Saudi Arabia Says It Thwarted Yemeni Rebel Missile Attack Over Capital
Multiple blasts shook Riyadh on Saturday as Saudi state television reported that a missile attack launched by Yemen’s Huthi rebels had been thwarted.
Iran
Israel Says Iran Likely Behind Explosion On Israeli-Owned Cargo Ship
Top Israeli defense and political leaders are scheduled to meet on February 28 to discuss a response to what Israel’s defense minister says was likely an attack by Iran against an Israeli-owned cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman.
Israel’s red line: 1,000 precision missiles in Hezbollah’s hands
“If Hezbollah crosses a quantitative or qualitative threshold for precision weapons, we will have to act against it. This is a serious decision, but one from which we cannot run away,” said Lt. Col. Eran Niv, the head of the IDF’s Warfare Methods and Innovation Division.
US strikes Iran-backed fighters in Syria, in 1st military action under Biden
The United States launched airstrikes in Syria on Thursday, targeting facilities near the Iraqi border used by Iranian-backed militia groups. The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a rocket attack in Iraq earlier this month that killed one civilian contractor and wounded a US service member and other coalition troops.
Dutch Nuclear Whistleblower Suddenly Dies At 76
Dutch whistleblower Frits Veerman, who was punished for turning in a colleague for selling nuclear secrets used to build Pakistan’s atomic bomb, has died.
Pelosi and Netanyahu discuss two-state solution in phone call
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone Wednesday and discussed, among other issues, a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ynet News reports.
Report: Israel, US to launch quiet talks on Iran in coming days
Jerusalem and Washington will launch strategic discussions on Iran in the coming days that will focus on the two nations’ intelligence on the Iranian nuclear program, according to a Wednesday report.
UK, France and Germany condemn Iran over UN inspection limits
Britain, France and Germany on Tuesday said they “deeply regret” Iran’s decision to restrict site inspections by the UN’s nuclear watchdog after a US refusal to lift existing sanctions.
Netanyahu Sends Message to White House, Iran: ‘We Are Not Pinning Our Hopes on Any Agreement With an Extremist Regime’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to send a message to both Iran and the White House on Tuesday, pledging that Israel will prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons even if Iran concludes a deal with the US.
IAEA: Iran enriched uranium stockpile 14 times over the limit of 2015 deal
Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is now more than 14 times over the limit set down in its 2015 deal with world powers, the UN’s nuclear agency reported on Tuesday.
US wants to ‘strengthen’ Iran nuclear deal
The United States and its partners will work to “lengthen and strengthen” the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged at a UN-backed disarmament conference in Geneva on Monday.
U.S. Says It Won’t ‘Lash Out’ After Blaming Iran For Rocket Attack On U.S. Embassy In Baghdad
A State Department spokesman has said the United States will hold Iran “responsible” for a rocket barrage on February 22 that targeted the U.S. Embassy in the Iraqi capital.
Khamenei: If we wanted nukes, nobody, including ‘Zionist clown,’ could stop us
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayotallah Ali Khamenei claimed Monday that his country has no interest in a nuclear weapon, but said that if it wanted one, no one — including Israel — could prevent it.
IAEA found uranium traces at two sites Iran barred it from, sources say
The U.N. nuclear watchdog found uranium particles at two Iranian sites it inspected after months of stonewalling, diplomats say, and it is preparing to rebuke Tehran for failing to explain, possibly complicating U.S. efforts to revive nuclear diplomacy.
UN nuclear chief concedes Iran to grant ‘less access’ to inspectors at its sites
The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said that Iran will begin offering its inspectors “less access,” but will still allow the agency to monitor its atomic program.
Biden team colluded with Iran to foil Trump diplomacy
President Trump in 2019 sought to open a backchannel of communication with top Iranian officials and saw the U.N. General Assembly meeting in September as a potential opportunity to defuse escalating tension with Tehran, but the effort failed.
Biden walks back Trump’s restoration of UN sanctions on Iran
The Biden administration on Thursday rescinded former US President Donald Trump’s restoration of UN sanctions on Iran, an announcement that could help Washington move toward rejoining the 2015 nuclear agreement aimed at reining in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
U.S. Commander Says Military Seeks ‘Fallback’ Saudi Bases Amid Tensions With Iran
The commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East says the U.S. military is looking for so-called “fallback” bases in Saudi Arabia to protect forces in the event of raised tensions with Iran.
Jailed Iranian Christian Firouzi To Be Released’
Iranian Christian Ebrahim Firouzi who spent years in prison after abandoning Islam and was recently jailed, could be released this weekend, Christians told Worthy News.
Israel and US developing Arrow 4 anti-ballistic missiles
Amid tensions with Iran and the ongoing volatility of the Middle East, Israel and the US are developing the Arrow 4 upgraded generation of anti-ballistic missiles that are central to Israel’s defense system, the Times of Israel reports. The Arrow 4 generation is expected to replace the Arrow 2 ballistic missiles in the next 10 years.