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☆ Biden’s balancing act with Iran aims for deterrence, not a wider war
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“I think it is a real strong deterrence,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat and Iraq War veteran. It was only about an hour after Biden departed Dover Air Force Base in Delaware that the first US strikes began in Iraq and Syria. Inside the Situation Room, Biden and his team assessed a set of options that each came with a certain degree of risk. And there are clear indications that Iran isn’t looking for a war with the United States — just as Washington insists it isn’t seeking a broader conflict. “There’s been no communications with Iran since the attack that killed our three soldiers in Jordan,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday night.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Biden, won’t, “, ”, Sen, Tammy Duckworth, ” Biden, Mark Esper, Donald Trump’s, ” Esper, he’d, William Jerome Rivers, Kennedy Ladon Sanders, Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, United States —, —, haven’t, Biden’s, “ There’s, John Kirby, Beth Sanner, Qasem, ” Sanner Organizations: CNN, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, Illinois Democrat, Iraq, Biden, Dover Air Force Base, US Army Reserve Command, Spc, Breonna, United, White, ” National Security Locations: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Red, Illinois, Jordan, Delaware, United States, Gaza, South Carolina, Tehran, Yemen, Washington, Iranian

☆ Opinion: The problem with the US bombing strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Biden administration has also repeatedly said it doesn’t want to go to war with Iran. To tamp down the possibility of a wider regional war, the US needs to focus its efforts on addressing the underlying cause of this roiling conflict: the continued war in Gaza. Previous US strikes have failed to deter Iran and its proxies. It’s possible that US cyber-attacks in Iran could damage key elements of Iranian military command and control structures, but these kinds of attacks can take many weeks to prepare. This article has been updated to reflect the strikes on Houthi targets on Saturday.

Persons: Peter Bergen, Osama bin Laden, Biden, Joe Biden, “, Houthis, Trump, Qasem Soleimani, Let’s, Sayf al, Carl von Clausewitz, Lloyd Austin Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, White House, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, United, Adl, Prussian, Hamas, UNRWA Locations: New America, Iraq, Syria, Iranian, Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Yemen, Baghdad, Iran’s, Afghanistan, Tehran, United Nations, East, Lebanon, Israel

☆ Illicit Iranian programs targeted by sanctions and criminal charges, US says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Michael Conte | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —The US announced a number of measures including sanctions and criminal charges targeting a range of malicious Iranian initiatives, including their cyberwarfare and drone programs, as well as Iran’s alleged illegal oil trafficking to fund foreign terrorist organizations. Earlier in the day, the Treasury Department announced sanctions against several Iran- and Hong Kong-based companies for allegedly supporting Iran’s drone program and missile production. The three alleged front companies in Hong Kong and an Iranian subsidiary allegedly obtained components, such as engines and carburetors, for Iran’s drone program. Treasury also announced sanctions targeting the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber–Electronic Command and five other senior officials for alleged cyberattacks against critical infrastructure in the US and other countries. That’s a reference to a series of hacks that defaced computers at multiple water utilities in the US in November.

Persons: Biden, ”, General Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, Brian Nelson, Matthew Miller, That’s, ” John Hultquist, Mandiant, CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz Organizations: Washington CNN, US, Justice Department, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Department, DOJ, FBI, Treasury Department, Treasury, Terrorism, Financial, Command, Google, CNN, Boston Children’s Hospital Locations: Iran, Jordan, Omani, ”, Washington ,, United States, Hong Kong, Iranian, Israel, Boston, Tehran

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Iran Strikes Jihadist Group in Pakistan as Middle East Conflicts Spread
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Saeed Shah | Benoit Faucon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Gen. Hossein Salami, commander in chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in Tehran last month. Photo: abedin taherkenareh/ShutterstockISLAMABAD—Iran hit a jihadist group in Pakistan with a missile and drone strike Tuesday, according to Iranian state media, as a series of conflicts continue to spread across the Middle East in the wake of Israel’s war in Gaza. The target of the unusual attack inside Pakistan was a militant group, Jaish al-Adl, in Pakistan’s remote western province of Balochistan, which has a long border with Iran. Islamabad condemned the attack, which it said had killed two children and injured three more.

