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☆ Gaza war weighs heavy on the minds of Palestinian Olympians: ‘I want to be an inspiration’
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Zeena Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Valerie Tarazi, 24, is originally from Gaza and one of two Palestinian swimmers who will be competing in Paris. Almasri was the first woman to represent Palestine in the World Cross-Country Championships in Belgrade in 2024, according to the Palestine Olympic Committee. But as a refugee, he couldn’t represent Palestine or Syria. Ismail, the team’s best hope to become the first Palestinian to win an Olympic medal, told CNN he feels similarly. This year, there will be eight – the most in history, according to the Palestine Olympic Committee.

Persons: Omar Ismail, Ismail, “, ”, ” Ismail, won’t, Valerie Tarazi, she’s, Tarazi, …, Layla Almasri, ” “, I’d, Almasri, don’t, Faris Badawi, he’s, couldn’t, –, Boxer Wasim Abu Sal, Jorge Salhe, Mohammed Dwedar, Yazan Al Bawwab, we’re, it’s, Omar Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, West Bank, United Arab Emirates, CNN, United Nations, International Olympic Committee, National Olympic Committee of Palestine, Games, Olympic Games, Paris, Palestine Olympic, Yarmouk Refugee, Tokyo Games, Palestine Olympic Committee Locations: Abu Dhabi, Jenin, UAE, Jordanian, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Palestine, Palestinian, Gaza, Paris, United States, Belgrade, “, Yarmouk, Damascus, Syria, Europe, Germany, Ramallah, Santiago , Chile, Jericho, Saudi Arabia

☆ Turkey’s Erdogan courts ‘terrorist’ Assad over Syrian refugee problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Scott Mclean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In the capital Ankara, opposition parties are calling for mass deportations, and the government is calling on the Syrian regime it once sought to topple to help resolve the problem. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is now publicly seeking a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad, the man he once labeled a terrorist, to reset relations. Before the Syrian civil war, the two leaders vacationed together, but years later, after the Syrian regime brutally crushed a public revolt, Erdogan sought to oust him from office and backed local forces fighting against him. Turkish troops remain in control of a swath of Syrian territory along the Turkish border where Syrian opposition groups are sheltering. Syrian opponents denounce the Turkish President's statements for normalization with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in the city of Idlib, Syria on July 12.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Bashar al, Assad, vacationed, Erdogan, “, ” Erdogan, ”, Bilal Bagis, “ It’s, ” Assad, Aaref Watad, Ali Yerlikaya, Ebubekir Hussamoglu, He’s, Anas, Mohammad Shbeeb, Abdullah Resul Demir, they’re, Shbeeb, didn’t, Cenk Ozatici, Iyi, Ozatici, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu Organizations: CNN, Turkish, International Refugee Rights Association, Ibrahim Usta, AFP, Getty, Party, European Union, Istanbul Mayor Locations: Turkey, Ankara, Turkish, Damascus, Syria, Afrin, AFP, Anatolian, Kayseri, Syrian, Antalya, Istanbul, Idlib, Gaziantep, Azaz, Ibrahim, Europe

☆ Inspired by Muhammad Ali, meet the judo star who fled civil war conscription in Syria and will now compete at the Paris Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Rory Fleming | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“He was someone who stood up and said ‘no.’ To have that sort of strength was something that inspired me,” says Adnan Khankan ahead of his Olympic judo debut in Paris later this month. Ed Kolenovsky/APConscription into the Syrian Army“I didn’t see it as my war, how could it be when it was Syrian people killing other Syrian people? The Syrian Civil War, which initially broke out in 2011, is now considered the biggest humanitarian crisis since World War II. Michael Kappeler/picture-alliance/dpa/AP“It really motivated me when I found out about the existence of a refugee team,” said Khankan. Adnan Khankan“The refugee team speak different languages, are different ethnicities, come from different cultures, but we are all one team competing together.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Muhammad Ali, Brown, ”, Ali, Adnan Khankan, Khankan, Bashar al, spiralled, ” Khankan, Ed Kolenovsky, Bashar Al, Assad, Diaa Al, “, ” Adnan Khankan, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Mardini, Yusra Mardini, Michael Kappeler, Marius Vizer, Adnan, “ Adnan, Vizer, Adnan Khankan “, I’ve Organizations: CNN, International Olympic Committee, Syrian Army, CNN Sport, Al, Free Syrian Army, Reuters, taekwondo, Getty, Rio Olympics, IOC, Rio, Tokyo, Japan, Judo, International Judo Federation, UNHCR, “, Olympic Locations: Vietnam, America, Paris, Cologne, Germany, Damascus, Syria, Houston, Arbeen, Ghouta, Tashkent, AFP, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungarian, Cairo, Tokyo, Europe, Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, East, Africa, Iran, Afghanistan, Cuba

