The helicopter crash in May in which Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died was caused by weather conditions and the aircraft's inability to handle the weight it was carrying, Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency reported on August 21. An unnamed security source informed of the final investigation conclusions told Fars there is “complete certainty that what happened was an accident." The two reasons given were unsuitable weather conditions and the helicopter’s inability to handle the weight, the source added. The helicopter was carrying two individuals more than the capacity that safety protocols dictate, the source told Fars. The helicopter crashed on May 19 in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border, killing Raisi and seven other people.

Iran's hard-line parliament approved moderate reformist Masud Pezeshkian's 19-member Cabinet, accepting the entire slate of ministers without a change for the first time since 2001.

The vote on August 21 included the appointment of 61-year-old career diplomat Abbas Araghchi -- a member of the negotiating team that reached a nuclear deal with world powers in 2015 -- as Iran’s new foreign minister.

Pezeshkian, a doctor and a former health minister, defeated ultraconservative hard-liner Saeed Jalili in a July 5 runoff vote and was sworn in earlier this month.

The election was triggered by the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May.

Pezeshkian has called for "constructive relations" with Western countries and favors reviving the 2015 deal that fell apart after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the United States out of the deal in 2018.

Iran's acute economic doldrums have since worsened under the weight of the harsh sanctions.

Pezeshkian has also said he supports the principles of the Islamic republic and said that he plans to follow Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's policies.

He has also questioned Iran's methods of enforcing the Islamic head scarf for women following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022 while in the custody of Iran's dreaded morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly.

He has also said that while the hijab law should be observed, "there should never be any intrusive or inhumane behavior toward women."

Iran says it will take its time in its response to the July 31 killing in Tehran of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Iran has kept the world on edge since it promised to strike Israel -- which it blames for the attack that killed Haniyeh -- a move experts say could plunge the region into an all-out war.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied carrying out the attack. But it has vowed to kill leaders of Hamas over the group’s October 7 attack inside Israeli territory that killed 1,200 people. Around 250 others were taken hostage, some of whom have since been released.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said after the assassination that Iran was "duty-bound" to avenge its "guest."

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Why Is Iran Delaying Its Vowed Attack On Israel?

"Time is in our favor, and the waiting period for this response could be long," Ali Mohammad Naini, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said on August 30, adding any response "may not be a repetition of past operations."

The 62-year-old Haniyeh was killed while he was in Tehran to attend the July 30 inauguration ceremony for Iran's new president, Masud Pezeshkian.

Tehran has rebuffed calls by Western nations to show restraint, insisting it has a legitimate right to respond to the killing of Haniyeh on Iranian territory.

The killing of Haniyeh and talk of retaliation comes as Washington continues to push to get Hamas and Israel to agree to a temporary cease-fire and a deal to release hostages being held in Gaza. Senior officials from the United States, Israel, Qatar, and Egypt are engaged in the latest round of talks to secure such a deal.

Naini did not comment on how Iran may respond to the attack on Haniyeh, but his reference to "past operations" may refer to Tehran’s launching of more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel in April in response to Israel's suspected bombing of Iran's embassy compound in Damascus.

Damage from the Iranian attack was minimal with some analysts saying the response appeared to be measured to avoid a broader conflict.

Iranian police have shut down Germany’s Das Deutsche Sprachinstitut Teheran (DSIT) -- the German Language Institute Tehran -- for allegedly “violating the country’s laws,” prompting Berlin to summon Iran's ambassador.

In a post on X, the Mizan news agency of Iran’s judiciary said on August 20 that two branches of “illegal centers affiliated with the German government” had been shut down for “committing several illegal actions and extensive financial violations.”

It added that the judiciary had "received reports of violations by other centers linked to Germany" without elaborating.

Formerly called the Goethe Institute, the cultural center is managed by the Germany Embassy in the Iranian capital.

"We condemn Iranian security authorities' treatment of that German language institute in Tehran," the Foreign Ministry in Berlin said, noting that the Iranian ambassador had been summoned.

Prior to Mizan’s post, an informed source told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that police officers had shuttered the institute’s branches in uptown Tehran on August 20, confirming earlier claims on social media.