Persons: Hossein, abedin, al Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Adl Locations: Tehran, Shutterstock ISLAMABAD, Iran, Pakistan, Gaza, Balochistan, Islamabad

☆ Deadly Iranian Strike in Northern Iraq Inflames Tensions in the Region
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Alissa J. Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A deadly Iranian ballistic missile strike in northern Iraq on Tuesday drove a wedge — at least temporarily — between Baghdad and Tehran, adding to the already volatile and tense situation in the Middle East. The Iraqi government recalled its ambassador to Tehran and summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires in Baghdad to the Foreign Ministry after at least eight ballistic missiles launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck overnight in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, killing four civilians, including an 11-month-old girl. The strike came amid widespread fears that the devastating war in Israel could spiral into a more deadly confrontation. The war has already sparked a low-level regional conflict between Iranian proxy forces in Iraq, Syria and Yemen and the United States and other Wester powers. The United States, France and Britain denounced the latest Iranian attack, which shook Erbil and set off sirens at the United States Consulate and at the airport, which was forced to suspend flights.

Persons: Iran’s chargé Organizations: Tuesday, Foreign, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, United States Consulate Locations: Iraq, Baghdad, Tehran, Iran’s chargé d’affaires, Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan, Israel, Syria, Yemen, United States, France, Britain

☆ Iran seizes oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Mostafa Salem | Adam Pourahmadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —Iran has seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman and is transferring it to an Iranian port in retaliation for the United States confiscating the same vessel and its oil last year, Tasnim News Agency reported Thursday. The Strait of Hormuz at the northern end of the Gulf of Oman is the biggest oil chokepoint in the world. A maritime monitoring website, Tanker Trackers, said the vessel seized Thursday was a Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker named St Nikolas, formerly known as the Suez Rajan. Almost 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil were seized by the US government at the time, the DOJ said. The Suez Rajan transported the contraband to the United States and “incurred the significant expenses associated with the vessel’s voyage to the United States,” according to the DOJ.

Persons: St Nicholas, ”, UKMTO, Nikolas, Suez Rajan, “ Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, Tasnim News Agency, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Navy, United Nations, CNN, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, ship’s Company, Oil, Tanker, US Department of Justice, DOJ, Emergency Economic, Navigation Locations: Abu Dhabi, Iran, Gulf of Oman, Iranian, United States, Oman, Islamic Republic, Gulf, Yemen, Gaza, Africa, Israel, Hormuz, Marshall, Suez, China

☆ Opinion | How to Kill a Palestinian State
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

On Oct. 7, the axis of resistance became the face of the Palestinian movement. On Oct. 8, demonstrators around the world chose to embrace that axis. When Rashida Tlaib, the Michigan congresswoman, posted that “75 years later, the Nakba continues to this day” and declined to accept Israel as a Jewish state, she was embracing it. When Judith Butler, the Berkeley professor, told an interviewer that “the roots of the problem are in a state formation that depended on expulsions and land theft to establish its own ‘legitimacy’” and supported a binational state, she was embracing it. “A left that lauds intersectionality hasn’t noticed that Hamas’s axis of support consists of Iran, famous most recently for killing hundreds of protesters demanding women’s freedom.”

Persons: ”, Assad, Mohamed Khairullah, Rashida Tlaib, Judith Butler, ’ ”, ” Susie Linfield, “, hasn’t Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Israel, Los Locations: Syria, Prospect Park, N.J, Michigan, Berkeley, Los Angeles, ”, N.Y.U, Iran

☆ US fires on and kills hostile forces after attack in Iraq, US official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Haley Britzky | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A US military aircraft fired on a vehicle and killed hostile forces following an attack on US and coalition forces at Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq on Monday evening, a US official told CNN on Tuesday. It’s unclear how many hostiles were killed and whether US personnel were injured in the attack on Al-Asad. As of Monday afternoon, there had been at least 64 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, including several on forces at Al-Asad. It’s unclear if an AC-130 has been used to respond to attacks in this way since October 17, though a US official said the US has returned fire on hostile forces multiple times. The US has also carried out three strikes in Syria in response to the continuous attacks on US troops.

