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Washington had pressed its ally in the hopes of ending the cycle of attacks and avoiding escalation into a wider war. Blinken said the U.S. is tracking the aid deliveries very carefully and “absolutely essential” that Israel comply. "Israel has achieved most of its strategic objectives when it comes to Gaza,” Blinken said in Tel Aviv. (It also signed off on $9.5 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza, as well as the conflict zones of Ukraine and Sudan.) But far-fetched as it might seem, it came up during Blinken’s meeting with the Saudi crown prince during this trip.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, it’d, Yahya Sinwar, Isaac Herzog, Nathan Howard, Amos Hochstein, Donald Trump, Netanyahu —, Netanyahu, Blinken, Israel, ” Blinken, “ It’s, Ibrahim Fakhroo, Sinwar, William Burns, Khalil al, “, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, Ayman Safadi, we’ve, ” It’s Organizations: State Department, Getty, Israel, Hamas, Trump, Qatar's Ministry of Foreign, CIA, Qatari, Senior, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Crown, U.S, U.S . Locations: United States, Israel, Iran, Washington, Gaza, Egypt, Lebanon, Blinken, Tel Aviv, AFP, U.S, Beirut, Saudi Arabia, Doha, Qatar, Riyadh, Ukraine, Sudan, Saudi, Palestinian, Jordanian, London

☆ Iran is weighing how to respond to Israel's attack. Here's what may happen next.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Israel launched "precise strikes" on Iran on Saturday, killing four soldiers. The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out "targeted and precise strikes" on Iranian military sites on Saturday. Four soldiers were killed following the attack, Iran's military said, according to the IRNA state news agency. Voller said that should Iran choose to respond, it could turn to its proxies to defend its nuclear program. He added that Israel's targeting of Iran's military sites, including its air defense system, would allow it to launch further air attacks if Iran were to escalate the conflict.

Persons: Israel, —, Joe Biden, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Jonathan Panikoff, Yoel, Voller, Panikoff, Ellie Geranmayeh, Israel shouldn't, Netanyahu, Geranmayeh, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Service, Israel Defense Forces, University of Kent, Security Initiative, The New York Times, Institute for National Security Studies, Iranian, REUTERS, European Council, Foreign Relations, Times Locations: Iran, Iranian, Here's, Israel, East, Tehran, Tel Aviv, North Africa

☆ Drone targets Israeli prime minister’s house as strikes in Gaza kill 50
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Sirens wailed Saturday morning in Israel, warning of incoming fire from Lebanon, including a drone launched toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's house in Caesarea, the Israeli government said. Meanwhile, in Gaza, more than 50 people, including children, have been killed in several Israeli strikes, in less than 24 hours, according to hospital officials and an Associated Press reporter. Israel's emergency services said a 50-year-old man was killed after being hit by shrapnel while sitting in his car in northern Israel. At Al-Awda hospital in Jabaliya, in northern Gaza, strikes hit the building's top floors, injuring several staff members, the hospital said in a statement. The strikes knocked out internet networks in northern Gaza, said Paltel, the Palestinian communications company, on Facebook Saturday.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Mike Segar, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Yemen's, Hezbollah —, Iran —, Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, Bint Jbeil, Nasser Rashid, Yahya Sinwar, Iran's, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Sinwar's, Netanyahu, Sinwar, Abu Hamza, Paltel Organizations: Israel's, United Nations General Assembly, Reuters, Israel, Israeli, Associated Press, Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Health Ministry, Indonesian, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Facebook Locations: U.N, New York, U.S, Israel, Lebanon, Caesarea, Gaza, Ben Gurion, Iran, Bint, Beirut, rearming, Beit Lahiya, Al, Jabaliya, Zawayda, Aqsa, Deir al, Palestinian

☆ Foreign adversaries will try to cast doubt on election results after Nov. 5, U.S. intel officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Foreign adversaries will try to shake Americans’ confidence in the legitimacy of election results in November by giving voice to false claims or spreading their own disinformation about ballot counting, U.S. intelligence officials said Tuesday. In its latest assessment of foreign threats to the election, intelligence officials said the main foreign powers seeking to shape the outcome of the vote — Russia, China and Iran — also were focusing on meddling in congressional and state races. China’s election influence efforts were focused on “tens” of races, with Beijing denigrating particular candidates with a variety of social media and other online activities, the intelligence official added. Officials also said foreign adversaries are getting more skilled at using Americans to spread their manufactured falsehoods. Intelligence officials reiterated that Russia’s disinformation campaign is directed at undermining Vice President Kamala Harris and her fellow Democrats as Moscow seeks to undercut Western support for Ukraine.