The move comes after Germany last month banned the Islamic Center Hamburg, or IZH, an Iran-linked organization that it said "promotes an Islamist-extremist, totalitarian ideology in Germany."

The German authorities also shut down five IZH suborganizations, saying that they "also support the terrorists of Hizballah and spread aggressive antisemitism,” referring to Iran’s Lebanon-based ally that has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States.

Speaking to Radio Farda, a former DSIT student said the closure was a “sad” development because the institute served as a “second home” for people who wanted to learn German in an environment “more open” than Iranian universities.

They said most people who studied at the institute sought to migrate to continue their studies in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Now, those looking to learn German have to pay more to study at less reputable institutes and travel abroad to take an accredited German language exam.

Many people immediately expressed concerns about what the shuttering of the institute would mean for their scheduled language exams.

Photos shared on the social media platform showed several police cars parked outside premises of the cultural institute. Police officers were also seen standing under the institute’s torn-down signboard.

The Goethe Institute opened its first branch in Iran in 1958 but its cultural activities were severely restricted following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, resulting in its closure in 1987.

The institute resumed operations in 1995 under a new name -- DSIT -- but it continued to be referred to locally as Goethe Institute.

U.S. intelligence officials said on August 19 that they were confident Iran was responsible for the hacking of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. They cast the cyber intrusion as part of a brazen and broader effort by Tehran to interfere in U.S. politics and potentially shape the outcome of the November election. Besides breaching the Trump campaign, officials also believe Iran tried to hack into the presidential campaign of Kamala Harris. Iran’s mission to the United Nations denied the allegations as "unsubstantiated and devoid of any standing," saying Iran had neither the motive nor intention to interfere with the election.

Two rights groups have reported that eight people were executed in two Iranian prisons in the early hours of August 19. Haalvsh, a group that monitors rights violations against Iran's Baluch ethnic minority, said three Baluchis and two Afghan nationals were hanged in a prison in the central city of Yazd. Their charges varied from murder to carrying illicit drugs. Separately, the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights reported that three men had been executed in a prison in the southern city of Shiraz for similar charges. The group said Iran had executed at least 376 people this year. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.

The chatbot ChatGPT has been used by a network of Iranian accounts to generate texts aimed at influencing the U.S. presidential election, according to the ChatGPT developer OpenAI. "We banned accounts linked to an Iranian influence operation using ChatGPT to generate content focused on multiple topics, including the U.S. presidential campaign," the company said in a statement on August 16. "We identified and took down a cluster of ChatGPT accounts that were generating content for a covert Iranian influence operation identified as Storm-2035," the statement said.

A new report says Iran is preparing to export Fath-360 and Ababil close-range ballistic missiles (CRBMs) to Russia and has started training Russian personnel to use the former.

There have been several reports since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 claiming Iran was gearing up to sell or had already supplied Russia with ballistic missiles. None of the reports was confirmed by U.S. or Ukrainian officials, and Iran continues to deny having armed or planning to arm Russia.

Analysts who spoke to RFE/RL were unsure about the latest report but added that if confirmed it would provide a boon for Russia's war efforts and have both benefits and pitfalls for Iran.

Russia's use of North Korean ballistic missiles briefly allayed concerns Moscow would turn to Iran to restock its inventory.

"However, the extensive demands of the battlefield may have strained North Korea's supply capabilities," Nicole Grajewski, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told RFE/RL.

She said Moscow might be seeking Iranian ballistic missiles as a strategy to "lessen its dependence on North Korea," which would allow Russia to play off Pyongyang and Tehran against each other, "potentially maximizing its strategic benefits."

A visit to Tehran on August 6 by Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, who previously served as the country's defense minister, fueled suspicions that Moscow was seeking to acquire Iranian missiles.

From Drones To Missiles

Since the early months of the Ukraine war, Russia was suspected of using Iranian-made Shahed and Mohajer-6 drones, many of which have been found after being shot down in Ukrainian cities and battlefields. Iran initially denied arming Russia before relenting and admitting that it had supplied "a limited number of drones" to Moscow before the war.

Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Tehran continues to deny that its drones are being used by Russia against Ukraine. That has not stopped the United States and EU from imposing sanctions on Iran for helping Moscow.

Grajewski said Iranian drones "had a comparative advantage over the Russian ones in terms of technology, manufacturing, and operational use." But with ballistic missiles, it "is about quantity, not quality."

Aside from the reputational boost that would come from supplying ballistic missiles to Russia, Iran would also gain significant knowledge about how Fath-360 and Ababil perform in battle.

In addition, Grejewski said, the "operational use and any Russian modifications would potentially help Iran with some areas where its missiles tend to be lacking."

Earlier reports suggested Russia was eyeing Iran's Fateh-110 and Zolfaqar short-range ballistic missiles. But exporting those to Russia would put Iran in violation of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) range and payload thresholds, said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank.

However, Fath-360 and Ababil are under the 300 km and 500 kg thresholds established by the MTCR.

"Nonetheless, that does not mean [CRBMs] should be ignored, as they help Russia conserve their own domestically produced long-range strike assets and are further signs of a deepening Russo-Iranian relationship," Taleblu argued.

Taking Risks To Grow Partnership

Not contravening the MTCR would still draw the ire of Western nations if Iran ends up supplying Russia with ballistic missiles.

UN restrictions on Iran's imports and exports of missiles expired in October 2023, but the United States and the E3 (Britain, France, and Germany) as well as the wider EU extended ballistic-missile sanctions against Iran.

"The E3 was resolute in their warnings to Iran," Grajewski said. "The supply of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would complicate any solution with the Iranian nuclear program."

Talks on restoring the nuclear deal have stalled and the agreement is set to expire in October 2025, so Iran may be looking to bolster its relations with Russia in case the prospects for reviving the deal disappear.

Iran took part in Russia's annual army exhibition, which was held in Moscow on August 12-14, and showcased some of its latest military technology including the Mohajer-10 drone -- the updated version of the Mohajer-6 that Russia has used in Ukraine.

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U.S. Says Growing Iran-Russia Military Ties 'Should Concern' World

But Grajewski argued that more notable was the presence in Moscow of Brigadier General Ali Shadmani, a deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters that is responsible for the operational command and control of Iran's armed forces.

Taleblu said Iran had received a combination of things for arming Russia with drones, including cash and gold, and maintained that "these vectors of cooperation are likely set to deepen."

"Iran is intent on moving up from the status of junior partner to Russia, which is one reason why the arms cooperation between the two over Ukraine is unlikely to be compartmentalized," he added.

The Revolutionary Court of Isfahan has acquitted Toomaj Salehi, an Iranian rapper who was sentenced to death over his protest songs against the Islamic republic.

Salehi’s lawyer said the court that heard his client's case in 2022 on the charge of "corruption on Earth" issued the ruling on August 14.

Amir Raesian said on X that Branch 5 of the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan had issued a verdict of acquittal in the case.

He added that the court also "issued a suspension of the prosecution order on other charges” and sent two charges of publishing computer lies and disturbing order to Criminal Court 2 with a “disqualification order.”

Salehi was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court in May on the "corruption on Earth” charge, but the Supreme Court overturned the punishment and referred the case to a parallel branch of the Revolutionary Court for reconsideration.

Salehi was serving a six-year prison sentence for his involvement in the 2022 protests that rocked Iran when he was sentenced to death on the "corruption on Earth” charge.

Salehi was initially arrested in October 2022 after making public statements in support of the protests that followed the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died while in police custody for allegedly wearing her head scarf improperly.

Salehi gained prominence for lyrics that rail against corruption, widespread poverty, executions, and the killing of protesters in Iran. His songs also point to a widening gap between ordinary Iranians and the country's leadership, accusing the authorities of "suffocating" the people without regard for their well-being.

After spending much of his pretrial detention in solitary confinement, he was sentenced to six years in prison but released in November 2023 on appeal after the Supreme Court found "flaws in the original sentence." But he was arrested with "beatings" only 12 days later after a video describing his torture in prison was published.

In a letter published in late May, Amnesty International said Salehi had been tortured and beaten repeatedly during his detention.

