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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

☆ U.S. increasing military presence in Middle East after Hamas leader's killing
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday ordered more destroyers and other military forces to the Middle East following this week’s assassination of Hamas’ political leader in Iran, the military said. The U.S. military statement does not specifically mention Haniyeh's killing. "The Department is also taking steps to increase our readiness to deploy additional land-based ballistic missile defense," the Pentagon statement said. Israel declared war against Hamas and its leaders after the Oct. 7 attacks launched from Gaza, which Hamas controls. Israel’s military has declared the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, a "dead man walking."

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Theodore Roosevelt —, Ismail Haniyeh, Sabrina Singh, Haniyeh, ”, Singh, Austin, Israel, Yahya Sinwar, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: USS Lincoln, Department of Defense, Pentagon, Hamas, U.S . European Command, U.S . Central Command, USS, Israel, Defense Department Locations: Iran, —, U.S, Israel, Gaza, USS Lincoln, Lebanese

☆ Killing of Hamas Leader Fuels More Tension Between Biden and Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is pushing back against President Biden over American concerns about the assassination of the political leader of Hamas and Israel’s approach to cease-fire talks in the latest rift between the two allies since the war in Gaza began 10 months ago. A senior Israeli government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive relations between the two countries, said in an interview that Mr. Netanyahu insisted he was not trying to block a cease-fire. While he acknowledged that the death of Mr. Haniyeh, the main negotiator in the cease-fire talks, would interrupt progress for a few days, Mr. Netanyahu argued that it would ultimately hasten the finalization of an agreement by putting more pressure on Hamas, according to the Israeli official. Mr. Biden contended that the assassination of Mr. Haniyeh was poorly timed, coming right at what the Americans hoped would be the endgame of the process, according to the U.S. official, who likewise did not want to be identified describing private talks. Moreover, Mr. Biden expressed concern that carrying out the operation in Tehran could trigger the wider regional war that he has been trying to avert.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu, Israel, Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Mr Organizations: U.S, U.S . Locations: Israel, Gaza, Tehran

Some American warships already in the Mediterranean will move closer to the coast of Israel, according to a senior Pentagon official. The killing of the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in an explosion at a military-run guesthouse in Tehran on Wednesday, was a stunning breach of security in the Iranian capital. Iran arrested more than two dozen people, including senior intelligence officers, in response. The country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has issued an order for Iran to strike Israel directly for the killing, according to Iranian officials. “We will be bolstering our force protection in the region,” she said.

Persons: Lloyd J, Austin III, Ismail Haniyeh, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Sabrina Singh, Austin, Yoav Gallant, Austin “, ”, “, Mr, Haniyeh Organizations: . Defense, American, Pentagon Locations: Israel, Iran, Tehran, Qatar, Gaza, United States, Yemen, Iraq

☆ Iran claims Hamas leader Haniyeh killed by ‘short-range projectile,’ vowing ‘blood vengeance’ amidst regional tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Radina Gigova | Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Iran has claimed that the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this week was carried out by a “short-range projectile” and a “severe explosion” outside a guest house where he was staying. The Iranian government and Hamas say that Israel carried out the assassination. On Saturday, Iran warned that “blood vengeance” for the killing was “certain.”An image published by the New York Times shows the building where Haniyeh is believed to have been assassinated. US officials were briefed on the operation by Israeli officials only after the assassination, the source said. Iran calls Israel the Zionist regime.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Israel, ”, Israel “, Daniel Hagari, ” Hagari Organizations: CNN, Hamas, New York Times, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Zionist, Israel Defense Forces, IDF Locations: Iran, Tehran, Israel

☆ Iran Arrests Dozens in Search for Suspects in Killing of Hamas Leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Iran has arrested more than two dozen people, including senior intelligence officers, military officials and staff workers at a military-run guesthouse in Tehran, in response to a huge and humiliating security breach that enabled the assassination of a top leader of Hamas, according to two Iranians familiar with the investigation. The high-level arrests came after the killing in an explosion early Wednesday of Ismail Haniyeh, who had led Hamas’s political office in Qatar and was visiting Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new president and staying at the guesthouse in northern Tehran, Iran’s capital. The fervor of the response to the killing of Mr. Haniyeh underscores what a devastating security failure this was for Iran’s leadership, with the assassination occurring at a heavily guarded compound in the country’s capital within hours of the swearing-in ceremony of the country’s new president.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Mr Locations: Iran, Tehran, Qatar, Iran’s

