carry out further provocations, such as an intercontinental ballistic missile launch or a seventh nuclear test. The United States has called for a UN Security Council meeting, but China and Russia will block any serious actions. The Biden administration should reinvigorate America’s once-robust sanctions on North Korea, whose enforcement has atrophied since 2018. October 4, 2022 Death Toll in Iran Protests Rises to 154 as Khamenei Blames U.S. for Uprising Iran’s security forces have killed at least 154 protesters since nation-wide demonstrations began in mid-September. On Monday, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expressed full support for the security forces and blamed the United States and Israel for the unrest: “I say frankly that these incidents were designed by America, the fake Zionist regime, those who are on their payroll and some traitorous Iranians abroad who helped them.” President Joe Biden also issued a statement on Monday, warning, “the United States will be imposing further costs on the perpetrators of violence against peaceful protesters.” However, his administration remains publicly committed to the potential lifting of sanctions on those perpetrators via a new nuclear agreement — a policy contradiction the White House must address. October 4, 2022 Release of Hostages in Iran May Be Linked to U.S. Sanctions Relief Iranian state media reports have linked Tehran’s one-week furlough of an American hostage on Saturday to a potentially forthcoming U.S. sanctions waiver authorizing the transfer to Iran of $7 billion. These funds are currently frozen in South Korea. While the National Security Council was quick to deny such a linkage, the Biden administration did not confirm or deny whether it would authorize the release of the $7 billion — a step previously reported as part of the sequencing of a new nuclear deal. In addition to its release of the hostage, Iranian-American Siamak Namazi, Tehran allowed his ailing father, Iranian-American Baquer Namazi, to leave the country. Iran imprisoned the elder Namazi from 2016 to 2018 and has since barred him from exiting Iran. September 30, 2022 U.S., Israeli Navies Conduct Exercise as Iran Steps up Maritime Aggression The naval forces of the United States and Israel conducted a four-day bilateral training exercise, dubbed Digital Shield, this month in the Red Sea’s Gulf of Aqaba. The joint exercise comes in the wake of Iran’s attempts to seize American unmanned surface vessels, or USVs, in both the Red Sea and Persian Gulf over the past 30 days. The exercise focused on “enhancing maritime awareness using unmanned systems and artificial intelligence in support of vessel boarding operations,” according to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. The USVs used in the exercise improve the ability to monitor the malign maritime activities of Tehran and its terror proxies. September 29, 2022 Iranian People’s Demand for Freedom Threatens Regime’s Identity and Survival Tehran’s security forces have killed at least 76 protesters and wounded hundreds more in some 140 cities across Iran over the past two weeks. The demonstrations, triggered by the arrest and murder of... September 29, 2022 Israeli Operations in West Bank Reflect Shrinking PA Control The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) engaged in a firefight on Wednesday with members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), resulting in four fatalities, three from PIJ and one from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Israeli forces launched the operation in the West Bank town of Jenin to arrest two PIJ men responsible for carrying out a series of shooting attacks against Israelis in recent months. Israeli officials said the pair had planned “more significant attacks in the near future.” The incident points to the troubling trend of increased violence in the West Bank by terrorist groups, which are positioning themselves to assume control of the increasingly lawless Palestinian Authority (PA) when its current president, Mahmoud Abbas, dies or leaves office. September 26, 2022 Hezbollah and Iran Are Destabilizing the West Bank The Iranian proxy Hezbollah has quietly been sending arms to the West Bank in a bid to strengthen Palestinian terrorist organizations. Tehran’s goal is to undermine the authority of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and to provide terrorist groups with the means to attack Israel. This tactic is proving successful. Since the May 2021 Gaza-Israel conflict, the West Bank has experienced a major uptick in militant activity from Tehran-directed groups, while PA security forces have either joined this violence or looked the other way. September 23, 2022 U.S. May Allow Payment to Iran for Hostages The Biden administration may be preparing to issue a national security waiver authorizing the transfer of $7 billion to Iran from South Korean-based accounts subject to U.S. terrorism sanctions. The transfer... September 23, 2022 Israel, Lebanon Near Agreement on Mediterranean Gas Field Two years of U.S.-mediated negotiations on demarcating a maritime border between Israel and Lebanon appear to be reaching a conclusion, with senior envoys meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week. In 2020, the Hezbollah-dominated Lebanese government claimed rights to Karish, an Israeli gas field located in the Mediterranean Sea. This insistence constituted a negotiating tactic aimed at compelling Jerusalem to make territorial concessions on the entirety of the disputed maritime area, including Qana, a prospective gas field that lies within both Lebanese and Israeli waters. September 22, 2022 Raisi Addresses UN Despite Grim Human Rights Record Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi described the West as “the real violators of human rights” at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. At the same time, protests continued to sweep across Iran in response to his own government’s human rights abuses — specifically, the Sept. 16 death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody