Trump, Putin discuss arms control, Iran nukes in phone call
President Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday about arms control and recovering their economies from the coronavirus pandemic.
Iran
Shin Bet thwarts attacks by Iranian-backed PFLP cell in the West Bank
Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service thwarted attacks against Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers by a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine cell, which was trained and financed by Iran and Hezbollah, the agency announced on Tuesday.
Khameni: Iran to strike reciprocal blow against US for killing Soleimani
Iran will strike a reciprocal blow against the US for the killing of top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday in a meeting with Iraq Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, according to Khamenei’s official website.
Airstrikes on Syria which kill at least 5 militants are attributed to Israel
Airstrikes that killed at least five Iranian-backed militiamen in Syria on Monday have been attributed to Israel, Ynet News reports. Israel has not confirmed it was behind the strikes, which reportedly hit targets near Damascus airport and the southern city of Daraa.
Iran-linked sites around Damascus said hit in Israeli strike
Military sites linked to Syrian regime forces and Iranian militias were targeted Monday in Israeli strikes near Damascus, according to a monitoring group.
Iran executes man accused of spying for CIA and Mossad
Iran said Mahmoud Mousavi Majd, a man convicted of spying on the Iranian military for the United States and Israel, has been executed.
In yet another blast in Iran, explosion hits power plant in Isfahan
An explosion was reported Sunday at a power station in the central Iranian province of Isfahan, the latest in a mysterious series of blasts and blazes that have occurred throughout the country.
Cyber-attacks against Israel’s water infrastructure
Israel’s Water Authority has confirmed that two cyber-attacks were carried out against the country’s water infrastructure in recent weeks, Ynet News reported Thursday. These attacks follow an alleged attack by Iran on Israel’s drinking water in April. In a statement, the water authority said no damage had been caused in the latest attacks.
Trump signed secret authorization for CIA to conduct cyber attacks
In 2018 President Trump signed a secret authorization, known as a presidential finding, which granted the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) sweeping freedom to conduct covert cyber operations against Iran and others, Yahoo News reports.
Christians Flee Turkish Bombardments In Iraq
Iraqi Christians want prayers for Christian and Kurdish families suffering from Turkish bombardments and incursions in Northern Iraq, aid workers say.
Goya Foods Pledges More Than Million Pounds of Food, Faces Boycott
Goya Foods is a minority-owned company that sells various food products in the US and many Latin countries. In fact, it is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the USA, and the CEO pledged to donate a million cans of chickpeas and a million pounds of food during these troubled times. Yet, Goya Foods is facing a boycott.
Two More Explosions at Sensitive Sites in Iran
Iran saw two further explosions at sensitive sites Sunday, with fire at a petrochemical plant in the Khuzestan province and a blast in a building believed to hold gas cylinders in Tehran, Fox News reported. These incidents were the latest in a series of sometimes deadly, mysterious explosions that have been taking place at military or infrastructural sites since June 26.
Saudi-Led Coalition Intercepts Ballistic Rockets, Drones Launched by Yemen’s Houthis
The Saudi-led coalition said on Monday it intercepted and destroyed four ballistic rockets and seven drones laden with explosives launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis towards the kingdom.
Iraqi Christian community under threat of extinction
An international humanitarian aid organization has said Christians living in the formerly ISIS-controlled Nineveh Plains of Iraq are now in danger of extinction, the Christian Post reports. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) published a report this week in which it states that political and sectarian tensions are driving Christians out of the area.
More explosions in Iran
Further explosions were reported Thursday night at yet another sensitive site in Iran, the Jerusalem Post reports. The latest in a series of blasts at industrial and infrastructural areas in Iran, Thursday’s explosions reportedly took place at an Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRG) missile depot west of Tehran.
Christians arrested in Iran
At least 12 Christians are understood to have been arrested by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRG) in what is believed to have been a coordinated round-up last week, the Christian Post reports. Announced by Article 18, a UK-based human rights non-profit organization, the arrests were said to have taken place in the cities of Tehran, Karaj and Malayer on June 30 and July 1.
Iranian and Syrian regimes sign military agreement
Syria’s dictator Bashar Assad has signed a military cooperation agreement with Iran’s Islamic extremist regime, Algemeiner reports. The deal was concluded Wednesday, reportedly as part of an effort to increase Syria’s air defenses against “pressures by America.”
Pompeo Says US Seized Iranian Weapons on Way to Houthi Rebels in Yemen
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Wednesday that US and “partner” forces seized a boat in June carrying Iranian weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen as he renewed his call for the UN Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Iran.
Russia says Turkey tested its S-400s on US F-16 jets
Turkey, a member of NATO, tested the Russian-made S-400 air defense system on US-made F-16 jets during a drill in November 2019, Russia’s state media TASS has reported. The use of the S-400 against the F-16s was already reported last year, but the new details from Russian media appear to cement the claim and infer that something more was going on in those tests.
Nasrallah says Hezbollah ‘ready to do anything’ to prevent annexation
The leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group on Tuesday vowed to prevent Israel’s annexation of parts of the West Bank.