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☆ Iran throws its support behind Assad as rebels expand their shock offensive in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-01 | by ( Freddie Clayton | Freddie Clayton Is A Freelance Journalist Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

“The Syrian army will once again be victorious over these terrorist groups as in the past,” he added. In his first public comments released by the state news agency Saturday evening, Assad said Syria will continue to "defend its stability and territorial integrity against terrorists and their supporters." Iran’s support for Assad mirrors that of Russia, which helped to turn the tide of the war during 2016's battle for Aleppo between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters. The victory helped Assad to secure Assad's hold on strategic areas of Syria, with opposition factions and their foreign backers controlling areas on the periphery. The U.S., for its part, opposes Assad, opposes Russia, and opposes Iran, but has allied itself with Syrian Kurdish forces despite their fight against U.S.’ NATO allies Turkey.

Persons: ”, Abbas Aragchi, “, Hayat Tahrir, Sham, Bashar Assad's, Assad, Iran’s, BAKR Organizations: Human Rights, Fighters, Getty, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, U.S, NATO, Humanitarian Affairs Locations: Iran, Aleppo, Syria’s, Damascus, London, Syria, Hama, U.S, Turkey, Tehran, Lebanon, Russia, AFP, Tartus, Kurdish, Ankara, Syrian Kurdish, The U.S, Sham

☆ Syrian rebels sweep into Aleppo, Russia conducts strikes in support of Assad
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Anti-government fighters brandish their guns as they ride a vehicle in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on November 30, 2024. Russia's Defence Ministry said its air force had carried out strikes on Syrian rebels in support of the country's army, Russian news agencies reported. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, once known as the Nusra Front, is designated a terrorist group by the U.S., Russia, Turkey and other states. Acknowledging the rebel advance, the Syrian army command said insurgents had entered much of Aleppo. The rebels also took control of Aleppo airport, according to a statement by their operations room and a security source.

Persons: Jihadists, Hayat Tahrir, Sham, Bashar al, Assad, Sean Savett, Savett, Assad's, Aleppo, Ali Jumaa, Bassil al, Fighters, Maraat al Numan Organizations: Russia's Defence Ministry, White House National Security Council, Security, Reuters, for Locations: Aleppo, Turkish, redeploy, Hayat, U.S, Russia, Turkey, Moscow, In Washington, Iran, Syria, Russian, Damascus, al, Aleppo's Basel, Idlib, Aleppo's, Maraat, Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, Lebanese

☆ The illusion of Assad’s grip on Syria shatters, as Russia, Iran and Hezbollah let their guard down
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-30 | by ( Ben Wedeman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

There were moments when the Bashar regime’s survival looked in doubt. Once shunned by his fellow Arab autocrats, Bashar al-Assad was gradually regaining the dubious respectability Arab regimes afford one another. Had Bashar al-Assad won? A Syrian opposition flag above a market square in central Aleppo on November 30, 2024. Muhammad Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty ImagesThe obvious explanation is that Syria’s key allies – Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah – are all under pressure and let their guard down.

Persons: CNN — “, ”, Hafez al, Assad, today’s, Bashar al, Bashar, Russia –, autocrats, Ali Jarekji, Sham –, Muhammad Haj Kadour, –, Israel Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Muslim, Getty Locations: Syria, Aleppo, autocrats, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Iran, Russia, Damascus, Turkish, Israel, Idlib, Hama, AFP, – Russia, shoring, Ukraine

☆ In a shock offensive, insurgents breach Syria’s largest city for the first time since 2016
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The advance on Aleppo followed a shock offensive launched by insurgents Wednesday, as thousands of fighters swept through villages and towns in Syria's northwestern countryside. A ceasefire in Hezbollah's two-month war with Israel took effect Wednesday, the day the Syrian opposition factions announced their offensive. Turkish security officials said Thursday that Syrian opposition groups initially launched a long-planned "limited" offensive toward Aleppo, where attacks targeting civilians originated. Besides backing opposition forces, Turkey has also established a military presence in Syria, sending troops into parts of the northwest. The opposition groups also seized heavy weapons and military vehicles belonging to the government forces, the agency said.

