DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

CNN —The Defense Department is analyzing a balloon discovered by fishermen off the coast of Alaska last week to determine whether it was a spy balloon, a spokesperson told CNN. Upon reviewing photographs taken by the fishermen, officials became concerned it could be another spy balloon, and FBI agents went to meet the boat when it returned to port. But the FBI determined that it was similar enough in appearance to a foreign government-owned surveillance balloon that it warranted further investigation. The existence of high-altitude surveillance balloons burst into US consciousness last year, when a Chinese spy balloon appeared to blow off course and transited across the continental US. The US assessed that the spy balloon was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, as CNN reported at the time.

Persons: Sue Gough, “, ” Gough, Biden Organizations: CNN, The Defense Department, Joint Base Elmendorf, Defense Department, FBI Locations: Alaska, Richardson, China, Taiwan, Beijing

☆ Crew members killed for first time in Houthi attack on commercial ship in Red Sea, US official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A Houthi ballistic missile attack on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden resulted in at least two fatalities among the crew members, two US officials told CNN, marking the first time that the Iran-backed militant group has killed anyone as part of their ongoing attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea. The attack struck the M/V True Confidence, a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier, the officials said. The ship has since been abandoned and coalition warships are now in the area assessing the situation, the officials said. The strike marks a significant escalation of the Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which began in October in response to Israel’s war in Gaza. The passage links the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea, allowing ships to cut thousands of miles off shipping routes instead of sailing around Africa.

Persons: Pete Nguyen, Nguyen, Biden, Sabrina Singh, ”, “, Dwight D Organizations: CNN, Liberian, Naval, US, Defense Department, US Central Command, Houthi, Pentagon, Eisenhower, United Nations Locations: Gulf, Aden, Iran, Barbados, Gaza, Red, Yemen, Suez, Africa

☆ Pentagon considering tapping last source of Ukraine military funding as Congress stalls on additional aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Defense Department still has around $4 billion in presidential drawdown authority funds available for Ukraine, which allows the Pentagon to draw from its own stockpiles to send military equipment to Kyiv. But it would not be unprecedented for the Pentagon to find additional, unexpected sources of funding. Last year, the Defense Department announced that it had discovered an accounting error that led to DoD overvaluing the amount of aid it was providing to Ukraine by $6.2 billion. Asked on Tuesday whether the department was considering spending some of the remaining money, Pentagon press secretary Gen. Patrick Ryder said he had nothing to announce but that the Pentagon was continuing to explore ways to keep supporting Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN this week that Ukraine will not win the war without continued US support.

Persons: Garron Garn, Patrick Ryder, “ We’re, ” Ryder, Ryder, ”, “, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, The Defense Department, Pentagon, Defense, ”, Defense Department, DoD, Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, “ Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Avdiivka

CNN —A cargo ship that was struck by a Houthi ballistic missile on Monday has created an 18-mile long oil slick in the Red Sea as it continues to take on water, two US officials said Friday. It appeared to be the first time a crew has been forced to evacuate a ship after it was hit by the Houthis. The Houthis’ attacks have been ongoing for months, and despite several rounds of strikes by the US and UK on their capabilities, US officials told CNN it’s unclear how much weaponry the militia group still has. The Houthis’ attacks have increased in recent days; Singh said Thursday there has “certainly” been “an increase in attacks from the Houthis” over the last 72 hours. One other ship hit by the Houthis on Monday — the M/V Sea Champion, a US-owned, Greek-flagged bulk carrier — was carrying grain to Yemen.

Persons: Sabrina Singh, ” Singh, “, ”, Biden, Singh Organizations: CNN, Central Command, Command, US Central Command, Houthi, Pentagon, ” CNN, US Locations: Belize, Lebanese, Yemen, Red, Gulf, Aden, Israel, US

☆ Concern grows within Biden administration as Houthis continue attacks despite US strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“They continue to surprise us,” said one senior defense official, referring to the Houthis. Officials also believe Iran instructed the groups to back off the attacks following the US strikes. The issue is becoming more acute, especially given the notable increase in Houthi attacks over the last two days. At the same time, the Houthis also crave international legitimacy, officials said, and want to be recognized as the official Yemeni government. Still, there are no signs yet that Iran is actively withholding support from the Houthis, officials said.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, “, Sabrina Singh, ”, —, Marc Miguez, Israel, Privately, Matthew Miller, Singh, ” Singh Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, Central Command, Carrier Strike, Yemeni, Saudi, State Department, US, Prosperity Locations: Iran, Yemen, Gulf, Aden, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Baghdad, Gaza, Israel, Red, Oman, Bahrain

