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☆ Israeli and Iranian strikes transform Middle East geopolitics
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Israel and Iran have now thrust the Middle East into a dangerous new era by erasing the taboo against overt military strikes on one another’s territory. Most immediately, the ball is in Iran’s court after Israel conducted strikes near the city of Isfahan early Friday. Initial reports suggest that the action was limited and, according to US officials, did not target Iranian nuclear sites in the area. Hours before the Israeli strikes, for instance, Iran had warned that any Israeli attack would be met with a robust response. “I do think it sends a message to Tehran that really they are more vulnerable to Israeli strikes than they would like to admit,” Davis said.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, John Kennedy, Netanyahu, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden’s, it’s, Antony Blinken, Donald Trump, ” Aaron David Miller, ” Israel, they’d, Malcolm Davis, CNN’s Michael Holmes, ” Davis, Israel – Organizations: CNN, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s, Cuban, Israel, American, Hamas, Republicans, Democratic, US, Australian Strategic Policy Institute Locations: CNN — Israel, Iran, Isfahan, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Damascus, Gaza, United States, Washington, Italy, Lebanon, Tehran

☆ Israel carries out limited strike against Iran, source says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An Iranian flag is pictured near in a missile during a military drill, with the participation of Iran’s Air Defense units, Iran October 19, 2020. Israel launched a limited direct military attack on Iranian soil early Friday morning, marking the latest escalation in a series of back-and-forth strikes between the two foes, a source familiar with the situation told NBC News. Iranian state media outlets reported explosions in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, but officials in the country have said they were caused by air defenses shooting down drones, Reuters reported. The news comes days after Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel in the form of more than 300 drones and missiles, which were mostly intercepted by Israeli air defenses and caused no deaths. Tehran said the attack was retaliation for an Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound on April 1 that killed two senior Iranian generals, among others.

Organizations: Iran’s Air Defense, NBC News, Reuters Locations: Iran, Israel, Iranian, Isfahan, Tehran

☆ Oil prices jump on escalating tensions in the Middle East after strike on Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Oil prices jumped on Friday while Asian markets tumbled, with global investors worrying about an escalation in conflict in the Middle East after explosions were reported near the Iranian city of Isfahan. Iran launched the attack in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria earlier this month. “Israel’s response could determine whether oil supplies are ultimately under threat.”Elsewhere, ongoing oil disruptions remain high, the analysts added. In Hong Kong, PetroChina, Asia’s largest oil and gas supplier, advanced 2.3%. Sinopec, the world’s largest oil refining company by capacity, rose 1.3%.

Persons: Brent, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ”, “, Korea’s Kospi, Cosmo Energy Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, ANZ, United, Stock, Nikkei, China’s, Energy, Eneos Corp, Oil Corp Locations: Hong Kong, Iranian, Isfahan, Israel, Iran, Syria, United States, Mexico, Asia, China’s Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul

Listen to and follow ‘Matter of Opinion’The columnist Thomas L. Friedman joined the hosts of “Matter of Opinion” this week to unpack Israel’s and Iran’s latest attacks, what they mean for Gaza and the implications for the region writ large. Below is a lightly edited transcript of this episode. To listen to this episode, click the play button below.

Persons: Thomas L, Friedman, unpack Locations: Gaza

☆ Israel’s Strike Was Smaller Than Expected, and So Was Iran’s Reaction
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The relatively limited scope of Israel’s overnight strikes on Iran, and a subdued response from Iranian officials, may have lowered the chances of an immediate escalation in fighting between the two countries, analysts said Friday. For days, there have been fears that a forceful Israeli response to Iran’s attack on southern Israel last weekend could prompt an even more aggressive riposte from Iran, potentially turning a tit-for-tat confrontation into a wider war. But when it finally came early on Friday, Israel’s strike appeared less damaging than expected, allowing Iranian officials and state-run news outlets to downplay its significance, at least at first. By sunrise, Iranian state-run news outlets were projecting a swift return to normality, broadcasting footage of calm street scenes, while officials publicly dismissed the impact of the attack. But the initial Iranian reaction suggested that Iran’s leaders would not rush to respond, despite warning in recent days that they would react forcefully and swiftly to any Israeli strike.

