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☆ To Talk With Putin or Iran, the West Turns to the World’s Nuclear Inspector
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Rafael Grossi slipped into Moscow a few weeks ago to meet quietly with the man most Westerners never engage with these days: President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Mr. Grossi is the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, and his purpose was to warn Mr. Putin about the dangers of moving too fast to restart the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by Russian troops since soon after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But as the two men talked, the conversation veered off into Mr. Putin’s declarations that he was open to a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine — but only if President Volodymyr Zelensky was prepared to give up nearly 20 percent of his country. A few weeks later, Mr. Grossi, an Argentine with a taste for Italian suits, was in Tehran, this time talking to the country’s foreign minister and the head of its civilian nuclear program. At a moment when senior Iranian officials are hinting that new confrontations with Israel may lead them to build a bomb, the Iranians signaled that they, too, were open to a negotiation — suspecting, just as Mr. Putin did, that Mr. Grossi would soon be reporting details of his conversation to the White House.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Vladimir V, Putin, Grossi, Mr, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, United Nations Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Argentine, Tehran, Israel

☆ Putin to meet Xi in China as world convulses from global conflicts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Pyongyang – which has an economy almost entirely dependent of China – is believed by Western governments to be aiding Russia with war supplies. Xi has ramped up his calls for Europe and other countries to help the world avoid a “Cold War,” suggesting they resist what Beijing sees as US efforts to contain China. They have also criticized Israel and the United States – converging with mounting global backlash, especially across the Global South against Israel’s war. The conflict has also impacted how China and Russia view their relations with countries there, he added. China “wants to use Russia” for its aims, but Russia is making China weak, he said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Putin, –, It’s, China –, Xi, France –, Jens Stoltenberg, Sergei Guneyev, ”, Li Mingjiang, Manoj Kewalramani, Russia doesn’t, Stringer, Gaza —, Sergey Lavrov, presser, Wang Yi, Israel, “, Privately, Shen Dingli, China “, Alexander Dugin, Donald Trump, Li Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, West, NATO, Forum, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, EU, Takshashila, Boys, Getty, United, Global, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Russia, Weibo, Moscow, CNN Locations: Hong Kong, China, Russian, Gaza, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington, Iran, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russia, Tehran, Beijing, Europe, France, Serbia, Hungary, Bangalore, Rafah, AFP, Israel, United States, Kewalramani, South, Taiwan, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Ali Partovi learned to code in a war zone. Now, he's trying to build a new kind of venture fund.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. But amid the chaos, there was one solid thing in Partovi's life, one thing he knew he could always put in order: computer code. Related storiesNow, Partovi has reached the top echelon of seed investors, ranking 13th on Business Insider's Seed 100 list. 'Neo Scholars'Through his seed-stage fund Neo, Partovi has amassed a formidable portfolio of early-stage investments, including Ramp, Deel, Vanta, MosaicML, and many more. As these "Neo Scholars," as they're known, graduate or drop out to build startups, Neo backs them with money from its investment fund.

Persons: —, Ali Partovi, Saddam Hussein, Partovi's, Hadi, Partovi, Facebook, Uber, There's Erik Goldman, Dropbox, Vanta, There's Ari Steinberg, who's Organizations: Service, Business, Boston University, Sharif University of Technology, Harvard, Microsoft, University, CS, Stanford, Facebook, Airbnb Locations: Tehran, Iran, Iraq, North America, Silicon

☆ The US crackdown on Russian trade is working as Putin struggles to fund his war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trade with Russia has slumped in the first quarter amid tightening US sanctions, the Financial Times said. After a December executive order bolstered its sanctioning power, the department has amplified warnings against foreign lenders that facilitate trade with Russia. At the same time, the US' crackdown has proliferated trade in the Russian ruble, as other currencies increasingly fall out of favor. That's as foreigners are still free to buy rubles on the Moscow Exchange when settling payments with Russian parties. AdvertisementStill, the ruble faces restricted convertibility, making it difficult to reach trade volumes once possible under the dollar.

