Maybe…but the results, as far as the Ayatollah, seem to be about the same.
U.S. Strikes three Iranian Nuclear Sites
- Thread starter Talyn
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Talyn
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Institute for the Study of War
Iran’s highest national security and foreign policy decision-making body, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), established a “Defense Council” on August 3 to streamline decision-making during wartime.
Talyn
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Institute for the Study of War
Some senior Lebanese officials are attempting to propose a Hezbollah disarmament plan that would seek to “buy time” for Lebanon, thereby increasing the risk that Hezbollah could reconstitute itself in the interim and make it more difficult to disarm Hez
Talyn
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Institute for the Study of War
The Lebanese Council of Ministers took an early step on August 5 to attempt to disarm Hezbollah.
Talyn
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Institute for the Study of War
The Lebanese Council of Ministers agreed on August 7 to the objectives of US Envoy Thomas Barrack’s proposal to disarm Hezbollah.
Talyn
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Institute for the Study of War
Hezbollah supporters held protests in 16 locations across Lebanon on August 7 in response to the Lebanese government’s support for disarming Hezbollah. Public support for Hezbollah presents a significant obstacle to decreasing Hezbollah’s influence in Leb
Talyn
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Institute for the Study of War
Iranian Supreme Leader International Affairs Adviser Ali Akbar Velayati discussed the threats that Iran perceives to its regional influence in an interview on August 9 that underscored Iran’s commitment to its strategic goals despite recent setbacks. V
Talyn
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Institute for the Study of War
Iranian Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani’s visit to Beirut likely reflects Iranian efforts to recover Iranian influence in Lebanon and in the Levant after Hezbollah’s degradation and the collapse of the Assad regime.
Talyn
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Institute for the Study of War
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has reportedly approved the resumption of nuclear negotiations with the United States because the Iranian regime views negotiations as necessary for the regime’s survival, according to three Iranian insiders speaking t
Talyn
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Institute for the Study of War
Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah Secretary General Abu Hussein al Hamidawi published a statement on August 15 in which he called for strengthening Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, likely in response to recent US efforts to weaken the Axis of
Talyn
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Institute for the Study of War
Former Prime Minister and State of Law Coalition leader Nouri al Maliki may be using the Accountability and Justice Commission (AJC) to sideline political opponents ahead of the November 2025 elections.
Syria
The United States conducted an operation reportedly targeting an Iraqi Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) leader in Atmeh, Idlib Province, on August 20. A Syrian security source and Syrian residents told Reuters that local Syrian forces cordoned off the neighborhood, but that only US forces participated in the raid. A US official confirmed to Reuters that the operation targeted a “suspected high-value target.” US Central Command (CENTCOM) has not acknowledged the operation or its outcomes as of this writing. Syrian state-owned outlet Al Ekhbariya reported that senior Iraqi ISIS leader Salah Noman was killed during the operation, citing an unspecified security source. The source said that Noman was responsible for activating ISIS cells in Syria. The General Security Service (GSS) had pursued Noman from Dana, in the Idlib countryside, to Atmeh. Noman is also known as Abd al Nayif al Jabouri and previously operated with the Islamic State (IS) in Salah al Din Province, Iraq.
The US ground operation in Atmeh occurs amid ongoing counter-ISIS efforts in northern Syria near the Turkish border. Syrian Interior Ministry forces arrested nine members of an ISIS cell in Harem, near the Turkish border, on August 7. Syrian government forces also participated in a recent US counter-ISIS ground operation that targeted and killed senior ISIS leader Dhiya Zawba Muslih al Hardani in al Bab, Aleppo Province, on July 25.
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Talyn
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Institute for the Study of War
The continued survival of Assad-era Captagon smuggling networks, which helped Assad’s economy, demonstrates the economic interests that continue to animate internal conflicts in Syria. These networks have the potential to destabilize Syria, as d
Talyn
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Institute for the Study of War
The E3 (the United Kingdom, France, and Germany) initiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) snapback process on August 28.
KillerFord1977
Emissary
We need to hit them again….
Talyn
SAINT
Institute for the Study of War
Iran continues to cooperate with US adversaries to advance its nuclear and missile program. An unspecified senior security source told UK-based website Oil Price on September 1 that Iran is working closely with Russia, China, and North Korea to advance
Talyn
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Iran Update, September 9, 2025
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted several airstrikes targeting senior Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, on September 9.
understandingwar.org
Iran Update, September 10, 2025
Toplines The Wall Street Journal reported on September 10 that the Iran-International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreement is unlikely to persuade the E3 (the United Kingdom, France, and Germany) to stop pursuing the reimposition of UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on Iran because the...
understandingwar.org
Talyn
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Iran Update, September 11, 2025
Iranian media highlighted the Defense Council for Iran's strategy and the United States provided Lebanon with economic and military support.
understandingwar.org
Talyn
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Iran Update, September 12, 2025
Iranian officials are using Israel’s September 9 strike in Doha, Qatar, to frame the United States as an unreliable security guarantor for Gulf states in an effort to break the nascent anti-Iran coalition in the region.
understandingwar.org