DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Houthi attacks in the Red Sea: Ship attacked by Iran-backed rebels believed to have sunk
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Niamh Kennedy | Michael Rios | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Greek-owned coal carrier appears to have capsized in the Red Sea days after it was struck by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, according to a report published by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The MV Tutor is thought to be the second ship sunk by Houthis since March, when the British-registered vessel Rubymar was downed after being struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi territory in Yemen. The rebels have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks directed at ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Israel launched its invasion of Gaza following the Hamas-led October 7 attacks. Israeli attacks in Gaza have since killed at least 37,396 Palestinians and injured another 85,523 people, according to the Ministry of Health there. Dozens of ships have been attacked in the Red Sea, as regional tensions flare over Israel's war in Gaza.

Persons: Christian Domarique, Sta Rosa, “, Al Masirah, CENTCOM Organizations: CNN, UK Maritime Trade Operations, Hamas, Ministry of Health, Getty, US Central Command Locations: Red, Iranian, British, Yemen, Gulf of Aden, Israel, Gaza, Metro Manila, AFP

☆ ‘Inside! Inside!’: Sailors Recount Houthi Attack and U.S. Navy Rescue
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Camille Elemia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The crew members thought it was nothing unusual, but moments later, the ship captain said, they noticed a vessel rushing toward their ship. The boat appeared to be remote-controlled — the fishermen they thought they had glimpsed were dummies — and crew members shouted, “Inside! Inside!” as they raced for cover, according to a video one of them posted on Facebook. The boat collided with their ship and exploded, shattering glass windows on the bridge of their vessel and submerging the engine room in seawater and oil, the captain said. “We were all scared,” the captain, Christian Domrique, said on Monday in Manila, where he and the crew members, all of whom are from the Philippines, were brought after the U.S. Navy airlifted them from the stricken vessel.

Persons: —, “, Christian Domrique Organizations: Facebook, U.S . Navy Locations: Sea, India, Manila, Philippines, Red, Yemen, Israel, Gaza

☆ Israel warns of 'devastating consequences' as spike in fire with Lebanon risks wider conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Smoke and flame rise after Hezbollah carried out a missile attack on Safed city, northern Israel on June 12, 2024. Over the past week, Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has ramped up hostilities and cross-border missile attacks against targets in northern Israel, according to Israel Defense Forces and the Hezbollah-aligned al-Manar news outlet. It comes amid a ramp-up in attacks by Hezbollah in recent weeks following repeat offensives against its neighbor since October. "Hezbollah's increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region," Hagari added. "Israel will take the necessary measures to protect its civilians, until security along our border with Lebanon is restored.

Persons: Sami Taleb Abdullah, Taleb Abdullah, Israel, Daniel Hagari, Hagari, HoweveHezbollah, Sheikh Naim Qassem, Amos Hochstein, Joe Biden, Biden, Houthi —, Iran —, Yahya Sare'e Organizations: Hezbollah, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, IDF, CNBC, Lebanese, Washington, U.S, NBC News Locations: Safed, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Tehran, Gaza, Lebanese, Jouaiyya, Red

☆ US Navy faces 'most intense combat since World War II' against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, defense experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe US is facing its most intense battle since World War II against Yemen's Houthi rebels, experts say. "This is the most sustained combat that the US Navy has seen since World War II — easily, no question," he said. US warships from the US Navy's Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group had fired over 500 munitions fighting the Houthis, Business Insider reported on May 23. Sailors often have only a few seconds to confirm an incoming Houthi strike.

Persons: —, Yemen's Houthi, Bryan Clark, Navy submariner, Dwight D, CENTCOM, Yemen's, Mohammed Hamoud, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Cmdr, Eric Blomberg, Laboon, David Wroe, Eisenhower, Navy Carlos Del Toro, Biden, Brian Finucane, Fabian Hinz Organizations: Service, Navy, Hudson Institute, Associated Press, Business, US Navy, Congressional Research Service, Eisenhower Carrier Strike, military's, Command, National Intelligence, AP, Pentagon, Munitions, Crisis Group, Institute for Strategic Studies, Palestine Locations: Israel, Gaza, Red, Yemen, Iran, Palestine, Eilat, London

☆ US Navy warships are stuck in a Red Sea battle they can't fight forever
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Components of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Group steam in formation with the Italian navy in the Red Sea on June 7. A fighter jet parks on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea on June 11. Elements of the Eisenhower strike group have already left the Red Sea once to be rearmed and resupplied, and the Pentagon recently extended its monthslong deployment for a second time. A fighter jet is launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during a strike against Houthi military targets in Yemen on Feb. 3. A commercial ship in the Red Sea in March.