☆ Report: North Korean missile fired by Russia against Ukraine contained US and European components
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A North Korean ballistic missile fired last month by the Russian military in Ukraine contained hundreds of components that trace back to companies in the US and Europe, according to a new report. Last year, as CNN previously reported, CAR determined that 82% of components inside Iranian-made attack drones fired by Russia inside Ukraine were made by US companies. Courtesy Conflict Armament ResearchThe research also shows that North Korea was able to produce the missile and ship it over to Russia quickly. More evidence of Russia, North Korea tiesThe White House confirmed last month that Russia has been firing North Korean missiles at Ukrainian cities. North Korea has also likely provided Russia with “millions of artillery rounds” over the last year, according to a report published last week by the Pentagon’s inspector general.

Persons: Biden, North Korea —, ”, Korea “, Kim Jong Un, John Kirby Organizations: CNN, Research, National Security Council, North, Congress, White House, Korean, Intelligence, CAR, North Korean, United Nations Security, “, National Security Locations: Korean, Russian, Ukraine, Europe, North Korea, Iran, Russia, Kharkiv, United States, Asia, US, China, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, American, Korea, Washington, Pyongyang

☆ US Army under increasing pressure as it foots bill for Ukraine support
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Haley Britzky | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“We’re basically taking it out of hide in the Army,” a senior Army official told CNN. That includes not only the operations related to Ukraine support — training and ferrying weapons and equipment to Poland and Ukraine — but other operations for the US command throughout Europe and Africa. Those operations include training exercises for Army forces in Europe and Africa and equipment moving into the theater. Last week, the Senate voted to advance a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill, including $60 billion in support for Ukraine. So far in fiscal year 2024, the Army has spent $39.7 million on ground transportation, the first senior Army official told CNN.

Persons: “ We’re, ”, hasn’t, Christine Wormuth —, —, Peter, Paul, I’m, ” Wormuth, Martin O’Donnell, Mike Johnson, it’s, Daniel Hokanson, that’s, ” Hokanson, Sabrina Singh, ” Singh, “ Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, US Army, Army, Africa Command, Congress, ”, Morris Air National Guard Base, Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, US, Lawmakers, Capitol, National Guard Bureau, Pentagon, DOD Locations: Russia, Europe, Ukraine, Poland, Africa, Army Europe, US Army Europe, Germany, Arizona

☆ Exclusive: Russia attempting to develop nuclear space weapon to destroy satellites with massive energy wave, sources familiar with intel say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Jim Sciutto | Kristin Fisher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The weapon is still under development and is not yet in orbit, Biden administration officials have emphasized publicly. But Russia has recently made progress in its efforts to develop a nuclear EMP — a related but far more alarming technology. This would almost certainly be “a last-ditch weapon” for Russia, the US official and other sources said — because it would do the same damage to whatever Russian satellites were also in the area. According to those sources, the intelligence community is now scrambling to figure out how to preserve its access. Russia has withdrawn from several arms control treaties in recent years, leaving the post-Cold War arms control architecture all but gutted.

Persons: Mike Turner of, Joe Biden, Turner, Biden, ”, John Kirby, “, ” Kirby Organizations: CNN, Republican, House Intelligence, The Defense Department, National Security, National Intelligence, Defense Department, National Security Council, Pentagon, Capitol, Biden Locations: Russia, –, Mike Turner of Ohio, Washington, Russian, Earth, America, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Inside the US Navy’s frontline fight against the Houthis in the Red Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“This isn’t exactly where we expected to be on this deployment,” said Captain James Huddleston, the deputy commander of Carrier Air Wing 3 who regularly flies missions over the Red Sea and Yemen. An F/A-18 with afterburner prepares to launch from the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier in the Red Sea. Officials believe Iran was at one point using one of its suspected spy ships which has long been parked in the southern Red Sea, the Behshad, to help the Houthis target vessels there. Seconds or minutes to respondMeanwhile, the crew on board the USS Gravely destroyer in the Red Sea are the tip of the spear against inbound Houthi missiles and drones. But more often, the ship is deploying its anti-air and anti-surface missiles at closer ranges as Houthi missiles and drones close in.

