by Navid Felker
Iran and Saudi Arabia have been involved in disputes for many years. They have been rivals for decades. Saudi Arabia is the powerful Sunni capital and Iran is the Shiite power. As well as religious differences, the two countries also have opposing geostrategic interests.
Staff writer, SF
An earthquake has struck Iran and Iraq killing hundreds of people. The earthquake measured 7.3 and is the strongest to hit the region in several years. More than 4,500 people have been injured.
Many of the reports from Iran indicate that more than three hundred people have died there and the semi-official ISNA news agency is saying the number is 328. Reports from the Ministry of Health in the Kurdistan region say that eight people in Iraq have died – one in the Diyala province and seven in Kurdistan. The Iraqi health ministry also said that there have been 535 people injured.
by Navid Felker
One night in early November, a missile was fired by the Houthis at the Saudi city of Riyadh, the kingdom’s capital. After it was successfully shot down near the airport, it was examined, and the Saudi government claimed to know every detail about where it came from. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir declared on Nov. 6th, “It was an Iranian missile, launched by Hizballah from territory occupied by the Houthis in Yemen.” The next day, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman added, “Direct military aggression by the Iranian regime.”
by Azita Carlson
Last weekend, the Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a ballistic missile towards the capital of Saudi Arabia. It was intercepted by air defence in the Kingdom and was brought down near the city’s international airport. Luckily there were no casualties because such a missile could have caused numerous injuries and deaths.
Staff writer, SF
In the past two years, more than 30 people with dual nationality have been arrested by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Most of those were arrested on charges of spying.
The number of people arrested has risen sharply since 2015 – the year when the Iran nuclear deal was signed. It was hoped that as a result of the nuclear agreement, Iran would become more moderate and arrests like these would no longer take place.
by Navid Felker
The Iranian regime supports many different militias and proxy groups and has various different special forces that back up the country’s military abroad and at home. Iran is now urging Pakistan to do the same.
by Armin Baldwin
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has been urged to retract comments that he made last week to the British Parliament committee regarding Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is currently serving a five-year term in Iran after being accused of espionage — charges she denies.
Staff writer, SF
Yemen’s government, which is recognized by the UN, is supported by a Saudi-led coalition. On Sunday, the Coalition Command announced that it was temporarily closing all land, sea and air ports in Yemen to stop Iranian weapons from reaching Shiite Houthi insurgents.
by Armin Baldwin
The Iranian Regime has always posed a grave threat to US national security both in the Middle East and around the world; from supporting terrorist actions to killing US forces in Iraq to harassing US shipping vessels in the Persian Gulf.
by Navid Felker
Earlier this week, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) released a number of documents that were seized in 2011 proving that there is a relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Al-Qaeda.
The documents were taken during the raid in which leader of Al-Qaeda Osama bin Laden was killed.
