DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Factbox-Iran's Middle East Allies Primed as Israel-Hamas War Rages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Since the war erupted on Oct. 7, the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah has already mounted operations against Israel, while others have threatened U.S. interests. Hezbollah has trained paramilitary groups in Syria and Iraq and inspired other forces such as Yemen's Iran-allied Houthis. Other Iran-backed Shi'ite groups backed by Tehran have played a vital combat role in Syria, including groups from Afghanistan and Iraq. Iran-backed forces have deployed across much of government-held Syria during the war, including at the Iraqi border and near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel has mounted airstrikes targeting Iranian and Iran-backed forces.

Persons: Israel, Bashar al, Assad, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, YEMEN Yemen's, Tom Perry, Edmund Blair Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, Hezbollah, Israel, Party, Iran's, Guards, United, . Marine, U.S, Popular, Forces, Reuters, SYRIA Iran's Revolutionary Guards, The U.S . Fifth Fleet, Revolutionary Guards, U.S . Navy Locations: BEIRUT, Israel, Tehran, Iran, Lebanese, LEBANON, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, . Washington, United States, Beirut, IRAQ, U.S, State, SYRIA, Afghanistan, Golan Heights, YEMEN, Gaza, Saudi, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, The, Bahrain, Gulf of Oman

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

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

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

☆ Iran's Khamenei says Israel must halt assault on Palestinians in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Parisa Hafezi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a graduation ceremony for armed forces officers at the Imam Ali academy in Tehran, Iran October 10, 2023. "No one can confront Muslims and the resistance forces if the Zionist regime's (Israel) crimes against Palestinians continue. "The world is witnessing the Zionist regime's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza," he said to chants of "Death to Israel". Israel, which Tehran refuses to recognise, has long accused Iran's clerical rulers of stoking violence by supplying arms to Hamas. "We must respond, we must react to what is happening in Gaza," Khamenei said.

Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ali, Khamenei, Ali Fadavi, Fadavi, Ebrahim Raisi, Parisa Hafezi, Christina Fincher, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Iran's, Iranian, West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Revolutionary Guards, Zionist, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran, Rights DUBAI, Gaza, Israel, Islamic Republic, Fars

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

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

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

☆ US retail sales rose in September for the sixth-straight month
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Retail sales, which are adjusted for seasonality but not inflation, grew 0.7% in September from the prior month. Factoring in September’s 0.4% rise in consumer prices, inflation-adjusted retail sales were up 0.3% last month. From a year earlier, retail sales and food services spending were up 3.8% in September, the strongest annual gain since February. Spending grew across most categories last month, with sales at specialty stores advancing the most, by 3%. Excluding sales at gasoline stations, retail sales still advanced 0.7% last month.

Persons: ”, BIll Adams, ’, Adams, US Energy Information Administration “, Liz Ann Sonders, Charles Schwab, Brian Field, Gregory Daco, ” Daco, Joe Biden, Jordan Organizations: DC CNN, Comerica Bank, headwinds, UAW, United Auto Workers, US Energy Information Administration, Hamas, University of, San Francisco Fed, “ Retail, CNN, Employers, Sensormatic Solutions, Services, OPEC Locations: Washington, Israel, Iran

☆ Explainer: What is Hezbollah? The Lebanese group backing Hamas in its war with Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Members of Hezbollah march with party's flags during a rally marking al-Quds Day, (Jerusalem Day) in Beirut, Lebanon May 31, 2019. Backed by Iran, Hezbollah has said it is ready to help when the time comes in the war between Israel and Hamas, which is also backed by Tehran. While other groups disarmed after Lebanon's civil war, Hezbollah kept its weapons to fight Israeli forces that were occupying the predominantly Shi'ite south of the country. Hezbollah demonstrated its military advances in 2006 during a five-week war with Israel, which erupted after it crossed into Israel, kidnapping two soldiers and killing others. Hezbollah's influence is underpinned by its sophisticated arsenal and the support of many Lebanese Shi'ites who say the group defends Lebanon from Israel.

