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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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A closer look at BBC Persian's full interview with Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali

5 days ago
13 min

A closer look at BBC Persian's full interview with Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali

Translation by: MECRA. Introduction Qais al-Khazali, 47, is the leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq organization - one of the Iraqi Shia...

Farmers’ Protest in Isfahan: Latest News and Background

Nov 28, 2021
5 min

Farmers’ Protest in Isfahan: Latest News and Background

By: MECRA Iran Correspondent. Large-scale protests by farmers in Iran’s Isfahan Province began on the morning of Friday, November 26th...

Iran’s Soft Power Campaign in Syria’s Deir al Zur Province: Advances and Limitations

Oct 12, 2021
5 min

Iran’s Soft Power Campaign in Syria’s Deir al Zur Province: Advances and Limitations

By Omar Abu Layla When Islamists led by the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took power in Iran in 1979, their intention was to establish a...

Iran tensions July 2021 and onwards

Aug 18, 2021
14 min

Iran tensions July 2021 and onwards

IranThe daily updates are compiled by Seth J. Frantzman, Executive Director of MECRA. For the previous installment which covers March...

From a selection of Farsi-language Twitter feeds, commenting on the Khouzestan situation:

Aug 4, 2021
2 min

From a selection of Farsi-language Twitter feeds, commenting on the Khouzestan situation:

As part of our coverage of Iran we have assembled a list of recent and relevant social media accounts covering the recent protests and...

Protests over Water Shortages in Iran’s Khouzestan Province Intensify

Aug 4, 2021
4 min

Protests over Water Shortages in Iran’s Khouzestan Province Intensify

The following article is from MECRA's correspondent who covers Iran. A new round of protests against the background of the water crisis...

Salafi attacks in Kordestan Province, Iran

May 26, 2021
2 min

Salafi attacks in Kordestan Province, Iran

By MECRA Iran correspondent Dozens of Salafis, (ultra-conservative Sunni Muslims), many with faces covered and riding motorbikes attacked...

Iran tensions in the Middle East March 2021

Mar 9, 2021
21 min

Iran tensions in the Middle East March 2021

IranThe daily updates are compiled by Seth J. Frantzman, Executive Director of MECRA. For the previous installment which covers December...

Iran’s Cyber Campaign, and Coercive Recruitment Methods

Jan 16, 2021
7 min

Iran’s Cyber Campaign, and Coercive Recruitment Methods

Regime recruits hackers by coercion A number of Iranian IRGC-related computer hackers are currently on the FBI wanted list. Evidence is...

Severe, wide-reaching Israeli airstrikes against Iranian militias in Syria bear a message for Iran

Jan 16, 2021
5 min

Severe, wide-reaching Israeli airstrikes against Iranian militias in Syria bear a message for Iran

By OMAR ABU LAYLA Summary: Israeli airstrikes on January 13 struck hard at Iranian militias outposts and Assad’s forces in Deir Ezzor....

Iran’s soft power project in Syria, targeting of youth in Deir Ezzor

Dec 30, 2020
7 min

Iran’s soft power project in Syria, targeting of youth in Deir Ezzor

By OMAR ABU LAYLA Introduction Since emerging as a regional power and embracing the notion of exporting the revolution adopted by the...

Dec 12, 2020
8 min

Profile of IRGC general and current Iranian presidential candidate Hossein Dehghan

Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan, former defense minister, fourth commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Lebanon,...

US-Iran and Israel-Iran tensions December 2020 to March 2021

Dec 5, 2020
17 min

US-Iran and Israel-Iran tensions December 2020 to March 2021

For the previous installment of our daily Iran-US tensions blog, click here. For the next installment click here. December 1 Brodsky: Al...

Iranian responses to assassination of Fakhrizadeh, the Father of Iranian nuclear bomb program

Nov 30, 2020
5 min

Iranian responses to assassination of Fakhrizadeh, the Father of Iranian nuclear bomb program

Father of Iranian Bomb, head of Iran’s nuclear weapon program, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, assassinated November 27, 2020 in Absard, East of...

Rab’ Allah: A New Shia Militia Group in Iraq Threatens Americans

Nov 20, 2020
5 min

Rab’ Allah: A New Shia Militia Group in Iraq Threatens Americans

By HOGR TARKHANI Designating several Shia militia groups by the State Department as a terrorist group and killing Qasem Soleimani and...

Iran’s efforts at consolidation in Syria’s Deir Ezzor area

Oct 16, 2020
8 min

Iran’s efforts at consolidation in Syria’s Deir Ezzor area

OMAR ABU LAYLA *The author is a Syrian expert who focuses on security and governance dynamics in northeast Syria. CEO @DeirEzzor24, which...

Rockets fired at Erbil, Iraq: Residents of Nineveh discuss unprecedented attack; context of Iran

Oct 5, 2020
22 min

Rockets fired at Erbil, Iraq: Residents of Nineveh discuss unprecedented attack; context of Iran

Figure 1: Rocket fire from Sheikh Amir targets Erbil By SETH J. FRANTZMAN, JONATHAN SPYER and MECRA Iraq researchers* On September 30 six...

A list of attacks on US forces between July and October

Oct 5, 2020
0 min

A list of attacks on US forces between July and October

Former Iraqi Hizballah fighter: Militia weapons storage in Iraq could lead to explosion like Beirut

Sep 28, 2020
4 min

Former Iraqi Hizballah fighter: Militia weapons storage in Iraq could lead to explosion like Beirut

Date: August 18, 2020 Time: 07:45 pm Location: Baghdad The following is based on interviews. The first interview is with Omer, 23 (a...

Iran-US and Iran-Israel tensions September 2020 and onward

Sep 26, 2020
22 min

Iran-US and Iran-Israel tensions September 2020 and onward

For our previous digest of daily incidents from July to September, compiled by Seth J. Frantzman, click this link. We have begun to...