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Miami Herald
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
With Iran Weakened by US and Israel, ISIS Rejoices and Resurges
While uncertainty lingers in the wake of President Donald Trump's surprise ceasefire announcement in a war that has raged between Iran and Israel—and drawn in direct U.S. intervention—another archnemesis of Tehran lurks in the shadows. The Islamic State militant group (ISIS) operates both east and west of Iran and has also stepped up operations within the Islamic Republic itself, having claimed the deadliest operation in the nation's post-revolutionary history in January 2024. Just earlier this month, before Israel launched its large-scale campaign of strikes, Iranian officials announced the arrest of 13 alleged ISIS members in three cities and the execution of nine other suspected ISIS members charged with plotting attacks. Now, with Iran's security forces having undergone their most serious challenge to date as state institutions, military sites and personnel were targeted on a daily basis by Israel, a group known for its ability to thrive in chaos and channel disaffected communities finds itself with a major opportunity. And with Trump's promises of peace delivered with underlying threats of further military action against Iran—even suggestions of potential "regime change"—one of his former top generals believes the possible consequences of the Islamic Republic's collapse is something that needs to be addressed. "We should pay attention to this in our policy discussions," Joseph Votel, a retired four-star Army general who served as chief of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) from March 2016 to March 2019, told Newsweek. Votel described militant groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda as being "opportunistic by nature," noting how "they will often take advantage of voids created by a lack of governance, disenfranchisement, unemployment, lack of opportunity, and social and economic disparity to develop inroads with vulnerable populations." "How successfully they can do this in Iran is a matter to be watched," he added. "The state still controls the population, but the degradation of control will provide them with operating space in the long term, either to co-opt the population or to further utilize the area as a sanctuary for their planning and operations." The history of ISIS is closely linked to U.S. military operations in the Middle East. The extremist Sunni Muslim group has its origins in Al-Qaeda in Iraq, which launched a violent insurgency against both U.S. troops and rival Shiite Muslim militias following the U.S.-led invasion of the country that toppled President Saddam Hussein in 2003. The Islamic Republic was a fierce opponent of Saddam, having fought a devastating eight-year war with Iraq under his Baathist rule in the 1980s. His downfall offered both opportunities for Tehran to expand its influence in the fellow Shiite Muslim nation through mobilization of paramilitary groups—as well as major risks—as the subsequent destabilization gave rise to ultrafundamentalist factions, with Al-Qaeda in Iraq, later rebranded to the Islamic State in Iraq, at the helm. Trump, in his speech Saturday announcing the U.S. strikes against three nuclear facilities in Iran, cast blame on Iran for the deaths of up to 1,000 U.S. soldiers during this time, particularly holding responsible slain Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force chief Major General Qassem Soleimani. Trump ordered the strike that killed Soleimani at Baghdad International Airport in January 2020. Washington and Tehran's rivalry dates back decades, but when ISIS first emerged in 2014, both contributed leading efforts to beat back the group's lightning advances across Iraq and neighboring Syria. The U.S. assembled an international coalition of allies and partners to support friendly forces on the ground. Iran, for its part, also deployed some military advisers, including Soleimani, but Tehran's efforts were largely carried out by allied militias from across the region, many of whom have also been accused of inflaming sectarian tensions. The so-called "Axis of Resistance" counts members from Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, and as far away as Afghanistan and Pakistan. But today it is in a state of disarray, having suffered severe blows in its confrontation with Israel since intervening in support of the Palestinian Hamas movement following its October 2023 attack that sparked a still-ongoing war with Israel in the Gaza Strip. With the capabilities of these groups limited due to direct attacks from Israel as well as the weakening of their major ally in Tehran, some analysts fear yet another resurgence of sectarian tension and jihadi activity in the vein of what occurred when U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in 2011. "Nature abhors a vacuum," Kamran Bokhari, senior director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek. "If the Iranian state weakens and its ability to maintain domestic security weakens, this opens up opportunities for ISIS." He argued that "it's kind of ironic that right now the United States is fighting the other end of the geo-sectarian spectrum," with Trump having fought and declared victory over ISIS in 2019, only to now be challenging Iran. Bokhari observed this trend as part of "a causality that the United States cannot sort of extricate itself from: You weaken the Shiites and Iran, and