Persons: Israel, Israel’s, Iran — Organizations: Iran’s Locations: Iran, Israel, Isfahan

☆ Israel’s Strike on Iran: A Limited Attack but a Potentially Big Signal
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( David E. Sanger | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For more than a decade, Israel has rehearsed, time and again, bombing and missile campaigns that would take out Iran’s nuclear production capability, much of it based around the city of Isfahan and the Natanz nuclear enrichment complex 75 miles to the north. That is not what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet chose to do in the predawn hours of Friday, and in interviews, analysts and nuclear experts said the decision was telling. Israel said almost nothing about the limited strike, which appeared to do little damage in Iran. U.S. officials noted that the Iranian decision to downplay the explosions in Isfahan — and the suggestions by Iranian officials that Israel may not have been responsible — was a clear effort by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to avoid another round of escalation. Inside the White House, officials asked the Pentagon, State Department and intelligence agencies to stay quiet about the operation, hoping to ease Iran’s efforts to calm the tensions in the region.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, — Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Pentagon, State Department Locations: Isfahan, Iran, U.S, Isfahan —, Israel

☆ Iran and Israel have averted an all-out war – for now
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

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. As part of Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel, its weapons navigated over at least two neighboring countries that house US bases. What happens between Iran and Israel rarely stays between Iran and Israel. US forces had shot down more than 70 of Iran’s weapons as they headed to Israel.

Persons: Iran’s, CNN’s Nic Robertson, Israel, –, Ebrahim Raisi’s, Israel’s, Itamar Ben Gvir, “ Organizations: Lebanon CNN, Iran’s, Anadolu, Washington, United, United Arab Emirates, National Locations: Beirut, Lebanon, Iran, Tehran, Israel, Damascus, Syria, Iranian, Lebanon’s, Isfahan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab, Riyadh, China, Israel’s, Gaza, Iraq, Yemen

☆ Israel's limited attack on Iran was to send a message that it can penetrate Iranian defenses whenever it wants, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Israel carried out a limited military strike on Iranian soil on Friday morning. Analysts said the strike was likely a demonstration of Israel's capacity to reach Iranian nuclear sites. Two unnamed Israeli defense officials also told The New York Times that the Israeli military had mounted the attack. Related storyReports said that explosions were heard close to an Iranian military base near Isfahan, with Iranian state media outlet IRNA reporting that air defense systems had been activated. IAEA can confirm that there is no damage to #Iran’s nuclear sites.

Persons: Israel, —, IRNA, @rafaelmgrossi, Jonathan Conricus, they've, Richard Goldberg, Ahmad Haqtalab Organizations: Service, Washington Post, Post, New York Times, Nuclear Threat Initiative, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Israel Defense Forces, White House National Security Council, Iranian Revolutionary Guards Locations: Iran, Israel, Damascus, Iranian, Isfahan, Ifsahan, Jerusalem

☆ 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

☆ How Israel’s Conflicts Could Escalate
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Since Iran’s large missile and drone attack on Israel last weekend, Israel’s allies have warned its leaders to avoid responding in a way that could provoke a regional war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel appeared to rebuff those warnings on Wednesday, saying the country would “do everything necessary to defend itself.”Here is a look at where Israel has been drawn into conflicts, some of which could escalate quickly:IranLast Saturday, Iran launched its first direct attack on Israel. The attack itself caused little damage, as almost all the missiles and drones were intercepted by Israeli air defenses, supported by the United States, France, Britain and Jordan. But it took a clandestine war between the two nations that has gone on for decades to a different level.