Persons: Hayat Tahrir, Robert Ford, Israel, Dareen Khalifa, It's, Hezbollah's, Bashar Assad's, Dmitry Peskov, Rami Abdurrahman, Abbas Araghchi Organizations: Syrian Observatory, Human Rights, International Crisis Group, Islamic, Anadolu Agency, Iranian, U.S, Zionist Locations: Rashidin, Aleppo, Hayat, Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, Russia, Iran, U.S, Syria, Hayat Tahrir, Hezbollah's, Ukraine, Turkey, Syrian, United States, Syrian Kurdish, Idlib, Damascus, Turkey's, Palestine

☆ As Syrian rebels sweep into Aleppo, army closes airport and roads, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A fighter inspects a seized Syrian Army rocket launcher in the district of Khan al-Assal which was taken over by Jihadists and their Turkish-backed allies in the northern Syrian Aleppo province, on November 29, 2024. Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport as well as all roads leading into the city on Saturday, three military sources told Reuters, as rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said they had reached the heart of Aleppo. The Syrian army has been told to follow "safe withdrawal" orders from the main areas of the city that the rebels have entered, three army sources said. The opposition fighters have said the campaign was in response to stepped-up strikes in recent weeks against civilians by the Russian and Syrian air force on areas in rebel-held Idlib, and to preempt any attacks by the Syrian army. Opposition sources in touch with Turkish intelligence said Turkey, which supports the rebels, had given a green light to the offensive.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, Mustafa Abdul Jaber, Oncu Keceli Organizations: Syrian Army, Jihadists Locations: Khan, Turkish, Aleppo, Russia, Damascus, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Russian, Idlib, Syrian, Turkey

☆ Syria’s rebels exploit weaknesses in Iran’s proxies to launch surprise offensive
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Mostafa Salem | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

On Friday, the armed rebel groups claimed to have entered the city, which has been under government control since 2016. The Syrian military said it’s “confronting terrorist organizations” and claimed to have inflicted “heavy losses” on the groups since Wednesday. Wednesday’s surprise operation marks the first significant conflagration between Syrian rebels and the regime since March 2020, when Russia and Turkey mediated a ceasefire in the north of the country. The militant group, which was credited for helping save the Assad regime from Syrian rebels, is now significantly weakened, with most of its leaders assassinated. Iran’s proxy Hezbollah has been instrumental in assisting Assad regain territory lost to militias and rebel groups.

Persons: SANA, Hassan Abdulghani, ” Abdulghani, it’s “, ”, Assad, –, Russia –, Izzettin Kasim, General Kioumars Pourhashemi, Abbas Araghchi, “ reactivating, “, Dmitry Peskov, Ukraine …, Nanar, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Tehran’s, Syria’s, Iran’s, Hawach, Hassan Nasrallah Organizations: CNN — Rebels, Syrian, CNN, United Nations, Free Syrian Army, Anadolu, Getty, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Analysts, Crisis Locations: Syria, Aleppo, reigniting, ”, Idlib, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United States, Lebanon, Syrian, Gaza, Iranian, Israel, Ukraine, Brussels, Turkish, Damascus, Iran’s, Arab

☆ Syria: Fifteen killed in Israeli strikes on Damascus, state media say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Mostafa Salem | Eyad Kourdi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Fifteen people were killed and 16 others injured in Israeli strikes on Damascus in Syria, state media SANA said, citing a military source and marking one of the deadliest strikes in months to hit the Syrian capital. The strikes targeted several residential buildings in the upscale Mezzah neighborhood in the capital and the Qudsaya area in the Damascus countryside, Syrian state media reported. Among those killed were women and children, Syrian state media added. The strikes targeted a residential building in the Sayyidah Zaynab area of the Damascus countryside, with women and children among those killed, SANA said. On November 4, SANA reported Israeli strikes in Sayyidah Zaynab the same day the IDF said Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Hezbollah intelligence infrastructure in the Damascus area.

