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☆ Biden hopeful about Israel-Hamas truce extension, US hostages release
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Jeff Mason | Thomson Reuters | Jeff Mason Is A White House Correspondent For Reuters. He Has Covered The Presidencies Of Barack Obama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Asked whether the truce could be extended, Biden said: "I think the chances are real." Asked by a reporter what his expectations were, Biden said Israel's goal of eliminating Hamas was a legitimate but difficult mission. "I don't know how long it will take," Biden told reporters. Israel says the truce could be extended if more hostages are released at a rate of 10 per day. "I've encouraged the prime minister to focus on trying to reduce the number of casualties while he is attempting to eliminate Hamas, which is a legitimate objective," Biden told reporters.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, I've, Israel's, Tom Brenner, Abu Ubaida, Yoav Gallant, Israel, Jill, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jeff Mason, Kanishka Singh, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Leslie Adler, Grant McCool Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, West Bank, Israeli, Israel's, Thomson Locations: NANTUCKET, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, U.S, Nantucket , Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts, Nantucket

BAGHDAD, Nov 21 (Reuters) - U.S. forces were attacked at an airbase west of Baghdad early on Tuesday and a U.S. military aircraft responded in self-defence, U.S. officials said, in the first U.S. retaliation on Iraqi territory to dozens of recent militant drone and missile attacks. Ain al-Asad airbase was attacked by a close-range ballistic missile which resulted in eight injuries and minor damage to infrastructure, two U.S. officials said. The U.S. had so far limited its response to numerous recent attacks against its forces in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, claimed by Iran-aligned Iraqi militia groups, to three separate sets of strikes in Syria. U.S. and international forces that make up the global coalition to fight the remnants of Islamic State have been targeted more than 60 times in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, U.S. officials say. Dozens of U.S. servicemen suffered minor injuries in the attacks but have all returned to duty, U.S. officials say.

Persons: Asad, Timour Azhari, Phil Stewart, Ali Idrees, Andrew Heavens, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: U.S, Israel, Hamas, Washington, Hezbollah, Thomson Locations: BAGHDAD, Baghdad, U.S, Ain, Iranian, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Gaza, Israel, State, Washington

The conflict is also testing the limits of the regional coalition whose members - which include the Syrian government, Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups from Iraq to Yemen - have differing priorities and domestic challenges. On Oct. 7, Hamas' military commander Mohammed Deif called on its axis allies to join the struggle. Yet, like its backer Iran, Hezbollah has avoided an all-out confrontation. Iran does not recognise Israel's existence, while Israel has long threatened military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to curb its disputed nuclear activity. "Iran has shown a four-decade commitment to fighting America and Israel without entering into direct conflict.

Persons: Ali Khamenei, Ismail Haniyeh, wouldn't, Yemen's Houthis, Mohanad Hage Ali, Israel, Mohammed Deif, Khaled Meshaal, Dennis Ross, Hamas didn't, didn't, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Israel didn't, Karim Sadjadpour, Parisa Hafezi, Laila Bassam, Arshad Mohammed, Tom Perry, Jonathan Saul, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Pravin Organizations: Israel, Reuters, Hezbollah, Carnegie Middle East Center, Hamas, Washington Institute for Near, Iran, AMERICA, United, U.S, Pentagon ., . Defense, NORTH Austin, Carnegie Endowment, International, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Tehran, Israel, Iran, Palestinian, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Beirut, Gaza, Lebanon, Palestine, United States, U.S, East, Iranian, Afghanistan, Seoul, ISRAEL, America, Dubai, Saint Paul, Jerusalem, Washington

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Thomas Hudner, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, took down the drone early morning local time. The officials did not say whether the drone was armed or how close it came to the ship before being shot down. Last month, another U.S. warship intercepted four cruise missiles and 15 drones launched by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement from Yemen towards Israel. Last week, the Houthis shot down a U.S. military MQ-9 drone while it was in international airspace. The measures include increasing U.S. military patrols, restricting access to base facilities and boosting intelligence collection, including through drone and other surveillance operations, officials say.

