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CNN —The Israeli military said Tuesday it had thwarted an aerial attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, as fears rise across the region that the Israel-Hamas war could widen. They have voiced support for the Palestinians and organized protests in Yemen against Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Gen. Pat Ryder said the missiles were fired by Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen and were launched “potentially toward targets in Israel.” US interceptions of Houthi launches are exceedingly rare. Hezbollah, another powerful Shia militia, and Israel have been engaged in daily skirmishes on the Israel-Lebanon border since the war began. In October, the US deployed two carrier groups to the eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran, Syria and Hezbollah from opening new fronts against Israel.

Persons: Yahya Saree, Houthi, ”, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, “, Brig, Pat Ryder Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Iranian, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pentagon, Islamic Locations: Iran, Yemen, Israel, Brig, Saudi Arabia, Gaza, United States, Iranian, Lebanon, Islamic Jihad, Syria, Iraq

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Gaza death toll mounts, IDF on the ground
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Experts say that while Iran is wary of being dragged into the Israel-Hamas war, it may not be in full control if the militias it backs in the region — like the Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah — independently intervene as Hamas suffers heavy blows and the death toll in Gaza continues to mount. Raisi's comments were not the first warning from an Iranian official of the potential for a broader conflict. Last Monday, Abdollahian said the US has sent Iran two messages regarding escalation in the region. He added that while the US says it wants to de-escalate, it has contradicted itself by continuing to support Israel. Read more on Iran's role in the region.

Persons: Israel, Ebrahim Raisi, Jake Sullivan, Hezbollah —, ”, Sima Shine, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Al Jazeera, ” Abdollahian, Trita Parsi Organizations: US, Lebanese, Hezbollah, Institute for National Security, Iranian, Quincy Institute Locations: Gaza, Iran, Israel, Tel Aviv, United States, Tehran, Washington ,

☆ Iran may not want a full-blown war with Israel, but it may be dragged into one
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

And there are now concerns that more fronts will open in the war, including one with Iran. And the US now has specific intelligence that those same groups could escalate even further as the war between Israel and Hamas continues, CNN reported this week. “Tell Iran, tell its proxies in public, in private, through every means: Do not open another front against Israel in this conflict. Shine, of the INSS, said that Iran does not want a direct war with Israel because that would mean a direct war with the US. Iranian media has been brimming with news of the Gaza war, with officials across Iran’s political spectrum expressing solidarity with Palestinians.

Persons: ”, Sima Shine, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Al Jazeera, ” Abdollahian, Abed Khaled, Parsi, Joe Biden, ” Parsi, Israel, Hassan Nasrallah, Antony Blinken, “, ” Blinken, Thomas Coex, Lloyd Austin, Iran’s IRGC, “ They’re, Israel – Organizations: UAE CNN, Hamas, Tehran’s Azadi, Perspolis FC, Gol Gohar Sirjan FC, Palestinian, Institute for National Security Studies, CNN, Iranian, Quincy Institute, Israel, Revolutionary Guard Corps, United Nations Security Council, Getty, Defense, widener Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Hamas, Gaza, Iran, Tel Aviv, Tehran, United States, Gaza City, Washington ,, Lebanese, Lebanon, Syria, Golan, Palestine, Iraq, Sderot, AFP, Iranian, US

Washington CNN —The US carried out airstrikes targeting two facilities linked to Iranian-backed militias in eastern Syria on Thursday, according to a statement from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, following a series of drone and rocket attacks against US forces in the region. He directly accused Iran of having a role in the attacks on US forces, saying in the statement, “Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them.” Austin also promised further strikes if the attacks by Iran’s proxies continue. Earlier Thursday, the US announced it is deploying about 900 troops to the Middle East - with the potential for many more. The US strikes follow a growing number of attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria since October 17.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Austin, Joe Biden, ” Austin, Biden, ” Biden, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Brig, Pat Ryder Organizations: Washington CNN, Defense, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, Pentagon, Wednesday, ISIS, UN, Assembly, Iranian, ”, Defense Department Locations: Iranian, Syria, Gaza, Iran, Israel, Iraq