Persons: —, Vladimir Potanin, That's Organizations: Financial Times, Companies, Service, US Treasury Department, United Arab Locations: Russia, China, Turkey, Ankara, United Arab Emirates, Austria, Russian, Iran, Tehran, Moscow, UAE, dirhams

☆ Houthi rebels are going to keep lobbing missiles at ships in the Red Sea 'for some time,' US intel chief says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewFor months, the Houthis have relentlessly fired missiles and drones at merchant and Western naval vessels in key Middle Eastern waterways. The US and UK militaries have carried out several rounds of joint strikes targeting Houthi facilities across Yemen. On a far more frequent basis, however, American forces have carried out unilateral, preemptive strikes targeting drones or missiles before the rebels can fire them at nearby ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. A commercial ship in the Red Sea in March. Beyond going after ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Houthis, as part of Iran's broader proxy network that spans the region, have also launched missiles at Israel.

Persons: —, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Haines, Abdul Malik al, Houthi, it's, Virginia Sen, Tim Kaine Organizations: Service, Business, National Intelligence, Armed Services, AP, Department of Defense, US, Command Locations: Iran, Yemen, Israel, Gaza, Sanaa, Tehran, Gulf of Aden, Red

☆ Cheers, Fears and ‘Le Wokisme’: How the World Sees U.S. Campus Protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Catherine Porter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The world is watching what is happening on American campuses with shock, pride, relish and alarm. Scenes from the protests — and of the arrests of protesters — have been top news around the world from Bogotá to Berlin, Tehran to Paris. In some countries, including France, students have staged protests of their own, though not with the scale and intensity of those in the United States. Others, particularly in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes, view the crackdowns as proof of America’s hypocrisy on human rights and freedom of speech. In some ways, the protests and the response to them are a Rorschach test for the world — the analysis often offering more insight into local politics than into America.

Locations: Bogotá, Berlin, Tehran, Paris, France, United States, America

☆ Opinion: Unable to ‘win’ in Gaza, Israel sets its sights elsewhere
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Opinion Hussein Ibish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —An eerie relative calm has descended on the Middle East — Gaza obviously excluded — since a highly alarming exchange of missile, rocket and drone attacks by Israel and Iran in recent weeks. Now, the recent exchange of direct military attacks with Iran might have sealed Lebanon’s fate, unless team Biden can restrain Israel. On April 1, Israel struck an Iranian diplomatic facility in Damascus, killing a number of senior Iranian officials including Brig. As Israel’s forces moved south through Gaza, obliterating Hamas brigades with relative ease, its thinking relatively quickly turned north again. If this happens, a primary US goal regarding the Gaza war — conflict containment — would be shattered not by Washington’s adversaries, but ironically by its closest regional partner.

Persons: Hussein Ibish, Read, Biden, Israel, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, Haji Rahimi, Hossein Amirollah, Louai Beshara, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Charbel Mallo, Israel —, Joe Biden Organizations: Gulf States Institute, Israel, CNN, Biden, Hezbollah, Brig, Iran’s, Quds Force, Getty, Iranian, Israeli Locations: Washington, East, Gaza, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Iranian, Damascus, Brig, Syria, AFP, Tehran, United States, Kafr Kila, Lebanese

☆ CNN gets a rare look at the Iranian missiles and drones that hit Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Fred Pleitgen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But he’s more than happy to show the missiles and drones Iran used in its first ever attack against Israel launched directly from Iranian soil. Iran’s attack on Israel included drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. “NATO, The United States and Arab countries of the region wanted to create barriers for our drones, missiles and cruise missiles, but they failed,” Belali says. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that ballistic missiles that reached Israel fell on the airbase and caused only light structural damage. Shahed attack drones on an unmarked truck at an Iranian Revolutionary Guards exhibit in Tehran, Iran on May 1, 2024.