☆ Israeli airstrike kills businessman sanctioned by US for ISIS links, Syrian media reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Eyad Kourdi | Ben Wedeman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —An Israeli airstrike near the Lebanese-Syrian border has killed a prominent Syrian businessman who was sanctioned by the United States, local media reported Monday. Mohammad Baraa Qatarji died when the strike hit the car he was traveling in on the al-Saboura highway near Damascus, according to Syrian state-aligned newspaper al-Watan. According to the US Treasury website, Qatarji had a strong working relationship with officials within the Syrian government, including in the ministries of oil and trade. Qatarji and his two brothers Zahed and Hussam – who are also sanctioned by OFAC – established a militia that fought alongside the Syrian regime in Aleppo in 2016. CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) about the strike but has not yet received a response.

Persons: Mohammad Baraa Qatarji, Qatarji, OFAC, Qatirji, Hussam –, OFAC –, Muhammad Sa’id al Organizations: CNN, US Treasury, Foreign Assets, ISIS, Treasury, Law, Qatirji Company, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Lebanese, Syrian, United States, Saboura, Damascus, Syria, Aleppo, Lebanon

☆ Why an Israel-Hezbollah war would be far more dangerous today than the last time around
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Ben Wedeman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Since its inconclusive 2006 war with the Lebanese militant group, Israel has been planning for a re-match. During the 2006 war, in the experience of this correspondent, it was rare to encounter Hezbollah fighters. In the event of war, full-scale war, both sides will be able to inflict significant pain on the other. In the entire 34-day war of 2006 Hezbollah is estimated to have fired around 4,000 rockets – a daily average of 117. At 6 a.m. on July 13, 2006 – less than 24 hours after the start of the war – Israeli warplanes bombed and knocked out Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport.

Persons: CNN —, Benny Gantz, Hassan Nasrallah, – Nasrallah, Avihu Shapira, Gantz, Beirut’s Rafic, –, Israel, Iran’s, Qais Al, Ahl Al, Haq, Lebanon “ Organizations: CNN, Reichman University, Israel, Getty, Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport, Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International, Washington Locations: Lebanon, Herzliya, Israel, Lebanese, Haifa, Syria, Gaza, Iraq, Iran, It’s, Israel’s, Yemen, Red, Jordan, America, Tehran, Damascus, Hormuz, Persian, Germany, Sweden, Kuwait, Netherlands

☆ The world’s most liveable cities for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Austrian city has been crowned the most liveable city in the world yet again in the annual list from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which was released today. Perfect scoresVienna has been named the most liveable city in the world on the EIU’s Global Liveability Index. ‘Acute housing crisis’Canada's Toronto dropped out of the top 10 most liveable cities list this year, coming in 12th. Swiss city Zurich scored impeccably in the education and health care categories. Gaetan Bally/Zürich TourismusUK capital London was ranked as the 45th most liveable city in the world.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Emmanuele, Australia’s, Gaetan Bally, Abu, Al Khobar, Drazen Zigic, ”, Barsali Bhattacharyya, “, headwinds, Bhattacharyya Organizations: CNN, Economist Intelligence Unit, Vienna, Switzerland’s, Melbourne, Canadian, Calgary, Japan’s, Auckland, Toronto North America, Toronto, Zurich, impeccably, Zürich Tourismus, London, UAE, Nigeria’s Locations: Vienna, Austrian, Denmark’s Copenhagen, Switzerland’s Zurich, Geneva, Vancouver, Japan’s Osaka, New, Western Europe, Honolulu, Hawaii, Atlanta , Georgia, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Canada, Australia, Asia, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, Jeddah, Al, Israel’s Tel Aviv, Israel, Damascus, Syria, Tripoli, Algeria’s Algiers, Nigeria’s Lagos, Austria, Copenhagen, Denmark, Zurich, Switzerland, Melbourne, Calgary, Sydney, Osaka, Japan, Auckland , New Zealand

☆ Killings show ISIS remains a threat in Syria's desert 5 years after losing its caliphate
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

ISIS killed an estimated 84 Syrian soldiers and 44 civilians in central Syria in March, making it the most violent month in the ISIS desert campaign since late 2017. Another four Syrian troops were killed in another desert attack in late April. "Over the past several years, ISIS has been able to make regular attacks in the desert," Landis told Business Insider. AdvertisementLandis noted that the Syrian military is picking up its efforts to attack ISIS in the Homs-Palmyra region. AdvertisementWhile the Syrian military does carry out combing operations in the Homs desert, ISIS remnants are far from Damascus's top priority.

