Iran, not unlike the United States, is engaging the newly triumphant Taliban leaders of Afghanistan while staying focused on a troubled history with the hardline Sunni Islamist group. During its 1996-2001 rule, the Taliban repressed pro-Iranian minorities such as the Shiite Hazaras of central Afghanistan and the Persian-speaking Tajiks dominant in the north and west. In 1998| The Soufan Center
Over the weekend, Houthi rebels in Yemen once again launched a drone attack against Saudi Arabia, with the most recent incident targeting the Saudi Aramco crude stabilization facility in Abqaiq and an oil field at Hijra Khurais| The Soufan Center
In mid-September, despite having none of its members in top leadership posts, Lebanese Hezbollah orchestrated the importation of more than one million gallons of Iranian diesel fuel into Lebanon| The Soufan Center
Ibrahim Raisi, a close ally of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was sworn in as Iran’s president on August 5 amid stalled negotiations with the United States and partners on a mutual return to full compliance with the 2015 multilateral Iran nuclear deal| The Soufan Center
As negotiators for the United States and Iran report progress in indirect talks in Vienna aimed at a full restoration of the 2015 multilateral Iran nuclear agreement, countries in the region appear to be repositioning themselves| The Soufan Center
A series of recent incidents involving Israeli and Iranian ships and Iranian and Iran-backed persons and facilities suggest that Iran and Israel are engaged in low-level and undeclared warfare| The Soufan Center