The U.S. Justice Department charged U.S.-Iranian national Jeffrey Chance Nader on August 14 with crimes related to the alleged export of U.S.-manufactured aircraft components to Iran. The Justice Department accused Nader, 68, who was arrested on August 13 in California, and other associates of conspiring to purchase and illegally export four types of aircraft components totaling nearly three dozen individual pieces in violation of U.S. economic sanctions and other federal laws. Some of the components are used in military aircraft operated by Iran’s armed forces, including U.S.-made F-4 fighter jets. The Justice Department said the indictment demonstrates its “commitment to keeping military-grade equipment out of the hands of the Iranian regime.”

Iran has kept the world on edge since it promised to strike Israel more than two weeks ago -- a move experts say could plunge the region into an all-out war.

The promised attack by Islamic republic is meant as retaliation for the July 31 killing in Tehran of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said after the assassination that Iran was "duty-bound" to avenge its "guest."

An Iranian attack has been "imminent" for the past two weeks, and this anticipation has led to frequent bouts of hysteria on social media predicting an attack by Iran and its allies -- including Lebanese militant group Hizballah -- within hours.

"I think they really enjoy that: watching Israel stuck in this waiting period, paying a heavy economic and psychological price," said Raz Zimmt, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

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But the fallout from the anticipation is a double-edged sword that also hurts Iran and its allies.

"The negative impact on Israel, be it the stress to the home front, the military mobilization, and even the economic consequences, will not be limited to Israel, but also affect Iran and Lebanon," warned Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at the Bahrain-based Le Beck International consultancy.

Why The Wait?

Analysts said the idea Iran is delaying its retaliation because it is relishing the psychological impact it is having is more of an excuse than a proper strategy.

They agreed intense domestic debates, the complexity of coordinating with proxies, and assessing the risks associated with an attack have all contributed to Iran's hesitation.

Zimmt said Iran is "facing a major dilemma" because while Khamenei and the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) want to restore Iran's deterrence vis-a-vis Israel, there are elements in Iran that worry a large-scale attack could drag Iran into a war with Israel and maybe even the United States.

Even if a decision on how to respond to Haniyeh's killing has been made, coordinating with Hizballah and other members of the so-called axis of resistance -- Tehran's loosely knit network of regional state and nonstate allies and proxies -- is a time-consuming process.

Another factor likely affecting Iran's decision-making is the United States beefing up its military presence in the region more than it did in April ahead of Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack against Israel.

"We're seeing a bigger response [from the United States] than in April, which is probably meant to match the scope of the threat, as Iran may carry out a larger response than the one in April," Horowitz said.

"The message [from the United States] in sending both defensive assets -- but also potentially offensive ones -- is one of deterrence and perhaps the only kind of message that does truly matter at this stage."

Can Diplomacy Prevail?

Tehran has rebuffed calls by Western nations to show restraint, insisting it has a legitimate right to respond to Israel's killing of Haniyeh on Iranian territory.

Still, the flurry of phone calls made to new President Masud Pezeshkian and acting Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri-Kani have raised speculation that attempts at diplomacy have helped delay an attack and could potentially stave it off.

"I am skeptical that diplomacy, on its own, is enough to truly change the Iranian calculus," Horowitz said. "Iran will do what it feels is in its best interest, regardless of the calls and statements urging restraint."

But Iran has suggested a different kind of diplomacy could convince it to at least "delay" its promised attack: a permanent cease-fire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

Farzan Sabet, senior research associate at the Geneva Graduate Institute, speculated Iran "may be looking for off-ramps" to justify a toned-down response, and some kind of Gaza cease-fire could be just the "diplomatic victory" it needs to do that.

Zimmt said a Gaza cease-fire may not be important to Iran but it does provide Tehran with "an excuse or an explanation to legitimize this delay, both internally and mostly externally."

He said a cease-fire could lead to Iran either reducing the scale of its attack or choosing a different method of retaliation altogether that does not involve a direct strike on Israel.

No Good Options

It remains a mystery when and how Iran is going to respond, but as things stand Tehran does not seem to have any good options.

"Decision-makers in Tehran may have vacillated in finding a 'Goldilocks' option," Sabet said.

