Iran, the second-largest country in the Middle East, is a multi-ethnic Islamic theocracy with the ultimate decision maker being the country's prime religious authority, its Supreme Leader. It infuses elements of democracy, such as an elected president. With one of the longest and storied histories of civilization, the current Islamic Republic of Iran was established by Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 following the Islamic Revolution. Kohmeini became Iran's first Supreme Leader.
Iran is considered authoritarian in its suppression of rights for women and children and the violent squandering of opposing political protests.
Strategically located between the water bodies of the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Caspian sea, it is bordered by key middle-eastern players, such as Turkey, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Iran holds the world's second-largest natural gas supply as well as a massive oil reserve, a key element often discussed in its role in international relations and political leverage.
Before 1979, Iran maintained friendly relations with Israel via pro-Western leader Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. However, after the Islamic Revolution, Iran severed all ties with Israel and by the 1990s relations turned hostile.
Iran has escalated its nuclear technology development over the years while also funding and supporting Islamic-extremist proxy groups much closer to Israel, such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hezbollah.
Iran's new Razvan drone, resembling Israel's Hero series, showcases Tehran's reverse engineering capabilities.
General Amir Ali Hajizadeh toured the facility, describing it as a “dormant volcano.”
Friday sermons have often served to highlight issues the regime considers central or of importance.
"The regime anticipates demonstrations and uprisings. They understand that things are very fragile."
The cause for the heightened suspicion of spy presence comes after a series of senior Houthi leaders were recently killed.
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Sachs ranted about Netanyahu's obsession to manipulate US foreign policy to "get rid of Hamas and Hezbollah" by removing regimes that support them via military force.
Houthi attacks against Israel escalated in December 2024 when the terror group began firing missiles toward central Israel in the middle of the night.
“We were defeated and defeated very badly, we took a very big blow, and it’s been very difficult,” Esbati noted.
The Islamic Republic was reportedly planning on transferring sums to Hezbollah via an Air Mahan flight from Tehran to the Lebanese capital.
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