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☆ Washington wrestles with ‘new equation’ of direct attacks between Iran and Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Alex Marquardt | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Throughout the week, US officials had urged Israel not to retaliate for Iran’s unprecedented attack five days prior, when hundreds of missiles and drones were fired from inside Iran at Israel. US intelligence has long assessed that neither Iran nor Israel has any appetite for an outright war. Iranian officials have stated publicly that Iran’s policy toward Israel has changed. Then, on April 1, an Israeli strike on what Iran claims was an embassy in Syria killed seven officials, including two senior Iranian commanders. “Israel and Iran are going to be starting higher on the escalatory ladder for every future moment of conflict and that is incredibly dangerous,” said Panikoff.

Persons: Biden, ”, Hossein, Israel’s, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Israel, Bill Burns, George W, “, Frank McKenzie, ” McKenzie, Maher Al Mounes, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Jonathan Panikoff, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Karim Sadjadpour, Qassem Soleimani, Iran —, Iran messaged, Donald Trump, stridently, —, McKenzie Organizations: CNN, Israel, Iran, US, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, CIA, Bush Presidential Center, Iranian, US Central Command, Getty, Lebanese Hezbollah, Iran’s, Carnegie Endowmernt Locations: Washington, Israel, Iran, Tehran, ” Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Dallas, Syria, Syria's, Damascus, AFP, Lebanese, Iran’s, Iraq

☆ Wall Street still isn't fretting about geopolitics, even after Iran attacked Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe market served up another reminder of its indifference to geopolitics on Monday, as traders seemingly shrugged off the potential impact of Iran's strikes on Israel. Signs that the conflict between the two countries won't escalate any further have calmed the market's nerves, XTB research director Kathleen Brooks said on Monday. "The dollar opened the week fairly muted and US bond yields are slightly higher, suggesting that there was no flight to safe havens." Anyone who's been following markets for the past two years won't be surprised at traders' muted reaction to the latest tensions in the Middle East.

Persons: —, pare, Kathleen Brooks, Joe Biden, Brooks, who's, Jamie Dimon, Ray Dalio, Neal Shearing, Shearing, isn't Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Ali Khamenei —, Jerome Powell Organizations: Service, Brent, West Texas, Business, JPMorgan, Bridgewater, Capital Economics, Federal Reserve, Fed Locations: Israel, Iran, Tehran, OPEC

Until Iran’s barrage of missiles and drones against Israel, the two countries had avoided open military intrusions into each other’s territory. Tehran most often acted through proxies, and Jerusalem via bombing runs and unacknowledged assassinations in the region. Iran’s unprecedented attack this weekend, which failed to kill a single Israeli, has perhaps now opened the clerical regime to a major reprisal. And the best way for Washington to limit the expansion of this conflict is to signal clearly its intention to support an Israeli counterattack. Iran’s internal situation, its memory about past U.S. military action and a conspiratorial worldview all support this strategy.

Persons: Jerusalem, Ali Khamenei Locations: Tehran, Jerusalem, United States, Israel, Washington, Israeli, America

☆ Why Iran attacked Israel and what comes next
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

How did Iran attack Israel? Israel and Iran are long-standing rivals and have been engaged in a shadow war for years. Israel’s war on Hamas, waged since the militant group attacked Israel on October 7, has heightened those tensions. But fears of a spiralling regional war spiked further in early April, when Iran accused Israel of bombing its diplomatic complex in Syria. The “Zionist regime” is a term Iran uses to refer to Israel.

Persons: percolated, Daniel Hagari, won’t, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, Donald Trump, IRGC, Qassem Soleimani, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israel, Ebrahim Raisi, “, IRNA, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Biden, Benny Gantz, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, Hossein Organizations: CNN, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Revolutionary Guards, West, Israeli, White, Finance, National Security, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, TV Locations: East, Iran, Damascus, Syria, Israel, Iranian, Iraq, Gaza, Baghdad, Lebanese, ”

☆ Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel has pushed the region to the edge — but not past the point of no return yet, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must weigh up the implications of escalating the conflict in the Middle East as he mulls Israel's response to Iran's attack, experts say. And depending on how Israel and Iran move forward, the countries may risk taking their yearslong shadow war into an open, regional conflict. AdvertisementAn anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles toward Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel April 14, 2024. "At no point previously had Iran directly struck Israel in a way that violated its sovereignty, meaning directly on Israeli soil. Iran has since warned Israel and its allies against a counterstrike, saying it would launch an even larger attack if they retaliated.

