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Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem CNN —If his first term in the White House is any indication, President-elect Donald Trump is likely to keep the Middle East high on his agenda. But the Middle East has changed significantly since he left office in 2021, and all regional actors are keenly watching how the new president will navigate these shifts. Here’s how Trump’s election could affect key players in the Middle East:Israel and the PalestiniansEnding the wars in Gaza and Lebanon and integrating Israel in the Middle East are likely to be at the top of the president-elect’s Middle East agenda, analysts said. “When the war will be over, you’ll need a real restart in the Middle East,” and Trump will be the best person to bring about a “new Middle East,” Bismuth added. Nadav Shtrauchler, a political strategist who has worked closely with Netanyahu, said Trump’s election sends a message to Israel’s enemies in Iran.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN —, Donald Trump, Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Fatemeh Mohajerani, “ Netanyahu, ”, Mustafa Barghouti, Alon Pinkas, “, ” Pinkas, Joe Biden’s, Pinkas, ” Trump, Evan Vucci, Netanyahu, haven’t, Biden, Boaz, Trump’s, Nadav, Yoav Gallant, Harris, ” Shtrauchler, Qasem Soleimani, Ali Vaez, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Atta Kenare, – Israel, …, ” Vaez, –, “ Trump, Vaez, Jamal Khashoggi, Hasan Alhasan, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mandel Ngan, ” Alhasan, “ They’re, CNN’s Dana Karni, Irene Nasser, Eyad Kourdi Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Jewish, White House, America, Saudi, United Arab, Trump, Palestinian National Initiative, CNN, West Bank, Palm Beach Convention, Israel, Likud, Abraham Accords, Islamic, Iran Project, Crisis, Biden, Getty, US, Washington Post, Middle, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Saudi Arabia's Crown, White, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, SCO, –, Hamas Locations: Abu Dhabi, Jerusalem, Saudi, Iran, Israel, America, United Arab Emirates, UAE, East, Gaza, Lebanon, Israeli, Palm Beach, Florida, Syria, Tehran, Republic, United States, AFP, Saudi Arabia, Arab, Riyadh, Bahrain, Yemen, China, Washington, Beijing, decouple, Qatar

Nearly two weeks have passed and no large-scale response has materialized, leaving Israel and the wider Middle East on edge. But Mr. Haniyeh’s killing was seen as the greater blow to Tehran because it took place on Iranian soil. “Israel has checkmated Iran in this situation because Iran is left with no good options,” said Mr. Vaez. What could an Iranian response look like? U.S. and Israeli diplomats and security officials had some advanced knowledge of its scope and intensity of Iran’s attack in April, which facilitated defensive preparations.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Masoud, Israel, Fuad Shukr, Haniyeh’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, analystsexperts, Nasser Kanaan, Sanam Vakil, Pezeshkian, Vakil, Ms, Ali Vaez, Vaez, “ Israel, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Keir Starmer, Nasser Kanani, Jordan, Mr, Haniyeh, Lloyd J, Austin III, Biden Organizations: Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Chatham House, Crisis, Diplomats, of Islamic Cooperation, United, Hamas Locations: Iran, Tehran, Israel, Masoud Pezeshkian, Beirut, Lebanon, Golan, East, London, Yemen, Western, Iranian, United States, Gaza, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia

☆ Fact check: Trump made at least 20 false claims in his conversation with Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +34 min

