A hacker group known as "Moses Staff" has carried out a cyberattack against the Israeli Defense Ministry, revealing files and photographs from the ministry's systems. […] In mid-October, Microsoft revealed that hackers allegedly linked to Iran had attempted to break into 250 Microsoft Office 365 accounts belonging to American and Israeli security firms using a hacking method known as "password spraying." Defense businesses that serve American, European Union, and Israeli government partners in the production of military-grade radars, drone technology, satellite systems, and emergency response communication systems, according to Microsoft, were the focus of the attacks.

Questions about the viability of the Iraqi security forces—brought into sharp focus by the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan—require a data-led analysis of where the forces are today and what mix of U.S., NATO, and European efforts can help them thrive in the future. The August collapse of the Afghan National Security Forces shook the world’s faith in U.S. security cooperation, prompting hard questions about similar arrangements with Iraq. In a country where the United States has been training forces for two decades, officials need straight answers. How resilient are today’s U.S.-supported Iraqi security forces, and could they operate with gradually reduced American support? What kind of near-term Iraqi force development should the coalition credibly expect to see? And how should U.S.-led security cooperation evolve after the December “transition of mission” to a non-combat role? In this urgently applicable Policy Focus, longtime ISF watchers Michael Knights and Alex Almeida provide a data-led analysis of where Iraq’s security forces are today, how they will look tomorrow, and what mixture of U.S., NATO, and European efforts can ensure the best result commensurate with American interests. The roadmap they outline shows how Baghdad can ultimately achieve enduring victory over the Islamic State and overmatch the domestic opponents of a sovereign, stable, and democratic Iraq.

Ties between Iran and Russia have been close, especially when it comes to the joint military operations while fighting terrorists in Syria. But the relationship has been taken to a higher level with the recent visit to Russia by the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri. Major General Mohamed Bagheri has urged development of the country's defense ties with Russia. General Bagheri, who made the remarks during a visit to Russia, said the ties between the two countries are deepening further and growing stronger in all areas.

While the US officials continue to project that Iran is refusing to return to JCPOA, the fact remains that the deadlock is not an outcome of Iran’s refusal to revive the JCPOA, but its insistence on reviving the same agreement that was agreed in 2015 and lifting all sanctions the US has imposed, or failed to lift right after the deal after the deal. In refusing to lift sanctions, the Biden administration is essentially following in the footsteps of the Obama administration, which, while it did make the deal, continued to delay the lifting of all financial sanctions and unfreezing of the Iranian assets as well. Therefore, the roots of the “Plan B” are impossible to find in the Iranian intransigence. It must be found in the US withdrawal from the treaty and its illegitimate insistence on negotiating a new deal, a demand that the other signatories of the deal – especially, China and Russia – do not support. A military action against Iran will thus be an avid example of how both the US and Israel have been staging wars to consolidate their regional and international dominance, respectively.