that empowers ISIS and the likes, and vice versa." Already, ISIS appears to be seizing opportunities across the lands of its former self-styled "caliphate." In the most high-profile attack claimed by the group in Syria since the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December by a coalition led by rival Islamist rebels and earlier weakening of fellow Axis of Resistance faction Hezbollah in Lebanon by Israeli strikes, ISIS conducted a deadly suicide bombing against a church in Damascus on Sunday. Syria's new government, led by a former affiliate of ISIS and Al-Qaeda who has renounced jihadi ties in recent years, has vowed to continue efforts to battle ISIS. And while interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has thus far largely succeeded in preventing the outbreak of another full-scale civil war, blood continues spilling across sectarian lines in Syria, with security forces accused of targeting Alawites, Druze and Kurds, among other minorities. Meanwhile, Iraq's stability may even be more threatened by the collapse of Iran's network of militia allies. "Iraq is not really a state," Bokhari said. "It's sort of held together very precariously, but it's really a collection of non-state actors: too many Kurdish groups, too many Sunni groups and too many Shiite groups." "And if this doesn't remain sort of the vassal state of the Iranians, then we can see how ISIS could emerge from both sides," Bokhari said. "And Iran is vulnerable to ISIS from both ends." While Iran's war on ISIS over the past decade has largely focused on threats emanating from Iraq and Syria, the group's decline in these two countries has been accompanied by a steady resurgence in Afghanistan, which borders Iran to the east. Here, the group's self-proclaimed "Khorasan Province," referred to as ISIS-K or ISKP, managed to establish a small, yet extremely active foothold amid the long war between the U.S.-backed Afghan government and the Taliban. As the U.S. prepared to withdraw in 2021, Pentagon officials even floated limited cooperation with the Taliban, an original enemy of the 20-year "War on Terror," to battle ISKP. As with the new Syrian government, Afghanistan's Taliban administration has pledged to uproot ISIS presence in the country. Yet the group has managed to hold on to a cross-border presence, staging attacks in Iran, Pakistan and much further beyond. Just two months after ISKP killed more than 100 people in the historic attack at a memorial procession for Soleimani in Iran in January 2024, the group struck at the heart of another enemy thousands of miles farther away, killing some 145 at a concert being held in a city hall outside of Moscow. The suspects were identified as nationals of Tajikistan, a Central Asian state where ISIS appears to have engaged in a concerted recruitment effort stemming back at least a decade. At least hundreds of people across the Central Asian region bordering China, Iran and Russia are estimated to have joined ISIS in recent years, sparking a potential security crisis for all three powers. In Iran, the problem is compounded by an existing presence of ethnic separatist movements among sizable non-Persian communities, including Arabs, Azeris, Baloch and Kurds. Baloch and Kurdish groups have been particularly active, and Iranian officials have tied forces among them to ISIS. "There will be no shortage of separatists looking to take advantage of the weakness of the Iranian regime," Colin Clarke, senior research fellow at The Soufan Center who has briefed lawmakers and military planners on counterterrorism issues, told Newsweek, "so it's possible that ISKP could cooperate with these groups to conduct joint operations, or simply exchange weapons, know-how, or other tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs)." "ISKP may smell blood in the water and seek to make the situation worse by working in tandem with anti-regime elements to attack IRGC, Basij, or other elements of the Iranian security forces," he added. Clarke argued that such operations would also "be appealing to ISKP because of its hardcore sectarian agenda, which helps it recruit." Andrew Borene, a former intelligence officer at the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence now serving as executive director for global security at private threat intelligence firm Flashpoint, also saw the potential for ISIS and its affiliates to thrive in the wake of a debilitated Iranian security apparatus. "If the Iranian state is significantly weakened by the current war with Israel, it's possible that Iranian internal security and domestic intelligence resources would be repurposed to address external threats," Borene told Newsweek. "Such a situation might present an opportunistic moment for ISIS-K to escalate a terror campaign against a Shiite regime they view as an enemy," he said. "This scenario could exacerbate existing ethnic and sectarian tensions, emboldening local armed groups and fostering further divisions." Yet even with ISKP's focus on exploiting fissures within destabilized states, Iran presents a unique landscape. As analysts have previously told Newsweek, even those critical of the Islamic Republic often rally behind the central government in the face of external threats and secessionist movements. Noting how the majority of the groups opposed to the Iranian government "are somewhat secular in nature, and quite distinct from ISIS' Sunni Salafist ideology, even as they may represent aggrieved minority communities," Borene said that the "missing