for violating headscarf laws. These protests challenge the legitimacy of Raisi himself, who won a fraudulent election for president last year and bears a decades-long record of human rights abuses against the Iranian people. September 20, 2022 A New Iran Deal Would Empower the Houthis Iran would receive approximately $275 billion in sanctions relief during the first year of a new nuclear deal and more than $1 trillion by 2030, according to an FDD assessment. If past is prologue, a significant portion of these funds would flow to Iran’s network of terror proxy groups, including the Houthis in Yemen. September 16, 2022 Will Congress Hold a Vote on Iran Deal Before Sanctions Relief? The Biden administration is signaling it will continue to pursue a nuclear agreement with Iran. This endeavor faces bipartisan opposition while questions swirl over whether and how the president will comply... September 14, 2022 Israel Reveals Iranian Missile Production Sites in Syria Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz displayed a map on Sept. 12 that shows the Syrian location of 10 “production facilities for mid- and long-range, precise missiles and weapons” that Iran has “provided to Hezbollah and Iranian proxies.” He said Tehran is also “working to build missile and weapon industries in Lebanon and Yemen” as part of its campaign to destabilize the region. September 12, 2022 New Iran Deal Would Fuel Hezbollah’s Precision-Guided Munitions Iran could receive up to $275 billion in sanctions relief during the first year of a new nuclear deal and more than $1 trillion by 2030, according to an FDD assessment. Some of this money would likely fund... September 9, 2022 New Iran Deal Would be Shorter, Weaker Version of 2015 Deal The new nuclear deal currently under negotiation with Iran would not revive the original 2015 agreement. Instead, this shorter, weaker version would reduce the time Iran needs to produce enough fissile... September 7, 2022 Israel Thwarts Terror Plots in West Bank, Yet Threats Continue Israel’s Chief of the General Staff Aviv Kohavi stated on Monday that since late March, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have apprehended approximately 1,500 wanted Palestinians in the West Bank and thwarted “hundreds of attacks.” Kohavi’s statement highlights the significant threat posed by Palestinian terrorist organizations in the territory, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and others. September 6, 2022 A New Iran Deal Would Empower Hamas Iran would receive approximately $275 billion in sanctions relief during the first year of a new nuclear deal and more than $1 trillion by 2030, according to an FDD analysis. If past is prologue, a significant portion of these funds would likely flow to Iranian-supported terror organizations in the region, including Hamas. In the year after the implementation of the original 2015 nuclear accord, Tehran’s military budget increased by 90 percent, enabling the regime to shower Iran-aligned terror organizations, including Hamas, with additional resources. September 2, 2022 Iran Deal May Provide Billions in IRGC-Connected Sanctions Relief Prior To Congressional Review On day one of a new Iran nuclear deal, the United States would reportedly repeal three executive orders that imposed sanctions on major sectors of Iran’s economy connected to the Islamic Revolutionary... August 31, 2022 Clashes Erupt in Iraq in Response to Sadr’s Resignation Supporters of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed Baghdad’s Green Zone on Monday and clashed with security forces, leaving at least 30 dead and 400 wounded. The conflict... August 30, 2022 A New Iran Deal Would Empower Palestinian Islamic Jihad Iran would receive approximately $275 billion in sanctions relief during the first year of a new nuclear deal and more than $1 trillion by 2030, according to an FDD analysis. If past is prologue, a significant... August 30, 2022 Nuclear Deal with Iran Would Further Empower Hezbollah Iran would receive up to $275 billion in sanctions relief during the first year of a new nuclear deal and more than $1 trillion by 2030, according to an FDD analysis. If past is prologue, a significant... August 25, 2022 Erdogan Reaffirms Support for the Palestinian Cause Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed support for the Palestinian cause on Tuesday as he warmly welcomed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to Ankara. Erdogan criticized “Israeli attacks and civilian casualties,” an apparent reference to the recent conflict between Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Jewish state. Erdogan’s statement comes a week after Turkey and Israel formally announced the normalization of diplomatic ties. August 24, 2022 Iran Deal Would Help Putin, Undermine Ukraine “Russia plans to use Iran as a backdoor to circumvent international sanctions over Ukraine if Tehran’s nuclear accord with world powers comes back into force,” Politico reported on Tuesday. Trade, finance, and energy officials from both Tehran and Moscow have met in recent months to develop what Politico calls a “get-out-of-jail-free card” for Russia to evade Western sanctions. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iran in July to strengthen ties between the two countries. August 23, 2022 Nuclear Deal with Iran Would Gut IRGC Sanctions A top Iranian spokesman said on Sunday that Iran achieved “huge progress” in “sanctions issues.” The West has reportedly offered Iran economic concessions that would lift indirect sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). As part of a revived nuclear deal, this action would effectively dismantle the bipartisan sanctions architecture overwhelmingly enacted by Congress just five years ago while America remained a participant in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This and other forms of sanctions relief would allow Tehran to access up to $275 billion during the accord’s first year and $1 trillion by 2030.

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