Persons: Dwight D, Eisenhower, “, ”, Marc Miguez, Miguez, James Huddleston, ” Huddleston, Ike, Scott Pisczek, Marvin Scott, Samad, Iran’s, JG James Rodney, Sailors, “ It’s, FC1 Michael Zito, we’ve, ” CNN’s Scott Pisczek Organizations: Eisenhower CNN, Eisenhower, US, CNN, US Navy, Jets, Carrier, Carrier Air Wing, Carrier Air, Defense Intelligence Agency, Officials, Information Locations: Iran, Yemen, Sea, Russia, China, Red, ”, India, Djibouti, Gulf, Aden

CNN —House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner has made intelligence around a “serious national security threat” available to all members of Congress to review. Two sources familiar with the matter and a US official tell CNN the threat is related to Russia. “That’s been on the books. He declined to elaborate on the nature of the threat. “I’m not in a position to say anything further from this podium at this time,” he said.

Persons: Mike Turner, Turner, ” Turner, Joe Biden, declassify, Jake Sullivan, “, ” Sullivan, “ That’s, “ I’m, ”, Biden Organizations: CNN — House, CNN, House Intelligence, ” National Locations: Russia, United States

☆ Biden officials confront limits of federal response in exercise preparing for 2024 election threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Carolyn Kaster/AP/FileUS national security officials have to weigh whether publicly calling attention to disinformation might inadvertently amplify the very message they’re trying to bat down. In both scenarios, federal officials favored a muted public response, largely choosing to let state and local governments take the lead. State and local officials run elections and are more trusted voices in their communities, but how can federal officials act decisively to support them? “It’s a trick box,” said Adam Hickey, who worked on election security issues for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “[W]e prioritize tabletop exercises that integrate the range of cyber, physical, and operational threats election officials may encounter,” Conley said in a statement to CNN.

Persons: “, ”, —, Carolyn Kaster, there’s, Biden, Xi Jinping, Kevin Lamarque, Joe Biden, deepfakes, ” Sen, Mark Warner, Kevin Dietsch, Francisco Aguilar, ” Aguilar, Donald Trump’s, Adam Hickey, Hickey, Cait Conley, DHS’s, ” Conley, –, ” CNN’s Evan Perez, Natasha Bertrand, Donie O’Sullivan, Katie Bo Lillis Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, Biden White, Jeffersonville Masonic, New Hampshire, Foreign Ministry, ”, Senate, Committee, White, Senate Intelligence, Virginia Democrat, Republican, Trump, Capitol, Justice Department’s National Security, “, Justice Department, Department of Homeland, National Security Council, US Army, DHS’s Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency Locations: China, Jeffersonville, Jeffersonville , Ohio, American, Woodside , California, Nevada, Russia, Iran, Russian, Iranian

Washington CNN —A US military strike on Wednesday in Baghdad killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander who was responsible for attacks on American forces in the region, according to US Central Command. A US official said the strike was part of the response President Joe Biden authorized last week in response to the Jordan attack. As of Tuesday, there had been at least 168 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq, Syria and Jordan. In addition to the three soldiers killed in the Jordan attack, three other service members were medically evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The Iraqi government said the US’ strikes killed at least 16 people, including civilians.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jordan, Biden, –, Sabrina Singh, ”, “, CNN’s MJ Lee, Kevin Liptak Organizations: Washington CNN, US Central Command, Central Command, Command, Local, CNN, White, Iraqi Popular Mobilization, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon, Regional Medical Center, Iraq’s, US, United Locations: Baghdad, Iran, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Germany, ”, United States, Anbar Governorate

☆ ‘We hold the US responsible,’ says brother of Iraqi student killed in airstrikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Mohammed Tawfeeq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The brother of an Iraqi student killed as a result of US airstrikes on Iraq and Syria on Friday says the family holds the United States responsible for his death. “My brother was killed instantly,” Anmar told CNN on the phone from Al Qaim on Tuesday. Security forces inspect a damaged car at the site of a US airstrike in Al Qaim, Iraq, February 3, 2024. Shell casings lie at the site of a US airstrike in Al Qaim, Iraq, February 3, 2024. A destroyed building at the site of a US airstrike in Al Qaim, Iraq, February 3, 2024.

