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☆ Higher rates raising ‘downside risks’ for regional banks, warns Bank of America
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The danger of higher rates for longer following the latest hot inflation reading raises the "downside risk" for regional banks, according to Bank of America. "Fewer and later Fed rate cuts pose downside risk to bank stocks," analyst Ebrahim Poonawala wrote in a Tuesday note. "We are especially concerned about the failure of the broader market to project the trajectory of interest rates – a consistent theme since the Fed began raising interest rates in March 2022." "We worry about the risk from no rate cuts in 2024 and a far more elevated level of interest rates across the UST yield curve," Poonawala added. Net interest margin is the difference between the interest banks earn on loans and pay on deposits.

Persons: Ebrahim Poonawala, Poonawala, Goldman Sachs, BNY Mellon, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Bank of America, Federal, Treasury, Silicon Valley Bank, Fed, UST, Regional Banking, Regional Banking ETF, JPMorgan, BNY, U.S . Bancorp, First Bancorp Locations: Silicon, U.S, Puerto Rico

☆ Egypt on edge as Israel’s war presses more than a million Palestinians up against its border
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The fortification by the border with Gaza is a “precautionary” measure ahead of an expected Israeli ground operation in Rafah, Egyptian security officials told CNN. Now, Egypt is sounding alarms again as Israel pushes more than a million Palestinians toward its territory and prepares for a military operation in Rafah. The treaty also limited the number of troops stationed on the border between Egypt and Gaza, which at the time was controlled by Israel. A satellite image from Maxar Technologies shows Rafah, Gaza, on February 3. After Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, it agreed with Egypt on a mechanism to secure the area with only Egyptian border patrol forces on the Egyptian side of the border.

Persons: Israel’s, Gazans, Kerem, Karm, Said Khatib, Bezalel Smotrich, “, Emad Gad, ”, Winter, Abdel Fattah el, Sisi, Abed Zagout, Itamar Ben Gvir, Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ahmed Abu Zeid, ” Abu Zeid, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Israel, it’s, Gad, ” Gad Organizations: CNN, Getty, Twitter, Israel, Associated Press, The New York Times, Ahram, Maxar Technologies, Maxar, Ahram Center for Political, Strategic Studies, Institute for National Security Studies, Department of, Islamic, Tel Aviv University, National, Finance, Foreign, Foreign Ministry, Alghad, Reuters, Egyptian, demilitarize, Al, News, Ahram Center Locations: Egypt, Gaza, Rafah, North Sinai, Israel, Karm Abu Salem, AFP, Cairo, Western, United States, Washington, Tel Aviv, Anadolu, Sinai, Israeli, Al

☆ Opinion: What Iran wants — and fears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Opinion Hussein Ibish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Iran has backed Hezbollah’s efforts to avoid an all-out war with Israel despite consistent Israeli escalation and threats. Hezbollah doesn’t want a war with Israel and Iran agrees. The potential for such US or Israeli airstrikes is among the most significant reasons Iran wants to avoid a broader conflict. Tehran has already restrained its Iraqi proxies, is working to help Hezbollah climb down and avoid a devastating Israeli attack. And Iran is probably urging the Houthis to take great care not to kill Americans or otherwise go too far.

Persons: Hussein Ibish, Read, Hussein Ibish It’s, Biden, Israel, Kataib, Saleh Al, Wissam, Amos Hochstein, Ebrahim Raisi, Shannon Stapleton, It’s Organizations: Gulf States Institute, Israel, CNN, Washington, Radwan Force, Iranian Locations: Washington, Iranian, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Saudi, That’s, Israel, Jordan, Hezbollah’s, Beirut, Tehran, Yemeni, Suez, Strait, Hormuz, Bab, Mandab

☆ Why only a trickle of aid is getting into Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Getting any form of relief into Gaza is a long and arduous process, aid workers and the UN say. An average of 95 aid trucks per day entered Gaza between October 10 and February 1, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, down from 500 commercial and aid trucks a day before the war, when Palestinians weren’t facing mass displacement and starvation. Following pressure from the US, Israel began allowing aid trucks to pass through Kerem Shalom in late December. Protesters blocking trucksIsraeli protesters have more than once blocked trucks carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza via Israeli crossings. Risk of bombardmentOnce relief enters Gaza, Israeli bombardment, damage to roads from airstrikes, communications blackouts and mass displacement impede distribution within the enclave.