☆ Analysis: Israel’s allies fear it could be walking into a trap in Gaza as Hamas and its backers seek a wider conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Jerome Taylor | Sam Kiley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The bomb-making skills of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group and close ally of Hamas, have metastasized across the Middle East. In Gaza, Israeli troops will know they face improvised explosive devices built with charges that can cripple a tank. Hamas does hope to establish a Palestinian state based on the teachings of Islam. There have been pro-Palestinian marches throughout the world protesting at the level of destruction visited already on Gaza by Israel. They’ll be looking to exploit Israel’s next moves in Gaza as their own “phase two” of the October 7 attacks.

Persons: Israel’s, ”, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Joe Biden, Saddam Hussein, Benjamin Netanyahu, Rishi Sunak, “, Emmanuel Macron, ” Atatra, –, Hassan Nasrallah, Saleh Al, Ziad Al, Tehran’s, Quds, They’ll, John Kirby, Jalaa Marey, Biden, Islam, Iraq ’, Karin von Hippel, Martin Sherman, Israel Organizations: London CNN, Hamas, American, ISIS, Iran’s, British, Islam, Israel Defense Forces, UN, Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Brigade, US, US National Security Council, Palestinian, Getty, Israel’s, Royal United Services Institute, Israel Institute for Strategic Studies Locations: Gaza, Tehran, Israel, Hamas, Mosul, Iraqi, Lebanese, Lebanon, Beit Hanoun, Washington, Iraq, realpolitik, Palestine, Iran, Baghdad, Iranian, Yemen, Israeli, AFP, United States, State, Afghanistan

☆ Intelligence shows Iranian-backed militias are ready to ramp up their attacks against US forces in the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Natasha Bertrand Katie Bo Lillis Zachary Cohen Jennifer Hansler | Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The US has intelligence that Iranian-backed militia groups are planning to ramp up attacks against US forces in the Middle East, as Iran seeks to capitalize on the backlash in the region to US support for Israel, according to multiple US officials. The militia groups have already launched multiple drone attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria. But the US now has specific intelligence that those same groups could escalate even further as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. Officials said that at this point, Iran appears to be encouraging the groups rather than explicitly directing them. In the case of the recent drone attacks on bases housing US forces, “Iran is certainly more culpable than in the case of the Hamas attack in Israel,” said another person familiar with the intelligence.

Persons: John Kirby, ”, Kirby, “, Matthew Miller, they’re, ” “ It’s, Defense Lloyd Austin, Naledi, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, ” Abdollahian, ” Austin Organizations: CNN, Israel, Officials, National Security, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force, State, State Department, ISIS, Defense, Pentagon, US Navy, Iran’s Locations: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel, Tehran, Qatar, Iranian, Yemen, East

☆ Analysis: The US is dangerously close to being pulled into a Middle East war as it supports Israel's campaign against Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Ben Wedeman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. Gaza may be where the war is happening now, but across the Middle East the warning lights of more trouble to come are blinking red. All the while the US is airlifting massive amounts of ammunition and equipment to help the Israeli war effort. Protests against Israel and USAs the war in Gaza rages, the Middle East is seething with anger. The American carrier groups just over the horizon are there to deter Iran, Hezbollah and others from going too far.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Miriam Alster, Antony Blinken, –, Saddam Hussein’s, Bashar al, Qasem Soleimani, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Israel, Israel’s, Jordan’s King Abdullah, Abdel Fattah el, Mahmoud Abbas, Sisi, King Abdullah, ” I’ve Organizations: Southern Lebanon CNN, Houthi, US, Israel, Gaza, White, Israeli, Hamas, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Islamic, Iranian, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Palestinian Locations: Southern Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Iran, Israel, Tel Aviv, United States, Kuwait, Russia, Turkey, Islamic State, Aleppo, Damascus, Baghdad, it’s, Beirut, Vietnam, Afghanistan, East, Doha, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Amman, Ahli, Al, Cairo