Persons: Abdulrahman Khaled, Al Qaim, Anmar Khaled, “, Abdulrahman, ” Anmar, Stringer, –, ”, John Kirby, ” Kirby, Joe Biden, ” CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Betsy Klein Organizations: CNN, White House, Security, Reuters, Al, General Hospital, Preparatory High School, ISIS, Department of Defense, Popular, National Security Locations: Iraq, Syria, States, Al, Iranian, Abdulrahman, Anbar, Al Qaim, Jordan, United States, Iran

CNN —US officials said Monday that Iraq was not notified ahead of a series of strikes on Iran-linked targets in the country, contradicting earlier statements that the Iraqi government was notified before the strikes occurred. We informed the Iraqis immediately after the strikes occurred,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a briefing on Monday. “Iraq, like every country in the region, understood that there would be a response after the deaths of our soldiers,” he noted. In a statement to CNN, Kirby said he “responded with information that I had been provided at the time” after the strikes on Friday. “For operational security reasons, we did not provide any kind of official pre-notification with specific details on these strikes,” the spokesperson said.

Persons: Vedant Patel, ”, John Kirby, Kirby, “, Pat Ryder, ” Ryder, we’ll Organizations: CNN, ” State Department, National Security, State Department, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, United, Pentagon Locations: Iraq, Iran, “ Iraq, Syria, Jordan, United States, Anbar Governorate, Iranian

☆ Sullivan vows ‘further action’ after US carries out retaliatory strikes on Iranian-linked militia targets
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The US will take “further action” after conducting major airstrikes over the weekend against Iranian-backed militias who have carried out attacks on US troops in the Middle East, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday. On Friday, the US hit 85 targets across seven locations in Iraq and Syria. The US strikes killed at least 16 people in Iraq, including civilians, and injured 25 others, the Iraqi government said Friday. The attacks hit areas close to the border with Syria and targeted facilities used by Iranian-linked al Hashd al Shabi — or Popular Mobilization Units — in the Iraqi city of Al-Qaim, Iraqi officials said. The next day, the US and UK conducted strikes on at least 30 Houthi targets in Yemen from air and surface platforms, including fighter jets, with the support of several other countries.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, “, ” Sullivan, CNN’s Dana, “ I’m, ”, Biden Organizations: CNN, Union, US Locations: East, “ State, Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Iraqi, Al, Yemen

☆ US destroyed or damaged 84 of 85 targets in Iraq and Syria, officials say; no indications of Iranian casualties
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US destroyed or damaged 84 out of 85 targets in its sweeping series of airstrikes on Friday in Syria and Iraq, according to two US defense officials, with no indications of Iranian casualties. All but one of the 85 targets were “destroyed or functionally damaged,” the officials said, citing a preliminary battlefield damage assessment. In Iraq, the US targeted al-Qaim and Akashat near the border with Syria. President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes, far larger than previous US operations in Iraq or Syria, were only the start of the US response. The attack consisted of two rockets launched against the site, with no injuries or damage reported.

Persons: Deir, Douglas Sims, ”, Biden, Sims, Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Jake Sullivan, CNN’s Dana, Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Joint Staff, Defense, Union, US Locations: Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Iran, Akashat, al, Gen, “ State

The US said the attack lasted 30 minutes, hitting 85 targets across seven locations in Iraq and Syria. In 2016, the Iraqi parliament passed a bill recognizing the PMU as a government entity operating alongside the Iraqi military. A screengrab from a video, geolocated by CNN to the town of Qaim, Iraq, shows the aftermath of US military strikes in the area, according to the Iraqi Military. Iraq and Syria condemned the US attack as infringements on their sovereignty that risk fueling regional conflict. “The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world,” Biden said in a statement Friday, following the strikes on Iraq and Syria.

Persons: Joe Biden, –, Biden, Kennedy Ladon Sanders, Sanders, Matt Rourke, Qaim, Turki Al, John Kirby, Washington, ”, SANA, Kirby, Douglas Sims, “, Mike Johnson, ” Johnson, Jack Reed, Lloyd Austin, ” Biden, Charles Lister, ” Lister, Ebrahim Raisi Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Army, US Army, Dover Air Force Base, House, Hezbollah, Al, US National Security, Syrian, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iraq’s Armed Forces, United Nations Charter, Republican, Senate Armed, US, Coalition Forces, Austin, Middle East Institute, Iraq Locations: United States, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Israel, Delaware, Iraqi, Al, ” Syria’s, Deir Ezzor, Gen, Qaim, ” Syria, Washington ,, Tehran

