Paraguay designates IRGC as a terrorist organization

On April 25, 2025, Santiago Peña, the President of Paraguay, announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that his country has designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. He emphasized that Paraguay has expanded the scope of its terrorist list to include all branches and sectors of Hezbollah and Hamas. In addition, the IRGC was added due to its systematic violations of peace, human rights, and international security. This decision by Paraguay was welcomed by the U.S. Department of State. In a statement issued on this occasion, it was declared that Iran’s regime is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, and through the IRGC Quds Force and its proxy groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, it has financed and directed numerous terrorist attacks and activities globally.

The IRGC and Hezbollah’s presence in Latin America

The IRGC and Hezbollah have had a long-standing presence in Latin America, especially in the Tri-Border Area between Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil. This region, due to weak legal oversight and the presence of Arab diaspora communities, has become a favorable ground for illicit activities. Hezbollah has been present in this region since the 1980s and has been involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, and financing terrorist operations. For example, in 2002, reports emerged about open Hezbollah activities in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. In recent years, U.S. and Paraguayan authorities have succeeded in identifying and dismantling cocaine trafficking networks linked to Hezbollah in this region.
Disarming Hezbollah: A Crippling Blow to Iranian Regime
In addition, the IRGC has been active in Latin America through its Quds Force. For instance, in 2022, a Boeing 747 cargo plane crewed by Iranians and Venezuelans landed in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. This flight was seen as part of an air bridge between Iran and Venezuela, used to transport senior regime officials, intelligence agents, and weapons under the cover of passenger or cargo flights.

Consequences of Paraguay’s decision

Paraguay’s designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization reflects growing international concerns over Iran’s activities and its proxy groups in Latin America. This move could strengthen regional cooperation in countering terrorism and organized crime and exert further pressure on Iran’s regime to stop supporting terrorist groups.  

Disarming Hezbollah: A Crippling Blow to Iranian Regime

The official summoning and reprimand of Iran’s regime ambassador in Lebanon by the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs—over his comments on Hezbollah’s disarmament—marks a major shift in Lebanon’s political landscape and a potentially decisive transformation in the regional balance of power. Hezbollah has long served as one of the most important proxy arms of the regime, and implementing a plan to disarm it would be a strategic blow to Tehran. In recent weeks, multiple reports have surfaced about mounting internal and external pressures to disarm Hezbollah. From the explicit stance of Joseph Aoun, the President of Lebanon, to the repeated insistence of the United States on the necessity of arms being exclusively in the hands of the official Lebanese government, all signs indicate the beginning of a seemingly irreversible process.
Syria, Hezbollah, and Iran’s Regime Obstructed Lebanese Reconciliation for Years
Hezbollah is not merely a paramilitary group but a central pillar of Iran’s regime’s regional policy. From Syria to Iraq and Yemen, Tehran’s regional influence has largely relied on proxies like Hezbollah. Within this framework, Lebanon has consistently served as a key strategic outpost for the regime—both in confronting Israel and in exerting control over Lebanon’s internal political affairs. At a time when Tehran is entangled in deep internal crises, international sanctions, and drawn-out negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear program, the elimination of one of its most crucial foreign levers would amount to structural damage to the regime. The recent remarks by the regime’s ambassador in Beirut—who initially called Hezbollah’s disarmament a “conspiracy” in a tweet, only to later walk it back by labeling it a “domestic Lebanese matter”—are themselves evidence of growing pressure on the regime to retreat from its interventionist stance in Lebanon. The repeated summons of the regime’s ambassador by Lebanon’s foreign ministry is a clear sign of the country’s political space opening up to challenge Hezbollah’s role and influence, and by extension, that of the Iranian regime. These developments come as Hezbollah has lost a significant portion of its legitimacy in Lebanon in recent years—particularly following the Beirut port explosion, the deepening economic crisis, and its failure to provide solutions for the public’s hardship. A large segment of Lebanese society has now concluded that disarming Hezbollah and restoring military authority to the state are prerequisites for any form of national stability and progress. In the current balance of power, disarming Hezbollah appears to be an inevitable and logical outcome. This shift is not happening through war, but rather through Hezbollah’s own political and social erosion, and the transformation of Lebanon’s internal dynamics. Just as Syria is no longer the regime’s former maneuvering ground, Lebanon too is gradually breaking free from Tehran’s proxy control. For a regime that sits at the negotiation table while carrying out mass executions in the streets of Tehran out of fear of popular uprising, Hezbollah’s disarmament is just one more sign of its decline—not only across the region but within its own power structure.  