Persons: Martin Griffiths, Yoav Gallant, Israel, Juliette Touma, Philippe Lazzarini, ”, ” Lazzarini, Kerem Shalom, Sameh Shoukry, Erez, Khan Younis, Belal Al Sabbagh, “, Griffiths, ” Touma, Khan, Abed Zagout, Touma Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Humanitarian Affairs, Emergency Relief, UN, Palestinian, Palestine, UNRWA, Israeli Defense Forces, International Court of Justice, Getty, ” Trucks, Food Programme, IDF, United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, Food Locations: Gaza, Israel, United States, Territories, Egypt, Rafah, Khan, AFP, Kerem Shalom, Khan Younis, Anadolu, ”, Gaza City

☆ Philippines Ready to Use 'Forces' to Quell Any Secession Attempt Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Duterte has called for the independence of his hometown Mindanao from the Philippines as his alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disintegrated this week over disagreements around efforts to amend the constitution. National security adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement any attempt to secede "will be met by the government with resolute force", citing "recent calls to separate Mindanao" but without specifically naming Duterte. "The national government will not hesitate to use its authority and forces to quell and stop any and all attempts to dismember the Republic," Ano said. Ano said calls for secession could reverse the gains of government's peace deal with former separatist groups. Philippine armed forces chief Romeo Brawner told soldiers on Saturday "to remain united and loyal to the constitution and the chain of command".

Persons: Rodrigo Duterte, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Duterte, Eduardo Ano, Ano, Ahod Ebrahim, Carlito Galvez Jr, Romeo Brawner, Mikhail Flores, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Moro Islamic Liberation Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Mindanao, Philippines, Moro Islamic

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. US officials say the strikes hit four facilities in Syria and three in Iraq, where security officials reported damage in the city of Al-Qaim. The sites allegedly belonged to various Iran-backed militias, which the US blames for the strike in Jordan. The US does not plan to strike inside Iran: A senior official with the Biden administration told CNN the US will not strike inside Iran – only focusing on targets outside of the country. Striking inside Iran would have been a huge escalation, and officials have telegraphed that is unlikely to happen.

Persons: Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Biden, Jordan, Douglas Sims, Sims, John Kirby Organizations: CNN, White House, Pentagon, Defense, Air Force, National Security Locations: Qaim, Iraq, Iraqi, Jordan, Syria, Al, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Gen

☆ US starts retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran-linked targets
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In Syria, the strikes killed 23 people who had been guarding the targeted locations, said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an organization that reports on war in Syria. The White House said the United States had informed Iraq ahead of strikes. Baghdad later accused the United States of deception, saying a U.S. claim of coordination with the Iraqi authorities was "unfounded". The Syrian foreign ministry said the United States was fueling conflict in the region in a "very dangerous way". Britain called the United States its "steadfast" ally and said it supports Washington's right to respond to attacks.

Persons: Joe Biden, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Joe Biden's, Nasser Kanaani, Rami Abdulrahman, Douglas, Sims, Chip Somodevilla, General Douglas Sims, Biden, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Ebrahim Raisi, Radek Sikorski Organizations: Air Force, Joint Base Andrews, AFP, Getty, United, Revolutionary Guard, U.S, Syrian, Human Rights, Chiefs, Capitol Visitors Center, Joint Staff, Pentagon, U.S . Defense Locations: Maryland, United States, Iraq, Syria, U.S, Iran, Israel, Gen, Washington ,, Tehran, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraqi, Baghdad, Washington, Britain, Polish, Brussels

☆ U.S. Launches Retaliatory Strikes in Iraq, Syria; Nearly 40 Reported Killed
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

The White House said the United States had informed Iraq ahead of strikes. Baghdad later accused the United States of deception, saying a U.S. claim of coordination with the Iraqi authorities was "unfounded". The Syrian foreign ministry said the United States was fuelling conflict in the region in a "very dangerous way". The United States has assessed that the drone that killed the three soldiers and wounded more than 40 other people in Jordan was made by Iran, U.S. officials have told Reuters. Iranian advisers assist armed groups in both Iraq, where the United States has around 2,500 troops, and Syria, where it has 900.