Persons: Israel’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Locations: Israel, Iran, United States, France, Britain, Jordan

☆ Isfahan, Iran: Iran’s air defense activated after explosions heard close to Isfahan airport and military base, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Hamdi Alkhshali | Artemis Moshtaghian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official told CNN Friday, a move that threatens to push the region deeper into conflict. Iran’s air defense systems were activated in several locations after three explosions were heard close to the airport and an army base in the Iranian city of Isfahan, state media reported early Friday morning. Three explosions were heard near a military base where fighter jets are located in the northwest part of Isfahan, Iran’s semi-official FARS news agency reported. Renée Rigdon/CNNOutgoing flights from several Iranian airports have been cancelled, according to an Iranian official, Iranian state media Press TV reported. FARS reported that the explosion was heard in the city of Ghahjaworstan, northwest of Isfahan, citing local sources.

Persons: CNN —, Renée Rigdon, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Israel Organizations: CNN, Press, Mehr, Army Air Force, Iranian Press, Iran’s Locations: CNN — Israel, Iran, Iranian, Isfahan, Iran’s, FARS, Israel, “ Tehran, Shiraz, West, North West, South West, Ghahjaworstan, Isfahan Airport, Tehran, Syria

☆ An Uneasy Arab-Israeli Alliance
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To understand the current confrontation between Iran and Israel, it helps to think about three recent phases of Middle East geopolitics. Phase 1: Before Oct. 7 of last year, Iran was arguably the most isolated power in the region. Israel, Iran’s longtime enemy, had signed a diplomatic deal during the Trump administration with Bahrain, Morocco and the U.A.E. Together, these developments pointed to the emergence of a broad alliance — among Arab countries, Israel, the U.S. and Western Europe — to check Iranian influence and aggression. Arab leaders condemned Israel, while the U.S. and other countries pressured Israeli leaders to reduce suffering in Gaza and devise an end to the war.

Persons: Biden, Iran’s, Trump Locations: Iran, Israel, East, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Morocco, . Iran, U.S, Europe, Gaza

☆ Hossein Amir-Abdollahian: Iran’s response will be “immediate and at a maximum level,” foreign minister warns Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Iran’s response if Israel takes any further military action against it would be “immediate and at a maximum level,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN Thursday, as fears rise of an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. The tit-for-tat strikes have brought a decades long shadow war between Israel and Iran out in the open and sent fear coursing through the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said Israel will make its “own decisions” when responding to Iran’s airstrikes. The details of a potential “maximum response” have been planned by Iran’s armed forces, he added. “Our operations in response were carried out at a minimum because we were not seeking to hit multiple targets,” he said.

Persons: Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, adventurism, ” Amir, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ”, Amir, “ Organizations: CNN, Amir, Palestinian, Hamas, Wednesday, Iranian, United Nations, White, Swiss Embassy Locations: Israel, Iran, New York, Tehran, Syria, Iranian, Isfahan, Iran’s, FARS, Damascus, United States, Gaza, Israeli, “, America

☆ U.S. and Allies Penalize Iran for Striking Israel, and Try to Avert War
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Michael D. Shear | Michael Levenson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States and European allies joined together on Thursday to impose new sanctions on Iranian military leaders and weapon makers, seeking to punish Iran for its missile and drone attack on Israel last weekend, while imploring Israel not to retaliate so strongly as to risk a wider war. White House officials said the sanctions targeted leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iran’s Defense Ministry and the Iranian government’s missile and drone programs. The sanctions also seek to block exports by Iran’s steel industry that bring Tehran billions of dollars in revenue, they said. “I’ve directed my team, including the Department of the Treasury, to continue to impose sanctions that further degrade Iran’s military industries,” President Biden said in a statement. “Let it be clear to all those who enable or support Iran’s attacks: The United States is committed to Israel’s security.”Britain said it had imposed sanctions on seven people and six entities linked to Iran’s regional military activity and its attack on Israel, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a “reckless act and a dangerous escalation.”“These sanctions — announced with the U.S. — show we unequivocally condemn this behavior, and they will further limit Iran’s ability to destabilize the region,” Mr. Sunak said in a statement.