Persons: —, they've, Dwight D, Navy Carlos Del Toro, What's, Eisenhower, Bernat, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Joseph Votel, John Kirby, Jorge LeBaron, Haines, Biden, Brian Finucane, Finucane, Votel, Mohammed Hamoud, That's, Nadimi Organizations: Service, US Navy, Business, Washington, Eisenhower Carrier Group, Eisenhower Carrier Strike, Ike, Navy, Pentagon, US Central Command, AP, National Intelligence, White House National Security Council, BI, Handout, US, Crisis, US State Department, Screengrab, Ministry of Defense, Defense Intelligence Agency, Galaxy Leader, The Washington Institute for Near East Locations: Gulf of Aden, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Western, Africa, Gaza, Persian, Bab, Red

☆ Civilian mariner remains missing 2 days after Houthi militants struck cargo ship in Red Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Mary Kay Mallonee | Avery Lotz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —US forces launched successful attacks late this week on Houthi radars that helped facilitate the Iranian-backed group’s ongoing assaults on ships in the Red Sea, according to US Central Command. The cargo ship is still in the Red Sea and is taking on water, CENTCOM said. But despite efforts to weaken Houthi weapon supplies, Red Sea assaults from the Iranian-backed group have persisted. On Thursday, Iran-backed Houthi militants struck another cargo ship, the M/V Verbena, in two separate missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden, severely injuring a civilian mariner and causing fires on board, according to CENTCOM. “This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Persons: CENTCOM, “, Verbena, Houthis, ” CENTCOM Organizations: CNN, US, US Central Command, Liberian, USS, UK Maritime Trade Locations: Red, Houthi, Yemen, USS Philippine, Gulf of Aden, Iran, Gulf, Aden, Polish, Iranian, Gaza, United States

☆ Jared Kushner's post-White House deal-making included badly timed bet on Amazon aggregator
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

Kushner started Affinity in 2021, shortly after leaving his advisory role in the White House alongside his wife, Ivanka Trump. Neumann, who was ultimately ousted from WeWork by top SoftBank execs, introduced Kushner to Unybrands early the following year. Affinity's investment in Unybrands, which hasn't previously been reported, was one of the private equity firm's earliest deals. Following a continued slide, the company laid off roughly 10% of its staff in November 2022, according to people familiar with the matter. The House Oversight Committee launched an investigation into the investment in 2022, looking into whether Kushner's financial interests influenced Trump's foreign policy.

Persons: Jared Kushner, Alex Brandon, Kushner, Weeks, Ivanka Trump, Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, WeWork, Adam Neumann, Neumann, Unybrands, hasn't, —, Catterton, Jason Somerville, Somerville, it's, didn't, headcount, Donald Trump, Gary Cohn, Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, Jonathan Ernst, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Carolyn Maloney, Ron Wyden, Kushner didn't, Ulrich Kratz, Goldman Sachs, Kratz, Kushner's, Ian Brekke, Asad Naqvi, Bret Pearlman, Roger McNamee, Max Fink, Neumann's, Brekke, Naqvi, Pearlman, Fink, Shahar Azran, Eugen Miropolski, Robyn Laguette, Mark Goldfinger, Joe Biden, Lex, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Ye, I've Organizations: U.S . Capitol, Capitol, Reuters, Affinity Partners, Companies, White House, Affinity, Saudi Crown, Unybrands, WeWork, CNBC, Amazon, BlackRock, Khosla Ventures, GW Partners, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, United Arab, Saudi Arabia's, Crown, Ritz Carlton Hotel, Saudi, Republicans, Crayhill Capital Management, Barclays, Goldman, Kushner, Investments II, Blackstone, Partners, Financial Services, CNBC it's, Israeli American Council, IAC, Getty, Kanye Locations: Washington, Amazon's, South Florida, Miami, Silicon Valley, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Unybrands, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Riyadh, Yemen, American, Austin , Texas, Gulf, Israel

☆ The Houthis just scored their first drone boat hit on a Red Sea ship
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe Houthis used an uncrewed surface vessel to strike a commercial ship in the Red Sea on Wednesday, the US military revealed. In a follow-on update, it said the ship reported being hit "for a second time by an unknown airborne projectile," and "military authorities are assisting." Since the fall, the rebels have used these weapons to hit a number of commercial vessels. Over the weekend, the Houthis hit two commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden with anti-ship missiles.