Persons: Thomas Hudner, Arleigh Burke, Yemen's, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S . Navy, Reuters, United, U.S, Pentagon, Israel, Thomson Locations: Yemen, United States, Israel, Washington, Iran, U.S, Mandeb, Saudi, Syria, Iraq, Gaza

[1/2] US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik attend a welcome ceremony before their annual security meeting at the Defence Ministry in Seoul, South Korea on November 13, 2023. JUNG YEON-JE/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 13 (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States have revised a bilateral security agreement aimed at deterring North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats during talks on Monday, South Korea's defence ministry said. The Tailored Deterrence Strategy (TDS) is aimed at countering the threat of North Korea's nuclear weapons and other armaments, according to an announcement on the agreement by the two countries 10 years ago. The revision was considered necessary because the existing strategy did not adequately address the rapid advancements in North Korea's missile and nuclear threats, it said. Earlier, South Korea's defence ministry said Shin and Austin would discuss jointly countering threats by North Korea, including through executing an "extended deterrence" strategy.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, JUNG YEON, Shin Won, Lloyd Austin, Shin, Austin, Phil Stewart, Hyunsu Yim, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, South Korean Defence Minister, Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Korea's Defence, U.S ., The Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, United States, North Korea, United, Korea

☆ Lebanon front with Israel heats up, stoking fears of wider war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Israeli strikes killed two people in south Lebanon on Monday, according to a first-responder organisation affiliated to the Hezbollah-allied Amal Movement. Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israeli forces since its Palestinian ally Hamas went to war with Israel on Oct. 7. The exchanges mark the deadliest violence at the border since Israel and Hezbollah fought a month-long war in 2006. So far, more than 70 Hezbollah fighters and 10 civilians have been killed in Lebanon, and 10 people including seven troops have been killed in Israel. The 2006 war killed 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 157 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

Persons: Israel, Hamas, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Nasrallah, Najib Mikati, Al, Lloyd Austin, Mohanad Hage Ali, Phil Stewart, Crispian Balmer, Dan Williams, Edmund Blair Organizations: Amal, Israel Electric Company, Hezbollah, United, Israeli, U.S . Defense, Carnegie Middle East Center, Thomson Locations: Israel, BEIRUT, JERUSALEM, Lebanese, Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, United States, Beirut, Al Jazeera, Israel's, Seoul, U.S, Jerusalem

JUNG YEON-JE/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday left open the possibility of more strikes against Iran-linked groups if attacks against American forces in Iraq and Syria don't stop, hours after overnight U.S. air strikes in Syria. "These attacks must stop, and if they don't stop, then we won't hesitate to do what's necessary, again, to protect the troops," Austin told reporters at a news conference in Seoul. Austin said the latest air strikes in eastern Syria targeted facilities used by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and related groups. "These strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the freedom of action of these groups, which are directly responsible for attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria," Austin said. It was still unclear whether anyone was killed in the latest U.S. strikes in Syria.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, JUNG YEON, Lloyd Austin, Albu Kamal, Austin, Phil Stewart, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, South Korean Defence Minister, Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, . Defense, American, U.S, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, United, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Iran, Iraq, Syria, The U.S, Albu, Mayadeen, Israel, U.S, United States, State, East

Nov 12 (Reuters) - The United States carried out two air strikes in Syria against Iran and its aligned groups on Sunday, the Pentagon said, in the latest response to a series of attacks against American forces in Syria and in Iraq. "The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today's action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests," Austin said in a statement. Iran and its supporters say the United States shares responsibility for Israel's declared war against Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is also backed by Iran. U.S. and coalition troops have been attacked at least 40 times in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed forces in recent weeks. The measures include increasing U.S. military patrols, restricting access to base facilities and boosting intelligence collection, including through drone and other surveillance operations, officials say.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Albu Kamal, Joe Biden, Austin, Israel's, Phil Stewart, Soul, Suleiman Al, Lisa Shumaker, Sandra Maler Organizations: United, Pentagon, American, . Defense, Palestinian, Hamas, U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: United States, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Albu, Mayadeen, Deir al Zor, Israel, U.S, State, East, Amman

TOKYO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. military's top general expressed optimism on Friday for a potential improvement in military-to-military ties with China and sent an introductory letter to his Chinese counterpart saying he was open to meeting. Air Force General Charles Q. But China's General Liu Zhenli is the Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the military body responsible for China's combat operations and planning. Brown said he sent a standard introductory letter that explained, "I'm in the position and willing to open a line of communication." "I also believe that taking Taiwan by force and doing a major amphibious operation is not an easy feat."

