Publications

Moves advanced by the Trump administration toward countries in Latin America—aimed at strengthening US security, particularly by accelerating the campaign against drug trafficking and illegal immigration into its territory—create a unique opportunity to mobilize the administration to take actions that challenge Iran’s expanding presence on the continent.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman’s visit to Tehran in April and his meeting with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, were intended to underscore and deepen the renewed relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the second anniversary of their restoration. The visit took place against the backdrop of talks between Iran and the United States aimed at reaching a nuclear agreement, along with reports of a possible Israeli and/or American strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Although both Saudi Arabia and Iran have an interest in...

As the renewal of nuclear talks approaches, the Iranian leadership faces an increasingly sharp dilemma over the strategy it should adopt regarding its nuclear program. On one side, figures from the “moderate” camp are urging Tehran’s leadership to take a conciliatory approach that would lead to a nuclear agreement with the United States in exchange for concessions on its uranium enrichment program. On the other side, voices within the “conservative” camp are growing louder, advocating for Iran to reconsider its nuclear strategy and...

Recently, the Houthis have adopted a strategy aimed at exhausting the Israeli population, thereby increasing pressure on the Israeli government to halt its military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Given that Israel’s current approach to countering the Yemeni terrorist organization has been ineffective, it would be prudent to significantly intensify coalition and Israeli efforts against the group’s leadership, as well as its missile production and launch capabilities. Targeting Iran, however, would contradict American interests, risk...

In recent years, Iranian actors have carried out a range of hostile influence operations as part of the Israeli public discourse, aiming to expand social and political rifts, create political tension and chaos, and encourage demonstrations and distrust of the government and its democratic institutions. Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the Iranian influence operations have focused on issues related to the war and the attempt to sow distrust and demoralization, incite violence against Arab citizens, and deeply penetrate the...

In recent years, Iran has expanded its political, military, and economic foothold in Latin America in an effort to utilize to its advantage the political changes in the region, especially the rise to power of left-wing parties. Without the coordinated activity of the United States and its allies in Latin America, the spread of Iranian influence in the continent could reach levels that would threaten Israel’s fundamental interests in the region.

While Israeli attention is currently focused primarily on the assistance Iran provides to its proxies as part of the Swords of Iron war, Tehran continues to expand its activities across the African continent, thereby increasing the threat to Israel’s political, security, and economic interests in this region. In light of this, Israel needs to formulate a strategy to prevent Iran from achieving its goals in Africa.

While the international community is focused on attempts to end Israel’s war against Hamas, which benefits from support from the Iranian-led axis, a severe report published by the International Atomic Energy Agency ahead of an upcoming meeting of the organization’s Board of Governors indicates that the Iranian nuclear issue is far from resolved. It appears that Western nations, led by the United States, still seek a political solution to the problem. At the same time, the increased tension between Washington and Tehran and the fact...

Two parallel and contradictory processes are currently underway between the United States and Iran. With the mediation of Qatar and Oman, the two countries reached a prisoner exchange agreement in return for the release of approximately $10 billion in frozen assets, which would be deposited in a Qatari bank and serve Iranian humanitarian needs. At the same time, the United States has reinforced its forces in and around the Strait of Hormuz with warships and thousands of marines, as well as fighter jets, some of which are carrying...

Russian dependence on Iran has deepened over the past few months, reflected in a variety of developments in security, foreign policy, and economic realms, in which Moscow increased its support for Iranian interests. Tightened relations, and especially Iranian assistance to Russia in the framework of Moscow’s campaign in Ukraine, indicate that the cooperation between the two countries is not just tactical; rather, it reflects a strategic decision by both sides. This development not only directly impacts Iranian force buildup and...