Here is a fact check:CrimeTrump claimed, “Our crime rate’s going through the roof.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. Facts First: Trump did express uncertainty about the number, but his “like 60 million or something” claim is false. They take ‘em out, and they bring them to the United States.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is baseless. He said, “With Ukraine, so we’re in for $250 billion and they’re in for about $71 billion.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. But Trump’s claim that the US has committed or provided far more aid than Europe is not true regardless.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Elon Musk, Kamala Harris, Trump, Jeff Asher, ” Anna Harvey, “, we’ve, ”, Biden, Gary Griggs, Griggs, Harris, Harris “, ” Trump, wasn’t, Alejandro Mayorkas, Breitbart, ” Roberto Briceño, Venezuela’s, León, Joe Biden, ” Michelle Mittelstadt, can’t, Steven Cheung, Congo ’ Trump, Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, ” Serge Mombouli, Barack Obama’s, Obama, Obama’s, We’ll, Ukraine Trump, Europe Trump, Trump’s, Mike Pompeo, ” Pompeo, China, you’re, ‘, Iran haven’t, ” Matt Smith, Biden’s, Smith, Ali Vaez, Ronald Reagan’s, Barack Obama, George W, they’d, Scott Gottlieb, ” Gottlieb, General Merrick Garland, Musk, Alvin Bragg’s, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, Bragg, CNN’s Tami Luhby, William Montes Organizations: Washington CNN, Republican, Democratic, Public, New York University, CNN, Major Cities Chiefs Association, Biden, Global, Trump, NASA, Meteorological Organization, University of California, Oceanic, Fox News, The New York, White, Homeland, Central, “, Border, Venezuelan, of, Patrol, Republicans, Migration, Institute, Breitbart, Congo, PAC, Central America Trump, Obama, Customs Enforcement, Policy Institute, ICE, El Salvador, Electoral, Ukraine, Kiel Institute, European Union, European Automobile Manufacturers ’ Association, State, Americas, Crisis, Federal, Defense Department, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Justice Department, New Locations: Trump’s, Santa Cruz, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Mar, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, United States, Mexico, Venezuela, “ Venezuela, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Africa, Republic of, Washington, Europe, Ukraine, Germany, Kiel, ”, EU, Iran, Lebanon, Israel, China, that’s, Kpler, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Asia, Fulton County , Georgia, Manhattan, New York

Nearly two weeks have passed and no large-scale response has materialized, leaving Israel and the wider Middle East on edge. Iran, which backs Hamas, blamed Israel for the assassination, but Israeli leaders have not said their forces were responsible. What could an Iranian response look like? U.S. and Israeli diplomats and security officials had some advanced knowledge of its scope and intensity of Iran’s attack in April, which facilitated defensive preparations. The foreign minister of Jordan, an ally of the United States, has traveled to Tehran in recent days for meetings.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Masoud, Israel, Fuad Shukr, Haniyeh’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Nasser Kanaan, Sanam Vakil, Pezeshkian, Vakil, Ms, Ali Vaez, Vaez, “ Israel, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Jordan, Mr, Haniyeh, Lloyd J, Austin III, Biden Organizations: Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Chatham House, Crisis, Diplomats, of Islamic Cooperation, United, Hamas Locations: Iran, Tehran, Israel, Masoud Pezeshkian, Beirut, Lebanon, Golan, East, London, Yemen, Iranian, United States, Gaza, Saudi Arabia

☆ Iranians are voting in a presidential runoff. What will it mean for the world?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Here’s what to expect on Friday’ second round of elections, and how the results could impact Iran and the world. During the first round, Pezeshkian led with 42.5% of the votes, followed by Jalili with 38.6%, according to the state news agency IRNA. In a move that shocked observers, the man who led Ghalibaf’s electoral campaign, Sami Nazari Tarkarani, also declared his support for reformist Pezeshkian, Khabar Online reported. People drive past a billboard with pictures of presidential candidates Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili on a street in Tehran, Iran, on Monday. Presidential candidates Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili attend an election debate at a television studio in Tehran, Iran on Tuesday.

Persons: CNN — Iran’s, Ebrahim Raisi, Masoud Pezeshkian, Saeed Jalili, Raisi, Hossein Amir, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Pezeshkian, –, Khamenei, ”, hardliner Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Jalili, ” Parsi, Sardar Mohsen Rashid, Rashid, Sami Nazari Tarkarani, Ghalibaf, Sanam Vakil, “, ” Sina Toossi, ” Pezeshkian, Toossi, Majid Asgaripour, Iran’s, ” Jalili, Israel sharpens, Israel “, Israel Katz, ” Ali Vaez, Vaez, CNN’s Becky Anderson, Saeed Jalili , Morteza Fakhri, Parsi, ” Vakil Organizations: CNN, Foreign, Guardian Council, IRNA, Quincy Institute, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pezeshkian, Khabar, North Africa, Chatham House, Center for International Policy, Trump, Islamic, International Atomic Energy Agency, UN, Israeli, Group, Reuters Locations: Islamic Republic, Iran, tatters, Israel, United States, Tehran, Washington, Iranian, East, London, Washington ,, Gaza, Lebanon