Amnesty International Warns of Imminent Executions of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani After Unfair Trials in Iran

Amnesty International is deeply concerned that Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani are at risk of execution in Ghezel Hesar Prison following the rejection of their second appeal. Amnesty International stated that it is deeply concerned that Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani face execution in Ghezel Hesar Prison following the rejection of their second appeal. Amnesty International emphasized that global action is now needed and called on Iran’s regime to halt any plans to carry out the executions. Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani are at imminent risk of execution after an extremely unfair trial tainted by torture and other ill-treatment used to extract “forced confessions.” Iranian authorities must stop their execution and release them immediately.
Iranian Regime’s Contradictory Justifications for Executing Political Opponents 
According to Amnesty International, Mehdi Hassani said that the Supreme Court of Iran’s regime rejected his lawyer’s request to appeal the death sentence issued by the lower court. Amnesty International also reported that the second judicial appeal filed by Behrouz Ehsani’s lawyer has likewise been rejected. Amnesty International released further details of the shocking and severe violations of fair trial rights in the cases of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, including allegations of torture and their extremely unfair five-minute trial held in September 2024 in the regime’s Revolutionary Court.  

Dutch Intelligence: Iran’s Regime Likely Ordered the Assassination of Alejo Vidal-Quadras

The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), in its annual report published in April, accused Iran’s regime of attempting to assassinate an Iranian activist residing in the city of Haarlem. This incident occurred in June 2024, when two men attempted to enter the home of this Iranian dissident via the balcony at midnight. Thanks to his quick call to the police, the two individuals were arrested. According to the AIVD report, during the operation, these individuals were in contact via phone with a third person, who appeared to be directing the operation remotely. One of the suspects, Mehrez Ayari, a 38-year-old Tunisian national, had previously been wanted for his connections to criminal networks and for his failed assassination attempt on Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a Spanish politician and critic of the Iranian regime, in Madrid in November 2023. Ayari was also under investigation for the murder of a drug dealer in France in 2022.
Arrest of Suspect in Shooting of Spanish Politician Supporting Iranian Opposition
The failed attack on this Spanish politician follows a pattern that Iran’s regime has used for years: employing criminal networks in Europe to silence its opponents. The Iranian regime uses a time-tested method that makes legal proof of its involvement in issuing orders extremely difficult. The Dutch intelligence agency emphasized in its report that Tehran uses criminal networks to target its dissidents in Europe. These methods include using non-Iranian individuals to carry out assassination operations, allowing the regime to deny any involvement. In response to this report, Dutch Foreign Minister Kaspar Veldkamp summoned Iran’s ambassador. This is the first time in recent years that Dutch officials have publicly accused a foreign country of planning a targeted attack on Dutch soil. Previously, in 2019, two Iranian diplomats were expelled from the Netherlands over similar allegations. During 2015 and 2017, Dutch intelligence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remained silent for years, a stance that led to dissatisfaction among much of the Iranian community in the Netherlands and members of the Dutch Parliament. This closed approach has now changed. The Iranian diaspora in the Netherlands has repeatedly called for greater protection. Since 2022, the Dutch Parliament has called for the establishment of a National Reporting Center to address threats and intimidation against migrants. This plan has not yet been launched, but the current government intends to start a pilot program by the end of this year.  

