In two defiant sermons, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other militias will “not retreat” from the battle against Israel despite the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other leaders. “The resistance will be victorious,” he told…
Iran Policy
Iran launched a massive two-wave attack on Israel with at least 180 ballistic missiles on Oct. 1, 2024. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) invoked the right to self-defense under the U.N. charter following Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah…
In his debut address to the U.N. General Assembly, President Masoud Pezeshkian said that he wants Iran to play a “constructive role in the evolving global order.” He also signaled willingness to engage with Western powers on reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement, which curbed Iran’s controversial…
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah vowed revenge for Israel’s twin cyberattacks on the pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives that injured thousands and killed more than three dozen on Sept. 17 and 18, 2024. "The enemy transgressed all boundaries and red lines" and…
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has often issued important signals about Iran’s willingness to deal with the world’s major powers, including the United States, on nuclear issues. On Aug. 27, 2024, he told Pezeshkian’s cabinet that there was “no barrier” to engaging with Iran’s “enemy,” a term…
On April 18, 2024, Iranian and Israeli officials traded barbs during a U.N. Security Council session on the situation in the Middle East. Iran defended its unprecedented April 13-14 assault on Israel with more than 330 drones and missiles as a “necessary” and “legitimate” response to Israel’s…
Overnight on April 13-14, 2024, Iran launched an unprecedented attack—including 170 drones, at least 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles—on Israel. The swarm of assaults were retaliation for Israel’s airstrike, on April 1, on an Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus that …
On March 20, 2024, Iran’s leaders marked Nowruz, the Persian New Year and the first day of spring, with candid yet optimistic messages on the economy. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised Iran’s resilience in the face of U.S. and European sanctions but also acknowledged that the struggling…
On Feb. 11, 2024, President Ebrahim Raisi addressed the nation to mark the 45th anniversary of the Iranian revolution. He heralded the Islamic Republic’s break from both East and West since the 1979 ouster of the U.S.-backed monarchy. “The time has passed when the heads of great powers come to…
Tensions flared between the United States and allies of Iran after the drone attack that killed three American soldiers and injured more than 40 at Tower 22, a military outpost in northern Jordan on January 28, 2024. The Biden administration vowed decisive retribution. In response, Iran and its…