Persons: SANA, Jihad, “, ” SANA Organizations: CNN, Israeli Air Force Locations: Damascus, Syria, Jihad, Gaza, Syrian, Israeli, Mezzah, Riyadh, Israel, Sayyidah, Lebanon, Qusayr, Homs

☆ UN sounds alarm at Israel’s ‘severe violations’ at key buffer zone with Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The United Nations has accused Israel of “severe violations” of a 50-year-old agreement with Syria, saying it has engaged in “engineering groundwork activities” that encroach on a key buffer zone in the Golan Heights. The Israeli military said the strikes were part of a larger effort to target the capabilities of a Hezbollah unit responsible for weapons smuggling. Saban said that Hezbollah is unlikely to try and trigger an Israeli military offensive from the Golan, however. In July, the IDF said it struck Syrian military infrastructure in retaliation for alleged breaches. “The IDF holds the Syrian military responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty,” the Israeli military said.

Persons: Israel, UNDOF, ”, Yasushi Kaneko, Navvar Saban, Golan, ” Saban, Majdal Shams, Saban Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, Observer Force, Planet Labs, European Space Agency, Israel Defense Forces, Labs, Alpha, IDF, Israel, Yomiuri Shimbun, AP, Harmoon, for Contemporary Studies, Lebanese, Syrian Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry Locations: Syria, Golan, Israel, Jubata Al Khashab, Majdal Shams, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria Israel, Tehran, Damascus, Majdal, Qusayr, Homs

☆ Israel’s strikes on Iran shattered a forty-year taboo. Tehran may now be forced to rethink its defense strategy
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Mostafa Salem | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Israel openly said it conducted “precise strikes” on military targets in Iran. “Israel now has broader aerial freedom of operation in Iran,” Israel’s military spokesman Daniel Hagari said, touting achievements in the attack. The idea was that if Israel were to strike Iran, Tehran would retaliate by unleashing its militias against Israel. Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that they have no intention of weaponizing the country’s nuclear program, while simultaneously using its potential as leverage in negotiations with the West. “Even the more hawkish American presidents have not favored taking military strikes because the most likely outcome is that, at some point, that will make Iran turn nuclear,” Parsi said.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, Israel didn’t, “, ”, Daniel Hagari, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nicole Grajewski, Hassan Nasrallah, ” Mohammad Ali Shabani, Amwaj.media, Trump, Fatemeh, Parsi, Grajewski Organizations: CNN, Schools, Iran’s, Quincy Institute, Responsible, Nuclear, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Israel, West, Bushehr Nuclear Power, Anadolu Agency, Getty Locations: CNN — Iran, Republic, Israel, Iran, Islamic Republic, Israeli, Damascus, “ Israel, Tehran, Washington, Syria, Israel’s, Gaza, Lebanon, London, Iraq, Bushehr

☆ Iran says it has a ‘right to self-defense’ after Israel attack, as U.S. urges end to missile exchanges
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-26 | by ( Freddie Clayton | Freddie Clayton Is A Freelance Journalist Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Iran responded to that attack with a drone and missile barrage on Israel that was at the time unprecedented. Israel retaliated with a limited strike on Iran which caused little damage. U.S. defense officials told NBC News that Israel had told their American counterparts about Saturday's strikes ahead of time, but that the U.S. was not involved in the attack. "The fact that Iran is downplaying the attack and what's been hit is good news," he told NBC News on the phone. "Whether Israel and Iran will think like this is a different matter," he added.

Persons: Biden, “ it’s, Masoud Pezeshkian, Abbas Araghchi, Pezeshkian, Israel, ” Jordan, “, Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah, Michael Milshtein, Yossi Mekelberg, what's Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, U.S, NBC News, IDF, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, American, Palestinian Studies, Tel Aviv University Dayan Center, Chatham House’s, North Africa Program Locations: Iran, Israel, America, Tehran, Khuzestan, Ilam, East, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, ”, Iraq, Beirut, Gaza, Lebanon, Damascus, Yemen, Syria, U.S

☆ Israel launched strikes on Iran in a retaliatory attack. Here’s what we know
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-26 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu monitors the attack on Iran from an undisclosed location. By about 6 a.m. local time, the Israeli military said it has concluded its operation, saying the “mission was fulfilled” and Israeli jets “have safely returned home.”How did we get here? That missile barrage came about 24 hours after Israel launched a ground war in Lebanon, opening a new front in its war against Iranian-backed militants. Israel and Iran have been fighting a shadow war through proxies and covert actions for decades. Following the October 7 attacks, Israel declared war on Hamas and launched military operations in Gaza that have killed more than 42,000 people.

