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☆ ‘We hold the US responsible,’ says brother of Iraqi student killed in airstrikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Mohammed Tawfeeq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The brother of an Iraqi student killed as a result of US airstrikes on Iraq and Syria on Friday says the family holds the United States responsible for his death. “My brother was killed instantly,” Anmar told CNN on the phone from Al Qaim on Tuesday. Security forces inspect a damaged car at the site of a US airstrike in Al Qaim, Iraq, February 3, 2024. Shell casings lie at the site of a US airstrike in Al Qaim, Iraq, February 3, 2024. A destroyed building at the site of a US airstrike in Al Qaim, Iraq, February 3, 2024.

Persons: Abdulrahman Khaled, Al Qaim, Anmar Khaled, “, Abdulrahman, ” Anmar, Stringer, –, ”, John Kirby, ” Kirby, Joe Biden, ” CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Betsy Klein Organizations: CNN, White House, Security, Reuters, Al, General Hospital, Preparatory High School, ISIS, Department of Defense, Popular, National Security Locations: Iraq, Syria, States, Al, Iranian, Abdulrahman, Anbar, Al Qaim, Jordan, United States, Iran

CNN —US officials said Monday that Iraq was not notified ahead of a series of strikes on Iran-linked targets in the country, contradicting earlier statements that the Iraqi government was notified before the strikes occurred. We informed the Iraqis immediately after the strikes occurred,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a briefing on Monday. “Iraq, like every country in the region, understood that there would be a response after the deaths of our soldiers,” he noted. In a statement to CNN, Kirby said he “responded with information that I had been provided at the time” after the strikes on Friday. “For operational security reasons, we did not provide any kind of official pre-notification with specific details on these strikes,” the spokesperson said.

Persons: Vedant Patel, ”, John Kirby, Kirby, “, Pat Ryder, ” Ryder, we’ll Organizations: CNN, ” State Department, National Security, State Department, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, United, Pentagon Locations: Iraq, Iran, “ Iraq, Syria, Jordan, United States, Anbar Governorate, Iranian

☆ Sullivan vows ‘further action’ after US carries out retaliatory strikes on Iranian-linked militia targets
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The US will take “further action” after conducting major airstrikes over the weekend against Iranian-backed militias who have carried out attacks on US troops in the Middle East, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday. On Friday, the US hit 85 targets across seven locations in Iraq and Syria. The US strikes killed at least 16 people in Iraq, including civilians, and injured 25 others, the Iraqi government said Friday. The attacks hit areas close to the border with Syria and targeted facilities used by Iranian-linked al Hashd al Shabi — or Popular Mobilization Units — in the Iraqi city of Al-Qaim, Iraqi officials said. The next day, the US and UK conducted strikes on at least 30 Houthi targets in Yemen from air and surface platforms, including fighter jets, with the support of several other countries.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, “, ” Sullivan, CNN’s Dana, “ I’m, ”, Biden Organizations: CNN, Union, US Locations: East, “ State, Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Iraqi, Al, Yemen

☆ US destroyed or damaged 84 of 85 targets in Iraq and Syria, officials say; no indications of Iranian casualties
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US destroyed or damaged 84 out of 85 targets in its sweeping series of airstrikes on Friday in Syria and Iraq, according to two US defense officials, with no indications of Iranian casualties. All but one of the 85 targets were “destroyed or functionally damaged,” the officials said, citing a preliminary battlefield damage assessment. In Iraq, the US targeted al-Qaim and Akashat near the border with Syria. President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes, far larger than previous US operations in Iraq or Syria, were only the start of the US response. The attack consisted of two rockets launched against the site, with no injuries or damage reported.