Persons: Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Timour Azhari, Joe Biden's, Nasser Kanaani, Rami Abdulrahman, General Douglas Sims, Biden, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Ebrahim Raisi, Radek Sikorski, Jordan, Roger Wicker, Enas Alashray, Adam Makary, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold, Tom Perry, Frances Kerry Organizations: United, Revolutionary Guard, U.S, Syrian, Human Rights, Joint Staff, Pentagon, U.S . Defense, Reuters, Republican, Senate Armed Services Committee Locations: Timour Azhari WASHINGTON, BAGHDAD, United States, Iraq, Syria, U.S, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Tehran, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraqi, Baghdad, Washington, Britain, Polish, Brussels, Al, Jordan

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

☆ U.S. retaliatory strikes start in Iraq and Syria in first response to Jordan drone attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Dan De Luce | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The United States launched attacks in the Iraq and Syria on Friday, its first retaliatory strikes for the killing of three American soldiers, according to an official at the Department of Defense. American forces are expected to hit targets in different countries outside Iran, U.S. officials said. Their calibrated statements appeared to indicate that it was unlikely the reprisal strikes would hit targets inside Iran itself. There have been more than 160 attacks on U.S. forces by Iran-backed groups since Oct. 7, according to the Pentagon. In recent weeks, the U.S. military also carried out strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen, hitting launch sites and command centers.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden, Biden, Austin, Ebrahim Raisi, Hossein Organizations: US, Pentagon, United, Department of Defense, NBC News, U.S, Gaza . U.S . Navy, Navy, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Locations: Washington ,, United States, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Israel, U.S, Jordan, Washington, Tehran, Gaza, Yemen, Aden, Gaza . U.S, Iranian, Persian, American

☆ Iran-backed militia in Iraq vows to continue attacks on US forces as White House mulls military action
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Mostafa Salem In Abu Dhabi | Aqeel Najim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Al-Kaabi said that attacks against the US won’t stop until American troops withdraw from Iraq, and Israeli military operations cease in Gaza, according to a statement on Friday. The US believes an umbrella group of Iran-backed militants called Islamic Resistance in Iraq was behind the strike on the Jordan base and is now preparing to respond. On Friday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said his country will not initiateany war but will “respond strongly” to bullies. The US has meanwhile carried out a series of strikes in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Yemen’s Houthis have also continued to attack US interests despite multiple airstrikes by US and UK forces.

Persons: Biden, Akram Al, Kaabi, ”, Ebrahim Raisi, “, Yemen’s Houthis Organizations: CNN, US, Al, American Locations: An Iran, Iraq, States, Jordan, Gaza, Iran, Israel, Syria, Yemen, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian Hormozgan

☆ Iraq's Nujaba Says It Will Continue Attacks on U.S. Forces
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iran-backed Iraqi armed group Nujaba said on Friday it will continue launching attacks on U.S. forces in the region until the Gaza war ends and U.S. forces exit Iraq, days after another major Iran-backed group said it was suspending such attacks. Iraq's shadowy Kataib Hezbollah said on Tuesday it would pause attacks on U.S. forces, a decision that followed the killing of three U.S. soldiers in a drone attack in Jordan near the Syrian border that Washington blamed on Iran-back militants. Part of Iran's so-called "Axis of Resistance," the umbrella group has claimed more than 150 attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since the Gaza war began. In 2020, the U.S. killed Iran Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and Kataib Hezbollah leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone strike at Baghdad airport. The strike came days after the U.S. blamed Kataib Hezbollah for the killing of a U.S. contractor.

