Iranian Armed Forces General Staff Chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri met with Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Secretary General Ziad al Nakhalah in Tehran on February 20.[48] Bagheri said that Iran has never stopped supporting Palestine and the Axis of Resistance and will continue to do so.
Brigadier General Ebrahim Jabbari—adviser to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander—threatened to attack “all [US] bases and ships in the region” during a speech at the Great Prophet 19 military exercise on February 20.[49] Jabbari said that Iran would conduct a third True Promise attack against Israel and “destroy Tel Aviv and Haifa.”[50] Jabbari’s statements echo recent statements from senior IRGC commanders threatening to conduct another missile attack on Israel.[51] CTP-ISW previously assessed that IRGC commanders have likely resurfaced these threats in recent days to try to deter an Israeli attack on Iran and to reassure the Iranian population that the IRGC would respond to any attack on Iran.
Senior Iranian officials have continued to reiterate their desire for “resistance” militias to form in Syria and oppose the interim government. Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian stated on February 21 that Israel occupied Syria as the result of a failed campaign in the Gaza Strip, and the “occupation” of Syria would lead to the emergence of a new resistance.[52] Senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, suggested in recent months that Syrian youth should arm and mobilize against the interim government.[53] Khamenei said in December 2024 that zealous Syrian youth would liberate “occupied areas” of Syria, drawing a parallel to Iraqi youth who, with support and direction from the IRGC Quds Force, attacked and killed hundreds of US service members between 2003 and 2011.[54]
The Iranian rial remained valued at 930,700 rials to one US dollar on February 21.[55]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-february-21-2025
Iranian economist blames US for plunging rial under ‘economic ‘war’
Iran’s national currency has plummeted further as the economic crisis continues, with the exchange rate hitting 950,000 rials per US dollar on Saturday, dropping 14% since last month and 86% year on year.
The rial’s steep decline has fueled inflation expectations, which have risen sharply since late December, when the dollar was still around 760,000 rials. Market concerns have intensified following Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s recent speech rejecting negotiations with the United States.
With the Iranian New Year (March 20) approaching, demand for imported goods—requiring foreign currency—is likely to push rates even higher. The price of gold has surged alongside the dollar, as Iranians seek refuge in hard assets. Over the past five years, wages have failed to keep pace with surging costs, with the average worker’s monthly income now equivalent to just $125—far below the estimated $500 needed to cover basic living expenses, forcing at least one third of the nation below the poverty line.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202502226714
Iran Update, February 24, 2025
Iranian Artesh Coordination Deputy Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced the beginning of the Artesh military exercise “Zolfaghar 1403” on February 22 across the Makran coast, Sea of Oman, and northern Indian Ocean.[104] The Ground Force Aviation Cobra attack and Bell 212 helicopters flew from Artesh Navy vessels off the Makran Coast during the exercise.[105] The Artesh tested torpedoes in the Sea of Oman.[106] An Iranian MiG-29 fighter jet reportedly intercepted a Karrar drone during the exercise and F-4 Phantoms conducted air-to-air refueling and destroyed predetermined targets using 250-pound Ghaem-5 bombs.[107]
The Artesh Navy Dena destroyer and the IRGC Navy Shahid Mahdavi forward base ship arrived at Port Klang, Malaysia, on February 21.[108] This marks the first Iranian naval visit to the Malacca Strait.[109] Iranian Artesh Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani confirmed the Navy’s presence across the Indian Ocean, with five operational and training flotillas deployed simultaneously, including at the Malacca Strait and near the Gulf of Aden.[110]
The United States sanctioned 5 individuals and 17 entities and vessels and identified 13 vessels as blocked property on February 24 as part of US “maximum pressure” sanctions targeting illicit Iranian oil and petrochemical exports.[113] The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) updated its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list and designated five Iranian individuals for their roles in the Iranian petroleum industry, including senior officials from the Iranian Oil Terminals Company.[114] OFAC sanctioned 17 entities across the UAE, India, Malaysia, Seychelles, Liberia, and China. OFAC also identified 13 vessels as blocked property due to their involvement in illicit oil transport. US President Donald Trump re-enforced “maximum pressure” sanctions on Iran on February 4 to deny all paths to nuclear weapons, curtail the Iranian ballistic missile program, and halt its support for terrorist groups.[115]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-february-24-2025