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☆ Middle East tensions: Those leaving Lebanon hold their families extra tight as they say goodbye
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Ivan Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Beirut, Lebanon CNN —When our plane finally took off from Beirut, it was nearly an hour late. Before departing for the airport, we held each other extra tight, not sure when we would see each other again. Moments later, the Israeli military carried out a “targeted strike” in southern Beirut, roughly 10 minutes’ drive away. The next day, the hills shook with the sound of sonic booms as Israeli war planes broke the sound barrier overhead. The CNN team in Beirut later confirmed reports that Israeli warplanes had broken the sound barrier in skies over Lebanon.

Persons: Angelina, Ghenwa, Hussein, Kayta, Ivan Watson, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Katya, Israel, Fu’ad Shukr, Ismail Haniyeh, hasn’t, Mayyas, Lebanon’s Virgin Radio haven’t, Jack Sleiman, Taym, It’s Organizations: Lebanon CNN, Airlines, Hezbollah, CNN, Israel’s, America’s, Lebanon’s Virgin Radio Locations: Beirut, Lebanon, Israel, Golan, Lebanese, Harat, Tehran . Iran, Gaza, Tel Aviv , Washington, Tehran, Beirut’s

☆ Why Is Iran Expected to Attack Israel? What to Know About the Crisis.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Hiba Yazbek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Less than a week after the killing of a top Hamas leader in Tehran and a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut, the entire Middle East is on edge. Fears of a broader regional war have been mounting amid vows of revenge from Iranian leaders that have left Israel in a state of deep uncertainty. Israeli leaders would not confirm or deny whether their country was behind the breach of Iran’s defenses, but Iranian leaders and Hamas officials immediately blamed Israel and vowed retaliation. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued an order for Iran to strike Israel directly, according to three Iranian officials briefed on the order. And Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaan, said on Monday that “Tehran is not interested in escalating the regional conflicts, but it is necessary to punish” Israel.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Israel, Iran’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Nasser Kanaan, ” Israel Locations: Tehran, Beirut, Israel, Iranian, Iran

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. Such escalation could also jeopardize efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and release hostages, despite recent progress in negotiations. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discussed comprehensive security strategies to protect Israel, according to a statement on Monday. Israel was considering its options to prepare for a regional attack over the weekend. The country braces for war in its own way and tends to pick up after itself.

Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ismail Haniyeh, ”, Israel, Israel hasn’t, “, Yoav Gallant, Defense Lloyd Austin, Michael Kurilla, Kurilla, Ayman Safadi, Badr Abdelatti, Ali Bagheri Kani, ‘, Masoud Pezeshkian, Safadi, Nasser Kanaani, Fu’ad Shukr, Majdal Shams, Hassan Nasrallah, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” “, ” Netanyahu, Ali Bagheri, Netanyahu, Gallant, Daniel Hagari, Lebanon scrambledto, floaties, Samer Othman, Jalaa Marey, Othman, Liz Nicholas, David Adom, Be’er, Ivana Reiser, Zeev Jabotinsky, Naama, ” Be’er, ” Baer, Reiser, Roy Dror, Ron Heckmann, they’re, Dror, ” Heckmann, Uri Shacham, Shacham Organizations: Jerusalem CNN —, Iran’s, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Saturday, US, Israeli, Defense, US Central Command, Jordanian, Egypt’s, Zionist, Israel, Iran, Sunday, Getty Images Israel, Hezbollah, CNN, Mount, Mount Herzl Military, Getty, MDA Locations: Beirut, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Israel, Iran, Tehran, Lebanon, Gaza, United States, Syria, Majdal, Golan, ”, AFP, Cairo, Lebanese, Beirut’s, Mount Herzl, London, Nahariyah

TEL AVIV — Israel is bracing for a potential multiday attack by Iran and its ally Hezbollah following the assassination of two senior militant leaders last week, an Israeli official told NBC News. Israel killed Shukr in a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut last Tuesday. Hours later, news broke that Haniyeh was killed in Tehran in the early hours Wednesday morning. The call was “tense,” according to the Israeli official. This time, the Israeli official said the attacks could come over several days, with Hezbollah attacking Israel from the north while Iran’s longer-range weapons are fired from the east.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Fuad Shukr, “ They’ll, Shukr, ”, Haniyeh, Masoud Pezeshkian, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, “ Biden, Israel, Netanyahu, Raf Sanchez, Doha Madani Organizations: NBC News, Diplomats Locations: TEL AVIV, Israel, Iran, Beirut, Golan, Tehran, Gaza, U.S, Cairo, Damascus, Tel Aviv, Doha, New York City

The Israeli military said its air force had struck what it described as Hezbollah targets in Kfar Kila and killed a Hezbollah leader in Deir Siriane. Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets and drones at Israel, saying it was acting in solidarity with Hamas, which is also backed by Iran. Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of assassinating Mr. Haniyeh, but Israel has not publicly taken responsibility for that killing. Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas have vowed to retaliate against Israel. For now, the developments appear to have derailed any prospect, however remote, of a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel.

