Middle East Insights: Iran, escalating confrontations and a turbulent year

The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict has spilled over in 2024, amplifying tensions across the Middle East. Supported by the U.S. and other allies, Israel has engaged in multi-front confrontations against what is termed the "Axis of Resistance," comprising regional states and various non-state actors. As a primary backer of this axis, Iran has faced a particularly turbulent year, marked by a series of major events and challenges.

On April 1, Israel launched an air strike on the consular section of Iran's embassy in Syria, killing more than 10 people, including Iranian military personnel and Syrian civilians.  

The attack caused a public outcry, with Iranian citizens demanding immediate retaliation and the Iranian government interpreting the strike as a declaration of war.

Over the following days, Iran issued strong condemnations and assertive military statements. The attack was widely seen as the tipping point, escalating the conflict from a proxy war to direct military confrontation.

Retaliation came swiftly. On the night of April 13, Iran's state television broadcast live footage of a massive military operation targeting Israel. Hundreds of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles were launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, striking military and intelligence facilities in Israel. This marked Iran's first direct military assault on Israeli territory.

While Iran's UN delegation claimed the operation had been concluded, it warned of more severe responses should Israel "repeat its mistakes."

However, tensions persisted. On April 19, an explosion was reported in Isfahan, a key province in central Iran and home to the Natanz nuclear facility. The Iranian military stated that Israel deployed several small drones in an attempt to target defense installations in Isfahan. The strike was intercepted by Iran's air defense system, and no casualties were reported.

On May 19, a helicopter carrying then-Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi experienced a "hard landing" accident. On May 20, Iranian officials announced that all passengers, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, were killed in the crash.

Over the following days, the Iranian government held multiple memorial ceremonies for Raisi and the other victims. On May 23, Raisi's funeral took place in his hometown of Mashhad, where the hearse passed through the streets as millions of mourners gathered to bid their final farewell.

Following Raisi's death, former Iranian Health Minister Seyed Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi was elected as the new president of Iran. On July 30, Hashemi took the presidential oath of office during a ceremony held in the Iranian Parliament Hall. The event was attended by notable figures, including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Yemen's Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam and Lebanese Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem. However, in the early hours of the following day, Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli attack on his residence in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

Just over a month later, on September 17, Israel orchestrated a pager bomb attack targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon. On September 27, an air strike further escalated tensions, killing several key military figures, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard officer Nirfoushan.

In response to Israel's continued provocations and the successive loss of prominent figures in the regional resistance movement, Iran launched its second direct military strike against Israel this year.

On the evening of October 1, Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, marking a significant escalation. According to the Iranian military, this operation featured the debut of the "Fattah" hypersonic missile, which successfully struck key radar installations within Israeli territory. Throughout the campaign, 90 percent of the missiles reportedly hit multiple critical military and intelligence targets in Israel.

In retaliation, during the early hours of October 26, Israel carried out three waves of attacks targeting Iran's air defense systems, missile facilities and drone bases across Tehran Province and two other regions. Exclusive footage captured by China Media Group journalists in Tehran documented the interception of Israeli missiles by Iran's defense systems.

The Iranian military declared the attack was effectively countered, resulting in "limited damage," though four soldiers were killed in the air strikes.

For Iran, 2024 has been a year of volatility and upheaval. The transformation of the long-standing "shadow war" between Iran and Israel into open military confrontation has fundamentally altered the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.

In fact, the region's political dynamics have been evolving since the renewed outbreak of large-scale Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October 2023. This escalation has driven events toward greater complexity and unpredictability, with the increasingly unstable situation becoming a fertile ground for the spread of terrorism.

On January 3, 2024, marking the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani by the United States, tens of thousands of people gathered in Soleimani's hometown of Kerman for a memorial ceremony.

During the event, extremist groups detonated two bombs, resulting in the Kerman terrorist attack that shocked the world. The attack claimed the lives of nearly 100 people and left over 200 injured.

This series of incidents in 2024 paints a grim picture of escalating violence and instability in Iran:

February 14: An explosion occurred at a major natural gas pipeline in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province in southwestern Iran. Iranian authorities classified it as a "terrorist sabotage act."

April 4: Two military headquarters in Rask and Chabahar, located in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, were attacked by the terrorist organization "Jaish al-Adl," resulting in the deaths of three Iranian soldiers.

October 1: Sistan-Baluchestan witnessed two consecutive shootings, claiming the lives of six individuals, including a local commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

October 26: Jaish al-Adl launched another assault in the Taftan area of Sistan-Baluchestan, killing 10 border police officers.

In response to the wave of terrorist activities orchestrated by Jaish al-Adl in southeastern Iran, the IRGC conducted an extensive counter-terrorism military operation in the latter half of 2024. The weeks-long campaign resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens of militants and the confiscation of significant quantities of illegal weaponry.

On November 3, Iranians gathered at the former U.S. Embassy site in Tehran to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the embassy takeover. During the rally, participants strongly condemned Western interference in regional affairs, accusing the U.S. and its allies of fostering division and destabilizing the region.

The re-election of Donald Trump as U.S. president will pose new challenges for Iran. Trump's earlier policies – ranging from withdrawing from the nuclear deal to reinstating sanctions and assassinating Soleimani – strained U.S.-Iran relations. His return further darkens prospects for rapprochement.

As the year drew to a close, Iran faced a shifting geopolitical landscape. Lebanon brokered a ceasefire with Israel, but Syria descended into renewed conflict. Iran accused the U.S. and Israel of orchestrating these upheavals to weaken its influence in the region. With key allies like Bashar al-Assad sidelined and Hezbollah under pressure, Iran's regional clout and diplomatic leverage appeared increasingly constrained.

At the end of the year and the beginning of the new one, CMG reporters interviewed several people on the streets of Tehran. Each had different wishes for the New Year, but all hoped for safety and stability, looking forward to the dawn of peace shining not only on Iran but also on every corner of the Middle East.

Supervisor: Mu Li

Producer: Li Chao, Wang Xuejing

Reporter: Li Jiannan