Abqaiq

October 28, 2024 | Seth J. Frantzman |

How many air defense systems does Iran have?

Iran has seemingly focused on gaining a large quantity of defense systems - but it is unclear if any are actually effective.

October 3, 2024 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Iran’s Great Ballistic Missile Attack Gamble

The October 1 attack by Iran is its largest gamble yet. It knows Israel is primed to respond. It knows that Israel has backing from the West. It also knows Israel significantly weakened Hamas and Hezbollah, removing two of the Iranian-backed fronts against Israel. Nevertheless, Iran’s regime believes it is stronger than it was in the past and ready to confront Israel.

October 1, 2024 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Israel must respond to Iran’s massive ballistic missile attack

Iran has assumed for too long that it can wreak havoc without retribution - that needs to change.

October 1, 2024 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Israel and its Western allies should now strike back against Iran

When Iranians see that their regime is a paper tiger they will be emboldened

July 18, 2024 | Saeed Ghasseminejad |

An Israel-Hezbollah war could send shockwaves through the energy market

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah continue to escalate. Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel have forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Should war erupt,...

April 14, 2024 | Seth J. Frantzman |

How Iran’s drones became a threat to the Mid East and world

Iran’s drone threat is now one of its main military threats to the region, one that has surpassed its missile and other threats in many ways.

April 11, 2024 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Iran has ten ways to attack Israel; which one will it choose?

Iran's vowed punishment of Israel might manifest either through proxies or direct means, including ballistic missiles and drones.

February 1, 2024 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Can the Iranian initiative in the Middle East be reversed?

The question is not whether the whole Iranian proxy octopus can be dismantled, but whether Israel, the US and others will seize the initiative.

January 30, 2024 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Does Iran expect US retaliation for drone killing in Jordan?

Iran’s calculations are based on years in which Iran has carried out attacks around the region and has never faced any retaliation.

October 20, 2023 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Iran mobilizes proxies for drone war on US and Israel – analysis

Sanctions on Iran’s missile program ended this week, fueling Iran’s appetite for defense deals and empowering its sense of impunity regarding the supply of weapons to proxies.

June 28, 2022 | Reuel Marc Gerecht |

The Israeli Moment

If anyone is going to derail the Islamic Republic’s regional ambitions, Israel is really the only local counterweight that counts.

June 14, 2022 | Daniel Shapiro, Mark Dubowitz

Biden’s Saudi Arabia Opportunity

The president’s first trip to the Middle East offers a chance to make meaningful gains.

September 17, 2021 | Reuel Marc Gerecht |

Goodbye To All That

Biden may usher in a new era in which we won’t really have an Iran policy at all.

September 17, 2021 | Behnam Ben Taleblu, Bradley Bowman, David Maxwell

New Cruise Missile Gives North Korea Lethal Capability

The long-range weapon could strike South Korea, Japan, and U.S. bases in the region.

September 7, 2021 | Bradley Bowman, Behnam Ben Taleblu

Why Israel’s transfer to US Central Command could help deter Iran

U.S. Central Command announced Sept. 1 that it has assumed responsibility for U.S. forces in Israel. This positive development reflects changes in Arab-Israeli relations and offers an opportunity to build...

October 30, 2020 | Reuel Marc Gerecht |

The Biden Agenda: Eyes on Iran

Look for plans to return the U.S. to the JCPOA while concerns about regional aggression, terrorism, and more are shunted to the side.

October 29, 2020 | Reuel Marc Gerecht |

The Saudi Evolution

Fouad Ajami had an odd fondness for Saudi Arabia. He was an Americanized, secular Shiite with European sensibilities who, truth be told, had pretty much burned out on the ugliness of the modern Arab world. He...

August 14, 2020 | Alan Howard, Dr. Dan Nussbaum, Dr. Brenda Shaffer

The Beirut Disaster Is Part of a Larger Chain

This year will be remembered for many things. One of them will be the large number of attacks and explosions of critical infrastructure in several countries. The first was Iran’s attack on Abqaiq, Saudi...

May 23, 2020 | John Hannah, Jacob Nagel

U.S. Troops Are Vulnerable. Israeli Technologies Can Help

The recent U.S. decision to withdraw two Patriot missile defense batteries from Saudi Arabia has again highlighted how vulnerable U.S. interests in the Middle East remain to Iran’s growing arsenal of...

May 19, 2020 | John Hannah, Bradley Bowman

The Pentagon Tries to Pivot out of the Middle East—Again

Confusion over the removal of missiles and aircraft from Saudi Arabia could invite the aggression the United States is trying to avoid.