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☆ Israel blames Iran for attack on oil tanker
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that Iran was responsible for a reported attack on an oil tanker last week. Shipping databases linked the tanker to Zodiac Maritime, which is controlled by Israeli shipping magnate Eyal Ofer. "Last week Iran again attacked an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf and harmed the international freedom of navigation," Netanyahu said at a weekly cabinet meeting. Regional defence and security sources have said they suspected the assault was carried out by Iran, which did not comment on the incident. British maritime security company Ambrey Intelligence said unmanned aerial systems had attacked two tankers and one bulk carrier in the Arabian Sea and assessed that Tehran had mounted the attack.

☆ Here's what happens when US Navy special operators go up against dolphins trained to keep them out of sensitive bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US Navy has been training dolphins and sea lions to detect undersea threats since the 1960s. "Those mammals were very real and very scary," a former US Navy SEAL officer told Insider. The program tested out a number of animals but found dolphins and sea lions to be the best suited for the mission. The US military wasn't the only one using dolphins and sea lions to protect its warships and ports. BUD/S course instructors "have a sadistic tendency to scare the shit out of students before open-water swims," the former Navy SEAL officer said.

☆ For the 2nd year in a row, Iran is sailing its biggest warship around the world to show off its growing navy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Iranian warships left Iran in September on what one official said was a journey around the world. Visiting far off landsIranian navy Makran near the Strait of Hormuz in May 2021. They have repeatedly seized Iranian arms shipments bound for Yemen and have often had tense encounters with Iranian warships. Iran has also started an indigenous shipbuilding program to grow its navy, which is designed to defend the Persian Gulf. "Yet the focus of Iran will continue to be the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Indian ocean.

☆ South Korea envoy in Iran summoned over Yoon's 'enemy' remarks -media
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Yoon, speaking with South Korean troops stationed in Abu Dhabi early this week, said South Korea and the UAE are under "very similar" circumstances, each facing North Korea and Iran as "the enemy, biggest threat." His remarks prompted a rare spat between Seoul and Tehran, at a time when relations have already been testy over frozen Iranian funds in South Korea and suspected arms dealings between Iran and North Korea. Iran's deputy foreign minister on legal affairs, Reza Najafi, summoned Yun Kang-hyeon, the South Korean ambassador on Wednesday to protest against Yoon's "interventionist remarks," the official IRNA news agency said. Najafi also accused South Korea of pursuing an "unfriendly approach" toward Iran, singling out its frozen funds. Iran has repeatedly demanded the release of some $7 billion of its funds frozen in South Korean banks under U.S. sanctions.

☆ Iraqi PM supports indefinite U.S. troop presence, Wall Street Journal reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani defended the presence of U.S. troops in his country and set no timetable for their withdrawal, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Sunday. Referring to the U.S. and NATO troop contingents that train and assist Iraqi units in countering Islamic State but largely stay out of combat, Sudani said that the foreign forces are still needed. "Elimination of ISIS needs some more time," he said in the interview. "I don’t see this as an impossible matter, to see Iraq have a good relationship with Iran and the U.S.," Sudani told the newspaper. Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ For 60 years, the US Navy has been training dolphins and sea lions to keep rivals away from its most sensitive hardware
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Gidget Fuentes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

The US Navy has been training dolphins and sea lions to detect undersea threats since the 1960s. A US Navy trainer with a Mark 5 Marine Mammal sea lion in Key West in October 1990. The program worked with sharks, rays, and sea turtles but settled on dolphins and sea lions. US NavyThe Navy Marine Mammal Program's budget for 2023 provides $40 million for "food, medicine, veterinary care, husbandry, and facilities," Wilson said. A US Navy sea lion jumps into a riverine command boat during a mine-countermeasures exercise in Bahrain in November 2014.

☆ The F-14 Tomcat first flew 52 years ago. Here's why the US destroyed them rather than let anyone else buy them.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Blake Stilwell | We Are The Mighty | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US Navy's famed F-14 Tomcat fighter jet first flew on December 21, 1970. There was only one foreign customer for the advanced F-14 Tomcat fighter during its heyday: Iran. Rob Tabor/USAFThe Iranian air force was so skilled in the Iran-Iraq War that a lone Tomcat could clear the skies of enemy aircraft without firing a shot. The idea of selling Iran rare F-14 parts so it didn't have to cannibalize its own F-14 inventory was preposterous. It was this concern that led the Pentagon to shred every leftover F-14 Tomcat.