☆ Israelis fear for hostages as Netanyahu celebrates ‘crushing blows’ against enemies
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Mike Schwartz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Tel Aviv, Israel CNN —As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrates what he sees as major victories against Hamas and Hezbollah this week, the mood in Tel Aviv is far from celebratory. On Wednesday, Netanyahu said that his country “struck crushing blows” to the “the three H’s” – Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah, all Iranian-backed, all fierce Israeli foes. Hamas also blamed Israel for the assassination of their political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed on Wednesday in Tehran. Netanyahu’s tone stands at odds with the mood on the ground in Tel Aviv, including among families of the hostages still in Gaza. Polls have repeatedly shown that most Israelis prioritize the release of hostages over continued war.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ”, Mohammed Deif, Fu’ad Shukr, Israel, Ismail Haniyeh, –, Shiri, Yarden, Ariel, Kfir, Bibas, Zailer, CNN’s Clarissa Ward, ” Zailer, “, Kibbutz Nir, ” ‘, “ We’re, Itay, Let’s, ” Oved, Alona Lelchuk, ” Netanyahu Organizations: Israel CNN —, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, Minister’s Office, Israel Democracy Institute, IDI, “ Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Yemen, Tehran . Israel, Gaza, Rafah, ”, United States, Tel

The demonstrations – a regular occurrence – were notable for taking place despite urgent security warnings as Israel braces for a possible strike from Iran. Videos showed protestors waving Israeli flags and holding up signs with images of the Israeli hostages. Of that number, 111 hostages were taken during the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which killed over 1,200 people. “The head of the Mossad did not say that there was a deal ready and that it should be accepted. “While Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to the deal outline, Hamas has been trying to introduce dozens of changes that, de facto, nullify the outline,” the statement said.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Ismail Haniyeh, “ We’re, ”, “, ‘, Netanyahu’s, Yair Lapid, Netanyahu, Gil Cohen, David Barnea, Shin Bet, banged, CNN’s Eugenia Yosef, Larry Organizations: CNN, Hamas, IDF, Minister’s Office, Gaza’s Ministry of Health, United Nations, Israeli Prime, Magen, Getty, ” Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iran, Tehran, Tel Aviv, AFP

☆ Turkey blocks access to Instagram. Reports say it's in response to removal of posts on Hamas chief.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Ap-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Turkey’s communications authority blocked access to the social media platform Instagram on Friday, the latest instance of a clampdown on websites in the country. The Information and Communication Technologies Authority, which regulates the internet, announced the block early Friday but did not provide a reason. Sabah newspaper, which is close to the government, said access was blocked in response to Instagram removing posts by Turkish users that expressed condolences over the killling of Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh. Unlike its Western allies, Turkey does not consider Hamas to be a terror organization. Turkey has a track record of censoring social media and websites.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Fahrettin Altun, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Erdogan, Haniyeh Organizations: Communication Technologies Authority, Meta, Expression Association, YouTube Locations: Sabah, Turkey, Gaza

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

☆ 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

☆ Turkey blocks Instagram throughout country amid complaints of censorship of Hamas posts
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey blocked access to Instagram for its 85 million people, the country's Information and Communication Technologies Authority announced Friday morning. According to Turkish media, there are more than 50 million users of the photo-sharing app in the country. Reports however suggest the ban was a response to the Meta -owned platform removing posts related to the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Iranian officials and Hamas blame Israel for what they say is an assassination, while Israel has declined to comment. Fahrettin Altun, head of Turkey's presidential communications and an aide to Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan, on Wednesday criticized Instagram, accusing it of censorship.

Persons: Instagram.com, Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Israel, Fahrettin Altun, Recep Tayip Erdogan, Instagram, Altun, Meta, Israel —, Erdogan Organizations: Communication Technologies, Turkey's Daily, CNBC, Turkish Locations: Turkey, Turkish, Turkey's, Turkey's Daily Sabah, Tehran, Israel, Gaza

☆ Netanyahu, Defiant, Appears to Have Gone Rogue, Risking a Regional War
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Steven Erlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the Biden administration and its allies try to secure an elusive cease-fire in Gaza, Israel appears to have gone rogue. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, came to Washington last week to give a defiant speech. Despite international condemnation, he vowed to continue the war against Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank, where Israel is killing and imprisoning scores of Palestinians each week, without any clear idea of its endgame. The assassinations of senior Hezbollah and Hamas figures abroad have now sharply raised the risks of a larger regional war as Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah prepare retaliation, analysts say. They are more likely to intensify the conflict than diminish it, making progress on a Gaza cease-fire even more difficult.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s, Fuad Shukr, Ismail Haniyeh Organizations: West Bank Locations: Gaza, Israel, Washington, Iran

