Iran Update, July 21, 2024
Houthi supreme leader Abdulmalik al Houthi announced the start of the fifth phase of Houthi escalations against Israel known as “Operation Jaffa” in a speech on July 21.[15] Abdulmalik’s speech follows the IDF‘s retaliatory strike on the port of Hudaydah, Yemen on July 20. Abdulmalik claimed that Israelis are no longer safe in main population centers of Israel, including Tel Aviv. Abdulmalik added that Israel will not re-establish deterrence vis-a-vis the Houthis by launching attacks on Yemen. Abdulmalik denied that the “Jaffa” drone that the Houthis used in its July 18 attack on Tel Aviv was foreign-made and referred to it as “purely“ Yemeni made.[16] The Jaffa drone, however, appears to be a modified variant of the Iranian-designed Samad-3 drone.[17] The Houthis presumably modified the Samad-3 in order to extend its range. Abdulmalik denied that the Houthis are conducting operations to benefit Iran and reiterated that the Houthis are operating in support of the Palestinians.[18] Houthi spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Sarea separately said in a televised statement on July 20 that the Houthis will respond to this “blatant Israeli aggression and will not hesitate to strike the enemy’s vital targets.”[19]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-july-21-2024
“These goods have the potential to bolster the national currency. Moreover, as per his [Zanjani’s] statement, should the Central Bank, due to certain considerations, choose not to use these goods as backing for the national currency, it has the option to sell them and utilize the proceeds,” Dehghan said on Friday.
Despite the secrecy surrounding the government's deal with the tycoon, gold seems to be the only commodity that could potentially back the currency. Many commentators and politicians over the years have hinted that Zanjani had accomplices in high places, otherwise he could not have embezzled large sums, or would have been executed by now.
Dehghan further attempted to bolster Zanjani’s reputation, noting that he had already served over a decade of his sentence. Dehghan added, “According to our information, he has stated that if the assets he transferred to the country encounter issues being sold and converted into cash, he can sell them himself.”
Zanjani, once hailed as Iran's richest man, described himself as a soldier of the Islamic Revolution, working on the economic front to help the country evade crippling sanctions imposed by the United Nations over Iran's nuclear program in the early 2010s.
Once valued at approximately $13.5 billion, Zanjani’s wealth was extraordinary in a nation where the state controls most of the economy. Today, one-third of Iran's population lives below the poverty line.
By evading sanctions, Zanjani faced international penalties from the EU in December 2012 and the US in April 2013. Domestically, under President Hassan Rouhani, he was arrested and convicted, with the Ministry of Oil claiming he owed the government $1.9 billion in oil revenues.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202407208659
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-rise-and-fall-of-richest-man-zanjani/27594891.html
Iran Update, July 22, 2024
The modified Houthi drone that struck Tel Aviv flew at least 2,600 kilometers, demonstrating how Iran and its partners have expanded the geographic range of their weapon systems to target the eastern Mediterranean and other areas.[1] The modified Sammad-3 drone traveled east-to-west from Yemen, crossing into Eritrea before turning north and flying through Sudan and Egypt and then turning east to target Tel Aviv from the west. A standard Sammad-3 can travel 1,500 kilometers. Israeli air defense operations failed to identify the drone as a threat because it traveled in civilian flight corridors and dropped off and on the Israeli radar system. The Houthi attack approached Israeli air space at the same time as a second drone that came from Iraq. The IDF concluded that there was no operational coordination between the Houthis and the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia. The Iraqi drone arrived near Israel at the same time, but it was not launched simultaneously, given the much shorter flight time from Yemen.[2]
Iran and the Houthis have both said that they aim to develop the ability to attack targets in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The capability to strike a target over 2,500 kilometers from Yemen demonstrates that the Houthis can launch drones targeting areas as far north as Cyprus—ranging all of Israel—and as far south as the southeastern coast of Tanzania, ranging large portions of the Indian Ocean. The Houthis have expressed an intent to expand their targeting into both areas.[3]
This Houthi attack is part of a broader Axis of Resistance reconnaissance-in-force effort against Israeli air defenses, which aims to better understand the strengths and weakness of Israeli air defense, as CTP-ISW has previously assessed. These lessons can be shared across the access, given that the Houthis and Axis of Resistance almost certainly communicate about their attacks and lessons learned. The Houthi supreme leader, Abdulmalik al Houthi, noted that the Houthis and Iraqi groups continue to coordinate, for example.[4]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-july-22-2024