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☆ Jared Kushner expected to be pivotal to Trump admin’s Middle East efforts without taking a formal job
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Kylie Atwood | Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —President-elect Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is seen as being pivotal to the incoming administration’s Middle East efforts, even though he is not likely to take a formal job within it, regional diplomats and Trump allies told CNN. Trump’s Middle East team has been taking shape this week after he selected a former Republican governor and a close friend and real-estate developer to take on key roles. Since Trump left office in 2021, Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, have moved to Miami and largely exited politics. Kushner has also maintained relationships with key players in the Middle East, including Israeli officials and leaders in the Arab Gulf. That is the key question,” explained Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator at the State Department, referring to Trump’s longtime friend and real estate developer who will serve as his special envoy to the Middle East.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Jared Kushner, Kushner, Trump, Jared, ”, –, ” Kushner, Abraham, Ivanka Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump’s, bin Salman, Israel, “, Kusher, Ghaith Al, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ron Dermer, Brian Hook, ” Hook, “ Kushner, Mike Huckabee, Steve Witkoff, Kushner –, Aaron David Miller, Rubio, ” Witkoff, Witkoff Organizations: CNN, Trump, Trump’s, Republican, White, Abraham Accords, United, United Arab Emirates, Affinity Partners, Washington, Saudi Crown, MBS, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Harvard, Washington Institute, Israel, State Department, CNN International, Former Arkansas Gov Locations: Israeli, Israel, Isreal, United Arab, Gaza, Lebanon, Miami, Arab, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, New Jersey

☆ Iran has developed fentanyl-based chemical weapons
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-10 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

These chemical weapons affect a victim's central nervous system. AdvertisementIran has developed chemical weapons based on synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, warns a US expert, powerful agents that could incapacitate soldiers or civilians when added to grenades or artillery. (The US, in contrast, completed the destruction of its chemical weapons in 2023.) Nonetheless, chemical weapons do have a frightening aura, even if fentanyl gas is nowhere near as deadly as nerve gas. "I think that many, many people would see it that way because you're talking about chemical weapons," Levitt said.

Persons: —, Iran's, Matthew Levitt, Levitt, they've, Iran —, Hossein University, Israel, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Pharmaceutical, PBA, Combatting Terrorism, The U.S, Government, Washington Institute, Convention, Iran's Chemistry Department, IHU, Department, State Department, Commandos, CTC, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Iran, West, The, Iraq, Israel, Syrian, —, Iranian, Moscow, Vietnam, Tehran, Galilee, Lebanon, Forbes

☆ Iran's big gamble on ballistic missiles is being tested like never before
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-07 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

At the same time, it has still prioritized building offensive ballistic missiles to deter and strike its adversaries. Several reports go so far as to report that Iran's entire arsenal of Russian-built S-300 air defense systems was hit. Related storiesThere are reasons to be skeptical about the extent of damage to Iran's air defenses. Israel's attack was retaliation for Iran's enormous October 1 ballistic missile strike. Unlike its foe Israel, which has built one of the world's most advanced air defense systems, Iran has focused on developing strike missiles.

Persons: —, Tehran's, Joe Biden's, Amos Hochstein, hasn't, Arash Azizi, Boston University's Frederick S, James Devine, Israel, Farzin, Nadimi, Azizi, Devine Organizations: Service, Boston University's, Pardee Center, Iran's, Department of Politics, Relations, Mount Allison University, Washington Institute for Near East, AIM, Phoenix, Soviet Union, American Hawk Locations: Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Tehran, Moscow, Iraq, Soviet, American, China, North Korea

☆ Israeli strikes dealt a serious blow to Iran's missile operations but far from destroyed them
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Satellite images show the strikes caused damage at sites linked to Iran's missile program. Officials and analysts say Iran's missile operations took a hit, but it's unclear how badly. The strikes were a long-awaited response to Iran's massive ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1, the second such attack this year. AdvertisementHowever, Nadimi said Iran's missile industry is large, dispersed, and hardened underground. The Israeli strikes "can only delay certain processes for weeks or months at best," he said, adding that follow-up strikes likely three times as large would be needed to have lasting effects.

