Iraq

Israel Normalization Bill 

Despite not being able to form a government, on May 12, Iraq’s parliament held a first reading of a draft law banning the normalization of ties with Israel. The bill includes a provision threatening the death penalty or life imprisonment for calling for normalization. The Sadrist movement introduced the legislation, and it is likely aimed at thwarting normalization pushes in the Kurdistan Region, especially after Iran launched missiles at a villa in Erbil in March, alleging it had links to Israel.  

Confusion Over Status of Talks Brokered by Iraq Between Iran and Saudi Arabia 

An Iranian lawmaker earlier this week told Fars News that Iran’s foreign minister would soon meet with his Saudi counterpart in Baghdad to discuss the reopening of embassies and the Yemen crisis. But that claim appeared to be shot down by Iran’s Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, who later declared there has been “no new development.” Iranian and Iraqi sources are far more optimistic at the progress being made in this diplomatic channel than their Saudi counterparts, who are regularly more circumspect in their public readouts. Nevertheless, a meeting at the level of foreign minister would be a change as the dialogue being sponsored by Baghdad is being carried out through the deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the director-general of Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Directorate.

Kurdistan Regional Government’s Interior Minister Visits Iran 

Kurdistan’s Regional Government’s interior minister secretly visited Iran this week, The New Arab reports. While in Tehran, he reportedly signed a series of security agreements, including one for Harir Airbase, which has been targeted by Iran-backed militias and houses U.S. and coalition forces. According to the alleged arrangement, it will be overseen by the Iraqi federal government and would not be used to spy on Iran using drones.  

Israel and Palestinian Territories 

Israel to Hold Drill Simulating Widescale Strike in Iran 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will simulate conducting a widescale strike in Iran, during the military’s monthlong Chariots of Fire exercise. The drill will take place during the fourth and final week of the exercise, starting May 29. Relatedly, it was reported by Channel 13 News, that the U.S. would participate in this largescale drill, in a move that is the first of its kind. The unsourced report said the U.S. Air Force would serve as a complementary force to the Israel Air Force, with U.S. refueling planes drilling with Israeli jets simulating entering Iranian territory and carrying out repeated strikes. Channel 13’s defense reporter Or Heller opined the U.S. and Israel are sending a message to Iran that Washington could support an Israeli offensive, even if its fighter jets do not actively participate.  

Israel’s Kan News reported that dozens of Israeli jets will participate in the drill, which will simulate a coordinated attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. The last time Israel conducted such a drill, around a decade ago, the U.S. did not participate. Relatedly, however, a report appeared in Kan News that the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli security establishment are “concerned” because the West and Washington are not preparing a military option to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, and as a result Tehran is continuing its progress to develop a nuclear weapon.  

IDF Predicts Extreme Violence in Arab Israeli Cities During Future War 

The IDF is preparing for twice the amount of violence within Arab Israelis cities than during last year’s “Guardian of the Walls” operation in the Gaza Strip, in the event of a new conflict. As part of its ongoing Chariots of Fire drill, the IDF will simulate scenarios where there is even heavier rioting, two times the level of violence seen last year. The IDF wants to be able to send troops before violence breaks out, and not in response to the violence and will work to keep roads open in areas in the Negev and in the Wadi Ara area of northern Israel.   

Shin Bet Foiled Iranian Plot to Lure Israelis Abroad and Kidnap Them

The Shin Bet has uncovered an Iranian espionage campaign targeting Israeli academics, businesspersons, and former defense officials, the agency said Thursday. The Iranians contacted the Israelis while portraying themselves as academics, journalists, businesspersons, and philanthropists, using the identities of real people from overseas who were unaware their names were being used, the Shin Bet said. The approaches were made using a relevant cover story, with the intention of gathering information about the Israeli targets and perhaps to convince them to travel overseas to kidnap or harm them. Initial contact was made through email, using an email a similar address to the address of someone known to the target, with a changed letter or punctuation mark.  

In one case, an operative disguising himself as Swiss researcher Prof. Oliver Thränert, sent an invitation to an academic conference in Europe from an email address similar to Thränert’s real email address. After contact was made, the target would be asked to initiate a WhatsApp conversation using a phone number not previously known to them. The operative pretending to be Thränert contacted a number of Israeli citizens and sent them files and links that were said to be related to the conference.  