Persons: —, that's Organizations: Service, Business, Liberian, US, Command, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, British Royal Navy, Pentagon, US Navy Locations: Iran, Gulf of Aden, Yemen, Red, Gulf, Aden

☆ US intelligence assesses Houthis in Yemen in talks to provide weapons to al-Shabaab in Somalia, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —US intelligence has learned of discussions between Houthis in Yemen to provide weapons to the Somali militant group al-Shabaab, in what three American officials described to CNN as a worrying development that threatens to further destabilize an already violent region. The Houthis are Zaydi Shiites, and al-Shabaab traditionally has been deeply ideologically opposed to Shiism. “Being able to sell some weapons would bring them much needed income,” the senior administration official said. But a weapons agreement between al-Shabaab and the Houthis would be something new, according to US officials. No matter what the Houthis provide, there’s likely limited opportunity for al-Shabaab to fire directly at US assets in the region.

Persons: ” It’s, Aden —, ”, Christopher Anzalone, “, Anzalone, ” Anzalone, Biden, “ Don’t Organizations: CNN, Marine Corps, East Studies, ”, Somali, ISIS, US Locations: Houthis, Yemen, Somali, Shabaab, Somalia, Iran, al, Aden, United States, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Tehran, Israel

☆ At Least 49 Dead After Migrant Boat Sinks Off Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO — The sinking of a boat carrying migrants off the coast of Yemen has left at least 49 people dead and 140 missing, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday. It said search efforts were continuing and so far 71 had been rescued. The statement counted 31 women and six children among the dead. Yemen is a major route for migrants from the East Africa and the Horn of Africa trying to reach Gulf countries for work. Despite a nearly decadelong civil war in Yemen, the number of migrants arriving annually tripled from 2021 to 2023, soaring to over 90,000 from about 27,000, the International Organization for Migration said last month.

Organizations: United Nations ’ International Organization for Migration, International Organization for Migration Locations: CAIRO, Yemen, Somalia, Aden, East Africa, Africa

☆ Fact check: Trump falsely claims Iran didn’t fund terror groups when he was president
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

They weren’t funding Hamas, and they weren’t funding anything. They weren’t funding Hezbollah,” Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said in a May interview with right-wing host Dan Bongino. Trump’s own administration said in 2020 that Iran was continuing to fund terror groups including Hezbollah. Trump could have fairly said that his sanctions on Iran had made life more difficult for terror groups (though it’s unclear how much their operations were affected). “Iran has never ceased funding many of its core proxy groups” such as Hezbollah, said Phillip Smyth, who studies Iran’s proxies.

Persons: Donald Trump, ” Trump, Dan Bongino, Phil McGraw, Phil, Trump, Pompeo, Trump’s, Mike Pompeo, ” Pompeo, “ We’re, “, ”, Ali Vaez, Hanin Ghaddar, Colin Clarke, Phillip Smyth, Brian Hook, ” Hook Organizations: Washington CNN, Hamas, CNN, Hezbollah, State, Trump, Crisis, The Washington Institute for Near, Washington Post, ” Reuters, The, The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Qods Force Locations: Iran, Lebanon, Hamas, Palestinian, Israel, “, Tehran, Syria, Iraq, The Stockholm, Bahrain, Yemen, Qaeda, Europe, Africa, Asia

☆ 2 cargo ships caught fire after being hit by projectiles in suspected Houthi attacks off the coast of Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewTwo cargo ships traveling off Yemen's southern port city of Aden caught fire after being hit by projectiles suspected to have been fired by Houthi rebels, UK maritime agencies reported. Suspicion for the attack fell on Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have not claimed responsibility for the latest attack but have been targeting shipping in the area for several months with missiles and drones. AdvertisementThe British security firm Ambrey later said a cargo vessel from Antigua and Barbuda had been hit by a missile 83 nautical miles southeast of Aden. "The master reports that the vessel was hit by an unknown projectile on the aft section, which resulted in a fire. On Monday, the Houthi rebels said they had fired a new solid-fuel missile called the "Palestine" at the southern Israeli city of Eilat on Monday.