Persons: —, Yoav Gallant, Nadimi, ISW, Michael Allen, Bush, Morteza Nikoubazl, Getty Images Allen, Israel Organizations: Iran, Service, Israel, Israeli Air Force, Israel Defense Forces Iran, Israeli, Planet Labs PBC, Business, Planet, Planet Labs PBC Farzin, The Washington Institute for Near East, Planet Labs PBC Nadimi, Institute for, National Security Council, Getty Images, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Israel, Iran, Tehran, Shahroud, Washington, Russia

☆ ISIS-K threat grows as it targets disaffected Muslims with sophisticated propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-20 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The recent arrest of an Afghan accused of plotting an Election Day attack in the U.S., as well as recent plots in France, Sweden and elsewhere, highlight the growing threat posed by ISIS-K, officials and counterterrorism experts say. U.S and Western officials now view ISIS-K as the more potent threat. ISIS-K has used AI tools to dramatically bolster their propaganda output at low cost. Growing threat to the WestA string of recent arrests in the U.S. and other Western countries underscores the group’s resurgent threat. He also saved ISIS propaganda on his iCloud and Google accounts, participated in pro-ISIS Telegram groups and contributed $540 in cryptocurrency to a charity that funnels money to ISIS, the complaint says.

Persons: Lucas Webber, “ It’s, ”, Webber, ” Webber, Aaron Zelin, ” Bret Holmgren, ” Holmgren, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, Tawhedi, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi . U.S . Department of Justice Tawhedi, “ Organizations: Islamic State, ISIS, Tech Against, Soufan, Al, Crocus City Hall, Washington Institute for Near East, National Center for Counterterrorism, U.S, FBI, NBC News, CIA, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi . U.S . Department of Justice, U.S ., Local Guard Force Locations: Afghanistan, U.S, France, Sweden, Europe, New York, United States, Al Qaeda, Khorasan, Syria, Iraq, Kabul, Moscow, Crocus, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Tajikistan, Costa Rica, Pakistani, Canada, New York City, Oklahoma, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi ., America, cryptocurrency

☆ Sinwar’s death offers an opening to end the war in Gaza – and a test for Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Dan De Luce | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

After a yearlong manhunt, including help from U.S. intelligence agencies, Israeli troops stumbled upon him during a routine patrol, Israeli officials said. Yahya Sinwar in Gaza city on Oct. 18, 2017. Now a cease-fire, the return of hostages and even the withdrawal of Israel Defense Forces from Gaza could be within reach, former officials said. One of the hostages Hamas took on Oct. 7 was an 85-year-old peace activist, Yocheved Lifshitz, who was later released. She told to the Israeli newspaper Davar about encountering Sinwar in the maze of tunnels under Gaza.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ”, Bruce Riedel, ” Sinwar, Atia Darwish, Sinwar, Biden, ” Dennis Ross, Ross, they’re, Antony Blinken, ” “, Blinken, Matthew Miller, Aaron David Miller, Netanyahu, Sinwar’s, Burcu Ozcelik, Israel, Ghaith Al, Yocheved Lifshitz Organizations: Israel, Hamas, CIA, Biden, Washington Institute for Near, Israel Defense Forces, Gaza, United Arab, State, Carnegie Endowment, International, Royal United Services Institute, Lebanese, Hezbollah Locations: Gaza, Israel, Iran, U.S, Lebanon, United States, United Arab Emirates, London, Palestinian, Hamas, Qatar

Yahya Sinwar, the elusive Hamas leader widely credited with masterminding the Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel, was confirmed dead Thursday, ending a yearlong manhunt for the militant chief. The Israel Defense Forces said Sinwar was killed by soldiers in an operation in southern Gaza on Wednesday. The only sighting of him before his death was in grainy footage taken on Oct. 10, 2023, three days after Hamas' assault, according to the Israeli military. It showed him fleeing with his family into a tunnel, one of a large network build by Hamas under Gaza, which the militant group used to smuggle weapons, hide out from Israeli attacks and keep Israeli hostages captive. They were displaced in what Palestinians call the Nakba, “catastrophe” in Arabic, of 1948, when around 700,000 people were forced from their homes in the founding of Israel.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, masterminding, Sinwar, Osama Bin Laden, ” Matthew Levitt, ” Sinwar, Khan Younis Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, Washington Institute for Near, Policy, NBC News Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iran, United States, Al, Palestinian, Ashkelon

☆ How Saudi Arabia could create a crisis for Russia's economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-13 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

One analyst suggests the market could see a repeat of the 2020 oil price war. AdvertisementRussia's wartime economy could face a tougher time securing needed oil revenue if Saudi Arabia tanks global crude prices. "Saudi Arabia is fed up," Simon Henderson, director of the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at The Washington Institute, told Business Insider. However, some kind of confrontation with Saudi Arabia may be stirring. "Unlike Saudi Arabia, its oil is not cheap to extract, making it poorly equipped to deal with low-price conditions.