ingredient" for the jihadis "would remain a common cause with homegrown Iranian dissidents." While ISIS' enemies are many and its alliances scarce, the militants and their supporters have expressed a particular contempt for Iran. The Islamic Republic hosts the world's largest population of Shiite Muslims, a sect of Islam they consider rafidis—a derogatory term used to describe the Shiite rejection of the first three Sunni-recognized caliphs' authority in favor of the Prophet Mohammed's cousin, Ali ibn Ali Talib. Rather than taking sides in the latest conflict that has shaken the Middle East to its core, the group has remained largely neutral in what it referred to as a fight between "the State of Persia and the State of the Jews" in the latest edition of its Al-Naba magazine published Thursday. "Throughout history, the outbreak of wars among the ranks of falsehood served the interests of truth," the Al-Naba article read. "Muslims were aware of this and rejoiced and were encouraged by it." The article went on to celebrate Israel's killing of Iranian military leaders and asserted that, "Even if Iran killed thousands of Jews, that would not make it a friend or ally of Muslims, because it is an infidel Rafidi state that wages war on us, taints our blood and is hostile to the companions of our Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace." Such language seeking to capitalize on global conflict and unrest mirrors the group's messaging upon the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. "ISKP published a great deal of commentary on Russia's war in Ukraine before its attack on Moscow and similar trends are playing out with the Israel-Iran conflict," Lucas Webber, senior threat intelligence analyst at Tech Against Terrorism, told Newsweek. "The group's propaganda has heavily focused on regional conflict following the October 7, 2023, attacks." This pattern has also been established by ISIS' efforts to tap into grievances over the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, lingering rebellion in Russia's restive Caucasus republics and Uyghur separatism in China's northwestern Xinjiang province. Thus far, Webber argued, ISKP has proven "adept at analyzing and exploiting geopolitical tensions to further its objectives," repeatedly "strategically inserting itself in regional conflicts and playing off the friction between larger geopolitical powers to expand its influence and operational reach." "By doing so, ISKP attempts to position itself as a significant actor within the broader Islamic State framework, despite facing substantial military and political pressure," he added. The developments come as ISKP increasingly sets its sight on the West, sending security agencies scrambling to intercept threats, especially at major events. In order to fuel this war machine, however, the group continues to rely on carving out strongholds in nations already beset by strife, such as Iran. "ISKP works to find and exploit security gaps in countries that are already engaged in conflicts," Webber said. "These security deficiencies often arise when states are stretched thin, dealing with multiple insurgencies or geopolitical tensions, leading to weakened oversight and response capabilities." "ISKP identifies and takes advantage of these vulnerabilities to conduct operations, recruit members, and enhance its presence," he added. "ISKP looks to increase instability and chaos, making it more challenging for affected states to combat extremist activities effectively." Related Articles Map Shows How US Gas Prices Have Changed Following Attacks on IranIsrael Hardliner Urges Full Force on Gaza After "Crushing Victory" in IranHas Iran Broken Ceasefire? What We KnowNetanyahu Responds to Trump's Israel-Iran Ceasefire 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
TimesLIVE
22-06-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Key facilities in Iran's nuclear programme
President Donald Trump said on Saturday the US military had conducted a 'very successful attack' on nuclear sites in Iran, including a facility buried deep in a mountain at Fordow, south of Tehran. Israel has hit Iranian nuclear sites since launching attacks on Iran on June 13, including striking Natanz, which is at the heart of Iran's uranium enrichment programme, and Khondab, a partially built heavy-water research reactor. Below are some of Iran's main nuclear facilities. WHERE ARE IRAN'S NUCLEAR FACILITIES? Iran's nuclear programme is spread over many locations. While the threat of Israeli air strikes has loomed for decades, only some of the sites have been built underground. DOES IRAN HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAMME? The US and the UN nuclear watchdog believe Iran had a co-ordinated, secret nuclear weapons programme that it halted in 2003. The Islamic Republic denies ever having had one or planning to have one. Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for relief from international sanctions under a 2015 deal with world powers. That pact fell apart after Trump, in his first term as president, pulled the US out of it in 2018. Tehran started abandoning the restrictions in the following year. IS IRAN INCREASING ITS URANIUM ENRICHMENT? Yes. Iran has been expanding its uranium enrichment programme since the pact broke down, reducing the 'breakout time' needed to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a nuclear bomb to days or little more than a week from at least a year under the 2015 deal. Actually making a bomb with that material would take longer. How long is less clear and is the subject of debate. Iran is now enriching uranium to up to 60% fissile purity, close to the 90% of weapons-grade, at two sites, and in theory it has enough material enriched to that level, if enriched further, for six bombs, according to a yardstick of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog. NATANZ A complex at the heart of Iran's enrichment programme on a plain abutting mountains outside the Shiite Muslim holy city of Qom, south of Tehran. Natanz houses facilities including two enrichment plants: the vast, underground Fuel Enrichment Plant and the above-ground Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant. An exiled Iranian opposition group revealed in 2002 that Iran was secretly building Natanz, igniting a diplomatic standoff between the West and Iran over its nuclear intentions that continues today. The FEP was built for enrichment on a commercial scale, able to house 50,000 centrifuges. Before the Israeli and US attacks, about 16,000 centrifuges were installed there, roughly 13,000 of them in operation, refining uranium to up to 5% purity. Diplomats with knowledge of Natanz describe the FEP as being about three floors below ground. There has long been debate about how much damage Israeli air strikes could do to it. Damage has been done to centrifuges at the FEP by other means, including an explosion and power cut in April 2021 that Iran said was an attack by Israel. The above-ground PFEP houses only hundreds of centrifuges but Iran has been enriching to up to 60% purity there. FORDOW On the opposite side of Qom, Fordow is an enrichment site dug into a mountain and therefore probably better protected from potential bombardment than the FEP. Trump posted on social media after the US strikes: 'Fordow is gone.' The 2015 deal with major powers did not allow Iran to enrich at Fordow at all. Before the Israeli and US attacks, the facility had about 2,000 centrifuges operating, most of them advanced IR-6 machines, of which up to 350 were enriching to up to 60%. The US, Britain and France announced in 2009 that Iran had been secretly building Fordow for years and had failed to inform the IAEA. Then-President Barack Obama said then: 'The size and configuration of this facility is inconsistent with a peaceful programme.' ISFAHAN Iran has a large nuclear technology centre on the outskirts of Isfahan, its second largest city. It includes the Fuel Plate Fabrication Plant and the uranium conversion facility that can process uranium into the uranium hexafluoride that is fed into centrifuges. Iran also stores enriched uranium at Isfahan, diplomats say. There is equipment at Isfahan to make uranium metal, a process that is particularly proliferation-sensitive since it can be used to devise the core of a nuclear bomb. The IAEA has said there are machines for making centrifuge parts at Isfahan, describing it in 2022 as a 'new location'. KHONDAB Iran has a partially built heavy-water research reactor, originally called Arak and now Khondab. Heavy-water reactors pose a nuclear proliferation risk because they can easily produce plutonium which, like enriched uranium, can be used to make the core of an atomic bomb. Under the 2015 deal, construction was halted, the reactor's core was removed and filled with concrete to make it unusable. The reactor was to be redesigned 'to minimise the production of plutonium and not to produce weapon-grade plutonium in normal operation'. Iran informed the IAEA that it planned to start operating the reactor in 2026. TEHRAN RESEARCH CENTRE Iran's nuclear research facilities in Tehran include a research reactor. Iran's only operating nuclear power plant, on the Gulf coast, uses Russian fuel that Russia then takes back when it is spent, reducing the proliferation risk. Reuters
Indian Express
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
June 21, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Nepal Bomb Blast
At least seven people, including a member of Parliament, were killed and over 20 injured in five bomb explosions which rocked the Nepalese capital. The bombs went off at the west and south gates of King Birendra's palace, in the lobby of the Parliament building and the central secretariat and a five star hotel, Annapoorna, partly owned by the royal family. The first batch of Mirage-2000, the multi role French fighter aircraft that has been acquired by the Indian Air Force, will be flown to India by IAF pilots who have completed flying training in France. India has purchased 40 of these versatile fighter jets under a contract signed in 1983 but the exact number of planes that will constitute the first batch is not known. Some reports have indicated that the batch would consist of five to 10 planes. Shiite Muslim leader Nabih Bern said that he accepted an offer from Switzerland to use its territory to hold any exchange of US hostages seized aboard a hijacked plane for Lebanese prisoners held by Israel. Bern's remarks came after his office said Pope John Paul II had joined diplomatic efforts to resolve the ordeal of 40 American hostages seized aboard the plane. The UN Security Council has issued a 'strong warning' to South Africa that failure to co-operate in speeding up the independence of Namibia could force the world body to adopt punitive measures under the UN charter, including mandatory sanctions. Only Britain and the United States abstained as the council voted 13 to nil for a non-aligned resolution which, among other things, condemned the racist regime in Pretoria for its installation of a so-called interim government in Namibia.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