Persons: Deir, Douglas Sims, ”, Biden, Sims, Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Jake Sullivan, CNN’s Dana, Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Joint Staff, Defense, Union, US Locations: Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Iran, Akashat, al, Gen, “ State

The US said the attack lasted 30 minutes, hitting 85 targets across seven locations in Iraq and Syria. In 2016, the Iraqi parliament passed a bill recognizing the PMU as a government entity operating alongside the Iraqi military. A screengrab from a video, geolocated by CNN to the town of Qaim, Iraq, shows the aftermath of US military strikes in the area, according to the Iraqi Military. Iraq and Syria condemned the US attack as infringements on their sovereignty that risk fueling regional conflict. “The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world,” Biden said in a statement Friday, following the strikes on Iraq and Syria.

Persons: Joe Biden, –, Biden, Kennedy Ladon Sanders, Sanders, Matt Rourke, Qaim, Turki Al, John Kirby, Washington, ”, SANA, Kirby, Douglas Sims, “, Mike Johnson, ” Johnson, Jack Reed, Lloyd Austin, ” Biden, Charles Lister, ” Lister, Ebrahim Raisi Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Army, US Army, Dover Air Force Base, House, Hezbollah, Al, US National Security, Syrian, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iraq’s Armed Forces, United Nations Charter, Republican, Senate Armed, US, Coalition Forces, Austin, Middle East Institute, Iraq Locations: United States, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Israel, Delaware, Iraqi, Al, ” Syria’s, Deir Ezzor, Gen, Qaim, ” Syria, Washington ,, Tehran

On Wednesday the White House said it believes an umbrella group of militants called Islamic Resistance in Iraq was behind the drone attack in Jordan. He stopped short of assigning exact blame on Kata’ib Hezbollah, the most powerful Iran-backed militia in Iraq, saying it was not the only group responsible for previous attacks on US bases. On Friday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said his country will not initiate a war but will “respond strongly” to bullies. In a sign of a possible effort to quell the tensions, Kataib Hezbollah, announced on Tuesday the suspension of its military operations against US forces in the region. “We are announcing the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces (US troops) - in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government,” Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Lloyd Austin, ”, ” Austin, We’re, ” John Kirby, “, ” Kirby, Ebrahim Raisi, ” Kataib, Akram Al Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, National Security Council, White, Hezbollah, US, Free Hezbollah Brigades Locations: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Jordan, Israel, Gaza, Tehran, United States, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian Hormozgan province

☆ US sees signs Iran is worried about escalating proxy attacks amid heightened tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Officials cautioned that there is no sense that Tehran’s growing wariness is likely to change its broader strategy of supporting proxy attacks on US and Western targets — although it could signal adjustments around the margins. But officials do believe that Iran is pursuing a calibrated approach to the conflict that is designed to avoid sparking all-out war. But some current and former US officials are skeptical that Iran will substantively change its tactics. ‘Varying degress of loyalty’The escalations also underscore the varying degrees of control that Iran actually has over its proxy groups. Among the groups, Iran has the least amount of operational control over the Houthis in Yemen, multiple officials told CNN.

Persons: Biden, Bill Burns, Norm Roule, Roule, “, Fadel, Ahmad Al, Jonathan Lord, ”, ” Lord, Israel “, Hossein, Mohammed Hamoud, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Iran ”, we’re Organizations: Militant, Iranian, CNN, White, CIA, Foreign Affairs, Getty, Middle East Security, Center, New, US Navy, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, Anadolu Agency, Command, UN, Chinese Foreign, White House Locations: Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, United States, Tehran, China, India, Gaza, Europe, Baghdad, AFP, New American, Israel, Africa, Beijing, Bani, Sanaa, Red, Somalia, Bangkok, “ Beijing

☆ US warship had close call with Houthi missile in Red Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A cruise missile launched by the Houthis into the Red Sea on Tuesday night came within a mile of a US destroyer before it was shot down, four US officials told CNN, the closest a Houthi attack has come to a US warship. In the past, these missiles have been intercepted by US destroyers in the area at a range of eight miles or more, the officials said. But the USS Gravely had to use its Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) for the first time since the US began intercepting the Houthi missiles late last year, which ultimately succeeded in downing the missile, officials said. The episode underscores the threat the Houthis continue to pose to US naval assets and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, despite multiple US and British strikes on Houthi infrastructure inside Yemen. The close call also comes just days after three US service members were killed in a drone attack by Iran-backed militants at a US outpost in Jordan.