☆ Iran’s Call for Oil Embargo on Israel Roils Markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Stanley Reed | More About Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The prospect of an oil embargo arising from the conflict between Israel and militant groups contributed to a sharp but brief jolt in oil prices on Wednesday. Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, called for Islamic countries to boycott Israel, including stopping oil shipments, according to Iranian media. He was speaking at a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Although Israel imports nearly all its oil, analysts said that such an embargo would probably have little immediate impact, because the country does not buy oil from major Persian Gulf producers like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates or Iran. Instead, Kazakhstan, where oil is mostly produced by joint ventures involving Western companies including Chevron and Exxon Mobil, and Azerbaijan are among Israel’s biggest suppliers.

Persons: Hossein Amir Organizations: Israel, of Islamic Cooperation, United Arab, Chevron, Exxon Mobil Locations: Israel, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Gulf, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria

[1/4] A view shows smoke in the Gaza Strip as seen from Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 18, 2023. Israeli officials have said that they don't have a clear idea for what a post-war future might look like, though. Trips to Israel by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this past week had stressed the need to focus on the post-war plan for Gaza, the source added. Israel's coming offensive is set to be much bigger than past Gaza operations that Israeli officials had previously referred to as "mowing the grass", degrading Hamas's military capabilities but not eliminating it. "Whatever worst-case scenario you have, it will be worse," a second regional source said about the potential for the conflict to spread beyond Gaza.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Bidens, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Israel hasn't, Israel doesn't, Biden, Aaron David Miller, Biden's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel's, They're, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Blinken, Washington, Miller, Humeyra Pamuk, Jonathan Saul, Andrew Mills, Crispian Balmer, Pravin Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Carnegie Endowment, International, National Security Council, National Security, Communist, Hamas, Brigades, Hezbollah, Iran, Iranian, Palestinian Authority, U.S . Middle, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, DUBAI, WASHINGTON, Washington, Israeli, New York, U.S, Vietnam, Iran, Hamas, Israel's, East Jerusalem, Jerusalem

☆ Why Invading Gaza Is a Mistake - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Farah Stockman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

That military operation against Hezbollah was seen as a success — so punishing that it bought 17 years of relative quiet. But it also nurtured resentments that could help turn an invasion of Gaza into a wider regional war. Hamas appears to want to lure Israelis into Gaza and has been preparing for this battle for years. Israel’s military is not a paper tiger; it is one of the most technologically sophisticated militaries in the world. Without power, many Gazans will lose the ability to pump water from wells or treat the wounded in hospitals.

Persons: Hassan Nasrallah, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, ”, Thanassis Cambanis, overreach, we’d, Israel Katz, — Israel, Israel Organizations: The Times Locations: Gaza, Iran, Israel, United States, Afghanistan, Gaza —

☆ Iran just warned of imminent 'preemptive action' against Israel if the IDF launches a ground invasion of Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Iran's foreign minister said on Monday that Israel could face "preemptive action" if it invades Gaza. AdvertisementAdvertisementIran's government said on Monday that Israel can "expect a preemptive action" if Israel launches its anticipated invasion of Gaza. "In the coming hours, we can expect a preemptive action by the resistance front," he added, per Reuters. While Amirabdollahian did not specify what he meant by "preemptive action," he also said Israel's enemies are "capable of waging a long-term war," according to Reuters. Around 1,300 people were killed in the attacks, Israel estimated.

Persons: Israel, —, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amirabdollahian, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, KHALED DESOUKI, Mostafa Alkharouf, Axios, It's, Israel —, Gerald R, Ford, Andrej Tarfila Organizations: Israel, Service, Reuters, Iranian Embassy, Getty, Al, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, Getty Images, United Nations, Pentagon, —, Hezbollah, Street Journal, Palestinian Health Ministry Locations: Gaza, Iran, Israel, Lebanese, Beirut, AFP, Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar, Anadolu, Getty Images Iran

☆ Clashes at Lebanon-Israel border raise fears of wider war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Smoke rises from Israeli artillery shelling in Dahaira, in southern Lebanon, at the border with Israel on October 16. Hussein Malla/APIsraeli soldiers patrol a road near the border with Lebanon, on Monday, amid threat of a regional conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. It is an ominous sign of what may come if the situation on the Lebanon-Israel border combusts into a full-scale war. By Friday morning, three Israeli soldiers and three Hezbollah fighters had been killed in the exchanges across the border. On Sunday, the Lebanese militants fired at several Israeli locations at the border, killing one civilian and one soldier.