☆ Iran votes for its new president amid economic strife, crackdowns and regional war
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Iranians will go to the polls against the backdrop of a battered economy, widespread popular discontent and harsh crackdowns on dissent. Iran is also dealing with high inflation, heavy Western sanctions, mounting tensions with the U.S., ramped-up Iranian nuclear enrichment and the Israel-Hamas war. On issues of foreign policy and war, the Iranian president wields some influence and is the country's public-facing messenger. But power and critical decision-making in Iran ultimately lies with the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and unelected institutions like the Revolutionary Guards. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks with media after casting his ballot during the Iranian Parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections at the Leadership office in Tehran, Iran, on March 1, 2024.

Persons: ATTA KENARE, Ebrahim Raisi, —, Iran's, Ali Vaez, Rafat, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Saeed Jalili, Masoud Pezeshkian, Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Alireza Zakani, Qalibaf, Jalili, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Masoud, Pezeshkian, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Pourmohammadi, Ayatollah Khamenei, Morteza Nikoubazl Organizations: Western, U.S, Guardian Council, Council, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Supreme National Security Council, Islamic Consultative Assembly, Revolutionary, Iran's Ministry of Intelligence, House, Revolutionary Guards, Iran's, Iranian Parliamentary Locations: Tehran, AFP Iran, Iran, Israel, Iranian, Iran's, Washington

☆ Fact checking the CNN presidential debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +69 min

CNN —President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump faced off during CNN’s presidential debate in Atlanta Thursday night. From CNN’s Daniel DaleFormer President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden debate at CNN's Atlanta studios on June 27, 2024. From CNN’s Daniel Dale and Ella NilsenFormer President Donald Trump, left, and President Joe Biden take part in the CNN presidential debate on Thursday, June 27. From CNN’s Alicia WallaceFormer President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden debate at CNN's Atlanta studios on June 27, 2024. Kpler found that China imported about 511,000 barrels per day of Iranian crude in December 2020, Trump’s last full month in office.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump “, “, ” Trump, ”, Trump, ” John Kelly, servicemembers, Kelly, Jim Sciutto, Daniel Dale, Kaanita Iyer, Roe, Wade, That’s, Wade ”, Kimberly Mutcherson, “ Donald Trump’s, Maya Manian, Trump’s, Mary Ziegler, Davis, Ziegler, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Roe should’ve, ’, Will Lanzoni, ” Biden, corpsman —, Hamid Karzai, CNN’s Haley Britzky, didn’t, Priscilla Alvarez, George Floyd, Tim Walz, Walz, Paul –, CNN’s Holmes Lybrand, Daniel Dale FACT, European Union won’t, Ella Nilsen, Jill Biden, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, Adam Rose, CNN US Sen, Marco Rubio, CNN Trump, Austin Steele, CNN Biden, Tristen Rouse, CNN Tapper, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, CNN MJ Lee, Mandel Ngan, Megan Varner, Reuters Kennedy, Burk Stringfellow, Iran “, Mike Pompeo, ” Pompeo, Tami Luhby Trump, CNN’s KFILE, weren’t, Hillary Clinton, affirmatively, it’s, what’s, –, Alicia Wallace, Obama, CNN’s Ella Nilsen, you’re, Biden’s, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s, Viktor Shokin, Shokin, CNN’s Marshall Cohen, “ It’s, Rick Muskat, CNN.So, Morgan, Katie Lobosco, Alvin Bragg’s, Bragg, Jack Smith, Smith, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, I’ve, there’s, Iran haven’t, ” Matt Smith, Ali Vaez, Kpler, Gary Engelhardt, Jason Richwine, ” Richwine, Tami Luhby, Confederate, Robert E, Lee, marchthat, “ I’m, Elle Reeve, Ralph Northam, Jen Christensen, ” Trump’s, Ronald Reagan’s, Barack Obama, George W, ‘, ’ ” Trump, CNN’s Jen Christensen, Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “ Nancy Pelosi, …, Alexandra Pelosi, Aaron Bennett, Cherry, Christopher Miller, Miller, Charis Kubrin, CNN’s Catherine Shoichet, ” Kubrin’s, Graham Ousey, College of William & Mary, Erwan, George Washington, Marshall Cohen, ” Howard Gleckman, Gleckman, Emmanuel Saez, Gabriel Zucman “, Howard Gleckman, ” Gleckman Organizations: CNN, Trump, Homeland Security, SSRS, Marquette Law School, NBC, Gallup, ” Rutgers Law, American University, university’s Health, University of California, Atlanta, US Navy, Border Patrol, Border Patrol Council, National Guard, Minneapolis Former, Minnesota Democratic Gov, Minnesota National Guard, Guard, EU, European Union, US, European Automobile Manufacturers ’ Association, CNN US, Biden, House, CNN Biden's, CNN Biden, White House, Getty, Reuters, State, Medicare, Black, of Labor Statistics, Republican, Burisma Holdings, International Monetary Fund, Republicans, House Republicans, US International Trade Commission, US Customs, Deer Stags, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Justice Department, DOJ, DC, federal, Department, Democrat, Americas, Crisis, Social Security, Social, General Internal Medicine, “, Syracuse University, Center for Immigration Studies, Electoral, White, Nazi, US Centers for Disease Control, Former Virginia Gov, United, China Former, China, Hamas, ISIS, Trump’s, Democratic, Congressional, Capitol, Colorado Supreme Court, US Food, Guttmacher Institute, California Democrat, Capitol Police Board, Senate, District of Columbia National Guard, College of William &, NATO, Atlantic Treaty Organization, George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Transatlantic, Urban, Brookings Tax, Urban Institute, ”, Tax, Center Locations: Atlanta, France, Afghanistan, Kabul, Jordan, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Yakushima Island, Japan, Minneapolis, Portland, Minnesota , Minneapolis, St, EU, Georgia, CNN's, Washington ,, AFP, Lebanon, Israel, what’s, Paris, China, India, Russia, United States, Ukrainian, Ukraine, lockstep, American, Manhattan, New York , Georgia, Florida, Washington, New York, York’s, Mexico, Kpler, Malaysia, Charlottesville, Charlottesville , Virginia, White, Virginia, Northam, East, “, New York City, Saudi, al Qaeda, Texas, Colorado, California, Trump, Irvine, Germany, Berkeley