Persons: Aziz Taher, Israel, Bashar al, Assad, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Tzachi Hanegbi, Benjamin Netanyahu, Hanegbi, Lebanese Shi'ites, Rafik al, Hariri, Michel Aoun, Imad Moughniyah, Nasrallah, Tom Perry, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, Guards, United, Islamic, West, Maronite Christian, Marine, U.S ., European Union, Thomson Locations: Quds, Jerusalem, Beirut, Lebanon, Rights BEIRUT, Israel, Palestinian, Iran, Tehran, Lebanese, United States, Syria, ISRAEL, Gaza, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, LEBANON, Saudi, U.S, Arab, Argentina, Buenos Aires

☆ Putin Pushes Need for Talks in Calls With Israeli, Arab and Iranian Leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The Kremlin said Putin expressed Russia's willingness to work towards "ending the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation and achieving a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means". But Putin briefed Netanyahu on conversations with the leaders of Iran, Egypt, Syria and the Palestinian Authority in which the Kremlin said earlier that this had been discussed. He also told Netanyahu about "the steps Russia is taking to help normalize the situation, prevent further escalation of violence and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip". Iranian state media said President Ebrahim Raisi told Putin in their conversation that supporting the Palestinians was Iran's foreign policy priority but "resistance" groups made their own independent decisions. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Putin that the situation was worsening and Israeli army actions were "indiscriminate".

Persons: Guy Faulconbridge, Mark Trevelyan MOSCOW, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Moscow, Putin, Netanyahu, Israel, Ebrahim Raisi, Bashar al, Assad, Mahmoud Abbas, Abdel Fattah al, Sergei Ryabkov, Ryabkov, Mark Trevelyan, Parisa, Rod Nickel Organizations: Israeli, Kremlin, United Nations Security Council, Palestinian Authority, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Russia, Iran, Egypt, Syria, Ukraine, Moscow, Israel, Cairo, East, London, Dubai

☆ Israel-Hamas war: Diplomatic aid efforts ramp up for 'strangled' Gaza as regional conflict fears grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Helen Regan Kareem El Damanhoury Eyad Kourdi Abeer Salman Abbaggini | Helen Regan | Kareem El Damanhoury | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“We all know water is life – Gaza is running out of water, and Gaza is running out of life. People walk amid the destruction of houses and streets in Khan Younis, located in the southern Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Hamas is believed to be holding some 150 Israeli and foreign nationals hostage in the warren of tunnels underneath Gaza. It is also unclear if water is now flowing into southern Gaza. Israeli soldiers gather on and around a tank near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel on October 15.

Persons: ”, ’, Joe Biden, Philippe Lazzarini, ” Lazzarini, “, Marwan Jilani, Khan Younis, Mohamed Zaanoun, Dominic Allen, ” UNRWA’s Lazzarini, Isaac Herzog, Antonio Guterres, Pope Francis, Ravina Shamdasani, doesn’t, ” Shamdasani, Herzog, Antony Blinken, Benjamin, Netanyahu, Sunday Blinken, China’s, Wang Yi, Israel, Zhai Jun, Jacquelyn Martin, Jordan, United States Michael Herzog, Stéphane Dujarric, Jonathan Conricus, Emmanuel Macron “, Ebrahim Raisi, Warthogs, Ronen Zvulun, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Israel’s, UN, Israel Defense Forces, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, “, CNN, Crescent, Getty, Population Fund, Sunday, Palestinian Health Ministry, UN Human Rights, Reuters, CNN Israel, CNN Sunday, Water Authority, East Sunday, CBS Sunday, US National Locations: Gaza, Jerusalem, Israel, Rafah, Egypt, Khan, Guterres, Cairo, Jordan, nonfunctional, United States, Israeli, Iran, Syria, Israel’s, Lebanon

☆ Analysis: US is mounting a frantic effort to head off a wider Middle East war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —US leaders are mounting an urgent effort to prevent Israel’s war against Hamas and a resulting civilian catastrophe in Gaza from escalating into a widening regional conflict that could snowball into an even greater geopolitical crisis after this month’s horrific attacks. If we look at the issue of water – we all know water is life – Gaza is running out of water, and Gaza is running out of life,” Lazzarini said. Hamas has urged civilians to ignore Israeli warnings to evacuate the northern part of Gaza. Back in Washington, the administration is expected to offer a full classified briefing on the situation to senators Wednesday. “Whether it is 24 hours, 48 hours, whether it is by next week, the fact is, it’s coming,” he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, “, Biden, Antony, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, ”, Philippe Lazzarini, Gazans, ” Lazzarini, Israel, he’d, Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken, we’ve, Sullivan, CNN’s Jake Tapper, David Satterfield, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Netanyahu, it’s, ” Biden, Chuck Schumer, Republican Sen, Mitt Romney, Utah –, Aaron David Miller Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Antony Blinken’s, Administration, Union, CBS, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, United Arab, State Department, West Bank, United Nations, ISIS, ”, Israel, Representatives, Republican, New York Democrat, Tel, Veteran US Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Egypt, United States, Washington, Saudi Arabia, “ State, Iran, Blinken, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Cairo, Rafah, Turkey, Lebanese, Lebanon, Islamic Republic, Iraq, Syria, Saudi, Ukraine, America, Tel Aviv, Utah, East