Persons: —, Joshua Landis, Landis, Bashar al, Aron Lund, Lund, Assad, what's, there's Organizations: Service, ISIS, Human Rights, Business, Center for Middle East Studies, University of Oklahoma, Century International, Syrian Democratic Forces Locations: United Kingdom, Homs, Syria, Iraq, Deir ez, Palmyra, Islamic State, Kurdish, Turkey, Syria's Hasakah, Damascus, State

Saeed Abiyar, an adviser to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Syria, died in the attack, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. Israel fired back, a US official told CNN, targeting a major Iranian military airbase near the city of Isfahan. Iran has deployed military advisers to Syria in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since civil war broke out there in 2011. “The era of strategic patience is over,” said Mohammad Jamshidi, deputy chief of staff to the Iranian president. Israel contested this, claiming the target was an Iranian military headquarters.

Persons: Saeed Abiyar, SANA, Israel, Bashar al, Assad, ”, Mohammad Jamshidi, Monday’s, Trita, Ebrahim Raisi, Hossein Amir, “, ” Parsi, Joe Biden, Parsi Organizations: CNN, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Islamic, Washington DC, Quincy Institute, Foreign Locations: Syrian, Aleppo, Israel, Iran, Syria, Damascus, Lebanon, Isfahan, Gaza, Washington, Iranian, Tehran

☆ Raisi’s funeral is about a lot more than the late Iranian president
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Unlike previous Iranian presidents, Raisi seemed content to serve as an empty vessel that carried out the reactionary policies of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the final arbiter on policymaking. So, when foreign dignitaries from a whopping 68 countries gathered for Raisi’s funeral on Thursday, they may not have been preoccupied with thoughts of the late president. Iranians follow a truck carrying the coffins of the late President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions during a funeral ceremony in Tehran, Iran. “This (funeral) is a way for countries to show the progress they have made in repairing relations with Iran,” said Parsi. He could also decide to change tack, opening it up so that Iran’s next president enjoys broad popular support.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi’s, Raisi, Ali Khamenei, Hassan Rouhani, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad –, Qassem Soleimani, Quincy Institute Trita Parsi, –, Ismail Haniyeh, Ebrahim Raisi, Majid Saeedi, Donald Trump, ”, Khamenei, “, ” Mohammad Ali Shabani, Amwaj.media, CNN’s Becky Anderson, that’s Organizations: CNN, Quincy Institute Trita, United Arab, Getty, Obama, country’s Guardian Council, Supreme Locations: East, Iran, ” Washington, Gaza, Tehran, Israel, Damascus, Turkey, India, China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Kuwait, Europe, Islamic Republic, country’s

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Benny Gantz ultimatum, Netanyahu government in turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Rescue teams' vehicles are seen near the site of the incident of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Varzaghan in northwestern Iran, on May 19. It has also brought a decades-long shadow war between Iran and Israel out into the open. But the proxy war continues with Iran-backed militias such as Hamas and Hezbollah continuing to fight Israel’s forces. The powers of Iran's president are ultimately dwarfed by those of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is the final arbiter of domestic and foreign affairs in the Islamic Republic. That means Iran's clerical establishment, headed by Khamenei, must now find a new leader they can throw their support behind against a backdrop of intense regional insecurity and domestic discontent.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Azin, Israel —, Israel, Mahsa, Raisi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, —, Mohammad Mokhbar —, Khamenei Organizations: Moj News Agency, Hamas, Revolutionary Guards, United Locations: Varzaghan, Iran, Gaza, Israel, Damascus, Iranian, Isfahan, United Nations, Islamic Republic

☆ Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi dies in helicopter crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewIranian President Ebrahim Raisi has died after a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran, multiple news agencies reported, citing Iranian state media. Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi told IRNA, Iran's state-run news agency, that a helicopter carrying Raisi and other senior Iranian officials was forced to make a "hard landing" on Sunday, without providing further details. Related storiesIran's foreign minister, the governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan province, and other officials were also on board the helicopter. Raisi is considered a "hard-liner" and a "protégé" of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Raisi has led Iran through heightened tensions in the region, including the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Persons: —, Ebrahim Raisi, Ahmed Vahidi, IRNA, Mohammad Mokhber, Al, Mokhber, Raisi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Organizations: Service, Business, Raisi, Associated Press, Iranian, United, United States Institute of Peace Locations: Iran, Iran's, Iran's East Azerbaijan province, Azerbaijan's, Al Jazeera, Israel, Gaza, Iranian, Damascus, United States, Russia, Ukraine