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That, he explained, is Iran's conundrum to deliver "a retaliatory strike that is not so weak as to have little symbolic or deterrent value, but not so strong as to cause an uncontrolled cycle of escalation that leads to a larger war."

Tehran is effectively left with either a weak response or one that crosses the threshold of war.

Both options "entail significant risks," Horowitz said, "either for Iran's regional projection power or the risks Iran could take if it crosses a line and is hit back in return."

Iranian authorities have issued a summons for the reimprisonment of 76-year-old human rights lawyer Mohammad Seifzadeh despite his ailing health, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said on August 14. Seifzadeh was summoned to Tehran's notorious Evin prison in mid-August on charges of "propaganda against the state" and "publishing falsehoods" for signing a joint letter by 45 Iranian activists calling on United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to speak out against political executions in Iran, CHRI said, adding that this was a "politically motivated attack."

Five Iranian women's rights activists were sentenced cumulatively to more than 20 years in prison, sources told RFE/RL. Nina Golestani, Anahita Hejazi, Anahita Dostdar, Rosita Rajaei, and Nagin Adalatkhah were arrested in the northern city of Rasht in November alongside other women activists. They were sentenced to three years and six months each for "assembly and collusion" and seven months and 16 days each for "propaganda against the regime." Rasht witnessed widespread protests during the "Women, Life, Freedom" demonstrations following the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini in September 2022, who was arrested for allegedly wearing her head scarf improperly. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.

Iran on August 13 rejected Western calls to renounce its threat to retaliate against Israel following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the EU- and U.S.-designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Haniyeh was killed along with his personal bodyguard in Tehran on July 31 as he visited the Iranian capital for the swearing-in of President Masud Pezeshkian.

Israel hasn't confirmed or denied carrying out the attack.

Iran, Hamas's main backer, blames Israel for the killing of Haniyeh and has vowed revenge, raising fears of a wider war in the region.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement that "such a request lacks political logic, flies in the face of the principles and rules of international law, and constitutes public and practical support" for Israel.

Reuters quoted on August 13 three senior Iranian officials as saying that only a cease-fire deal in Gaza stemming from talks expected to take place in the coming days would hold Iran back from direct retaliation against Israel.

Israel started an air and ground offensive in Gaza after Hamas fighters surged across the border into southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 people hostage. Israel’s action has killed more than 38,900 people in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials from Hamas.

According to one of the officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, Iran, along with allies such as Hizballah, would launch a direct attack if the Gaza talks, which are due to begin on August 15 in either Egypt or Qatar, fail or if it perceives Israel is dragging out negotiations. A cease-fire in Gaza, on the other hand, would give Iran cover for a smaller "symbolic" response, one of Reuters' sources said.

His statement came after the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy called on Iran on August 12 to "stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack against Israel."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also held phone calls with Pezeshkian the same day.

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Prospect Of Iran-Israel War Brings Region To 'Most Dangerous Moment' In Years

Starmer asked Pezeshkian to refrain from attacking Israel and said that war was not in anyone's interest, his office said. Starmer told Pezeshkian he was deeply concerned by the situation in the Middle East and called on all parties to de-escalate to avoid further regional confrontation.

"There was a serious risk of miscalculation and now was the time for calm and careful consideration," Starmer was quoted as saying, adding that he had underlined his commitment to an immediate cease-fire, the release of all hostages, and increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Following the call with Starmer, the Iranian president was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying that war anywhere in the world was in no one's interest but that states had the right to "punitive responses against an aggressor."

Scholz also called on Pezeshkian to prevent further military escalation in the Middle East. "The spiral of violence in the Middle East must now be broken," Scholz told Pezeshkian, according to a German government statement.

The United States on August 12 said it agreed with intelligence assessments that Iran and/or its proxies in the Middle East could "attack Israel as early as this week." U.S. national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that President Joe Biden had spoken to leaders of key Western allies to discuss the situation.

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U.S. Says Iran Attack On Israel Could Come 'This Week,' Warns Tehran To 'Stand Down'

Western diplomats have scrambled to avert a major conflagration in the Middle East, where tensions were already high due to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 38,900 people in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials from Hamas.

