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☆ Analysis-Russia Seen as Highly Unlikely to Put a Nuclear Warhead in Space
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesAnalysts tracking Russia's space programs say the space threat is probably not a nuclear warhead but rather a high-powered device requiring nuclear energy to carry out an array of attacks against satellites. The Kremlin on Thursday dismissed a warning by the United States about Moscow's new nuclear capabilities in space, calling it a "malicious fabrication". Exploding a nuclear weapon in space would be another matter entirely. "If they do (detonate a nuclear device in space), they’d lose everything. James Acton, a nuclear expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, said for Russia to put a nuclear weapon in orbit would be a "blatant violation of the Outer Space Treaty."

Persons: Joey Roulette, Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON, Mike Turner, Antony Blinken, Daryl Kimball, Brian Weeden, Weeden, James Acton, Acton, Arshad Mohammed, Don Durfee, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S . House, Reuters, Washington, U.S, Arms Control Association, U.S . Defense Intelligence Agency, Secure, Foundation, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace Locations: Russia, Russian, United States, U.S, China, India, Ukraine, Washington, Saint Paul , Minnesota

☆ US Imposes Sanctions for Violations of Russia Oil Price Cap
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department said on Thursday it had put sanctions on three entities based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and one registered in Liberia for violating a cap placed on the price of Russian oil by a coalition of Western nations. The Treasury also said it had taken steps to bar the import of certain categories of diamonds mined in Russia, another step designed to deprive Moscow of foreign revenues following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In a statement, the Treasury Department said it had imposed sanctions on three UAE-based entities - Zeenit Supply and Trading DMCC, Talassa Shipping DMCC and Oil Tankers SCF Mgmt FZCO - as well as on Liberia-registered NS Leader Shipping Incorporated. The price cap imposed by the Group of Seven countries, the European Union and Australia bans the use of Western maritime services such as insurance, flagging and transportation when tankers carry Russian oil priced at or above $60 a barrel. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 Images(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Ismail Shakil and Arshad Mohammed; editing by David Ljunggren)

Persons: Daphne Psaledakis, Ismail Shakil, Arshad Mohammed, David Ljunggren Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . Treasury, United Arab Emirates, Treasury, Treasury Department, Talassa Shipping, Oil, Mgmt, NS, Shipping Incorporated, Group, European Union Locations: UAE, Liberia, Western, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Australia, Israel, Gaza

☆ US Plans More Strikes in Middle East Against Iran-Backed Groups
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States plans to undertake further strikes after the killing of three U.S. troops by Iranian-backed militias last weekend, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday. "We intend to take additional strikes, and additional action, to continue to send a clear message that the United States will respond when our forces are attacked, when our people are killed," he told NBC’s "Meet the Press" program. The United States and Britain launched strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, in the second day of major U.S. operations against Iran-linked groups following a deadly attack that killed three American troops in Jordan last weekend. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 Images"What happened on Friday was the beginning, not the end, of our response, and there will be more steps - some seen, some perhaps unseen," Sullivan told CBS' "Face the Nation" program. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Louise Heavens and Lisa Shumaker)

Persons: Jake Sullivan, NBC’s, Sullivan, Doina Chiacu, Arshad Mohammed, Louise Heavens, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: WASHINGTON, United, White, National, Press, Britain, Pentagon, U.S, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hamas, CBS Locations: United States, Iranian, Yemen, Iran, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Palestinian, Israel, Gaza, Tehran

☆ Qatar Hopes US Retaliation Won't Undercut Hostage Talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Qatar's prime minister on Monday said he hoped U.S. retaliation for an attack that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan would not undercut progress toward a new Israel-Hamas hostage release deal in weekend talks. According to Israel, some 1,200 people were killed and 253 abducted in the attack, which sparked Israel's war to eliminate Hamas. In a major escalation, three U.S. service members were killed and at least 34 wounded in a drone attack by Iran-backed militants on U.S. troops in northeastern Jordan near the Syrianborder, U.S. officials said on Sunday. Speaking at Washington's Atlantic Council think tank, the Qatari prime minister said U.S. retaliation "will definitely have an impact ... One way or another it will definitely have an impact on regional security and we hope things get contained." (Reporting by Jonathan Landay, Arshad Mohammed and Andrew Mills; Editing by Ros Russell)