Persons: Asad, Abu Kamal, Mayadin, Sabrina Singh Organizations: CNN, US, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon Locations: Al, Asad Airbase, Iraq, Syria, Abu, Iranian, Maysalun, Deir Ezzor, Israel, Gaza

With a power vacuum and years of civil conflict following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, militias grew and multiplied in Iraq, some supported by Iran. While he came to power with the Iranian-backed groups' support, he also wants continued good relations with the U.S. and has backed the ongoing presence of American troops in his country. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a meeting with al-Sudani this month, warned of consequences if Iranian-backed militias continued to attack U.S. facilities in Iraq and Syria. An official with one of the Iranian-backed militias said al-Sudani put “great pressure” on the militias not to carry out attacks during Blinken's visit. But the U.S. military response to the attacks on its forces has been minimal.

Persons: Biden, Israel, Asad, Haq, Badr, Bashar Assad, Mohammed Shia, Antony Blinken, Sudani, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, —, Qassim Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al, Muhandis, Qassim Abdul Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Islamic, Hamas, Pentagon, Islamic Jihad, WHO, State, Popular Mobilization Forces, Hezbollah, Iran’s, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Officials, Quds Force, Military, Associated Press Locations: Iraq, Syria, Islamic State, skyrocket, U.S, The U.S, Baghdad, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Al, Tehran, Boukamal, Maysulun, Deir el, Bulbul, Mayadin ., IRAQ, Zahra

☆ US conducts more strikes in eastern Syria, defense secretary says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US carried out another set of strikes against targets affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in eastern Syria, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, following continued attacks on US forces in the region. In total, there have been at least 46 attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since October 17, and at least 56 troops have been injured. Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said Thursday the injuries were a combination of traumatic brain injuries and minor injuries. The strikes targeted a weapons storage facility and an ammunition storage facility. But the attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria have persisted, even as the US has tried to separate the conflict in Gaza from the rest of the region.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Austin, Joe Biden, Abu Kamal, Mayadin, Sabrina Singh, “, ” Austin, IRGC Organizations: CNN, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon, US Locations: Syria, Iraq, United States, Iran, Gaza

☆ Iran envoy says Tehran had no direct role in Hamas’ Israel rampage, or proxy attacks on US forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Jennifer Deaton | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Iravani said there was cooperation and collaboration, but that Iran was not directing any of those operations. He likened Iran’s role to that of the US in providing assistance to Israel. Tehran has long been accused of arming Hamas and other Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as regional attacks by its proxies have escalated and become increasingly frequent. CNN pressed Iravani as to whether Iran supported Hamas’ murder of women and children and its hostage-taking on October 7. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shi’a movement based in Lebanon with one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East, has also said that Hamas’ attack was kept secret from them.

Persons: Amir Saeid Iravani, Iravani, “, ”, Defense Lloyd Austin, General Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah Organizations: CNN, Republic’s United Nations, UN, United States, Pentagon, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Defense, Quds Force, US, Hamas, Israel Locations: Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Houthis, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, IRGC, UN, Tehran, Gaza, East

☆ US forces have been targeted in 4 more attacks since US strikes in Syria on Wednesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

On Wednesday evening, there were two multi-rocket attacks on US and coalition forces at Omar Oil Fields near Mission Support Site Green Village, Syria, and a one-way drone attack on forces at Mission Support Site Euphrates, Syria. One of the rocket attacks on Green Village resulted in three US troops suffering minor injuries, the official said. The fourth attack came on Thursday morning, when a one-way drone attack targeted forces at Al-Asad Airbase, Iraq. Before the US’ strike on an IRGC weapons facility on Wednesday, there were two attacks — multiple one-way drones targeting forces at Bashur, Iraq, and a previously reported rocket attack on forces at Shaddadi, Syria. In total, the recent attacks mark at least 46 on US and coalition forces since October 17.