Persons: CNN — Israel, “, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ilam ”, Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Netanyahu, Biden, ” Netanyahu, ”, Daniel Hagari Organizations: CNN, Iranian, Israel Defense Forces, GPO, Reuters, Israel, Hamas, United Arab Locations: Iran, United States, Tehran, Ilam, Khuzestan, Israel, Yemen, Israeli, Tel Aviv, Lebanon, Iranian, Damascus, Syria, Beirut, Gaza, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Arab, “ Iran

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Bracing itself for a retaliatory strike for last week’s ballistic missile attack, Iran has been urging its Arab neighbors not to allow Israel to use their airspace as part of any potential attack, two diplomats from Gulf nations told NBC News Friday. Israel has vowed to respond to the strikes and while the nature and timing of the attack remain unclear, Iran warned countries that do help Israel in any way could potentially become part of a war, one of the diplomats said. His death came days after several Hezbollah leaders were killed by exploding pagers and walkie-talkies, an attack which Israel was widely believed to have been behind. Both militant groups are backed by Tehran and Pezeshkian has portrayed Iran as “exercising restraint” because it waited for two months after Haniyeh's death before launching the attack on Israel. NBC News has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment but has not received a response.

Persons: Israel, Masoud Pezeshkian, Abbas Araghchi, Araghchi, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pezeshkian, Vladimir Putin, Sameh Khadr Hassan Al, Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah, Haniyeh, Nasrallah, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Biden, Rasoul, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ” Biden, Abu al, Askari, Matthew Savill, wouldn’t, ”, Israel “ Organizations: NBC, Gulf Cooperation Council, United, United Arab Emirates, U.S, European Union, West Bank, Israel, AFP, Getty, Israeli, Iran’s, Hezbollah, Military Sciences, Royal United Services Institute, NBC News, Israel Defense Forces Locations: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Israel, Jordan, United Arab, Washington, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Ashgabat, Russian, United States, Tehran, Syria's, Damascus, Brig, Gen, Fars, Iraq, U.S, London, Gaza, Lebanon, Beirut, Deir el

A major part of the fears is that the US’ influence with Israel has appeared to be steadily waning over the last year. Israel’s security cabinet has not yet reached a decision on how to proceed, an Israeli official told CNN on Friday. As of last week, Israel had not given any assurances that it would not target Iran’s nuclear facilities, CNN reported. Israel has for decades been planning attacks on Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and just two years ago simulated striking them in a military exercise. ‘Our strike will be powerful’Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a strong warning to Iran about his country’s response on Wednesday.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Hassan Nasrallah, ”, “, Israel —, Yoav Gallant, ” Gallant, Jordan, Abbas Araghchi, Al, Netanyahu “, Araghchi, it’s, Ben Gurion, CNN’s Kayla Tausche, Dania Karni, Katie Bo Lillis Organizations: CNN, Israel, Wednesday, United Arab, US, Israel’s, Iran’s, Zionist Locations: Tehran, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Arab, Iran, Damascus, Gaza, Lebanon, Beirut, France, cyberattacks, Saudi Arabia, Jordanian, backchannels, Washington, Yom, Tel Aviv

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Persons: Smart, Samantha Crozier raved, I'm, Stanley doesn't Organizations: Business, Stanley, FlexBrew, Hamilton Locations: Amazon

The terror attack has helped push the Middle East to the brink of a wider regional war. One year after the massacre, the Middle East has only plunged deeper into violence and is on the brink of a broader war. Globally, the immediate concern is that oil supplies will diminish significantly should conflict spill over to the rest of the Middle East. Everyone but Biden can see this," wrote Andrew Exum, a former US deputy assistant secretary of defense for Middle East policy, in The Atlantic last week. The global economy on edgeWhen the conflict began a year ago, there were fears that wider conflict in the Middle East could impact the global economy.