Persons: Charles Q, Brown, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Liu Zhenli, William Burns, People's, Liu, General Li Shangfu, Li, Nancy Pelosi, Phil Stewart, Gerry Doyle, Jon Boyle Organizations: Air Force, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Pentagon, Joint Staff Department of, Central Military Commission, Beijing, U.S, CIA, U.S . Air Force, People's Liberation Army, PLA, People's Liberation Army Air, Reuters, Russia, ., CMC, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, Taiwan, Japan, U.S, Beijing, Tokyo, TAIWAN Washington, South China, Asia, Pacific, Seoul, Taipei

[1/2] A view shows smoke in the Gaza Strip as seen from Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/BAGHDAD, Nov 9 (Reuters) - A defective drone in Iraq may have helped keep America from being dragged deeper into a widening Middle East conflict. The possibility of a major strike that draws America into a conflict is "a very realistic concern," he said. "I think they are calibrating the attacks to harass rather than kill en masse U.S. troops," he said of Iraqi and Syrian militias. "We had rocket attacks, mortar attacks, before we got hit with the big bomb," he said.

Persons: Amir Cohen, David Schenker, Joe Biden, Biden, Antony Blinken, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Ali Turki, Arif al, didn't, Saddam Hussein, it's, Blinken, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, isn't, Biden's, Lloyd Austin, hasn't, Tom Cotton, Austin, Lindsey Graham, Austin demurred, Graham, David Madaras, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Ahmed Rasheed, Amina Ismail, Parisa, Michael Georgy, Pravin Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Israel, Pentagon, Washington Institute for Near, Sunday, Haq, IRAN Iraq's, U.S . Navy, Wednesday, U.S . Defense, Democrat, Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican, United, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, WASHINGTON, BAGHDAD, Iraq, America, Erbil, Iranian, Syria, U.S, Iran, Syrian, Sudani's, Baghdad, IRAQ, IRAN, Tehran, Iraqi, Lebanon, Russian, Washington, TEHRAN, Yemen, Ukraine, China, pullout, Afghanistan, Ohio, Beirut, United States

Brown, Jr. attends the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of General Milley and an Armed Forces Hail in honor of General Brown, at Summerall Field at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Arlington, Virginia, U.S., September 29, 2023. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday the number of civilians killed in Gaza showed there was something "clearly wrong" with Israel's military operations. He also said there was room for Israel's military to improve in its public explanations about its conduct, and that he had raised this with his Israeli counterpart. ISRAEL BRACES FOR LONG, TOUGH WARIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Israelis the country is in a "tough war" that will also be long. Brown stopped short of advocating for a short campaign or offering his view of how long Israel's Gaza operation should last.

Persons: Charles Q, Brown, Jr, General Milley, General Brown, Evelyn Hockstein, General Charles Q, Tokyo Brown, Joe Biden's, Israel's, Israel, Antonio Guterres, Benjamin Netanyahu, I've, we've, Timothy Organizations: Joint Chiefs, Armed Forces, Joint Base Myer, Henderson, REUTERS, Palestinian, U.S, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Hamas, United Nations, Islamic, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Gaza, TOKYO, Japan, Israel, ISRAEL, Iraq

☆ U.S. Forces Under Fire in Middle East as America Slides Towards Brink
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +10 min

By Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Ahmed RasheedWASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A defective drone in Iraq may have helped keep America from being dragged deeper into a widening Middle East conflict. The possibility of a major strike that draws America into a conflict is "a very realistic concern," he said. "I think they are calibrating the attacks to harass rather than kill en masse U.S. troops," he said of Iraqi and Syrian militias. Iran says it had no role in Hamas' Oct. 7 raid on Israel, though it has welcomed the attack. "We had rocket attacks, mortar attacks, before we got hit with the big bomb," he said.

Persons: Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Ahmed Rasheed WASHINGTON, David Schenker, Joe Biden, Biden, Antony Blinken, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Ali Turki, Arif al, didn't, Saddam Hussein, it's, Blinken, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, isn't, Biden's, Lloyd Austin, hasn't, Tom Cotton, Austin, Lindsey Graham, Austin demurred, Graham, David Madaras, Ahmed Rasheed, Amina Ismail, Parisa, Michael Georgy, Pravin Char Organizations: U.S, Israel, Pentagon, Washington Institute for Near, Sunday, Haq, IRAN Iraq's, U.S . Navy, Wednesday, U.S . Defense, Democrat, Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican, United Locations: BAGHDAD, Iraq, America, Erbil, Iranian, Syria, Gaza, U.S, Iran, Syrian, Israel, Sudani's, Baghdad, IRAQ, IRAN, Tehran, Iraqi, Lebanon, Russian, Washington, TEHRAN, Yemen, Ukraine, China, pullout, Afghanistan, Ohio, Beirut, United States