Persons: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin, al, William Burns, Sheikh Mohammed, Joe Biden, Jonathan Landay, Arshad Mohammed, Andrew Mills, Ros Russell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Qatari, CIA, Israel, Yemen's, Washington's Atlantic Council Locations: Jordan, Israel, al Thani, Washington, Iran, Qatar, United States, Gaza, East, Yemen's Iran, Red, U.S, Syrian

☆ Russia Seeks Emergency UN Security Council Session on Plane Crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia has called for an emergency U.N. Security Council session on Wednesday to discuss the crash of a Russian plane that Moscow says was carrying captured Ukrainian soldiers to a prisoner exchange. Russia has accused Ukraine of deliberately shooting down the military transport plane carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers to the prisoner exchange in what it called a barbaric act of terrorism that had killed a total of 74 people. Lavrov told a press conference at the United Nations that Russia had called for the Security Council meeting to be held at 3 p.m. He called the downing of the aircraft on Wednesday a "criminal" act by Ukraine and said Russia sought the session so the Ukrainians could explain how the plane went down. It said Russia's accusations that Kyiv shot down the transport plane could be "a planned action to destabilize the situation in Ukraine and weaken international support for our state."

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Daphne Psaledakis, Arshad Mohammed, David Brunnstrom, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: WASHINGTON, Russian, Security, United Locations: Russia, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine, United Nations, Belgorod, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Kharkov

☆ US Seeks Probe Into West Bank Death of US Teenager
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday called for an investigation and for accountability "as appropriate" following the West Bank death of a 17-year-old Palestinian American, who Palestinian health officials say was killed by Israeli security forces. Speaking at a regular briefing, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said the United States had called for an urgent investigation in to the death of Tawfic Abdel Jabbar on Friday. Palestinian health officials said the American-born youth was killed by Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank. "We are devastated about the killing of 17-year-old U.S. citizen Tawfic Abdel Jabbar in the West Bank," Patel told reporters, saying the United States was working with Israel to get information about his death. "We have called for an urgent investigation to determine the circumstances of his death and accountability ... as appropriate," he added.

Persons: Vedant Patel, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Patel, Simon Lewis, Ismail Shakil, Arshad Mohammed, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: WASHINGTON, Bank, State Department, West Bank Locations: United States, American, Israel, Gaza

JAKE SULLIVAN - THE LAST GUY IN THE ROOMBiden often turns to Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, when he is considering final options and looking for advice and counsel. "He develops and puts forward the policy options before the president for him to decide," said one U.S. official. Sullivan, 47, was national security adviser for Biden when he was vice president and deputy chief of staff to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He gathers policy options from across government agencies and prepares them for Biden to consider, the traditional role of the national security adviser. JON FINER - ASKING QUESTIONSSullivan relies heavily on his deputy national security adviser, Jon Finer.

Persons: Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Evelyn Hockstein, ANTONY BLINKEN, Biden, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, JAKE SULLIVAN, Sullivan, Jake, Hillary Clinton, BRETT MCGURK, Brett McGurk, McGurk, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, BILL BURNS, spymaster, Bill Burns, It's, Burns, LLOYD AUSTIN, STARK, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Israel, KAMALA HARRIS, Kamala Harris, Harris, ”, JON, Jon, John Kerry's, Kerry, Arshad Mohammed, Nandita Bose, Don Durfee, Heather Timmons, Deepa Babington Organizations: U.S, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Israeli, Biden, White House, National Security, U.S ., CIA, . Defense, Pentagon, Islamic State, U.S . Army, ISIS, Palestinian, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Israel, Tel Aviv, Gaza, East, North Africa, Saudi Arabia, United States, Qatar, Doha, Iran, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Ankara, U.S, Austin, Dubai, West

