Iran: The Regional Arena

How do the Gulf states view the campaign by Israel and the United States against the ayatollah regime, during which their major cities are being attacked daily by the regime in Tehran?

This interactive map provides a strategic situational overview of the Middle East theater during the joint Israeli-American operation against Iran. It features Israeli and U.S. strikes across the region, Iranian strikes within Arab nations, U.S. force deployments, and Iranian military facilities and bases. Additionally, users can enable an optional layer displaying strikes from Operation Rising Lion for comparative analysis. The map is updated continuously with the highest possible precision, based on open-source intelligence (OSINT) and media reports.

This interactive map highlights the deployment of U.S. military assets and other relevant actors in the region. The current U.S. posture signals deterrence and readiness for offensive military operations, while reflecting a strong preference to avoid a protracted conflict. Combined with intensified ISR activity and diplomatic signaling, this configuration supports coercive diplomacy but also increases the risk of escalation through miscalculation in an already volatile theater. The map is updated regularly and as accurately as possible, based on open-source intelligence assessments and media reporting.

With the approach of the Iranian presidential elections, there is increased discussion in Iran and in the West surrounding the possible election of a "military president," who will come from the ranks of the Revolutionary Guards and channel his military skills to the severe domestic and external challenges facing the Islamic Republic. While the standing of the Revolutionary Guards has strengthened in recent decades, and they play a prominent role in politics and the economy, any discussion of the "militarization" of the Iranian state must, inter alia, distinguish between direct intervention in politics by the Revolutionary Guards and the integration of former commanders in politics. In any case, the chances of the Revolutionary Guards taking over the Iranian political system seem slim as long as the current Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, holds the reins of power. Khamenei's death could accelerate the process of militarization of the Iranian state and perhaps even prepare the ground for an alternative model of governance, with far-reaching implications for Iran’s domestic and foreign policy.