The citizens who were contacted were suspicious and contacted the real Oliver Thränert, who denied the existence of the conference and expressed concern that his email had been hacked. The Shin Bet said that several Israelis were already on the verge of traveling abroad to attend the fake “conference” and the exposure of the Iranian operations prevented these trips. However, most of the Israelis who were approached were suspicious, refrained from responding and warned security officials, the agency said.   

Lebanon 

Nasrallah Delivers Post-Election, Badreddine Anniversary Speeches 

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah gave two speeches this week, the first on Wednesday addressing the outcome of the Lebanese parliamentary election, and the second on Friday commemorating the sixth anniversary of Mustafa Badreddine’s death. 

In his first speech, Nasrallah admitted that his party’s allies had lost the parliamentary majority, but stressed that no grouping could now claim to have the majority. This, he claimed, was actually a good thing, because the “magnitude of Lebanon’s financial, monetary, economic, and social crises does not allow one camp to address them,” and this balance of parliamentary power may force cooperation. Addressing Hezbollah’s supporters, Nasrallah stated: “The big results give strong messages about clinging to the resistance, the golden equation, the just and capable state, reforms, civil peace, coexistence and the priority of addressing social and economic crises.”  

In his second speech, Nasrallah recalled Badreddine’s military exploits since the beginning of his career until his death in Syria in 2016. He also called on political opponents to set aside the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons “for a year or two” to deal with Lebanon’s growing domestic economic crisis. 

IDF: Hashem Safieddine’s Son Coordinates Weapons Shipments to Hezbollah 

The IDF revealed this week that Reza Safieddine, the son of Hezbollah Executive Council Chairman Hashem Safieddine and the husband of the late Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani’s daughter Zeinab was coordinating weapons shipments from Iran to Hezbollah. According to the IDF, Reza flies to Iran several times a month to coordinate the weapons transfers, and these occur through passenger flights landing in Syria’s Damascus International Airport.  

U.S. Sanctions Lebanese Businessman Over Alleged Hezbollah Links 

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on a Lebanese businessman, accusing Ahmad Jalal Reda Abdallah of acting as a “financial facilitator” for Lebanese group Hezbollah. In a statement on Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department said the sanctions targeted Abdallah, five of his associates, and eight of his companies in Lebanon and Iraq. It described Abdallah as a Hezbollah official and an “active member” of the group’s global financial network. The U.S. alleged Abdallah “has supported Hezbollah for decades, carrying out extensive commercial activities in various countries where the profits are transferred to Hezbollah.” The U.S. Treasury Department also designated five of Abdallah’s associates, and eight of his companies in Lebanon and Iraq.  

“Hezbollah has built a web of businesses to hide its activities and generate funds for its destabilizing activities, all at the expense of accountability and public safety in Lebanon and the region,” said Brian E Nelson, a Treasury official, using an alternative spelling for the group. “The designation of this network demonstrates the U.S. government’s commitment to protect Lebanon’s private sector and financial system from Hezbollah’s abuse by targeting and exposing the group’s financial activities.”  

Syria 

Syria Says Five killed, Seven Hurt in Israeli Airstrikes in Northwest 

Five people were killed and seven others were hurt in an alleged Israeli airstrike on Friday night in northwestern Syria, the country’s state news agency said. It was the second alleged Israeli strike on the country in days. State-run SANA said a large number of missiles were launched by Israeli fighter jets over Masyaf during the Friday night strike. The attack began at 20:23 local time (1723 GMT) and originated from the West Banyas direction, the Syrian military’s statement said.  

SANA quoted an unidentified Syrian military official as saying most of the missiles were intercepted. According to SANA, one of those killed is a civilian, meaning the other four were military forces. The network said seven other people, including a child, were hurt in the airstrikes. Damage was also caused to a site in the area, SANA said, saying the missiles landed in agricultural lands, damaging civilian objects in the area. Footage posted to social media apparently showed a site that was hit multiple times by the Israeli missiles, with fire rising from the area.  

The Masyaf area is thought to be used as a base for Iranian forces and pro-Iranian militias and has been repeatedly targeted in recent years in attacks attributed to Israel. The area was struck allegedly by Israel as recently as last month. The area is also home to a facility belonging to the Scientific Studies and Research Center, known as CERS, which itself has been struck several times in the past. Western officials have long associated CERS with the manufacture of chemical arms. According to the U.S., sarin gas was developed at that center, a charge denied by the Syrian authorities.