Iran’s Regime Executes 22 People in 3 Days

Between April 21 and 23, the Iranian regime executed at least 22 prisoners across various cities in the country—a shocking figure that translates to one execution every three and a half hours. These daily executions, carried out in prisons such as Ghezel Hesar, Yazd, Arak, Hamedan, and Gonabad, were on various charges—often vague and lacking judicial transparency. At their core, however, they carry a message from the regime’s leadership: the continuation of power through intimidation. As the political atmosphere in the country is shaped by a new round of negotiations between the Iranian regime and the United States—recently held in Rome—the widespread wave of executions can be seen as a panicked reaction by the regime, driven by fear of social fracture and the eruption of public discontent.
Iran: Brutal Surge in Executions Amid Worsening Political Crisis
In Iran under the rule of the mullahs, execution has never merely been a judicial tool. It has always served as a political instrument to control public space, intimidate social activists, and suppress protest movements. According to human rights organizations, many of these executions are carried out without fair trials, involving torture and forced confessions, and are executed under a media blackout.

Negotiations and Assassinations: Two Intersecting Pillars of Khamenei’s Policy

Notably, this wave of executions is occurring simultaneously with a new round of negotiations between Iran and the U.S., which are officially aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program and possibly returning to a form of agreement. Historical precedent shows that the Iranian regime consistently ramps up security crackdowns and executions before or during sensitive negotiations—to demonstrate internal “power” and send a message to its counterpart. This two-pronged tactic is meant not only to deter domestic dissent but also to signal to the outside world: “We still hold power!” The unprecedented acceleration of executions must be seen as part of an expensive—yet ultimately failed—strategy. The Iranian regime is intensifying this policy while facing a legitimacy and structural crisis at home and increasing international scrutiny abroad. Iranian society, beyond the negotiations between the West and the regime, stands on the verge of a profound transformation.  

Maryam Akbari Monfared Faces Paralysis as Iranian Regime Blocks Treatment

Maryam Akbari Monfared, a political prisoner and supporter of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), who has spent over sixteen years in prisons under Iran’s regime, is now facing severe health deterioration in Qarchak Prison in Varamin. Despite her critical condition, judicial and prison authorities have completely neglected her need for urgent medical treatment. According to sources close to her family, Maryam Akbari Monfared suffers from several illnesses including hypothyroidism, liver complications, and chronic pain in her back and knees, and her condition has reached an alarming stage. The source stated that five medical specialists—including a neurosurgeon, an orthopedic surgeon, and forensic medical experts—have all emphasized the need for “immediate surgery on her back and knees.” Nevertheless, not only has the treatment process not started, but even her medical requests and follow-ups by her lawyer have received no clear response. According to the source: “Maryam has repeatedly experienced numbness in her legs and impaired knee mobility in recent months. Doctors have warned that this may lead to spinal cord damage and even incontinence.”
Political Prisoner and PMOI Supporter Maryam Akbari Monfared Transferred to New Prison
Maryam Akbari Monfared is the only political prisoner in Qarchak Prison who is held among inmates with common criminal charges, in violation of the principle of separation of crimes. In a new case opened against her, charges such as “spreading false information” and “propaganda against the state” have been brought charges frequently used by the regime to silence dissent. This is while her fifteen-year prison sentence has already ended, and these accusations have been made while she is still behind bars. Prison authorities have even made her lawyer’s visit conditional upon “official approval from a judge”—a discriminatory practice applied only to political prisoners. Maryam Akbari Monfared, who has spent a large part of her life in prison for seeking justice for the victims of the 1980s executions (which took place during the 1980s in the Iranian calendar, equivalent to the 1980s-1990s Gregorian years), now faces a serious threat to her life. On December 28, 2022, she wrote from Semnan Prison: “If you ask me how I endured the darkness of torture and the exhaustion of time, I’ll say it was the wild flame of faith in my heart that kept me standing. In the solitude and with empty hands, this warm and defiant flame is the very thing interrogators try to snatch from the prisoner from the moment of arrest… so that their spirit freezes and yields to subjugation… But for thirteen years, I kept it burning with sacred rage from the tortures I witnessed and endured. I laughed and spread that laughter so that I and we could stand tall. Because resistance is the heart of us. Faith in the path my brothers and sisters gave their lives for, faith in the road I stepped on, and faith in the clenched fists and firm steps of the youth who now stand in the streets with their bodies and souls against dictatorship…” On August 6, 2022, on the anniversary of the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran, which included two of Maryam Akbari’s siblings, she wrote: “There is no escape from justice… I have vowed not to rest until every single person who ordered or carried out the massacre of our loved ones is brought to trial… Our wounds are still fresh—not thirty years have passed, not even three days for us! We have risen to seek justice so that no other family will have to mourn again, and we insist on justice. The dawn of justice will shine through the dark and stormy clouds, and on that day, we will feel love with all our hearts. Victory is ours.” Political prisoner Maryam Akbari Monfared was arrested in Tehran on December 31, 2009. Two of Maryam Akbari Monfared’s brothers, Gholamreza and Alireza Akbari Monfared, were executed in 1981 and 1984 respectively, on charges of affiliation and support for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Her younger brother, Abdolreza Akbari Monfared, and her sister, Roghieh Akbari Monfared, were also executed during the massacre of political prisoners in the summer of 1988.  

