Iran appears to be pushing for deeper coordination among its regional allies as concerns grow over the possibility of a multi-front conflict with Israel involving Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and Iran-backed militias operating across Iraq and Syria. The latest developments have renewed attention on the coordination failures surrounding the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Documents attributed to Hamas reportedly indicate that Yahya Sinwar expected the assault to trigger a much broader confrontation involving Iran and Hezbollah. However, Tehran and Hezbollah were reportedly not fully informed of the operation in advance, limiting the level of synchronisation across the northern and southern fronts. WATCH

Iran claims its security forces have dismantled three suspected US-Israel-linked cells in Sistan and Baluchestan, while a separate escalation sees the United States targeting Iranian oil vessels near key Gulf shipping locations. According to Mehr News, Iranian forces reportedly arrested nine operatives accused of receiving military, bomb-making and assassination training. Iranian authorities also claim to have uncovered a secretly smuggled weapons cache during the operation. The identity of the alleged cells and detailed operational information have not been publicly disclosed, leaving key questions over the scope and nature of the reported intelligence operation. US forces are reported to have targeted Iranian oil ships near Kharg Island and Jask, putting Tehran's shadow oil network and regional energy infrastructure under increasing pressure. WATCH