Persons: —, Israel, Chuck Frielich, Frielich, Yemen's Houthi, Mohammed Hamoud, barraged, Ammar Safarjalani, Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Fuad Shukr, Hasan Nasrallah, Qasem Soleimani, JOSEPH EID, JALAA MAREY, Nasrallah, bode, Benjamin Netanyahu, Carmel Gat, Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Biden, Andrew Exum, Brent, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, The Washington Institute for Near East, Getty Images Iran, Getty, Israel's, United Nations General Assembly, Citigroup, Iranian, US, Middle, Business, Bank of Israel, Reuters, IMF Locations: Israel, Iran, Gaza, Suez, Aden, Red, Palestine, Syria, Damascus, Xinhua, Tehran, Beirut, Haniyeh, Shukr, Lebanon, AFP, Hezbollah's, United States, Ukraine

☆ Regional war is effectively here. What Israel does next will be pivotal
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Mick Krever | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —In the days after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, fears ran high of a regional war. The conflict would not be contained in Gaza, the thinking went – Hezbollah would attack Israel from the north, the Houthis from Yemen, and Iranian proxies from Iraq. Israel would be forced to respond, it would come into direct conflict with Iran, and the wider war would be upon us. A day after Iran launched its largest ever ballistic missile attack on Israel – and as Israeli troops battle Hezbollah fighters on the ground in Lebanon – regional war is effectively here. Now is the time that we can attack, because Iran is fully vulnerable.”Smoke rises following Israel's bombardment in southern Lebanon on Wednesday.

Persons: Israel, Israel –, West Bank –, ”, Fatemeh Mohajerani, Ismail Haniyeh, Maya Alleruzzo, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nasrallah, ” Netanyahu, Hassan Nasrallah, Naftali Bennett, you’ve, ” Bennett, Baz Ratner, “, United States –, Jake Sullivan Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Israeli, Israel, Hamas, “, National Locations: Israel, Gaza, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Damascus, Iranian, Palestinian, Tehran, Rosh Haayin, Beirut, “, Hezbollah, Syria, Hodeidah, United States

Iran has launched ballistic missiles at Israel, causing sirens to sound all over the country, the Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday. "The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel," the White House official said. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran." A ballistic missile from Iran could reach Israel in as short as 10 minutes, according to the American Jewish Committee. Hours before news broke on a potential attack from Iran, Israel announced a ground invasion of southern Lebanon on Monday night.

Persons: Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, Joe Biden, Emilie Simons, Biden, Kamala Harris, Simons, Morteza, Assembly Iran’s, Masoud Pezeshkian, Pezeshkian, Nasrallah, Iran's, Ali Khamenei, Critics, Nadav, Shoshani Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, White House, Department of Defense, NBC, Israel, United Nations, White, Getty, United Nations General Assembly, Assembly, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, American Jewish Committee, Iranian, State Department Locations: Iran, Israel, Lebanon, United States, U.S, Islamic Republic of Iran, East, Iranian, Tehran, Damascus, Syria, Lebanese, Rafah, Gazan, Beirut

Israel has launched a ground operation southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah. Israeli officials said there would be “no long-term occupation” of Lebanon but declined to provide a timeline. Here’s what you need to know:• Mass casualties: At least 95 people were killed in Israeli strikes yesterday, adding to a death toll of more than 1,000 since last Monday. • UN opposes ground incursion: “We all know the devastation that an all-out war, a ground war in Lebanon would bring to the people of Israel and the people of Lebanon,” the UN chief’s spokesperson said Monday. • Strikes on Damascus: An Israeli strike has killed a well-know television anchor and two others, state news agency SANA reported.