Persons: ”, Iran —, “, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: Intelligence, Ukraine, Democratic Locations: Russia, China, Iran, U.S, Cuba, Havana, Ukraine, Kyiv, Beijing, Moscow

☆ $100 oil could be the October surprise no one wanted
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —The Middle East is in chaos, and the oil market is remarkably calm about it. The chill reaction in the oil market reflects a boy-who-cried-wolf mindset that has set in. Even just two years ago, oil prices skyrocketed to $130 a barrel in March 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. Oil prices skyrocketed in 2019 when Saudi oil facilities were damaged in an attack that US officials blamed on Iran. A disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could send oil prices above $100 a barrel, according to ClearView.

Persons: ”, Bob McNally, “, It’s, McNally, George W, Bush, Israel, ” Helima, Joe Biden, Croft, internationalize, Kevin Book, ClearView, it’s, Biden Organizations: New, New York CNN, Investors, Rapidan Energy Partners, Israel, RBC Capital Markets, CNN, CIA, ClearView Energy Partners, International Energy Agency, RBC, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Citigroup, Citi Locations: New York, Iran, China, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, ” Helima Croft, Ukraine, Israel, Saudi, Strait, Hormuz, Riyadh, Persian

Israel has vowed to respond with violent force to Iran’s ballistic missile attack. Could Israel seek to target Iran's oil facilities and even its nuclear sites? One thing is clear, an Israeli official told NBC News on Wednesday — the country will retaliate swiftly. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s military and intelligence leaders were meeting at the defense ministry to discuss what this might look like. The last time Iran fired missiles at Israel six months ago, Washington persuaded Israel to hold back from a major response.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Rosh HaShana, António Guterres, Guterres, Masoud, ”, Netanyahu, obliterating, Hassan Nasrallah Organizations: NBC News, Israel, Hamas Locations: Israel, United States, Iran, Tehran, Gaza, Palestinian, Lebanon, Washington

☆ As Netanyahu vows Iran payback, markets watch for dangers of further escalation
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Markets are now braced for what could follow a likely Israeli retaliation against Iran. watch nowOil prices gained over 5% in the previous session following the missile strike, before tapering to a 2.5% climb. Oil infrastructure 'tempting targets for Israel'Lewis Sage-Passant, an adjunct professor of intelligence at Sciences Po in Paris, described energy markets as jittery, as investors watch for Israel's next moves. Even without direct targeting, much of the world's oil infrastructure sits under these missile's flight paths, so naturally everyone is very nervous." Questions remain whether a strong Israeli response would restore deterrence or trigger further escalation from Iran and tip the nations into a full-blown war.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Hassan Nasrallah, Lewis Sage, Jake Sullivan, Roger Zakheim, what's, Zakheim, Abbas Araghchi, Sara Vakhshouri Organizations: Reuters Israel's, Brent, West Texas, Isles, RBC Wealth Management, Sciences Po, Israel, Energy, U.S . National, Ronald Reagan Institute, Investments, Saab, BAE Systems, Thales, Rheinmetall, Iran's, SVB Energy Locations: Ashkelon, Israel, Tel Aviv, Iran, Tehran, London, Asia, Paris, U.S, Washington

☆ Former FAA contractor indicted over claims that he worked as a secret agent for Iran, DOJ says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-29 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former FAA contractor Abouzar Rahmati was indicted over claims he was spying for Iran, the DOJ said. AdvertisementA former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contractor has been indicted over claims that he used his position to spy for Iran, the Department of Justice said. Before working for the FAA, Rahmati was a First Lieutenant in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from around June 2009 until roughly May 2010, according to the indictment. Related storiesWhile working for the company, the department said he downloaded "sensitive non-public" documents related to the FAA and took them to Iran in April 2022. AdvertisementThe DOJ and the Islamic Republic of Iran did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Abouzar Rahmati, Rahmati, —, Abouzar, Iran —, Robert Wells Organizations: FAA, DOJ, Service, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Justice, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, NAS, FBI's National Security Branch Locations: Iran, Iranian, Islamic Republic of Iran

☆ Hezbollah leader’s killing creates another balancing act for Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-28 | by ( Kevin Liptak | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, 2024. “It’s welcome,” one senior administration official told CNN after both the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah’s death. But Hezbollah has been “decimated,” and Iran — which backs the militant group — has also been “much weakened,” the official said. Angry senior US officials were convinced that Netanyahu was reacting to backlash at home from far-right members of his government. Israeli officials, meanwhile, attributed the confusion to a “miscommunication.”Whatever the case, by Friday any talk of an imminent ceasefire had quieted as Israeli warplanes dropped bombs on Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut.