☆ US sending aircraft carrier, warships and fighter squadron to Middle East as region braces for Iranian retaliation
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The US is sending a carrier strike group, a fighter squadron and additional warships to the Middle East as the region braces for an Iranian retaliation to the killing of a senior Hamas leader in Tehran earlier this week. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group, which is currently operating in the Gulf of Oman, according to a statement from Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh. In addition, destroyers and cruisers capable of ballistic missile defense will also be sent to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea. Austin also ordered the deployment of a fighter squadron to the region, Singh said. Iran has vowed to attack Israel for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Sabrina Singh, Austin, Singh, Israel, Ismail Haniyeh Organizations: CNN, Defense, Pentagon, Israel, USS, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Locations: Tehran, Gulf of Oman, Iran, Lebanon, Tehran . Israel

☆ 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

☆ U.S. Poised to Send More Combat Aircraft to Middle East, Officials Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Eric Schmitt | More About Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States is preparing to send additional combat aircraft to the Middle East in response to threats from Iran and its proxies in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen to attack Israel in the coming days to avenge the death of Ismail Haniyeh this week, American officials said on Friday. How many planes to send is still being worked out, as are final approvals from senior officials including Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III. Officials said they were seeking to calibrate the American response to send enough of the right types of aircraft as quickly as possible to help defend Israel without appearing to escalate the conflict. Iran fired more than 300 drones and missiles against Israel in a major attack in April, but only a handful got through, causing only slight damage. U.S. Air Force jets based in Jordan and in Saudi Arabia coordinated with French, Jordanian and British Air Force fighters to shoot down more than 80 drones.

Persons: Israel, Ismail Haniyeh, Lloyd J, Austin III Organizations: U.S, Defense, U.S . Air Force, French, British Air Force Locations: States, Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Israel, U.S, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Jordanian

Thousands packed Qatar’s largest mosque on Friday for the funeral of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political leader, hours after President Biden said his killing could hurt the monthslong effort to negotiate a cease-fire in Gaza. Mr. Haniyeh, who was based in the Persian Gulf nation, had been a negotiator in the cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas. His death in an explosion in Iran on Wednesday and the assassination of the Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon on Tuesday have put the Middle East on edge, bracing for a possible escalation in retaliatory violence. Asked by a reporter on Thursday night whether the killing of Mr. Haniyeh had ruined the prospect of a negotiated cease-fire in Gaza, Mr. Biden said, “It has not helped.”He added that he had a “very direct” conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel earlier that day and had urged him to agree to a deal to stop the war in Gaza and free the remaining people kidnapped in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Biden, Haniyeh, Fuad Shukr, Mr, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Organizations: Hamas Locations: Gaza, Persian, Israel, Iran, Lebanon

Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hama, arrives for the inauguration of the new Iranian President at the parliament in Tehran, on July 30. Tehran: Haniyeh took at least four trips to Tehran – in November, March, May and July. In May, he attended the funerals of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who were killed in a helicopter crash. On his final trip to Tehran, which ended with his assassination, he attended the inauguration of the new Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian. Doha: As Israel’s war ravaged Gaza, Haniyeh spent the majority of his time in Hamas’ Doha offices.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Hama, Stringer, Ismail Haniyeh’s, Haniyeh, Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Masoud Pezeshkian Organizations: Getty, CNN, Tehran –, Iranian Locations: Tehran, AFP, Gaza, Istanbul, Turkey, Doha, Cairo, Qatar, Egypt

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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ U.S. crude oil breaks $78 per barrel as fears of war between Iran and Israel grow
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. crude oil futures broke above $78 per barrel Thursday on fears that Israel and Iran are heading to a direct conflict after the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran. Iran Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct strike on Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, three Iranian officials told the New York Times. Khamenei ordered the direct strike at an emergency meeting of Iran's national security council Wednesday morning after Haniyeh was killed, the officials told The Times. Iran and Israel traded direct strikes in April, pushing oil prices to the highest point of the year, but they enemies ultimately pulled back from a full-scale war. The rising tensions come as an OPEC+ committee is meeting Thursday to review members' production quotas.

Persons: Ali Khamenei, Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Khamenei, Yemen's, Helima Croft, Croft Organizations: New York Times . West Texas, Times, Reuters, RBC Capital Markets Locations: Israel, Iran, Tehran, Iraq, Gaza

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

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

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