US citizens in mid-east 'legitimate targets' if...: Terror group's warning as Israel-Iran conflict escalates
As the tensions between Israel and Iran escalate, an Iraqi terror group said all US nationals in the Middle East will be "legitimate targets" if Donald Trump was to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader, reports The Mirror. Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani warned against targeting Iran's leadership. He said the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could plunge the whole region into chaos, according to AFP. Sistani said in a statement Thursday that any targeting of Iran's "supreme religious and political leadership" would have "dire consequences on the region". ALSO READ: Amazon's 30-day deadline to employees amid mass layoff fear: Resign in 60 days or... US nationals on alert amid Israel-Iran conflict In recent days, US and its strong ally Israel have hinted that there could be plans to assassinate Iran's religious patriarch Ayatollah Ali Khamenei- a respected figure across the Shiite world. In response to this, Akram al-Kaabi - who rules the powerful Iraqi Shiite militia Karakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba - has said any threat to Khamenei's life would see American people and their allies become "legitimate targets" anywhere in the region. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like ผู้รับบำนาญจะสามารถซื้อรถยนต์ไฟฟ้าเหล่านี้ได้ดูราคา รถยนต์ไฟฟ้า | ค้นหาโฆษณา ค้นหาเลย Undo ALSO READ: Amid Israel-Iran conflict, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's bizarre posts re-surface. Internet is in complete disbelief In a stern warning, Akram al-Kaabi said such action against the Shiite-led Islamic republic could spark "widespread chaos that would exacerbate the suffering of its (the region's) people and severely harm everyone's interests". Sistani urged the international community to "make every effort to end this unjust war and find a peaceful solution" to concerns about Iran's nuclear programme. Live Events Sistani, an Iranian, is the highest religious authority for millions of Shiite Muslims in Iraq and around the world, with the power to mobilise a huge following in Iraq. Despite his Iranian roots, Sistani is seen as a key figure in Iraq's recent history and has been known for pushing back against Tehran's growing clout in the country. Akram warned the United States against going after Khamenei. "If you harm a hair" of Khamenei's head "you and your allies will be under our fire," Kaabi said in a statement. "No soldier or diplomat will be spared," Kaabi said. "Every person holding your nationality in our region, as well as all your direct or indirect interest will be a legitimate target," he added. ALSO READ: Trump's presidency facing challenges? Organizers of 'No Kings' protests plan another rally on THIS date The powerful faction Kataeb Hezbollah said that Trump "made a mistake" when he spoke of Khamenei and warned the US president of "unprecedented calamities and destruction" if he goes into war in support of Israel. In Lebanon, Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah warned against threatening Khamenei, describing it as "an act of recklessness and foolishness" that would have "grave consequences". It "constitutes an offence to hundreds of millions of believers", added the group, which suffered heavy blows in its latest confrontation with Israel last year. US labelled Iraq group as terror outfit In 2019, the US officially labelled the organization a terror outfit, introducing sanctions to block connections with either the armed group or its commanding officer. The militia boasts some 10,000 fighters and is involved in military activities in Iraq and Syria as an extension of the larger Popular Mobilization Forces, which operate under Iranian influence. ALSO READ: Amid Israel-Iran conflict and World War III fear, Trump rants about not playing golf for weeks Considered one of the most aggressive Iran-backed militias in Iraq, Nujaba has emerged as a key armed opponent of the US presence in the country. According to the Washington Institute, the group is reportedly responsible for leading many of the attacks targeting American bases in Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan, The Mirror reports. The militia's founder and leader, Akram al-Kaabi, has been labeled a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for his close ties to Iran and involvement in repeated assaults on US forces. Defying Trump's warnings that Tehran must accept 'unconditional surrender', Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei threatened 'irreparable damage' to America if it gets involved in the war. This verbal clash occurred as Israel continued its relentless attacks on Iran's nuclear research bases and various military sites with waves of strikes across the country. ALSO READ: 16 billion passwords leaked in largest data breach ever: Check tips to protect your Facebook, Instagram accounts Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "can no longer be allowed to exist" after an Israeli hospital was hit during an Iranian missile attack. Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out plans to assassinate Khamenei. US President Donald Trump had earlier said his country would not kill Khamenei "for now", but demanded Tehran's "unconditional surrender" and warned he was weighing military action in the conflict. (With AFP inputs)
