The regime in Tehran finds itself increasingly besieged by challenges, ranging from the faltering influence of its regional proxies to the prospect of an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities, potentially...
“Bloodlust” is a term cascading across the Iranian media space this week: “Bloodlust is commanded,” declared Jam-e Jam newspaper, connected to Iran’s state-sanctioned...
Russo-Iranian Cooperation and Threats to U.S. Interests
Iran reportedly unveiled a new hypersonic missile on November 19, claiming capabilities that surpass those of an earlier version of the missile unveiled earlier this year. Brig....
The Biden administration expressed concern on September 28 over Iran’s successful launch of an imaging satellite a day earlier. The Qased rocket that launched Iran’s Noor-3 satellite...
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Iran on September 19 for high-level meetings with Iranian military officials. Shoigu’s trip came at the invitation of Iranian Armed...
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on June 6 that Israel had ways to counter the alleged hypersonic missile unveiled by Iran earlier that day. “I hear our enemies boasting about weapons they...
The American nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine USS Florida arrived in the Middle East and now operates under the command of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, signaling to the regime in Tehran that the United States will not tolerate Iranian activities targeting its troops and shipping, or those of its allies.
Latest Developments Russia is helping Iran advance its cyber warfare and digital surveillance capabilities, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The cooperation comes as the United Kingdom’s...
Assessing the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program
Deal or no deal with Iran, retaining and enforcing America’s most significant counterterrorism authority against the long arm of the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism remains in the national security interest of the United States.
The U.S. and Europe ignore Iranian missile tech developments at their own peril.
Less than a decade ago, the Islamic Republic went to great lengths to downplay that it was seeking such longer-range strike capabilities. But steady technical advancements have made the regime somewhat more brazen.
As Iran works to make its proxies more militarily self-sufficient, opportunities for weapons interception will be reduced and claims of attribution against Tehran will become harder.
If the new administration is serious about reinvigorated diplomacy, it must resist Iran’s nuclear extortion and forgo the temptation of re-joining the JCPOA. Breathing life into an expiring accord will not help dampen the Islamic Republic’s nuclear, missile, and military threats.
[This article was published in Defense News on November 21, 2020. The version below contains the complete set of hyperlinks to sources referenced in the piece.] The United States this week successfully...