Persons: Beit Hillel, Deir, Fuad Shukr, Ismail Haniyeh, Shukr, Israel, Mr, Haniyeh Organizations: Hezbollah, Hamas, Sunday Locations: Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Beit, Kfar Kila, Deir Siriane, Beirut, Tehran, Golan

CNN —The US, UK and France are among several countries urging their citizens to leave Lebanon as heightened tensions in the region spark fears of a widening Middle East conflict. Haniyeh’s death came just hours after an Israeli strike on the Lebanese capital Beirut killed Hezbollah’s most senior military commander, Fu’ad Shukr. Many countries already had travel warnings in place but have issued fresh advice in the wake of the latest developments. AFP/Getty ImagesFrance told its citizens to make arrangements to leave Lebanon “as soon as possible” in a statement from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign affairs on Sunday. Israel says it is ready for “range of scenarios” following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.

Persons: ”, David Lammy, “, Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah’s, Fu’ad, Jordan Organizations: CNN, Saturday Hezbollah, AFP, Getty, France, Ministry for, Foreign, ” Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, Kuwaiti Airlines, Saturday, Pentagon Locations: France, Lebanon, ” Britain’s, Iran, Israel, Tehran, Beirut, Gaza, Metullah, Ministry for Europe, Jerusalem

☆ Biden voices hope Iran will stand down but is uncertain
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden expressed hope Iran would stand down despite its threat to avenge the assassination of Hamas' leader in Tehran, as fears mounted that Israel's war against Palestinian militants in Gaza could escalate into a wider Middle East conflict. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for Haniyeh's killing, and they, together with Hezbollah, have vowed revenge. Asked by reporters whether Iran would stand down, Biden said on Saturday in response to a shouted question, "I hope so. Seeking to bolster defenses in the Middle East in response to threats from Israel's foes, the Pentagon said on Friday it would deploy additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the region. Haniyeh's death was one in a series of killings of senior Hamas figures as the Gaza war nears its 11th month, and it fuelled concern that the conflict in Gaza was turning into a wider Middle East war.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ismail Haniyeh, Fuad Shukr, Israel, Biden, Haniyeh Organizations: Civil, LBJ Presidential, Palestinian, Hezbollah, Pentagon Locations: Austin , Texas, U.S, Iran, Tehran, Gaza, Beirut, Lebanese, Israel, France, Britain, Italy, Egypt, Lebanon, Canada

☆ Iran warns that Hezbollah will likely hit non-military targets in Israeli territory in response to Israel's strike on Beirut
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Iran has warned that Hezbollah may hit "broader and deeper targets" in Israeli territory. Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN said Hezbollah may not "restrict itself solely to military targets." It comes in response to an Israeli strike on Beirut on Tuesday that killed a senior Hezbollah officer. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! AdvertisementIran's Permanent Mission to the UN has said that Hezbollah will likely respond to Israel's assassination of one of its top military commanders with "broader and deeper targets" in Israeli territory.

Persons: — Organizations: UN, Service, Business Locations: Iran, Beirut

At least 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others abducted to Gaza in Hamas’ October 7 assault, according to Israeli authorities. Israel’s military response in the strip has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians and injured over 90,000, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. As of early July, nearly 2 million people had been displaced in Gaza – almost the entire population, according to UN figures. Ricardo Moraes/Reuters“Brief window”: There are 111 hostages still in Gaza, including 39 believed to be dead, according to data from Netanyahu’s office. Iran and Hamas have blamed the assassination on Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in his killing.

Persons: Ricardo Moraes, Benjamin Netanyahu, “ Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Nissan Kalderon, Ofer Kalderon, Anat Angrest, Matan Angrest, Ismail Haniyeh Organizations: Reuters, Gaza’s Ministry of Health Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, Iran

But although Mr. Nasrallah promised that Hezbollah would respond, he equivocated on the scope and nature of that retaliation. “We have entered a new phase,” he said, speaking in a televised address during the funeral for Mr. Shukr. “You do not realize the red lines you have crossed,” warned Mr. Nasrallah, addressing Israel directly. “The only things lying between us and you are the days, the nights and the battlefield,” said Mr. Nasrallah, again addressing Israel. Credit... Diego Ibarra Sanchez for The New York TimesAfter Mr. Nasrallah finished his speech, Mr. Shukr’s coffin was carried onto the street outside and met a sea of mourners.