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Under attack from Israel, Iran's supreme leader faces a stark choice
CAIRO (AP) — Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who crushed internal threats repeatedly during more than three decades in power, now faces his greatest challenge yet. His archenemy, Israel, has secured free rein over Iran's skies and is decimating the country's military leadership and nuclear program with its punishing air campaign. It is also threatening his life: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Khamenei 'cannot continue to exist.' The 86-year-old leader faces a choice. He could escalate Iran's retaliation against Israel and risk even heavier damage from Israeli bombardment. Or he could seek a diplomatic solution that keeps the U.S. out of the conflict, and risk having to give up the nuclear program he has put at the center of Iranian policy for years. In a video address Wednesday he sounded defiant, vowing 'the Iranian nation is not one to surrender' and warning that if the U.S. steps in, it will bring 'irreparable damage to them.' Here's what to know about Khamenei: He transformed the Islamic Republic When he rose to power in 1989, Khamenei had to overcome deep doubts about his authority as he succeeded the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. A low-level cleric at the time, Khamenei didn't have his predecessor's religious credentials. With his thick glasses and plodding style, he didn't have his fiery charisma either. But Khamenei has ruled three times longer than the late Khomeini and has shaped Iran's Islamic Republic perhaps even more dramatically. He entrenched the system of rule by the 'mullahs," or Shiite Muslim clerics. That secured his place in the eyes of hard-liners as the unquestionable authority — below only that of God. At the same time, Khamenei built the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into the dominant force in Iran's military and internal politics. The Guard boasts Iran's most elite military and oversees its ballistic missile program. Its international arm, the Quds Force, pieced together the 'Axis of Resistance,' the collection of pro-Iranian proxies stretching from Yemen to Lebanon that for years gave Iran considerable power across the region. Khamenei also gave the Guard a free hand to build a network of businesses allowing it to dominate Iran's economy. In return, the Guard became his loyal shock force. He fended off domestic challenges The first major threat to Khamenei's grip was the reform movement that swept into a parliament majority and the presidency soon after he became supreme leader. The movement advocated for giving greater power to elected officials – something Khamenei's hard-line supporters feared would lead to dismantling the Islamic Republic system. Khamenei stymied the reformists by rallying the clerical establishment. Unelected bodies run by the mullahs succeeded in shutting down major reforms and barring reform candidates from running in elections. The Revolutionary Guard and Iran's other security agencies crushed waves of protests that followed the failure of the reform movement. Huge nationwide protests erupted in 2009 over allegations of vote-rigging. Under the weight of sanctions, economic protests broke out in 2017 and 2019. More nationwide protests broke out in 2022 over the death of Mahsa Amini after police detained her for not wearing her mandatory headscarf properly. Hundreds were killed in crackdowns on the protests, and hundreds more arrested amid reports of detainees tortured to death or raped in prison. Still, the successive protests showed the strains in Iran's theocratic system and lay bare widespread resentment of clerical rule, corruption and economic troubles. Trying to defuse anger, authorities often eased enforcement of some of the Islamic Republic's social restrictions. He built Iran into a regional power When Khamenei took power, Iran was just emerging from its long war with Iraq that left the country battered and isolated. Over the next three decades, Khamenei turned Iran around into as assertive power wielding influence across the Middle East. One major boost was the U.S.'s 2003 ouster of Saddam Hussein, which eventually brought Iranian-allied Shiite politicians and militias to power in Iraq. Iraq provided a linchpin in Iran's Axis of Resistance, grouping Bashar Assad's Syria, Lebanon's Hezbollah, the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. By 2015, the alliance was at its height, putting Iran on Israel's doorstep. The past two years brought a dramatic reversal Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel brought massive Israeli retaliation on the Gaza Strip. It also brought a turnaround in Israeli policy. After years of trying to fend off and tamp down Iran's allies, Israel made crushing them its goal. Hamas has been crippled, though not eliminated, even at the cost of the decimation of Gaza. Israel has similarly sidelined Hezbollah — at least for the moment — with weeks of bombardment in Lebanon last year, along with a dramatic attack with booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies that stunned the group. An even heavier blow to Hezbollah was the fall in December of Assad when Sunni rebels marched on the capital and removed him from power. Now, a government hostile to Iran and Hezbollah rules from Damascus. Iran's Axis of Resistance is at its lowest ebb ever. Lee Keath, The Associated Press