Persons: —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ali Khamenei, Michael Horowitz, Zonszein, Israel, Amir Cohen, Reuters Shashank Joshi, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Gantz, Joe Biden, Arbit, Jordan Organizations: Service, Business, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's, International Crisis, Reuters, LBC, Atlantic Council, CNN Locations: Jordanian, Iran, Iranian, Damascus, Israel, Ashkelon, Republic

☆ Opinion | For Israel, Revenge Should Be a Dish Served Cold
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

More than 300 drones and missiles launched from Iranian soil took aim at Israel on Saturday. The weekend attack is notable for two reasons: its directness and its ineffectuality. Iranian military commanders undoubtedly understood that most of their slow-moving drones, about 170 in all, would be shot down before reaching their targets. As a matter of self-defense, Israel has every moral and legal right to respond in kind — and then some. It is not enough for Israel to demonstrate its capacity for defense, as it did over the weekend.

Persons: Ali Khamenei, Israel Organizations: Israel Locations: Damascus, Islamic Republic, Israel, Iran, United States

☆ Live Updates: Israel Says Confrontation With Iran ‘Is Not Over’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Mike Ives | Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The Iranian armed forces are among the biggest in the Middle East, with 580,000 soldiers and officers and also 200,000 reservists. The start of a direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel has brought renewed attention to Iran’s armed forces. Instead, Israel and Iran have been engaged in a long shadow war via air, sea, land and cyberattacks, and Israel has covertly targeted military and nuclear facilities inside Iran and killed commanders and scientists. It’s that they realize any war against Iran is a very serious war.”What sort of military threat does Iran pose? The commander in chief of Iran’s armed forces is the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last word on all major decisions.

Persons: ”, Afshon Ostovar, “ It’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Fabian Hinz, “, Atta Kenare, Ostovar, Ayatollah Khamenei, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Will Israel’s Organizations: Naval Postgraduate School, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Guards, General Staff of, Armed Forces, Quds Force, Agence France, Phantoms, Iranian Army, Associated Press Locations: Tehran, Iranian, Iran, Israel, Damascus, United States, Washington, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Jihad, Gaza, Berlin, speedboats, Persian, Hormuz, Russia, Ukraine, Sudan, North Korea

Iran has warned that it will respond with “stronger and more resolute” actions if Israel retaliates over this weekend’s strikes, according to Tehran’s ambassador to the United Nations. Biden will also meet with G7 leaders on Sunday “to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack,” according to a statement released by the White House. US defensive assets moved to the region earlier this week and “helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles,” according to the statement. US forces intercepted more than 70 one-way attack drones and at least 3 ballistic missiles Iran fired toward Israel, according to two US official familiar with the situation. US fighter jets were also part of the US’ response to Iran’s attack on Saturday and shot down drones launched towards Israel, another US official told CNN.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Iran –, “, ”, Biden, Netanyahu, Jordan, ” CNN’s Nic Robertson, –, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, Donald Trump, IRGC, Qassem Soleimani, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi, IRNA, ” Israel, General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, Iran’s, António Guterres, Josep Borrell, Rishi Sunak, Javier Milei, Manuel Adorni, CNN’s Paul Murphy Organizations: CNN, Israel, United Nations, Iran, White House, US Navy, US, Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s Defense, Foreign Ministry, UN, British Locations: Iran, Syria, Israel, Republic, Haifa, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Damascus, Baghdad, Lebanese, Quds, East, Europe, America, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France, Netherlands, Austria, Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, China, Beijing, Chile, Mexico, Denmark

A view across the demarcation into Metula, Israel as seen from the Lebanese side of the demarcation line. But a Lebanese source familiar with the matter ruled this out. Hezbollah may only be compelled to join an Iranian war effort if the strike leads to further escalation, the same Lebanese source said. It provided a glimpse of how Hezbollah might attempt to overwhelm Israel’s defensive systems as Iran conducts its expected attack. From one of Spain’s bases near the demarcation line, there is a clear view of a microcosm of Lebanon’s long-standing border issues with Israel.

