Jacob Lees Weiss
Jacob Lees Weiss is an analyst specializing in the MENA region at Healix International and HX global. He holds an MA in Contemporary Arabic Studies from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Prior to working at Healix, he spent time volunteering for NGOs and studying in Algeria and Egypt.
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Articles by Jacob Lees Weiss
Mohammad Bazzi: West Africa-Based Hezbollah Money Launderer Arrested and Extradited
Executive Summary Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi is a prominent Hezbollah financier who operated money laundering schemes across Europe, West Africa, and the Middle East. He was arrested in Romania in February
Outside of Succession, IRGC Unlikely to Attempt Wagner-Like Coup
Following the brief June rebellion staged by now-deceased Russian Wagner Group leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin (see EDM, August 16), Iranian-state media quickly denied the feasibility of a similar rebellion by the
Jordan’s U-Turn on Iran and the Capatagon Conundrum From Syria
On July 10, Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh claimed that Jordan had never treated Iran as a national security threat (BBC Arabic, July 10). However, two months earlier, Jordan's King
Can the Egyptian Military and Tribal Militias Curb Islamic State in Sinai Province’s Eleven-Year Insurgency?
On May 7, days after Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi claimed terrorism was on the brink of eradication in Sinai, Islamic State in Sinai Province (ISSP) carried out the largest
Iranian Influence in Post-Conflict Syria: Prospects and Rivalries with Arab Gulf States
Iran’s intervention in the Syrian civil war allowed it to strengthen its foothold in the country. Iran sent numerous foreign militants to Syria, recruited Syrians into Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps
Al-Hasakah Prison Break Sparks Fear of Islamic State Resurgence in Iraq
Islamic State (IS)’s territorial control in Iraq after 2014 was preceded by the organization’s ”Breaking the Walls” campaign of prison breaks in 2012-2013. It is not surprising, therefore, that IS’
Iran’s Impending Military Intervention In Iraqi Kurdistan: Catalysts and Unintended Consequences
The Iranian Foreign Ministry warned on October 4 that its “strategic patience” with what it described as anti-Iranian terrorist groups operating in the Iraqi Kurdistan region had come to an
Tunisia’s Tense Political Situation and Consequences for Counterterrorism
Introduction Following Tunisian President Kais Saied’s dismissal of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and the suspension of parliament on July 25, Islamic State (IS) published an article celebrating the alleged collapse
Iranian-Backed Iraqi Militias Deter Turkish Intervention in Sinjar
In February, indications of an incoming Turkish military operation targeting the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Sinjar, northern Iraq led to a flurry of Iranian-backed militia activity targeting Turkey. Qais
Burkan al-Ghadab Militants’ Display of Force Highlights Deepening Turkish Influence in Libya
On May 7, armed militiamen stormed the Corinthia Hotel compound that was being used as one of the headquarters for the interim government in the Libyan capital of Tripoli (al-Hadath,
Iran’s Resistance Axis Rattled by Divisions: Asaib Ahl al-Haq’s Leader Rejects the Ceasefire in Iraq
On December 20, 2020, 21 Katyusha rockets struck the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, breaking an Iranian-sponsored ceasefire in Iraq for a second time (U.S. Central Command, December 23, 2020). The
Algerian Constitutional Amendments Create Conditions for Military Intervention in Libya
On November 12, the Algerian Constitutional Council confirmed amendments that were approved in the country’s November 1 referendum, which allow the Algerian People’s National Armed Forces (APN) to participate in
Fragile Pro-Iranian Militia Ceasefire Highlights Inter-Shia Polarization
On September 24, reports surfaced that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had threatened to close the U.S. embassy in Baghdad if the Iraqi authorities did not stop the frequent
What Does the Future Hold for Libya’s GNA Militias?
Introduction The success of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) in forcing the withdrawal of the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) from northwestern Libya has led to a temporary
How Will Khadimi Confront Kata’ib Hezbollah?
On June 26, Iraq’s Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) raided the Baghdad headquarters of Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH), an Iranian-backed militia of the security umbrella organization, the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) (al-Jazeera,