Persons: Hassan Nasrallah, Joe Biden, Biden, he’s, hadn’t, Nasrallah, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, —, Pamela Smith, “, I’m, ” “ Hassan Nasrallah, Kamala Harris, Anwar, ” Biden, Harris, Ron Dermer, Jake Sullivan, CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg Organizations: CNN, Hezbollah, Israeli, United Nations General Assembly, White House, Israel Defense Forces, US, Anwar Amro, Getty, UN Security Council, State Department, Saturday, Ibrahim Amro, Biden Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, France, Lebanon, Beirut, Delaware, Iran, ”, AFP, People, Beirut's, Netanyahu’s, Dermer

The strike on Beirut was the first time during this war that Israel has targeted such an influential Hezbollah leader in Lebanon’s capital. Hours later, the killing in Iran of Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was considered the most brazen breach of Iran’s defenses in years. Image A protests in Tehran on Wednesday after Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas leader, was assassinated in Iran. Despite his title as Hamas’s political leader, Mr. Haniyeh is replaceable, said Joost Hiltermann, the Middle East and North Africa program director for the International Crisis Group. In January, Israeli strikes killed a senior Hamas leader in Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut, leading to fears that Hezbollah would mount a particularly fierce response on Hamas’s behalf.

Persons: Amira, Hassan Fadlallah, Fuad Shukr, Ismail Haniyeh, Diego Ibarra Sanchez, Iran —, Michael Stephens, Haniyeh’s, Stephens, Mr, Andreas Krieg, Arash Khamooshi, ” Mr, Krieg, ”, it’s, Haniyeh, Joost Hiltermann, “, Israel, Israel Katz, Katz, Itamar Rabinovich, Israel’s, Rabinovich, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Vivian Yee Organizations: Israel’s, The New York Times Iranian, Foreign Policy Research Institute, King’s College ,, The New York Times, International Crisis, United Nations, Hezbollah Locations: Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Gaza, Israel, Iran, simultaneity, Yemen, Iraq, Credit, United States, Philadelphia, King’s College , London, Tehran, East, North Africa, Hezbollah’s, Syria, Bourj el Barajneh, U.S, Washington

☆ Middle East on knife-edge after killing of Hamas leader in Iran; Israel's opponents vow retaliation
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh attending an exclusive interview with Anadolu in Istanbul, Turkiye on April 20, 2024. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty ImagesThe Middle East is on edge after a dramatic escalation that saw top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in a strike in the Iranian capital of Tehran early Wednesday. Coming hours after the killing of Fuad Shukr in Beirut, the Middle East is on an absolute knife-edge now." Iran's leadership meanwhile has said that the alleged Israeli strike is grounds for "severe punishment" and that the country must "pay a heavy price." An all-out war between Israel and Iran — and Iran's proxies such as Hezbollah — would be devastating to all sides involved.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Israel, Charles Lister, Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah's, Haniyeh, Hamas, Torbjorn, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Yahya Sinwar, Sinwar, Victor Tricaud, Tricaud, Antony Blinken, Will, Yoav Gallant, Iran's, Atta Kenare Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Middle East Institute, Hezbollah, politburo, Verisk, Qatari, Foreign, CNBC, U.S . State Department, Israel, Israeli, Israel Defense Forces, AFP Locations: Istanbul, Turkiye, Tehran, Israel, Washington, Doha, Beirut, Golan, Iranian, Lebanese, Gaza, Iran, Qatar, Singapore, Palestine Square

☆ The killing of a top Hamas leader in its backyard is 'humiliating' for Iran, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewIsmail Haniyeh, the leader of the political wing of Hamas, was killed on Wednesday. Ismail Haniyeh (left) meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, on July 30, 2024. According to Middle East and military experts, Haniyeh's death is a "humiliating" blow to Iran. A new phase of brinkmanshipTensions between Israel and Iran were high even before Haniyeh's killing. MOSAB SHAWER/AFP via Getty ImagesSince Hamas launched terror attacks on Israel on October 7, groups allied with Iran — the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah — have targeted Israel, with attacks sometimes spilling over into neighboring countries and directly involving Iran.