Persons: •, Joe Biden, SANA Organizations: Lebanese, CNN, UN, UN chief’s, Pentagon, •, Hamas Locations: Israel, Lebanon, • Israel, Damascus, Syria, Germany, •, Gaza, Yemen

☆ Why America is looking increasingly powerless as Israel’s war expands
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

And the US has incessantly pushed for a Gaza ceasefire that neither Netanyahu nor Hamas seems to want. For instance, the US and its allies helped repel a massive Iranian missile and drone attack against Israel in April. It has also killed other senior members of the two groups in strikes in Syria, Lebanon, Iran and in Gaza. And pro-Trump Republicans are goading him to go further — at least partly to weaken Biden and his chosen successor, Harris. This is just one of many reasons why Netanyahu is incentivized to expand his war no matter how powerless it makes America look.

Persons: CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Joe Biden, “, Netanyahu, Kamala Harris, Hassan Nasrallah, Biden, Antony Blinken, Nasrallah, dissed, CNN’s MJ Lee, Kylie Atwood, Jennifer Hansler, Cedric Leighton, Leighton, Israel, it’s, Ismail Haniyeh, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, shuttler James Baker, —, Donald Trump, Harris, –, Trump Organizations: CNN, Monday, Israel Defense Forces, Democratic, Israel, Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, Washington, ”, Hamas, Republicans, Trump Republicans, Democratic Party, Arab American Locations: Lebanon, ”, Washington, East Israel, Israel, Gaza, Iranian, Damascus, United States, Hezbollah, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Africa, Tehran . Israel, Israeli, China, Michigan

☆ Killing of Nasrallah is a key prize for Israel, but it’s too early to write off Hezbollah
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-29 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In 2008, Israel killed Hezbollah’s military leader, Imad Mughniyeh, in Damascus, Syria, yet the group only gathered strength in the years that followed. Four years earlier, Israel killed a founder of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, in an airstrike. The US has its own history of killing terrorist leaders in the hope that it will cripple its foes. ISIS also carried out devastating terrorist attacks in the West, for instance, in Paris in 2015 that killed 130 people. The UN estimates there are about four hundred members of al Qaeda living in Afghanistan today.

Persons: CNN — , Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, don’t, Imad Mughniyeh, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, masterminds, Mohammed Deif, Abu Musab al, Zarqawi, al, ”, Barack Obama, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, Donald Trump, Qasem Soleimani, Soleimani, Trump, “ Soleimani, Osama bin Laden, bin Laden, Bin Laden’s, Laden, Ayman al, Zawahiri, didn’t, Nasrallah, it’s Organizations: CNN, US, ISIS, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, Hamas, United, Taliban, Hezbollah, CIA, US Navy, UN, Israel Locations: Beirut, Israel, Damascus, Syria, Gaza, al Qaeda, Iraq, Qaeda, Portugal, Paris, Syrian Kurdish, Mosul, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Baghdad, Yemen, United States, Pakistan’s, New America, Abbottabad, Iran

☆ Israel aims to upset the regional balance of power. History has a warning
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-29 | by ( Ben Wedeman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Beirut CNN —Killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was a step toward changing “the balance of power in the region for years to come,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Saturday. In June 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon with the goal of crushing the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. This new group, with Iran’s help, proved to be far more lethal and effective than the Palestinian militants Israel had successfully driven out. People gather near the site of the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut's southern suburbs, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. Beyond Lebanon and Israel, there is the example of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, a lesson in the wages of unfettered hubris.

Persons: Hassan Nasrallah, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ibrahim Aqil, Nasrallah, —, Dominique Faget, Bashir Al, Gemayel, Amin, Sabra, didn’t, Rafiq Al, Hariri, Iran’s, Israel, Hassan Ammar, George W, Bush, Saddam Hussein, Saddam Hussain, State Condoleezza Rice Organizations: Beirut CNN —, Lebanon —, Palestinian Liberation Organisation, PLO, Palestinian, West Bank, Getty, Maronite Christian, Arab, AP, Hezbollah, US, State Locations: Beirut, Middle East, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Palestinian, Tunisia, Yemen, Gaza, West Beirut, Galilee, AFP, Lebanon –, Beirut's, Iraq, Baghdad, Tehran, Damascus, Al, Afghanistan, State, Syria, Beirut’s