Persons: Tehran CNN —, ”, General Ali Belali, ” Belali, Israel, Belali, Jordan, Fred Pleitgen, Daniel Hagari, John Krzyzaniak, Lockheed Martin Organizations: Tehran CNN, Revolutionary Guard, Islamic, Israel, CNN, Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Revolutionary Guard Aerospace Forces, NATO, Israel Defense Forces, Washington, Wisconsin, Control, ISIS, Lockheed, CIA, Guards Locations: Tehran, Islamic Republic, Israel, Iran, Damascus, Gaza, Iraq, France, United States, Washington ,, Syria, Kurdish, American, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow

☆ The US Navy wants a lot more of a missile that just recently scored its first kill to counter Pacific threats like China
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US Navy used its SM-3 missile interceptor in combat for the first time last month. AdvertisementThe US Navy will need a lot more of its SM-3 missile, an interceptor that only recently scored its first-ever kill, to counter Pacific threats like China, the sea service's top civilian official said on Wednesday. The Missile Defense Agency's budget request for FY25 cuts procurement of SM-3 Block IB variant, which became operational a decade ago. During Wednesday's hearing, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson referred to this variant as the Navy's "primary defense against tactical ballistic missiles for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense" weapons system. AdvertisementThe Navy, however, is already getting a taste of what it's like to battle anti-ship ballistic missiles.

Persons: —, Navy Carlos Del Toro, Del Toro, Joe Wilson, Paul Ignatius, MCS2 Nathan T, Beard Organizations: US Navy, China, Service, Navy, House Armed, Missile Defense Agency, Combat, Missile Defense, South Carolina Rep, Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Locations: China, Tehran, Israel, Lake Erie, Kauai, Hawaii, Washington, Beijing, American, Iran, Gulf of Aden

☆ Iran's economy is a total mess after decades of sanctions — and offers a warning to Putin's Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Decades of sanctions have driven up inflation, government debt, and poverty rates. Iran's struggles could be a warning for Russia as the war in Ukraine drags on. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . One factor that might avert a regional war is the dismal state of Iran's economy. The country has borne the brunt of Western sanctions for decades, making it tough for Tehran to finance any war effort — and that could be a warning sign for Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine drags on.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, Tehran

☆ Israel's strike showed Iran's air defenses were 'woefully unprepared.' Here's what Tehran may do next.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The incident in the city of Isfahan may force Tehran to upgrade its air defenses, possibly from more advanced Russian systems, to defend itself from the possibility of larger Israeli missile attacks. While Iranian air defenses failed to stop Israel's strike they have hugely improved in recent years. AdvertisementThe S-300PMU-2 is the most advanced air defense system Iran has acquired from Russia. "In practice, this could go either way, depending on the amount of Israeli missiles that would be hypothetically launched and from where." AdvertisementKhoueiry anticipates that early detection by Iranian air defenses could give these Iranian-made systems "more chances" against Israeli missiles.

Persons: —, Israel, Arash Azizi, Azizi, Freddy Khoueiry, RANE, Khoueiry, Jalaa Marey, Clemson University's Azizi, It's, it's Organizations: Service, Israeli, Economist, Business, Clemson University, Iran's, Rampage, Clemson, Moscow, Russian Locations: Iran, Russian, Isfahan, Tehran, Russia, Israel, Britain, East, North Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israeli, Lebanon, it's, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Toomaj Salehi: Iranian rapper sentenced to death for protesting in Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Artemis Moshtaghian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi has been given a death sentence for his involvement in the widespread protests that swept Iran in 2022, according to his lawyer. “An order for the execution of Toomaj Salehi has been issued,” Salehi’s lawyer Amir Raesian tweeted Wednesday. State media said Salehi’s sentence is subject for reduction by a pardoning committee if he appeals again. A court in Tehran sentenced Yasin to five years in prison, according to group focused on Kurdish human rights, Hengaw. “We strongly condemn Toomaj Salehi’s death sentence and the five-year sentence for Kurdish-Iranian rapper Saman Yasin.