Persons: Nujaba, Akram al, Ebrahim Raisi, Iran Quds, Qassem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al, Kataib, Timour Azhari, Jana Choukeir, Michael Georgy, Nick Macfie Organizations: IRI, Iran, Iran Quds Force Locations: BAGHDAD, Iran, U.S, Gaza, Iraq, Jordan, Washington, Syria, Israel, Tehran, Baghdad, Dubai

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

☆ Why Yemen’s Houthi rebels welcome conflict with the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Since mid-November the rebels have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Strait of Bab al-Mandab. The Red Sea is a vital waterway that connects to the Suez Canal, through which 10% to 15% of world trade passes. In its fight, the Houthi group has distracted from Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, shored up domestic and international support, and made its name known among those who knew little to nothing about the movement, they say. That narrative has taken hold among those who oppose the Gaza war the world over. Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, when Houthi forces stormed the capital Sanaa and toppled the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government.

Persons: Abdel Malek al, Houthi, ”, Allah, Thomas Juneau, ” Juneau, ’, Ahmed Nagi, Juneau, Israel, “, Biden, Netanyahu, ” Mohamed Ali al, Nagi, ” Nagi, ” Mohammed Ali Al, Yemen's Houthi, ” “ Houthis, Nadwa, Yemenis, ” Dawsari Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemeni, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa, Canada’s Department of National Defense, Yemeni Armed Forces, European Union, NATO, United, Crisis, UN, BBC, Political Council, Galaxy Leader, Getty, Middle East Institute Locations: Constantinople, Istanbul, United States, Saudi, Israel, Gaza, Bab, Suez, Iran, China, India, Tehran, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Red, Solidarity, Aden, Instagram, US, United Kingdom, Brussels, Saudi Arabia, tatters, Yemen's province, Hodeida, AFP, America, Washington ,

☆ The Red Sea crisis tests China’s global ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

China’s responseThe Houthi rebels in Yemen started firing missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea in mid-November, in what they say is an act of solidarity with Palestinians. Chinese officials repeatedly stressed that the Red Sea crisis is a “spillover” from the conflict in Gaza, citing an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as the top priority. Beijing’s reluctance to wade into the Red Sea crisis reflects these geopolitical calculations. The Chinese government readout of the meeting between Wang and Sullivan did not mention the Red Sea. Egypt is losing millions of dollars per day from the reduced traffic at the Suez Canal at the northern end of the Red Sea.

Persons: Houthi, “, ”, Mordechai Chaziza, Xi Jinping, Israel, ” Chaziza, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Iran ”, we’re, Wang, Sullivan, Ebrahim Raisi, Yan Yan, OOCL, Kuehne + Nagel, Jonathan Fulton, “ can’t, ” Fulton, William Figueroa, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ashkelon Academic College, Beijing, Iran, People’s Liberation Army Navy, Britain, United Nations Security Council, Global, Western, Chinese Foreign, White House, Reuters, Chinese Foreign Ministry, China, Shanghai Shipping Exchange, Atlantic Council, University of Groningen, Xi’s Global Security Initiative, GSI, Hamas Locations: Hong Kong, Red, Israel, Ashkelon, United States, China, Europe, Yemen, Gulf, Aden, Djibouti, Beijing, Gaza, Bangkok, Iran, Tehran, Africa, Switzerland, Francisco, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Suez, Sea, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands

☆ The demise of the UN’s Palestinian agency could spell disaster for millions. Here’s why Israel wants it dismantled
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Here’s what that could mean for the millions of Palestinians that rely on UNRWA for sustenance. The agency provides a wide range of aid and services to Palestinian refugees and their descendants. While its purpose is to support Palestinian refugees, UNRWA does not have a mandate to resettle them, a mandate that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) does have. Millions more Palestinian refugees live in neighboring countries like Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and rely on aid from the agency. At one UNRWA school shelter in Deir al Balah, Gazans said they were worried about the suffering to come if UNRWA’s aid is suspended.