☆ 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

☆ 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

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

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

☆ Majd Kamalmaz: American therapist detained in Syria more than seven years ago has died
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Avery Lotz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Majd Kamalmaz, an American man detained in Syria more than seven years ago, has died, according to a statement from the Bring Our Families Home Campaign (BoFH). The visit was held in an effort to secure the release of American prisoners believed to be held by the Syrian government. A vigil is held outside of the White House on February 17 to mark three years since Majd Kamalmaz's detention in Syria. family photo“We do feel invisible,” said Maryam Kamalmaz, speaking on the first-ever Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day about her father’s disappearance earlier this year. “For the last seven years, we have been struggling to come to grips with my father’s absence,” Maryam Kamalmaz said in the statement announcing her father’s death.

Persons: Majd, Tragically, ”, Jonathan Franks, Kamalmaz, Maryam Kamalmaz, Joe Biden, ” Maryam Kamalmaz Organizations: CNN, White, ” CNN, US State Department Locations: Syria, Texas, Damascus, Trump, Syrian

☆ Biden's move to send $1 billion in weapons to Israel could backfire
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe US plans to send more than $1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel despite growing tensions between President Joe Biden and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Getting the weapons to Israel could be a lengthy process. AdvertisementBiden later warned he would withhold additional weaponry if Israel went ahead with a widespread ground assault on the city. Seth Binder, an expert on US weapons sales with the Middle East Democracy Center, told the Journal that Biden's apparent U-turn weakens his influence over Netanyahu. Analysts say that Biden's handling of the Gaza war is among the issues corroding his support among them.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Israel, Nathan Howard, Netanyahu —, Seth Binder, Netanyahu, Sen, Chris Van Hollen, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, he's, Dave Harden Organizations: Service, Israel's, Officials, Street Journal, Business, CNN, White, Getty, Middle East Democracy Center, Washington Post, Pentagon, Israel, Gaza, US Agency for International Development, West Bank, BBC Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Washington , DC, Iran, Lebanon, Damascus, Syria

☆ After Ill-Advised Shortcut, 2 Horses Are Rescued in a 5-Hour Mission
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Amanda Holpuch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It took five hours, nearly 50 people and a makeshift bridge of ropes and logs, but a complex rescue effort in Connecticut this weekend successfully freed two horses, Damascus and Beau, after they became stuck in a swampy mess. “Horses are known for getting themselves into trouble, they are curious by nature,” Ms. Prink said. Both horses had found safe haven at the farm in Lebanon, Conn., after being rescued from difficult situations. Ms. Prink said that Beau and Damascus went missing on Saturday, and farm workers spent a couple of hours looking for them before finding the horses stuck in the mud. After a spending a couple more hours trying to get the horses out, the workers ultimately had to call for outside help.

Persons: Jeanna Prink, Beau, Ms, Prink, Damascus Locations: Connecticut, Damascus, Beau, Lebanon, Conn, Mexico, Canada

☆ Analysis: Biden’s Rafah warning sends immediate shockwaves through US and global politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Hospitals are overstretched as Palestinians die in Israeli attacks on the suburbs and tens of thousands of people have already fled. For Netanyahu, the eradication of the group that carried out the October 7 attacks may be a matter of political survival. • Can Israel — as Netanyahu vows — go ahead alone in an operation even the US has disowned? • How would a full-scale offensive in Rafah further hamper already faltering attempts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas? Initially, Biden’s warning, delivered in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett in the swing state of Wisconsin on Wednesday, looks like a case of political whiplash.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, —, Reagan, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Biden, Donald Trump, Netanyahu, Will Biden’s, Israel —, pummel, he’s, Erin Burnett, CNN Alon Pinkas, CNN’s Becky Anderson, ” Pinkas, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Joe ”, Israel’s, Gilad Erdan, Yoav Gallant, “, dissing Biden, Mike Johnson, ” Trump, Trump, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan’s, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Israeli, Gaza Health Ministry, United Nations, Democratic, Republicans, Trump, voters, Republican, House, Hamas, Party, GOP, CNBC Locations: Israel, Rafah, Washington, Gaza, Rafah —, New York, Wisconsin, United States, Europe, Michigan, Chicago, Vietnam, Iran, Damascus, Lebanon, Massachusetts

