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CNN —Syrian armed rebels have entered Aleppo just three days into their surprise offensive, marking the first time they have set foot in the country’s second largest city since government forces recaptured the city in 2016. Rebel forces launched a surprise attack this week, sweeping through several villages outside the city and reigniting conflict that had been largely static for years. “Our forces have begun entering the city of Aleppo,” said the newly formed rebel coalition, the Military Operations Command. Earlier Friday, the rebel group said it seized control of the Syrian government’s Military Scientific Research Center on the outskirts of Aleppo city after “intense clashes with the regime forces and Iranian militias.” It later shared a video of Syrian regime tanks leaving Aleppo as rebel forces advanced. Syrian opposition fighters enter the village of Anjara, west of Aleppo, on Thursday.

Persons: God, ”, Bashar al, Assad, “, Bassel al, President Assad, Omar Albam, SANA, Hassan Abdulghani, General Kioumars Pourhashemi, Abbas Araghchi, He’s, Dmitry Peskov, –, Russia – Organizations: CNN, Rebel, Military Operations Command, Syrian government’s, Scientific Research Center, Aleppo University, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Free Syrian Army, United Nations Locations: Aleppo, Abidine, Anjara, ”, Aleppo University, Idlib, United States, Israel, Iran, Syrian, Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia

☆ 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

☆ With Trump Returning and Hezbollah Weakened, Iran Strikes a Conciliatory Tone
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In mid-November, Iran dispatched a top official to Beirut to urge Hezbollah to accept a cease-fire with Israel. Around the same time, Iran’s U.N. ambassador met with Elon Musk, an overture to President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inner circle. And on Friday, it will hold talks in Geneva with European countries on a range of issues, including its nuclear program. All this recent diplomacy marks a sharp change in tone from late October, when Iran was preparing to launch a large retaliatory attack on Israel, with a deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps warning, “We have never left an aggression unanswered in 40 years.”Iran’s swing from tough talk to a more conciliatory tone in just a few weeks’ time has its roots in developments at home and abroad. Five Iranian officials, one of them a Revolutionary Guards member, and two former officials said the decision to recalibrate was prompted by Mr. Trump winning the Nov. 5 election, with concerns about an unpredictable leader who, in his first term, pursued a policy of “maximum pressure” on Iran.

Persons: Iran’s U.N, Elon Musk, Donald J, ”, recalibrate, Trump Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Revolutionary Guards, Mr Locations: Iran, Beirut, Israel, Geneva

☆ Federal prosecutors charge Iranian Revolutionary Guards official in assassination plot on US soil
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The charges made public Tuesday against the official, Ruhollah Bazghandi, are the first to accuse an Iranian government official by name in the alleged plot to kill journalist Masih Alinejad. Prosecutors allege they were enlisted to carry out the assassination of Alinejad in the United States. Bazghandi allegedly discussed the plot to murder Alinejad with a second defendant, Haj Taher. Taher, in turn, communicated about the plot defendants Hossein Sedighi and Mohammad Forouzan, prosecutors say, including about payment for the murder. Taher, Sedighi and Forouzan also have connections to the Iranian government, prosecutors allege.

Persons: Ruhollah Bazghandi, Masih Alinejad, Bazghandi, Alinejad, General Merrick Garland, ” Alinejad, Ali Khamenei’s IRGC, “, ”, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, General ”, Qasem Soleimani, Javad, Haj Taher, Taher, Hossein Sedighi, Mohammad Forouzan, Sedighi, Forouzan, Rafat Amirov, Amirov, Polad, Zailat, CNN’s Kara Scannell Organizations: CNN, Federal, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Eastern, ”, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Treasury Department, Qods Force, Amirov Locations: New York, Iran, United States, Iran’s, American, Iranian, New York City, IRGC, Syria, ”, France

☆ Israel has not briefed U.S. military officials on its plans for retaliation against Iran, U.S. officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

After Iran launched approximately 200 ballistic missiles at Israel last week, U.S. military officials discussed options for joining Israel in its retaliation against Iran, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the discussions. The U.S. has long supported Israel with intelligence and that support could continue during Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Iran, the two officials said. Senior U.S. military officials have also discussed conducting very limited strikes against Iranian targets, the two officials said. Strikes inside Iran have been discussed, as have strikes on targets outside Iran, though strikes of any kind are less likely than intelligence sharing, the officials said. And U.S. officials say Israel has made it clear that it is not ruling out a response during the Yom Kippur holiday this week.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Israel, Gallant, Austin, Hassan Nasrallah, Benjamin Netanyahu, Washington . Austin, Nasrallah, Pat Ryder, ” Ryder, “ We’ve, …, Michael “ Erik ” Kurilla Organizations: Defense, Israeli, U.S, Austin, Israel, Senior U.S, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iran, Pentagon, United Nations General Assembly, “, ” Senior U.S, U.S . Central Command Locations: United States, Iran, Washington, Israel, U.S, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Beirut, New York, Washington .