Persons: Leo, ”, Majdi, Deir al Balah, Gazans, Um Mohammad Al Khabbaz, “ What’s, António Guterres, “, Yuval Shany, ” Shany, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Katz, ” Katz, Israel doesn’t, …, Shany, ” Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, United, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Israel, UNRWA, United Nations, UN, Refugees, UNHCR, Palestinian, CNN Sunday, Hebrew University, Jerusalem’s, State Department, US, Gaza Locations: United Nations, United States, Israel, Gaza, New York, Geneva, Brussels, UNHCR, Palestine, UNRWA’s, Crescent, Deir el, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Deir al, Palestinian

☆ Why both South Africa and Israel are welcoming the UN court’s ruling in a landmark genocide case
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Abbas Allawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A historic ruling by the United Nations’ top court in a genocide case against Israel on Friday was welcomed by the three main parties it involved: Israel, South Africa and the Palestinians. The International Court of Justice in The Hague, the Netherlands, ordered Israel to “take all measures” to prevent genocide in Gaza after South Africa accused Israel of violating international laws on genocide in its war in the territory. It rejected Israel’s request for the case to be thrown out, but it also stopped short of ordering Israel to halt the war as South Africa has asked. “I would have wanted a ceasefire,” said South African foreign minister Naledi Pandor after the ruling in The Hague. Mohammed el-Kurd, a Palestinian activist from Jerusalem, said the ICJ failed on South Africa’s “most important request” to suspend the military operations.

Persons: “, Israel, ”, Naledi Pandor, Eylon Levi, ” Avi Mayer, ” Shelly Aviv Yeini, ” Robbie Sabel, Sabel, Yeini, didn’t, Mohammed el Organizations: CNN, United Nations ’, Israel, Court of Justice, Convention, Israel’s Haifa University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, ICJ Locations: Israel, South Africa, The Hague, Netherlands, Gaza, Palestinian, Jerusalem, “

☆ Erdogan, Eyeing More Trade With Iran, Says Turkey Weighing Opening New Border Crossings
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey is considering opening new border crossings with eastern neighbour Iran, President Tayyip Erdogan said late on Wednesday after talks with his Iranian counterpart, as they seek to revive sagging economic relations. Trade between Turkey and Iran peaked in 2012 at nearly $22 billion but has since fallen. Efforts to establish trade centres in border (areas) to increasing the economic development of our border provinces continue," he said. Turkey, a NATO ally, and Iran currently have four border crossings between them. Turkey, which has also been hit with U.S. sanctions for acquiring Russian defence systems, opposes what it calls unilateral economic sanctions as a policy.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Ebrahim Raisi, Omer Bolat, Daren Butler, Gareth Jones Organizations: Turkish Trade Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Iran, Tehran, NATO, Ankara

☆ Iran-backed groups in the Middle East and major US military deployments
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Abbas Allawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The US has attacked Iranian-backed groups in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, while Iran-linked groups have targeted American personnel in Iraq and Syria. The US, having been trying to pivot away from the Middle East for years, finds itself drawn back into the region. And in some places, including Iraq and Syria, the US military presence overlaps that of Iran and its allies. The US has around 13,500 US forces in Kuwait, the largest American military presence in the region. The US this month quietly reached an agreement that extends its military presence for another 10 years at the base.

Persons: Yemen’s, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Harakat, Sayyid, Al, Haq, Asad, Bashar al, Assad, Israel, Ali, Dalton Williams Organizations: UAE CNN, Hamas, Islamic, Navy, Marine Expeditionary Unit, Institute for National Security, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, National Intelligence, Badr Organization, Asad Air Base, Erbil AB, Al, Force, Fatemiyoun, ISIS, Syria Security, Syrian Democratic Forces, Syrian Free Army, CNN, Gaza, US Air Force, Battalion, 163rd Cavalry Regiment, Ali Al Salem Air Base, U.S . Air Force, Washington, United Arab, US, Udeid, Base, Forward Headquarters, Combined Air Operations Centre, Prince Sultan Air Base, UAE, Al Dhafra, Al Dhafra Air Base, Gulf Air Warfare Center, US Naval Forces Central Command Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Iran, US, Iranian, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Tehran, Pakistan, Islamic Republic, Washington, Lebanon Lebanon, East, Lebanon, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Iraq Tehran, Baghdad, Al, Erbil, Syria Iran, Syrian, Pakistani, ”, Red, Saudi, Yemen’s, Kuwait, U.S, Palestinian, Arab, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Doha, Al Dhafra Air, Bahrain, Jordan, Incirlik

CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Hamas’ conditions for an end to the Gaza war in exchange for the release of hostages held there, labeling such a prospect as “surrender.”In order to release the remaining hostages, Netanyahu said Hamas was demanding an end to the war, the release of Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Out of the 253 hostages Israel says Hamas seized on October 7, Israel believes that 132 are still in Gaza, of whom 104 are thought to be alive. Relatives and supporters of the Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas attend a protest calling for their release outside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence, in Jerusalem on Sunday. Netanyahu is under mounting pressure from the Israeli public to secure the release of captives in Gaza. Leo Correa/APMeanwhile, the death toll in Gaza on Sunday surpassed 25,000, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry in the enclave.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Netanyahu, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Ohad, Gadi Eisenkot, Eisenkot, You’d, ” Netanyahu, “, Leo Correa, Joe Biden, Israel’s, Josep Borrell Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Hamas, CNN’s, Sunday Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Jordan, Palestinian

At the heart of Iran’s aversion to a major conflict are the domestic issues that have been preoccupying the regime. Iran is also facing an economic crisis because of corruption, chronic fiscal mismanagement and sanctions imposed because of its nuclear infractions. At the time, Mr. Khamenei worried that unless the regime got the process right, its Western and domestic enemies would use the vacuum at the top to overthrow the young theocracy. Today, Iran’s Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 elderly clerics, is constitutionally empowered to select the next supreme leader. At a time when the bomb seems tantalizingly close, Mr. Khamenei is unlikely to jeopardize that progress by conduct that might invite a strike on those facilities.

Persons: Ali Khamenei, Mahsa, Ruhollah Khomeini, Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi, Ahmad Khatami, Rahim Tavakol, Mr Organizations: Islamic, Experts Locations: Islamic Republic, Iran, Republic, Iran’s, Ukraine, Gaza, Tehran

☆ U.S. Troops Are Injured in Attack on Air Base in Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Eric Schmitt | Alissa J. Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Israel and Iran have been locked in a shadow war for years, long before the latest war in Gaza began. They have traded covert attacks by land, sea and air, as well as online. Israel has conducted targeted killings of key Iranian figures and strikes aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities. Syria is a close ally of Iran and a conduit for Iranian weapons shipments to its proxies, especially Hezbollah. Iran and Pakistan Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza Clashes along Israel-Lebanon border Qatar Iranian strike targeting militants Saudi Arabia U.A.E.

Persons: Israel, Ebrahim Raisi, Israel —, SANA, Hojatallah Omidvar, Haj Sadegh Omidzade, General Omidvar, Sayyed Razi Mousavi, Ronen Bergman, Victoria Kim Organizations: Guards, Quds Force, Islamic, Hamas, Revolutionary Guards, Human Rights, SYria AFghanistan IRAQ Israel Iran Clashes, West Bank, Qatar, Qatar INdia Saudi Arabia U.A.E, Red Sea, TURKEY U.S, EGYPT Qatar Saudi Arabia U.A.E, SYria IRAQ Iran Israel Clashes, West Bank KUWAIT PAK, Qatar Iranian, Saudi Arabia U.A.E, Quds Forces, Brig, Senior Locations: Iran, Damascus, Israel, Gaza, Syria, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Gaza . Israel, Syrian, Britain, East TURKMENISTAN Syria, Iraq TURKEY Iran, SYria AFghanistan IRAQ Israel Iran, West, Gaza PAKISTAN KUWAIT Iran, Pakistan EGYPT, Qatar INdia Saudi Arabia, OMAN Red, YEMEN Sudan, Red, Red Sea U.S, Iraq TURKMENISTAN Iran, TURKEY, Gaza Iran, Pakistan KUWAIT PAKISTAN, EGYPT Qatar Saudi Arabia, Sudan YEMEN U.S, SYria IRAQ Iran Israel, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, OMAN, YEMEN, Iranian, Gen, Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq, Israeli, United States

The alleged strike targeted the Mazzeh neighborhood in Syria’s capital, home to several diplomatic missions including the Iranian embassy, according to Syrian authorities. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) identified the four others killed as military advisors Ali Aghazadeh, Hossein Mohammadi, Saeed Karimi and Mohammad Amin Samadi. Their presence in Syria had been “at the official invitation of the Syrian government,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, noted in a statement on social media. Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty ImagesRegional spillover fearsThe attack in Damascus comes amid concerns that Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza is spiraling into a regional war. Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday vowed to “punish” Israel for the Damascus missile strike.