Persons: Southern Lebanon CNN —, Hussein Malla, Francisco Seco, Amir Abdollahian, ”, “, Gerald Ford —, Israel, Issam Abdallah, Abdallah, Israel —, Israel’s, Bashar al, Assad, Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah Organizations: Southern, Southern Lebanon CNN, Hezbollah –, Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s, US, CNN, Israeli Apache, Hezbollah, Palestinian, ISIS, Observers, Israel Locations: Southern Lebanon, Israel, Iran, United States, Lebanon, Syria, Golan, Tehran, Dahaira, Tunisia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Gaza, Palestinian, Israeli, Hanita, Russian

☆ Gaza conditions a ‘complete catastrophe,’ official warns as Israel prepares for imminent offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Helen Regan Hadas Gold Nadeen Ebrahim Abeer Salman Hamdi Alkhshali Jessie Gretener Sara Smart | Helen Regan | Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The clock is ticking for residents fleeing south through the battered streets of Gaza after the Israeli military told civilians to leave northern areas of the densely populated strip. Richard Brennan, a World Health Organization official in Cairo, told CNN that 60 percent of those killed in Gaza the last week were women and children. MSF’s Benoit told CNN Saturday there is a serious water shortage in Gaza with many people beginning to suffer from severe dehydration. The agency said it was the first official meeting between Iranian officials and Haniyeh since surprise Hamas attack on Israel that Hamas called Al-Aqsa storm. For days, Lebanon-based Palestinian militants have launched rockets into Israel, leading to Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory, including Hezbollah positions.

Persons: Joe Biden, Israel, Jonathan Conricus, “, Mohammed Saber, Salah Al, Deen, Richard Brennan, Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, ”, Avril Benoit, ’, Egypt’s, Sameh Shoukry, MSF’s Benoit, ” Benoit, Said Khatib, Nebal Farsakh, ” Farsakh, Israel’s, Conricus, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Ismail Haniyeh, Issam Abdallah, Dwight D, Eisenhower –, Gerald R, Ford Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Hamas, Pentagon, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, ”, Palestinian Health Ministry, Health Organization, Reuters, United Nations, Getty, Palestine Red Crescent Society, World Health Organization, WHO, Aris Messinis, UN, Hezbollah, US Locations: Gaza, Jerusalem, Iran, Lebanon, Al, Gaza City, Israel, Cairo, Palestinian, Egypt’s El, Arish, Rafah, Egypt, Egyptian, AFP, Palestine, Quds, ”, “, Sderot, Syria, Aleppo, Doha, Qatar, Lebanese

☆ Iran warns of 'far-reaching consequences' if Israel not stopped
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A member of Basij paramilitary forces attends a rally in support of Palestinians, in Tehran, Iran, October 13, 2023. Acquire Licensing RightsUNITED NATIONS, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Iran warned in a social media post on Saturday that if Israel's "war crimes and genocide" are not stopped then the situation could spiral out of control with "far-reaching consequences." Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas in retaliation for an attack by the Palestinian Islamist group a week ago. U.N. Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland met with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Beirut on Saturday, the United Nations said. Israel's mission to the United Nations declined to comment on the Axios report or the social media post by Iran.

Persons: Majid Asgaripour, Axios, Israel, Tor Wennesland, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Ismail Haniyeh, Stephane Dujarric, Michelle Nichols, Paul Grant, Chizu Organizations: West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Acquire, UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, UN, Security, United, Iran's, Al, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Palestinian, United States, Lebanon, Lebanon's Iran, U.N ., Abdollahian, Beirut, Qatar, Al Jazeera

☆ Iran Makes Unspecified Warning Against an Israeli Ground Invasion of Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Iran on Saturday warned of a response to a widely expected Israeli ground invasion of Gaza to dislodge Hamas but wasn't specific. “If the Zionist regime’s crimes against the Palestinian people and citizens continue, no one can guarantee that the situation in the region will remain the same,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said after meeting the Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Doha, Qatar, according to Iranian media.

