Esmail Qaani

June 9, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

Houthis attack Israel and announce ban on Israeli vessels in the Red Sea

On June 8, Yemen’s Houthis fired missiles at central Israel as the Jewish state and Iran exchanged fire for the first time since the April 7 ceasefire between the US, Israel, and...

June 5, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

Houthis emphasize solidarity and coordination with Iran-led Axis of Resistance

In recent speeches, Abdulmalik al Houthi, the leader of the eponymous Yemeni terror group, reiterated his group’s support for its regional partners in the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance” and held out...

June 5, 2026 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Understanding Iran’s 3,000-Mile Battlefront

Iran is fighting a regional war, while the United States can focus only on one front at a time.

April 21, 2026 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Iraq aims to select new PM as US warns of Iran-backed threats, IRGC-QF head visits

Iraqi Shiite political parties are seeking to appoint a new prime minister amid significant internal and external pressures. The Coordination Framework (CF), a coalition of Iraqi Shiite parties, was working...

March 31, 2026 | Behnam Ben Taleblu, Andrew Ghalili

Iran is not Venezuela, President Trump, and this man is no moderate

Seeking a shortcut out of Iran, the administration considers its Venezuela playbook.

March 10, 2026 | Janatan Sayeh |

Israel intensifies strikes on repression sites, expands outreach to Iranians as regime repression deepens (March 8-10 updates)

On March 10, marking 10 days of Operation Epic Fury, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that more than 5,000 targets in Iran have been struck, including command-and-control centers, Islamic Revolutionary...

November 7, 2025 | Bridget Toomey |

Iraq’s Election Plays Out in the Shadow of Influence From Washington and Tehran

Iraq’s parliamentary elections are scheduled for November 11, but voters aren’t holding their breath for change. Allegations of pervasive vote buying and reliance on patronage systems already taint...

October 24, 2025 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Iranian-backed Iraqi militias in spotlight after Secretary of State Rubio’s call with Prime Minister Sudani

Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al Sudani “urged the United States to avoid unilateral decisions in Iraq, insisting that all actions impacting bilateral ties must go through formal diplomatic channels,”...

August 22, 2025 | Bridget Toomey |

US forces begin withdrawal from Ain al Asad airbase as US presence in Iraq transitions

Arab media reported on August 18 that a US military convoy departed Ain al Asad airbase, a military facility hosting US forces in western Iraq, on its way to Syria. An Iraqi security source speaking...

August 21, 2025 | Saeed Ghasseminejad |

Behind Khamenei’s post-war shake up: Salvaging the remains of the ‘Axis of Resistance’

In the post-war era, the power players are no longer focused solely on succession; they are now deeply invested in survival in the post-Islamic Republic era as well.

August 14, 2025 | Bridget Toomey, Janatan Sayeh

Tehran Seeks to Consolidate Its Influence in Iraq

Iran still seeks to project power in the Middle East — not only by arming proxies and smuggling oil but also by shaping regional parliaments and policies. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s new Supreme...

July 19, 2025 | Janatan Sayeh, Bridget Toomey

Iran and its militias brace for another conflict with Israel

The Qatari New Arab reported on July 17 that Esmail Ghaani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards-Quds Force (IRGC-QF), met with Tehran’s Iraqi proxies in Baghdad earlier this...

June 13, 2025 | Janatan Sayeh |

Israel targets Iran’s nuclear sites and senior military figures

In a joint operation led by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, Israel targeted Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure and key leaders. The attack, reported by...

May 21, 2025 | Fatima Abo Alasrar, Behnam Ben Taleblu

Iran’s shadow looms large over the Houthi ceasefire

It’s too soon for another US “mission accomplished” in the Middle East. President Donald Trump this month announced a halt to US airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, claiming the group “capitulated” and would cease targeting American vessels and Red Sea traffic.

May 15, 2025 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Iran’s Quds Force commander travels to Iraq ahead of Arab summit

Esmail Qaani, head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF), traveled to Iraq on May 14. He met with Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al Araji after arriving...

April 9, 2025 | Bridget Toomey, Janatan Sayeh

Washington Must Pressure Baghdad to Disarm Iran’s Proxy Militias in Iraq

Gaza and Yemen are well established as two arenas of the ongoing struggle between the United States and Iran, but Iraq is another vital stage that has garnered comparatively less attention. That may now...

April 8, 2025 | Janatan Sayeh |

Iran braces for possible US attack amid proxy setbacks

An anonymous Iranian official told Reuters on April 6 that Islamic Republic Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has instructed Iranian armed forces to be on high alert. The source also said Tehran has...

April 7, 2025 | |

10 Rockets Fired at Israel Amid Renewed Anti-Hamas Protests in Gaza

Rockets Hit Israeli Communities: Hamas terrorists launched 10 rockets at Israeli communities on April 6, the heaviest barrage since the October 2024 anniversary of the atrocities...

April 3, 2025 | Janatan Sayeh |

Iranian personnel reportedly leave Yemen as US strikes intensify

Iran has ordered its military personnel to leave Yemen amidst the ongoing US bombing campaign in the country, The Telegraph reported on April 3. The newspaper’s source added that regime...

April 2, 2025 | Bridget Toomey |

Iraq wrestles with US pressure over Iran-backed militias

The US is reportedly applying pressure on the Iraqi government and Iran to disband Iraq’s pro-Iranian militias. These efforts come amid calls from some Iraqi leaders to dissolve the militias or integrate...