☆ Explainer: What you need to know about Hezbollah, the group backing Hamas against Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

He had been scheduled to take a tour of CS Wind, the world’s largest facility for wind tower manufacturing. The official, who was not authorized to comment about the president's potential visit, said a final decision to visit Israel hasn't been made. Blinken was in Israel on Monday for his second visit in less than a week for talks with Israeli leaders. He has been crisscrossing the Middle East with stops in Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It’s the deadliest war for Israel since the 1973 conflict with Egypt and Syria.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Abdel Fattah el, Mohammed Shia, Olaf Scholz, Harris, Jeff Zients, Jake Sullivan, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Bill Burns, Israel hasn't, idled, Sissi, Antony Blinken, Blinken, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Matthew Miller, Israel, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Chuck Schumer, “, ” Schumer, Schumer, Kevin McCarthy, Jacob Lew, — Lee, Jon Gambrell, Mary Clare Jalonick Organizations: WASHINGTON, National, National Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, CS, U.S, Union, United, United Arab Emirates, Israeli, ”, “, Israel, Air, Hamas, Israeli Ministry of Defense, United States Senate, Foreign, AP Locations: Gaza, Israel, Iraqi, Pueblo , Colorado, Egypt’s, Cairo, Europe, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab, Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, Lebanon, U.S, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Washington

Iran, which backs Hamas, refers to regional countries and forces opposed to Israel and the United States as a "resistance front." Diplomatic efforts have concentrated on getting aid into Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, the sole route out that is not controlled by Israel. While tens of thousands have fled south, the United Nations says there is no way to move so many people without causing a humanitarian catastrophe. According to the United Nations, a million Gazans have already been driven from their homes. The Kremlin readout of the call did not include any mention of the ceasefire Russia was trying to achieve by putting forward a resolution in the United Nations Security Council.

Persons: Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, Israel Russia's Putin, Israel's Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, gunning, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amirabdollahian, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi, Israel, Netanyahu, Biden, Adrienne Watson, Khaled Meshaal, Vladimir Putin, Moscow, Putin, Abu Dahoud, Nidal al, Bassam Massoud, Nuha Sharaf, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, John Davison, Parisa, Humeyra Pamuk, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Omar Abdel, Trevor Hunnicutt, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Katharine Jackson, Michelle Nichols, David Brunnstrom, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, Diplomats, Gaza, U.S, Tel Aviv . Iranian, Zionist, Israel, National Security, Hezbollah, Nations, United Nations, Pentagon, United Nations Security Council, Palestinian Authority, Thomson Locations: Gaza, GAZA, JERUSALEM, WASHINGTON, Israel, Tel Aviv, Iran, Hamas, Israel's, Jerusalem, United States, Lebanon, Tehran, Egypt, Cairo, Rafah, Washington's, Syria, Lebanese, Russian, Russia, Dubai, Razek, Washington

☆ Analyst: Israel’s costly misunderstanding of Hamas’ true aims
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +32 min

Bergen: How does Hamas impact the more secular Palestinian Authority, which controlled Gaza until 2007 before Hamas violently pushed them aside? They don’t have any other aims like Hamas because Hamas is a religious, social, political movement and terror organization at the same time. Yousef Masoud/The New York Times/Redux Smoke rises after Israeli strikes on the seaport of Gaza City on Tuesday, October 10. Tamir Kalifa/The New York Times/Redux Palestinians walk amid the rubble following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 10. Erik Marmor/AP Six-month-old Sama Alwadia is rescued from the rubble in Gaza City on October 9.