Persons: imploring, “ I’ve, Biden, Rishi Sunak, —, Mr, Sunak Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iran’s Defense Ministry, Department of, Treasury, ”, U.S Locations: States, Iran, Israel, imploring Israel, Iranian, Tehran, United States, Britain

☆ Live updates: Israel weighs response to Iran attack, US will impose new sanctions on Tehran
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

The United States will impose new sanctions targeting Tehran after Iran's large-scale attack on Israel over the weekend, according to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Most of the 300 ballistic projectiles, the majority of which are believed to have been launched from inside of Iran’s territory, were intercepted by Israel and its allies. Iran said it attacked Israel in retaliation for an Israeli strike on its diplomatic compound in Syria. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Biden administration would use sanctions “to continue disrupting the Iranian regime’s malign and destabilizing activity.”Here are the latest developments in the region:

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Janet Yellen, Biden Organizations: National Locations: States, Tehran, Israel, Iran, Syria

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Putin gives first comments on Iran attack; Ukraine 'ran out of missiles' to stop power plant destruction
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given his first comments on the Iranian attack on Israel, calling on all sides to exercise restraint in order to avoid a major regional confrontation. The Kremlin said Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, had spoken on the phone Tuesday, discussing Israel’s airstrike on a Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus and Iran’s "retaliation measures," referring to Tehran's massive drone and missile strike on Israel last Saturday. As the world awaits Israel's reaction to the attack, the Kremlin said "Putin expressed hope that all sides will exercise sensible restraint and will not allow a new round of confrontation that may be fraught with disastrous consequences for the entire region." The Kremlin said that Putin believed that the "unresolved Palestinian-Israeli conflict was the root cause of the current developments in the Middle East." In other news, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine "ran out of missiles" to stop a Russian strike destroying a Ukrainian thermal power plant near the capital Kyiv last week.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Ebrahim Raisi, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Kremlin, Israel Locations: Israel, Damascus, Ukraine, Russian, Kyiv

☆ Attack by Hezbollah Injures at Least 13 in Israeli Border Village
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Euan Ward | More About Euan Ward | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a cross-border drone and missile attack in northern Israel on Wednesday that emergency officials said had injured at least 13 people, four of them critically. Clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful regional proxy, have intensified in the wake of Israel’s targeted killing of two Hezbollah commanders. And there are growing fears of a broader conflict between Israel and Tehran, which mounted a wide aerial attack on Israel over the weekend. Hezbollah said its attack on an Israeli Bedouin border village, Arab al-Aramshe, was in response to the Israeli airstrikes a day earlier which Israel’s military said had killed the commanders. Those strikes triggered a series of retaliatory attacks by Hezbollah on Israeli military bases and barracks.

Locations: Lebanese, Israel, Tehran, Arab

☆ Middle East Crisis Israel’s Conflict With Iran Overshadows Fighting in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Image Mourning over the bodies of relatives in Rafah, in southern Gaza, on Tuesday. Rafah’s population has swelled to over a million, as people have flocked there for shelter from fighting elsewhere, and border crossings in southern Gaza are a main conduit for humanitarian aid. Much of the north, including Gaza City, has been destroyed by airstrikes and ground combat. Image Israeli soldiers outside Al-Shifa Hospital, in Gaza City, during a tour by the Israeli army last month. Credit... Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesAcross the territoryExperts say the Israeli military has had considerable success in dismantling Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Biden, Avishag Shaar, Deir al, Robert Blecher, Yahya Sinwar, Mr, Blecher, ” Organizations: Hamas, United Nations, ., Agence France, Shifa, Yashuv, The New York Times, Gaza, Qassam, Group Locations: Israel, Gaza, Local, Southern Gaza Israel, Rafah, Gaza’s, Egypt, Northern Gaza Israel, Al, Gaza City, Deir, Deir al Balah