☆ F.B.I. Investigating Hacking That Trump Campaign Attributes to Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Adam Goldman | More About Adam Goldman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

said on Monday that it was investigating whether the Trump campaign had been hacked, days after the former president said Iran had launched a cyberattack. The bureau did not specifically name Iran or former President Donald J. Trump but referred to news reports about a “campaign cyberintrusion.”“We can confirm the F.B.I. has said Iran, China and Russia were at the top of the list. Russia has a long history of trying to sow chaos in American elections, targeting the Democratic National Committee in 2016. The Trump campaign has so far provided no evidence of Iran’s involvement, but on Friday Microsoft said a hacking group run by the intelligence unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had breached the account of a “former senior adviser” to a presidential campaign.

Persons: Trump, Donald J, ” Organizations: Democratic National Committee, Microsoft, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Locations: Iran, U.S, China, Russia

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

☆ Israel scored major intelligence wins in daring assassinations of Iranian proxy leaders
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementA photo taken on July 30 shows the destroyed top floors of an eight-story building following an Israeli military strike on Beirut's southern suburb. AdvertisementA man waves a Hezbollah and a Palestinian flag during the funeral procession of top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut's southern suburbs on August 1. AdvertisementA man waves a Hezbollah and a Palestinian flag during the funeral procession of top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut's southern suburbs on August 1. Photo by AFP via Getty ImagesYoav Gallant, Israel's defense minister, said Thursday that "the operation was conducted precisely and professionally" by the IDF and Israeli security forces. In April, Israel's military intelligence chief resigned and said his directorate "did not live up to the task we were entrusted with."

Persons: —, Israel, Fuad Shukr, Shukr, Hasan Nasrallah, Jonathan Lord, KHALED DESOUKI, Bruce Hoffman, Ismail Haniyeh, Masoud, Axios, Hoffman, Mohammed Deif, Yoav Gallant, apparatuses Organizations: Service, Israel, Business, Getty, Jihad Council, US Marine Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Pentagon, Center, New, New American Security, Palestinian, Council, Foreign Relations, The New York Times, Getty Images Israel, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, AFP Locations: Lebanon, Iran, East, Beirut, Golan, New American, Beirut's, AFP, Tehran, Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Palestine

Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader of Hamas, was assassinated on Wednesday by an explosive device covertly smuggled into the Tehran guesthouse where he was staying, according to seven Middle Eastern officials, including two Iranians, and an American official. The bomb had been hidden approximately two months ago in the guesthouse, according to five of the Middle Eastern officials. The guesthouse is run and protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and is part of a large compound, known as Neshat, in an upscale neighborhood of northern Tehran. The bomb was detonated remotely, the five officials said, once it was confirmed that he was inside his room at the guesthouse. Such damage was also evident in a photograph of the building shared with The New York Times.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh Organizations: American, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Revolutionary Guards, The New York Times Locations: Tehran

Read previewTop Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in Iran, according to a statement from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps early Wednesday. Haniyeh, 62, was the leader of Hamas' political wing. He had traveled to Tehran to attend the inauguration of Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's new president, according to multiple reports. Khan collectively accused Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza, and Mohammed Deif, commander of Hamas' military wing, of war crimes and crimes of humanity on October 7. When contacted for comment on Iranian state media reports, the Israeli military told CNN they "don't respond to reports in the foreign media."

Persons: —, Ismail Haniyeh, Israel, Haniyeh, Masoud, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's, Karim Khan, Khan, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, Haniyeh's Organizations: Service, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Tasnim, Wednesday, New York Times, Associated Press, CNN, Business, Hamas, The Times, Criminal, Pentagon, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Iran, Tehran, Qatar, Israel, Gaza, Beirut, Golan

☆ Iran Has Accused Israel of Assassinations on Its Soil Before
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Qasim Nauman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Hamas and Iran on Wednesday accused Israel of assassinating Ismail Haniyeh, one of the Palestinian militant group’s most senior figures, in Tehran. Iran and Israel have fought a covert war for years, blaming each other for sabotage, abductions and targeted killings across the region. Tehran has also accused Israel of past assassinations inside Iran. Mr. Fakhrizadeh was one of Israeli intelligence’s top targets for years, and Iran angrily accused Israel of killing him. He wasn’t the first scientist linked to the nuclear program to be attacked on Iranian soil.