Persons: Toomaj Salehi, “, ”, Amir Raesian, rearrested, Saman Yasin, Yasin, Toomaj, Salehi Organizations: CNN —, UN, Human Rights, United States ’ Office Locations: Iran, Isfahan, Entekhab, Iranian, Tehran, United, Europe, Ye

☆ Middle East escalation could trigger energy shock that fuels inflation, World Bank warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The outbreak of a major conflict in the Middle East could trigger an energy shock that pushes oil prices above $100 a barrel, fuels inflation and results in higher interest rates for longer, the World Bank warned Thursday. The governments in Jerusalem and Tehran appear to have decided against escalation after exchanging direct strikes on each other's territory for the first time. Oil prices have pulled back nearly 4% from recent highs as investors have discounted the probability of a wider war in the Middle East. The World Bank, however, cautioned that the situation in the region remains uncertain. "The world is at a vulnerable moment: a major energy shock could undermine much of the progress in reducing inflation over the past two years," said World Bank Chief Economist Indermit Gill.

Persons: Israel, Indermit Gill Organizations: World Bank, Bank Locations: Isfahan Refinery, Iran, Isfahan, Jerusalem, Tehran

☆ Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes. “On today’s flight there is a very special person and I hope that she doesn’t expect anything,” he said. The soon-to-be Mrs Hanc, Paula, can then be seen running down the aisle of the plane to hug her future husband. “I don’t know if this is the right hand for this,” she said as he slipped the ring onto her finger in front of delighted passengers. It all started when Zahn was a flight attendant and Duncan was a pilot on a Pan American World Airways flight from Rome to Tehran in 1970 and lasted until Duncan’s death in 2021 at the age of 86.

Persons: Konrad Hanc, ”, Captain Hanc, ” Hanc, Hanc, Paula, “, Sławek Justyniarski, Monica Zielinski, Ilona Zahn, Ian Duncan’s, Zahn, Duncan Organizations: CNN, Polish Airlines, Polish, Facebook, Pan, Pan American World Airways Locations: Warsaw, Krakow, Pan American, Rome, Tehran

☆ 4 Iranians charged in scheme to hack US agencies and defense contractors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —US prosecutors on Tuesday announced charges against four Iranian men for a sprawling hacking campaign that targeted US federal agencies and sensitive data held by American defense contractors. It was not immediately clear whether the departments of State or Treasury networks were successfully hacked in the campaign. In the indictment unsealed Tuesday, Hossein Harooni, Reza Kazemifar, Alireza Shafie Nasab and Komeil Baradaran Salmani were charged with wire and computer fraud, among other charges. Nasab had been charged in a previous indictment unsealed in the Southern District of New York in February. Prosecutors accused three of the men of working for a front company in Iran that purported to offer cybersecurity services.

Persons: ” Damian Williams, Hacking, Christopher Wray, Hossein Harooni, Reza Kazemifar, Shafie, Baradaran Salmani, Nasab, General Merrick Garland Organizations: CNN, US State, Treasury, Pentagon, of, Southern, State, Boston Children’s Hospital, Justice Department, Prosecutors, Treasury Department, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, State Department, Iranian, United Nations Locations: Southern, of New York, US, Iran, Boston, Tehran

☆ Israel planned a much bigger attack on Iran but scaled it back after intense pressure from its allies: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Israel planned a larger counterstrike on Iran, but scaled it back after pressure from its allies. The counterattack was in response to Iran launching over 300 missiles and drones at Israel. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementIsrael planned a much bigger counterstrike on Iran but dialed it back after intense pressure from its allies, including the US, according to senior Israeli officials who spoke to The New York Times. Three officials, speaking anonymously owing to the sensitivity of the discussions, told the Times that Israeli leaders had considered striking multiple military targets across Iran, including some near the capital, Tehran.

