U.S. Bombers Fly Near Iran Amid Nuclear Standoff
The United States sends a warning to Iran on Thursday with two American bomber aircraft flying over a swath of the Middle East, officials confirmed.
Iran
UN Chief urges Iran to stop violating nuclear deal
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is trying to persuade Iran to resume its obligations under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear arms deal, the Times of Israel reports. In a report to the Security Council published Tuesday, Antonio Guterres called on Iran to address concerns about its decision last year to begin, among other violations, the enrichment of uranium beyond the agreed limits.
Saudi Prince says Palestinians are rotting in Israeli concentration camps
Leading Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal has described Israel as a Western colonizing power that is holding Palestinians in concentration camps, Ynet News reports. Formerly the Saudi ambassador to the US and the UK and head of Saudi intelligence, Prince Turki made his remarks Sunday at the Bahrain Security Conference.
European Powers ‘Deeply Worried’ By Iran’s Uranium Enrichment Plans
Britain, France, and Germany say Iran’s apparent plan to install additional advanced centrifuges at its main nuclear enrichment facility is “deeply worrying” and contrary to the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Iran says ‘satellite-controlled machine gun’ killed top nuclear scientist
The killing of Iran’s top nuclear scientist last month was carried out remotely with artificial intelligence and a machine gun equipped with a “satellite-controlled smart system”, Tasnim news agency quoted a senior commander as saying.
Iranian journalist: Ayatollah Khamenei has transferred power to his son because of health concerns
A well-known Iranian journalist Momahad Ahwaze has said that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has transferred his power to his son Mojtaba Khamenei because of increasing concerns about the state of his health, Newsweek reported on Saturday.
Iran tells atomic watchdog it’s adding more centrifuges at underground site
Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it plans to install several cascades, or clusters, of advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges at the Natanz plant in violation of its commitments under the nuclear deal, Reuters reported Friday.
Direct conflict with Israel ‘could make Iran regional superpower’
Hardline Iranian daily Kayhan on Sunday called on Tehran not to delay in exacting vengeance for the assassination of the country’s nuclear mastermind last month.
‘Israel has tape of slain Iran nuke chief talking about building five warheads’
Israel intelligence managed to recruit an Iranian official close to the recently assassinated Mohsen Fakhrizadeh and recorded the nuclear scientist speaking about his efforts to produce “five warheads” on behalf of the Islamic Republic, according to a Friday report in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily.
Iran parliament passes bill to increase uranium enrichment to weapons-grade level
Iranian parliament has passed a “double-urgency” bill to increase the level of uranium enrichment to weapons-grade, Jerusalem Online reports. The move follows the recent assassination of top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in Damavand, east of Tehran on November 27.
Trump admin orders Baghdad embassy drawdown due to Iranian Gen. Soleimani killing anniversary
The Trump administration ordered a drawdown of diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq until some time in January due to risks of a potential attack, according to a new report.
Iran government votes in favor of suspending U.N. inspections of country’s nuclear facilities
Iranian officials have taken a major step to suspend U.N. inspections of the country’s nuclear facilities.
More Reported Attacks on Iranian Military, Intelligence Officials as Parliament Reacts
Members of Iran’s parliament Tuesday chanted “death to Israel,” and they voted to increase the level of uranium enrichment to 20% and to halt U.N. nuclear inspections in reaction to the killing Friday of the country’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. At the same time, Arab and Iranian media reported the killings of two more high-level Iranian military and intelligence officials within the past 48 hours.
Iran: assassinated nuclear scientist almost impossible to replace; Iranian-backed Hezbollah leader reportedly fears he may be targeted next
A former head of Israel’s military intelligence service has said it will be almost impossible for Iran to replace top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was assassinated Friday in an operation attributed to Israeli spy agency Mossad, World Israel News reports. Moreover, Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Lebanon-based Iranian terror proxy Hezbollah, has reportedly gone underground out of concern he may be targeted next.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander reported killed in drone strike
A senior commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was killed in an apparent drone strike along the Syrian-Iraqi border, according to widely circulated reports in Arabic-language media Monday.
European Gov’ts Urged to Work With Biden to Restore Iran Nuclear Deal
Six former European diplomats are calling on European governments to coordinate efforts to urge an incoming Biden administration to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal, from which President Trump withdrew in 2018, and to agree with the regime in Tehran on steps for mutual compliance.
Iran Threatens To Attack Israel After Killing of Scientist
Iran made clear Sunday it was considering attacking Israel’s port city of Haifa to avenge the killing of its top nuclear scientist.
Kushner set to travel to Saudi Arabia, with eyes on Israel normalization
White House adviser Jared Kushner will travel to Saudi Arabia this week, in an apparent last-ditch effort to broker a normalization deal between the kingdom and Israel, according to a report on Sunday.
IDF will keep fighting Iran in Syria, chief of staff says
Amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi said Sunday that the army will continue to operate forcefully as needed against Iranian entrenchment in Syria.
U.S. Sends Air Craft Carrier To Persian Gulf As Iran Vows Retaliation For Killing Of Scientist
The U.S. ordered the U.S.S. Nimitz and its strike group to return to the Persian Gulf to serve in a defensive capacity as U.S. forces in the region continue to drawdown during the final weeks of the Trump administration. The action coincides with rising tensions in the region between U.S. allies and Iran after a top Iranian nuclear scientist was taken out in a highly coordinated hit this week.