Persons: Kafr, Lebanon CNN —, ”, Juan Garcia Martinez, Charbel Mallo, —, Mohammad Reza Zahidi, “, Ali Khamenei, Sina Toosi, Yemen’s Houthis, ” Nasrallah, Israel –, Mallo, CNN Hezbollah’s, Hector Alonso, CNN’s MJ Lee, Natasha Bertrand, Zeena Saifi, Oren Liebermann Organizations: Lebanon CNN, CNN, UN, United Nations, Iran’s, Center for International, Hezbollah, Spanish UNIFIL, Israel Locations: Kafr Kila, Lebanon, Galilee, Spanish, Israel, Metula, Lebanese, Iran, Damascus, UNIFIL, Iranian, Gaza, Ghajar, Syrian, al

☆ Iran has launched drone attacks at Israel, U.S. officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Office of the Iranian SupremeIran on Saturday launched attacks against Israel, according to U.S. officials, escalating long-standing tensions between the two nations that have the potential to trigger a regional war. "Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a Saturday statement. Earlier on Saturday, Iran's Revolutionary Guard seized a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship with links to Israel in the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a Saturday statement that the missile and drone launches were "in response to the crimes by the Zionist Regime." "If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will react and attack in Iran," Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz wrote in a Wednesday post on X, tagging the Ayatollah's X account.

Persons: Ali Khamenei, Israel, Adrienne Watson, Daniel Hagari, Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Antony Blinken, perpetrating, Israel Katz Organizations: Iran's, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Saturday, Security, Israel Defense Forces, U.S, White, Defense, Iran's Revolutionary Guard, House, Zionist, Foreign Affairs Locations: Damascus, Tehran, Iran, Iranian, United States, Israel, Portuguese, Strait, Hormuz, Gaza

☆ Iran doesn't want to get into a full-on war, but that won't stop it threatening one
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Israel and the US expect a potential Iranian attack following a strike on Iran's embassy in Syria. The incident has escalated the long-standing proxy war between Israel and Iran. Despite threats of a direct attack on Israel, Iran won't want a war involving the US. A long-standing proxy warThe airstrike on April 1 marked an escalation in the long-standing proxy war between Israel and Iran. Related storyIf ballistic missiles or drones do target Israel, Israel would respond, and the US has made it clear it would support it.

Persons: —, Ali Khamenei, Israel, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Axios, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Jake Epstein, Saeid Jafari, Ali Sadrzadeh, Sadrzadeh, Qassem Soleimani, Khameini, Hassan Rouhani Organizations: Service, Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, Iranian, Street Journal, Reuters, Atlantic Council, Israel, BBC News Locations: Israel, Syria, Iran, Damascus, Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Washington, Tehran, Iraq

☆ Biden says he expects Iranian strike on Israel 'sooner than later'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Rebecca Shabad | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden said Friday that he expects Iran will strike Israel soon, and reiterated that the U.S. would support and defend Israel if such an attack occurred. We will support Israel, we will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed," he said. Iranian officials, including the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have vowed to retaliate against Israel over the attack on its consulate in Damascus. In response, Israel has threatened to launch a direct strike on Iran if it comes under attack. NBC News reported last week that an Iranian attack on Israel could focus on military or intelligence targets, rather than civilians, two U.S. officials said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Eisenhower, Israel, Biden, John Kirby, Kirby, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Quds Organizations: National Action Network Convention, White, National Security, NBC News, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Washington ,, Iran, U.S, Israel, Damascus