Persons: Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Ismail Haniyeh Locations: Iran, Gaza, Iranian, Doha, Qatar

☆ Fact Check: Video clip shows Israeli airstrike in Lebanon not Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A widely shared video shows the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon on Oct. 9 not, as has been wrongly stated online, Israeli missile strikes on Syrian airports on Oct. 12. Syria said Israeli missiles hit airports in its capital Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo on Oct. 12, damaging runways and putting both hubs out of service. Joukhadar confirmed the film was shot in Lebanon in another X post on Oct. 12, saying: “I filmed this video on Monday 9th of October in Marwahin. This is an Israeli air strike right behind us and it has nothing to do with bombing Damascus!”VERDICTMiscaptioned. While Syria did say its airports were struck by Israeli missiles on Oct. 12, the video shows the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, not Syria.

Persons: Hossein Amir, Carmen Joukhadar, Joukhadar, “, Read Organizations: Isreali Air Force, Aircraft, Iranian Government, Foreign, Al, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Syria, Israeli, Damascus, Aleppo, Western Syria, Al Jazeera, Marwahin, Israel

Qatar, a wealthy Gulf Arab state with diplomatic ambitions, is pressing both sides to engage in more talks and reach "understandings," sources told Reuters earlier. The diplomat described the New York meetings as "talks for talks," saying the idea was to lay the ground for future indirect discussions to achieve an "understanding" on the nuclear issue. Washington suspects Iran's nuclear program may be aimed at developing nuclear arms, a charge Iran denies. The United States also says Iran has provided one-way attack drones for Russia to strike Ukraine and wants Tehran to stop. The Biden administration's efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal have failed and many diplomats now regard it as beyond resurrection because of Iran's nuclear advances.

Persons: Hossein Amir, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Majid Asgaripour, spokespeople, Donald Trump, Iran's, Biden, Antony Blinken, We'll, we're, Parisa Hafezi, Jonathan Landay, Arshad Mohammed, Humeyra Pamuk, John Irish, Howard Goller Organizations: Iran's, West Asia News Agency, UNITED NATIONS, Qatari, Reuters, General Assembly, New, U.S, United, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran, WASHINGTON, Qatar, United States, Russia, Doha, U.S, Gulf Arab, New York, Ukraine, Washington, European, Oman, Saint Paul , Minnesota, Paris

☆ First Saudi ambassador arrives in Tehran after rapprochement
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A view of the flags of Iran and Saudi Arabia before the meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, in Tehran, Iran June 17, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCAIRO, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's first ambassador to Iran since the resumption of diplomatic relations arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to start his new mission there, the Saudi state news agency said. The agency quoted Ambassador Abdullah bin Saud al-Anzi as saying the Saudi leadership stresses the importance of strengthening relations with Iran with more communication and meetings between the two countries. Last March, China brokered a rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran, leading to a resumption of full diplomatic relations. Saudi Arabia broke off relations in 2016 when protesters attacked its embassy in Tehran over Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric.

Persons: Hossein Amir, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Majid Asgaripour, Abdullah bin Saud, Omar Abdel, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Iranian, Saudi Arabia's Foreign, West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Saudi Arabia's, Thomson Locations: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Tehran, Rights CAIRO, China, Riyadh

☆ Saudi crown prince meets Iran's foreign minister as relations thaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Footage of the meeting on Iranian state media showed MbS and Amirabdollahian smiling as they spoke, while Prince Faisal and the Iranian delegation looked on. Saudi state news agency SPA said they discussed international and regional developments. [1/3]Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia August 18, 2023. Prince Faisal visited Tehran in June and said he hoped Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi would visit the kingdom at the "appropriate time". Saudi Arabia had meanwhile lost confidence in U.S. commitment to shared regional security concerns and wanted to bolster ties with China, which has retained good relations with Iran.

