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January 31, 2023 Israel Strikes Iranian Military Facility Israeli drones struck an advanced weapons-production facility in the Iranian city of Isfahan on Sunday morning, dealing a potential blow to Tehran’s military infrastructure. According to The Jerusalem Post, Western intelligence and foreign sources described the strike as a success, disputing Iranian claims that the blasts caused only minor damage to the roof. The attack may impede Iran’s ability to arm Russia, which has used Iranian loitering munitions — popularly called suicide or kamikaze drones — to strike civilian targets in Ukraine. January 29, 2023 Israel Ramps Up Security, Warns Against Vigilantism After Jerusalem Attacks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his Security Cabinet on Saturday to authorize ramped-up counter-terrorism measures following two Palestinian shooting attacks in east Jerusalem. In the bloodiest incident since the 2008 Jerusalem attack in which a terrorist murdered eight yeshiva students, a gunman killed seven people outside a synagogue in the capital’s Neve Yaakov neighborhood following Shabbat evening prayers; police shot him dead during a brief pursuit. January 27, 2023 Hamas Agents Caught Recruiting in West Bank, Israeli Security Agency Says Latest Developments The Israeli Security Agency (ISA), also known as the Shin Bet, revealed on Wednesday that it had uncovered an elaborate terror recruiting operation in the West Bank led by Farah Hamed,... January 26, 2023 Israeli Forces Eliminate Terror Cell Planning Major Attacks Israeli special forces conducted an unusually complex raid in Jenin on Thursday, eliminating a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) cell suspected of planning major attacks. The Palestinian terrorist group responded by issuing threats of escalation. According to witnesses, the early-morning operation in the West Bank flashpoint town involved a vanguard of undercover commandos who, posing as milk delivery men, closed in on a safe house where a PIJ planning meeting was taking place. The IDF later released drone footage of terrorists attacking Israeli forces from civilian rooftops during the three-hour clash. January 26, 2023 EU and UK Impose Human Rights Sanction on Iran, but Not on Its President and Supreme Leader Latest Developments The European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States rolled out coordinated sanctions against elements of the Islamic Republic’s security apparatus on Monday, citing the... January 25, 2023 Erdogan Seizes on Quran Burning as New Pretext to Block Sweden’s NATO Accession A far-right activist, Rasmus Paludan, burned a Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Sweden last weekend after authorities granted him permission. The event, which Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu condemned as a “hate crime,” threatens to derail Sweden’s NATO membership bid. January 24, 2023 Biden Envoy Met Secretly with Iranians Amid Tehran’s Violent Crackdown on Protests Latest Developments Iran International reported in an exclusive story last week that U.S. special envoy for Iran Robert Malley met at least three times with Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Saeed... January 20, 2023 Pentagon Transfers Some Israel-based Artillery Shells to Support Ukraine The Pentagon is reportedly using part of a military stockpile it has maintained in Israel for decades to send hundreds of thousands of artillery shells to help the Ukrainian military defeat the Russian invasion. According to the New York Times, the United States has transferred approximately half of an expected total of 300,000 rounds of 155mm howitzer shells to Ukraine. The move represents a notable use of the Israel-based stockpile to aid a partner outside the region and compensate for insufficient domestic munitions production capacity in the United States. January 19, 2023 Calls to Designate IRGC as Terrorist Organization Grow in the UK Calls to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization grew in the United Kingdom this week after Iran executed a prominent dual British-Iranian citizen on Saturday morning. According to Iranian news sources, Iran hanged former deputy defense minister, Alireza Akbari, 61, after accusing him of spying for the UK’s MI6 — the British equivalent to the CIA. According to the BBC, Akbari’s execution came after he was tortured and forced to confess on camera, though he later recanted. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed outrage over the execution, while the UK Foreign Office “summoned” Iran’s chargé d’affaires in London — a formality that entails a meeting with host nation officials to hear complaints. January 16, 2023 Hamas Releases Video of Israeli Hostage Held Since 2014 Latest Developments Hamas released an undated Hebrew-language video on Monday purporting to show Avera Mengistu, one of two Israeli civilians the Palestinian terrorist group is holding in the Gaza Strip.... January 16, 2023 Halevi Takes Charge of IDF With An Eye on Iran and Domestic Politics Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi assumed command of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday, bringing both command experience and an intelligence analyst's caution to a role likely to be tested on multiple fronts against both the regime in Iran and those trying to thrust the IDF into domestic politics. January 13, 2023 Israel and Arab Allies Conclude Negev Forum Without Jordan Latest Developments Senior officials from the United States, Israel, Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) wrapped up two days of meetings on Tuesday as part of the Negev Forum in... January 11, 2023 Iran Hangs Two Protesters While 109 Face Prospect of Execution Executions in Iran — and threats of further regime bloodshed — persist. In the wake of Tehran’s hanging on Saturday of two Iranian protesters, 22-year-old Mohammad Mehdi Karami... January 10, 2023 Treasury Sanctions Leaders of Iranian Drone and Missile Companies Latest Developments The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned six executives and board members of one of Iran’s top drone manufacturers, Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), on Friday for their role in providing... January 6, 2023 UK Preparing to Designate IRGC as a Terrorist Organization The United Kingdom is preparing to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group, according to media reports this week. The decision, which London will likely announce within weeks, apparently stems in part from Tehran’s efforts to kidnap or kill dissidents on British soil. Ken McCallum, the director general of MI5, said in November that Tehran had plotted to kill at least 10 British residents over the past year. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Tehran has deployed assassins as a regular tool of statecraft, regarding assassinations as a key method to ensure the regime’s survival, punish foes, and deter dissent. January 3, 2023 Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir Visits Temple Mount Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made an unannounced visit on Tuesday to the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site, drawing protests from the Palestinians, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Jews maintain a 3,000-year-old connection to the Temple Mount, where the two ancient Jewish temples once stood, and toward which Jews around the world face during prayer. The site is also sacred to Muslims, who call it the Noble Sanctuary, and houses the Al Aqsa Mosque, an icon of Palestinian nationalism. Ben-Gvir’s visit did not alter the mount’s status quo arrangement, which permits Israelis to visit but not pray at the site, and simply affirmed that Jews have the right to visit it. January 2, 2023 Netanyahu Signals Israel Will Press Syria Strikes Latest Developments Syria said Israel attacked Damascus International Airport today, briefly putting the site out of service. According to preliminary media reports, the target was a position run by the... December 30, 2022 Gaza-Based Terrorist Organizations Continue Efforts to Attack Israelis The Shin Bet stated on Monday that it prevented a “significant terror attack” earlier in December. The Shin Bet, also known as the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) and Shabak, reported... December 20, 2022 Death of UNIFIL Soldier Reflects Hezbollah’s Continuing Impunity in Lebanon Latest Developments An angry mob near the Lebanese village of Al-Aqbieh shot and killed an Irish soldier serving in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on December 14. A UNIFIL force of two armored... December 16, 2022 US Sanctions Friend of Turkish President for Helping Iran Evade Sanctions The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned on December 8 Sitki Ayan– a Turkish businessman and friend of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – accusing him and his companies of circumventing sanctions on Iran’s energy industry. According to Treasury, Ayan facilitated the sale of millions of dollars’ worth of oil for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF). December 14, 2022 Breaking Precedent, Israel Provides Details of Syria Air Strike Israel’s top general, Aviv Kohavi, revealed today that Israel had exceptionally detailed intelligence about a convoy hit by an airstrike last month while bringing Iranian weapons into Syria. Kohavi did not say explicitly that Israel launched the air strike, yet his description of events matched precisely with reports of an attack on November 8 in the vicinity of Bukamal, near the border between Iraq and Syria. Kohavi said the convoy had 25 trucks, and Israel knew “Truck number eight is the truck with the armaments.” He added, “And you have to send the pilots there, too.” While Israeli leaders have acknowledged the targeting of Iranian weapons shipments, they have rarely telegraphed the Israeli role in specific strikes. December 14, 2022 UN Votes to Remove Iran From Women’s Rights Commission The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) decided today by a vote of 29-8, with 16 abstentions, to remove Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women. The decision reflects women’s second-class status across the Islamic Republic. The rights of women have taken center stage in the protests now consuming Iran: The regime’s killing of 23-year-old Mahsa Amini, whom security forces had arrested for allegedly violating Tehran’s hijab laws, triggered the demonstrations now nearing their fourth month with no end in sight. December 12, 2022 Taming West Bank Chaos Remains a Challenge for Israel Gunfire killed a 16-year-old Palestinian girl, Jana Zakarna, late on Sunday during a fight that erupted when Israeli special forces entered the West Bank town of Jenin to detain terrorists. Palestinian authorities were quick to blame Israel, which acknowledged that its forces may have shot the teenager by accident and voiced regret. An initial investigation found that she was standing next to a gunman on a rooftop, and an Israeli sharpshooter may have confused the two in the dark. December 12, 2022 Biden Administration Refuses to Rule Out Sanctions Relief for Iran When asked last week whether nuclear negotiations with Iran were still ongoing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “We continue to believe that ultimately diplomacy is the most... December 8, 2022 Iran Surpasses 500 Executions in 2022 Tehran executed a prisoner today for allegedly wounding a paramilitary officer during nationwide protests, the first formal execution of a demonstrator since the unrest began in September. The sentence reportedly followed a brief trial devoid of due process in which the conviction rested on a confession elicited through torture. Iran has executed more than 500 people to date in 2022, constituting “the highest rate in five years,” according to the Norway-based nonprofit Iran Human Rights (IHR). This figure does not include the more than 450 protesters whom security forces have killed since September. December 7, 2022 Tehran and Doha Team Up to Repress Iranian Dissidents at World Cup Iran and Qatar have teamed up to suppress dissent against Tehran at the World Cup, which overlaps with sustained protests against the brutal regime in Iran. Tehran reportedly worked to prevent dissidents from attending the games, while critics of the Islamist regime watching the games in Iran and in Qatar faced harsh treatment. December 5, 2022 Israel Exercises Right to Self-Defense in Attack on Border Policeman The killing of a Palestinian assailant by an Israeli border policeman, caught on camera, has drawn diverse responses. Israel is unbowed in asserting its right to self-defense, while the Palestinian Authority accused it of another “cold-blooded murder.” United Nations envoy Tor Wennesland voiced horror over what he described as a “scuffle” turned lethal. 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.

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