Persons: Israel, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, — Organizations: New York Times, Service, Times Locations: Iran, Israel, Tehran

☆ Gold retreats as Middle East tensions ebb
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold and silver bars of various sizes lie in a safe on a table at the precious metals dealer Pro Aurum in Munich. Gold prices dipped on Monday, as easing fears of a wider Middle East conflict lowered bullion's safe-haven appeal, while market participants awaited a key U.S. inflation reading due later this week for interest rate cues. Spot gold fell 0.9% to $2,369.97 per ounce, as of 0451 GMT. Asian stocks recovered some losses and bond yields rose as fears of a wider Middle East conflict ebbed, with investors gravitating back towards riskier assets. Among other precious metals, spot silver fell 2.3% to $27.99 per ounce, spot platinum rose 0.3% to $934.03, and palladium fell 0.3% to $1,023.17.

Persons: Kelvin Wong, Wong, Austan Goolsbee Organizations: Aurum, Asia Pacific, Treasury, Chicago Federal Locations: Munich, U.S, Tehran, Iran, OANDA, Israel, Hamas

☆ Israelis Prepare to Mark Passover, a Festival of Freedom, With Hostages Still in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Many Israelis were in a somber mood on Monday as they prepared to usher in Passover, the Jewish festival of freedom, saying they would mark the holiday rather than celebrate it, with more than 130 hostages remaining in Gaza. The number of hostages believed to be alive is unclear, and with negotiations with Hamas captors at an impasse, there is little prospect of their imminent release. Israelis are still jittery after an exchange of fire with Iran this month, the first time Tehran had directly attacked Israel from Iranian territory. More than 250 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of Israel’s ground invasion in late October, the military says. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to Gaza health officials.

Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Iran, Tehran, Israel

☆ Currencies calm but cautious after a weary week
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. one hundred dollar bills are being shown in this picture illustration taken in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 15, 2023. Eyes are on the yen this week, with the Bank of Japan's, or BOJ, Friday policy review the notable item on the economic calendar. The yen has been one of the biggest losers against the dollar this year, with losses mounting to 9%. The ECB's Robert Holzmann, however, said the ECB probably will not cut rates this year as much as planned if the Fed does not move. BoE Governor Andrew Bailey and Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden alluded last week to Britain's inflation slowing as expected.

Persons: Chris Weston, Weston, Kazuo Ueda, BoE, ECB policymaker Madis Muller, Christine Lagarde, Robert Holzmann, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, Dave Ramsden, Sterling, Bitcoin Organizations: U.S ., Bank of Japan's, Federal Reserve, Monetary Fund, Bank, Washington , Bank of Japan, European Central Bank, Bank of England, ECB policymaker, ECB, Treasury Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, East, Tehran, Iran, Washington, United States, Japan, South Korea, Washington ,, U.S

☆ Israel Planned Bigger Attack on Iran, but Scaled It Back to Avoid War
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Ronen Bergman | Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Israel abandoned plans for a much more extensive counterstrike on Iran after concerted diplomatic pressure from the United States and other foreign allies and because the brunt of an Iranian assault on Israel soil had been thwarted, according to three senior Israeli officials. Israeli leaders originally discussed bombarding several military targets across Iran last week, including near Tehran, the Iranian capital, in retaliation for the Iranian strike on April 13, said the officials, who spoke on the discussion of anonymity to describe the sensitive discussions. Such a broad and damaging attack would have been far harder for Iran to overlook, increasing the chances of a forceful Iranian counterattack that could have brought the Middle East to the brink of a major regional conflict. In the end — after President Biden, along with the British and German foreign ministers, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent a wider war — Israel opted for a more limited strike on Friday that avoided significant damage, diminishing the likelihood of an escalation, at least for now.