Persons: Israel, Ismail Haniyeh, Mr, Haniyeh, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Fakhrizadeh, Sayad, Khodayee, Qassim Suleimani, Ayoub, Kamran Aghamolaei Organizations: Revolutionary Guards, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Quds Force Locations: Iran, Tehran, Israel, U.S, United States, Iraq

☆ Ismail Haniyeh: Hamas political leader killed in Iran, group says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Kareem El Damanhoury | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in the Iranian capital Tehran, according to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps and Hamas on Wednesday. The new Iranian president was sworn in on Tuesday and Hamas released pictures the same day of Haniyeh meeting Iranian officials in Tehran. Haniyeh would be the second Hamas senior leader to be killed since the beginning of Israel’s war in Gaza. As Hamas grew in power, Haniyeh rose through the ranks – being appointed part of a secret “collective leadership” in 2004. In April, Israeli airstrikes killed three of Haniyeh’s sons and four of his grandchildren, according to Hamas.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, ”, Musa Abu Marzouk, “, Israel, Hezbollah’s, Fu’ad Shukr, Haniyeh, Saleh Al Arouri, Arouri, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, Barak Ravid, ” Ravid, –, Jimmy Carter, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, Wang Kejian, Haniyeh –, Qatar – Organizations: CNN, Revolutionary Guards Corps, ”, Hamas Locations: Tehran, Israel, Gaza, Beirut, Iran, Lebanese, Gaza City, United States, Qatar, Thani

☆ The Israel-Hezbollah war that no one wants could finally blow up
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-28 | by ( Analysis Elliott Gotkine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“We are approaching the moment of an all-out war against Hezbollah,” he said in an Israeli television interview on Saturday evening. And yet, over the past near-10 months of fighting, Israel, Hezbollah and Iran have always pulled back from what appeared to be the brink. All-out war failed to materialise. All-out war failed to materialise. The best way to avoid all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah, says Blinken, is to get a ceasefire in Gaza.

Persons: Amos Hochstein, Joe Biden’s, ”, Majdal Shams, Will Hochstein’s, Israel Katz, Antony Blinken, We’re, Naftali Bennett, “, Aaron David Miller, Israel, can’t, Yoav Gallant, didn’t Organizations: CNN, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, UN, Israeli Locations: Israel, Lebanese, Golan, Chebaa, Lebanon, Majdal, United States, Iran, Beirut, Damascus, Gaza

☆ Amid Perilous Times, Iran Holds Vote to Pick a President
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | Alissa J. Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After a testy campaign that featured strong attacks on the government by virtually all the candidates over the economy, internet restrictions and harsh enforcement of the hijab law on women, Iran was holding elections on Friday to pick a president. The vote comes at a perilous time for the country, with the incoming president facing a cascade of challenges, including discontent and divisions at home, an ailing economy and a volatile region that has taken Iran to the brink of war twice this year. With the race coming down to a three-way battle between two conservative candidates and a reformist, many analysts predict that none of them will achieve the necessary 50 percent of the votes, necessitating a runoff on July 5 between the reformist candidate and the leading conservative. That outcome may be avoided if one of the leading conservative candidates withdraws from the race, but in a bitter public feud, neither Gen. Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, a former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and a pragmatic technocrat, nor Saeed Jalili, a hard-liner, has budged.

Persons: Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, Saeed Jalili Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Locations: Iran

☆ Middle East Crisis U.S. Says It Is Trying to Bridge Gaps on Gaza Truce
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | Erica L. Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

But after more than eight months of war in Gaza, Israel and Hamas still appear to be far apart on an agreement. On Tuesday, Hamas issued a formal response to the cease-fire proposal to Qatari and Egyptian mediators, which officials in the Palestinian armed group said included some amendments. In the second phase, both sides would declare a permanent cease-fire, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza, and more hostage-for-prisoner exchanges would take place. Mr. Biden described the proposal as an Israeli initiative, and Israeli officials confirmed it was approved by the country’s top leadership. Asked about the ambiguous Israeli public stance, Mr. Sullivan said he could confirm that Israel stood behind the proposal.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Biden, Mr, Sullivan, Israel, Hamas’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, Farnaz Fassihi Organizations: U.S, Hamas, United Nations Security, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, Revolutionary Guard Locations: Egypt, Qatar, Israel, Gaza, Italy, Hamas, United States

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

☆ Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Iran’s ex-President Ahmadinejad to run again for leader, state TV says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Iran’s hardline former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has registered to run for president in the country’s June 28 election, organized after the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month, Iran’s state television reported on Sunday. However he could be barred from the race: the country’s cleric-led Guardian Council will vet candidates, and publish the list of qualified ones on June 11. Ahmadinejad, a former member of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, was first elected as Iran’s president in 2005 and stepped down because of term limits in 2013. In 2018, in rare criticism directed at Khamenei, Ahmadinejad wrote to him calling for “free” elections. Khamenei had backed Ahmadinejad after his 2009 re-election triggered protests in which dozens of people were killed and hundreds arrested, rattling the ruling theocracy, before security forces led by the elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) stamped out the unrest.