☆ Here’s Where Israel’s Military Offensive in Gaza Stands
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Iran’s attack on Israel has shifted focus from the war in Gaza, but Israeli military operations press on there with the aim of eliminating Hamas, the armed group that controlled the territory before the fighting began. Israel’s military launched its assault in Gaza after Oct. 7, when Hamas led an attack that Israeli authorities say killed around 1,200 people. Israel said its aims were to defeat Hamas and free the hostages taken that day, around 100 of whom remain in Gaza. Local health authorities say the war has killed more than 33,000 people, and the United Nations says the population is on the brink of famine. Here is a look at where the military conflict stands:Southern GazaIsrael withdrew its forces from southern Gaza this month, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the military still plans to invade Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, to “complete the elimination of Hamas’s battalions” and to destroy its tunnel networks.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, “ Organizations: Hamas, United Nations Locations: Israel, Gaza, Local, Southern Gaza Israel, Rafah, Gaza’s

☆ Jordan walks a tightrope after downing Iranian drones and missiles
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Jomana Karadsheh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Jordan became the second Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel in 1994. The kingdom was portrayed as shielding Israel at a time when Palestinians were being bombed by Israel in Gaza. One meme shared by users apparently outside Jordan showed a manipulated image of Jordan’s King Abdullah in an Israeli military uniform. “We are in the range of fire and any missiles or projectile that could fall in Jordan would cause harm to Jordan. Our priority is to protect Jordan and to protect Jordanian citizens.”And Jordan’s leadership seems intent on sending that message to its people.

Persons: Saddam Hussein, Jordan, Israel, King Abdullah, Bisher, “, Ayman Safadi, CNN’s Becky Anderson, ”, Safadi, “ Jordan, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyaahu, Iran ”, Abdullah, Queen Rania Organizations: CNN, Israel, West Bank, Scud, United, Sunday, ”, Jordan, Zionist, Jordanian Royal Court Locations: Amman, Israel, Damascus, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Jordanian, United States, Jordan, Gaza, Tehran, Fars, Iranian, Mafraq

Israel was mere moments away from an airstrike on April 1 that killed several senior Iranian commanders at Iran’s embassy complex in Syria when it told the United States what was about to happen. Aides quickly alerted Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser; Jon Finer, the deputy national security adviser; Brett McGurk, Mr. Biden’s Middle East coordinator; and others, who saw that the strike could have serious consequences, a U.S. official said. Publicly, U.S. officials voiced support for Israel, but privately, they expressed anger that it would take such aggressive action against Iran without consulting Washington. On Saturday, Iran launched a retaliatory barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel, an unexpectedly large-scale response, if one that did minimal damage. The events made clear that the unwritten rules of engagement in the long-simmering conflict between Israel and Iran have changed drastically in recent months, making it harder than ever for each side to gauge the other’s intentions and reactions.

Persons: Israel, Jake Sullivan, Jon, Brett McGurk Organizations: U.S, Publicly, Israel, Washington Locations: Syria, United States, Biden’s, Iran, Israel

☆ FBI on alert for threats to the Jewish community ahead of Passover, director says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Josh Campbell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Federal law enforcement is on alert for any potential threats to the US Jewish community ahead of the start of the Passover holiday, FBI Director Christopher Wray told a group of nationwide security officials Wednesday. Speaking at an event hosted by the Secure Community Network, a Jewish community nonprofit safety and training organization, Wray said threats to the US Jewish community had already been elevated before Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, but the number of FBI hate crime cases tripled in the wake of the incident. The Jewish civil rights advocacy group tracked 8,873 antisemitic incidents in the United States in 2023 – the highest number of incidents reported since the organization began tracking data in 1979. “We’ve seen – since October 7 – a rogues’ gallery of foreign terrorist organizations call for attacks against the United States and our allies,” said Wray, including calls by global terrorist groups “to target Jewish communities both in the United States and Europe.”In addressing Jewish community security officials, Wray also called out state-sponsored threats. “After the last few days, in particular, the threat posed by Iran itself is very real,” he said.