Persons: —, Luke Cooper, hasn't, Simon Henderson, Bernstein, it's, Henderson, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Novak, Cooper Organizations: Service, Organization of Petroleum, Russia, London School of Economics, Financial Times, Gulf and Energy, The Washington Institute, OPEC Locations: Saudi Arabia, Russia, Riyadh, Ukraine, Gulf, Moscow, Iran, Kazakhstan

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

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

Hezbollah has also been accused of obstructing the election of a new president, leaving Lebanon leaderless for the past two years. A pro-Iranian Hezbollah supporter holds up a poster of assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, on Thursday. While some Lebanese believe Hezbollah hijacked Lebanon’s political system, it also held it up. Lebanon has already suffered a year of lower-level fighting between Israel and Hezbollah along its southern border. But Lebanese political leaders are still relishing Hezbollah’s decline, he said, even some among the group’s Shia Muslim co-religionists.

Persons: Hassan Nasrallah, ” Fouad Siniora, ”, Rafik Hariri, Marwan Naamani, Sarah Zaaimi, Firas Maksad, “, ” Maksad, Nabih Berri, Jeffrey Feltman, Berri, Israel –, ” Ibrahim Moussawi, —, Siniora Organizations: NBC News, United, Getty, Hezbollah, Hariri, & Middle, Middle East Institute, WikiLeaks, Security, Keystone, —, The Washington Institute Locations: BEIRUT, Lebanon, Israel, Beirut, Iran, United Nations, Lebanese, Syria, AFP, Washington, U.S, Paris, Tehran, Riyadh, Jerusalem, “

☆ Russia is likely trying to exploit the conflict in the Middle East to expand its influence, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementThe Kremlin is likely trying to exploit the conflicts in the Middle East to expand its own influence, according to military experts. Wall Street's main indexes opened lower again on Thursday amid persistent worries that hostilities in the Middle East could escalate. Advertisement"Russia clearly benefits from the war in the Middle East, at least since it distracts global attention from Ukraine," he added. AdvertisementRussia "wants to appear relevant in the Middle East but not getting sucked in ongoing conflicts," he said. It said it was trying, through these efforts, to regain major influence on Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean gas sales, especially liquefied natural gas.

Persons: —, Hezbollah's, Hassan Nasrallah, Mikhail Bogdanov, Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, Sergey Lavrov, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Libman, Mark N, Katz, doesn't, It's Organizations: Service, Russian, Israel, Lebanese, Israel Defense Forces, TASS, Washington Institute for Near, Policy, Free University of Berlin, George Mason University, Reuters, Jamestown Foundation Locations: Israel, Iran, Russia, Lebanon, Ukraine, Tehran, Red, Iraq, Syria, Palestinian, Eastern

☆ One of Iran's most advanced missiles made an appearance in its massive attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Iran said it fired its new Fattah missile during the attack against Israel on Tuesday. The medium-range ballistic missile is one of the most advanced in Iran's arsenal. AFP via Getty ImagesThe Fattah-1 is a medium-range ballistic missile considered one of the most advanced in Iran's arsenal. In April, Iran launched a much larger barrage overall with around 170 attack drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles. Still, some of the Iranian missiles managed to impact on land, although they did not appear to cause significant damage.

Persons: —, Hassan Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Shaan Shaikh, Farzin, Chen Junqing, Shaikh Organizations: Israel, Service, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Business, Getty, Missle, Center for Strategic, International Studies, The Washington Institute for Near East, Getty Images, Institute for, AP, American, Iranian Locations: Iran, Tehran, Israel, Iranian, AFP, Jerusalem, Xinhua

☆ What might come next as Hezbollah reels from Nasrallah’s killing and Israel mulls the possibility of a Lebanon ground incursion?
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-29 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Israel has warned that a “new era” of war was beginning with its “center of gravity” moving north, in a reference to the Lebanon border. Israel has raised the possibility of a ground incursion into Lebanon, which, if undertaken, would be the fourth Israeli invasion of the country in the past 50 years. Men rest on mattresses near the sea in Beirut, Lebanon, after being displaced by Israeli airstrikes on September 28, 2024. The US sees the possibility of a limited ground incursion into Lebanon as Israel moves forces to its northern border, CNN reported earlier, citing a senior administration official and a US official. But the officials stressed that Israel does not appear to have made a decision on whether to carry out a ground incursion.