Persons: Peter Bergen, ”, CNN — Kobi Michael, Michael, Kobi Michael, Mohammed Deif, Marwan Issa, He’s, he’s, Deif, Israel, They’ve, Israel doesn’t, It’ll, Hatem Ali, Antonio Macías, Macías, Francisco Seco, Fatima Shbair, Mohammed Saber, Eli Albag, Liri, Mohammed Talatene, Sergey Ponomarev, Violeta Santos Moura, Dor Kedmi, Mahmud Hams, Saher, Hatem Moussa, Abraham Cohen, Valentin Ghnassia, Ghnassia, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Yuri Cortez, Yousef Masoud, Ibrahim Hams, Bashar Taleb, Baz Ratner, Jack Guez, Khan, Abed Rahim Khatib, Yahya Hassouna, Mapal Adam, Abed Zagout, Tamir Kalifa, Agha, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Reuters Itzik, Miriam Shafir, Dor Shafir, Savion Kiper, Maya Alleruzzo, Mohammed Salem, CNN Sergey Ponomarev, Mohammed Abed, Eden Guez, Atef Safadi, Ohad, Mohammed Soboh, Said, Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg, Belal Khaled, Samar Abu, Amir Cohen, Ilai Bar Sade, Erik Marmor, Ali Jadallah, Oren Ziv, Ronen Zvulun, Majdi, Ilia Yefimovich, Ramez Mahmoud, Roi Levy, Alleruzzo, Tali Touito, Jalaa Marey, Oded, Khan Younis, Ahmad Hasballah, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Tsafrir, Ahmad Gharabli, Mustafa Hassona, Ilan Rosenberg, Eyad Baba, Itai Ron, Hadas Parush, Yasser Arafat’s, David, Bill Clinton Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, Peter Bergen CNN, Tel, for National Security Studies, Palestinian, National Security Council, Ministry of Strategic Affairs, Hamas, Qassam, Israel, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, PLO, Israel Defense Forces, Gaza, Haim, AP, New York Times, Reuters, Getty, Aris Messinis, Mount, Mount Herzl Military, Nova, Anadolu Agency, Nova Festival, Ben Gurion, Shifa, Rockets, Israel's, United Nations, Reuters Police, Reuters Rockets, US Locations: New America, Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, Tel Aviv, Bergen, Iran, Qatar, Egypt, You’re, Palestinian, Jihad, Hamas, Gaza City, Rafah, Kfar Saba, Al, Israeli, Be'eri, Rehovot, AFP, Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, Kibbutz Be'eri, Sderot, Khan Younis, Modiin Maccabim, Kfar Aza, Ashkelon, Mount Herzel, Samar, Samar Abu Elouf, Yassin, Beitar Ilit, Ramat Gan, Kiryat Shmona, Itai, Beit Hanun, Rishon Lezion, Samaria, Saudi Arabia, United States of America

☆ America’s Middle East Imperative: Contain Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Reuel Marc Gerecht | Ray Takeyh | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When the warriors of Hamas broke out of their fiefdom in Gaza to kill and kidnap Israelis, a historic failure of imagination came painfully into view. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s government—and many in the country’s security and intelligence agencies—had seen the Palestinians as a manageable problem. Israelis were certainly aware of the growing missile threat from Gaza. The Israeli army and air force had ripped into Gaza in 2014 to destroy, among other things, missile factories. They knew that Hamas’s relations with Iran, which has developed great skill in missilery, had deepened.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu ’, —, Jerusalem, Ismail Qaani —, Iran’s, Islamic Revolutionary Guard — Organizations: Iran’s Quds Force, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Locations: Gaza, Iran, Beirut, Iran’s Quds

☆ How Hamas secretly built a 'mini-army' to fight Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Samia Nakhoul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