☆ Opinion: Unable to ‘win’ in Gaza, Israel sets its sights elsewhere
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Opinion Hussein Ibish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —An eerie relative calm has descended on the Middle East — Gaza obviously excluded — since a highly alarming exchange of missile, rocket and drone attacks by Israel and Iran in recent weeks. Now, the recent exchange of direct military attacks with Iran might have sealed Lebanon’s fate, unless team Biden can restrain Israel. On April 1, Israel struck an Iranian diplomatic facility in Damascus, killing a number of senior Iranian officials including Brig. As Israel’s forces moved south through Gaza, obliterating Hamas brigades with relative ease, its thinking relatively quickly turned north again. If this happens, a primary US goal regarding the Gaza war — conflict containment — would be shattered not by Washington’s adversaries, but ironically by its closest regional partner.

Persons: Hussein Ibish, Read, Biden, Israel, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, Haji Rahimi, Hossein Amirollah, Louai Beshara, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Charbel Mallo, Israel —, Joe Biden Organizations: Gulf States Institute, Israel, CNN, Biden, Hezbollah, Brig, Iran’s, Quds Force, Getty, Iranian, Israeli Locations: Washington, East, Gaza, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Iranian, Damascus, Brig, Syria, AFP, Tehran, United States, Kafr Kila, Lebanese

☆ CNN gets a rare look at the Iranian missiles and drones that hit Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Fred Pleitgen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But he’s more than happy to show the missiles and drones Iran used in its first ever attack against Israel launched directly from Iranian soil. Iran’s attack on Israel included drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. “NATO, The United States and Arab countries of the region wanted to create barriers for our drones, missiles and cruise missiles, but they failed,” Belali says. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that ballistic missiles that reached Israel fell on the airbase and caused only light structural damage. Shahed attack drones on an unmarked truck at an Iranian Revolutionary Guards exhibit in Tehran, Iran on May 1, 2024.

Persons: Tehran CNN —, ”, General Ali Belali, ” Belali, Israel, Belali, Jordan, Fred Pleitgen, Daniel Hagari, John Krzyzaniak, Lockheed Martin Organizations: Tehran CNN, Revolutionary Guard, Islamic, Israel, CNN, Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Revolutionary Guard Aerospace Forces, NATO, Israel Defense Forces, Washington, Wisconsin, Control, ISIS, Lockheed, CIA, Guards Locations: Tehran, Islamic Republic, Israel, Iran, Damascus, Gaza, Iraq, France, United States, Washington ,, Syria, Kurdish, American, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow

☆ US journalist Terry Anderson, held in Lebanon hostage crisis for nearly 7 years, dead at 76
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Melissa Alonso | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Terry Anderson, the former Mideast correspondent for The Associated Press who was kidnapped in 1985 and held captive for nearly seven years in Lebanon, has died at 76, his daughter told CNN. The cause of death was unknown, though his daughter told the AP he had recently had heart surgery. “You’re sorry, sorry for your family, sorry you were dumb enough to get captured,” Anderson told CNN once about his capture. In a 2016 interview, Anderson told CNN that he didn’t think about his captivity often. And you do it, day after day after day,” he said.

Persons: CNN — Terry Anderson, Anderson, Sulome Anderson, “, ”, Terry Anderson, Madeleine Bassil, Mark Lennihan, “ You’re, ” Anderson, “ There’s, He’d, Anderson’s Organizations: CNN, Mideast, The Associated Press, AP, Lions, Vietnam Children’s Fund, Protect Journalists, Marines, Marine, Iowa State University, Associated Press Locations: Lebanon, Greenwood Lake , New York, Kentucky, Tokyo, South Africa, New York, Ohio, Japan, Vietnam, Iowa, Lebanese, Beirut, Iran, Damascus, “

