Syria

Senior Iranian officials continued to present the Iranian attack on Israel on April 13-14, 2024, as an Iranian success and a defeat for Israel. Iran welcomed Hamas’ announcement that it agreed to the ceasefire proposal in Gaza. The Iranian foreign minister spoke with the head of Hamas’ political bureau, and the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry praised the “political wisdom of the resistance.” At the same time, Iran condemned the Israeli military operation in Rafah. The Saudi newspaper al-Hadath reported that several weeks ago, Qods Force commander Esmail Qaani had visited Beirut and discussed future military measures with Hezbollah’s secretary-general in light of developments on the Gaza Strip and Lebanese fronts. In early May 2024, sources in Iraq and Iran reported Qaani’s visit to Baghdad for consultations with the heads of the pro-Iranian Shiite militias. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq continued to claim responsibility for attacks on “vital targets” in Israeli territory, also claiming that they had carried out an attack on Tel Aviv for the first time. The IDF confirmed interceptions of two aircraft from east Israel and another in the Eilat area. The Houthis in Yemen announced the opening of the fourth phase of fighting in the conflict and threatened to attack vessels sailing to Israel in the Mediterranean Sea as well. Read more...

Amid the recent escalation between Iran and Israel, the Iranian president warned that if Israel attacked Iran again, “nothing will remain of the Zionist regime.” Iran welcomed the pro-Palestinian student demonstrations at universities across the United States and Europe and condemned the suppression of protests by the authorities in Western countries. Iran had reduced its military presence in southern Syria following the Israeli attacks against senior IRGC officers. The report was denied by a source in the resistance front. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq continued to claim responsibility for UAV attacks against what they referred to as “vital targets” in Israeli territory. In practice, none of the incidents have been detected. The Houthis in Yemen have resumed their attacks against vessels they regard as Israeli or linked to Israel. Most of the attacks were thwarted by American and European forces in the Red Sea. Read more...

On the night of April 14, 2024, the IRGC launched hundreds of UAVs and missiles, including ballistic missiles, at Israel in response to the attack near the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1, 2024, in which Hassan Mahdavi, the senior IRGC commander in Syria and Lebanon, was killed. After the attack, senior Iranian officials stressed that Iran was not interested in further escalation and threatened an even harsher and wider response in the event of an Israeli response against Iran. The Iranian president and foreign minister held a series of telephone consultations to prevent an Israeli response. Rahim Safavi, the senior military advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran, announced at a memorial ceremony for Hassan Mahdavi that a new Middle East, centered on Iran and the “resistance front,” would be created in the region against the plans and wishes of the United States and Israel. In Syria, precautionary measures were reportedly taken by the IRGC in eastern Syria for fear of airstrikes.On the eve of the Iranian attack on Israel, the Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria raised their alert. After the attack, Iraqi cities witnessed demonstrations of joy. This past week, the Houthis carried out four attacks against vessels in the Red Sea area. Read more...

World Jerusalem Day rallies were held across Iran on April 5, 2024, like every year on the last Friday of Ramadan. This year’s rallies were marked by the war in the Gaza Strip and the attack attributed to Israel in Damascus on April 1, 2024. The New York Times reported that Iran operated clandestine weapons smuggling routes through Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan to Judea and Samaria. According to the report, Iran uses organized crime gangs, activists in extremist organizations, soldiers, intelligence agents, and Bedouin smugglers. The Iranian foreign minister made a round of visits to Oman and Syria. The Iranian president spoke with Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, to offer his condolences over the death of his three sons in an IDF attack in the Gaza Strip. A Syrian news channel reported that the IRGC had transferred a shipment of suicide UAVs from Albukamal in eastern Syria to the south of the country. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for attacking numerous military and strategic targets in Israeli territory. The Houthis in Yemen carried out several attacks against vessels in the Red Sea. Read more...