TOP STORIES
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim to have a new, hypersonic missile in their arsenal, Russia’s state media reported Thursday, potentially raising the stakes in their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways against the backdrop of Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The report by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency cited an unidentified official but provided no evidence for the claim. It comes as Moscow maintains an aggressively counter-Western foreign policy amid its grinding war on Ukraine. However, the Houthis have for weeks hinted about “surprises” they plan for the battles at sea to counter the United States and its allies, which have so far been able to down any missile or bomb-carrying drone that comes near their warships in Mideast waters.
Leader Of Yemen's Houthis Vows To Attack More Shipping Lanes | Reuters
The leader of Yemen's Houthis, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said on Thursday the group's operations targeting vessels will escalate to prevent Israel-linked ships from passing through the Indian Ocean towards the Cape of Good Hope. "Our main battle is to prevent ships linked to the Israeli enemy from passing through not only the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, but also the Indian Ocean towards the Cape of Good Hope. This is a major step and we have begun to implement our operations related to it," al-Houthi said in a televised speech.
Iranian Bombs Dropped On Israel Are Transported On Ships Using European Ports | The Telegraph
Iran is using European ports to provide cover for shipments of weapons to Hezbollah, The Telegraph can reveal. The Lebanese terror group has received missiles and bombs on ships that go on to dock in ports in Belgium, Spain and Italy, sources said. Hezbollah and Israel are close to all-out war amid daily exchanges of cross-border fire, causing border regions to be evacuated. Iran has switched to shipping weapons by sea after Israel’s air force began to target consignments coming in by land into northern Syria via Iraq, the source said.
MISSILE PROGRAM
Two Killed In Russian Attack On Ukraine, 27-Iran Made Drones Shot Down | Al-Arabiya
Two people were killed after Russia unleashed its second overnight mass drone attack on Ukraine in two days, authorities in Ukraine said on Friday. Kyiv’s air force said all 27 Iranian-made drones had been shot down by air defenses over seven regions across the country, including around the capital. Two people were killed in the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia when a residential building was damaged in the strike, according to the regional governor. The air force also said Russian forces had fired eight missiles in eastern and central Ukraine, but offered no further details.
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
Israel 'Terrified' Of West Bank During Ramadan, Says Iranian Quds Commander | Jerusalem Post
A general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the commander of the Quds Force Esmail Qaani has expressed beliefs that Israel is "terrified" of the West Bank during Ramadan, Iranian state media reported on Tuesday. "The Zionist regime has always been afraid of operations carried out by young Palestinian forces in the West Bank during Ramadan, but its panic has reached a pinnacle this year," Qaani claimed.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
US Educators Urge Princeton University To Dismiss Iranian Professor | Iran International
The National Association of Scholars (NAS) in the US has issued a call for Princeton University to terminate the employment of Iranian government official Seyed Hossein Mousavian. The demand comes in the wake of mounting concerns over Mousavian's alleged ongoing connections to the regime after years as a key advisor to the government. Last November, the US House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce launched an investigation into Mousavian's role at Princeton University. The inquiry stems from his prior tenure as a nuclear negotiator for the Iranian regime, a position he held until 2009.
Iran Confirms Indirect Talks With US Over Nuclear Program | Iran International
The Iranian state news agency has confirmed rumors that indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington are taking place regarding Iran’s nuclear program. However, IRNA claims there have been no discussions regarding the developments in the Red Sea, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels have imposed a blockade and are directly targeting US-owned vessels in the wake of the Gaza war. The Yemeni militia is not only targeting Israel in allegiance with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza, but claims it is punishing the US for supporting Israel's right to defend itself in the wake of the Iran-backed Hamas attacks of October 7.
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Hezbollah Tells Iran It Would Fight Alone In Any War With Israel | Reuters
With ally Hamas under attack in Gaza, the head of Iran's Quds Force visited Beirut in February to discuss the risk posed if Israel next aims at Lebanon's Hezbollah, an offensive that could severely hurt Tehran's main regional partner, seven sources said. In Beirut, Quds chief Esmail Qaani met Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the sources said, for at least the third time since Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attacks on southern Israel and Israel's devastating retaliatory assault on Gaza.
Iran Tried To Buy Malware From Russian Cybercrime Forums | Iran International
Iran has tried to purchase wiper malware from Russian underground forums that can help hackers irreversibly remove computer data. Sergey Shykevich, threat intelligence expert at cyber security company Check Point said in an interview with digital magazine Computer Weekly, “Nation states understand that to pretend to be involved in hacktivism allows them deniability … They don’t want to be accused, even if everyone knows it’s Russia or Iran.”
IRAQ & IRAN
US Renews 120-Day Waiver Allowing Iraq To Pay Iran For Electricity | Times Of Israel
The United States has renewed a 120-day waiver allowing Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a briefing on Thursday. Washington started issuing the waivers last year, stressing the money could only be used for “non-sanctionable transactions,” such as buying humanitarian goods like food and agricultural products.
AFGHANISTAN & IRAN
Iran Sends Delegation To Afghanistan As Taliban-Tehran Ties See Boost | Al-Monitor
An Iranian delegation held talks in Kabul on Thursday focused on setting up a new customs office and inking an agriculture deal in steps designed to boost ties between the Taliban government and the Islamic Republic. On Thursday the Taliban government’s acting minister for industry and commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, held a meeting with Iran’s deputy agricultural minister, Ali Reza Mohajer, and with Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s special envoy to Afghanistan. The trio discussed agricultural development in Afghanistan, establishing a customs office in Afghanistan’s Nimroz province, transit relations and other ways to boost trade between the two countries, the Taliban-run Bakhtar News Agency reported.
CYBERWARFARE
Hamas Broke Into Dozens Of Cameras In The Surrounding Settlements Before October 7 | Jerusalem Post
... Hamas' central intelligence body is called the "Internal Security Force" (ISF), according to Israel Defense. Prior to the October massacre, it numbered 2,100 operatives and was equipped and trained by Iran and Hezbollah, Israel Hayom reported. Israeli departments followed ISF closely and believed that they knew its capabilities, and recently, several countermeasures were taken to damage and weaken ISF, Israel Hayom reported.