Two sources in Lebanon familiar with the Iran-backed group's arsenal say he was referring to Hezbollah's greatly enhanced anti-ship missile capabilities, including the Russian-made Yakhont missile with a range of 300 km (186 miles). Hezbollah perceives the U.S. warships as a direct threat because of their ability to hit the group and its allies. PAYING ATTENTIONThree current and one former U.S. official said Hezbollah has built an impressive array of weapons, including anti-ship missiles. Asked about the sources' accounts of Hezbollah having acquired Yakhont missiles, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "First of all, this is news without any confirmation at all. Moscow said in 2010 it had signed a deal to send anti-ship cruise missiles including a version of the Yakhont to Damascus.

Persons: Aziz Taher, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Washington, Bashar al, Assad, Nasrallah, We're, Dmitry Peskov, Nasser Qandil, Qandil, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, John Davison, Maya Gebeily, Guy Faulconbridge, Tom Perry, Claudia Parsons Organizations: REUTERS, Group, U.S, Yakhont, Hamas, Hezbollah, Pentagon, Friday, Washington -, Strategic, International Studies, CSIS, Reuters, Marines, Thomson Locations: Aaramta, Lebanon, Russian, Syria, States, U.S, BEIRUT, Israel, Iran, Washington, Jihad, United States, Gaza, Lebanese, Iraq, Beirut, Russia, Hezbollah, Moscow, Damascus

☆ US drone shot down near Yemen -officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - A U.S. military MQ-9 drone was shot down on Wednesday by Yemen's Houthis, two U.S. officials and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement said. While U.S. drones have been shot down by Houthis in the past, this incident comes at a particularly tense time in the region. The U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the drone, made by General Atomics, had been brought down off the coast of Yemen. In a statement, a Houthi military spokesperson said they shot down the drone in airspace over Yemeni territorial waters. Last month, a U.S. Navy warship intercepted four cruise missiles and more than a dozen drones launched by the Houthis from Yemen headed toward Israel.

Persons: Yemen's Houthis, General Atomics, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Chris Reese, Rod Nickel Organizations: Houthis, U.S, Pentagon, U.S . Navy, Base Elmendorf, Thomson Locations: U.S, Iran, Washington, Israel, Yemen, Red, Richardson , Alaska

Israel has deployed overwhelming aerial firepower since the Oct. 7 attack, which saw Hamas gunmen burst out of the Gaza Strip, killing 1,400 Israelis and taking 239 hostages. Israeli airstrikes hit a crowded refugee camp in the Gaza on Tuesday, killing at least 50 Palestinians and a Hamas commander. In the 2008 Gaza war, Hamas rockets had a maximum range of 40 km (25 miles), but that had risen to 230 km by the 2021 conflict, he added. The plan offers Israel peace treaties with full diplomatic ties in exchange for a sovereign Palestinian state. Muasher, the former Jordanian minister at Carnegie, said Hamas' attack had ended any possibility that Middle Eastern stability could be reached without engaging with Palestinians.

Persons: U.N, Marwan Al, Benjamin Netanyahu, Danny Danon, It's, Ziadeh, they're, Ali Baraka, Baraka, Osama Hamdan, Netanyahu, Jordan, –, Matt Spetalnick, Simon Lewis, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, James Mackenzie, Samia Nakhoul, Angus McDowall, Pravin Organizations: Reuters, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, HAMAS, Qatar University, Washington, Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Authority, U.S, Bank, United Arab, Carnegie, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Qatar, Jerusalem, Washington, Israeli, United States, Hamas, Beirut, Lebanon, Iran, Palestinian, Oslo, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Jordanian

☆ U.S. flying drones over Gaza in search of hostages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The United States has been flying surveillance drones over Gaza in search of hostages taken by Hamas when the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel on Oct. 7, two U.S. officials said on Thursday. The two U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the U.S was flying intelligence gathering drones over Gaza to assist with hostage location efforts. U.S. officials have said 10 Americans who remain unaccounted for may be among the more than 200 people taken as hostages into Gaza, where they are believed to be held in Hamas' extensive tunnel network. Israeli forces on Thursday encircled Gaza City - the Gaza Strip's main city - in their assault on Hamas, which resisted with hit-and-run attacks from underground tunnels. Israel's retaliation bombardment and ground offensive of the small Palestinian enclave of 2.3 million has killed at least 9,061 people, according to Gaza health authorities.