Persons: Israel “, “, Hojjatollah Omidvar, Iran’s, Ali Aghazadeh, Hossein Mohammadi, Saeed Karimi, Mohammad Amin Samadi, Nasser Kanaani, Louai Beshara, Tehran’s, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Matt Miller, ” Miller, Ebrahim Raisi, ” Israel, ”, CNN’s Kareem Khadder Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Syrian Ministry of Defense, Israel Defense Forces, Network, Quds Force, Revolutionary Guards, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Security, Getty, Economic, Israel, Palestinian Ministry of Health, State Locations: Damascus, Syria’s, Iranian, Mazzeh, Syria, AFP, Gaza, Iraq, Tehran, Lebanon, Yemen, Red, Davos, Palestinian, Ramallah, The, Israel

South Africa’s genocide case has put the spotlight on a deeper fault line in global geopolitics. Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/Getty ImagesReactions from the Global North to the ICJ case have been mixed. “This war is a war that is not only between Israel and Hamas,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog told MSNBC in December. “It’s a war that is intended – really, truly – to save Western civilization, to save the values of Western civilization.”So far, no Western countries have supported South Africa’s case against Israel. Traditionally, the West has wielded significant influence in international affairs, but South Africa’s move signals a growing assertiveness among Global South nations that threatens the status quo, says Adekoya.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, ”, Nesrine Malik, ” Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, Biden, ” Remi Adekoya, Nelson Mandela, Yasser Arafat, ” Hugh Lovatt, Garry Andrew Lotulung, ” Lovatt, Lovatt, Israel –, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, Alaister Russell, Isaac Herzog, Hage Geingob, Berlin’s, Namibians, ” Adekoya Organizations: CNN, Israel, International Court of Justice, Guardian, Hamas, West Bank, Getty, US, UN, University of York, Palestine Liberation Organization, North Africa, European Council, Foreign Relations, Global, Arab League, ICJ, West, ”, International, MSNBC, ZDF, Dhaka Tribune, Germany Locations: South Africa, Johannesburg, Israel, The Hague, Gaza, South, Africa, Sudanese, United States, Europe, Ramallah, West, AFP, England, PLO, East, Indonesian, Jakarta, Indonesia, Anadolu, China, Soviet, Ekurhuleni, Germany, German, Germany’s, Namibia, Namibian, Bangladesh, Pakistan

☆ 'Unprovoked violation': Iran strikes Syria, Iraq and Pakistan as Middle East tensions spike
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Speaking to CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday night, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian defended his country's actions. watch nowTehran also hit what it said were Islamic State targets in northern Syria in tandem with its strikes on Iraq. In response to the Red Sea attacks, the U.S. and U.K. governments last week began launching missile strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. While the U.S. has hit Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq since the Gaza war began, the missile strikes marked the first U.S. attack on the Yemeni group. Iran's foreign minister told CNBC on Tuesday that the Houthis "are not receiving any orders or instructions from us."

Persons: Pakistan —, Masrour Barzani, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Ebrahim Raisi, Israel —, Umar Karim, Iran — Organizations: United Arab Emirates, . Security, CNBC, Economic, Iranian, Islamic, Sepah, Anadolu Agency, Getty, King Faisal Center for Research, Islamic Studies, Middle, Iran Yemen's Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Israel, Gaza, Baghdad, Kurdistan, Tehran, Israeli, U.S, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdish, Davos, Islamic State, Balochistan, Israel — Tehran, Lebanon, Hamas, Yemen, Red

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