MIDDLE EAST CENTER FOR REPORTING AND ANALYSIS

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MECRA RESEARCH BLOG

The MECRA research blog is composed of short articles and may include outside contributions. The views expressed in these blogs and articles are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis editorial stance.

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MECRA

3 days ago
8 min

New tensions in Iraq: The Coalition, the Pentagon, Kataib Hezbollah and Tehran

The US and Iran are preparing for a new round in Iraq.

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MECRA

4 days ago
2 min

Coronavirus in the Middle East DAILY updates by MECRA

Since the last edition (March 21-26) and the March 11 of the Middle East Coronavirus Daily Update (MECDU) we have seen major rises in the number of cases. Tu...

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MECRA

5 days ago
4 min

Iran media, the "secret detention" and Levinson's death in Iran regime custody

Robert Levinson's family posted on social media that “We received received information from US officials that has led both them and us to conclude that our w...

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MECRA

6 days ago
4 min

#KhameneiVirus That’s the most popular hashtag trending on twitter among Farsi social media

By MECRA STAFF Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader recently refused the US offer to help Iran fight coronavirus. Nevertheless, due to the COVID-19 outb...

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MECRA

Mar 23
6 min

US-Iran and Iran-Israel tensions March 22 and beyond

Read our previous installment March 12-21, 2020 of the daily updates of US-Iran tensions at this link. March 22 A look at the satellite photos of Albukamal a...

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MECRA

Mar 21
9 min

Coronavirus in the Middle East: Daily updates part IV: From March 21

Coronavirus threatens the Middle East

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MECRA

Mar 13
1 min

Mapping the US retaliation for the Camp Taji attack March 11-13

March 11 7:35pm (Baghdad time): Rockets strike Camp Taji, Iraq. 8:26pm (Baghdad time) Iraqi security forces release images of the truck and 107mm rocket laun...

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MECRA

Mar 12
13 min

US-Iran and Iran-Israel tensions daily updates March 12 and beyond

Coronavirus threatens the Middle East

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MECRA

Mar 11
5 min

An attack on US-led Coalition at Camp Taji, March 11, 2020: Escalation and questions of deterrence

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN A rocket attack on Camp Taji Iraq on march 11 has killed Americans and has led to tensions in Iraq. CENTCOM says "Three Coalition person...

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MECRA

Mar 11
12 min

From March 11 coronavirus updates Middle East

View the previous live updates of the Middle East Coronavirus Daily Update (MECDU): First installment: February 15-25 Second Installment: February 25 Third I...

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MECRA

Mar 10
5 min

Shamkhani's Iraq visit: Shoring up Tehran's role

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani (علی شمخانی) made a high profile trip to Iraq in M...

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MECRA

Mar 6
16 min

US-Iran and Israel-Iran tensions timeline 2020 January to March

This timeline is the second part of a timeline that goes back to 2017, see the first part here. It seeks to include details about rising US-Iran tensions and...

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MECRA

Feb 27
2 min

Iranian officials warned their country about the coronavirus, now they're also sick

Iranian officials warned their country about coronavirus, now they’re sick By SETH J. FRANTZMAN “After lying about the plane crash for three days they are now...

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MECRA

Feb 25
6 min

Coronavirus Middle East LIVE-UPDATES Feb. 25

For the first installment the Middle East Coronavirus Daily Update (MECDU) of our daily updates on coronavirus in the Middle East see this link for prior to ...

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MECRA

Feb 16
6 min

Escalation: Nujaba's Kaabi and the February 16 rocket attack on US forces in Iraq

A rocket attack directed at a Coalition base near the US embassy on the night of February 15-16 raises concerns about recent threats to US forces in Iraq co...

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MECRA

Feb 1
8 min

Iran's responses to 'Deal of the Century'

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN During Friday prayers on January 31 Ayatollah Movahedi Kermani condemned US President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century." he said it ...

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MECRA

Jan 21
4 min

Who is Iran's new deputy IRGC Quds Force commander: Mohammad Hejazi

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN and MECRA STAFF Iran has appointed a new deputy commander for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force in the wake of the killin...

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MECRA

Jan 5
4 min

Reactions in Iran to the death of Qasem Soleimani: The regime and the opposition

The following has been translated from Farsi from an article looking at reactions within Iran to the US airstrike on Qasem Soleimani. Reactions among differe...

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MECRA

Jan 5
5 min

Analysis: Implications of the Soleimani killing

By ALEX GRINBERG The liquidation of the Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani is an achievement for the US, yet it is not a game changer. Quds Force deputy co...

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MECRA

Dec 28, 2019
7 min

What is known about rocket attack that killed a US contractor and wounded several US forces in Iraq

On Friday a salvo of rockets struck the K-1military base northwest of Kirkuk. It is the most significant of more than a dozen similar attacks over the past y...

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