Persons: —, Houthi, Sundayit, Yemen's, Ambrey, UKMTO, we're, Stéphane Dujarric Organizations: Service, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, UK's Royal Navy, Business, Reuters, Command, Reuters Houthis, Shipping, US Navy, UN, Unicef, Food, Unesco, Bloomberg Locations: Aden, UKMTO, Antigua, Barbuda, Yemen, Israel, Gaza, Africa, Palestine, Eilat, Monday, New York

☆ Iran OKs 6 candidates for presidential race, but again blocks Ahmadinejad
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

He withdrew from the 2017 presidential campaign to support Raisi in his first failed presidential bid. Raisi won the 2021 election, which had the lowest turnout ever for a presidential vote in Iran, after every major opponent found themselves disqualified. Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Raisi's vice president, ran in the 2021 presidential elections and came in last with just under 1 million votes. Raisi, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others were killed in the May 19 helicopter crash in the far northwest of Iran. Raisi was the second Iranian president to die in office.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Qalibaf, Raisi, Mahsa, Saeed Jalili, Alireza Zakani, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Masoud Pezeshkian, Ahmadinejad, Ali Larijani, Hassan Rouhani, Larinjani, Abdolnasser Hemmati, Eshaq Jahangiri, Mohammad Ali Rajai Organizations: Iran's, firebrand, Raisi, Guardian Council, U.S, paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Guard, Guardian, Former Iranian Central Bank, Iranian Locations: Qom, Iran, Israel, Tehran, Raisi, Russia, Ukraine, Red, Gaza

☆ U.S. Counterterrorism Chief Is Stepping Down
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Eric Schmitt | More About Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The director of the National Counterterrorism Center will step down next month, Biden administration officials said on Wednesday. The director, Christine S. Abizaid, has served three years as the country’s top counterterrorism official. In recent years, a resurgent China and Russia, as well as the wars in Ukraine and in Gaza, have replaced counterterrorism as the country’s main national security priorities. The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, ISIS Khorasan, dramatically demonstrated its expanding reach earlier this year, conducting deadly attacks in Iran and Russia. In addition to supporting Hamas in Gaza, Iran backs extremist groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Persons: Christine S, Abizaid, Al Qaeda Organizations: National Counterterrorism Center, Biden, Islamic State, ISIS Locations: China, Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, Doha, Qatar, Israel, State, Iraq, Syria, Africa, Afghanistan, ISIS Khorasan, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen

☆ Houthi rebel footage appears to show a downed US Reaper drone worth $30 million. It marked the third loss in a month, a report said.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewAnother US MQ-9 Reaper drone came down in Yemen, images appear to show, marking the third loss during the conflict with Houthi rebels in the last month, an Associated Press report said. pic.twitter.com/pNeRJ5Kkei — Megatron (@Megatron_ron) May 29, 2024Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed his fighters shot dow the US Reaper drone in northern Yemen. AP said it was the third report of a downing of an expensive Reaper drone in the last month. The news agency also approached the CIA regarding the downing of the Reaper drone, but it declined to comment. "The MQ-9 Reaper may not be survivable in an environment characterized by large-scale combat operations."

Persons: —, Houthis, Hou, tod, Rea, Ros Organizations: Service, Associated Press, US Navy, Business, dow, Uni, kr Locations: Yemen, Israel, Gaza

☆ Oil alliance OPEC+ could extend production cuts this weekend as focus shifts away from Middle East tensions, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Thomas Coex | Afp | Getty ImagesThe oil-producing Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies could extend existing output cuts this week, delegates and analysts told CNBC, even as focus shifts from Middle East tensions to summer demand. OPEC+ producers are currently implementing a combined 5.86 million barrels per day of supply cuts. And then August is the peak month for tightness," Viktor Katona, lead crude analyst at Kpler, told CNBC. "However, I think that the market right now has priced in a full extension of the voluntary cuts. A high-inflation environment and tight monetary policy in turn reined in oil demand, but central banks have signaled readiness to lower interest rates in the second half of the year.