On Wednesday the White House said it believes an umbrella group of militants called Islamic Resistance in Iraq was behind the drone attack in Jordan. He stopped short of assigning exact blame on Kata’ib Hezbollah, the most powerful Iran-backed militia in Iraq, saying it was not the only group responsible for previous attacks on US bases. On Friday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said his country will not initiate a war but will “respond strongly” to bullies. In a sign of a possible effort to quell the tensions, Kataib Hezbollah, announced on Tuesday the suspension of its military operations against US forces in the region. “We are announcing the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces (US troops) - in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government,” Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Lloyd Austin, ”, ” Austin, We’re, ” John Kirby, “, ” Kirby, Ebrahim Raisi, ” Kataib, Akram Al Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, National Security Council, White, Hezbollah, US, Free Hezbollah Brigades Locations: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Jordan, Israel, Gaza, Tehran, United States, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian Hormozgan province

☆ US sees signs Iran is worried about escalating proxy attacks amid heightened tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Officials cautioned that there is no sense that Tehran’s growing wariness is likely to change its broader strategy of supporting proxy attacks on US and Western targets — although it could signal adjustments around the margins. But officials do believe that Iran is pursuing a calibrated approach to the conflict that is designed to avoid sparking all-out war. But some current and former US officials are skeptical that Iran will substantively change its tactics. ‘Varying degress of loyalty’The escalations also underscore the varying degrees of control that Iran actually has over its proxy groups. Among the groups, Iran has the least amount of operational control over the Houthis in Yemen, multiple officials told CNN.

Persons: Biden, Bill Burns, Norm Roule, Roule, “, Fadel, Ahmad Al, Jonathan Lord, ”, ” Lord, Israel “, Hossein, Mohammed Hamoud, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Iran ”, we’re Organizations: Militant, Iranian, CNN, White, CIA, Foreign Affairs, Getty, Middle East Security, Center, New, US Navy, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, Anadolu Agency, Command, UN, Chinese Foreign, White House Locations: Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, United States, Tehran, China, India, Gaza, Europe, Baghdad, AFP, New American, Israel, Africa, Beijing, Bani, Sanaa, Red, Somalia, Bangkok, “ Beijing

☆ US warship had close call with Houthi missile in Red Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A cruise missile launched by the Houthis into the Red Sea on Tuesday night came within a mile of a US destroyer before it was shot down, four US officials told CNN, the closest a Houthi attack has come to a US warship. In the past, these missiles have been intercepted by US destroyers in the area at a range of eight miles or more, the officials said. But the USS Gravely had to use its Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) for the first time since the US began intercepting the Houthi missiles late last year, which ultimately succeeded in downing the missile, officials said. The episode underscores the threat the Houthis continue to pose to US naval assets and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, despite multiple US and British strikes on Houthi infrastructure inside Yemen. The close call also comes just days after three US service members were killed in a drone attack by Iran-backed militants at a US outpost in Jordan.

Organizations: CNN, US Locations: Red, Yemen, Iran, Jordan

☆ Biden has to deal with a second war he didn’t want. His task is to contain it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

— Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian group based in Lebanon, has been waging a low-grade war against Israel. — Iran has blamed Israel for an attack that killed a number of Revolutionary Guard officers in Damascus, Syria. Hawkish Republicans like South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham are demanding he attack Iran on Iranian soil. “The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East. And on a purely strategic level, risking a major Middle East war that could cause massive US casualties to avenge the deaths of three soldiers, as terrible as their deaths are, would not represent a sound equation.

Persons: they're, Joe Biden —, Jordan Sunday –, Biden, haven’t, —, Israel, it’s, Antony Blinken, ” Aaron David Miller, CNN’s Jim Acosta, “, ”, William Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, Breonna Moffett, South Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham, Nikki Haley, Biden’s, Donald Trump, Jim Himes, what’s, CNN’s Oren Liebermann, Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis, Blinken, CNN’s Alex Marquardt, Joe Biden, Arkansas Sen, Tom Cotton, Haley, Qasem Soleimani, Trump, John Kirby, It’s Biden Organizations: Republicans, White House CNN, Jordan Sunday, Hezbollah, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Britain, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Revolutionary Guard, ”, GOP, Rep, Intelligence, Islamic, United Nations, –, Iran Locations: Washington, Tehran, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Jordan, United States, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, —, Syria, Baghdad, Beirut, Lebanon –, Damascus, East, South Carolina, Connecticut, Hamas, Qatar, Egypt, Islamic Republic, Arkansas, There’s