Former Iranian Regime MP: The country’s situation is disastrous and dangerous

Javad Arianmanesh, a former member of Iran’s regime Majlis (parliament), warned about the “disastrous” state of Iran’s economic and social conditions and expressed concern over the regime’s anxiety regarding the “dangerous situation.” He also attributed the causes of the January 2018 protests to the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, emphasizing that the “entire system” has become “indifferent” to hardliners. Arianmanesh, a conservative MP from 2004 to 2012, in an interview with Jamaran website—affiliated with the family of Ruhollah Khomeini—stated that currently “the popular base of the hardliner movement” is shrinking rapidly, and even religious ideologies can no longer connect the people to that movement. He described the country’s situation as “critical” and, referring to the Iranian year 1404 (beginning March 21, 2025), which marks the final year of the regime’s 20-year development plan, said: “We were supposed to be the top economic and military power in the region by now, but the country’s situation in all economic, social, and other areas is extremely disastrous.” The former MP from Mashhad and Kalat spoke about the roots of the January 2018 protests, saying: “In such conditions, any kind of gathering or protest can harm the country and pave the way for larger unrest. Just like in 1396 (January 2018), when a radical faction initiated a protest but later lost control, leading to extensive financial and human losses.”
Protesting Retirees in Cities Across Iran Chant Slogans Against Regime Officials
According to parts of both conservative and reformist factions within Iran’s regime, the January 2018 protests were sparked by Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad. In an August 2018 interview with the same website, the former Majlis Member criticized the Mashhad Friday prayer leader, stating: “The country is suffering from a series of economic crises that are hurting the people—issues like poverty, corruption, discrimination, inequality, rising inflation, skyrocketing prices, declining purchasing power, currency devaluation, and many more economic problems… The clergy, religious figures, and Friday prayer leaders should represent unity, cohesion, and problem-solving. The representative of the Supreme Leader (Iran’s regime head, Ali Khamenei) has such high-level access that there is no need to mobilize people into the streets to chant slogans.” Since the third quarter of 2024, current and former officials of Iran’s regime have repeatedly warned about mounting public discontent and the potential for widespread protests. Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the former interior minister of the regime and one of its highest-ranking security officials during the nationwide protests of November 2019, warned on February 7, 2025, that public dissatisfaction is growing. He cautioned the administration of current regime president Masoud Pezeshkian, describing the present situation as “much more concerning” than that of November 2019. Arianmanesh believes that both international and regional conditions have become more sensitive, and that domestic shortages and imbalances have fueled growing societal discontent. He said Iran’s regime is concerned that the situation may lead to widespread protests. The former MP said: “It seems even senior figures within the hardliner faction, who have always tried to exploit every situation for partisan gain, are now worried that any irrational move could cause them to lose control of the situation—especially since the regime’s broader indifference toward them has led them to pull back somewhat.” He emphasized: “In any case, the regime has now reached a dangerous stage, and aside from rational thinking and revising its misguided policies, it has no other path forward.”

The people have moved beyond reformists and conservatives

Arianmanesh confirmed that the public no longer trusts either conservatives or reformists, stating: “Ordinary people have distanced themselves from these political factions due to their inefficiency.” He attributed the remaining “few” supporters of hardliners to personal interests and added: “Even these few supporters no longer see their interests aligned with issues like enforcing mandatory hijab or opposing negotiations, and thus their numbers are steadily decreasing.”  

