Proxy war

The Houthis, Tehran, and the Deep Red Sea

Washington Decides Complete Ban on Iran-Iraq Flights Is Not Worth the Political Cost

Iraq has received another carve out in Iran-related sanctions. After U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that “all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” all flights between...

Syria says it thwarted Hezbollah plot; Israel likely target

On September 29, Syria’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) announced that the agency, in coordination with the General Intelligence Directorate, had “thwarted a sabotage plot in the Yarmouk Basin in Daraa”...

America needs to destroy what really sustains the Iranian regime

The ruling ideologues won’t concede anything until they lose their power of coercion.

America’s Must-Win Battle of Hormuz

The only hope to win the war is to deprive the Islamic Republic of control over the crucial strait.

Saudi Arabia closes its East-West pipeline after attacks from Iraq

Saudi Arabia announced on September 11 that the East-West Crude Oil Pipeline, its main Hormuz-bypass route to the Red Sea, was closed following multiple drone attacks the day before in the country’s...

Israel Razes Hilltop Hezbollah Stronghold, Securing Buffer Zone in South Lebanon

After a siege lasting nearly three months, Israeli forces are now in control of a strategic hilltop in southern Lebanon dubbed Iran’s “second front” against the Jewish state. The Ali al-Taher...

Iran’s Nightmare: No War, No Relief

The New Islamic Empire: Will Turkey Inherit Iran’s Mantle?

Despite being 1,000 miles apart and in different time zones, Turkey and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) maintain a military partnership that operates in direct violation of a standing UN arms embargo....

Iranian-backed Iraqi militias may seek to delay disarmament

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq may be seeking to delay the government’s plan to disarm them. “A senior Iraqi official pushed back a September 30 deadline for pro-Iran factions to hand over their weapons,...

Deadline for Iraq’s Militias To Disarm Nears but Tehran’s Proxies Show They’re Above the Law

Iraq’s new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, appears to be trying to reign in the Iranian-backed militias that have spread terror and disunion in his country. But a recent arrest may point to the limits...

Russia helps Iran sharpen its sword

Russia is shipping explosives and other military goods to help Iran replenish arsenals depleted in fighting with the United States and Israel, according to an August 17 report by NBC News. If accurate,...

Yemen on the Brink of a Return to Civil War

When the Houthis in Yemen entered the conflict between the United States and Iran on July 20 by announcing a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, it spelled danger in the Red Sea. Now, it appears Yemenis...

Iran Is Rewiring Its Proxy Network

The Islamic Republic’s preparation for renewed regional escalation is making it less vulnerable to outside attacks.

Iraq pressured by regional countries to rein in Iran-backed militias as new data on extent of attacks released

Iraq finds itself under growing pressure from regional countries and the US to rein in Iranian-backed Iraqi militias. The latest pressure from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan comes as Ahmad...

Iran renews attacks on Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in Iraq

Iran increased attacks on the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq in mid-July as the US continued to carry out renewed airstrikes on Iran. By July 2, the US had conducted 10...

Iran reportedly tells Houthis to close Bab al Mandeb Strait if US strikes power grid

Three sources told Reuters on July 16 that Iran has instructed Yemen’s Houthis to close the Red Sea to shipping if the US attacks Iran’s power network, which President Donald Trump threatened to...

Lebanon Seeks Turkey’s Help To Avoid Acting Against Hezbollah

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asserted a strong interest in his neighbors’ affairs last month, declaring that, “Turkey’s security does not begin in Hatay [in southern Turkey], but rather...

The Blockade’s Back: US-Iran MOU Unravels

Why Iran Sanctions Relief Wouldn’t Have Stopped Iran

As the United States and Iran trade blows again, it’s important to remember that sanctions relief would have only allowed the Islamic Republic to finance its war machine.