Israel launched its action after Hamas fighters surged across the border into southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 people hostage.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa

Yahya Sinwar, the alleged architect of the deadly October 7 attack on Israel and surprise appointment as the new leader of the U.S.- and EU-designated terror group Hamas, is known to have close ties to Iran.

His appointment on August 6 as the head of the Palestinian group's political bureau followed the assassination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran on July 31, an act that Iran and Hamas blame on Israel.

Following the death of Haniyeh, who had strong relations with Iranian officials, the most prominent names to be considered as his successor were Khaled Meshaal, a former politburo chief of Hamas, and Khalil al-Hayya, a prominent figure within the bureau with close ties to Haniyeh.

The appointment of Sinwar, who has been the Hamas chief in Gaza since 2017, came as a big surprise because many did not take into account the Iran factor, analysts say.

"None of us experts on Palestinian affairs -- especially here in Israel -- thought about Sinwar as the person who would replace Haniyeh," said Yohanan Tzoreff, a senior researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies who specializes in Israeli-Palestinian relations.

"One [major] reason why Sinwar is the [new] leader is Iran," he added.

Sinwar was appointed after two days of deliberations in Qatar by the Shura Council -- a consultative body that elects the group's politburo and has members in Gaza, the West Bank, Israeli prisons, and the Palestinian diaspora.

Tzoreff said Meshaal's criticism during the 2011 Arab Spring of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- a close ally of Tehran -- made him a deeply unpopular figure among Iran's top brass.

Tzoreff argued that Mashaal's return to power could have jeopardized the Palestinian group's relations with the Islamic republic and "[the Iranians] may have stopped giving Hamas everything it needs [to fight Israeli forces]."

But Sinwar is reportedly stuck in Gaza, where he has been in hiding since the start of the war with Israel in October 2023. The constraints on his movement and restricted ability to communicate with the world mean Sinwar is very limited in what he can do.

"I don’t expect him or Hamas to become closer to Iran. At this point, the relationship will likely stay the same," said Joost Hiltermann, the Middle East and North Africa Program director at the Belgium-based International Crisis Group.

Molded By Israeli Prisons

Also known by his supporters as Abu Ibrahim, the 61-year-old Sinwar was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza. His parents, like Haniyeh's, fled the coastal town of Ashkelon during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War that resulted in the establishment of the state of Israel -- or what Palestinians call the "nakba" (catastrophe).

Sinwar joined Hamas shortly after it was formed in 1987 and set up its feared internal security organization, Al-Majd, whose main purpose was to find Israeli spies within the group. He gained a reputation for violence and was nicknamed the "Butcher of Khan Younis."

Sinwar was captured by Israeli forces and sentenced to multiple life terms for a variety of offenses -- including the killing of two Israeli soldiers -- and spent more than two decades in prison.

"He is a guy who was hardened in Israeli prisons, like many longtime Palestinian ex-prisoners," Hiltermann said.

He said Sinwar learned Hebrew while in prison and, crucially, this helped him to learn how Israeli leaders think.

"Sinwar's really tough. He is ruthless. He is very much a leader in the mold of any Israeli leader," Hiltermann said.

While in prison, Sinwar organized strikes to improve working conditions and emerged as a leader among incarcerated Palestinians.

His experience in prison "prepared him very well for the leadership of Hamas" and in planning the October 7 attack, Hiltermann said.

Nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed when Hamas militants raided communities in south Israel in October and took hostages back to Gaza. The attack prompted Israel to launch a major offensive in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, which Palestinian sources say has killed more than 40,000 people.

Sinwar was released from prison in 2011 as part of an exchange that saw more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners freed in return for one Israeli soldier held by Hamas. Soon after his release, Sinwar accompanied Haniyeh on a trip to Tehran where he met Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The same day Sinwar was announced as Haniyeh's successor on August 6, Khamenei's account on X posted a short video of that visit showing Sinwar meeting with the Iranian leader in February 2012.

Hamas's Message

Traditionally, Hamas's political bureau chief is based abroad so he can travel and maintain contact with regional allies, such as Iran and the Lebanese Islamic militant group Hizballah.