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Henry Kissinger, the most powerful U.S. diplomat of the Cold War era, who helped Washington open up to China, forge arms control deals with the Soviet Union and end the Vietnam War, but who was reviled by critics over human rights, has died aged 100. While many hailed Kissinger for his brilliance and statesmanship, others branded him a war criminal for his support for anti-communist dictatorships, especially in Latin America. Kissinger won the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, but it was one of the most controversial ever. When Nixon's pledge to end the Vietnam War helped him win the 1968 presidential election, he brought in Kissinger as national security adviser. And in the India-Pakistan War of 1971, Nixon and Kissinger drew heavy criticism for tilting toward Pakistan.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, Kissinger, Richard Nixon, Nixon's, Gerald Ford, Joe Biden's, John Kirby, Biden, Le Duc Tho, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Abdul Momen, Kissinger's, Momen, Ford, Henry, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Heinz Alfred Kissinger, Egon Bahr, Fabrizio Bensch, Lyndon, Nixon, Premier Zhou Enlai, Mao Zedong, China Winston Lord, Leonid Brezhnev, Salvador Allende, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George W, Bush, Xi Jinping, Ann Fleischer, Nancy Maginnes, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Steve Holland, Arshad Mohammed, Dan Whitcomb, Don Durfee, Kanishka Singh, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jarrett Renshaw, Bill Trott, Diane Craft, Rosalba O'Brien, Tomasz Janowski, Frances Kerry, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Jewish, Kissinger Associates, Arlington National, Republican, Paris Peace, Democratic, U.S, HARVARD, Nazi, Social Democratic, Mary's, REUTERS, Army, Harvard University, State Department, Paris Peace Accords, Communist, Premier, Former U.S, Ford, CIA, Democrat, House, New York Governor, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington, China, Soviet Union, Vietnam, German, Connecticut, New York, Arlington, Israel, Paris, North Vietnam, America, Cambodia, North Vietnamese, Beijing, Russian, statesmanship, West, East Pakistan, Bangladesh, Fuerth, Germany, United States, St, Berlin, Europe, Jerusalem, Damascus, Syria, Golan, Vladivostok, Egypt, Sinai, India, Pakistan, Saint Paul , Minnesota, Long Beach , California

Hamas-affiliated media reported early on Tuesday that Israel freed 30 Palestinian children and three women, in the truce's fourth swap. Waving Palestinian, Hamas and Islamic Jihad flags, dozens of Palestinians gathered outside Israel's Ofer prison near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank to await the release of additional Palestinians. Each day since the four-day truce began on Friday, Hamas has released some of the hostages while Israel has freed some of the Palestinians it holds. Under the terms of existing four-day truce agreement, Hamas was due to release in total 50 Israeli women and children held hostage in Gaza. It was not clear how many hostages would be released under the extended truce agreement, but earlier the head of Egypt's State Information Service, Diaa Rashwan, said the deal being negotiated would include the release of 20 Israeli hostages and 60 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Persons: Israel, Israel's Ofer, Gaza's, Alya Ahmed Saif Al, Thani, Antony Blinken, Diaa Rashwan, Arshad Mohammed, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: International Committee, West Bank, Gaza's Hamas, Security, Hamas, U.S, United, Egypt's, Information Service, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, CAIRO, JERUSALEM, Gaza, Ramallah, Qatar, Egypt, United Arab Emirates

☆ More Israeli Hostages, Palestinians Expected to Be Freed With Extended Truce
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Persons: Nidal, Emily Rose CAIRO, Israel, Israel's Ofer, Gaza's, Alya Ahmed Saif Al, Thani, Antony Blinken, Diaa Rashwan, Arshad Mohammed, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: West Bank, Gaza's Hamas, Security, Hamas, U.S, United, Egypt's, Information Service, Reuters Locations: JERUSALEM, Israel, Gaza, Ramallah, Qatar, Egypt, United Arab Emirates

☆ Three Americans expected to be included in Gaza hostage release-US official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli bombardments since have flattened large swaths of Hamas-led Gaza and killed 13,300 civilians, according to authorities in Gaza. Under terms of the deal, Hamas is to release 50 hostages and Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners during a four- to five-day pause in the fighting. The hostage group will include two American women and an American girl named Abigail who will turn four on Friday, the official said. The deal will also include more deliveries of humanitarian relief aid to Gaza, the official said. A rigorous inspection regime will ensure Hamas does not use the pause to rearm the group's fighters in Gaza with weaponry, the official said.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Abigail, Steve Holland, Costas Pitas, Humeyra Pamuk, Arshad Mohammed, Scott Malone, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, U.S, Qatar, American

The stockpile continues to grow, the reports say, even though Iran has consistently denied wanting nuclear arms. "The political debate is really not going to be about negotiating with Iran, it's going to be about confronting Iran," he said. This week's IAEA reports showed Iran was making steady nuclear progress and indicated that Tehran continued to stonewall the agency in monitoring its work. Two diplomats said all that could be done in coming months was to support IAEA chief Rafael Grossi's efforts to strengthen oversight of Iran's nuclear programme. "It's way too early to say whether Iran will become a nuclear state or whether it will stay a threshold state like now," one diplomat said.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger, Biden, Trump, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Israel, Robert Einhorn, Rafael Grossi's, John Irish, Francois Murphy, Arshad Mohammed, Edmund Blair Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, REUTERS, Trump PARIS, Reuters, U.S, Hamas, Pentagon, U.S . State Department, IAEA Washington, Governors, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, stoke, WASHINGTON, VIENNA, United States, Tehran, Gaza, Iran, European, Washington, Iraq, Syria, U.S, IRAN, IAEA, stonewall, Paris