Organizations: CNN, US Locations: Red, Yemen, Iran, Jordan

☆ Biden has to deal with a second war he didn’t want. His task is to contain it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

— Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian group based in Lebanon, has been waging a low-grade war against Israel. — Iran has blamed Israel for an attack that killed a number of Revolutionary Guard officers in Damascus, Syria. Hawkish Republicans like South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham are demanding he attack Iran on Iranian soil. “The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East. And on a purely strategic level, risking a major Middle East war that could cause massive US casualties to avenge the deaths of three soldiers, as terrible as their deaths are, would not represent a sound equation.

Persons: they're, Joe Biden —, Jordan Sunday –, Biden, haven’t, —, Israel, it’s, Antony Blinken, ” Aaron David Miller, CNN’s Jim Acosta, “, ”, William Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, Breonna Moffett, South Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham, Nikki Haley, Biden’s, Donald Trump, Jim Himes, what’s, CNN’s Oren Liebermann, Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis, Blinken, CNN’s Alex Marquardt, Joe Biden, Arkansas Sen, Tom Cotton, Haley, Qasem Soleimani, Trump, John Kirby, It’s Biden Organizations: Republicans, White House CNN, Jordan Sunday, Hezbollah, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Britain, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Revolutionary Guard, ”, GOP, Rep, Intelligence, Islamic, United Nations, –, Iran Locations: Washington, Tehran, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Jordan, United States, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, —, Syria, Baghdad, Beirut, Lebanon –, Damascus, East, South Carolina, Connecticut, Hamas, Qatar, Egypt, Islamic Republic, Arkansas, There’s

☆ Exclusive: Xi promised Biden China wouldn’t interfere in 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In a meeting this past weekend in Bangkok with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan again brought up the topic. Wang offered Sullivan the same assurance Xi had given Biden months prior — that Beijing would not meddle in the American election this fall, the source said. The White House National Security Council declined to comment on whether election interference came up in the Biden-Xi and Sullivan-Wang meetings. CNN has reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment. Last week, a senior National Security Agency official told reporters that the agency had not yet seen signs of any notable new foreign influence operations aimed at the 2024 election.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Wang, Sullivan, Hillary Clinton’s, ”, “, Chris Krebs, ” Krebs, Brendan Smialowski, Antony Blinken, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand Organizations: CNN, Chinese Foreign, Democratic National Committee, FBI, Justice Department, White House National Security, Biden, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Microsoft, of, National Security Agency, US, Infrastructure Security, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Getty Locations: China, California, Bangkok, Beijing, Taiwan, Russia, Iran, Asia, Woodside , California, AFP, Washington, Chinese

The enemy drone followed the American drone as it approached, but it is not clear whether the enemy drone intentionally followed the American one or if it was a coincidence, one of the officials said. US officials are also still assessing the enemy drone’s point of origin. The Wall Street Journal first reported the confusion over the enemy drone. A US official told CNN that there have been six attacks since Friday, including Sunday’s drone attack and a multi-rocket attack on Patrol Base Shaddadi in Syria on Monday morning. The consensus is that an Iran-backed militia group is behind the deadly drone attack, though the US is still working to determine which group specifically is responsible.

Persons: Syria —, John Kirby, CNN’s Phil Mattingly, White, “, ” Kirby, weren’t, ”, Jens Stoltenberg, Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, ” Stoltenberg, Austin’s, Biden, Tehran . Sen, Roger Wicker, Sen, Tom Cotton Organizations: CNN, Army, Sunday, Street Journal, Regional Medical Center, Patrol Base Shaddadi, National Security, Kataib Hezbollah, Revolutionary Guard, Pentagon, NATO, Republicans, Republican, Senate Armed Services Committee Locations: Jordan, American, Germany, East, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Congress, Tehran .

