“Lavrov: Iran To Join Shanghai Alliance With China, Russia Next Week,” VOA, 6-30-23. Beyond SCO membership, “Iran is also hoping to be quickly accepted into another grouping that excludes Western countries — the BRICS group with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.” These two groupings have as a common denominator China and Russia and are not conducive to law, human rights, free trade, peace, international law, etc. Even realism I’d argue. And they are facilitating bad actors like Iran.
“Israel’s Mossad says it abducted hitman from inside Iran,” BBC, 6-30-23. The head of a hit squad that planned to kill Israelis in Cyprus is Yousef Shahabazi Abbasalilu. “Behind the plot was the IRGC’s foreign intelligence department (unit 800) and his direct commander was identified as Shoustari Zadeh, the man responsible for “special operation,” a code name for terror attacks abroad. Zadeh answered directly to Javad Saraei another senior member of the guards and both were under the command of Unit 800’s chief.”