Iranian Demonstrators Chant Slogans against U.S. and Saudi Arabia during anti-Israel “Quds Day” Rallies
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians today marched the streets of Tehran and across the country to mark the International Quds Day, Iranian media reported. The demonstrators voiced support to the plight of Palestinians and chanted slogans against Israel and the United States. Senior political and military leaders, including President Hassan Rouhani and Islamic Revolution Guards Commander Mohammad Ali Jafari, attended the anti-Israeli rallies.
I.R.G.C. Displays Ballistic Missiles at anti-Israel Rallies in Tehran
During the annual “International Quds Day” rallies in Tehran today, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) showcased its ballistic missiles to send a message to Israel. At Valiasr Street in Tehran, three ballistic missiles were displayed, including Zolfighar missiles that the I.R.G.C. launched against Islamic State positions in Syria recently. Hundreds of people, including government officials, gathering near the missile exhibition and a number of them wrote anti-Israel slogans on the missiles.
Iraqi Paramilitary Forces Say Will Participate in Tal Afar Operation despite Sunni Concerns
A commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.) – the Iraqi paramilitary forces also known as Hashd al-Shaabi – has announced that the operation to liberate Tal Afar region in western Mosul will begin soon after the end of Ramadan.
The ongoing Qatar crisis poses a major dilemma for Kuwait and Oman. Consistent with their “neutral” foreign policies, these two Arab Gulf states have maintained ties with Doha and seek to resolve the gravest internal Gulf Cooperation Council (G.C.C.) row since the organization’s establishment in 1981. Officials in Kuwait City and Muscat fear that failure to settle the Qatar crisis will break up the council, which would directly undermine vital Kuwaiti and Omani national interests given the potential for such a scenario to dramatically exacerbate regional geopolitical instability.
Khamenei to Abadi: Don’t Allow American Troops in Iraq and Keep Popular Forces
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Iran opposed the presence of American forces in Iraq and urged Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi not to rely on Washington.
I.R.G.C. Contradicts Rouhani and Intelligence Minister on Syria Missile Strikes
On Wednesday, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) in a statement said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had ordered the launch of missiles into Syria over the weekend.
Iranian Parliament Speaker: Missile Strikes Sent Powerful Message to U.S., Region
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said today that Iran sent a powerful message to the United States and Israel by firing missiles into Syria, Fars News Agency reported.
Analyst Cautions Rouhani against Falling Prey to U.S. “Game” and Leaving Nuclear Deal
An article in state-run Islamic Republic News Agency cautions the Rouhani government against falling prey to the “new game” by the Trump administration and its Middle Eastern allies – which the author claimed are provoking Tehran to abandon the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Saudi King Salman’s appointment of his son Mohammed bin Salman to be first in line to the throne has sent shockwaves in Tehran. While the Iranian government has not officially reacted to the announcement yet, the country’s state media warn that the 31-year-old prince will pursue a more aggressive policy vis-à-vis Iran – pointing out that Prince Mohammed has made explicit threats against the Islamic Republic, has cultivated close ties with the Trump administration, and has not shied away from confronting Iran’s proxies in Yemen, Syria and the broader region.
Europe Eyes Further Cooperation with Iran under Rouhani
European leaders welcomed the re-election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani with a sigh of relief. The European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Federica Mogherini, congratulated Rouhani and highlighted the high electoral turnout. It is worth noting that both Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, and Mogherini had developed a good working relationship with Rouhani in face-to-face talks during the Iranian president’s first term.
Iran Denies Saudi Claims about Arrest of I.R.G.C. Members Plotting Attacks
On Tuesday, a senior Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) official refuted claims by Saudi Arabia that it had detained three I.R.G.C. members plotting attacks against the kingdom. “The claim lacks any value … and looks more like a joke,” General Rassoul Sanaeerad, the deputy I.R.G.C. head for political affairs, said in an interview with Tasnim News Agency. He claimed Riyadh was fabricating the allegations for psychological warfare purposes against Iran.
U.S. Shoots Down Second Iran-Made Drone in Southern Syria
An American aircraft today shot down an Iranian-made armed drone approaching U.S.-led coalition forces in southern Syria, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
Rouhani Administration Seeks to Expand Iran’s Relations with Africa
The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to boost its relations with African countries, President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday in a meeting with Benin’s new ambassador to Tehran Naim A
Iran: Missile Strikes in Syria Carry Wider Warning to Regional States and U.S.
On Sunday, the Iranian military said it had launched six missiles at Islamic State positions in Syria in retaliation for the June 7 attacks in Tehran claimed by the terrorist group. A statement by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) confirmed that it fired medium-range missiles from bases in the western Iranian provinces of Kermanshah and Kurdistan and killed a “large number” of Islamic State terrorists in Syria’s Deir Az Zour province.