Persons: —, Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Nobody, Israel didn't, Andrew Fox, Henry Jackson, Fox, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Ameneh, Farzan, MOSAB SHAWER, Burcu, Fuad Shukr Organizations: Service, Business, Iran's, KHAMENEI.IR, Getty Images, Henry, Henry Jackson Society, New York Times, East, Global Governance Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute, BI, West, Getty, —, Middle East Security, Royal United Services Institute, Fox Locations: Iran, Tehran, AFP, Israel, Middle East, Iranian, West Bank, Hebron, Syria, Beirut, Iraq, Yemen, Red, ACLED, Lebanon

☆ The elephant not in the room for Netanyahu's speech: Kamala Harris
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

That is a strategic political calculation, because she knew — and her people knew — that you will not reach the White House if you frolic with war criminals." Kent Nishimura/Getty ImagesThe California Democrat argued that Harris should look toward the example of Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Advertisement'A very tenuous feeling'If Netanyahu's speech on Wednesday was any indication, there's plenty of wiggle room for Harris to pursue a less deferential approach to Israel than Biden. Dozens of progressives issued statements affirming that they were boycotting the speech, engaged in other events, or like Harris, simply came up with convenient scheduling conflicts. He's literally the Trump of Israel," Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida told me.

Persons: Linda Sarsour, Joe Biden's, They'll, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Kamala Harris, Sarsour, That's, —, Biden, Israel —, Harris, Ro Khanna, Sen, Ben Cardin, Kent Nishimura, Hubert Humphrey, Lyndon B, Johnson, Humphrey, Khanna, Netanyahu, He's, Barack Obama's, Trump, Rep, Maxwell Frost of, Becca Balint of, Balint, Rashida Tlaib, Nancy Pelosi, Rashida, Anna Moneymaker, she's, Israel, Summer Lee of Organizations: Service, Democratic, Business, New York, Black Zeta Phi Beta, California Democrat, Democrats, Becca Balint of Vermont, Democrat, Republican, KFC, Palestinian, White Locations: Palestinian, Indianapolis, Israel, Gaza, United States, Ben Cardin of Maryland, California, Vietnam, —, Iran, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Palestinian American, Michigan, Summer Lee of Pennsylvania

☆ US intel chief says Iran is attempting to stoke Gaza protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Iran is attempting to covertly stoke protests in the United States related to the conflict in Gaza, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said in a statement on Tuesday, posing as activists online and, in some cases, providing financial support to protesters. “I want to be clear that I know Americans who participate in protests are, in good faith, expressing their views on the conflict in Gaza — this intelligence does not indicate otherwise,” Haines said. “Americans who are being targeted by this Iranian campaign may not be aware that they are interacting with or receiving support from a foreign government,” she said. Those protests have been hugely divisive domestically, making them a ripe target for foreign actors — like Iran — interested in amplifying discord within the US. A US intelligence assessment released in December reported that Iran also tried to meddle in the 2022 midterm elections.

Persons: of National Intelligence Avril Haines, ” Haines, ”, “, —, Haines Organizations: CNN, stoke, of National Intelligence, Hamas Locations: Iran, United States, Gaza, Israel, Tehran

☆ Hezbollah leader warns Israel of war with 'no red lines,' threatens Cyprus
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The leader of Hezbollah has vowed a fight with "no rules and with no red lines" if full-out war erupts between the Lebanese militant group and Israel, warning Cyprus against getting mired in the conflict. Lebanon and Israel have regularly traded cross-border fire since the start of the Jewish state's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas — which, like Hezbollah, is backed by Iran — in the Gaza Strip. The Hezbollah leader also threatened war against the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, if the European Union member permits Israel to launch military operations from its territory. Nasrallah accused Israel of "conducting maneuvers in preparation for the Lebanon war" in Cyprus, without disclosing his sources. In response to Nasrallah, Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides on Wednesday stressed that his country is not involved in the conflict and is, in fact, part of the solution, according to the Cyprus News Agency.

