Danny Citrinowicz

The options available to the US administration in dealing with Tehran, Iran’s possible responses to these measures—and the implications for Israel

Despite being subjected to one of the harshest sanctions regimes in the world, Iran has succeeded in building a sophisticated, law-evading mechanism to support its aviation industry, which reflects the broader principles of the shadow economy it has developed. This article maps the operational architecture of that mechanism, based on using front and shell companies in countries with little transparency, layered ownership registries, bursts of activity designed to complete transfers within short timeframes, and flight-path planning that includes fictitious emergency landings to allow aircraft to quietly enter Iran. The article describes how Iran’s aviation sector—significantly harmed by sanctions—has shifted from a civilian transportation tool to a core component of the regime’s economic and security strategy, enabling it to continue functioning, finance its regional proxies, and project resilience in the face of international pressure. The aviation industry represents only one link in a much larger apparatus designed to evade sanctions in the trade of oil, gold, and dual-use technologies; yet the aviation sector clearly demonstrates the method: a sophisticated integration of state, market, and underground networks that operate in regulatory gray zones and disrupt efforts to globally enforce the sanctions.

The Islamic Republic has intensified its efforts to expand its influence among the Shiites in Thailand. How is this expressed, and how does it affect Israel?

Another extension of Iran’s influence in North Africa

How the Islamic Republic Uses Its Global Television Channels to Spread Its Influence

In recent years—and with greater intensity since the collapse of the Iran nuclear agreement and the widening rift between Iran and Western states, foremost among them the E3 [France, Germany, the United Kingdon] and the United States—the Iranian regime has sought to expand its activity across the African continent, in parallel to moves by Russia, China, Turkey, and the Gulf states in this arena. Iran’s actions, particularly with respect to its growing security foothold in Africa, heighten the threat to Israel emanating from the continent and require Israel to develop an integrated strategy that will reduce Iran’s ability to leverage Africa for its own ends. In October 2025, the Institute for National Security Studies convened a symposium to analyze the activities of Iran and other regional and global actors on the African continent, with the goal of assessing the implications of this activity for Israel’s national security and providing recommendations for Israel’s political and security leadership. These recommendations are intended to enhance Israel’s ability to address the evolving challenges in Africa stemming from Iran’s activities and those of other major powers on the continent.