☆ The US doesn't have to worry about China repeating its mistakes in the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Natalie Armbruster | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It was seen as a message to the US, but it's a mistake to think China has the same ambitions in the Middle East as the US. China has long assessed US involvement in the Middle East to be damaging to American power and strength. The first thing to know is China's involvement in the Middle East rests primarily on its energy dependence. Taking sides among adversaries in the Middle East would only limit China's trading partners and opportunities for mutual economic interest. The reality is that no matter China's view of the Middle East, the potential benefits that China could garner from its investments in the Middle East are not significant nor threatening enough to US interests to warrant the current level of worry.

☆ Qatar Warns Brussels Bribery Allegations Could Impact Energy Deals With Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( David S. Cloud | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance shook hands with Qatar’s energy minister, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, after Qatar agreed a deal with the U.S. company to send Germany liquefied natural gas. Qatar warned that an investigation by authorities in Brussels into its role in an alleged influence and bribery scheme could adversely affect energy deals with Europe, and it condemned a push by the European Parliament to suspend dealings with the Persian Gulf kingdom. The European Parliament’s move “will negatively effect regional and global security cooperation, as well as ongoing discussions around global energy poverty and security,” a statement by a Qatari diplomat to the European Union said Sunday, noting that Qatar is an important supplier of liquefied natural gas to Belgium.

☆ Qatar Warns Brussels Bribery Allegations Could Hurt Energy Talks With Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( David S. Cloud | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance shook hands with Qatar’s energy minister, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, after Qatar agreed a deal with the U.S. company to send Germany liquefied natural gas. Qatar warned Sunday that an investigation by authorities in Brussels into its role in an alleged influence and bribery scheme could adversely affect energy talks with Europe and condemned a decision by the European Parliament to suspend dealings with the Persian Gulf kingdom. The European Parliament’s move “will negatively effect regional and global security cooperation, as well as ongoing discussions around global energy poverty and security,” a statement by a Qatari diplomat to the European Union said Sunday, noting that Qatar is an important supplier of liquefied natural gas to Belgium.

CNN —Eva Kaili, one of the European Parliament’s vice presidents, has been expelled by her political party in Greece amid a corruption probe. In a statement, the prosecutor said that for two years, Belgian federal police inspectors “suspected a country from the Persian Gulf of influencing economic and political decisions of the European parliament,” according to RTBF. The Belgian police suspect that the country transferred “consequential sums of money” or “important gifts” to significant actors within the European Parliament, according to RTBF. The federal prosecutor did not identify the vice president but said they were one of four individuals taken in for questioning. Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates all surround the Persian Gulf.

☆ A trail of oil: Keystone pipeline's history of oil spills
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The following is a timeline of some of Keystone's biggest oil spills, along with recent other spills of crude, both onshore and offshore. 2016April: TC shut down the pipeline after about 400 barrels of oil leaked in Hutchinson County, South Dakota. 2017November: TC shut part of the Keystone pipeline system after a leak in South Dakota, caused by mechanical damage from original construction. 2019February: Portions of the Keystone pipeline were shut down after 42 barrels of oil leaked on land in rural St. Charles County, Missouri. OTHER ONSHORE SPILLS:Since 2010 there have been two spills of crude oil larger than this most recent Keystone spill.

☆ High Oil Prices Lift Saudi Arabia, Bolster Prince’s Economic Plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Stephen Kalin | Rory Jones | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies thanks to higher crude sales; the Khurais oil field. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—The Saudi government posted a $27 billion budget surplus Wednesday, as this year’s high oil prices accelerate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ’s ambitious plans and boost resource-rich economies across the Persian Gulf. Buoyant crude prices helped the kingdom’s economy expand at one of the fastest rates globally, with the government spending $47 billion more than planned. In a year when global growth is pegged at 3.2%, the International Monetary Fund predicts growth of 7.6% this year in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom’s output is expected to reach $1 trillion for the first time, cementing its place among the world’s biggest economies.

☆ Political bad blood between U.S. and Iran dominates run-up to World Cup showdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The politics of anti-regime protests are dominating the run-up to a World Cup showdown between the U.S. and Iran, with coaches and players fielding politically charged questions before Tuesday’s match. I’m a soccer coach.” He also was asked for his thoughts about the U.S. military’s presence in the Persian Gulf. The protests at home have followed Iran’s soccer team throughout the World Cup, which began Nov. 20 in Qatar. At some of the games, Qatari police have confiscated T-shirts or signs supporting the protests in Iran. More recently, a prominent former soccer player in Iran, Voria Ghafouri, was arrested after he endorsed the protests, according to Iranian state-linked media.