☆ Opinion: Shaking off the Trump effect
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. CNN —“We are most deeply asleep at the switch,” wrote Annie Dillard, “when we fancy we control any switches at all. When the Senate voted to send new aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan two months ago, House Speaker Mike Johnson took no action. With the help of Democrats, the House approved aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan on Saturday. Writing for CNN Opinion, he emphasized that there are legal principles that require universities to prohibit expressions of antisemitism.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Annie Dillard, “, time’s, —, Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, Sleepy Joe ”, Israel, Johnson, MAGA, Julian Zelizer, Walt Handelsman, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s, Kevin McCarthy’s, Clay Jones, Fareed Zakaria, Alejandro Mayorkas, “ Biden, ” Zakaria, Bill Clinton, ” Trump, Jack Ohman, Agency Donald Trump’s, dozed, Elliot Williams, Patrick T, Brown, …, ‘, ’, Attorney Alvin Bragg, ” Will, Jeffrey Abramson, ” “, Norm Eisen, Stormy Daniels, ” Eisen, Michael Cohen, Elie Honig, Frida Ghitis, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Lisa Benson, GoComics.com Peter Bergen, Daniel R, DePetris, Dean Obeidallah, Susanne DeWitt, ” David Schizer, ” Schizer, Danielle Campoamor, Caitlin Clark, Simone Biles, Campoamor, Latika Bourke, John Howard, Justin J, Pearson, Winston Churchill, Holly Thomas, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak’s, It’s, ” Thomas, YouGov, ” Don’t, Drew Sheneman, Agency David M, Perry, Frankie de la, Angel Reese, Roy Schwartz, Joni Mitchell —, Raul A, Reyes, Sonia Sotomayor, Jules Boykoff, Jaime M, Valiathan, Ed Manning, Sara Stewart, Noah Berlatsky, Taylor Swift Amy Bass, Taylor Swift, Swift, Department ”, ” Bass, “ Swift, Joe, Alwyn, Diana, they’re, Clara Bow, Dylan Thomas, Patti Smith — Organizations: CNN, Republicans, MAGA Republicans, Agency, Congress, Biden, Homeland, National Guard, ‘, Manhattan, Attorney, New York Democrats, Twitter, Facebook, New York Times, Trump, Berkeley, Nazism, Columbia, Nike, Team USA, Sydney, Port, Conservative, Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Central Press, Hulton, National Health Service, WNBA, Ungentlemanly, Department Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Manhattan, Iran, Russia, China, ‘, New, CNN Iran, “ Israel, Gaza, Israeli, Damascus, Iraq, America, Dearborn, Nazi Germany, Berkeley , California, Berkeley, East Bay, Sydney, Port Arthur, Tennessee, Surrey, Croydon, Quebec, Britain, Vancouver, London, Welsh

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war and the latest on the Middle East conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The scope of Israel’s military response to Iran’s first-ever direct attack on the country remains murky. Israeli officials have yet to publicly acknowledge responsibility for reported overnight explosions in parts of Iran on Friday. Iran may be downplaying what was likely to have been a significant but limited Israeli attack, but that seems to be secondary to the larger forces at play. The latest flare-up brought the stakes into sharp focus, but it also exposed the limits of a direct confrontation between Iran and Israel. Remember: What happens between Iran and Israel rarely stays between Iran and Israel.

Persons: Iran’s Organizations: CNN, Washington Locations: Iran, Tehran, Israel, Damascus

☆ Why the oil market shrugged as Iran and Israel appeared on the brink of war this week
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. crude oil and global benchmark Brent finished out the week about 3% lower, despite the fact that Iran and Israel traded direct strikes against each other's territory for the first time. Fears that oil prices could shoot to $100 a barrel or above did not materialize. The market has essentially erased the risk premium associated with the Iran-Israel tensions after traders bid up prices last week on war fears. "These skirmishes did not impress the oil markets, which believe that no disruption to oil flows will occur." Papic said a sustained war between Israel and Iran is difficult to imagine and may even be practically impossible.

Persons: Ali Mohammadi, Israel, Manish Raj, John Kilduff, Marko Papic, Papic, Brent, Kilduff, CNBC's Organizations: Persian Gulf, Bloomberg, Getty, Brent, Israel's, Israel, Traders, Velandara Energy Partners, Again, International Atomic Energy Agency, Clocktower Locations: Bandar Abbas, Iran, Israel, U.S, Damascus, Syria, Tehran

An Israeli airstrike on Iran on Friday damaged an air defense system, according to Western and Iranian officials, in an attack calculated to deliver a message that Israel could bypass Iran’s defensive systems undetected and paralyze them. The strike damaged a defensive battery near Natanz, a city in central Iran that is critical to the country’s nuclear weapons program, according to two Western officials and two Iranian officials. The attack — and the revelation on Saturday of its target — was in retaliation for Iran’s strike in Israel last week after Israel bombed its embassy compound in Damascus. But it used a fraction of the firepower Tehran deployed in launching hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel. But the relatively limited scope of Israel’s strike and the muted response from Iranian officials seem to have eased tensions.

Organizations: Israel Locations: Iran, Israel, Damascus, Tehran, Syria

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