☆ 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

☆ Iran’s president has died in office. Here’s what happens next
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Once seen as a likely successor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, President Ebrahim Raisi has died in office, leaving the Islamic Republic’s hardline establishment facing an uncertain future. An ultraconservative president, 63-year-old Raisi was killed Sunday, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other high-ranking officials, in a helicopter crash in Iran’s remote northwest. Raisi’s death has raised questions about who will eventually succeed Iran’s 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the most powerful man in the country. According to the constitution, the 88-member Assembly of Experts picks the successor to the Supreme Leader after his death. “(This) definitely throws all the plans that offices of the Supreme Leader probably had out the window,” Vaez told CNN’s Paula Newton.

Persons: CNN —, Ebrahim Raisi, Raisi, Hossein Amir, growingly restive, ” Ali Vaez, Power, Mohammad Mokhber, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, —, Hassan Rouhani, ” Parsi, ” Vaez, ” Iran's, Iran’s, Khamenei, Azin, AP “ Ebrahim Raisi’s, ” Karim Sadjadpour, Leader’s, Mojtaba Khamanei, Sadjadpour, Vaez, CNN’s Paula Newton, Islamic Republic ” Organizations: CNN, Iran’s, Islamic, Foreign, IRI, Group, Experts, Quincy Institute, Responsible, Revolutionary Guards, Iran's, Observers, Iran’s Guardian Council, Guardian Council, Moj News Agency, AP, Carnegie Endowment, International Locations: Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran, Islamic Republic, Washington ,, Tehran, Iranian, Raisi, Varzaghan