☆ De-escalation in the Middle East is now up to Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-28 | by ( Peter Gelling | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementIsrael's assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah for over 30 years, is a major escalation in the Middle East conflict. A senior Iranian commander working with Nasrallah was also killed in the attack, Iranian state media confirmed on Saturday. AdvertisementIn the days after that attack, Iran telegraphed its response before launching hundreds of missiles and drones toward Israel in an unprecedented retaliation. AdvertisementIran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a statement released on Saturday, said Iran stands with Hezbollah but did not threaten any military response. Still, Israel, anticipating a response from Hezbollah and other proxies in the region, and possibly Iran as well, ordered its citizens to avoid large gatherings.

Persons: Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, —, Israel, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, Slim, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Jonathan Panikoff Organizations: Service, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Force, Middle East Institute, Saturday, Israel Defense Forces, Atlantic Council Locations: Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, United States, Iranian, Damascus, Syria, Brig, Lebanon, Hamas, Gaza, Washington ,, Islamic Republic, Yemen, Tehran

☆ Iran weighs its next move as its closest ally takes a hit in Lebanon
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-28 | by ( Abbas Al Lawati | Mostafa Salem | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

As Tehran watches its most prized non-state ally take a beating, questions are mounting about how it may respond. Israel then began an air assault that killed several Hezbollah commanders and led to the highest number of casualties in Lebanon in almost two decades. The Israeli military has claimed that Nasrallah has been killed, but Hezbollah is yet to comment on the matter. But it’s not an easy option as they will (become) targets, and they don’t understand Lebanon.”Under what circumstances would Iran intervene? This week however, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that his country would not remain “indifferent” if a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted in Lebanon.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, “, ”, Hanin Ghaddar, Amal Saad, Saad, … it’s, it’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trita Parsi, Mohamed Azakir, Farzin, Nadimi, ” Saad, ” Parsi, Parsi, Masoud Pezeshkian, Javad Zarif, Donald Trump, Mike Segar, Pezeshkian, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Zarif, Ismail Haniyeh, Abbas Araghchi Organizations: CNN, Washington Institute, AFP, Cardiff University, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, ”, Washington DC, Quincy Institute, American University of, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Islamic, United Nations, United Nations General Assembly, UN, Reuters, Israel, West, Assembly, UN Security Locations: Israel, Tehran, Gaza, Lebanon, Beirut, Wales, Tel Aviv, Lebanese, Iran, American University of Beirut, Damascus, United States, “, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Islamic Republic, New York

Top NewsA rocket attack targeting U.S. personnel housed at a base in Iraq’s western desert injured several American troops late on Monday, according to U.S. defense officials. Initial reports were that at least five people were injured in Monday’s attack and that the wounded included both U.S. troops and contractors. Those Iraqi militants have typically attacked U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria and targeted Israel using longer-range rockets. The chief goal of Iran-backed groups in Iraq is to force the U.S. troops to leave the country entirely. There are about 2,500 American troops in Iraq, as well as 900 in Syria, where the Islamic State has once again become active.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Fuad Shukr, Israel, Haniyeh’s, Biden, Kamala D, Harris, Asad, — Organizations: Asad, Asad Air Base, U.S, Hamas, Mr, Iraqi, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, Revolutionary Guard, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base, Pentagon, Islamic Locations: Ain, Asad Air, Iran, Gaza, U.S, Syria, Israel, Tehran, Beirut, Yemen, Iraq, Damascus, Al Asad Air, Islamic State, Jurf al, Baghdad

☆ A second Iranian attack on Israel would likely dwarf its first
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Read previewIran has repeatedly vowed it will attack Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas' political leader in Tehran on July 31. Iran directly attacked Israel for the first time in April, two weeks after Israel assassinated Iranian paramilitary commanders at an Iranian consulate annex in Damascus, Syria. AdvertisementHow Israel would retaliate for any Iranian attack would likely depend on certain factors. "If the coming Iranian attack causes Israeli casualties, they are likely to want to respond harshly," Azizi said. Devine believes Israel's response will depend on the "amount of damage and casualties" any Iranian attack ultimately causes.

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