Persons: Sabrina Singh, Asad, Singh, “ We’ve, ” Organizations: CNN, US, Oil, Pentagon, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Syria, Al, Asad Airbase, Iraq, Bashur, Shaddadi, Maysalun, Deir Ezzor

☆ US carries out airstrikes in eastern Syria targeting IRGC and Iranian-backed groups weapons storage facility
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Haley Britzky | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Two US F-15 fighter jets conducted an airstrike on a weapons storage facility in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups, the Pentagon announced Wednesday. “This precision self-defense strike is a response to a series of attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by IRGC-Quds Force affiliates,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. On October 26, a US F-15 and two F-16s used precision-guided munitions to strike two facilities linked to Iran-backed militias in eastern Syria. More than 40 troops sustained minor injuries in attacks before the US’ strike on October 26, including at least 20 traumatic brain injuries. The US strike comes the same day that an unmanned US MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down off the coast of Yemen by Iran-backed Houthi forces.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, ”, Wednesday’s Organizations: CNN, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon, U.S, Quds Force, ”, US, Command, Hamas, Patriot, Area Defense Locations: Syria, Iraq, IRGC, United States, Iranian, Iran, US, Shaddadi, Yemen, East, Israel

☆ Israel’s cyber defense chief tells CNN he is concerned Iran could increase severity of its cyberattacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

So far, suspected Iranian hackers appear to have had minimal impact on their publicly claimed targets in Israel in the last month. But Portnoy said those hackers have been relatively quiet in the latest Israel-Hamas war (Israeli airstrikes have decimated internet infrastructure in Gaza.) “There is a gap between their [cyber] capabilities and their rhetoric,” the official told CNN, referring to Iran-backed hackers. “Even the successful, real cyberattacks are probably not going to be about the actual attack,” John Hultquist, Mandiant’s chief analyst, told CNN. This campaign is “maybe the most sophisticated we have seen from Iran on a technological level,” Sergey Shykevich, threat intelligence group manager at Check Point, told CNN.

Persons: “, ”, Gaby Portnoy, ” Portnoy, Portnoy, –, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, ” Eric Goldstein, CrowdStrike, ” John Hultquist, “ It’s, Solomon, Israel, Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike’s, ” Meyers, Sergey Shykevich Organizations: CNN, Israel National Cyber Directorate, Lebanese, Hezbollah, Palo Alto Networks, Hamas, Infrastructure Security Agency, FBI, Boston Children’s Hospital, ” CNN, Iranian, United Nations, “, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, East, Iranian, Syria, Iraq, Tehran, –, Palo, Gaza, Palestine, China, Russia

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

Beneath Gaza, a labyrinth of tunnels used by Hamas will complicate any potential Israeli ground offensive in the Palestinian enclave. WSJ’s Rory Jones—who visited the tunnels in 2014—explains the unique challenge they pose for Israel. Photo: Yousef Mohammed/Zuma PressTEL AVIV—In the weeks leading up to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, hundreds of the Palestinian Islamist militant group’s fighters received specialized combat training in Iran, according to people familiar with intelligence related to the assault. Roughly 500 militants from Hamas and an allied group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, participated in the exercises in September, which were led by officers of the Quds Force, the foreign-operations arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the people said.