☆ Oil prices head back up on Middle East jitters
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A view of an oil well at Arab Desert in Jebel Dukhan, Bahrain on March 4, 2024. Oil prices rose in early trade on Friday on heightened tensions in the Middle East, where Iran has promised to retaliate for a suspected Israeli air strike on its embassy in Syria, which could risk disruptions to supply from the oil producing region. Israel is keeping up its war in Gaza but is also preparing for scenarios in other areas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. "The European Central Bank's decision to leave policy rates unchanged ... was expected, but accompanying statements open the door for near-term monetary easing," S&P Global Market Intelligence said in a note. However in the U.S., Federal Reserve officials signalled on Thursday no rush to cut interest rates, as sticky U.S. inflation remains a concern.

Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, Israel, Washington, ANZ Research, Organization of, Petroleum, P Global Market Intelligence, Federal Locations: Jebel Dukhan, Bahrain, Iran, Syria, Damascus, Gaza, Israel, Tehran, Europe, U.S

☆ Oil prices could spike to $100 if Iran directly attacks Israel, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The price of global benchmark Brent crude oil could spike to $100 a barrel if Iran directly attacks Israel, a former senior White House energy official said. @LCO.1 YTD mountain Brent crude oil, YTD Oil rallied last week after a missile attack destroyed Iran's consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing seven Iranian military officials. "If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will react and attack Iran," Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on the social media platform X , tagging Ayatollah Khamenei. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made clear that the Biden administration is worried about rising energy prices during congressional testimony Tuesday. "Certainly, those attacks could have a knock-on effect in terms of the global energy situation," Austin told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Persons: Bob McNally, McNally, George W, Brent, YTD Oil, Israel, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Israel Katz, Biden, terrify, Daniel Yergin, Yergin, CNBC's, Natasha Kaneva, Lloyd Austin, Austin Organizations: Brent, White House, Rapidan, Bloomberg News, YTD, Israel, Iran, Rapidan Energy, Biden, P Global, JPMorgan, Defense, Senate Armed Services Committee Locations: Iran, Israel, U.S, Washington, Damascus, Syria, OPEC, Tehran, Islamic Republic, Strait, Hormuz, Persian, Kyiv, Ukraine

☆ Riding Rage Over Israel to Online Prominence
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Steven Lee Myers | Tiffany Hsu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jackson Hinkle has cultivated an online persona so incendiary that he has been kicked off YouTube, Twitch and Instagram. Along the way, he has employed false or misleading content, promoted manipulated images and made comments that watchdog organizations have denounced as antisemitic. He calls himself an American patriot even as he praises American adversaries, including Vladimir V. Putin, Xi Jinping and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “DROP A LIKE if you stand with IRAN in the face of ISRAELI TERRORISM!” he wrote last week on X after an Israeli airstrike in Syria killed several Iranian military officials. A day later he addressed the Houthi leadership in Yemen over video, praising the group for its attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

Persons: Jackson Hinkle, Vladimir V, Putin, Xi Jinping, Ali Khamenei, ” Organizations: YouTube Locations: Israel, American, IRAN, Syria, Yemen, Red

☆ Iran and Israel Exchange New Threats After Strike on Iranian Commanders
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Iran and Israel traded fresh threats on Wednesday amid heightened concerns over how and when Tehran might retaliate for an Israeli strike in Syria last week that killed several senior Iranian commanders. The leadership of Iran has repeatedly vowed to avenge the deadly April 1 strike on an Iranian Embassy building in Damascus. U.S. officials have said they were bracing for a possible Iranian response, and Israel put its military on alert. The response from Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, was swift: “If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will react and attack in Iran,” he wrote in Farsi on X.Israel has not publicly taken responsibility for the strike in Damascus, but several Israeli officials have confirmed its involvement to The New York Times. Israel has been trading fire with Iran-backed militant groups since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 ignited the war in Gaza.

