Publications on Iran: The Regional Arena

Southern Syria is an Iranian “backyard” and a platform for attacks on Israel; for example, it could well serve as an option for revenge following the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, head of the Iranian nuclear project. Iran is determined to continue the consolidation of its proxies in the area and enhance its local civilian and military influence. The current chaos in southern Syria stems from the Assad regime’s lack of effective control and the competing interests of the many actors that are active there:...

The prolonged tension in the north between the IDF and Hezbollah suggests that the two sides are actually only a few faulty or miscalculated moves away from a clash that is liable to escalate rapidly into a full-scale war, with little warning that would give the IDF time to prepare. At the same time, Israel is grappling with a Covid-19 crisis and a prolonged political crisis that has delayed essential IDF force buildup processes, particularly the budget and procurement of aircraft and battle systems, as well as the IDF’s...