Persons: Hassan Nasrallah, Fuad Shukr, Nasrallah, ”, Shukr, Mr, Diego Ibarra Sanchez, Fatima Nizan al, “, ” Aaron Boxerman, Hwaida Saad Organizations: The New York Locations: Lebanese, Beirut, Lebanon, Israel, Lebanon’s, Iran, Credit, Beirut’s, Jerusalem

☆ Opinion | The Gaza Conflict Enters ‘Uncharted Territory’
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Serge Schmemann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

He was right; war is never inevitable until it breaks out. He was killed by an explosive device planted in an Iranian guesthouse weeks earlier, and both Iran and Hamas accused Israel of doing it. For Iran, the killing of a senior Hamas leader while he was attending the inauguration of the new Iranian president was a humiliation that the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared it was “our duty” to avenge. Mr. Haniyeh, moreover, was a top Hamas negotiator in cease-fire talks, raising questions about whether those negotiations would be put on a long hold. Nonetheless, Mr. Austin, who was on a visit to the Philippines, went on to suggest that there was still room for diplomacy.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Israel, Fuad Shukr, Ismail Haniyeh, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ”, Haniyeh, Austin, Antony Blinken Organizations: ”, Mr Locations: Beirut, Lebanon, Tehran, Israel, Iran, United States, Philippines, Asia

☆ 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

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Fed signals possible rate cut; Wall Street soars; oil gains as Middle East tensions rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Kevin Lim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Rate cut on horizonThe Federal Reserve expectedly kept its benchmark rate steady at 5.25% to 5.50% on Wednesday, but Chairman Jerome Powell signaled the U.S. central bank could cut the rate in its September meeting. U.S. stocks rallyU.S. stocks jumped after Powell said a rate cut in September was "on the table." Oil gainsU.S. crude oil futures rose 4% on Wednesday after Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran. Japan currency interventionJapanese authorities spent 5.53 trillion yen, or $36.8 billion, to support the yen in July, official data showed. [PRO] Rate cut beneficiariesCNBC Pro screened for stocks in the S&P 500 that tend to rise the most when short-term rates start to decline.

Persons: expectedly, Jerome Powell, Powell, Ismail Haniyeh, Israel, Oil Organizations: CNBC, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Nvidia, Devices, Boeing, Treasury, Facebook, Google, Meta, Oil, West Texas Intermediate, U.S Locations: U.S, Tehran, Iran, Israel, Beirut, Japan

☆ Biden weighs more US defenses for Israel as the region prepares for Iranian retaliation
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —President Joe Biden is weighing more US defenses in the Middle East as the US prepares for an Iranian retaliation against Israel that officials say could include an attack on American forces. The statement did not detail what new deployments would occur ahead of an anticipated Iranian attack in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The officials said an Iranian response could occur in the coming days. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that “international partners” have bolstered their forces in the region, though he did not specify which countries. The US is expecting the anticipated Iranian attack may be similar to the barrage of ballistic missiles and drones launched against Israel on April 13, officials said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday, Biden, Ismail Haniyeh, Theodore Roosevelt, “ We’re, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Biden, Joint Base Andrews, Haniyah, ”, Daniel Hagari, Israel’s, Jordan, Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, Haniyeh Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Pentagon, US Central Command, Navy, USS, Marine, Joint Base, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Defense, Israel Locations: Israel, Tehran, Gulf of Oman, Aden, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Iranian, Jordan, Iran, Beirut, East

☆ With Strife at Home, Security Concerns Grow for Israeli Olympians in Paris
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Talya Minsberg | Johnatan Reiss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Israeli athletes who had already been moving around the Paris Games with a security apparatus befitting a head of state can expect heightened protection after the recent assassinations of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders caused security officials to fear for the athletes’ safety. On Saturday, a rocket from Lebanon hit a soccer field in Majdal Shams, an Arab Druse village in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Israel blamed the deadly rocket attack on Hezbollah, which denied responsibility. On Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike killed a Hezbollah commander near Beirut, the Lebanese capital, in retaliation. Before traveling to Paris, Israeli athletes reported receiving anonymous emails that threatened, “we intend to repeat the events of Munich 1972.”