Persons: Thomas Coex, Viktor Katona, overproducers, Jorge Leon, Yemen's, Tamas Varga Organizations: Organization of, Petroleum, Afp, Getty, CNBC, Energy, Market Research, PVM Oil Associates, United Arab Emirates Locations: OPEC, Vienna, China, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Paris, Ukraine, Gaza, Red, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Guyana, Brazil, Canada

☆ The Houthi's wild claim to have struck a US aircraft carrier is pure fiction
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Houthis' claim that they struck the USS Eisenhower is untrue, per a defense official. The Houthis claimed the missile attack was retaliation for Thursday US strikes in Yemen. The Eisenhower is a lead ship in the US Navy's response to the Houthis in the Red Sea. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe Houthis' claim that they struck a US aircraft carrier in the Red Sea with missiles is untrue, according to a US defense official.

Persons: Eisenhower, Houthis, —, Dwight D, Yahya Saree, Saree Organizations: Thursday, Service, Business Locations: Yemen, Red, Iranian

☆ US and UK carry out strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen for first time in months
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US and UK carried out a series of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Thursday for the first time in more than three months, according to US Central Command. In addition, the US unilaterally destroyed eight aerial attack drones over Yemen and the Red Sea. The coalition strikes targeted 13 Houthi targets in parts of Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed terror group. The last round of strikes occurred on February 24, as the US and UK targeted Houthi weapons and radar sites. This week, the US destroyed Houthi missile launchers in Yemen and intercepted aerial attack drones.

Persons: Lax, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Carney, Lloyd Austin, ” Organizations: CNN, US Central Command, US Navy, US, Central Command, Prosperity Guardian, Houthi Locations: Yemen, Iran, Aden, Red

☆ A US Navy carrier strike group locked in a Red Sea battle has fired over 500 munitions fighting the Houthis
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe US Navy carrier strike group battling the Houthis in the Red Sea has fired more than 500 munitions throughout its deployment, striking the rebels directly in Yemen and intercepting their missiles and drones. The strike group has leaned on its aircraft and warships to engage targets and defend against varying threats. Sailors observe as an F/A-18E Super Hornet lands on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea on March 12. Aircraft from the strike group have flown more than 27,200 hours across over 12,100 sorties. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney defeats a combination of Houthi missiles and drones in the Red Sea on Oct. 19.

Persons: —, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Navy Carlos Del Toro, Arleigh Burke, Carney, Aaron Lau, National Intelligence Avril Haines, We've, It's Organizations: Service, US Navy, Eisenhower Carrier Strike, Ike, Business, Nimitz, Hornet, EA, Aircraft, Navy, Tomahawk, National Intelligence, Pentagon Locations: Yemen, Gulf, Aden, Iran, Hessen

☆ Biden looks to counter China’s influence as he rolls out red carpet for Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Kevin Liptak | Kayla Tausche | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Among the goals of his three-day state visit in October: securing another $1 billion in loans from China to help complete infrastructure projects. On Wednesday, when he arrived at Joint Base Andrews to begin another state visit – this time to Washington – he again found a red carpet and troops. Senior administration officials acknowledge a central factor in scheduling a state visit with Kenya was the desire to counter China’s influence and financial leverage on the African continent, which has outpaced the United States in direct investment. One of the goals of Thursday’s state visit is to demonstrate the ability of democracies – like Kenya’s – to deliver for their people. “I plan on going in February,” Biden told reporters.

Persons: Washington CNN —, William Ruto, Joint Base Andrews, Washington –, Jill Biden, Joe Biden, –, Kenya –, ”, “, Biden, Ruto, ” Ruto, he’s, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, Jake Sullivan, ” Biden, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump –, ” Sullivan, Ariel Henry Organizations: Washington CNN, Kenyan, Joint Base, East, Kenya, NATO, Africa –, White, Initiative, Loans, Washington, World Bank, Group, European Union, Democratic, White House, Angolan, Advisers, CNN, Haitian Locations: Beijing, China, Africa, Kenya, United States, China’s, Nairobi, Mombasa, Boston, US, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Washington, East, Ukraine, ”, Russia, –, combatting al, Shabab, Somalia, Yemen, Haiti

☆ Iran’s Use of Proxy Warfare Likely to Persist, Experts Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Alissa J. Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Those groups — Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, multiple militias in Iraq and Hamas in the Palestinian territories — are central to Iran’s ability to wield influence far beyond its borders despite being under strict economic sanctions for decades. Iran works with these groups through the Quds Force, a division of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. answers directly to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, not to the government run by the president. On Tuesday morning, Iran-linked groups in Iraq announced that they had launched a strike at a base in Israel. It was as if Iran’s allies were signaling that it was business as usual by making the kinds of attacks that have become commonplace in recent months.