Persons: Israel, Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Carl Court, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Peter Lerner, Hezbollah –, –, ”, Hanin Ghaddar, “, Baz Ratner, Jonathan Panikoff, Aaron David Miller, CNN’s Abbas Al Lawati, Mostafa Salem, Irene Nasser, Alex Stambaugh, Dana Karni Organizations: CNN, US, Israel Defense Forces, Hezbollah, Washington Institute, Israeli, United Nations, Saturday, Security Council, US State Department Middle Locations: Iran, Lebanon, Beirut, Israel, Gaza, ”, Beirut’s, United States, France, Safed

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

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

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

☆ Hezbollah may copy tactics used by Russia in Ukraine to overwhelm Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

According to Lebanese health officials, Israeli strikes have killed 558 people and led thousands to flee for safety. "It's not going to be a walk in the park," Assaf Orion, a retired brigadier general from the Israeli military told the Journal. Analysts say that Hezbollah has likely learned valuable lessons from working with the Russian military in Syria. The latest round of conflict between Israel and militias aligned with its arch-foe Iran began on October 7, when Hamas launched terror attacks in Israel and Israeli forces invaded Gaza. Hezbollah launched missile attacks on northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas, while the US pledged support for Israel if attacked and the Kremlin shored up support for its regional allies.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, It's, Mesrob, Russian Wagner Organizations: Service, Military, Wall Street, Business, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Department of Politics, Studies, SOAS, University of London, France, Hezbollah, Israel, CNN, Washington Institute for Near, Hamas, Washington Institute Locations: playbook, Ukraine, Lebanon, Israel, Russia, Ukrainian, Syria, Russian, Iran, Gaza, Hezbollah

☆ Iran is helping the Houthi rebels in Yemen target and down U.S. Reaper drones, U.S. officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Iran is helping the Houthi rebels in Yemen target U.S. Reaper drones, which has enabled the Houthis to shoot down or damage several of the massive, unmanned aircraft, say two U.S. officials. The interference severely inhibits the U.S. ability to gather intelligence and increases the chance that the drones could drift into unfriendly airspace. The U.S. military has struggled to stop some Houthi air defense systems because rather than radars, the Houthis often use electro-optical systems to find targets. Iran sent a spy ship to the waters near Yemen to help the Houthis target ships in the Red Sea. It appears the U.S. plan to interdict shipments of Iranian weapons and destroy stockpiles of weapons and drones has failed to roll back Houthi attacks on cargo ships, Knights said.

Persons: Michael Knights, ”, Knights, “ Organizations: U.S, Pentagon, NBC, Defense Intelligence Agency, White House National Security Council, Washington Institute for Near, Policy, NBC News, ” Knights, U.S . Navy, “ Locations: Iran, Yemen, Tehran, Israel, U.S, Eastern Europe, Syria, Red

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

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

Persons: —, Israel, Israel's, Fuad Shukr, Ismail Haniyeh, Antony Blinken, Arash Azizi, Azizi, what's, James Devine, Mount Allison University, Devine, MENAHEM KAHANA, Marwan Naamani, Ain, Washington Institute's Nadimi Organizations: Service, Business, Sunday, Clemson University, Iran's, National Security Council, Department of Politics, Relations, Mount Allison, Getty, Washington Institute for Near East, Tel, Hezbollah, Ain al Asad, IDF, Washington Locations: Iran, Tehran, Lebanon, Beirut, Israel, Iranian, Damascus, Syria, Britain, France, Jordan, Iraq's, Karbala, US, AFP, Yemen, Iraq, Tel Aviv, Lebanese, Ain al

Image A photo of Fuad Shukr, from a wanted poster released by the U.S. State Department. Rewards for Justice, via Associated PressIt was not immediately clear whether Mr. Shukr, also known by his nom de guerre al-Hajj Mohsin, survived the Israeli assassination attempt. Assaf Orion, a retired Israeli brigadier general, described Mr. Shukr as “an experienced veteran” who had worked intensively to develop Hezbollah’s precision-guided missile apparatus. Analysts say the munitions are a particular concern for Israeli military planners. “It’s kind of run by committee, but Fuad Shukr is more or less first among equals,” he said, adding that Mr. Shukr reported directly to Mr. Nasrallah.