IMF: Iran Will Have Near-Zero Economic Growth in 2025

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted that Iran’s economic growth in 2025 will be nearly zero, with an inflation rate of 43.3 percent. This comes while Iran’s regime’s seventh development plan targets an eight percent economic growth rate—a target that regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei has deemed fully achievable. The IMF updated its earlier global economic outlook in response to recent global changes, including the start of Donald Trump’s new presidential term. The IMF revised its previous global economic growth projection from 3.3 percent down to 2.8 percent, due to unprecedented U.S. tariffs.
Iran’s Economic Growth Halving, According to Central Bank Report
Part of the report addresses economic growth and inflation in Iran. While the IMF had forecasted Iran’s 2025 economic growth at 3.1 percent in its previous report about three months ago, the updated forecast slashes this figure to just 0.3 percent. In autumn 2024, the Research Center of Iran’s regime Majlis (parliament) had forecasted that the country’s economic growth for the Persian year 1404 (starting March 21, 2025) would be between 2.5 and 2.8 percent, based on the regime’s draft budget for that year. However, according to the seventh development plan, which spans from 1403 to 1407 (March 2024 to March 2029), the country’s economic growth is supposed to be around eight percent. The 0.3 percent growth projection for 2025 is based on data provided by official institutions of Iran’s regime, such as the Central Bank.
Iran’s Economy in Freefall: A Looming Hunger Crisis
On the other hand, while the 1404 national budget projects a 30 percent inflation rate, the IMF’s updated report puts Iran’s inflation for that year at 43.3 percent, creating a gap of 13.3 percentage points between the budget estimate and the IMF’s projection. According to the latest official reports from Iran’s regime’s Statistical Center, economic growth in autumn 2024 reached 1.6 percent, marking the lowest level since winter 2021. In addition to the new global economic phase predicted by the International Monetary Fund, the determining factor for Iran is the continuation of sanctions. These sanctions remain in place despite relative optimism regarding negotiations between the United States and Iran’s regime. The impact of energy shortages has also put internal economic pressure on the country. In the industrial sector, electricity deficits and gas shortages have led to a significant reduction in the production capacity of both upstream and small-scale industrial units over the past year. In the agricultural sector, the drought forecasted for 1404 may also have an impact. In the service sector and across all industries, sudden and unplanned shutdowns last year caused nearly a quarter of the 291 official working days (from March 21, 2024, to March 20, 2025) to be lost, with at least one province shut down on seventy-two days due to electricity or gas shortages. The unplanned shutdowns of 1404 began with air pollution. Iran’s energy minister has warned that 1404 will be an even tougher year in terms of electricity shortages. According to estimates by non-governmental economic institutions, each unannounced shutdown costs the country around fifty trillion rials (five thousand billion tomans) per day—a substantial figure for an economy with a gross domestic product of approximately 405 billion dollars.  

Drought Looms Over Tehran; Groundwater Sources No Longer Reliable

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Reduced water pressure, frequent power outages, and a shortage of storage reservoirs have made water supply increasingly difficult. Despite ongoing efforts to provide a sustainable water supply in the capital, Tehran is on the brink of a severe water crisis. The continuous depletion of groundwater resources, ongoing drought, and land subsidence have sounded the alarm for the city’s water future. Water sector officials and experts have warned of the declining water supply capacity and described the current situation as “extremely concerning.” According to a report by the regime-affiliated Mehr News Agency, Tehran’s heavy dependence on surface and groundwater resources, along with excessive extraction from wells, has pushed these sources into a critical state. The CEO of the Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Company stated that groundwater extraction rose from 10 cubic meters per second in 2020 to 17.5 in 2023. Although it has decreased to 14.5 in 2024, these resources are no longer considered reliable.
Iran’s Water Crisis Turns into a Catastrophe
In addition, low water pressure, repeated electricity blackouts, and a lack of storage reservoirs have further complicated water provision. Meanwhile, initiatives such as water transmission pipelines, using the elevation difference between northern and southern Tehran for gravity-fed water transfer, using treated wastewater, and integrating renewable energy sources like solar power plants are being pursued as part of crisis management strategies. However, officials have stressed that the success of these efforts depends on full coordination among executive bodies and public cooperation in reducing consumption. Tehran’s governor, citing climate change and population growth, described the water crisis as the province’s most serious challenge. He called for strict enforcement of laws, separation of drinking water from rainwater, broad public awareness campaigns, and the use of control tools to manage consumption. Experts have warned that if current trends continue, the environmental, social, and even security consequences of the water crisis in Tehran will be irreversible. Under such circumstances, intelligent resource management and public participation are the only paths out of the crisis.  

