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Syria

Spotlight on Iran (September 11 – 26, 2023)

The IRGC commander responded to the Israeli Mossad chief’s threats to increase Israel’s activity against Iran, warning that if Israel continues its assassination policy, its life will be shortened, and Iran will have the upper hand.The Iranian media reported on a visit to Syria by Qods Force Commander Esmail Qaani, during which he met with senior political and security officials and visited operational areas in the country. According to a Syrian news channel report, the IRGC and pro-Iranian militias intend to turn the Soleimani military base in eastern Syria into their main base in the region and transfer weapons currently at the Imam Ali base there. Intensive contacts have been held over the past two weeks between senior Iranian and Iraqi officials over Iran’s demand to dismantle the separatist Kurdish groups operating in the Kurdish region in northern Iraq. The Iraqi foreign minister, who visited Tehran, stressed his country’s commitment to the security agreement with Iran and to dismantling the Kurdish armed groups operating in northern Iraq.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (September 15-21, 2023)

This past week no unusual incidents were reported along the Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah-affiliated media outlets reported on works carried out by Israel in the Ghajar region. The exposure of Iran and Hezbollah's secret airport in south Lebanon continued to make headlines. Preliminary details have been published about the plan of Amos Hochstein, the American president's coordinator for energy security, to resolve the issue of the land border between Israel and Lebanon. Tensions continue in the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp. Several meetings were held in an effort to calm the situation. So far, there has been no solution to the presidential crisis in Lebanon nor is one on the horizon. Hezbollah and Amal continue to promote the candidacy of Suleiman Frangieh.
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (September 14-20, 2023)

This week, there was a decline in ISIS’s activity around the world. The organization’s activity focused on Syria and Africa. In the Idlib area, fighting continued between the forces of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated HTS and the Syrian army. In the desert area, three pro-Iranian militia fighters were killed in an ISIS attack. In Nigeria ISIS attacked Nigerian army targets in the northeast of the country. In Somalia operatives of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab continued to attack targets of the Somali army and the forces supporting it. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have formed a new defense alliance to jointly fight jihadi terrorist organizations headed by Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Al-Qaeda’s branch in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) renewed the publication of the magazine Sada al-Malahim, apparently to enlist support and operatives. Unofficial media arms affiliated with Al-Qaeda published posters threatening the United States and its allies and Sweden and its “sisters.”
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (September 8 – 14 , 2023)

This past week no unusual incidents were reported along the Israel-Lebanon border. In south Lebanon there were reports of explosions and Israeli planes circling over the area. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant revealed the existence of an Iranian airport in south Lebanon. In Lebanon the reactions to the revelation were mixed. The United States Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Hezbollah operatives and economic institutions in south Lebanon and South America. An arms-smuggling network from Iran to Lebanon for Hamas was exposed, with the involvement of officers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Qods Force. Violent clashes were renewed in the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon. The presidential crisis in Lebanon continues despite the efforts of Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French envoy, who visited Lebanon, to help resolve it. In Syria, two attacks attributed to Israel were carried out in the area of Tartus and Hama.
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (September 7-13, 2023)

This week, there was an increase in ISIS’s activities around the world. The organization’s activities were concentrated in Syria and Africa. In ISIS’s activity in the desert area, nine members of the forces supporting Syria and three civilians were killed. In the rebel enclave in Idlib, exchanges of fire continued between the Syrian army and the Al-Qaeda-affiliated HTS. An operation by the Kurdish SDF forces against ISIS in the Deir ez-Zor area killed 29 militants and 25 SDF fighters. In Iraq ISIS operatives attacked the building of a government company engaged in mining east of Rutba, in western Iraq. This is the most significant attack carried out by ISIS in Iraq in recent times. The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen (JNIM) announced that it had attacked a Burkina Faso army force near the border with Mali. According to the organization, at least 50 soldiers were killed.Al-Qaeda and ISIS marked the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by glorifying the event and inciting violence against the “infidels.”
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Spotlight on Iran (August 28- September 11, 2023)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein-Amir Abdollahian held a several-day visit to Syria and Lebanon. An IRGC member was killed in late August 2023 in Syria. The circumstances of his death were not disclosed. The IRGC and pro-Iranian militias in eastern Syria have taken increased security measures in Deir ez-Zor amid violent clashes between Kurdish SDF forces and Sunni Arab tribesmen. About four million Iranian pilgrims arrived at Shiite holy sites in Iraq in early September 2023 as part of the Arbaeen ceremonies. IRGC’s Qods Force Commander Esmail Qaani arrived in Iraq as part of the Arbaeen ceremonies and visited the cities of Najaf and Samarra, as well as the memorial in Baghdad to Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was assassinated by the United States in January 2020. Qaani also met with commanders of the Shiite pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.
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