Persons: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ebrahim Raisi, Ahmadinejad, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “, Khamenei Organizations: Guardian, Revolutionary Guards, Guardian Council, Revolutionary Guards Corps

☆ Iran's President Raisi and Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian killed in helicopter crash, state media says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a meeting with the cabinet in Tehran, Iran, October 8, 2023. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian died in a helicopter crash, state media reported Monday. Iranian state television reported there was "no sign of life" at the crash site of the helicopter that carried Raisi, Amirabdollahian, and others. "All the passengers of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister were martyred," semi-official news agency Mehr News reported. "The overall outline of Iranian foreign policy is not likely to change significantly."

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Ali Ahmadi, CNBC's, Raisi, Malik Rahmati, Affairs Mohsen Mansouri, Pirhossein Koulivand, Ayatollah Khamenei Organizations: Mehr News, FARS News Agency, Geneva Center for Security, Communication, Affairs, Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps Locations: Tehran, Iran, FARS, Azerbaijan Republic, Iran's, East Azerbaijan's, Tabriz, Turkey, Russia

☆ Shadow War Between Iran and Israel: A Timeline
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For decades, Israel and Iran have fought a shadow war across the Middle East, trading attacks by land, sea, air and in cyberspace. A recent round of strikes — mainly an aerial barrage by Iran against Israel last weekend — has brought the conflict more clearly into the open and raised fears of a broader war. Iran hit back by attacking two bases in Iraq that housed American troops with a barrage of missiles, wounding about 100 U.S. military personnel. 2021-22: In July 2021, an oil tanker managed by an Israeli-owned shipping company was attacked off the coast of Oman, killing two crew members, according to the company and three Israeli officials. Two of the officials said that the attack appeared to have been carried out by Iranian drones.

Persons: —, Israel, Maj, Qassim Suleimani Organizations: Israel, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Locations: Israel, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Qaim, Iraq, Gen, Baghdad, Israeli, Oman

☆ Israel’s Strike on Iran: A Limited Attack but a Potentially Big Signal
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( David E. Sanger | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For more than a decade, Israel has rehearsed, time and again, bombing and missile campaigns that would take out Iran’s nuclear production capability, much of it based around the city of Isfahan and the Natanz nuclear enrichment complex 75 miles to the north. That is not what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet chose to do in the predawn hours of Friday, and in interviews, analysts and nuclear experts said the decision was telling. Israel said almost nothing about the limited strike, which appeared to do little damage in Iran. U.S. officials noted that the Iranian decision to downplay the explosions in Isfahan — and the suggestions by Iranian officials that Israel may not have been responsible — was a clear effort by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to avoid another round of escalation. Inside the White House, officials asked the Pentagon, State Department and intelligence agencies to stay quiet about the operation, hoping to ease Iran’s efforts to calm the tensions in the region.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, — Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Pentagon, State Department Locations: Isfahan, Iran, U.S, Isfahan —, Israel

☆ U.S. and Allies Penalize Iran for Striking Israel, and Try to Avert War
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Michael D. Shear | Michael Levenson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States and European allies joined together on Thursday to impose new sanctions on Iranian military leaders and weapon makers, seeking to punish Iran for its missile and drone attack on Israel last weekend, while imploring Israel not to retaliate so strongly as to risk a wider war. White House officials said the sanctions targeted leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iran’s Defense Ministry and the Iranian government’s missile and drone programs. The sanctions also seek to block exports by Iran’s steel industry that bring Tehran billions of dollars in revenue, they said. “I’ve directed my team, including the Department of the Treasury, to continue to impose sanctions that further degrade Iran’s military industries,” President Biden said in a statement. “Let it be clear to all those who enable or support Iran’s attacks: The United States is committed to Israel’s security.”Britain said it had imposed sanctions on seven people and six entities linked to Iran’s regional military activity and its attack on Israel, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a “reckless act and a dangerous escalation.”“These sanctions — announced with the U.S. — show we unequivocally condemn this behavior, and they will further limit Iran’s ability to destabilize the region,” Mr. Sunak said in a statement.

