Tag Archives: Middle East

USA Today reports: The Ukrainian jet that crashed after taking off from a Tehran airport probably was shot down by an Iranian missile, a London-based global information firm says. “Photographs purportedly taken near the site of the crash and circulated on social media appear to show the guidance section of an SA-15 Gauntlet short-range, surface to air missile, which landed …

Reuters reports: A Revolutionary Guards commander said Iran would take “harsher revenge soon” after Tehran launched missile attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq in retaliation for last week’s U.S. killing of an Iranian general, Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday. The agency was quoting senior commander Abdollah Araghi, speaking after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran appeared …

NBC News reports: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran “appears to be standing down” after its missile attack on U.S. targets in Iraq, and he vowed to keep up the pressure on Tehran with “punishing” new economic sanctions. Trump made the comments in an address to the nation Wednesday from the White House less than a day after …

NBC News reports: President Donald Trump plans to address the nation on Wednesday morning after Iran on Tuesday night launched dozens of missiles at a pair of Iraqi bases that house American troops. The attacks caused no American or Iraqi casualties, Iraqi officials told multiple outlets. Iranian leaders, who vowed to avenge last week’s U.S. drone strike that killed Revolutionary …

The New York Times reports: Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was the loudest voice in the administration pushing President Trump to kill Iran’s most important general. This week, he is back in his role as the nation’s top diplomat, trying to contain the international crisis the general’s death created. True to form, Mr. Pompeo is not backing down. …

From Iran’s Tasnim News Agency: Iran’s lawmakers unanimously voted for a motion to designate the US Army and the Pentagon as terrorist organizations in response to a recent move by Washington to assassinate Iran’s revered commander, Lt. General Qassem Soleimani. The generalities and details of the emergency motion were unanimously passed during an open session of the parliament on Tuesday …

The Associated Press reports: Former Vice President and Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden excoriated President Donald Trump on Tuesday, calling the president’s approach to Iran erratic, devoid of strategy and not fully explained to the American people. “President Trump has no strategy here, no endgame,” Biden said in a terse speech delivered in New York. “His constant mistakes and poor …

CNN reports: US forces and air-defense missile batteries across the Middle East were placed on high alert overnight Monday to possibly shoot down Iranian drones as intelligence mounted about a threat of an imminent attack against US targets, two US officials tell CNN. The alert reflects the heightened tensions between the US and Iran in the wake of last week’s …

Al Jazeera reports: At least 32 people have been killed in a stampede that erupted in the Iranian city of Kerman at the funeral procession for a top commander killed in an air attack by the United States, Iran’s state television said. “Unfortunately because of overcrowding 32 of our citizens lost their lives in the procession … and 190 were …

From the Saudi outlet Al Arabiya: The eulogist at the funeral procession of prominent Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Iran put an 80-million-dollar prize on US President Donald Trump’s head on live state TV. “We are 80 million Iranians, if each one of us puts aside one American dollar, we will have 80 million American dollars, and we will …

Politico Europe reports: Britain ordered Royal Navy warships to accompany U.K.-flagged commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S. killing of Iran’s top military leader, Qasem Soleimani. U.K. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace [photo] tweeted the announcement on Saturday night, saying “the government will take all necessary steps to protect our ships and citizens at this time.” Speaking to …

CBS News reports: The targeted killing of Qassem Soleimani, one of Iran’s top military leaders, has escalated tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with Iran vowing revenge. CBS News senior national security contributor, and former acting and deputy CIA director Michael Morell told “CBS This Morning” the drone strike on Soleimani will lead to “dead civilian Americans.” “Soleimani was an …

The Associated Press reports: The United States is sending nearly 3,000 more Army troops to the Mideast as reinforcements in the volatile aftermath of the killing of an Iranian general in a strike ordered by President Donald Trump, defense officials said Friday. The dispatching of extra troops reflects concern about potential Iranian retaliatory action for the killing Thursday of Gen. …

Agence France-Press reports: The Pentagon warned Thursday that the Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah group that stormed the US embassy in Baghdad would would carry out more attacks on US facilities – and would regret it. “The provocative behavior has been out there for months… So do I think they may do something? Yes. And they will likely regret it,” Esper told …

Reuters reports: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei strongly condemned U.S. attacks on Iran-allied militia group in Iraq, Iranian state TV reported on Wednesday, blaming the United States for the violence in the neighbouring country. “The Iranian government, nation and I strongly condemn the attacks,” state TV quoted Khamenei as saying. “Again that guy (Trump) has accused Iran for the …

The New York Times reports: Protesters broke into the heavily guarded compound of the United States Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday and lit fires inside to express their anger over American airstrikes that killed 24 members of an Iranian-backed militia over the weekend. Chanting “Death to America!” thousands of protesters and militia members demonstrated outside the embassy compound, throwing rocks, …

The New Straits Times reports: Saudi Arabia has arrested more than 200 people for violating “public decency” – including by wearing immodest clothing – and “harassment“, police said, in the first such crackdown since the ultra-conservative kingdom began easing social norms. Some 120 men and women have been arrested over the past week for offending public morals, including wearing “inappropriate …

Haaretz reports: The Israeli military said it struck in the Gaza Strip early Thursday morning, targeting Hamas military posts in the coastal enclave in retaliation for a rocket that was launched at Israel’s south earlier on Wednesday, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was attending an election campaign event there. Netanyahu, who had been making an address at a gathering in …

The Associated Press reports: Lebanese security forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons Sunday to disperse hundreds of protesters for a second straight day, ending what started as a peaceful rally in defiance of the toughest crackdown on anti-government demonstrations in two months. The violence comes on the eve of a meeting between the president and parliamentary blocs …

The Associated Press reports: The Trump administration has quietly released more than $100 million in military assistance to Lebanon after months of unexplained delay that led some lawmakers to compare it to the aid for Ukraine at the center of the impeachment inquiry. The $105 million in Foreign Military Financing funds for the Lebanese Armed Forces was released just before …