Persons: Rory Jones —, —, Yousef Mohammed Organizations: Zuma Press TEL, Quds Force, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Gaza, Israel, Zuma Press TEL AVIV, Iran, Jihad

☆ A Weak Response to Iran’s Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Speaking in Tel Aviv on Oct. 22, 2023, a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators detailed how the elimination of islamic terrorist organization, Hamas, would lead to a more stable future in the region—not just for the Jewish people, but Palestinians too. Images: AP/Reuters Composite: Mark KellyThe U.S. late Thursday launched air strikes on Iranian proxies, which have spent the past week attacking American forces in the Middle East. The Pentagon says the U.S. hit two facilities in eastern Syria that are used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). But pinprick bombing of weapons and ammo lockers aren’t proportionate to the enemy attacks. Iran’s proxies have lobbed rockets or drones at U.S. positions at least 19 times since Oct. 17.

Persons: Mark Kelly The, Biden Organizations: Reuters, Mark Kelly The U.S, Pentagon, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Tel Aviv, Iran, U.S, Syria

☆ Iran's Revolutionary Guards Move Fighters Closer to Syrian Border With Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is moving some of its members toward the Israeli border, sparking concerns a new front could open in the confrontation between Tel Aviv and its regional foes. The IRGC has been redeploying fighters from the eastern Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor southward to an area close to Damascus, according to a Syrian government adviser and a Deir ez-Zor activist. The Syrian government adviser said Iran’s aim remained largely defensive. “There is a big concern that if there was a war, there is a strong need to protect the regime,” he said. A spokesman for the Iranian delegation at the United Nations didn't return a request for comment.

Persons: Deir, Iran’s, ” Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian, United Nations Locations: Tel Aviv, Syrian, Deir, Damascus

They’re opportunistic and adaptive,” said former CIA analyst Yaya Fanusie, now an adjunct senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security. It’s unclear how much money Hamas has received in cryptocurrency, but there’s evidence they have amassed significant amounts. Another $94 million was allegedly held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant partner of Hamas, according to Elliptic, another analytics firm. Hamas additionally raises funds through informal taxes and smuggling, according to a Congressional Research Service report from May. Investigators were able to seize 150 cryptocurrency accounts “that laundered funds to and from” Hamas accounts, according to a DOJ news release.

Persons: launderers, European Union –, “ There’s, ”, Yaya Fanusie, –, Dmitry Machikhin, Arda Akartuna, Akartuna, Jake Sullivan, Iran “, Sullivan, Asher Perlin, Yitzchak Weinstock, Weinstock, “, al, Perlin Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Justice, Justice Department, European Union, Center, New, New American Security, Department of Homeland Security, ’, Reuters, Wall Street, Brigades, Palestine Islamic, US State Department, US Treasury Department, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Treasury, US Treasury, White, National, Congressional Research Service, US Justice Department, ”, Investigators, DOJ Locations: Iran, cryptocurrency, Israel, Washington ,, United States, New American, New Jersey, bitcoin, Jihad, Palestine, Turkey, Lebanon, Lebanese, Syria, Tehran, Jerusalem

☆ Israel Gaza war: How goes Hamas get its weapons? A mix of ingenuity, tenacity, resourcefulness and a key mentor, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images/FILEThe Iran factor“Hamas acquires its weapons through smuggling or local construction and receives some military support from Iran,” the CIA’s World Factbook says. Video Ad Feedback Retired general explains why he thinks Iran helped support Hamas attacks 01:08 - Source: CNNBut Iran has been a mentor, too, analysts say. A senior Hamas official based in Lebanon gave details of the Hamas’ weapons manufacturing in an edited interview with Russia Today’s Arabic-news channel RTArabic published on their website on Sunday. And Tehran keeps the training of Hamas’ weapons makers current, he added. Gaza has none of the heavy industry that would support weapons production in most of the world.

