Iran Update 17JAN2024

Key Takeaways: 

• Palestinian fighters are attacking Israeli forces in areas of the northern Gaza Strip where Israeli forces conducted clearing operations previously. 
• The Gaza Strip is experiencing the longest, largest-scale internet blackout since the Israel-Hamas war began. 
   Israel and Hamas began implementing a deal on January 17 that aims to supply medicine for Israeli hostages in exchange for additional humanitarian flow into the Gaza Strip. 
• IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said that the likelihood of war in northern Israel is “higher than before” on January 17 while attending IDF drills simulating an offensive in Lebanon. 
• Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al Sudani is attempting to retain some US presence in Iraq by restructuring Iraq’s security agreement, despite pressure from Iranian-backed Iraqi groups to expel US forces entirely. This policy is at odds with Iranian-backed Iraqi actors’ maximalist demands to immediately remove all US forces from Iraq. 
• The US State Department redesignated the Houthis as specially designated global terrorists on January 17. 
• The Pakistani government has strongly condemned and warned of possible retaliation for the IRGC strikes.

Categories: Media