CNN —The three US soldiers killed in the drone attack on a US military outpost in Jordan were identified Monday as Sgt. US Army Reserve Command, APSingh said more than 40 were injured in the attack, a number that could possibly continue to increase. The enemy drone also flew low, which may have allowed it to evade the base’s air defenses, officials said. A US official told CNN that there have been six attacks since Friday, including Sunday’s drone attack and a multi-rocket attack on Patrol Base Shaddadi in Syria on Monday morning. The consensus is that an Iran-backed militia group is behind the deadly drone attack, though the US is still working to determine which group specifically is responsible.

Persons: William Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, Breonna Moffett, Sabrina Singh, William Jerome Rivers, Kennedy Ladon Sanders, Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, AP Singh, Singh, Syria —, John Kirby, CNN’s Phil Mattingly, White, “, ” Kirby, weren’t, ” Singh, ”, Jens Stoltenberg, Lloyd Austin, ” Austin Organizations: CNN, Defense Department, 718th Engineer Company, US Army Reserve, Pentagon, US Army Reserve Command, Spc, Breonna, AP, Baghdad Diplomatic Support, Regional Medical Center, US, Patrol Base Shaddadi, National Security, Kataib Hezbollah, Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollah, NATO Locations: Jordan, Carrollton , Georgia, Waycross , Georgia, Savannah , Georgia, Fort Moore , Georgia, Baghdad, Landstuhl, American, East, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon

The US has in recent months carried out several strikes targeting Iranian proxies’ weapons depots in Iraq and Syria. To date, none of those strikes have deterred the militants, whose 165 attacks have injured over 120 US service members across the region since October. ‘We don’t seek a war with Iran’Still, striking Iran is one of the least likely options at this point, officials said. We’re not looking for a wider conflict in the Middle East,” John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, told CNN on Monday. Tehran has watched as anti-US and anti-Israel protests swept across the Middle East after the Israel-Hamas war started.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Mark Hertling, “, Antony Blinken, Blinken, ”, Harakat, “ We’re, We’re, ” John Kirby, they’ve, ” Sabrina Singh, Jon Alterman, ” Alterman Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, National Security Council, Middle East, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Iran’s, American, Lebanon, Yemen, Tehran, United States, “, Israel, Russia, China

CNN —Three US Army soldiers were killed and at least two dozen service members were injured in a drone attack overnight on a small US outpost in Jordan, US officials told CNN, marking the first time US troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the Gaza war. The killing of three Americans at Tower 22 in Jordan near the border with Syria is a significant escalation of an already-precarious situation in the Middle East. Officials said the drone was fired by Iran-backed militants and appeared to come from Syria. US officials have repeatedly said they do not want to see the increasingly high tensions across the Middle East broaden into a regional war. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Garrett Illerbrunn from the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade was set to be sent back to the US for further treatment after he critically injured in a drone attack on Erbil Airbase.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, Sabrina Singh, “, CQ Brown, —, Garrett Illerbrunn Organizations: CNN, US Army, Officials, Central Command, Pentagon, ABC News, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Christmas, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, US Locations: Jordan, Gaza, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Erbil Airbase

☆ US secretly warned Iran before ISIS terror attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US secretly warned Iran that ISIS was planning a potential terror attack inside Iran’s borders before the group carried out a deadly attack near the burial site of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani on January 3, according to a US official. The private warning was based on intelligence the US had obtained about ISIS’ plans and was given to Iran based on the US government’s “duty to warn” policy, the official said. “Prior to ISIS’ terrorist attack on January 3, 2024, in Kerman, Iran, the US government provided Iran with a private warning that there was a terrorist threat within Iranian borders,” the official said. “The US government followed a longstanding ‘duty to warn’ policy that has been implemented across administrations to warn governments against potential lethal threats. We provide these warnings in part because we do not want to see innocent lives lost in terror attacks.”The Iranian government was ultimately unable to stop the ISIS attack, which was the deadliest in Iran since its 1979 revolution.

