The US Navy said that last Wednesday, December 22, it seized 1400 AK-47 assault rifles and over 226,000 rounds of ammunition from a “stateless fishing vessel” in the Arabian Sea, which originated in Iran and was bound for Yemen. Iran has regularly been supplying the Houthi rebels in that country with weapons.

The Saudi-led coalition continues to carry out very effective airstrikes against the Houthis’ weapons depots. Recently, they have begun to warn civilians away from their targets before their strikes, causing some prominent Shiite journalists to claim that Israel is behind the assaults since protecting civilians is an “Israeli tactic”. The Houthis struck back Friday with a missile that hit an industrial workshop in Jizan, Saudi Arabia, killing two people.

Concerns arose regarding Saudi Arabia when satellite imagery showed solid fuel testing and production facilities near Al-Dawadmi. According to American intelligence, the complex was constructed with Chinese help.

In the early morning hours of December 28, several Israeli F-16 fighters struck the Syrian port of Latakia, a repeat performance of several weeks ago. The target was a shipment of containers which had recently been unloaded by the Iranian ship SHIBA during a quick stop on its way to Ilyichivsk, Ukraine. In those containers under the guise of food and humanitarian supplies were weapons and missile components.

This shipment is just part of Iran’s growing military belligerence. On December 24, the IRGC fired 16 ballistic missiles as part of an exercise specifically designed as a warning to Israel. Said Major General Ali Bagheri, Chief of General Staff of the Iranian Forces, “These exercises were designed to respond to threats made in recent days by the Zionist regime.”

Iran shows their belligerence in their continued progress in their nuclear program. Even though the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization recently told a Russian news agency that the country would not enrich uranium to more than 60%, this is contrary to other statements by the regime and is in direct contrast by their actions.

Their belligerence is also seen in the expansion of their UAV program, as they supply a vast number of weaponized drones to their proxy militias in the Middle East. This is the exact scenario that I saw coming well over a year ago and used to build the plot of my first thriller, Operation Joktan.

Finally, one can see Iran’s belligerence in the growing cyberwar that they are carrying out against the US and other countries. Soon, it is expected that these hacking attacks will expand to civilian targets.

As Tehran turns its eyes to the outside, inside its borders the country is falling apart. A recent poll conducted by Keyou Analytics showed that one out of every three Iranians wants to emigrate temporarily or permanently. The primary reasons for their departure were centered on economic problems.

This dissatisfaction has led to protests, which themselves have led to violent government responses and arrests. These apprehensions often lead to torture and, for an alarmingly large number, execution.

Terror groups in Gaza are conducting military drills in preparation for a possible conflict with Israel. This comes after mediation between the Jewish State and several terror groups failed.

In the six months that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s “government of change” has been in power, it has been every bit as inept and destructive as many of us feared. From Bennett’s mishandling of COVID to his deteriorating relationship with the United States, he has been, as Caroline B. Glick wrote in an Israel Hayom article that is well worth the read, “the empty suit at the head of the table.”

In news from outside of the Middle East, the US and Japan have drawn up a joint military plan in case China triggers an emergency surrounding Taiwan. The response includes deployment of both US marines and Japanese military forces.

There are reports of Russian mercenaries deploying in eastern Ukraine in the continuing escalation between the two countries. In a very believable and reassuring response to the accusation, a Kremlin spokesman said, “It’s the first we’ve heard of this and we don’t know how reliable these assertions are.”