Terrorism
Matthew Duss On April 22, Canadian authorities arrested two men who allegedly planned to derail a U.S.-bound passenger train. Officials said al Qaeda elements in Iran gave “direction and guidance” to Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, and Raed Jaser, 35. But police have not found evidence of…
Iran's supreme leader condemned the two bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon, which killed three people and wounded more than 170 on April 15. But Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also slammed the United States for “silence toward the killing of innocents” in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Syria.…
On April 11, the G8 urged Iran to cooperate with the United Nations on its nuclear program to avoid further isolation. Ministers from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United Kingdom warned that “talks cannot continue indefinitely.” They also…
On January 7, President Obama nominated former Senator Chuck Hagel to be the Secretary of Defense during his second term. The following are comments by Senator Hagel on Iran since 2005. “War with Iran is not inevitable, but U.S. national security would be seriously…
On October 18, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned the deputy of an al Qaeda branch operating in Iran. Abdel Radi Saqr al Wahabi al Harbi is responsible for transferring operatives to Afghanistan or Iraq via Iran. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen said the…
On October 9, the United States moved to tighten loopholes in its Iran sanctions. President Barack Obama’s new Executive Order will implement additional punitive measures that he signed into law on August 10, 2012. National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor said the law sanctions…
Alireza Nader In a conflict with the United States or Israel, Tehran could turn to terror tactics—directly or indirectly through proxies—to create leverage when it is significantly outmanned and outgunned against conventional military forces. The Islamic Republic has sporadically…
On Sept. 28, the U.S. State Department revoked the Mujahedin-e Khalq’s (MEK) designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The leftist group killed six Americans in Iran in the 1970s and attempted an attack against the Iranian mission to the United Nations in 1992. The State…
On September 7, Foreign Minister John Baird announced that Canada has closed its embassy in Tehran and expelled Iranian diplomats in Ottawa. He cited Iran as “the most significant threat to global peace and security” as the reason. Baird also warned all Canadian citizens against travel to Iran. The…
On July 31, the State Department reported that Iran is the world’s “leading” state sponsor of terrorism. According to the Country Reports on Terrorism 2011, Tehran used the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force to support additional terrorist activities and “implement foreign policy goals…