Iran Update, August 7, 2023
Iranian-backed militia Ashab al Kahf called on August 5 for protests outside the US embassy in Baghdad. These calls come as Ashab al Kahf has conducted an IED campaign against Iraqi-operated logistics convoys servicing US military positions.
Iran and Russia continued discussions on cooperating to jointly produce and repair airplanes and helicopters. Iran could use domestically produced aircraft and helicopters for both civilian and military purposes.
Iran’s worsening water crisis is increasing the risk of conflict between Iran and its neighbors. Western media reported on August 7 that the Afghan Taliban sent “thousands” of troops and “hundreds” of suicide bombers to the Iran-Afghanistan border in late May 2023.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-august-7-2023
Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah continued to circulate false claims that the US-led International Coalition is preparing to attack Syrian regime-controlled territory in eastern Syria. Their messaging is part of a coordinated Iranian, Russian, and Syrian regime coercion campaign to expel US forces from Syria.
Iran secured a majority stake in a major Syrian telecommunications company. Iran's assistance could enable the Syrian regime to restrict the Syrian information space through the new telecommunications company.
Iran is trying to convince BRICS members to accept its request to join this organization ahead of the 15th annual BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 22-24. Becoming a BRICS member could help Iran mitigate the impact of Western sanctions.
The Iranian regime has detained a fifth US national.[41] Iranian media announced on August 8 that the regime detained an Iranian-American female “in recent weeks.”[42] This announcement follows the regime's detainment of another US national on July 21.[43] The announcement also follows a flurry of Raisi administration diplomatic engagement with Oman, which has facilitated prisoner swap negotiations between Iran and the US in recent months.[44] President Ebrahim Raisi held a phone call with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tarik on August 1, after which Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Bagheri Kani traveled to Muscat, Oman on August 3.[45] Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian separately held a phone call with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi on August 8.[46] Abdollahian separately stated on August 8 that Iran has been discussing prisoner swaps with the United States via Oman and Qatar for months and that Iran has announced its readiness to conduct prisoner exchanges “to intermediary parties.”[47]
Iran possibly detained the US national to gain leverage against the United States in its efforts to release frozen Iranian assets in Iraq and South Korea. Iranian and Western media have reported that one of Iran's demands for releasing US prisoners is the release of Iranian funds frozen in foreign banks.[48] The US State Department announced on August 2 that Iraq will repay “hundreds of millions of dollars” of its electricity debt to Iran via Oman.[49] Iranian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani reiterated on August 7 that part of Iran's “financial demands” from Iraq have been transferred to a “third country.”[50] Iran has seemingly made less progress in releasing its frozen assets from South Korea. Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee member Fada Hossein Maleki warned South Korea on August 8 that if it does not release Iran's 7 billion dollars’ worth of frozen assets, Iran “has many options that will be detrimental to South Korea.”[51]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-august-8-2023