The conflict is also testing the limits of the regional coalition whose members - which include the Syrian government, Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups from Iraq to Yemen - have differing priorities and domestic challenges. On Oct. 7, Hamas' military commander Mohammed Deif called on its axis allies to join the struggle. Yet, like its backer Iran, Hezbollah has avoided an all-out confrontation. Iran does not recognise Israel's existence, while Israel has long threatened military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to curb its disputed nuclear activity. "Iran has shown a four-decade commitment to fighting America and Israel without entering into direct conflict.

Persons: Ali Khamenei, Ismail Haniyeh, wouldn't, Yemen's Houthis, Mohanad Hage Ali, Israel, Mohammed Deif, Khaled Meshaal, Dennis Ross, Hamas didn't, didn't, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Israel didn't, Karim Sadjadpour, Parisa Hafezi, Laila Bassam, Arshad Mohammed, Tom Perry, Jonathan Saul, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Pravin Organizations: Israel, Reuters, Hezbollah, Carnegie Middle East Center, Hamas, Washington Institute for Near, Iran, AMERICA, United, U.S, Pentagon ., . Defense, NORTH Austin, Carnegie Endowment, International, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Tehran, Israel, Iran, Palestinian, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Beirut, Gaza, Lebanon, Palestine, United States, U.S, East, Iranian, Afghanistan, Seoul, ISRAEL, America, Dubai, Saint Paul, Jerusalem, Washington

WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The United States has issued a new 120-day waiver allowing Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, stressing Tehran could only use the funds for humanitarian trade and seeking to blunt criticism of giving Iran the money. The move may also be controversial because Washington has asked Baghdad to curtail attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq by Iranian-allied militias, with mixed results. One U.S. official described the U.S. requests to Iraq as "a work in progress." U.S. and coalition troops have been attacked at least 55 times in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, injuring 59 personnel, though all have returned to duty. Reporting By Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Writing by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Grant McCool and Lincoln Feast.

Persons: parry, it's, Richard Goldberg, Trump, Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, Arshad Mohammed, Grant McCool, Lincoln Organizations: United, Republicans, Congress, U.S . U.S, U.S, Washington, Pentagon, Foundation for Defense, Democracies, Thomson Locations: United States, Iraq, Iran, Tehran, U.S, Baghdad, Iranian, Israel, Gaza, Syria, Washington

GAZA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said hospitals in the Gaza Strip must be protected and he hoped for "less intrusive" action by Israel as Israeli tanks advanced to the gates of the besieged enclave's main hospital. At least 650 patients were still inside Al Shifa hospital, desperate to be evacuated to another medical facility. In his first comments since the weekend's events, including patient deaths reported at Al Shifa, Biden said hospitals must be protected. [1/6]Smoke rises as displaced Palestinians take shelter at Al Shifa hospital, amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, November 8, 2023. An Israeli military spokesperson said the army was checking the report on Jabalia.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ashraf Al, Qidra, Al Shifa, Biden, Doaa, Israel, Abu Ubaida, Jake Sullivan, Washington, Crescent, Mohammed Khamis Dababash, Nidal al, Arshad Mohammed, Howard Goller, Michael Perry, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Al, Hamas, White, REUTERS, Brigades, House, Washington Post, Palestinian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: GAZA, Gaza, Israel, Al Shifa, Al, Gaza City, Washington, al, Quds, Israeli

☆ US does not want to see firefights in Gaza hospitals, Sullivan says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 15, 2023. "The United States does not want to see firefights in hospitals where innocent people, patients receiving medical care, are caught in the crossfire and we've had active consultations with the Israeli Defense Forces on this," Sullivan told CBS News' "Face the Nation" program. Al-Shifa and other hospitals in northern Gaza, the focus of Israel's month-old war to wipe out Hamas and free hostages held by the militants, are barely able to care for patients. Sullivan said that open-source information indicated that "Hamas is using hospitals as it uses many other civilian facilities, for command and control, for weapons storage, to house its fighters. He also said the United States continues to move U.S. citizens out of Gaza.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Sarah Silbiger, we've, Sullivan, Arshad Mohammed, Katharine Jackson, Scott Malone, Hugh Lawson Organizations: White, National, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Rights, United, CBS News, Israeli Defense Forces, CBS, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, United States, Gaza, Al

