The Weekly Review of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Iran strategy of ‘maximum pressure’ continues after the killing of Qassem Soleimani
Mark Dubowitz — USA Today

The lawful killing of arch terrorist Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, should be welcomed by all who applauded the liquidation of Osama bin Laden by President Barack Obama. Soleimani, like bin Laden, murdered and maimed thousands of Americans. He also destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Israel, Gaza — and in Iran itself. A debate about the wisdom of the strike has predictably erupted in Washington along partisan lines. 

Clifford D. May — The Washington Times

At 80 years of age, Ali Khamenei is an old man in a hurry. The ruler of the Islamic Republic of Iran regards himself as the leader of a global revolution, one that began years before the advent of al Qaeda, that jihadi-come-lately. His ambition is to establish a great Islamic empire, a successor to those that dominated the civilized world in antiquity. That requires “Death to America!” because America is the leader of the West or, as he might prefer, the “Crusader-Zionist alliance.”  

Israel and US face Iran on parallel planes
Jacob Nagel and Jonathan Schanzer — The Jerusalem Post

In a rare and very open speech he delivered on Christmas Day, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi outlined Israel’s military challenges for the coming year. It was the first time in many years Israeli military brass joined Israel’s political leaders in identifying Iran’s regional aggression (as opposed to its proxies) as a top concern. In a surprising turn of events, two days later an Iranian proxy struck a US base in Kirkuk and killed an American contractor. Read More

Expect instability in Iran for years to come
Mark Dubowitz and Alireza Nader — The Globe and Mail

The death of Qassem Soleimani, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s terror mastermind, has been followed by seemingly massive protests throughout the country. State media have portrayed these gatherings as evidence of not only Gen. Soleimani’s popularity but as a sign of the regime’s legitimacy. A closer look at Iran’s political system and the history of protests under the regime demonstrates the opposite. Read More

Is this the end of US passivity in the face of Iranian terrorism?
Saeed Ghasseminejad — Al Arabiya

Washington has spent more than two decades fighting a global war against extremists, but has been remarkably passive in response to terrorist attacks conducted by Iran’s theocratic regime and its network of Shia proxy forces. But that may all have changed last week, when US President Donald Trump ordered the airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC – Quds Force and the butcher of Syria. Read More

Where the US-Iran shadow war goes from here
Jonathan Schanzer and Behnam Ben Taleblu — Washington Examiner

The man once celebrated in Tehran as “the living martyr,” Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, is now just a martyr in the traditional sense. Felled by a U.S. drone strike in Iraq, his life ended in the conflict zone that launched his career nearly 40 years ago. As the leader of the deadly Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, Soleimani was the lynchpin in Iran’s transnational terrorism apparatus, stretching from Yemen to Lebanon to Latin America and beyond. Read More

Washington Must Calibrate Its Iran Policy to Deter a Nuclear Breakout
Andrea Stricker — FDD Policy Brief

Prior to launching more than a dozen ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in Iraq, Iran announced on Sunday that it would discard “the last key component of its operational limitations” under the 2015 nuclear deal, namely “enrichment capacity, percentage of enrichment, amount of enriched material, and research and development.” With this nuclear escalation, Tehran’s breakout time, or the time needed to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a single nuclear weapon, may decrease rapidly in the coming months. Read More

Additional Articles

General Secretary of Merkel’s party calls for sanctions against Iran
Benjamin Weinthal – The Jerusalem Post

German Hezbollah and Iran supporters mourn Soleimani
Benjamin Weinthal – The Jerusalem Post

Five kids commit sexual and antisemitic assault against man in Berlin
Benjamin Weinthal – The Jerusalem Post

Last chance for justice for Holocaust victims from Monaco
Benjamin Weinthal – The Jerusalem Post

600 pro-Iranians from German city partner protest for terrorist Soleimani
Benjamin Weinthal – The Jerusalem Post

US ambassador hosts Iranian dissidents grateful for Soleimani strike
Benjamin Weinthal – The Jerusalem Post

Soleimani was a monster, wanted atomic cloud over Tel Aviv – German newspaper
Benjamin Weinthal – The Jerusalem Post

Assailant punches and hurls antisemitic insult at man in Berlin
Benjamin Weinthal – The Jerusalem Post

Shabaab assaults Kenyan airfield used by U.S. forces
Thomas Joscelyn – FDD’s Long War Journal

Muqtada al Sadr reactivates Mahdi Army, Promised Day Brigade
Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss – FDD’s Long War Journal

U.S. suffers casualties during Shabaab raid on Kenyan airfield
Thomas Joscelyn – FDD’s Long War Journal

Iran launches ‘ballistic missiles’ at U.S. bases in Iraq
Bill Roggio – FDD’s Long War Journal

Air strike that targeted Soleimani and Muhandis also killed key aides
Tzvi Kahn – FDD’s Long War Journal

Deadly raid in Kenya carried out under ‘direction’ of al-Qaeda leadership, Shabaab says
Thomas Joscelyn – FDD’s Long War Journal