[1/2] Palestinian Hamas militants take part in a rally marking the 31st anniversary of Hamas' founding, in Gaza City December 16, 2018. 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. For Iran, Hamas has helped it realise a years-long ambition to encircle Israel with legions of paramilitaries, including other Palestinian factions and Lebanon's Hezbollah, according to Western officials. After Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Hamas began importing rockets, explosives and other equipment from Iran, Western intelligence sources have said. Iran seized the opportunity to co-opt Hamas in 1992 when Israel deported about 400 Hamas leaders to Lebanon, the source close to Hamas said.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, Ali Baraka, Baraka, Israel, Gazans, Ismail Haniyeh, SHEIKH YASSIN, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, It's, Jonathan Saul, John O'Donnell, William Maclean, Pravin Organizations: REUTERS, Israel, Hamas, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Jewish Institute for National Security of, European Union, Al Jazeera, U.S . State Department, Front, Liberation of Palestine, General Command, Brotherhood, Hezbollah, U.S, Thomson Locations: Gaza City, DUBAI, Gaza, Iran, Israel, Iranian, Lebanon, Jihad, U.S, United States, Canada, Egypt, Japan, Qatar, Tehran, Syria, Sudan, Iraq, Yemen, Islam, Damascus, Lebanese, Al Aqsa, Britain, London

☆ Opinion: How to keep Iran from winning in the Israel-Hamas conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. And, to that end, is there a way to prevent Iran from emerging as the victor in this terrible war? The goals of terrorism are political, and the political ramifications of this conflict are global. Both Iran and the Palestinians have watched with alarm the growing ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Iran and Saudi Arabia recently established diplomatic relations, but the long-standing rivalry and mistrust between them, as the standard bearers of Islam’s two main divisions, Shiites and Sunnis, did not suddenly disappear.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, there’s, David Ben, Gurion, “, ”, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran —, Russia —, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia —, Mahmoud Abbas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben, Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Hamas, Frida Ghitis CNN, White, Iran’s, Iran, Saudi Arabia, West Bank, MBS, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Locations: Iran, Israel, Egypt, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, States, Tehran, Lebanon, Syria, China, Russia, United States, Riyadh, Saudi, Ramallah

☆ America’s Short-Lived Show of Unity
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Susan Milligan | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

Then America's deep political divisions surfaced with a vengeance, with politicians blaming political foes for the crisis, and others turning the terrorist attack into a judgment of Israel, its government, Jews in general and the plight of the Palestinian people. Later, Trump extended his jabs at U.S. ally Israel, saying in a campaign speech that the country's defense minister was "a jerk." Trump also said Hezbollah, another designated terrorist group in Lebanon is "very smart," angering U.S. and Israeli officials alike. Some progressives are pushing back at fellow members of the Democratic Socialists of America, who have been holding pro-Palestinian rallies just days after the Hamas attack. "Some are using really over-the-top rhetoric to try to score political points against the Biden administration.

Persons: Israel, Joe Biden, Ukraine –, Bill Ackman, Strawn –, ”, Rashida, Steve Scalise, Summer Lee, Scalise –, Brett Bruen, Barack Obama, unfroze, Qatar –, –, Biden, it's, Sen, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Trump, John Kirby, Shlomo Karhi, Tlaib, Jack Bergman, Alexandria Ocasio, Shri Thanedar, American University professor Jordan Tama, Tama Organizations: Harvard, Winston, Defamation League, Democratic, Republican Rep, GOP, Republican, Israel, Georgetown University, Biden, White, United, South Carolina Republican, Security, Tlaib, Democratic Socialists of America, Cortez , New York Democrat, Times, American University professor Jordan, . Foreign, Cooperation Locations: Israel, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iran, Qatar, United States, Russia, China, U.S, New Hampshire, Lebanon, Alexandria, Cortez , New York

While a Hamas spokesman told the BBC that Iran did assist in the attack, officials in Tehran have denied responsibility while praising the outcome. "If you had a large end-of-year bonus payment coming your way, might you start spending more money in the meantime? “This money belongs to the Iranian people, the Iranian government, so the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide what to do with this money,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told NBC News. While the Biden administration renewed talks with Iran to reenter the pact, the discussions have led nowhere and U.S. negotiators publicly walked away. Though not believed to be directly connected, some analysts have speculated that the Biden administration move to free up the $6 billion could have been an incentive to continue talking even as Tehran slowed the pace of development of a nuclear weapon.