☆ After Raisi’s Death, Hard-Liners Are Expected to Keep Grip on Power
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Steven Erlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The sudden death of Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, opens a new chapter of instability just as the increasingly unpopular Islamic Republic is engaged in selecting its next supreme leader. Mr. Raisi, 63, had been considered a prime candidate, especially favored by the powerful Revolutionary Guards. Even before the helicopter crash that killed Mr. Raisi, the regime had been consumed with internal political struggles as the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 85, the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East, is in declining health. But given the Islamic Republic is facing internal protests, a weak economy, endemic corruption and tensions with Israel, analysts expect little change in Iran’s foreign or domestic policies. Ayatollah Khamenei has set the direction for the country, and any new president will not alter it much.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Mr, Raisi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, ”, Ali Vaez Organizations: Revolutionary Guards, Crisis Locations: Republic, Islamic Republic, Israel, Iran

☆ Raisi’s Death Threatens New Instability for Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Steven Erlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The sudden death of Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, opens a new chapter of instability just as the increasingly unpopular Islamic Republic is engaged in selecting its next supreme leader. Mr. Raisi, 63, had been considered a prime candidate, especially favored by the powerful Revolutionary Guards. But given fears of instability at a time when the Islamic Republic is facing internal protests, a weak economy, endemic corruption and tensions with Israel, analysts expect little change in Iran’s foreign or domestic policies. Mr. Khamenei has set the direction for the country, and any new president will not alter it much. The system is “already on a trajectory to make sure that the successor of the supreme leader is completely in line with his vision for the future of the system,” said Ali Vaez, the Iran director at the International Crisis Group.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Mr, Raisi, Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, ”, Ali Vaez Organizations: Revolutionary Guards, Crisis Locations: Republic, Islamic Republic, Israel, Iran

☆ Raisi Has Died in Helicopter Crash, State Media Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Inside a clothing store in Tehran, a television is set to a news channel reporting on the crash of the helicopter carrying the president of Iran. The crash of a helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran could hardly have come at a more volatile time for the Islamic Republic. The crash also raises questions about who would become Iran’s supreme leader after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is 85, Mr. Vaez said. Mr. Raisi has been seen as a possible successor. Mr. Vaez said that Mr. Raisi has been viewed as “predictable for the system — and that’s the reason he was chosen as president and was being groomed for the top job.”Farnaz Fassihi contributed reporting.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Raisi —, Iran’s, —, Ali Vaez, ” Mr, Vaez, Mahsa Amini, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Raisi, ” Farnaz Fassihi Organizations: Crisis Group, Parliamentary, Islamic, Israel Locations: Tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic, Israel, United States, ”, Kerman, Islamic State, Gaza, Lebanon, Damascus, Syria

☆ Iranian President Helicopter Crash Raisi Has Died in Helicopter Crash, State Media Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

☆ Iran’s Strikes on Israel Open a Dangerous New Chapter for Old Rivals
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Steven Erlanger | Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That represents a moment of great risk, with key questions still to answer, they say. Or given the relatively paltry results — almost all of the drones and missiles were intercepted by Israel and the United States — will it feel obligated to strike again? And will Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, see the strong performance by his country’s air defenses as a sufficient response? Or will he choose to escalate further with an attack on Iran itself? “But in doing so, the shadow war it has been waging with Israel for years now threatens to turn into a very real and very damaging conflict,” one that could drag in the United States, he said.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ”, Ali Vaez Organizations: United, Crisis Locations: Iran, Israel, Damascus, Syria, United States

☆ Strikes on Israel Open a Dangerous New Chapter for Old Rivals
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Steven Erlanger | Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That represents a moment of great risk, with key questions still to answer, they say. Or given the relatively paltry results — almost all the drones and missiles were intercepted by Israel and the United States — will it feel the need to strike again? And will Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, see the strong performance by his country’s air defenses, in cooperation with allies, as a sufficient response? Or will he choose to escalate further with an attack on Iran itself? “But in doing so, the shadow war it has been waging with Israel for years now threatens to turn into a very real and very damaging conflict,” one that could drag in the United States, he added.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ”, Ali Vaez Organizations: United, Crisis Locations: Iran, Israel, Damascus, United States

☆ Middle East Crisis Iran Blames Israel for Deaths of Top Commanders in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The covert war has previously included Israel’s targeted assassinations of Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists, and Iran’s use of foreign proxies to strike Israeli interests. “For years, Israel and Iran have been engaged in what’s usually called a ‘shadow war,’” Ali Vaez, the Iran director for the International Crisis Group, said Monday in a social media post. Israel and Iran differed in their descriptions of the building that was hit. Iran described it as part of its diplomatic mission in Syria, but Israel said it was being used by the Revolutionary Guards, making it a legitimate military target. Mr. Akbari said among those killed were several Iranian military advisers deployed to Syria.

