CEP Senior Advisor Edmund Fitton-Brown: "In my first analysis and opinion piece on the so-called Axis of Resistance, I set the scene by describing Iran’s 45-year trajectory from the Khomeini revolution to its current challenge to the West and the Rules Based International System (RBIS). In this piece, we will begin working our way through the range of proxy militias that are supported and coordinated by Iran and challenge Iran’s enemies in the theatres in which they are active. The Yemeni Houthis are a great place to start because of the immediacy of the threat that they pose to international shipping in the Red Sea and, therefore, to the global economy. As a former UK Ambassador to Yemen (2015–2017), I have written this piece from a more personal point of view."

CEP Senior Advisor Edmund Fitton-Brown writes: "Iran has defined itself in opposition to Israel, the United States, and the wider West since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Over the course of half a century of complex regional and global events, the clerical regime’s hostility and determination to “resist” has never abated, even when Iran finds itself naturally on the same side as the US in a given conflict. For example, when the American-led coalition invaded Iraq in 2003 to drive out Iran’s deadliest enemy, the Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein, and with the partially articulated intention of giving Iraq’s Shia majority the decisive voice in the country’s government, it only took Iran a matter of weeks to start orchestrating the killing of US and British soldiers."

"Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Advisor to the Counter Extremism Project and former Ambassador of the UK to Yemen, told MailOnline this evening 'it could all very easily spiral out of control'.

'In essence, I think Iran and Israel would both prefer to avoid escalation out of control,' he said.

'But Iran (and Hezbollah) both want to be seen to respond to the Israeli assassinations.

'Calibrating such responses in such a way as to save face and yet avoid escalation gets more difficult with each successive round of skirmishing.

'The US is also part of this picture, seeking both to restrain Israel and to deter Iran,' he said."

"Sir Ivor Roberts, senior adviser to UANI and the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), also spoke to The Sun about a possible retaliation to this week's developments."

"Palestinian militant group Hamas’ top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed Wednesday by a predawn airstrike in the Iranian capital of Tehran, Iran and the militant group said, blaming Israel for the shock assassination. 
Iran’s supreme leader vowed revenge against Israel.
On this week’s episode of “The Hunt with WTOP national security correspondent J.J. Green,” Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project, talks about what happened."

CEP Senior Research Analyst Josh Lipowsky writes: "While investigators have blamed Hezbollah and its Iranian backers for the heinous terror attack, even now, 30 years later, justice has remained elusive for the victims of the AMIA bombing. No arrests have been made. Hezbollah remains a threat to global security. And Iran continues to sponsor terrorism around the world."

"How will the death of Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi impact stability in the region?
On this week’s episode of 'The Hunt with WTOP national security correspondent JJ Green', Dr. Hans Jakob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project, says it’s complicated."

"As the Counter Extremism Project notes: 'The Islamic Republic of Iran has aggressively sought to remake the Middle East under its dominion, mainly by anchoring loyal 'proxies' in the region.'"

CEP Senior Advisor Edmund Fitton-Brown interviewed: "Bill is joined by Long War Journal regular and long-time friend of the show, Edmund Fitton-Brown to talk about the Houthis. If you’re here, you’ve heard of them — but how much do you actually know about them? What is their relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran? Why are they in Yemen? Edmund previously served as the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to Yemen, a role which required him to negotiate and spend a significant amount of time in close quarters with Houthi leaders. He details some of his interactions with them and how the experience shapes his understanding of the region today."

"“Can further escalation be prevented after Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel? The attack means a "paradigm change" in the conflict between the two countries, said Hans-Jakob Schindler from the Counter Extremism Project in New York.”"