Iranian Nuclear Research: An Iranian Defense Ministry-affiliated delegation covertly traveled to Russia in November 2024, possibly to seek “laser technology and expertise that could help [Iran] validate a nuclear weapon design without conducting a nuclear explosive test,” according to a former CIA analyst speaking to the Financial Times. This report corroborates CTP-ISW’s assessment from November 2024 that Iran had restarted its nuclear weapons research program. CTP-ISW cannot independently assess the status of this program following the Israel-Iran War.
Iranian Nuclear Program: Iran is continuing to develop parts of its nuclear program that could potentially support the development of a nuclear weapon. The Institute for Science and International Security reported on November 18 that Iran is constructing a possible high-explosive containment vessel at the former Taleghan 2 nuclear research site at the Parchin Military Complex in southeastern Tehran Province. CTP-ISW has not observed any evidence that the Iranian regime seeks to develop a nuclear weapon.
IDF Strikes Against Hezbollah: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck five Hezbollah rocket storage facilities and killed one Hezbollah fighter in southern Lebanon on November 19 amid the Lebanese Armed Forces’ (LAF) failure to act on Israeli information provided to the ceasefire monitoring committee about Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon.
Syrian Government-SDF Negotiations: Syrian President Ahmed al Shara met on November 19 with a prominent Arab tribal sheikh and militia leader from Hasakah Province who supports the Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) position on decentralization. Debate over centralization or decentralization is the core political issue that faces Syria at present. The Syrian government and the SDF’s continued disagreement risks renewed internal conflict if the framing of the debate over centralization does not change from two zero-sum positions.
Iran Update, November 19, 2025 (Institute for the Study of War)
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