Behnam Ben Taleblu writes: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei addressed members of the Basij paramilitary force on Wednesday, doubling down on charges that the U.S. had transgressed last summer’s nuclear deal. Iran, he thundered, “has no fear of any power in this world,” and warned that if Washington passes sanctions laid out in a recent House bill, it would constitute a violation of the deal that would “certainly” require Tehran to “react.” – Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Hanin Ghaddar writes: In recent days, two developments took place near Syria's borders that suggest the intentions Tehran and its proxies hold for that country and the surrounding region. To the west, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah held a high-profile military parade in al-Qusayr, Syria, while to the east, the Shiite militias known as Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) captured Tal Afar airport in Iraq. Both incidents align with Iran's repeated message to the international community: that it will do whatever it takes to be a decisionmaker in the corridor stretching from Iraq to Lebanon via Syria. – Washington Institute for Near East Policy