☆ Exclusive: Xi promised Biden China wouldn’t interfere in 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In a meeting this past weekend in Bangkok with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan again brought up the topic. Wang offered Sullivan the same assurance Xi had given Biden months prior — that Beijing would not meddle in the American election this fall, the source said. The White House National Security Council declined to comment on whether election interference came up in the Biden-Xi and Sullivan-Wang meetings. CNN has reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment. Last week, a senior National Security Agency official told reporters that the agency had not yet seen signs of any notable new foreign influence operations aimed at the 2024 election.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Wang, Sullivan, Hillary Clinton’s, ”, “, Chris Krebs, ” Krebs, Brendan Smialowski, Antony Blinken, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand Organizations: CNN, Chinese Foreign, Democratic National Committee, FBI, Justice Department, White House National Security, Biden, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Microsoft, of, National Security Agency, US, Infrastructure Security, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Getty Locations: China, California, Bangkok, Beijing, Taiwan, Russia, Iran, Asia, Woodside , California, AFP, Washington, Chinese

CNN —The three US soldiers killed in the drone attack on a US military outpost in Jordan were identified Monday as Sgt. US Army Reserve Command, APSingh said more than 40 were injured in the attack, a number that could possibly continue to increase. The enemy drone also flew low, which may have allowed it to evade the base’s air defenses, officials said. A US official told CNN that there have been six attacks since Friday, including Sunday’s drone attack and a multi-rocket attack on Patrol Base Shaddadi in Syria on Monday morning. The consensus is that an Iran-backed militia group is behind the deadly drone attack, though the US is still working to determine which group specifically is responsible.

Persons: William Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, Breonna Moffett, Sabrina Singh, William Jerome Rivers, Kennedy Ladon Sanders, Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, AP Singh, Singh, Syria —, John Kirby, CNN’s Phil Mattingly, White, “, ” Kirby, weren’t, ” Singh, ”, Jens Stoltenberg, Lloyd Austin, ” Austin Organizations: CNN, Defense Department, 718th Engineer Company, US Army Reserve, Pentagon, US Army Reserve Command, Spc, Breonna, AP, Baghdad Diplomatic Support, Regional Medical Center, US, Patrol Base Shaddadi, National Security, Kataib Hezbollah, Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollah, NATO Locations: Jordan, Carrollton , Georgia, Waycross , Georgia, Savannah , Georgia, Fort Moore , Georgia, Baghdad, Landstuhl, American, East, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon

The US has in recent months carried out several strikes targeting Iranian proxies’ weapons depots in Iraq and Syria. To date, none of those strikes have deterred the militants, whose 165 attacks have injured over 120 US service members across the region since October. ‘We don’t seek a war with Iran’Still, striking Iran is one of the least likely options at this point, officials said. We’re not looking for a wider conflict in the Middle East,” John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, told CNN on Monday. Tehran has watched as anti-US and anti-Israel protests swept across the Middle East after the Israel-Hamas war started.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Mark Hertling, “, Antony Blinken, Blinken, ”, Harakat, “ We’re, We’re, ” John Kirby, they’ve, ” Sabrina Singh, Jon Alterman, ” Alterman Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, National Security Council, Middle East, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Iran’s, American, Lebanon, Yemen, Tehran, United States, “, Israel, Russia, China

The enemy drone followed the American drone as it approached, but it is not clear whether the enemy drone intentionally followed the American one or if it was a coincidence, one of the officials said. US officials are also still assessing the enemy drone’s point of origin. The Wall Street Journal first reported the confusion over the enemy drone. A US official told CNN that there have been six attacks since Friday, including Sunday’s drone attack and a multi-rocket attack on Patrol Base Shaddadi in Syria on Monday morning. The consensus is that an Iran-backed militia group is behind the deadly drone attack, though the US is still working to determine which group specifically is responsible.

Persons: Syria —, John Kirby, CNN’s Phil Mattingly, White, “, ” Kirby, weren’t, ”, Jens Stoltenberg, Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, ” Stoltenberg, Austin’s, Biden, Tehran . Sen, Roger Wicker, Sen, Tom Cotton Organizations: CNN, Army, Sunday, Street Journal, Regional Medical Center, Patrol Base Shaddadi, National Security, Kataib Hezbollah, Revolutionary Guard, Pentagon, NATO, Republicans, Republican, Senate Armed Services Committee Locations: Jordan, American, Germany, East, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Congress, Tehran .

Search resuls for: "Natasha Bertrand"

25 mentions found