Persons: Qasem Soleimani, “, ” Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Wall Street, UN, National Intelligence Locations: Iran, Kerman

☆ US Navy shoots down Houthi missiles targeting US-flagged commercial ship
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The USS Gravely, which was nearby at the time, shot down two of the missiles and one landed in the water, the officials said. There were no injuries or damage to the ship, CENTCOM said in a statement. The ships turned back from their planned voyage after seeing “explosions” on their way toward the Red Sea on Wednesday, according to the company. “While en route, both ships reported seeing explosions close by and the US Navy accompaniment also intercepted multiple projectiles,” Maersk said in a statement shared with CNN. “The crew, ship, and cargo are safe and unharmed.”Following the explosions, the US Navy turned both ships around and is escorting them back to the Gulf of Aden, according to Maersk.

Persons: Houthis, CENTCOM, ” Maersk, “, CNN’s Catherine Nicholls Organizations: CNN, US Navy, Maersk, US Central Command, Maersk Detroit, Chesapeake, US Maritime Security Program, VISA, Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Locations: Iran, Maersk Detroit, Gulf, Aden, Yemen

☆ US and Iraqi governments expected to start talks on future of US military presence in the country
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The US and Iraq are expected to soon begin talks on the future of the US military presence in the country, according to sources familiar with the matter, amid public calls from the Iraqi government for the US to withdraw its troops. US military officials and diplomats will be involved in the discussions, officials said. The talks about the future of the US’ military presence have now taken on a greater urgency amid the wider regional instability, and amid growing public calls by the Iraqi government for the US to withdraw its troops from the country. Part of the discussions will focus on whether and when it will be feasible to end the US military presence in Iraq. “The Biden administration is not considering a withdrawal of forces from Syria,” a senior US official told CNN.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, ”, They’re, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, ” “, “, ” Jonathan Lord, Jon Alterman, it’s, Alterman, Elena Romanowski, Biden, CNN’s Haley Britzky Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, ISIS, Defense, ”, ISIS Coalition, Higher, Commission, Center for New American Security, Iraqi Security Forces, Middle, Center for Strategic, International Studies, “ Locations: Iraq, Iraqi, Iran, Syria, ”, Iranian, Baghdad, Israel

☆ US identifies 2 Navy SEALs declared dead after operation off Somali coast
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The two Navy SEALs who the US Navy declared dead after they went missing while conducting an operation on January 11 off the coast of Somalia have been identified as Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher Chambers who was 37 and Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram who was 27, the US Navy announced Monday. Blake Chaney, commander of Naval Special Warfare Group 1, said in a statement that Chambers and Ingram “were exceptional warriors, cherished teammates, and dear friends to many.”“Chris and Gage selflessly served their country with unwavering professionalism and exceptional capabilities,” Chaney said. According to biographies provided by Naval Special Warfare Command, Chambers, from Maryland, enlisted in the Navy in May 2012 and had served with SEAL units on the West Coast since 2014. Ingram, from Texas, enlisted in September 2019, immediately going into pre-special warfare training after completing boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois. “During this expansive search operation, airborne and naval platforms from the US, Japan, and Spain continuously searched more than 21,000 square miles to locate our missing teammates.