Persons: Iran —, Taleb Sami Abdullah, General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Seth Frantzman, Nasrallah, Israel, Manar, Nikos Christodoulides Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, Hezbollah, Foundation, Defense, Democracies, Associated Press, European Union, Cyprus News Agency, CNBC, Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs Locations: Israel, Cyprus, Lebanon, Iran, Gaza, U.S, Cypriot

☆ Weapons from longtime foes North and South Korea have been fueling opposite sides of the war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Read previewNorth Korea and South Korea have been fueling opposite sides of the war in Ukraine, positioning themselves as players in this conflict. Coming out of pandemic lockdowns, North Korea is navigating international relations to find the situations that are most advantageous for it. The agreement details are not clear, but it appears that South Korea sent ammo to replenish US stockpiles, which was then sent to Ukraine. STR via Getty ImagesBoth North Korea and South Korea also have ideological reasons to be involved in the war in Ukraine. South Korea has long had close trade relationships with China in particular and remains concerned about how Russia could influence or empower North Korea, risking war on the peninsula.

Persons: —, aren't, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Yoon, Chris Park, Burke, it's, Caesar, LIONEL BONAVENTURE, Getty Images Kim, Putin's, Kim, Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi, Putin, Wolfgang Schwan, Mark Cancian, Cancian, Kim Il, Park Organizations: Service, Business, North, Arleigh, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CSIS, South, Getty Images, Russia, Getty, Marine, Korean Central News Agency, North Korea — Locations: Korea, South Korea, Ukraine, Russia, Pyongyang, Russian, United States, North Korea, Europe, Ukrainian, Tarbes, France, North, Hanoi, China, Taiwan, Moscow, Korean, Donetsk Oblast, Anadolu, Park, Iran

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

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

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

☆ 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

☆ Opinion | Biden’s Real Mistake in Pausing Military Aid to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is unfortunate that President Biden chose to announce his pause of some weapons sales to Israel while on a political campaign swing through Wisconsin. I use that word — “unfortunate” — not because I don’t understand why Biden did so, but because the move has enabled Benjamin Netanyahu to deflect attention from the fact that the most dangerous leader threatening Israel today is not Biden but Bibi. Netanyahu’s policies have not and will not produce a sustainable victory in Gaza, cannot secure Israel against its greatest existential threat — Iran — and are endangering world Jewry and undermining America’s broader Middle East strategic needs and goals. That is the real source of tension between Washington and Jerusalem today. It is not Biden’s temporary hold on sending Israel a fresh supply of 2,000-pound bombs and some other offensive weapons — which Biden has been warning Israel for months that he would do if Israel attempted to pulverize Rafah, the way that it did Gaza City and Khan Younis, without an evacuation of civilians.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bibi, Israel, Khan Younis, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Hamas ❤️ Biden Organizations: Israel, National Security, Hamas Locations: Israel, Wisconsin, Gaza, Iran, Washington, Jerusalem, Rafah

☆ Terry Anderson, Reporter Held Hostage for Six Years, Dies at 76
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Sam Roberts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Terry Anderson, the American journalist who had been the longest-held Western hostage in Lebanon when he was finally released in 1991 by Islamic militants after more than six years in captivity, died Saturday at his home in Greenwood Lake, N.Y., in the Hudson Valley. The cause was apparently complications of recent heart surgery, said his daughter, Sulome Anderson. Mr. Anderson, the Beirut bureau chief for The Associated Press, had just dropped his tennis partner, an A.P. The same car had tried to cut him off the day before as he returned to work from lunch at his seaside apartment. The militants, supported by Iran, were retaliating against Israel’s use of American weapons in earlier strikes against Muslim and Druze targets in Lebanon.

Persons: Terry Anderson, Sulome Anderson, Anderson, Reagan Organizations: Islamic, Associated Press, Benz, Islamic Jihad Organization Locations: American, Lebanon, Greenwood Lake, N.Y, Hudson, Beirut, South Lebanon, Iran, Nicaragua

☆ Fears Over Iran Buoy Netanyahu at Home. For Now.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But a confrontation between Israel and Iran this week — including on Friday when Israel retaliated against last weekend’s missile barrage by Iran — may have helped change the dynamic, at least for the time being. Now, Mr. Netanyahu is in his strongest domestic position since the October attack, even as his global standing ebbs amid anger at the conduct of Israel’s war in Gaza. “This was his best week since October,” said Mazal Mualem, a biographer of Mr. Netanyahu. And that’s the reason that, this week, we can see Bibi recovering,” Ms. Mualem said, calling Mr. Netanyahu by his nickname. Mr. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition is still trailing the main opposition bloc in the polls, and he would still likely lose an election if it was called tomorrow.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Israel, Iran —, Netanyahu, ”, Mazal Mualem, Mr, “ We’re, Bibi, ” Ms, Mualem, Netanyahu’s, Benny Gantz — Locations: Israel, Iran, Gaza