Persons: Israel, Israel’s, Mohamad Reza Zahedi, General Zahedi, Mohammad Hadi Haj Rahimi, Hossein Aman Allahi, ’ ” Ali Vaez, “, ” Nasser Kanaani, Mr, Kanaani, Daniel Hagari, ” Mr, Vaez, ”, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Hossein Akbari, Akbari, Iran’s, Peyman Syed Taheri, Taheri Organizations: Iranian Embassy, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s Quds Force, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Corps, Hamas, Quds Force, Quds Forces, Quds, Guards, International Crisis, Iran’s, Palestinian, Revolutionary Guards, CNN Locations: Damascus, Syria, Iranian, Syrian, Iran’s Quds, Israel, Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, Quds, “ Iran, Jihad, ”, Tehran

☆ Trump’s avalanche of dishonesty: Fact-checking 102 of his false claims from this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +111 min

Below is a fact check of 102 of Trump’s false claims from the 12 speeches. But contrary to Trump’s claim, it’s not true that people had been attempting for decades to create such an initiative. Trump’s aid to farmersIn speech after speech, Trump claimed that he had given US farmers $28 billion from China. Even if the poll result is off, it’s clear that Trump’s claim that “nobody wants them” is not true. He said he was an airline pilot.”Facts First: Trump made a false claim while mocking Biden for making false claims.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, “, ”, Mexico’s, ‘ Trump, Defense Department –, ” Theresa Cardinal Brown, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, ” Trump, I’ve, Todd Harrison, Harrison, It’s, Trump’s, ” Ben Cahill, Nobody, Jimmy Carter’s, Barack Obama, isn’t, El Salvador –, Obama, we’d, Obama’s, Webster, Covid, Wuhan ”, They’d, they’d, you’d, Scott Gottlieb, ” Gottlieb, Trump Trump, it’s, Abraham, Aaron David Miller, Miller, Dana El Kurd, Qasem Soleimani, they’ve, we’re, We’re, ’, Iran haven’t, ” Matt Smith, Biden’s, Smith, Ali Vaez, Kpler, Biden Trump, Iran “, Democrats ”, that’s, Jimmy Carter, Carter “, Carter, ‘, Hillary Clinton, Kari Lake, Bill Gates, Gates, ” Chris Wallace, Chris Wallace, Hunter Biden, “ Chris Wallace, ‘ He’s, ‘ ” Trump, Wallace, “ you’re, “ Biden, ‘ You’re, Wallace interjected, Rather, you’ve, ’ ” Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James &, ” Molchanov, Tim Woody, Woody, autoworkers, CNN’s Ella Nilsen, Joe Biden’s, Erin Mellon, Gavin Newsom, Mellon, ” Vonette Fontaine, Biden “, CNN’s Matt Egan, Egan, ” Biden, Europe Trump, United Kingdom “, Brent, Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James, Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy, De Haan, Matt Smith, Matt Egan, Afghanistan Trump, we’ve, Krista Wiegand, Wiegand, ” Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Qasem, Bibi, Netanyahu, Soleimani, Asad, Mark Milley, Hezbollah Trump, Steven Cheung, John Kirby, Cheung, Kirby, Iran’s, ” Ali Vaez, Joseph Amon, Washington –, Faiq Zidan, Zidan’s, Zidan, Abu Mahdi al, China Trump, Ukraine Trump, Letitia James, James, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, You’re, Bragg, Colangelo, Tanya Chutkan, I’m, Jack Smith, Bill Clinton, That’s, everybody’s, Letitia James –, Al Capone’s, Al Capone, Capone, Brad Schwartz, CNN couldn’t, Schwartz, Eliot Ness, MAGA, “ MAGA, …, White, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Inflation Trump, Bacon, Joe, PolitiFact, Trump . Howard Gleckman Organizations: Washington CNN —, CNN, Republican, Trump Trump, Republican Jewish Coalition, Department, ISIS, Trump’s, Democratic, Congress, Defense Department, former Defense Department, Center, US Customs, Trump, American Enterprise Institute, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Energy Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US, IHS, Islamic, The State Department, Customs Enforcement, Policy Institute, ICE, El Salvador, ”, Merriam, The New York Times, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Abraham Accords, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, Hezbollah, State Department, Carnegie Endowment, International, Arab Center Washington DC, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force, Obama, US International Trade Commission, Washington Post, U.S . International Trade Commission, New England lobstermen, England lobstermen, Americas, Crisis, government’s Energy, Administration, Washington Free Beacon, Energy Information Administration, Democrats, Biden, Electoral, Georgia, Michigan, Carter, Democrats can’t, Republicans, Alabama, Arizona, Fox News, ” Energy, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Wildlife, Alaska Industrial Development, Export Authority, Raymond James & Associates, Wilderness Society, Cox Automotive, Pew Research Center, New York Times, National Oceanic, California Gov, California, American Petroleum Institute, Union, West, Energy, American Automobile Association, AAA, GasBuddy, New Hampshire, Houston, Keystone XL, Obama administration’s State Department, –, Foreign, Military, DoD, Afghan, Defense, Policy, Taiwan News, “, University of Tennessee’s Center for National Security, Foreign Affairs, Israeli, NBC, Jerusalem Post, Yahoo, Pentagon, ” CNN, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Post, National Security, Group, US government’s Defense Intelligence Agency, Narcotics Bureau, Global Health, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Justice Department, Washington, Judicial, Popular Mobilization Forces, Customs and, Middle East, Customs, Protection, CBP, Border Protection, Kiel Institute, European Union, New York, New, ExxonMobil, Trump University, Trump Foundation, Manhattan, Attorney, federal Justice Department, Department of Justice, Washington DC, Presidential Records, Presidential, Mar, Biden White, MAGA Republicans, Inflation, Heritage Foundation, Trump ., Brookings Tax, Urban Institute Locations: New Hampshire, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Iowa, Mexico, “, U.S, Houston, Iraq, Israel, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Nord, Germany, Russian, Trump’s, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, El, Washington, ”, ” In Texas, Covid, China, Wuhan, Italy, France, Abraham, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, New England, England, Kpler, Malaysia, Oregon, Alabama, Maricopa County, Arizona, Arizona’s, Moscow, Alaska, East, South Carolina, California, “ California, West Virginia, Virginia, United Kingdom, West Texas, “ U.S, Los Angeles, Venezuela, Mississippi , Louisiana, Canada, United States, Paris, Taiwan, “ China, Iranian, that’s, –, Singapore, Iraqi, San Diego, Kiel, York, Manhattan, York’s, Chicago, Philadelphia, Georgia, Qaeda