Persons: Christopher Chambers, Nathan Gage Ingram, Capt, Blake Chaney, Chambers, Ingram “, ” “ Chris, Gage selflessly, ” Chaney, Ingram, CENTCOM, ” CNN’s Natasha Bertrand Organizations: CNN, Navy, US Navy, Special Warfare, NSW, Warfare, Central Command, US, Special Warfare Command, Marine, Recruit Training Command, Terrorism, Medal, National Defense Service, Numerical Meteorology, Oceanography Center, U.S . Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command, University of San, Oceanography, Naval Research Locations: Somalia, West Coast, Iran, Yemen, Maryland, Texas, Lakes , Illinois, Japan, Spain, University of San Diego

☆ US and UK carry out additional strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The US and UK carried out additional strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Monday, marking the eighth round of attacks by the US military on the rebels’ infrastructure in just over 10 days, two defense officials told CNN. The US has now struck Houthi targets in Yemen eight times since January 11, the majority of which the US military has carried out unilaterally. The first wave of strikes, in which the US and UK hit approximately 30 sites across Houthi-controlled Yemen, marked the beginning of Operation Poseidon Archer, one official said. The US also carried out all of its strikes on Houthi targets last week unilaterally, in contrast to the coalition of countries that supported the first round of joint US and UK strikes on the Houthis on January 11. “We’re not looking for a conflict with the Houthis, we’re not looking for a conflict in the region,” he added.

Persons: Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, Archer, Sabrina Singh, Biden, Singh, ”, Abdul Malek al, Houthi, CENTCOM, Erik Kurilla, John Kirby, “ I’m, “, we’re Organizations: CNN, British, UK, US, Pentagon, US Navy, Central Command, Navy, US Naval, . National Security Locations: Yemen, Red, Houthi, Israel, Gaza, America, Somalia

☆ Two US Navy SEALs missing off the coast of Somalia are dead, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Samantha Waldenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The two US Navy SEALs who went missing off the coast of Somalia on January 11 are dead, US Central Command said after searching for them for 10 days. “We regret to announce that after a 10-day exhaustive search, our two missing U.S. Navy SEALs have not been located and their status has been changed to deceased,” Central Command said in a statement Sunday. Our prayers are with the SEALs’ families, friends, the U.S. Navy, and the entire Special Operations community during this time,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, US CENTCOM commander. “We mourn the loss of our two brave Navy SEALs, and our hearts are with their families,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement Sunday. In addition to training Somali forces, the US has also coordinated with the Somali government to carry out strikes against al-Shabaab.

Persons: ” CENTCOM, “, ”, Michael Erik Kurilla, Lloyd Austin, CNN’s Oren Liebermann, Haley Britzky, Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis, Jim Sciutto Organizations: CNN, US Navy, US, Command, U.S . Navy, ”, Special Warfare, Navy, US Africa Command Locations: Somalia, Japan, Spain, Shabaab, Somali, “ Al, U.S

Lawmakers have conveyed as much directly to the White House, a US official told CNN. Biden met with House and Senate lawmakers at the White House on Wednesday to outline what is at stake for Ukraine. House Speaker Mike Johnson makes a statement alongside Reps. Mike Turner, Mike Rogers and Mike McCaul on January 17, outside the White House. Privately, some US and Western officials say there could be as many as five more years of fighting. In the near term, Ukraine may be able to hang on, albeit in a stalemate, without US support, a Western intelligence source said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Jake Sullivan, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Mike Johnson, I’ve, ‘, ’ ” Johnson, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, ”, ” Biden, Mike Turner, Mike Rogers, Mike McCaul, Samuel Corum, Donald Trump, Trump, Mike Quigley, CNN Max, “ He’s, Putin, outlast, “, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Michael McCaul, ” Said, Kostiantyn, don’t, Volodymyr Zelensky, Gitanas Nauseda, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ints Kalnins, ” Zelenskyy, ” Trump, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, frontloading Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, White, Pentagon, Defense, National Intelligence, White House, NATO, Republicans, Getty, Kyiv, ” Democratic, Administration, Trump, Republican, Biden, Ukrainian National Guard, Army Tactical Missile Systems, Reuters, Russian Central Bank Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, Kyiv, Europe, Ukrainian, Kreminna, Donetsk Oblast, Moscow, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Sevastopol, Melitopol, Vilnius, Lithuania, New York City, West