Persons: Fuad Shukr, Shukr, guerre, Hajj Mohsin, ”, Hassan Nasrallah, Mustafa Badreddine, Assaf, Matthew Levitt, Mohanad Hage Ali, Mr, Levitt, “, Nasrallah, Ronen Bergman Organizations: U.S, U.S . State Department . Credit, Justice, Associated, The State Department, Hezbollah, Washington Institute for Near, Carnegie Middle East, Israel Locations: Beirut, Golan, Syria, American, Israeli, Lebanon

☆ Why the Iranian Navy keeps losing warships in accidents, after its Sahand frigate capsized and sank
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It was the third navy ship Iran has lost in an accident since 2018. AdvertisementIn June 2021, it lost the 680-feet-long Kharg support ship, the Iranian Navy's largest by tonnage, in a fire, injuring 33. Furthermore, it could also "be a small reflection of government prioritization" of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy over Iran's Navy. "Budgets are training, maintenance, and personnel." Iran has two navies: its Navy, known as the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, and the naval arm of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps paramilitary organization.

Persons: —, Bryan Clark, Clark, Steven Horrell, Horrell, Damavand, Shahid Hassan Bagheri, Morteza Nikoubazl, Hudson's Clark, Nadimi Organizations: Service, Iran's Navy, Business, Hudson Institute, Transatlantic Defense, Security, Center for, UK, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Navy, Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC Navy, US Navy, Supreme, IRIN, Washington Institute for Near East Locations: Bandar Abbas, Iran, Iranian, Bandar, United Kingdom, Islamic Republic of, Hormuz

☆ Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gets powerful ships to confront adversaries well beyond the Persian Gulf
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Read previewIn the last three years, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has commissioned hundreds of new vessels. AdvertisementThe Shahid Hassan Bagheri is one of three new Soleimani-class missile corvettes that are the most heavily armed warships in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy's fleet. Despite being lightly armed, it has a record of harassing US vessels and civilian ships in the Persian Gulf. AdvertisementThree Soleimani-class corvettes, Shahid Soleimani, Shahid Hassan Bagheri, and Shahid Sayyad Shirazi, have been commissioned, while a fourth, Shahid Ra'is-Ali Delvari, is under construction. AdvertisementMahdavi will eventually be joined by another converted container ship, the Shahid Bagheri.

Persons: —, Shahid Hassan Bagheri, Morteza Nikoubazl, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Shahid Soleimani, Nazeri, Shahid Nazeri, SAMs, Shahid Sayyad Shirazi, Shahid Ra'is, Ali Delvari, Hassan Bagheri, Abu Mahdi al, Shahid, Alireza Tangsiri, Shahid Mahdavi, 400Y8DYPlr — Mehdi H, Shahid Roudaki, Roudaki, Mahdavi, Lewis B, Puller, Shahid Bagheri, Bagheri, Tangsiri, IRGCN, Ayatollah Khamenei, Nadimi, Saviz, Diego Garcia, Benjamin Brimelow Organizations: Service, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Business, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy's, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, Quds Force, Guard, Southern Hemisphere, American, British, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Global Affairs, Fletcher School of Law, Diplomacy, Modern, Institute Locations: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Persian, Gulf of Oman, Hormuz, China, Russia, Taiwan, Norway, Yemen, Makran, Morteza, Israel, Lebanon, Hamas, Gaza, Syria, Mahdavi, West

☆ US Navy warships are stuck in a Red Sea battle they can't fight forever
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Components of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Group steam in formation with the Italian navy in the Red Sea on June 7. A fighter jet parks on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea on June 11. Elements of the Eisenhower strike group have already left the Red Sea once to be rearmed and resupplied, and the Pentagon recently extended its monthslong deployment for a second time. A fighter jet is launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during a strike against Houthi military targets in Yemen on Feb. 3. A commercial ship in the Red Sea in March.