Persons: Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, ”, Parsi Organizations: Quds Force, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iraq, Quincy Institute, Responsible Locations: Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanese, Israel

☆ Raisi helicopter crash: Some in Iran claim US sanctions to blame but the truth may be more complicated
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Nic Robertson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Even before Iran’s army chief Mohammad Bagheri ordered an investigation into the helicopter crash that cost the Islamic Republic the lives of two of its top politicians, blame was being laid at America’s door. People mourn the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash the previous day, at Valiasr Square, on May 20, 2024 in Tehran, Iran. The next question might be, knowing the weather was bad and having three helicopters on the journey, why put both president and foreign minister in the same aircraft? Former Foreign Minister Zarif would want the world to believe Iran’s technological core has been hollowed out by US sanctions, but that allegation too is tainted by hubris. Iran’s presidents are not idle, they need to go places.

Persons: Mohammad Bagheri, Ebrahim Raisi, Javad Zarif acidly, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Raisi –, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Malek Rahmati, Mohammed Ali Alehashem –, Ilham Aliyav, Majid Saeedi, Yemen’s Houthis, AKINCI, Ali Khamenei, –, Russia –, Zarif, Raisi Organizations: CNN, Islamic, Bell, Turkish Transport, Revolutionary Guard Corps, Former Locations: Islamic Republic, America’s, United States, Iran, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Tabriz, Tehran, Turkish, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey

☆ US Navy warships in the Red Sea are fighting off missiles new to combat that are 'way faster' than anything else, destroyer captain says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Since then, the Iran-backed rebels have fired dozens of anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. An anti-ship ballistic missile "is just way faster than anything else, Cmdr. Jeremy Robertson, captain of the guided-missile destroyer USS Carney, told reporters during a media event on Monday. The Houthis maintain a sizable arsenal of anti-ship ballistic missiles, according to an analysis by the the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank. US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Carney defeats a combination of Houthi missiles and drones in the Red Sea on October 19, 2023.

Persons: —, Jeremy Robertson, Carney, MCS2 Aaron Lau, Robertson, we've, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Petty, Bill Dodge, The Carney, Lisa Franchetti, Franchetti Organizations: Service, Navy, Business, US Navy, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Central Command, AP, Israel, Naval, Fleet Locations: American, Iran, Gulf of Aden, Suez, Yemen, Tehran, Washington, Pacific, China, Souda Bay, Greece, Mayport , Florida

☆ Iran's President Raisi is dead. What does the leadership void mean for the country and the world?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The President of Islamic Republic of Iran Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi during the meeting with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres UN Headquarters. Lev Radin | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesThe sudden death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash plunges Tehran into fresh uncertainty at a time when it already faces deep economic decline, popular discontent, and war. The helicopter carrying President Raisi suffered a hard landing on Sunday while returning from Azerbaijan in poor weather conditions, Iranian state media reported on Monday. "That interim presidency ... [is] going to potentially pave the way for even more IRGC control over policies." "When it comes to the relationship with the U.S., and likely [with] Israel, nothing is really going to change there.

Persons: Islamic Republic of Iran Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Antonio Guterres, Lev Radin, Lightrocket, Ebrahim Raisi, Raisi, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Yemen's, Ayatollah Khamenei, Mohammed Mokhber, Nader Itayim, Itayim, Joe Biden Organizations: Islamic, Antonio Guterres UN, Iran's, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian, Guardian Council, Argus Media, U.S, Palestinian Locations: Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, Azerbaijan, Lebanese, Iran, Mideast, Israel, U.S, Gaza

☆ Opinion: Iran’s president is dead. The cruel show goes on
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and senior columnist for World Politics Review. Expect clerics and security forces – the military and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – to compete to see who can gain the upper hand, with hardliners in both groups seeking to position themselves for dominance. The chance of a kinder, gentler Iran emerging after new presidential elections are held in 50 days are essentially nil. He won, but most voters spoiled their ballots or stayed home, with the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history. Now Raisi is dead and the odds are that he will be replaced by another hardliner.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Ebrahim Raisi, Raisi, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, –, Ali Khamenei, Khamenei acolyte, ”, Mahsa Amini, ” Raisi Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Islamic, Ukraine, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Army, Amnesty International, Green Movement, US Locations: Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Damascus, Russia, China, North Korea, Tehran, Saudi Arabia

Search resuls for: "yemen"

25 mentions found