☆ Iran’s president defends uranium enrichment after Europeans ‘trampled on their commitments’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

They (European states) trampled upon their commitments,” Raisi told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week. Nuclear power, which Iran says is the purpose of its nuclear program, requires uranium to be enriched to 3% to 5%. There is also concern that if Iran’s nuclear program is not kept in check, it could lead to further nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. The agreement capped Iranian uranium enrichment at 3.67% in exchange for sanctions relief. “Now, you see that the Iranians and the Americans have reached an understanding that has toned down Iran’s nuclear program, in which Europe played no role,” Vaez said.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, ” Raisi, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Donald Trump, Ali Vaez, ” Vaez, Iran hasn’t, “, ” Organizations: CNN, “, UN, Assembly, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Reuters, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, European Union, US, Group, Tehran, ”, Iran’s, Agency, Crisis Locations: New York, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran, Natanz, Tehran, Israel, East, United States, Washington, …, “, Islamic Republic, ” Tehran, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Europe, Qatar

☆ The US-Iran prisoner deal is a diplomatic breakthrough, but the bad blood persists
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The carefully choreographed agreement was years in the making and is being seen as a major diplomatic breakthrough for the two foes. The Biden administration is unlikely to engage in “meaningful revival” of the 2015 nuclear deal, said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the Chatham House think tank in London. Production is the highest it’s been since 2018, when Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran. The Islamic Republic’s oil exports have also increased, averaging 1.9 million bpd in August, Reuters reported, citing shipping firm TankerTrackers.com. “Those claiming that Biden is ignoring Iran’s exports are assuming that Biden can just shut down Iran’s exports through sanctions,” he said.

