Orientul Mijlociu

On February 25, 2024, the armed forces of the Yemeni Houthi Ansar Allah movement claimed responsibility for firing several “appropriate naval missiles” at the American ship the MV Torm Thor, and also for a drone attack on American warships in the Red Sea. This claim was made just three days after the group took responsibility for a series of drone and missile attacks on American and British vessels in the Red Sea, and on targets in Israel.[1]

Dozens of people were arrested inside Jordan, as the kingdom ramps up efforts to fight drug smuggling attempts mainly on the border with Syria.

Jordan’s security forces foiled several drug smuggling attempts across the kingdom in the past days, in the latest crackdown against the trade that has flourished in recent years.

Introduction

On the eve of the election in Iran for the Majlis, set for March 1, 2024, and the concurrent election for the Assembly of Experts, several reformist organizations have, as in years past, announced that they are boycotting both elections. The announcement comes despite the Iranian regime’s pressure on the public to turn out to vote.

Fatah Official Yasser Abu Sido said on a February 23, 2024 show on Sada Al-Balad TV (Egypt), that while he is not a “fan of Hitler,” the Holocaust was committed for “obvious reasons.” Abu Sido also said that “the Jews and global Zionism” planned to take control of Germany. He added that they started to bring Germany down in terms of the economy and moral values. Abu Sido continued to say that the Jews distorted the Torah.

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating members of a smuggling network that helps fund Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and the Houthis in Yemen. Led by Iran-based Houthi financier Sa’id al-Jamal, this network generates tens of millions of dollars in revenue from the sale of commodities, like Iranian petroleum, a significant portion of which is then directed through a complex network of intermediaries and exchange houses in multiple countries to the Houthis in Yemen.

Latest Developments

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28 called for mass turnout in Iran’s elections on March 1. Yet even government polling indicates that the majority of Iranians will boycott the contest for Iran’s 290-seat parliament, formally known as the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and 88-seat Assembly of Experts, a body tasked with selecting the country’s next supreme leader. This contest will mark the first nationwide elections since the anti-regime protests, known as the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, that rocked the country from 2022 to 2023, which were triggered by the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly.

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating members of a smuggling network that helps fund Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and the Houthis in Yemen. Led by Iran-based Houthi financier Sa’id al-Jamal, this network generates tens of millions of dollars in revenue from the sale of commodities, like Iranian petroleum, a significant portion of which is then directed through a complex network of intermediaries and exchange houses in multiple countries to the Houthis in Yemen.

Table Of Contents

Introduction

The Two Faces Of Qatar: A Wahhabi/Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Organization In The Guise Of A Modern State

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday announced the creation of an independent panel that will “assess the neutrality of UNRWA” and respond to allegations of “serious breaches”.

The new independent panel focused on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees will be led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, who will work with three European research organisations, the UN said in a statement.

Latest Developments

Hezbollah targeted northern Israel with anti-tank missiles on February 22. “An anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon Thursday morning struck a private home in Yuval, a village in the Upper Galilee,” Israel’s Yediot reported. A second anti-tank missile struck an open area near Kiryat Shmona, a city in northern Israel. There were no injuries reported in the attacks, and Israel responded with artillery fire. Tensions with Hezbollah have increased in recent weeks as the Iranian-backed terrorist group continues to carry out rocket and drone attacks on Israel. Israel evacuated communities along the border with Lebanon in October.