Persons: Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Michael Perry Organizations: United, Thomson Locations: United States, Gaza, Palestinian, Israel, U.S

Gaza City - traditionally a Hamas stronghold - was surrounded, military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. The Israeli military said its troops and tanks were encountering mines and booby traps as they advanced in Gaza. Those who live in Gaza City and the north will have to find shelter elsewhere as the Israeli forces have cut off roads. Israeli spokesperson Hagari said Israeli was also "highly prepared" on its northern border with Lebanon, where he said Iranian-backed militants were carrying out actions with the aim of diverting it from the war in Gaza. Palestinians trapped in Gaza City hoped that a truce could be reached soon.

Persons: Daniel Hagari, Leo Varadkar, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Mustafa Dalul, Khan Younis, Amir Cohen, Ayman Safadi, Safadi, Abu Ubaida, Gazans, Hagari, Nidal al, Ali Sawafta, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Maytaal, Clauda, Patricia Zengerle, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Michael Perry, Angus MacSwan, Miral Fahmy, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Ireland's, Palestinian, Palestine, United, Israel, REUTERS, Jordan's, Qatari, West Bank, Workers, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, GAZA, JERUSALEM, Gaza City, Blinken, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Amman, United States, Egypt, Rafah, Lebanon, Iranian, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Dubai, Washington

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to the media during a NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 12, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that Russia would be successful in Ukraine unless the United States kept up its support for Kyiv. "I can guarantee that without our support (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will be successful," Austin said during the hearing. Congress has already approved $113 billion for Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022. Democrats solidly back Biden's strategy of combining Ukraine aid with support for Israel, as do many Republicans in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Johanna Geron, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden's, Vladimir, Putin, Austin, Biden, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Chizu Nomiyama, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Defence, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, Rights, . Defense, Kyiv, Israel, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Austin, Israel, U.S, Bakhmut

☆ Jordan fears the crossfire if Gaza war pulls Iran into wider conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/3] Jordanians gather during a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Amman, Jordan, October 27, 2023. Jordan neighbours Syria and Iraq - both states where Iranian proxies operate - and also sits next door to Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. A Jordanian army spokesperson said on Sunday that Amman had requested that U.S. Patriot missiles be deployed in Jordan. He said Jordan's military and security forces were determined "to prevent any party in these Iranian militias from exploiting the Gaza war to achieve a security breakthrough". Iranian-backed militias hold sway on Syria's southern border with Jordan and Amman blames them and Iran for running a thriving drugs smuggling business.

Persons: Al Sukhni, Jordan, King Abdullah, Abu Nuwar, Amman, Jordan . Washington, Washington, Al Maitah, Maitah, Saddam Hussein, Asad, Bashar al, Assad, Israel, Saud Al Sharafat, Suleiman Al, Phil Stewart, Edmund Blair, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, West Bank, Reuters, U.S . Patriot, East, Washington, U.S, Embassy, Area Defense, Patriots, Pentagon, Patriot, Hezbollah, Jordan's General Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Amman, Jordan, Jordan's, Jordanian, AMMAN, Washington, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Palestinian, U.S, Jordan ., United States, Ain, Lebanese, Red Sea, Eilat, Aqaba, Yemen, Khalidi

As tensions soar over the Israel-Hamas conflict, U.S. and coalition troops have been attacked at least 19 times in Iraq and in Syria by Iran-backed forces in the past week. The targets were weapons and munitions storage facilities, the official added, speaking late on Thursday to reporters in Washington. The United States has occasionally carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed forces in the region after they attack American forces. In March, the U.S. military carried out multiple air strikes in Syria against Iran-aligned groups that it blamed for a drone attack that killed an American contractor. There is growing concern that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread through the Middle East and turn U.S. troops at isolated bases into targets.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin III, Olivier Matthys, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden, Austin, Abu Kamal, Biden, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Asad, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Jamie Freed, Michael Perry Organizations: Defense, Ukraine Defense Contact, NATO Defense, Rights, U.S, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon, . Defense, United, Iranian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, Syria, Iraq, Israel, U.S, Iran, Iranian, Syrian, Washington, United States, Tehran, State, East, Yemen