Alma Research Institute: Quds Force and Hezbollah’s Unit 3900 Expandoperations in Jordan

The Alma Research Institute in Israel has released a report analyzing the Iranian regime’s activities in Jordan through the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The report examines the objectives and regional implications of these operations. According to the report, Jordan has for years served as a primary operational arena for the Iranian regime and Hezbollah. This situation has had a direct impact on developments in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Alma Institute notes that the Iranian regime and Hezbollah have been continuously active in Jordan for over twenty-five years. Their efforts intensified in May 2000, coinciding with the withdrawal of the Israeli military from southern Lebanon.

Objective: Destabilize Jordan and launch attacks on Israel

The Alma report states that these operations pursue two main objectives: first, to destabilize Jordan’s sovereignty through terrorist operations within the country as a means to create a foothold for the Shiite axis; and second, to conduct direct terrorist operations against Israel from Jordanian territory, as well as support terrorist activity in the West Bank. In this scenario, Jordan serves as a transit country, including for weapons smuggling into the West Bank, with the ultimate goal of severely damaging the relationship between Amman and Tel Aviv.
Iran’s 2025 Budget: Massive Oil Revenues for Military, State Assets Transferred to IRGC
According to the report, the Iranian regime and Hezbollah conduct these activities by establishing direct connections with various groups in Jordan, including the Muslim Brotherhood and Palestinians living in refugee camps. These ties are also cultivated indirectly through Palestinian organizations based in Lebanon, as well as Shia individuals traveling to Jordan for commercial purposes or pilgrimages to Shia holy sites. The Alma Institute writes that Unit 3900 is a joint force composed of Hezbollah operatives and the Palestinian branch of the Quds Force of the IRGC. It is commanded by Mohammad Saeed Izadi, also known as “Haj Ramadan.” The unit’s primary mission is to collaborate with Palestinian terrorist groups in conducting operations against Israeli targets and interests worldwide. This cooperation includes financial support, transfer of technical expertise, and provision of equipment. The report adds that on April 1 of this year, a nine-story building in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut was targeted in an airstrike. The target of the attack was Hassan Bdeir, known as “Haj Rabih,” a senior figure in Unit 3900. He was one of the main operatives coordinating Hamas elements and was reportedly attempting to orchestrate a large-scale attack on Israeli civilians in the near future. According to the report, On April 15, it was reported that Jordanian intelligence succeeded in thwarting and exposing a significant terrorist infrastructure whose activity began in 2021 and was about to carry out some of its plans. 16 operatives involved were arrested. The infrastructure operatives, who appear to belong to the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Jordan, underwent training in Lebanon and received financial support and professional knowledge from Lebanon from Hamas-Lebanon operatives. The institute has also emphasized that no direct link has been established between the assassination of Hassan Bdeir—” who directed Hamas operatives and aided them in an attempt to advance a serious attack in the immediate short term against Israeli civilians.” —and the terror infrastructure uncovered in Jordan. The Palestinian branch of the Quds Force and Unit 3900 operate on multiple fronts simultaneously, and it is possible that Bdeir was targeted due to other activities. The Alma Institute concludes its report by stating that Jordan has always held a special place in the Iranian regime’s broader strategic plans and has now reemerged as a prominent alternative theater in light of recent developments. The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s grip on power in Syria and the aftermath of the recent war in Lebanon have diminished Iran’s direct access to the Syrian front against Israel. In Lebanon, Tehran has shifted its focus toward rebuilding and strengthening Hezbollah’s military capabilities, though this effort faces numerous challenges due to the ongoing conflict. Under these circumstances, Jordan’s geographic and political characteristics have made it a viable alternative in the Iranian regime’s regional strategy.