Persons: Israel, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Eid, ”, Israel Katz Organizations: Iranian Embassy, New York Times, Analysts Locations: Iran, Israel, Tehran, Syria, Iranian, Damascus . U.S, Damascus, Gaza

☆ Iran's Khamenei says Israel 'must be punished' for Syria embassy attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a graduation ceremony for armed forces officers at the Imam Ali academy in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 10, 2023. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday that Israel "must be punished and it shall be" for attacking the Iranian embassy compound in Syria. "When they attack the consulate, it is as if they have attacked our soil," Khamenei said in a speech marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In an apparent response to Khamenei, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Israel will respond if Iran attacks Israel from its own soil. Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ali, Iran's, Khamenei, Israel Katz, Katz Organizations: Iran's, Hamas, Lebanese Hezbollah Locations: Tehran, Iran, Israel, Syria, Gaza, Hamas, Lebanese, U.S, Iraq, Yemen, Aden

☆ Germany's Lufthansa suspends flights to and from Tehran amid Middle East crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Germany's Lufthansa said on Wednesday it suspended flights to and from Tehran from April 6 until probably April 11, "due to the current situation in the Middle East". "We are constantly monitoring the situation in the Middle East and are in close contact with the authorities. Later, Tehran said that the shooting-down of the Ukrainian was a "disastrous mistake" by forces who were on high alert. In retaliation for the killing of Qasem Soleimani, head of an elite overseas unit of the Guards, Iranian forces fired missiles at military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq on Jan. 3. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in six months of Israeli bombardment of Gaza, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

Persons: Germany's, Iran's, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Israel Katz, Qasem Soleimani Organizations: Lufthansa, Frankfurt Airport, Germany's Lufthansa, Reuters, Bloomberg, Revolutionary Guards, Ukraine International Airlines, Tehran, Iranian Guards, Guards Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Tehran, United States, Iran, Iranian, Syria, Israel, Damascus, Washington, U.S, Baghdad, Ukrainian, Iraq, Gaza, Hamas

☆ Oil prices break two-day losing streak after Israel threatens to strike Iran if attacked
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Crude oil futures rose Wednesday after two days of losses as Israel threatened to attack Iran if the Islamic Republic strikes Israel directly. The West Texas Intermediate contract for May delivery gained 31 cents, or 0.36%, to $85.54 a barrel. Oil prices pulled back after the consumer price index rose 0.4% for March and 3.5% over the previous year, compared with expected gains of 0.3% and 3.4%, respectively. Israel warned OPEC member Iran Wednesday it would attack the Islamic Republic if Tehran strikes Israel. "If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will react and attack Iran," Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on the social media platform X, tagging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Persons: Israel, Brent, Israel Katz, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Organizations: Quds Force, West Texas Intermediate, Iran Locations: Jerusalem, Syria, Tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic, Israel, Republic

☆ What We Know About the Iranian Commanders Killed by Israel in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Iran’s supreme leader on Tuesday pledged to avenge the deaths of three commanders and four officers in Iran’s armed forces, one day after they were killed in a precision Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus. The leaders, Iranian officials said, were some of the highest ranking leaders in the Quds Force, overseeing Iran’s covert intelligence and military operations in Syria and Lebanon. The strike was the deadliest against Iranian officials in recent memory and has shaken the country’s armed forces establishment. The strike, both the latest in a yearslong shadow war between Iran and Israel and a seeming escalation in that conflict, has again brought attention to Israel and Iran’s conflicting ambitions in the region and the network of proxies Iran employs to fight its battles. “We will make them regret this crime and similar crimes, with the help of God,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, said of the Israelis.

Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Organizations: Quds Force Locations: Damascus, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Israel

☆ The Middle East on the brink again after attack on Iranian consulate
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on Monday may be the most dangerous escalation outside of Gaza since the start of the Hamas-Israel war nearly six months ago. The attack is the latest in a recent string of apparent Israeli strikes in Syria that targeted the IRGC and Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Technically, Iran’s consulate is sovereign Iranian territory, making this the most overt attack on Iranian soil in years. Iran’s regional allies say they entered confrontations with Israel on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza, where over 32,000 people have been killed, according to local authorities. That may be an untenable position after today’s strike, which has again brought the region to the brink of an expanded war.