Persons: Israel, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu Locations: Iran, United States, Israel, Tehran

☆ 'Best thing' is for everyone to stay 'puzzled' on last week's odd retaliation strike on Iran, Israeli president says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | Paul Ronzheimer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"I think the best thing would be for everybody to stay puzzled," Herzog said during an interview with Axel Springer media outlets on Sunday. Military equipment displayed at the Army Day ceremony in front of the President of Iran and high-ranking military commanders on April 17, 2024 in Tehran, Iran. The bold strike killed several high-ranking military officials, including two generals in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. AdvertisementThe incidents of the past few weeks have dragged a decades-long shadow war between Israel and Iran into broad daylight. However, Tehran has signaled that it won't retaliate over the Isfahan strike after appearing to dissociate itself from the attack.

Persons: —, Isaac Herzog doesn't, Herzog, Axel Springer, ATTA KENARE, Antony Blinken, Iran's Organizations: Service, Business, Tehran's, United Nations, Getty Images, Experts, US, Army, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Tehran, Iranian, Isfahan, AFP, Iran, Israel, America, Syria

☆ Crackdowns, Attacks and Threat of War Put Iranians on Edge
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the early hours of Friday, Mehrdad, an engineer in Isfahan, Iran, woke to the sound of explosions rattling the windows and shaking the ground. In Tehran, passengers about to board flights were abruptly told the airspace was closed. As booms and gunfire went off in the distance, Mehrdad, 43, came to realize that the Israelis’ target was a military base on the outskirts of the city. He and his pregnant wife remained fearful that war would break out, he said in an interview by phone. Facing deep economic troubles and a restive population, the government seems to have adopted a two-track policy, analysts say, declaring victory over Israel and cracking down at home.

Persons: Israel, ”, Mehrdad Locations: Isfahan, Iran, Tehran, Israel

☆ Opinion | Biden’s Small Win — and Bigger Failure — in the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Trita Parsi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

President Biden’s behind-the-scenes crisis management appears to have helped stop a wider war from igniting in the Middle East — for now. But that tactical win for the administration is actually part of its much larger strategic failure in the region. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t heed the order, but Israel’s response was so muted that Tehran effectively ignored it. Mr. Netanyahu’s minister of national security called it “lame.”Mr. Biden deserves credit for orchestrating this crucial de-escalation. Instead, he has followed Mr. Netanyahu’s lead, even as Israel has put vengeance over interest.

Persons: Biden’s, Biden, Israel, Mr, Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t, Netanyahu’s Organizations: Iranian Consulate Locations: Israel, Iran, Iranian, Syria, Tehran’s, Tehran

☆ Israel hit Iran with a half-ton supersonic 'Rampage' missile, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Israel used a "Rampage" missile in its strike on Iran, Israeli media reported. AdvertisementIsrael used a long-range, supersonic missile in its strike on Iran earlier this week, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported, per The Times of Israel. US officials said Israel carried out a missile strike on a military base near the city of Isfahan, Iran, on Friday. While it remains unclear what weapons were used in the strike, Kan reported that Israel used a "Rampage" air-to-surface missile, claiming it was identified in photos and that damage caused by the attack was consistent with a Rampage strike, per The Times of Israel. The Rampage missile was designed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for use against targets such as "communication and command centers, air forces bases, maintenance centers and infrastructure," according to the company's website.

Persons: Israel, —, Kan Organizations: Service, Rampage, Israel Aerospace Industries, YouTube, New York Times, Business, IDF, IAI, Royal Air Force Locations: Iran, Israel, Israeli, Isfahan, Tehran, Ukraine

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war and the latest on the Middle East conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The scope of Israel’s military response to Iran’s first-ever direct attack on the country remains murky. Israeli officials have yet to publicly acknowledge responsibility for reported overnight explosions in parts of Iran on Friday. Iran may be downplaying what was likely to have been a significant but limited Israeli attack, but that seems to be secondary to the larger forces at play. The latest flare-up brought the stakes into sharp focus, but it also exposed the limits of a direct confrontation between Iran and Israel. Remember: What happens between Iran and Israel rarely stays between Iran and Israel.

Persons: Iran’s Organizations: CNN, Washington Locations: Iran, Tehran, Israel, Damascus

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