Persons: “, ”, Biden, Trump, Sanam Vakil, Ali Vaez, That’s, Ali Ahmadi, there’s, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Nasser Kanaani, Ebrahim Raisi, Raisi, ” Raisi, Trita Organizations: CNN, Five, Biden, Chatham House, Group, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Petroleum, Trump, Reuters, US Energy, Geneva Centre, Security, Islamic, Sunday, US Republican Party, US Treasury Department, NBC, Quincy Institute Locations: Iran, Qatar, United States, Washington, Tehran, East, North Africa, London, China, Islamic Republic, Russia, Ukraine, Washington ,

Now, the man who had been tasked with reviving a nuclear deal to constrain that program has been sidelined. Progress on nuclear talks, as well as the fate of detained Americans in Iran, is likely to boost the incumbents in the polls, analysts have said. Malley was one of the architects of the 2015 nuclear deal reached with Iran under the Obama administration. The administration began negotiations to re-enter an Iran nuclear agreement later that year. “US policy is informed by the administration’s national security calculations, and not any one person in the national security apparatus,” Vaez said.

Persons: Biden, Rob Malley, Malley, Abram Paley, Paley, Jake Sullivan, sidelining, Obama, Donald Trump, Obama’s, Israel, Malley’s sidelining, Nasser Kanani, Javed Gurban Oghli, Israel ”, Gabriel Noronha, Trump, “, ” Noronha, ”, Ali Vaez, Vaez, ” Vaez, Foad Izadi, Ebrahim Raisi, Brett McGurk, McGurk, ” McGurk Organizations: CNN — United, CNN, State Department, Representative, US National, Crisis Group, ICG, Islamic, Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian, Jewish Institute for National Security of, Iran, US State Department, “, University of Tehran’s Faculty of World Studies, US National Security Council, Middle, National Security Council Locations: Iran, Tehran, Republic, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Islamic Republic, Iranian, Middle East, Oman, Syria

☆ The US and its allies are stuck in a violent cycle with Iran-backed militias who want blood but don't want to 'poke the bear'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

But even still, miscalculation is possible, and these deadly exchanges nearly sent the US and Iran to war just a few years ago. In response, two US Air Force F-15E fighter jets carried out airstrikes later that evening against IRGC Quds Force facilities in Syria, killing eight Iran-backed militants. Angel Ruszkiewicz"We do not seek conflict with Iran, we don't seek escalation with Iran," Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. "As soon as the Iranian special forces and their proxies showed up in Syria, the Israelis started hitting them. The next day, Iran-backed militias attacked US forces near Hasakah, killing the American contractor.

☆ Iran's 'death committee' president unyielding in defence of clerical rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Parisa Hafezi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Raisi, then deputy prosecutor general for Tehran, was a member of the capital's death committee, according to Amnesty. In 2016, another member of the Tehran "death committee" said, "We are proud to have carried out God's order,” state media reported. "Raisi has been brought up as president for a few reasons, including his brutality, loyalty, and lack of conscience. SANCTIONED BY U.S.Raisi was born in 1960 to a religious family in Iran's northeastern Shi'ite Muslim city of Mashhad. Khamenei, not the president, has the final say on all major policy under Iran's dual political system split between the Shi'ite clerical establishment and the government.

☆ Weapons for Russia, anti-government protests and the nuclear deal: What lies ahead for Iran in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The Biden administration went from encouraging negotiations on reviving the Iranian nuclear deal to levying more sanctions on Tehran and condemning it for providing lethal weapons and training to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. Iran's Foreign Ministry denies knowing about Iranian weapons transfers to Russia, despite evidence of Iranian-made drones wreaking havoc on Ukrainian cities. Sergei Savostyanov | AFP | Getty Images"2023 is going to be a pivotal year for Iran," Ali Vaez, Iran project director at non-profit Crisis Group, told CNBC. The nuclear deal: too far gone? Ukraine has blamed Iran for providing Russia with drones, which have been used to attack Kyiv.

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