U.S. President Joe Biden has demonstrated unwavering support for Israel's security over a half century in public life. During Blinken's six-day trip, the death toll in Gaza soared from Israeli air strikes and concerns grew about food and water. Every Arab leader Blinken met in the region pressed him to urgently find a solution to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Gaza. HUMANITARIAN PAUSEThe most rapid shift in U.S. policy has happened this week, to support a cessation in Israel's attacks on Gaza to allow aid in and people to escape. But Biden also expressed skepticism toward Palestinian estimates of the death toll and a continued staunch support of Israel.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Evelyn, Aaron David Miller, Barack Obama, Biden’s, Obama, Antony Blinken, Blinken, John Kirby, Kirby, Antonio Guterres, ”, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk, Trevor Hunnicutt, Michelle Nichols, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: Israeli, Hamas, REUTERS, White, U.S, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Democratic, Biden's Democratic, Israel, Palestinian, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Israel, Tel Aviv, WASHINGTON, Gaza, Iraq, United States, U.S, U.N

Jacquelyn... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreWASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - About 900 more U.S. troops have arrived in the Middle East or are heading there to bolster air defenses for U.S. personnel amid a surge in attacks by Iran-affiliated groups, the Pentagon said on Thursday. A total of 21 U.S. forces have suffered minor injuries, the vast majority of them traumatic brain injuries. The measures include increasing U.S. military patrols, restricting access to base facilities and boosting intelligence collection, including through drone and other surveillance operations, officials say. During a false alarm at Al-Asad air base in Iraq on Thursday, a civilian contractor died from cardiac arrest. Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Chris Reese and Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Patrick Ryder, Ryder, I'm, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Asad, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Chris Reese, Howard Goller Organizations: Ben Gurion, Hamas, Pentagon, United, U.S, Reuters, Area Defense, Patriot, Iranian, United Nations, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, WASHINGTON, Iran, Iraq, Syria, U.S, United States, Gaza, Yemen, Iranian

☆ 900 US Troops Heading to Middle East to Bolster Defenses as Attacks Surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Idrees Ali and Phil StewartWASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 900 more U.S. troops have arrived in the Middle East or are heading there to bolster air defenses for U.S. personnel amid a surge in attacks by Iran-affiliated groups, the Pentagon said on Thursday. A total of 21 U.S. forces have suffered minor injuries, the vast majority of them traumatic brain injuries. Ryder said U.S. forces were again targeted earlier on Thursday in Iraq but the attack failed. The measures include increasing U.S. military patrols, restricting access to base facilities and boosting intelligence collection, including through drone and other surveillance operations, officials say. During a false alarm at Al-Asad air base in Iraq on Thursday, a civilian contractor died from cardiac arrest.

Persons: Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart WASHINGTON, Patrick Ryder, Ryder, I'm, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Asad, Phil Stewart, Chris Reese, Howard Goller Organizations: Pentagon, United, U.S, Reuters, Area Defense, Patriot, Iranian, United Nations, Palestinian Locations: Iran, Israel, Iraq, Syria, U.S, United States, Gaza, Yemen, Iranian

Reuters GraphicsThe bloodshed rocked the largely rural state of Maine in the northeastern corner of the U.S. bordering Canada. [1/6]Police close Lincoln Street leading to Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant after deadly mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, U.S. October 26, 2023. The bar and the bowling alley are about four miles (6.5 km) apart. A bowling alley. The number of annual homicides in the state has fluctuated between 16 and 29 since 2012, according to Maine State Police.

Persons: Robert R, Mike Sauschuck, Sauschuck, Nicholas Pfosi, Kris Brown, Brady, Jason Levesque, Levesque, Joe Biden, Janet Mills, Senators Angus King, Susan Collins, Jared Golden, Daniel Trotta, Julia Harte, Steve Gorman, Trevor Hunnicutt, Phil Stewart, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Maine Public, Police, U.S . Army, National Guard, Maine, Analysis Center, Reuters, Associated Press, Lincoln Street, Schemengees, REUTERS, Rights Police, Auburn, U.S, Senators, Maine State Police, Thomson Locations: Maine, Lewiston, Lisbon, U.S, Canada, Lincoln, Lewiston , Maine, Androscoggin County, Maine's, Portland, Brady, Lewiston's, Androscoggin, Washington, Las Vegas, Carlsbad , California, New York, Los Angeles

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