Persons: —, they've, Dwight D, Navy Carlos Del Toro, What's, Eisenhower, Bernat, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Joseph Votel, John Kirby, Jorge LeBaron, Haines, Biden, Brian Finucane, Finucane, Votel, Mohammed Hamoud, That's, Nadimi Organizations: Service, US Navy, Business, Washington, Eisenhower Carrier Group, Eisenhower Carrier Strike, Ike, Navy, Pentagon, US Central Command, AP, National Intelligence, White House National Security Council, BI, Handout, US, Crisis, US State Department, Screengrab, Ministry of Defense, Defense Intelligence Agency, Galaxy Leader, The Washington Institute for Near East Locations: Gulf of Aden, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Western, Africa, Gaza, Persian, Bab, Red

☆ Fact check: Trump falsely claims Iran didn’t fund terror groups when he was president
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

They weren’t funding Hamas, and they weren’t funding anything. They weren’t funding Hezbollah,” Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said in a May interview with right-wing host Dan Bongino. Trump’s own administration said in 2020 that Iran was continuing to fund terror groups including Hezbollah. Trump could have fairly said that his sanctions on Iran had made life more difficult for terror groups (though it’s unclear how much their operations were affected). “Iran has never ceased funding many of its core proxy groups” such as Hezbollah, said Phillip Smyth, who studies Iran’s proxies.

Persons: Donald Trump, ” Trump, Dan Bongino, Phil McGraw, Phil, Trump, Pompeo, Trump’s, Mike Pompeo, ” Pompeo, “ We’re, “, ”, Ali Vaez, Hanin Ghaddar, Colin Clarke, Phillip Smyth, Brian Hook, ” Hook Organizations: Washington CNN, Hamas, CNN, Hezbollah, State, Trump, Crisis, The Washington Institute for Near, Washington Post, ” Reuters, The, The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Qods Force Locations: Iran, Lebanon, Hamas, Palestinian, Israel, “, Tehran, Syria, Iraq, The Stockholm, Bahrain, Yemen, Qaeda, Europe, Africa, Asia

☆ Ex-Iranian official partly blames US sanctions for the helicopter crash that killed its president
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewIranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash on Sunday — and the country's former foreign minister believes US sanctions were partly to blame. AdvertisementIran's former foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said the US sanctions — which prohibit Iran from purchasing US-built planes — could be partly to blame. In a phone interview with state TV on Monday, Zarif said the sanctions prevent Iran from having good aviation facilities. Related storiesThe US has imposed various sanctions against Iran since the seizure of the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979. In 2009, a Bell 212 operated by Cougar Helicopters crashed off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada.

Persons: —, Ebrahim Raisi, Raisi, Ahmad Vahidi, IRNA, ISNA, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Zarif, Farzin Organizations: Service, Business, State TV, Reuters, Bell, Iran International, ISNA News Agency, Washington Institute, The Washington Institute, Bloomberg, Cougar Helicopters, Post, United Arab Emirates, Safety, Iran's, of Foreign Affairs Locations: Iran, US, Iranian, Tehran, Canada, Louisiana, Newfoundland

☆ The US and Israeli defeat of Iranian missiles is a big boost for its strained regional alliance
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

That's a boost for the regional air defense network the US wants. AdvertisementThe United States shot down more of the incoming Iranian drones than Israel and played a central role in the "multinational air defense operation" consisting of British, French, and Jordanian air forces. An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel on April 14, 2024. "Russia will seek to offset the US success in backing Israel by looking to buttress Iran's defense with advanced Russian systems such as the Su-35," Heras said. There were also reports last year indicating Iran also seeks the advanced Russian S-400 air defense missile system.

Persons: —, Biden, Jordan, MEAD, Nicholas Heras, Amir Cohen, Heras, Nadimi, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Su Organizations: Service, Biden, East Air Defense, UAE —, New Lines Institute, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Washington Institute for Near East, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, AP Locations: Israel, Russia, Iran, Ukraine, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, States, Jordanian, Israeli, Mar, Ashkelon, United States, Tehran, Russian, Syria, Moscow, Su

☆ Israel will probably want to impose significant cost on Iran but also signal de-escalation: Analyst
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIsrael will probably want to impose significant cost on Iran but also signal de-escalation: AnalystMichael Singh, managing director of the Washington Institute and former senior director of Middle East affairs at the National Security Council, discusses Iran's drone and missile attack on Israel.

Persons: Michael Singh Organizations: Washington Institute, National Security Council Locations: Iran, Israel

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