Persons: Israel, Ismail Haniyeh, “, ” Shmulik, ” Organizations: Paris Games Locations: Lebanon, Majdal Shams, Arab, Golan, Israel, Beirut, Iran, Munich, Gaza, Paris

☆ Hezbollah Leader Threatens Retaliation Against Israel, Saying Conflict Is in ‘New Phase’
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Euan Ward | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, said on Thursday that its conflict with Israel had entered a new phase after an Israeli strike in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, this week. But although Mr. Nasrallah promised that Hezbollah would respond, he equivocated on the scope and nature of that retaliation. “We have entered a new phase,” he said, speaking in a televised address during the funeral for Mr. Shukr. “You do not realize the red lines you have crossed,” warned Mr. Nasrallah, addressing Israel directly. The speech by Mr. Nasrallah on Thursday appeared to straddle that line.

Persons: Hassan Nasrallah, Fuad Shukr, Nasrallah, ”, Shukr, Mr Locations: Lebanese, Israel, Lebanon’s, Beirut, Iran

☆ Buy gold and oil for protection as Middle East tensions escalate, UBS says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

As tensions escalate in the Middle East , investors should consider adding gold and oil as a hedge. "A wider regional war could affect oil supplies, which would likely lead to quick price spikes. Gold, meanwhile, should serve its role as a more conservative asset," UBS analysts led by Tilmann Kolb told clients in a Wednesday note. Gold has risen since the Beirut strike, "underlining its risk hedge characteristics," the analysts said. High demand from banks and a likely uptick in demand when the Federal Reserve lowers rates should also push gold prices higher, they said.

Persons: Tilmann Kolb, Ismail Haniyeh, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Fuad Shukr Organizations: UBS, New York Times, Federal Locations: East, Israel, Iran, Tehran, Lebanon, Golan Heights, Beirut

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Fed signals rate cut; U.S. stocks soar; oil gains as Middle East tensions rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Kevin Lim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Rate cut on horizonThe Federal Reserve expectedly kept its benchmark rate steady at 5.25% to 5.50% on Wednesday, but Chairman Jerome Powell signaled the U.S. central bank could cut the rate in its September meeting. U.S. stocks rallyU.S. stocks jumped after Powell said a rate cut in September was "on the table." Oil gainsU.S. crude oil futures rose 4% on Wednesday after Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran. Asian stocks mixedAsian markets were mixed on Thursday with Japan stocks tumbling while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 touched a new all-time high. [PRO] Rate cut beneficiariesCNBC Pro screened for stocks in the S&P 500 that tend to rise the most when short-term rates start to decline.

Persons: expectedly, Jerome Powell, Powell, Ismail Haniyeh, Israel, Oil Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Wall, CNBC, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Nvidia, Devices, Boeing, Treasury, Facebook, Google, Meta, Oil, West Texas Intermediate, Nikkei, Developers, Bank of, Singapore Airlines, U.S Locations: New York City, U.S, Tehran, Iran, Israel, Beirut, Japan, Shanghai

☆ Oil rises on risk of broadening Middle East conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The most active contracts on both benchmarks jumped about 4% in the previous session. The killings fueled concern that the 10-month-old war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas was turning into a wider Middle East war, which could potentially lead to disruptions in oil supply from the region. Also pushing up oil prices was a set of data releases from the U.S., the world's top oil consumer, and a weaker dollar. U.S. oil demand was at a seasonal record in May as gasoline consumption surged to its highest since before the pandemic, a separate data release from the EIA showed on Wednesday. A weaker dollar can boost oil demand from investors holding other currencies.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Shino Mitsuko Organizations: Global, Brent, U.S, West Texas, United Nations, U.S . Energy, Administration, Federal Reserve Locations: Iran, U.S, Tehran, Lebanon, Beirut, Gaza, Israel, . U.S