Persons: It’s, –, Said Khatib, ”, Bilal Saab, Daniel Byman, Charles Lister, Byman, “, ” Ali Baraka, Mahmud Hams, Lister, ” Lister, Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, what’s, Alkhatib, Aaron Pilkington, Baraka, ” Pilkington Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Brigades, Getty, ’, Defense and Security, Middle East Institute, Transnational, Center for Strategic, International Studies, MEI, CSIS, Hamas National Relations, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hamas ’, CIA, Washington Institute for Near, Fikra, US Air Force, Middle, University of Denver Locations: Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Palestinian, AFP, Iran, Islamic Republic, Hamas, Washington, “ Iran, Lebanon, Russia, Kalashnikovs, Tehran, Iran’s, Saudi

☆ US will transfer weapons seized from Iran to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

US Central Command has already transferred over one million rounds of seized Iranian ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces, it announced on Wednesday. The Biden administration has for months been weighing how to legally send the seized weapons, which are stored in CENTCOM facilities across the Middle East, to the Ukrainians. Over the past year, the US Navy has seized thousands of Iranian assault rifles and more than one million rounds of ammunition from vessels used by Iran to ship weapons to Yemen. The Justice Department has filed at least two forfeiture complaints against seized Iranian ammunition and weapons this year. “There is poetic justice in Ukraine utilizing seized Iranian weapons to defend its people against Russia’s criminal invasion and abuses.

Persons: CENTCOM, MARWAN, Biden, ”, Jonathan Lord, Lord, ” Lord Organizations: CNN, US Central Command, Department of, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Justice Department, US Navy, U.S . Central Command, United Nations Security, Central Command, The, DOJ, Center, New, New American Security, “ Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Iran, Yemen, “, New American, Russia, Moscow, Tehran, ”

Hypersonic missiles are those that can travel at a speed beyond Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. Iran unveils its first hypersonic missile 06:13 - Source: CNNIsrael’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was quick to dismiss the potential threat posed to his country. Uzi Rubin, founder and former director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization at the Israeli defense ministry has no reason to believe the missile is not real and functional. Has Iran made it to the A-list among countries that can produce hypersonic missiles? Israel has several missile defense systems.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN — It’s, ”, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Yoav Gallant, ” Iran’s, Uzi Rubin, it’s, Alex Vatanka, Iran’s, John Krzyzaniak, ’, “, Rubin, Israel doesn’t, we’d Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Aerospace, CNN Israel’s, Israel Missile Defense Organization, CNN, Iran, ”, Middle East Institute, Wisconsin, Control, ISIS, United Arab Emirates, Patriot, Area Defense, UAE, Patriots, Iran’s Locations: Abu Dhabi, Jerusalem, Tehran, Tel Aviv, Israel, Iran, Washington ,, United States, Washington , DC, Syria, Iraq, Kurdish, East, Gaza, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Ukraine, Yemen, Gulf, Islamic Republic, Persian

☆ US sanctions Iranian officials accused of plotting assassinations abroad including against Bolton and Pompeo
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —The Biden administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials accused of plotting assassinations abroad, including against former national security adviser John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “Ansari, with the support of Shahram Poursafi (Poursafi), an Iranian national, planned and attempted to assassinate two former U.S. government officials,” the Treasury Department said. Pompeo was also a target of the Iranian assassination plot, according to a federal law enforcement source familiar with the investigation and a source close to Pompeo. Seraj “has been involved in failed IRGC-IO operations in Asia and in intelligence operations targeting U.S. citizens,” it said. “Seraj previously led the IRGC-IO Special Operations Division, which is focused on special activity against Israel, where he was responsible for a series of failed operations targeting Israeli nationals,” it added.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Biden, John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, Mohammad Reza Ansari, “ Ansari, Shahram, Poursafi, Bolton, Bush, Qasem Soleimani, Pompeo, Hossein Hafez Amini, “, Rey Havacilik, Sirketi, – Rouhallah Bazghandi, Reza Seraj, Bazghandi “, ” “ Bazghandi, Seraj “, “ Seraj, Brian Nelson, ” Organizations: Washington CNN, Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Force, US Treasury Department, Treasury Department, US Justice Department, Trump, Turkish, Rey, Rey Airlines, IRGC Intelligence Organization, Division, Treasury, Terrorism, Financial Locations: United States, East, Europe, Africa, Iranian, Rey, Türkiye, Iraq, Syria, Istanbul, ”, Asia, Israel

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