Persons: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amirabdollahian, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Faisal, Saudi Crown Prince, Hossein Amir, Ebrahim Raisi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, General Antony Blinken, Angus McDowall, Mark Potter, Conor Humphries Organizations: Saudi Arabian Crown, Saudi, MbS, Saudi Crown, Iranian, Iran's Foreign, West Asia News Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Iran's, U.S, Dubai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Saudi, Jeddah, United States, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Abdollahian, Saudi Arabia, China, Tehran, Iran, Ukraine, Beijing, East

☆ Momentum building in Iran talks with West, says source
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Mostafa Salem | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Momentum appears to be building to revive negotiations around Iran’s growing nuclear program. Talks between Iran and the European Union on Wednesday focused on key sticking points, including nuclear enrichment levels and Iranian cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, one diplomatic source briefed on the matter told CNN. “The current environment has been positive for de-escalation,” said the source, who requested anonymity citing longstanding norms around regional government communications with the media. Both Qatar and Oman have played mediating roles between Iran and Western powers in the past. Iran had demanded that South Korea release $7 billion in funds frozen in South Korean banks under US sanctions.

Persons: Enrique Mora, Ali Bagheri, ”, Mora, Kani, –, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, “, Biden, Brett McGurk, Siamak, Emad Sharghi, Morad, Shahab Dalili, Matthew Miller, Trump Organizations: CNN, European Union, International Atomic Energy Agency, Twitter, EU, –, Iran’s, South, Oman “, IAEA Locations: Iran, Doha, Iranian, Tehran, United States, – France, Germany, United Kingdom, Oman, Qatar, American, South Korea, Korean, Iraq

☆ BRICS ministers put on show of strength as Putin arrest warrant looms large
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Wendell Roelf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"The answer is the president (Cyril Ramaphosa) will indicate what the final position of South Africa is. At a news conference later, the ministers side-stepped a barrage of questions about the Putin issue. The ICC accused Putin in March of the war crime of forcibly deporting children from Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine. South Africa had invited Putin in January. The BRICS bloc "was inclusive ... in sharp contrast to some countries' small circle, and so I believe the enlargement of BRICS will be beneficial to the BRICS countries," he said.

Persons: Putin, Naledi Pandor, Vladimir Putin, Pandor, Cyril Ramaphosa, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ma Zhaoxu, Hossein Amir, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Carien du Plessis, Anait, Bhargav Acharya, Nellie Peyton, Alexander Winning, Estelle Shirbon, Joe Bavier, John Stonestreet, Ros Russell, Andrew Heavens Organizations: West, International Criminal Court, ICC, United Nations Security Council, New Development Bank, China's, BRICS, Iran's, Saudi, United, Thomson Locations: Cape Town, Africa, South Africa, Johannesburg, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Ukraine, Moscow, Beijing, Venezuela, Argentina, Algeria, United Arab Emirates

☆ Western forces are raiding gunrunners at sea and throwing wrenches into Iran's plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

CENTCOM said this month that it supported "partner naval forces" during a January raid in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. UK naval forces also seized surface-to-air missiles and cruise-missile rocket engines that came from Iran. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. It remains to be seen whether the increase in raids will actually impact Iran's regional influence over the long-term.

☆ Investigators found Western parts in the Iranian drones Russia has been using to wage war in Ukraine and terrorize its cities
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian forces have recently been using Iranian-made suicide drones to terrorize Ukrainian cities. Investigators inspecting downed drones have found US and European parts inside of them, The Wall Street Journal reported. Both Russia and Iran have denied the use of such weapons, despite evidence from the West. Iranian-made drones used by Russian forces include the Shahed-136, Shahed-129, Shahed-191, and Qods Mohajer-6. Both Russia and Iran have denied the use of Shahed-136 drones in Ukraine, despite accusations and evidence from Western governments and their intelligence agencies.

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