Persons: imploring, “ I’ve, Biden, Rishi Sunak, —, Mr, Sunak Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iran’s Defense Ministry, Department of, Treasury, ”, U.S Locations: States, Iran, Israel, imploring Israel, Iranian, Tehran, United States, Britain

☆ Iran’s Attacks Bring Long Shadow War With Israel Into the Open
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For decades, Israel and Iran have fought a shadow war across the Middle East, trading attacks by land, sea, air and in cyberspace. The barrage of drones and missiles Iran launched at Israel on Saturday — though nearly all were shot down or intercepted — marked a watershed in the conflict. It was the first time that Iran directly attacked Israel from its own territory, according to Ahron Bregman, a political scientist and expert in Middle East security issues at King’s College in London, who called it an “historic event.”Iran has largely used foreign proxies to strike Israeli interests, while targeted assassinations of Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists have been a key part of Israel’s strategy. Here is a brief history of the conflict:January 2020: Israel greeted with satisfaction the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the commander of the foreign-facing arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, in an American drone strike in Baghdad. Iran hit back by attacking two bases in Iraq that housed American troops with a barrage of missiles, injuring about 100 U.S. military personnel.

Persons: —, Ahron, Israel, Maj, Qassim Suleimani Organizations: Iran, Israel, King’s College, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Locations: Israel, Iran, Middle East, London, Gen, Baghdad, Iraq

☆ Live Updates: Israel Says Confrontation With Iran ‘Is Not Over’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Mike Ives | Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The Iranian armed forces are among the biggest in the Middle East, with 580,000 soldiers and officers and also 200,000 reservists. The start of a direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel has brought renewed attention to Iran’s armed forces. Instead, Israel and Iran have been engaged in a long shadow war via air, sea, land and cyberattacks, and Israel has covertly targeted military and nuclear facilities inside Iran and killed commanders and scientists. It’s that they realize any war against Iran is a very serious war.”What sort of military threat does Iran pose? The commander in chief of Iran’s armed forces is the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last word on all major decisions.

Persons: ”, Afshon Ostovar, “ It’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Fabian Hinz, “, Atta Kenare, Ostovar, Ayatollah Khamenei, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Will Israel’s Organizations: Naval Postgraduate School, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Guards, General Staff of, Armed Forces, Quds Force, Agence France, Phantoms, Iranian Army, Associated Press Locations: Tehran, Iranian, Iran, Israel, Damascus, United States, Washington, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Jihad, Gaza, Berlin, speedboats, Persian, Hormuz, Russia, Ukraine, Sudan, North Korea

☆ Israel Faced a Sophisticated Attack From Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Jin Yu Young | More About Jin Yu Young | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The weapons Iran used on Saturday can travel much farther, and some of them can travel much faster. Still, Israel said that nearly all of the missiles and drones that Iran fired were intercepted, many with help from U.S. forces. In Saturday’s attack, 185 drones, 36 cruise missiles and 110 surface-to-surface missiles were fired toward Israel, according to Israeli military officials. It has a range of more than 1,200 miles — plenty to reach Israel from Iran. In recent decades, Iran has largely been focused on deterrence, long-range missiles, drones and air defenses.

Persons: Israel, Fabian Hinz, Jeffrey Lewis Organizations: Hamas, Islamic, Fajr, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, International Security, U.S . State Department Locations: Iran, Israel, U.S, Iraq, Yemen, Berlin, United States, Vietnam

☆ Vessel seized in Strait of Hormuz amid Iran tensions, shipping firms say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A vessel has been seized by "regional authorities" between the United Arab Emirates and Iran, maritime security agencies said on Saturday, days after Iran warned it could close the area to sea traffic. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the vessel had been seized 50 nautical miles (92 km) northeast of the Fujairah, an area close to the Strait of Hormuz that forms the entrance to the Gulf. Marine tracking sites said the vessel was the MSC Aries of Zodiac Maritime, an international shipping company partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. Reuters could not immediately confirm that and UKMTO said it could not provide more information when asked if the regional authorities were Iran and if the seized vessel was MSC Aries. The United States and Britain have carried out strikes against Houthi targets in response to the attacks on shipping.

Persons: Eyal Ofer, UKMTO, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Alireza Tangsiri, Abraham, Joe Biden Organizations: United Arab, Maritime Trade Operations, ., MSC Aries, Zodiac Maritime, Zodiac, MSC, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Israel, Abraham Accords, Revolutionary Guards Locations: United Arab Emirates, Iran, Hormuz, U.S, UAE, United States, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Syria's, Damascus, Tehran, Yemen's Iran, Britain

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