Persons: Trump, State Anthony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Richard Goldberg, Matthew Kroenig, Joe Biden, Nikki Haley, Ebrahim Raisi, ”, Biden, Adrienne Watson, Aaron David Miller, Obama, –, Donald Trump Organizations: White, Hamas, Biden, BBC, Treasury Department, “, ”, State, Israeli, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Wall, Georgetown University, GOP, NBC News, Former State Department, –, Trump, U.S Locations: Israel, Iran, Tehran, South Korea, Qatar, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Islamic Republic of Iran, Washington, U.S

☆ Fact Check: Video shows Iran lawmakers chanting ‘death to America’ in 2020, not 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A 2020 video of Iranian lawmakers chanting “death to America” in parliament has been falsely linked to a September 2023 prisoner swap deal worth $6 billion between the two countries. The video is part of a news broadcast, with a chyron that reads, “Lawmakers chant death to America in Iranian Parliament.” An Instagram post includes text on the video that says, “Iran Law Makers chant death to America...Didn’t Joe Biden just give Iran $6 BILLION?” The claim also surfaced on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter. The video is from a CNN news broadcast uploaded to YouTube on Jan. 5 2020, that credits the parliament footage to Reuters. The broadcast shows Iran’s lawmakers reacting to the death of Tehran’s most prominent military commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. air strike in Baghdad on Jan. 3, 2020, as reported by Reuters. A video showing Iranian lawmakers chanting “death to America” shows their response to the killing of Qassem Soleimani in January 2020.

Persons: Didn’t Joe Biden, Qassem Soleimani, Antony Blinken, Read Organizations: America ”, Hamas, Facebook, CNN, YouTube, Reuters, U.S . U.S, Thomson Locations: America, Iran, Israel, Iranian, ”, U.S, Baghdad, Jan, Tehran

Trump, a former Republican president who is the frontrunner to become the party's 2024 presidential nominee, called the Lebanese Hezbollah, a sworn enemy of Israel, "very smart" and accused Netanyahu of being "not prepared" for the Hamas attack, which also killed 22 Americans. White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates called Trump's comments "dangerous and unhinged." Democratic President Joe Biden has condemned the Hamas attack as "an act of sheer evil" and declared his unwavering support for Israel. Trump was annoyed when Netanyahu called to congratulate Biden on winning the 2020 presidential election against Trump, an election Trump still calls fraudulent. Trump said Israel relayed to the United States on the night before the operation that it had decided not to participate.

Persons: Donald Trump, Marco Bello, Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump, Netanyahu, Shlomo Karhi, Karhi, Andrew Bates, Bates, Joe Biden, Ron DeSantis, Trump's, Mike Pence, Asa Hutchinson, TRUMP, NETANYAHU, SOURS Trump, Biden, Israel, Qassem Soleimani, Bibi Netanyahu, Tim Reid, Nathan Layne, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, Jeff Mason, Ross Colvin, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, White, Israeli, Republican, Lebanese Hezbollah, Israel's, Democratic, Israel, Trump, Thomson Locations: West Palm Beach , Florida, U.S, Israel, Iran, Palestinian, Lebanese, Florida, New Hampshire, America, Arkansas, United States, Iraq, Gaza

☆ Bloodshed, destruction and a far-off peace? There are several possible outcomes of the Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

An Israeli army self-propelled howitzer fires rounds near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on Oct. 11, 2023. Israel's border communities have since been evacuated and the military said Tuesday it had regained control of the Gaza-Israel border, through which Hamas had launched its surprise offensive. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak told CNBC's "Squawk Box" Wednesday that Israeli ground forces would take over the Gaza Strip in a matter of days. Israeli soldiers gather near Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) near Israel's border with Lebanon, northern Israel, October 9, 2023. For now, however, a cease-fire looks nigh-on impossible, with the conflict likely about to enter a "hot" phase of active operations on the ground.

Persons: Yahya Hassouna, it's, Yossi Mekelberg, Israel, Jack Guez, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Eden Guez, Violeta Santos Moura, William F, Wechsler, Al, Ehud Barak, CNBC's, Barak, Mekelberg, Ammar Awad, Israel —, Antony Blinken, Netanyahu, we're, Sean Gallup, Jonathan Panikoff Organizations: AFP, Getty, Hamas, North Africa, Chatham House, CNBC, Getty Images Hamas, Israeli, Israel Defense Forces, Reuters, Reuters Analysts, Rafik Hariri Center and Middle, Atlantic Council, Carriers, Tel Aviv Thursday, Security Initiative, State Locations: Gaza City, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, East, Chatham, Lebanon, Israeli, Ashkelon, Rafik, Al Qaeda, Syria, Iran, Israel's, Iranian, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Western, U.S, Berlin, Jerusalem, China, State, Palestine

