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MECRA RESEARCH BLOG
The MECRA research blog is composed of short articles and may include outside contributions. The views expressed in these blogs and articles are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis editorial stance.
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Rockets fired at Erbil, Iraq: Residents of Nineveh discuss unprecedented attack; context of Iran
Figure 1: Rocket fire from Sheikh Amir targets Erbil By SETH J. FRANTZMAN, JONATHAN SPYER and MECRA Iraq researchers* On September 30 six...
MECRA
Oct 5, 202022 min read
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MECRA
Oct 5, 20200 min read
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Iran-US and Iran-Israel tensions September 2020 and onward
For our previous digest of daily incidents from July to September, compiled by Seth J. Frantzman, click this link. We have begun to...
MECRA
Sep 26, 202022 min read
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Interview with Zeylan Vajin, Co-chair of PJAK, an Iranian Kurdish political party
The Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) is an Iranian Kurdish opposition movement aligned with the Kurdistan Communities Union. It was...
MECRA
Aug 16, 20208 min read
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Iranian-Kurdish PJAK militant killed by Turkish drone in Kuna Masi
By JONATHAN SPYER Rebwar Gholizadeh, a militant of the Free Life in Kurdistan Party (PJAK), was killed in a Turkish drone strike outside...
MECRA
Jul 26, 20202 min read
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Four maps reveal extent of Iran's mysterious fires and explosions
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN More than a dozen explosions and fires affected Iran between the last week of June and mid-July 2020. These...
MECRA
Jul 22, 20203 min read
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Iran-US and Iran-Israel tensions July-Sept 2020
For our last installment (June 4 to July 19) see this link. July 19 Zarif's visit to Iraq part of strategic work. Iran-China document....
MECRA
Jul 19, 202015 min read
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Mixed reviews of 'Tehran' show among Iranians
‘Tehran’, a drama series produced by Israel’s Public Broadcasting Corporation (known in Hebrew as ‘Kan’) has received widespread media...
MECRA
Jul 12, 20204 min read
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Natanz explosion: Timeline and details on possible scenarios
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN An incident at the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility on July 2 led to speculation over whether the incident was as...
MECRA
Jul 3, 20207 min read
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US-Iran tensions June 2020
Our daily updates on US-Iran tensions. For the previous installment see this link. June 4 US-led Coalition meeting. "U.S. Secretary of...
MECRA
Jun 13, 202011 min read
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Iran enforces hijab, bans posting photos of kissing on Instagram
By MECRA STAFF After the 1979 revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, hijab became compulsory for all school...
MECRA
May 24, 20203 min read
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Threats against the tomb of Esther and Mordechai in Iran and the arson that followed
One of our researchers who follows Iranian social media and the recent incident in which a Jewish tomb was allegedly the site of an arson...
MECRA
May 22, 20203 min read
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The Fatemiyoun, Imam Ali base and recent moves by US, Russia, Israel and Iran
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN Recent moves by Iranian-backed Liwa Fatemiyoun (لواء فاطمیون) and Liwa Zainebiyoun, two units of Afghan and...
MECRA
May 16, 20207 min read
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Iran-US tensions May 2020
For the previous edition of our coverage of US-Iran tensions daily updates, see this link March 22-May 1, 2020. May 1 Rocket fire from...
MECRA
May 3, 202010 min read
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A ‘Happy’ app which makes millions of Iranian students sad
“There are large families with four or five students, and it is not possible for all of them to get a smartphone in Iran."
MECRA
Apr 24, 20204 min read
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Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, Iraq's new PM-designate
More than four months after Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned, and after two other Prime Minister-designates failed to form a...
MECRA
Apr 10, 20205 min read
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Prisoners in Iran, afraid of coronavirus, riot and attempt mass escapes
Iranians have been trying to break out of prison amid the coronavirus pandemic.
MECRA
Apr 2, 20204 min read
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New tensions in Iraq: The Coalition, the Pentagon, Kataib Hezbollah and Tehran
The US and Iran are preparing for a new round in Iraq.
MECRA
Mar 28, 20208 min read
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Coronavirus in the Middle East DAILY updates by MECRA
Since the last edition (March 21-26) and the March 11 of the Middle East Coronavirus Daily Update (MECDU) we have seen major rises in the...
MECRA
Mar 27, 20203 min read
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Iran media, the "secret detention" and Levinson's death in Iran regime custody
Robert Levinson's family posted on social media that “We received received information from US officials that has led both them and us to...
MECRA
Mar 25, 20204 min read
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