Hezbollah seizes much of IS enclave on Syrian-Lebanese border – Nasrallah
Hezbollah has captured much of an Islamic State pocket on Syria’s side of the border with Lebanon in a joint offensive with the Syrian army, its leader said on Thursday.
Iran
Netanyahu to Putin: Iran continues to threaten our existence
Netanyahu told Putin that Iran’s takeover of the Middle East and their stronghold in Syria present a threat to Israel, the Middle East, and the entire world.
Iran Caught Shipping Soldiers to Syria on Commercial Flights in Violation of Nuclear Deal
New photographs obtained by congressional leaders show Iran shipping militant soldiers to Syria on commercial airline flights, a move that violates the landmark nuclear agreement and has sparked calls from U.S. lawmakers for a formal investigation by the Trump administration, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.
US says doubts over Iran deal remain after meeting nuke watchdog
The United States still has doubts and concerns over the nuclear deal with Iran, the US ambassador to the United Nations said Wednesday, after a meeting with atomic officials intended to allay American anxieties over the landmark accord.
Iran extends reach with fight for land link to Mediterranean
Thousands of Iranian-backed fighters in Syria’s central desert region are advancing east, bringing Tehran closer to its goal of securing a corridor from its border, through Iraq and all the way to the Mediterranean and providing it unhindered land access to its allies in Syria and Lebanon for the first time.
US: Does UN Check Iran Military Sites Under Nuclear Deal?
The United States wants to know if the United Nations atomic watchdog plans to inspect Iranian military sites to verify Tehran’s compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said Tuesday.
Netanyahu says he will discuss Iranian presence in Syria in Putin meeting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to discuss the Iranian presence in Syria when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said Tuesday.
Iran warns it can make weapons-grade material in days if nuke deal scotched
Iran’s atomic chief warned Tuesday the Islamic Republic needs only five days to ramp up its uranium enrichment to 20 percent, a level at which the material could be used for a nuclear weapon.
New report details Iran’s growing influence in Syria
Growing Israeli concern over Iran gaining an ever increasing foothold in Syria has been impossible to miss lately, as evidenced by the prime minister’s statements along those lines. Mossad Director Yossi Cohen also alerted the government to the fact that Iran’s influence in Syria in particular and the region in general is growing stronger by the day.
Russia hopes Iran won’t withdraw from nuclear deal
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday he hoped that Iran would not quit the nuclear agreement it reached in 2015 with world powers, Reuters reported.
Iran building missile factory in Syria
A report on Channel 2 on August 15 provided images of a military construction site from an Israeli satellite near Qalaat Marqab. The report said this is likely a factory to build long-range missiles. The area the factory is constructed in near the border of the Tartus and Latakia governorates is one that is closely linked to other military facilities of the Syrian regime and its allies. These include a Russian naval base at Tartus and Khmeimim air force base to the north, which is also allegedly used by Russia and the Iranians.
Iran’s military chief in rare visit to Turkey for Syria talks
Turkish and Iranian military leaders held talks on Wednesday over cooperation in the Syrian conflict and counter-terrorism, officials said, during a rare visit to NATO-member Turkey by the Islamic Republic’s military chief of staff.
US Navy reports another tense encounter with an Iran drone
An unarmed Iranian drone shadowed a U.S. aircraft carrier at night and came close enough to F-18 fighter jets to put the lives of American pilots at risk, the Navy said Tuesday, reporting the second such tense encounter within a week. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the U.S. safety concerns were unfounded.
Iran Sending Warships to Atlantic Ocean Amid Massive New Military Buildup
Iran is preparing to send a flotilla of warships to the Atlantic Ocean following the announcement of a massive $500 million investment in war spending, according to Iranian leaders, who say the military moves are in response to recent efforts by the United States to impose a package of new economic sanctions on Tehran.
Iran filling vacuum left by IS retreat in Syria, Iraq, Mossad chief warns
The head of the Mossad warned Sunday that as the Islamic State terrorist group is beaten back, Iran and its proxies are rushing in to take over its territory.
Christian Convert Released from Prison in Iran after 4 Years
A Christian convert from Islam has been released from prison in Iran where she had been held for four years.
Hamas and Iran Agree to ‘Turn a New Leaf’, Focus on ‘Shared Enemy’
Following a meeting between top Hamas officials and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday, a joint statement was released saying, ‘We concluded that it’s time to turn a new leaf in order to address our shared enemy.’
North Korea’s ‘No. 2’ official strengthens ties with Iran as UN hits Pyongyang with new sanctions
Amid new international sanctions, North Korea’s “No. 2” official embarked on a 10-day visit to Iran, a move that could result in the two sides expanding their ties.
Trump eager to declare Iran noncompliant on nuclear deal; Tillerson argues for leverage
A heated behind-the-scenes debate is playing out among high-level Trump administration advisers over whether the president should declare Iran in violation of the nuclear accord reached under his predecessor, President Obama.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard finds new route to arm Yemen rebels
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has started using a new route across the Persian Gulf to funnel covert arms shipments to their Houthi allies in Yemen’s civil war, sources familiar with the issue said Tuesday.