Iran and its terrorist proxy Hezbollah are coordinating to seize control of large swaths of Syria in the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s expected downfall, according to analysis published today by Israeli Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Dr. Shimon Shapira: Suleimani… now appeared to be prepared to extend Iran’s control to all of Syria....

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Iranian media is conveying boasts from the Iranian regime over a total of eight planned military exercises set to take place this year. Included in the count is a “massive drill” to be held in June: On the sidelines of the meeting with foreign military attaches held on the occasion...

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After coming under scrutiny for de facto facilitating weapons shipments from Iran to the Bashar al-Assad regime, Iraqi officials have declared their readiness to carry out random searches of airplanes: While Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s spokesman spoke of newly tightened restrictions on Iranian flights to Syria, the head of Iraq’s...

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Unconfirmed reports from Syrian rebels indicate that they may have successfully struck an Iranian airplane that was attempting to land at the Damascus airport and deliver arms to the Bashar al-Assad regime. Reuters recently reported that Iran has “significantly stepped up” military assistance to Syrian army. The main weapons routes...

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Journalist Michael Totten, evaluating the situation from on the ground in Lebanon, reports that the country is “gearing up to explode” due to sectarian tensions ignited by the Syrian conflict across the border. The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah has long been operating in Syria on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad...

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An Al-Qaeda affiliate in Iraq has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly bombings that killed 21 people and wounded more than 100 last Sunday in Baghdad. The group, calling itself The Islamic State of Iraq, described the attack as a sectarian strike: “The operation was in response to the repression...

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Syrian opposition figures are claiming that a car bomb that ripped through a Turkish border crossing on Monday was an assassination attempt targeting their delegation. Fourteen people were killed in the blast at the Bab Al-Hawa crossing on the Syrian-Turkish border. Analysis is now pivoting to speculation regarding Ankara’s reaction to the bombing,...

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Israeli outlets from across the political spectrum are criticizing Turkey over what Israeli officials are describing as Ankara’s “brazen hypocrisy” in lashing out against Israel on a variety of issues. Analysts and pundits have expressed surprise that Turkey, a country described as having “ethnically cleansed the northern part of Cyprus...

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The air strikes on a weapons convoy in the Lebanon-Syria border area and on a suspected weapons facility northwest of Damascus underscore the complexity of the new security situation Israel will confront in 2013. It seems that in the Middle East, despite the euphoria of the “Arab Spring,” it’s more...

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Despite recent rapprochement between the U.S. and Turkey, Washington is increasingly concerned over Ankara’s involvement in Iraq. Analysts note that business ties, particularly between northern Iraq and Turkey “could further push Baghdad toward Tehran.” Turkey has maintained growing trade with Iran despite U.S. and international sanctions on Iranian financial institutions that aid the...

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