Syria

The military show of strength held by Hezbollah in the Syrian city of Al-Qusayr

On November 13, 2016, Hezbollah held a first-of-its-kind military show of strength, exceptional in scope. The show of strength took place near the Syrian city of Al-Qusayr, in the northern Bekaa Valley (about 15 km from the border with Lebanon). It was part of a series of events held to commemorate Hezbollah’s Martyr’s Day annually
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Spotlight on Iran* (November 20 – December 4, 2016)

Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said Iranian forces were not participating in the fighting in Mosul because the Shi’ite militias in Iraq did not need Iranian fighters. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, commander of the Iranian armed forces, said that in the future Iran might construct military bases along the Yemeni
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (November 17-23, 2016)

More than a month after the beginning of the campaign for Mosul. The Iraqi army advances slowly in the eastern neighborhoods of the city and toward the airport south of Mosul, facing fierce resistance on the part of ISIS. The Shiite militias and an Iraqi army force have taken over the airport of the city
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Initial Reactions in Iran to the Election of Donald Trump as President of the United States – Dr. Raz Zimmt

Donald Trump’s election as the 45th president of the United States was received in Iran with great surprise. Senior Iranian officials, among them Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, reacted with care and restraint in their initial references to his victory, claiming Iran was not worried but rather prepared to cope with any possible challenge. However, they
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Spotlight on Iran* (November 7-20, 2016)

Faysal Meqdad, the Syrian deputy foreign minister, paid a visit to Tehran and met with senior Iranian officials. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, advisor to the speaker of the Majlis (the Iranian parliament) for international affairs, told him Iran would continue to support Syria in its fight against terrorism. Mohammad Bagheri, the Iranian chief of staff, said that
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (November 10-16, 2016)

The Iraqi army has taken over some of the eastern neighborhoods of Mosul. The Iraqi army is cleansing the rural area south of Mosul. The Shiite militias continue to advance toward Tal Afar, west of Mosul. ISIS continues its terrorist attacks on Iraqi cities, especially against Shiite targets and against the Iraqi regime. In Aleppo,
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