But Sinwar, who U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken once joked is "buried 10 stories underground" in Gaza, is unable to leave the enclave because of the war.

Tzoreff said that, by appointing a Gaza-based leader, Hamas was "sending a very strong message" to both Israel and Arab states that "the resistance of Hamas has not collapsed."

"The main message is that nobody can push them out of the area," he added.

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Sinwar himself may not be keen on leaving Gaza, because his legitimacy is based on his being in the enclave.

"If Sinwar were to leave Gaza, Palestinians would say he is abandoning them, like a captain leaving the ship," Hiltermann said.

Sinwar has been in Israel's sights since the beginning of the war, with army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari describing him as a "dead man" following the October attack.

Killing Sinwar remains a priority for the Israeli army.

Chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi vowed on August 7 that his troops would target Sinwar and force Hamas to "replace the head of the political bureau again."

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said on August 12 that it was investigating a hack of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The Trump campaign has blamed Iran for the hack, which the Iranian government has denied. "We can confirm the FBI is investigating this matter,” the law enforcement agency said in a brief statement. On August 9, Microsoft issued a report stating that Iranian hackers tried to penetrate the account of an official with one of the presidential campaigns. Trump’s campaign on August 10 said it had been the victim of a foreign hack after the campaign received questions from news organizations about a vetting document on Senator J.D. Vance -- Trump's nominee for vice president -- that had been sent to the outlets.

The United States on August 12 said it agrees with intelligence assessments that Iran and/or its proxies in the Middle East could “attack Israel as early as this week” and it urged Tehran to “stand down” with regard its ongoing threats.

U.S. national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that President Joe Biden had spoken to leaders of key Western allies to discuss the situation and said Washington takes seriously reports that Iran could soon attack Israel in retaliation for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the EU- and U.S.-designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, in Tehran on July 31.

Iran blames Israel for the killing of Haniyeh and has vowed revenge, raising fears of a wider war in the region.

“We have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks, which is why, again, we have increased our force posture capabilities in the region even in just the last few days,” Kirby said.

“We've got significant force capabilities in the region. We've changed some of that posture in just the last few days. The president is confident that we have the capability available to us to help defend Israel,” Kirby added.

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Prospect Of Iran-Israel War Brings Region To 'Most Dangerous Moment' In Years

The Pentagon has bolstered its forces in the Middle East amid the mounting tensions as Washington reiterated its support for long-standing ally Israel.

In a joint statement later with Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, the White House said: “We expressed our support for the defense of Israel against Iranian aggression and against attacks by Iran-backed terrorist groups."

“We called on Iran to stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack against Israel and discussed the serious consequences for regional security should such an attack take place,” the statement added.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian in separate phone calls to avoid escalation of military tensions in the region, their offices said. Washington does not have diplomatic relations with Tehran.

Following the call with Scholz, the Iranian president was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying that, "while Iran welcomes the expansion of interactions with all countries and stresses the need for resolving problems through negotiations, it will not give in to pressure, sanctions, bullying, and aggression."

"Rather," he added, "it considers it a right to respond to aggressors based on international rules."

The Western allies' joint statement also said they “expressed our full support for ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions and reach a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza."

It said the group endorsed the joint call by Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Amir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar “to renew talks later this week with an aim to concluding the deal as soon as possible, and stressed there is no further time to lose.”

“All parties must live up to their responsibilities. In addition, unfettered delivery and distribution of aid is needed,” it said.

Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 38,900 people in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials from Hamas.

Israel launched its action after Hamas extremists surged across the border into southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 people hostage.

Washington has warned Tehran of “swift and severe” consequences if reports that it is planning to send hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia are confirmed.

We are prepared to deliver a swift and severe response if Iran were to move forward with the transfer of ballistic missiles, which would, in our view, represent a dramatic escalation in Iran's support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters on August 12.

The warning matches one issued by the United States earlier this year after Reuters -- citing six unidentified sources -- reported that Iran had shipped a “large number” of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic weapons to Russia.