Persons: Israel, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, Lebanon —, Donald Trump, Soleimani, Ali Khamenei, ”, Mohammad Ali Shabani, “ Iran’s, Khamenei’s Organizations: CNN, Revolutionary Guards, Force Locations: Damascus, Gaza, Israel, Syria, Iran, Lebanese, Lebanon, Iran’s, Iranian, Baghdad, Washington

☆ Despite Hard-liners Winning Recent Elections, Iran Is Heading for a Big Change - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Arash Azizi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The vote, for the Parliament and Assembly of Experts, which appoints the supreme leader, was far from a referendum on current leaders, though. Iranians instead had the option to vote for varying degrees of conservative and hard-line candidates, often competing only in their effusive praise for the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Despite their Islamist declarations, many politicians in the Islamic Republic are not ideologues or revolutionaries, but technocrats or pragmatists who have gathered around Ayatollah Khamenei for proximity to his power. Today’s Iran is held together by the octogenarian Ayatollah Khamenei and his authority. A new Iran may be on the horizon, even if it’s not the Iran anti-regime protesters have hoped for.

Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, it’s Organizations: Experts Locations: Gaza, Islamic Republic, Iran

☆ Muslims spot Ramadan crescent moon in Saudi Arabia, meaning month of fasting starts Monday for many
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Officials saw the crescent moon Sunday night in Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites in Islam, marking the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan for many of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims. Saudi state television reported that authorities there saw the crescent moon. However, there are some Asia-Pacific countries like Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, that will begin Ramadan on Tuesday after failing to see the crescent moon. In Saudi Arabia, the kingdom had been urging the public to watch the skies from Sunday night in preparation for the sighting of the crescent moon. The Palestinian territories will begin Ramadan on Monday as well.

Persons: Jordan, Saudi King Salman, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ramadan, Robabeh, it's, Prophet Muhammad, Israel, Jerusalem's Organizations: Iran's, Hamas, Islamic Locations: Musyari'in, Jakarta, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Islam, Saudi, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Asia, Pacific, Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Oman, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Mecca, Iran, Tehran, Persian, Nowruz, U.S, Jerusalem's Al, Aqsa, Sudan

☆ Iran vote turnout hits historic low amid discontent
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Turnout for Iran's parliamentary election, seen as a test of the clerical establishment's legitimacy, appears to have hit an historic low of around 41%, according to unofficial reports quoted by state media on Saturday. Mohammad Khatami, Iran's first reformist president, was among critics who did not vote on Friday. State news agency IRNA said unofficial reports put turnout at more than 25 million, or about 41% of eligible voters. If the turnout figure is confirmed, it would be the lowest since Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979. Iran's turnout fell to 42.5% in 2020 parliamentary elections from about 62% in 2016.

Persons: Mohammad Khatami, Iran's, Narges Mohammadi, IRNA, Joe Biden, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi, Hassan Rouhani Organizations: Reuters, Iran's, Experts Locations: Tehran, State, United States, Israel, Ham Mihan

☆ Iran holds first elections since Mahsa Amini protests, with low turnout and boycott expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Iranian women cast their ballots at a polling station during elections to select members of parliament and a key clerical body, in Tehran on March 1, 2024. Iran holds its parliamentary elections on Friday, in the first vote for Iranians since a nationwide protest movement for women's rights rocked the country in 2022. "Transition from the despotic religious regime is a national demand and the only way for the survival of Iran, Iranians, and our humanity," Mohammadi added. "And providing the political system with overt legitimacy, after the very system has disregarded and abused people and civil rights, is just too much." Country analysts expect a nationwide turnout of between 30% and 50%, while state polling center ISPA estimated the turnout in Tehran at just 23.5% and 38.5% nationally.

Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Mehdi, Narges Mohammadi, Mohammadi, Sanam Vakil Organizations: Islamic, Assembly, Experts, CNBC, Iranian, Chatham House Locations: Tehran, Iran, Iran's, East, North Africa

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