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☆ Shadow War Between Iran and Israel: A Timeline
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For decades, Israel and Iran have fought a shadow war across the Middle East, trading attacks by land, sea, air and in cyberspace. A recent round of strikes — mainly an aerial barrage by Iran against Israel last weekend — has brought the conflict more clearly into the open and raised fears of a broader war. Iran hit back by attacking two bases in Iraq that housed American troops with a barrage of missiles, wounding about 100 U.S. military personnel. 2021-22: In July 2021, an oil tanker managed by an Israeli-owned shipping company was attacked off the coast of Oman, killing two crew members, according to the company and three Israeli officials. Two of the officials said that the attack appeared to have been carried out by Iranian drones.

Persons: —, Israel, Maj, Qassim Suleimani Organizations: Israel, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Locations: Israel, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Qaim, Iraq, Gen, Baghdad, Israeli, Oman

Iran’s much-anticipated retaliation for Israel’s killing of senior military leaders produced a fiery aerial display in the skies over Israel and the West Bank. But in important ways, military analysts say, it was just that: a highly choreographed spectacle. Just as they did back in 2020 when retaliating for the U.S. killing of Gen. Qassim Suleimani, Iranian leaders this weekend gave plenty of warning that they were launching strikes. The result: a lot of bang, but relatively little destruction on the ground. Few of Iran’s drones and missiles found their intended targets, an inaccuracy level that military experts and defense officials say was probably by design.

Persons: retaliating, Qassim Suleimani Organizations: West Bank, Jordanian, Iranian Embassy Locations: Israel, Gen, Iran, Iranian, Syria

☆ Iran’s Attacks Bring Long Shadow War With Israel Into the Open
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For decades, Israel and Iran have fought a shadow war across the Middle East, trading attacks by land, sea, air and in cyberspace. The barrage of drones and missiles Iran launched at Israel on Saturday — though nearly all were shot down or intercepted — marked a watershed in the conflict. It was the first time that Iran directly attacked Israel from its own territory, according to Ahron Bregman, a political scientist and expert in Middle East security issues at King’s College in London, who called it an “historic event.”Iran has largely used foreign proxies to strike Israeli interests, while targeted assassinations of Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists have been a key part of Israel’s strategy. Here is a brief history of the conflict:January 2020: Israel greeted with satisfaction the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the commander of the foreign-facing arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, in an American drone strike in Baghdad. Iran hit back by attacking two bases in Iraq that housed American troops with a barrage of missiles, injuring about 100 U.S. military personnel.

Persons: —, Ahron, Israel, Maj, Qassim Suleimani Organizations: Iran, Israel, King’s College, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Locations: Israel, Iran, Middle East, London, Gen, Baghdad, Iraq

☆ A Look at Iran’s Military Capabilities as It Threatens Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The possibility of a direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel has brought renewed attention to Iran’s armed forces. Early this month, Israel attacked a building in Iran’s diplomatic compound in the Syrian capital, Damascus, killing seven of Iran’s senior commanders and military personnel. Here’s a look at Iran’s military and its capabilities. Why is Iran’s military relevant right now? After Israel attacked the Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus, Tehran responded with a threat to avenge the killings of its military personnel.

Persons: Israel, Donald J, Trump, Qassim Suleimani Locations: Iran, Israel, Damascus, Tehran, United States, Gen, Iraq

☆ ISIS Affiliate Linked to Moscow Attack Has Global Ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Five years ago this month, an American-backed Kurdish and Arab militia ousted Islamic State fighters from a village in eastern Syria, the group’s last sliver of territory. Since then, the organization that once staked out a self-proclaimed caliphate across Iraq and Syria has metastasized into a more traditional terrorist group — a clandestine network of cells from West Africa to Southeast Asia engaged in guerrilla attacks, bombings and targeted assassinations. None of the group’s affiliates have been as relentless as the Islamic State in Khorasan, which is active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran and has set its sights on attacking Europe and beyond. U.S. officials say the group carried out the attack near Moscow on Friday, killing scores of people and wounding many others. In January, Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K, carried out twin bombings in Iran that killed scores and wounded hundreds of others at a memorial service for Iran’s former top general, Qassim Suleimani, who was targeted in a U.S. drone strike four years earlier.