Persons: Christopher Wray, “, –, ” Wray, Wray, ”, Michael Masters, “ We’ve, CNN’s Jack Forrest, Nicole Chavez Organizations: CNN, Secure Community Network, Defamation League, ” Locations: Israel, United States, Europe, Iran, Syria, “

☆ Blinken Heads to G7 Meeting for Talks on Israel and Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken arrived in Italy on Wednesday for a gathering of foreign ministers from the Group of 7 nations at which the Middle East turmoil and the fate of Ukraine will be central topics. The meeting will take place as world leaders try to contain the growing fallout from the war between Israel and Hamas. At the opening session, the officials will also discuss Israel’s invasion of Gaza and international efforts to reach a cease-fire deal. The G7 is a conference of seven industrialized democracies — Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Britain and the United States — as well as representatives of the European Union. The meeting, which is being held on the Mediterranean island of Capri, is a prelude to a summit of G7 leaders scheduled for mid-June in Puglia, Italy.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Israel Organizations: United, United States —, European Union Locations: Italy, Ukraine, Israel, Iran, Gaza, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Britain, United States, Capri, Puglia

☆ Mike Johnson: Doing ‘the right thing’ may cost the speaker his gavel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —It took less than six months for Speaker Mike Johnson to reach his existential moment. His tiny majority means he can’t afford to lose more than one GOP vote to pass a bill on a party-line vote. But a GOP speaker dependent on Democratic votes will be seen by many Republicans as a tool of the minority party and would be on borrowed time. In this way, those who oppose Ukraine aid on principle could vote against it, allowing Democrats who support it to ensure its passage. These are important responsibilities,” Johnson told Tapper.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan, John Boehner –, Johnson, ” Johnson, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie of, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Greene, Chip Roy, Roy, ”, –, CNN’s Manu Raju, ’ Johnson, he’s, Tapper, “, Dan Crenshaw, CNN’s Raju, Johnson “, ” Trump, hasn’t, bankrolling, Dwight Eisenhower, George W, Bush, Vladimir Putin doesn’t, We’re, Putin, Xi, Lloyd Austin, Biden, he’d Organizations: CNN, Louisiana Republican, Republicans, Texas Rep, Democratic, GOP, White, Texas GOP, Lago, Trump, Senate, “, ”, House Defense Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Mexico, Kyiv, Washington, Texas, Mar, Trumpism, Europe, Iran, North Korea, British, Jordanian, Russia, Russia’s, United States

☆ Dubai flooding: Chaos as UAE records heaviest rainfall in 75 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Brandon Miller | Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Cars are stuck on a flooded road after a rainstorm hit Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Wednesday. Large jets looked more like boats moving through the flooded airport as water sprayed in their wake and waves rippled through the deep water. Video shared on social media showed furniture flying off balconies. Images published in local media showed traffic gridlocked on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road, a 16-lane thoroughfare. Other videos from social media showed water rushing through a major shopping mall and inundating the ground floor of homes.

Persons: UAE CNN —, Rula Rouhana, Ras, Dubai International Airport –, Dubai’s Sheikh, Stringer Organizations: UAE CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, United Nations, Emergency Management, Wednesday, Dubai International Airport, Emirates, Flydubai, Dubai International, AFP, Getty, Dubai Marina, Dubai Metro, Anadolu, National, of Meteorology Locations: Dubai, UAE, United Arab, Gulf of Oman, Oman, Iran, Ras Al, Khaimah, Pakistan, Iran’s, Chabahar, Sistan, Baluchestan, Emirates, Dubai’s, Business, Persian

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