Orientul Mijlociu

Established In: 1979

Established By: Ayatollah Khomeini

Also Known As: IRGC, Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution

Country Of Origin: Iran

Leaders: Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari

Key Members: Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, Brigadier General Mohammad Hejazi, Brigadier General Mohammad Pakvar

Operational Area: Iran, Syria, Iraq

Number Of Members: 120,000–125,000

Involved In: Smuggling (including importing illegal alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and satellite dishes, into Iran via jetties not supervised by the Government), Training and supplying Hezbollah and Hamas, Kidnappings of 5 Britons from a government ministry building in Baghdad in 2007

For many years now, Hezbollah has served as a major instrument of Iran to take over Lebanon, not only as a territory but as a sovereign state. Many Western countries would like to avoid that and invest in the former “Pearl of the Middle East”, led by France. These efforts are futile in view of the Iranian circumvention apparatus, who’s main mechanism is allocated in the border crossings between Syria and Lebanon. No matter how much pressure is put on a state level, Hezbollah will survive and even prosper, as long as one does not put an end to Hezbollah’s control over these main smuggling routes.

The paper presents a critical reading of the intellectual and educational aspects of the Muslim Brotherhood’s literature related to citizenship, while demonstrating its urgent need for revision and renewal to keep pace with the requirements of our present age, far from the sermons and messages inherited from Hassan al-Banna and others.

• Iran strongly condemned Israel’s operations in Lebanon, including the detonation of the communications devices, the killing of Ibrahim Aqil, and the extensive airstrikes. However, at this stage, Iran refrains from committing to direct military involvement in the campaign alongside Hezbollah, focusing instead on diplomatic efforts. These efforts are being led by the president and foreign minister, who are actively participating in the UN General Assembly deliberations.
• Additional Iranian threats to avenge Ismail Haniyeh’s death: The Iranian General Staff warned Israel and the United States that it intends to avenge Haniyeh’s death, and the head of the Supreme Leader’s office stated that Iran’s response is expected soon.
• Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that if the Islamic nation used its internal power, it could remove Israel from the heart of the Muslim community. Iranian President Pezeshkian used his speech at the UN General Assembly to accuse Israel of “genocide” and “crimes against humanity.”
• Iran is reportedly mediating talks between Russia and the Houthis over a shipment of anti-ship missiles that could increase the threat to vessels in the Red Sea.
• The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for 13 drone and cruise missile attacks against targets in Israel this past week, five of them in one day. The Israeli Air Force fighter jets and air defense units intercepted most of the launches. Three drones exploded in the Golan Heights and the Arava. There were no casualties.
• The pro-Iranian Shiite militias also announced that they would assist Hezbollah with a shipment of fighters and weapons in the event of an Israeli land invasion of southern Lebanon.
• The militias in Iraq stepped up their security measures following the explosion of Hezbollah’s communications devices. At least 40 Houthi fighters were reportedly killed or wounded in the series of explosions in Lebanon.
• A senior security advisor to Kata’ib Hezbollah in Iraq was killed in an attack attributed to Israel in Syria.
• Senior Houthi officials threatened that they would continue launching rockets into Israeli territory, saying they are prepared for a long confrontation.

Established In: 1985

Established By: Abbas al-Musawi, Subhi al-Tufayli

Also Known As: Hizballah, Party of Allah, Party of God

Country Of Origin: Lebanon

Leaders: Hassan Nasrallah

Key Members: Hassan Nasrallah

Operational Area: Lebanon

Number Of Members: 65,000

Involved In: Suicide attacks, Terrorist attacks, Recruiting terrorists, Terror financing, Kidnapping

Terror organization: Hezbollah

Status: Commander of Nasser unit. The Nasser unit is responsible for the area between the border with Israel and the Litani River.

Role: He was an operative since the establishment of the organization. He joined Hezbollah in 1984. In 1992-1994 participated in the war in Bosnia. In 2005, he commanded a failed kidnapping attempt of IDF soldiers in the Ajja area on the Israeli-Lebanese border near the Sheba farm.

Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon killed almost 500 people, including dozens of women and children, and wounded more than 1,600, according to Lebanese authorities, in the deadliest wave of strikes since the current hostilities began in October.

Following a series of brazen attacks against Iran-backed Hezbollah last week that decimated the Lebanese militant group’s command-and-control structure — an operation widely believed to have been executed by Israel — the two hostile parties have been trading some of the most severe fire since Oct. 7. With tensions ablaze, on Sept. 22, Hezbollah struck deep into Israel, firing retaliatory drones, rockets, and missiles at the Ramat David Airbase as part of its “open-ended battle of reckoning.” While most of these munitions were intercepted, the region is bracing for an all-out war with potentially devastating consequences for Lebanon. And as the Israeli side ups the ante with an expanding air campaign, Hezbollah shows no signs of backing down; speculation abounds about how the situation will evolve and especially how Tehran will respond.

Israel’s violence toward its neighbors, long out of control in its destruction of Gaza, now threatens to open new fronts, involve new nations, and even drag the United States into direct conflict. Promises of a ceasefire from the Biden Administration have come to nothing. Soft, behind the scenes diplomacy has failed to achieve peace.

Conservative and Labour governments supported Baghdad’s brutal attack on the Kurds 60 years ago, knowing it may have constituted genocide, declassified files show.

• UK ministers stepped up arms exports to Iraq’s regime after it launched a “terror campaign” against the Kurds in 1963
• Thousands of rockets were sent to Baghdad knowing they would be use to destroy Kurdish villages
• The British attempted to ensure the United Nations would not discuss allegations of genocide in Iraq
• Labour government ignored Kurdish leader’s plea to prevent Iraq beginning possible chemical weapons attacks against Kurds