☆ Biden will push China to resume military ties with US, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022. Biden will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in person for the first time in a year on Wednesday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. It will be only the second in-person meeting between the two leaders since Biden took office in January 2021. Sullivan said on CNN's "State of the Union" that Biden would seek to "advance the ball" on military ties during his meeting with Xi, but declined to provide further details. President Biden would like to re-establish that," Sullivan said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Kevin Lamarque, Jake Sullivan, Biden, it's, Sullivan, Xi, Katharine Jackson, Arshad Mohammed, Andrea Shalal, Scott Malone, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, White House, Biden, Economic Cooperation, U.S, CBS, Thomson Locations: Bali , Indonesia, China, Asia, San Francisco, Israel, Ukraine, North, Russia, Taiwan, U.S, United States, Beijing

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Afghans fleeing Pakistan to avoid arrest and deportation are sleeping in the open, without proper shelter, food, drinking water and toilets once they cross the border to their homeland, aid agencies said Sunday. Pakistan set Oct.31 as a deadline to leave the country or else they'd be arrested as part of a new anti-migrant crackdown. Afghans leave Pakistan from two main border crossings, Torkham and Chaman. The Taliban say they have committees working “around the clock” to help Afghans by distributing food, water and blankets. Concerns have risen among the humanitarian community about the impoverished country being unable to support or integrate those currently forced to leave Pakistan.

Persons: Torkham, Kayal Mohammad, Hawa, ”, “, ” Thamindri Da Silva, Arshad Malik, ” Malik, Pope Francis Organizations: Associated Press, “ Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Peshawar

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a graduation ceremony for armed forces officers at the Imam Ali academy in Tehran, Iran October 10, 2023. "There was a direct message relayed," White House spokesman John Kirby said at a news briefing, declining to elaborate. U.S. troops have been attacked at least 12 times in Iraq and four times in Syria in the past week, it added. On Wednesday, Biden said he had warned the ayatollah the United States would respond if U.S. forces continued to be targeted but did not say how the message was communicated. "My warning to the ayatollah was that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond, and he should be prepared.

Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ali, Joe Biden, John Kirby, Biden, Israel, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Steve Holland, Susan Heavey, Arshad Mohammed, Doina Chiacu, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Iran's, Iranian, West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Hamas, Pentagon, Wednesday, United Nations, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran, Israel, U.S, Iraq, Syria, United States, Gaza, Iran's, Palestine, Lebanon, Hamas, Yemen

REUTERS/Alexey Pavlishak/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The United States has information that the Russian military is executing soldiers who do not follow orders related to the war with Ukraine, the White House said on Thursday. "We have information that the Russian military has been actually executing soldiers who refuse to follow orders," White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. Russia's ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, in a comment on the Telegram messaging app, made no reference to the White House allegations. The United States has strongly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has been providing significant aid to Kyiv. "I think it's a symptom of ... how poorly Russia's military leaders know they're doing and how bad they have handled this from a military perspective," he said.

Persons: Alexey Pavlishak, John Kirby, Kirby, Anatoly Antonov, Antonov, Russia's, Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Ronald Popeski, Arshad Mohammed, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United, Kremlin, Antonov, Thomson Locations: Simferopol, Crimea, United States, Ukraine, Russian, Washington, U.S, Ukrainian, Avdiivka

Hamas on Monday freed two Israeli women among the more than 200 hostages taken during its Oct. 7 assault. "The path is a path of unrelenting attacks, damaging Hamas everywhere and in every way. "We are well prepared for the ground operations in the south," he added, referring to southern Israel, which abuts Gaza. "Any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs could ultimately backfire. At least 5,087 Palestinians have been killed in two weeks of strikes, including 2,055 children, the health ministry said.