☆ Israel’s Strike Was Smaller Than Expected, and So Was Iran’s Reaction
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The relatively limited scope of Israel’s overnight strikes on Iran, and a subdued response from Iranian officials, may have lowered the chances of an immediate escalation in fighting between the two countries, analysts said Friday. For days, there have been fears that a forceful Israeli response to Iran’s attack on southern Israel last weekend could prompt an even more aggressive riposte from Iran, potentially turning a tit-for-tat confrontation into a wider war. But when it finally came early on Friday, Israel’s strike appeared less damaging than expected, allowing Iranian officials and state-run news outlets to downplay its significance, at least at first. By sunrise, Iranian state-run news outlets were projecting a swift return to normality, broadcasting footage of calm street scenes, while officials publicly dismissed the impact of the attack. But the initial Iranian reaction suggested that Iran’s leaders would not rush to respond, despite warning in recent days that they would react forcefully and swiftly to any Israeli strike.

Persons: Israel, Israel’s, Iran — Organizations: Iran’s Locations: Iran, Israel, Isfahan

☆ Israel seems to have stuck to small drones when it hit Iran — suggesting it only wanted a minor retaliation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

An Israeli strike hit Isfahan in Iran, multiple outlets said, citing unnamed senior US officials. It came after Iran fired drones and missiles at Israel in its first-ever direct attack. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe relatively restrained nature of an apparent Israeli attack on Iran suggests that both sides are seeking to step back from the brink of a regional war, according to experts. Several explosions caused by an Israeli attack were heard in the central province of Isfahan on Friday, unnamed senior US officials told multiple outlets .

Persons: — Organizations: Service, International Atomic Energy Agency, Business Locations: Israeli, Isfahan, Iran, Israel

☆ Opinion: 5 critical takeaways from Iran’s attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Miraculously, by a feat of military technology bolstered by coordination with friends and allies, Israel was able to repel the massive attack. The Quds Force commanders have been working with Iran-allied Hezbollah, which has been shelling Israel since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched an attack from Gaza. What if Iran’s missiles and drones had carried nuclear material? In addition, the US was able to work out of its bases in Qatar and northern Iraq to counter Iran’s attack. The Iranian attack has revealed that Israel does have friends, including some in very important places: across the Middle East.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Israel, Frida Ghitis Tanya Malott, Jerusalem —, Jesus, Israel unlivable, Israel —, Benjamin Netanyahu, —, General Antonio Guterres “, ”, Jordan, ” Saudi Arabia — Iran’s, Benny Gantz, ” Biden, “, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, John Bolton Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Israel, Quds Force, Hamas, Ukraine, Street Journal, United Arab, Finance, National Security Locations: Israel, Jerusalem, al, Aqsa, Iran, Arab Israeli, Damascus, Gaza, Beirut, Buenos Aires, Jordan, Iraq, North Korea, Israeli, Palestinian, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Russia, Argentina, Japan, United States, France, ” Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Republic

☆ Live updates: Israel intercepts Iran drone attacks and weighs response, Gaza crisis continues
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Airports in the Iranian capital of Tehran have resumed flights at 6:00 a.m. local time on Monday, according to Iran's state-aligned Tasnim news agency. On Sunday both of Tehran's airports, Imam Khomeini Airport and Mehrabad Airport, suspended flights after Iran's attack on Israel stoked regional tensions. Travel disrupted: On Saturday, at least three United Airlines flights headed to or departing from the Middle East were canceled as the conflict unfolded. Dutch carrier KLM has said it would stop flying over Iran and Israel "as a precaution" but continue to fly to and from Tel Aviv. Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa — currently the only two Western carriers that operate international flights to Iran — have announced a suspension of flights to and from Tehran through April 18.

Persons: Khomeini, Iran — Organizations: Mehrabad, United Airlines, Dutch, KLM, Tel Aviv . Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa — Locations: Tehran, Israel, Iran, Tel Aviv

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