☆ FBI and CISA warn companies to be wary of using Chinese-made drones over national security risks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —Chinese-made drones “continue to pose a significant risk to critical infrastructure and US national security” and companies should be wary of using them, the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned in a new memo issued Wednesday. “Our nation’s critical infrastructure sectors, such as energy, chemical and communications, are increasingly relying on [unmanned aerial systems] for various missions that ultimately reduce operating costs and improve staff safety,” said CISA Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security Dr. David Mussington in a statement. The Department of Homeland Security has been warning about the risks posed by Chinese-made drones, which dominate the global market for commercial drones, for years. “CISA and the FBI rightly point out the risk, and more importantly, how to mitigate these known cyber risks. It’s clear that the United States government has deemed Chinese-made drones a threat to security as China’s dominance of the electronics supply chain, including drones, is harming U.S. national security interests.”

Persons: ”, David Mussington, DJI, Brian Harrell, we’ve, “ CISA Organizations: Washington CNN, FBI, Infrastructure Security Agency, CNN, Infrastructure Security, PRC’s, Civil Fusion, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, US Army, U.S Locations: China, People’s Republic of China, United States, Canada, DJI

☆ US carries out additional strikes against Houthis in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The US military launched new strikes against Houthi targets inside Yemen on Tuesday, targeting anti-ship ballistic missiles controlled by the Iran-backed rebel group, a two US defense officials told CNN on Tuesday. A few hours later, however, the Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea, hitting the M/V Zografia, a Maltese flagged bulk carrier, the officials said. That operation only destroyed less than a third of the Houthis’ weapons capabilities, however, a US official told CNN on Monday. The Houthis have launched dozens of drone and missile attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea over a period of weeks. ““But we did not say when we launched our attacks, they’re going to end once and for all, the Houthis will be fully deterred,” Sullivan said.

Persons: Joe Biden, “, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Navy, US, Economic, National Locations: Yemen, Iran, Maltese, Houthi, Red, Davos Switzerland

Almost 16,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its campaign in October, following Hamas’ terror attack on Israel on October 7, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. Israel believes it has killed “several thousand” Hamas militants, an Israeli official said. Israeli officials have indicated that that is their intention, one of the officials said. Senior US officials have been careful not to publicly criticize Israel and are increasingly insisting that their strategy of counseling Israel to target Gaza more deliberately and surgically has delivered some results. “I do believe that they have listened,” Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters on Sunday when asked whether Israel is listening to the US.

Persons: Israel, Lloyd Austin, Austin, ”, Israel can’t, Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, “, Kamala Harris, John Kirby Organizations: CNN, US, Israeli Defense Forces, Reagan National Defense Forum, Israel, Gaza Ministry, Health, Biden, National Security Council, Hezbollah, Senior, IDF, Israel Defense Forces, National Security Locations: Gaza, Israel, Lebanese, Iraq, Afghanistan

☆ Western officials warn Ukrainian forces face a difficult winter as Russia plans new strikes on infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Jim Sciutto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —Ukrainian forces are facing a “tough” winter and a difficult year ahead, as Western intelligence assessments do not expect significant movement on the frontlines in the coming months, two Western officials and a senior US military official told CNN. In the nearer term, Western intelligence agencies expect Russia to expand its bombardment of civilian infrastructure, including electrical facilities, in an attempt to inflict further suffering on the civilian population during the cold winter months. Western intelligence assessments indicate the frontlines are unlikely to change much in the coming months. “On the other hand,” a senior Western official told CNN, “Ukraine will have the defender’s advantage, and they are very tough at that”. However, Western intelligence assessments warn that battlefield movement could stagnate until well into 2024, bringing the war closer to the “frozen conflict” that many Russia observers fear plays to Putin’s advantage.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, ”, Donald Trump, Putin, John Kirby, Kylie Atwood, Natasha Bertrand, Jennifer Hansler, Kevin Liptak, Sam Fossum Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, NATO, Western, “, Fleet, Congress, National Security Locations: Russia, “ Ukraine, United Kingdom, Russian, Ukraine, Europe, Israel

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