Persons: Qassim Suleimani Organizations: Islamic Locations: American, Syria, Iraq, West Africa, Southeast Asia, Khorasan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Europe, U.S, Moscow, State Khorasan

The group got a dramatic second wind soon after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government that year. The attack raised ISIS-K’s international profile, positioning it as a major threat to the Taliban’s ability to govern. Counterterrorism officials in Europe say that in recent months they have snuffed out several nascent ISIS-K plots to attack targets there. And now the group has claimed responsibility for the attack in Moscow. “ISIS-K accuses the Kremlin of having Muslim blood in its hands, referencing Moscow’s interventions in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Syria.”

Persons: Biden, Michael E, “, Qassim Suleimani, Vladimir V, Putin, Colin P, Clarke, ” Organizations: Taliban, U.S, Islamic State, ISIS, military’s, Command, Counterterrorism, Soufan, Kremlin Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, Moscow, State Khorasan Province, U.S, United States, Persian, Europe, Kerman, Iran, Gen, Iranian, Russia, New York, Chechnya, Syria

The United States collected intelligence in March that Islamic State-Khorasan, known as ISIS-K, the branch of the group based in Afghanistan, had been planning an attack on Moscow, according to officials. In addition to publicly warning on March 7 about a possible attack, U.S. officials said they had privately told Russian officials about the intelligence pointing to an impending attack. It is not clear how much information the United States gave Russian officials beyond what was in the public warning. Western intelligence agencies had collected intelligence about possible planning by ISIS-K to bomb the service. As in Russia, ISIS-K claimed responsibility for that attack.

Persons: ”, Vladimir V, Putin, Colin P, Clarke, Qassim Suleimani Organizations: Islamic State, United, ISIS, Soufan, Kremlin, United States Locations: Moscow, United States, State, Khorasan, Afghanistan, Russia, Europe, New York, Chechnya, Syria, Iran, U.S, United

☆ Biden’s Options Range From Unsatisfying to Risky After American Deaths
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But the options range from the unsatisfying to the highly risky. Mr. Biden could order strikes on the proxy forces, a major escalation of the whack-a-mole attacks it has conducted in recent weeks in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. So far, those attacks have put a dent into the abilities of the Iranian-backed groups that have mounted more than 160 attacks. His first targets could well be members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, many of whom are based in Syria and Iraq. In short, it would force Mr. Biden to do everything he has been trying so far to avoid.

Persons: Biden, Mr, Qassim Suleimani Organizations: Sunday, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force Locations: Jordan, Tehran, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, United States, Iran

☆ Honed at Home in Yemen, Houthi Propaganda Is Going Global
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Vivian Nereim | More About Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Soon after Yemen’s Houthi militia hijacked a commercial ship in the Red Sea, taking it and its 25-member crew hostage, the armed group used the vessel to record a music video. In the slick production, called “Axis of Jihad,” a drone camera pans over the hulking ship. Then a famous Houthi poet appears on the deck — accompanied by what appears to be a cardboard cutout of Qassim Suleimani, the Iranian commander assassinated in 2020 — and begins to sing. “Death to America and hostile Zion,” the poet, Issa al-Laith, calls out, backed by a relentless beat. “By God, we shall not be defeated!”The Houthis — an Iran-backed militia that controls northwestern Yemen — have long been skilled producers of propaganda, crafting poetry, television shows and catchy music videos to spread their messages.

Persons: Yemen’s, of, Qassim Suleimani, —, Issa al Locations: Red, America, Zion, Iran, Yemen, Gaza

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