“Iran, Hezbollah aim to bolster Assad as rebels bear down on Homs,” Reuters, 12-6-24.
“Iran has ‘dramatically’ increased enrichment to near bomb grade -IAEA,” JPost, 12-6-24. “If Iran continues on its expected uranium enrichment rate, it will be able to produce 12 nuclear bombs.”
“Syrian rebels seize Iraqi crossing, choking Iranian lifeline to Hezbollah,” Iran International, 12-6-24. “US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Syrian Kurdish fighters, seized the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor and a nearby Iraqi-Syrian border crossing used by Iran to arm Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Reuters reported on Friday. The Al-Bukamal crossing fell under SDF control on Friday, Reuters said citing two Syrian army sources. The border crossing in Deir ez-Zor was a key channel used by the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to transport weapons to Lebanon through Syria. “The IRGC established a land connection between the Resistance, linking Iran to Iraq, Iraq to Syria, and Syria to Lebanon. Today, you can get in a car in Tehran and disembark in the southern suburbs of Beirut,” former IRGC Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani had said in a 2019 speech. … Losing the Iraqi crossing could represent a huge blow to the regional hegemony Iran built up in the wake of the US invasion of Iraq and effectively split a so-called Shi’ite crescent spanning from the Iranian plateau to the Mediterranean. … Local activists said the Syrian army and Tehran-backed forces had pulled out of Deir el-Zor before the SDF advance. Deir ez-Zor is the third city to slip from President Bashar al-Assad’s grasp in a week. Syrian opposition forces earlier captured the cities of Aleppo and Hama and are moving closer to capturing Homs, potentially threatening the capital Damascus and Assad’s rule. … Iran plans to send weapons and personnel to Syria, a senior Iranian official said on Friday. [contrary to the NYT,] However, Russia doesn’t have a plan to save Assad and doesn’t see one emerging as long as the Syrian president’s army continues to abandon its positions, Bloomberg reported Friday citing a person close to the Kremlin. Russia has launched a number of airstrikes against Syrian rebels over the past week; however, it has informed the Assad government that any intervention will be limited as it has other priorities at this time, Sky News Arabia reported Friday.”
“Science in Iran: A catalyst for corruption,” Index on Censorship, 12-6-24.
“Iran conducts successful space launch, raising concerns over nuclear and missile programs,” AP, 12-6-24.
“Iran’s growing influence in the Black Sea region: Consequences and Western responses,” Middle East Institute, 12-6-24.