The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program over concerns Tehran could send such weapons to its Middle East allies and proxies and to Russia for use in Ukraine.

Russia has suffered from weapons shortages as its full-scale invasion of Ukraine – launched in February 2022 – has dragged on with heavy losses of troops and military hardware, leaving it to look to allies such as Iran and North Korea to replenish its arms stock.

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U.S. Announces New Sanctions On Tehran After Iranian President Sworn In

On February 22, the U.S. administration also warned Iran of a "swift and severe" response from the international community if Tehran provided ballistic missiles to Russia,

National-security spokesman John Kirby said at the time that Washington had yet to confirm the missiles had been transferred by Iran to Russia, but he said the move appeared likely.

"In this press reporting, the Iranians are clearly indicating that they will ship ballistic missiles to Russia, and we have no reason to believe they will not follow through," Kirby said.

Tehran has been providing Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, guided aerial bombs, and artillery ammunition, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials following widespread evidence of Iran-made Shahed drones causing damage and casualties in Ukraine, leading to additional Western sanctions.

"Iranian officials also continue to deny providing any UAVs [unmanned arial systems] to Russia when evidence is plain for the world to see that Russia has used these UAVs in relentless attacks against the civilian population in Ukraine, against civilian infrastructure," Patel told reporters.

Newly elected Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian, considered by many to be a reformist leader, has spoken of hopes of improving relations with the West, but Patel expressed skepticism.

"This duplicity is only the latest reminder to the international community that the Iranian regime lacks in credibility," he said.

In January, the State Department issued a similar warning against North Korea in a joint statement with the European Union and dozens of others countries, including many in Asia.

“The transfer of these weapons increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people, supports Russia’s war of aggression, and undermines the global non-proliferation regime,” it said on January 9.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced on August 12 he had resigned from his new position as vice president last week. In a post on X, Zarif cited several reasons for his resignation, including facing pressure after his appointment because his children hold U.S. citizenship. The resignation comes less than two weeks after newly elected reformist President Masud Pezeshkian chose Zarif as his deputy. Zarif, who negotiated the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with major world powers, said he plans to return to academia and focus less on domestic politics. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.

The leaders of Britain, Germany, and France have called for "de-escalation and regional stability" in the Middle East and urged Iran and its allies not to "jeopardize the opportunity to agree a cease-fire and the release of hostages" in Gaza. In a joint statement on August 12, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed U.S. and regional calls for the immediate resumption of negotiations between Israel and Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union. They said there can be "no further delay" in such negotiations.

Abbas Araqchi, the Western-educated former nuclear talks negotiator, was nominated on August 11 as Iran's foreign minister by reformist President Masud Pezeshkian. The move comes as the newly elected Pezeshkian presented his slate of proposed ministers to Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly. The 61-year-old Araqchi was the leading negotiator in nuclear talks between Iran and world powers from 2013-21. He has also served as Iran's envoy to Estonia, Finland, and Japan, according to the ministry website. Araqchi was the Foreign Ministry spokesman during the during the presidency of Hassan Rohani, who was strongly criticized by Iran's hard-liners for attempts at reforms during his eight years in power. Araqchi has been a deputy foreign minister since 2013. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, click here.

Iranian courts have acquitted journalists Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi of "collaborating with a hostile foreign state," but upheld the five-year prison sentences for other charges. The journalists ran afoul of the authorities after writing about the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested for allegedly wearing her head scarf improperly. The women were each sentenced to five years in prison for collusion and conspiring against state security and one year for propaganda against the Islamic republic. Hamedi and Mohammadi have been out on bail after more than a year in Tehran's notorious Evin prison. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.

Iran’s newly elected president reappointed a U.S.-educated official who came under United Nations sanctions 16 years ago as head of the country’s nuclear department, Iranian state TV reported on August 10. Mohammad Eslami, 67, will continue his work as chief of Iran's civilian nuclear program and serve as one of several vice presidents. Eslami's reappointment by President Masud Pezeshkian comes as Iran remains under heavy sanctions by the West following the collapse of the 2015 deal that curbed Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Pezeshkian had said during his presidential campaign that he would try to revive the nuclear deal.