Persons: Israel, Barack Obama, General Herzi Halevi, Halevi, Joe Biden, OBAMA, ISRAEL, Obama, Biden, Antony Blinken, Gazans, Nidal al, Ari Rabinovitch, Matt Spetalnick, Steve Holland, Rami Ayyub, Humeyra Pamuk, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Moaz Abd, Arshad Mohammed, Howard Goller, Michael Perry Organizations: U.S, Security Council, Troops, House, Pentagon, State Department, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical, REUTERS, Reuters, Israel, Hamas, Security, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Gaza, GAZA, JERUSALEM, Israel, Palestinian, United States, U.S, retaliating, Ichilov, Tel Aviv, China, Russia, Gaza's Al, Jerusalem, Washington, Cairo

Former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during the Sandy Hook Promise Benefit in New York City, U.S., December 6, 2022. In rare comments on an active foreign policy crisis, Obama said any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs of the war "could ultimately backfire." Israel has heavily bombarded Gaza with air strikes since Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel left over 1,400 people dead. Obama condemned Hamas' attack and reiterated his support for Israel's right to defend itself, while cautioning about risks to civilians in such wars. Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a testy relationship when Obama was in office, including when Obama's administration was negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran.

Persons: Barack Obama, Sandy, David, Dee, Delgado, Obama, Joe Biden, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Kanishka Singh, Matt Spetalnick, Arshad Mohammed, Jeff Mason, Kieran Murray, Stephen Coates Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, Israel, Palestinian, Israeli, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Gaza, Israel, Iran, Washington

☆ Obama Warns Some of Israel's Actions in Gaza May Backfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Kanishka SinghWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some of Israel's actions in its war against Hamas, like cutting off food and water for Gaza, could "harden Palestinian attitudes for generations" and weaken international support for Israel, former U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday. In rare comments on an active foreign policy crisis, Obama said any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs of the war "could ultimately backfire." Israel has heavily bombarded Gaza with air strikes since Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel left over 1,400 people dead. Obama condemned Hamas' attack and reiterated his support for Israel's right to defend itself, while cautioning about risks to civilians in such wars. Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a testy relationship when Obama was in office, including when Obama's administration was negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran.

Persons: Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, Barack Obama, Obama, Joe Biden, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Kanishka Singh, Matt Spetalnick, Arshad Mohammed, Jeff Mason, Kieran Murray, Stephen Coates Organizations: Hamas, Israel, Palestinian, Israeli Locations: Gaza, Israel, Iran, Washington

☆ US sees risk of Middle East escalation, threat to US troops
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - The United States sees the prospect of further attacks on its troops in the Middle East and the Israel-Hamas war escalating to the wider region, the top U.S. diplomat and defense officials said on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the United States did not want to see the conflict spread. In fact, what we're seeing … is the prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops and our people throughout the region," Austin told ABC's "This Week" program. "If any group or any country is looking to widen this conflict and take advantage of this very unfortunate situation ... our advice is: don’t," he added. Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Evelyn Hockstein, Lloyd Austin, Blinken, …, Austin, ABC's, Kanishka Singh, Arshad Mohammed, Andrea Ricci, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: U.S, Israeli, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Sunday, NBC, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Israel, Tel Aviv, United States, Sunday ., Iran, United, Gaza, Washington

☆ Iran's Quandary: How to Stay Out of Israel's War on Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +9 min

Iran, a longtime backer of Gaza's rulers Hamas, finds itself in a quandary as it tries to manage the spiralling crisis, according to nine Iranian officials with direct knowledge of the thinking within the clerical establishment. "We are in contact with our friends Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah," Vahid Jalalzadeh, the head of parliament's National Security Committee said on Wednesday, according to Iranian state media. Iran's foreign ministry didn't respond to a request for comment about the country's response to the unfolding crisis, while Israeli military authorities declined to comment. Khamenei, the supreme leader, has denied Iran was involved in the attack, though he praised the damage inflicted on Israel. "Iran's nuanced position emphasizes the delicate balance it must maintain between regional interests and internal stability," said the former senior Iranian official.

Persons: Parisa Hafezi, Jonathan Saul, Arshad Mohammed DUBAI, wouldn't, Avi Melamed, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, Israel didn't, Khamenei, Joe Biden, Biden, John Kirby, Washington, Jon Alterman, Jerusalem, Arshad Mohammed, Laila Bassam, Samia Nakhoul, Michael Georgy, Pravin Char Organizations: Reuters, Islamic, parliament's National Security, Israel, Wednesday, Hezbollah, U.S, Germany's Ramstein Air Base, House, State Department, CSIS, Swiss, Iran, Iranian Locations: Iran, Israel, Gaza, Tehran, U.S, Lebanon, Yemen, United States, Islamic Republic, Iranian, Lebanese, Syria, Iraq, Washington, America, GAZA, LEBANON, China, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Beirut, Paritosh, New York

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