MIAMI (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of betraying him just before the U.S. killed a top Iranian general in 2020, breaking from the Republican presidential primary field's uniform support of Israel as it responds to Hamas' deadly attack. Most American leaders have lined up behind Israel after a multi-pronged Hamas invasion that President Joe Biden said was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. “They didn’t tell us why.”“I’ll never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down,” he said. The Democratic president's campaign said Trump has been pushing dangerous misinformation about the crisis in Israel when the countries should stand together. “While Trump continues to lie about his record, President Biden is laser-focused on providing steadfast support for Israel and leading on the global stage,” Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump, Ron DeSantis, Joe Biden, “ Israel, ”, Qassem Soleimani, “, “ Nobody’s, ” Trump, “ I’ll, Bibi Netanyahu, Bibi, Shlomo Karhi, ” Karhi, Karhi, ” DeSantis, Biden, ” Biden, Kevin Munoz, Amy Teibel Organizations: MIAMI, Israeli, Republican, Florida Gov, Trump, Quds Force, Israel's, Hamas, Democratic, Associated Locations: U.S, Iranian, Israel, Beach , Florida, Iran, Jerusalem

☆ Why have guns gone quiet on the Israel-Lebanon border?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

After five days of near constant crossfire between fighters in Lebanon and Israeli forces, the guns seem to have largely gone quiet. Hezbollah’s political stance has unambiguously supported the Palestinian militants. Hezbollah has fired back at Israeli border positions with precision-guided missiles. Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP via Getty ImagesThree Hezbollah militants and three Israeli soldiers have been killed in the nearly week-long exchange of fire here. Thursday’s calm on the Lebanon-Israel border – interrupted occasionally by Israeli interceptions of rockets from Palestinian militants – begs many questions.

Persons: Israel’s, Mahmoud Zayyat, Gerald R Ford, Houthi, Bashar al, Assad, Syria’s, Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, Lebanon's, Emilie Madi, Hassan Nasrallah, – Organizations: Lebanon CNN, Palestinian, United Nations Interim Force, UNIFIL, Getty, ISIS, Reuters Hezbollah, Revolutionary Guards Locations: Marjeyoun, Lebanon, Israel, East, Iran, Gaza, Kfar Kila, AFP, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Beirut

The funds were moved to Qatari accounts as part of a broad deal to secure the release of five Americans whom the US deemed had been wrongfully detained in Iran. There were bipartisan calls to freeze the funds in the wake of the deadly Hamas attacks in Israel this weekend. Still, the “quiet understanding” not to move the money right now appears to be largely symbolic, given the strict restrictions that were already tied to the funds. Blinken did not confirm that “a quiet understanding” had been reached but made clear the US is able to freeze the funds. The process for Iran to be able to spend the funds was expected to take months, if not years.

Persons: Wally Adeyemo, Adeyemo, Antony Blinken, Blinken, ”, ” Blinken, John Kirby, “ It’s, “, we’ve, Saturday’s, CNN’s Jim Sciutto, Max Organizations: CNN, Saturday, Democrats, Administration, National Security Council, White, State Department Locations: United States, Qatar, Iran, Israel, Tehran, Tel Aviv, Qatari

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference, in Tel Aviv, Israel October 12, 2023. The question of Iranian access to the funds has been in the spotlight since Iran-backed Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel on Saturday, killing more than 1,300 people and taking scores of hostages back to the Palestinian Gaza Strip. "Iran will not be able to access the funds for the foreseeable future," a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. Several U.S. media outlets reported on Thursday that the United States and Qatar had agreed to stop Iran from accessing the money. It did not respond to a request for comment on whether Iran had yet tried to access the funds.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jacquelyn Martin, Blinken, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's U.N, Donald Trump, John Kirby, Kirby, Parisa Hafezi, Andrew Mills, Michelle Nichols, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, TEL, United, Washington, Reuters, U.S, U.S . Treasury, U.S ., Government, United Nations, Qatar's, Media, White House, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, TEL AVIV, WASHINGTON, United States, Iran, Qatar, Palestinian, U.S, Tehran, South Korea, Seoul after Washington, Islamic Republic of Iran, New York, Qatari

Search resuls for: "of Iran"

25 mentions found