☆ Alabama man charged in alleged scheme to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Justice Department has charged an Alabama man with violating U.S. sanctions, alleging he schemed to sell oil and gas industry equipment in Iran. Hunt is a naturalized citizen born in Iran, according to the indictment. He is also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh and Rahman Natoosh. Former President Bill Clinton signed an executive order in 1995 prohibiting certain transactions related to Iran's petroleum resources. Every president has extended the order since 1997, according to the indictment.

☆ Superyacht rentals, private jets and a soccer-themed hotel: Dubai is cashing in on the Qatar World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A yacht that can be rented to watch the World Cup while sailing around Dubai is docked in Dubai harbor on November 1, 2022, ahead of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup football tournament. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, in August called Dubai "the major gateway" to the World Cup and predicted it would see more tourists than Qatar itself. Getty Images | A general view of the West Bay area ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at on November 18, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. "Its tourism infrastructure and straightforward entry requirements make it a convenient base for World Cup fans." Dubai, meanwhile, as a city has more than 140,000 hotel rooms, according to hotel data firm STR.

U.S. marginal production (+14.5 million bpd) captured nearly all the increase in global consumption (+14.8 million bpd) between 2009 and 2019. FRACKING TECHNOLOGYIn a narrow sense, the shale revolution refers to the widespread application of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques to increase output from shale and other tight rock formations. Like other technologies, however, shale production has eventually settled into a more mature and conservative phase, hastened by the traumatic shock to oil and gas markets during the coronavirus pandemic. In 2022, the Biden administration has tried to cajole domestic oil producers to increase their output, without much success. U.S. shale producers are expected to account for a much smaller share of global growth in petroleum production and consumption in the next few years.

☆ For Iranians, this World Cup is about more than football
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

In the buildup to the World Cup in Qatar, there were calls for Iran to be thrown out of the tournament. Protesting at the World Cup, on the biggest stage of all for football, carries potentially huge risks for the current players in the national team. Nonetheless, players will be free to protest at the World Cup so long as they do not break FIFA rules, their manager Queiroz has said. Iran’s football authorities vowed that “people who have not followed professional and sports ethics … will be dealt with according to the regulations,” a statement published by Iran’s Football Federation after the beach soccer game said. “While this is happening, I cannot see people being overly excited [about the World Cup] when they’re out on the street fighting for freedom,” Mossavat says.

Last decade 2100 scenarios LOW EMISSIONS By 2100, Basra would see almost six months of dangerous heat under the most likely scenario. MEDIUM EMISSIONS HIGH EMISSIONS Jan. July Jan. July Dec. Dec. Heat Index 80°F Caution 90°F Extreme Caution 103°F Danger 125°F Extreme Danger Basra Kuwait City Last decade 2100 scenarios Lower emissions Medium emissions Higher emissions Jan. July Jan. July Dec. Dec. Heat Index 80°F Caution 90°F Extreme Caution 103°F Danger 125°F Extreme Danger Basra Last decade 2100 emissions scenario LOW Medium HIGH Jan. July Dec. Kuwait City Last decade 2100 emissions scenario LOW Medium HIGH Jan. July Dec. Heat Index 80°F Caution 90°F Extreme Caution 103°F Danger 125°F Extreme Danger Basra Last decade 2100 emission scenarios Low Medium High Jan. July Dec. Kuwait City Last decade 2100 emission scenarios Low Medium High Jan. July Dec. Heat Index 80°F Caution 90°F Extreme Caution 103°F Danger 125°F Extreme Danger Kuwait City Basra Today, Basra experiences about 60 dangerously hot days per year. MEDIUM EMISSIONS HIGH EMISSIONS Jan. July Jan. July Dec. Dec. Heat Index 27°C Caution 32°C Extreme Caution 39°C Danger 52°C Extreme Danger Basra Kuwait City Last decade 2100 scenarios Lower emissions Medium emissions Higher emissions Jan. July Jan. July Dec. Dec. Heat Index 27°C Caution 32°C Extreme Caution 39°C Danger 52°C Extreme Danger Basra Last decade 2100 emissions scenario LOW Medium HIGH Jan. July Dec. Kuwait City Last decade 2100 emissions scenario LOW Medium HIGH Jan. July Dec. Heat Index 27°C Caution 32°C Extreme Caution 39°C Danger 52°C Extreme Danger Basra Last decade 2100 emissions scenario Low Medium High Jan. July Dec. Kuwait City Last decade 2100 emissions scenario Low Medium High Jan. July Dec. Heat Index 27°C Caution 32°C Extreme Caution 39°C Danger 52°C Extreme Danger Kuwait City Basra Today, Basra experiences about 60 dangerously hot days per year. Last decade 2100 scenarios LOW EMISSIONS By 2100, Basra would see almost six months of dangerous heat under the most likely scenario. MEDIUM EMISSIONS HIGH EMISSIONS Jan. July Jan. July Dec. Dec.