☆ Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran by bomb planted months before blast, source says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Iranian state media and Hamas previously indicated that Haniyeh was killed by a rocket fired from outside the building in which he was staying. An image published by the New York Times shows the building where Haniyeh is believed to have been assassinated. He had a full schedule of public appearances and meetings before he was assassinated, according to Iranian state media press reports. Haniyeh was first pictured on Tuesday, before the inauguration, meeting with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Afterwards, Iranian state media published images of Haniyeh meeting with Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Israel, Haniyeh’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Masoud Pezeshkian, IRNA, Iran’s, “, Muhammad ibn Abd al, Umm, Abed, ”, Fu’ad Shukr, Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Shukr, Mustafa Badreddine, Israel’s, Daniel Hagari, ” Hagari, Magen David Adom, –, Mohammed Deif, Deif, Khan Younis, CNN’s Mostafa Salem, Tamara Qiblawi, Kareem Khadder, Tamar Michaelis, Tim Lister, Eyad Kourdi, Paul P, Murphy Organizations: Israel CNN, CNN, The New York Times, Hamas, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, New York Times, Iranian, Islamic, Assembly, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, MDA, Kibbutz, Thursday Locations: Haifa, Israel, Tehran, Doha, Iran, Qatari, Wahhab, Lusail city, Beirut, Lebanon, Golan, Yemen, Syria, Haniyeh, Kibbutz Afek, Al, Gaza, Qatar’s

☆ Fears of Wider Mideast Conflict Deepen, With U.S. Seen as ‘Not in Control’
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For months, diplomats and analysts in foreign capitals have worried that prolonged political upheaval in the United States could invite aggression abroad, whether in Russia’s waging of war in Ukraine, North Korea’s rogue nuclear ambitions or China’s expansionist designs in the South China Sea. Now, less than 100 days before Americans elect a new president, that broader geopolitical crisis has erupted in the familiar theater of the Middle East. The targeted killings of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders in Beirut and Tehran have deepened fears of a regionwide conflict — one that the United States, caught up in its own political drama at home, may have little capacity to avert or even contain. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the United States had not been involved in, or even informed of, the operation in Tehran, which the Iranian government swiftly blamed on Israel. To some, Mr. Blinken’s statement confirmed a dangerous power vacuum in the region.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken Locations: United, Ukraine, North, South China, Beirut, Tehran, United States, Israel

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

☆ The Threat of More War
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Yesterday, Iran and Hamas accused Israel of killing Ismail Haniyeh, one of the most senior leaders of Hamas, while he was in Tehran. (Haniyeh was Hamas’s lead negotiator in cease-fire talks to end the Gaza war, which began with the Oct. 7 attacks.) And the groups themselves say they do not want a wider regional war. (Hamas has said it wants a wider war, but it is depleted from nearly 10 months of conflict in Gaza.) That’s why, in the span of a few months, Israeli bombs have hit Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Yemen.

Persons: amity, Israel, Ismail Haniyeh Organizations: United, Diplomats Locations: East, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Tehran, United Arab Emirates, Iranian, Gaza, Yesterday, Beirut, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, It’s

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, center, sits prior to the start of the swearing-in ceremony of newly-elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the Iranian parliament, in Tehran, Iran, on July 30. APThe death of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh is the “first most significant Israeli operation since October 7,” said CNN Political and Foreign Policy Analyst Barak Ravid. The Israeli military told CNN they “don’t respond to reports in the foreign media,” after Iranian state media reported Haniyeh’s death. “This assassination is, in a way, just a matter of when, not a matter of if,” Ravid said. Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran, according to Hamas and Iranian media, was a longtime political leader of the militant group.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Masoud Pezeshkian, ”, Barak Ravid, Ravid, “, ” Ravid, Haniyeh Organizations: CNN Political, CNN Locations: Tehran, Iran, Gaza, Iranian

☆ Killing of Hamas leader leaves Gaza ceasefire hopes dangling by a thread
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The assassination of the political leader of Hamas has plunged the Middle East into fresh crisis and dented already slim hopes of an end to the war between Israel and the militant group that rules Gaza anytime soon. Here’s what the killing of the Hamas and Hezbollah leaders means for the Gaza war and the region. “Netanyahu has systematically sabotaged ceasefire talks because ending the war will likely end his political career,” said Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute, a US-based foreign policy think tank, in a post on X. A faltered negotiation process also extends the risk to the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza. “This is the time for a deal.”There are 111 hostages still in Gaza, including 39 believed to be dead, according to data from Netanyahu’s office.

Persons: Israel, Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, ”, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Benjamin Netanyahu, –, “ Netanyahu, “, Netanyahu, Jalaa Marey, Gershon Baskin, Baskin, ” Baskin, Gaza’s, Anwar, Antony Blinken, Biden, ” Hellyer, CNN’s Becky Anderson Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Quincy Institute, Palestinian, Getty, Families, Anwar Amro, Hellyer, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Royal United Services Institute for Defense, Security Studies, Israel Locations: Israel, Gaza, Tehran, Iran, Beirut, Golan, Qatar, Egypt, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al, Thani, Doha, US, Karmiel, AFP, Beirut's, United States, London

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