☆ Five countries, other than China, most dependent on the South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Sean M. Holt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Territorially, there are seven claimants to the South China Sea: China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Analysts name the top five countries, other than China, that are most dependent on the South China Sea. Aerial view of fishing boats setting sail to South China Sea for fishing on August 16, 2022 in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province of China. "Although they claim more than half of the South China Sea, China has pushed claimant states such as Vietnam out of traditional fishing waters and more into the South China Sea, causing excessive overfishing." South KoreaSouth Korea is "intentionally quiet about the South China Sea" as it wants to "maintain favor with China," Graham said, citing Seoul's primary focus on the North Korean issue.

☆ U.S. imposes new sanctions over Iran sanctions evasion, targets Chinese firms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Washington has increasingly targeted Chinese companies over the export of Iran's petrochemicals as the prospects of reviving the nuclear pact have dimmed. "The United States will continue to implement sanctions against those actors facilitating these sales." Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Those that engage in certain transactions with the companies also risk being hit with sanctions. Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Jon BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Middle East's Fertile Crescent dries up as rains fail
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Alaa Al-Marjani | Orhan Qereman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

As world leaders meet in Egypt for a climate summit to address issues including water and food security, Elwan’s plight highlights a crisis facing Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries that could fuel more turmoil in the region as communities fight over dwindling water resources. Reuters spoke to more than two dozen people in five provinces across Iraq who all said that a prolonged drought, which has only worsened in recent years, was crippling livelihoods. Farmers in neighbouring Syria and Turkey are also struggling with lower rainfall. In Iraq, officials and water experts said rains had come later and ended sooner in each of the last three years. “Desertification now threatens almost 40% of the area of our country - a country that was once one of the most fertile and productive in the region,” Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid told the climate summit in Egypt last week.

☆ King dollar commands surge in remittances
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Harish Sridharan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. dollar index , which measures its performance against a basket of major currencies, is up 14.5% this year. The dollar's long rallyTransfer volumes at Remitly (RELY.O) leapt 44% to $7.5 billion in the September quarter. Larger rival Wise (WISEa.L) said volumes were up 49% to 24.4 billion pounds ($28.2 billion) in the July quarter. MoneyGram International (MGI.O) and PayPal Holdings (PYPL.O) have also posted an uptick in turnover and transactions in their third quarter. "Some of us get to match or not get too affected by inflation because we earn in U.S.

☆ Why it may not pay off to host the World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Darren Geeter | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy it may not pay off to host the World CupNov. 20 is the opening day of the much-anticipated 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Persian Gulf country is estimated to have spent roughly $229 billion on hosting the global soccer event, making it the most expensive ever. The hope is that in return the tournament will attract tourism, foreign trade, jobs and new development. But experts say the short- and long-term economic impact can pale in comparison to what the country ends up spending to host the sports extravaganza.

☆ A failed war helped bring down the Soviet Union. Now Putin's failing war in Ukraine might set Russia up for a bleak future.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Joy Neumeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan and Russia's current war in Ukraine have obvious similarities in their disastrous planning and execution. In the 1990s, Afghanistan veterans' sense of aggrievement fused with that of veterans returning from Boris Yeltsin's war in Chechnya. Putin's war, Russia's futurePutin meets soldiers at a military training center outside the town of Ryazan in October. While glasnost-era revelations about the Soviet war shocked the country into supporting withdrawal, these days there is little left to expose. Public self-criticism surrounding the Soviet war in Afghanistan, however brief and contested, shows that reassessment of imperial ambitions is possible.

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