Iran admits downing of Ukrainian jet a ‘mistake’
Iran conceded on Saturday to having made a ‘disastrous mistake’ in shooting down a Ukrainian airliner that was carrying 176 passengers, an allegation the regime initially denied.
Iran
Grave of martyred pastor destroyed in Iran
The grave of an Assemblies of God pastor from Mashad, Iran–the same town in which Soleimani replacement Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani rose through the ranks–was destroyed this past December by the Iranian regime.
Mark Esper: Iran ‘probably and could have been’ targeting 4 U.S. embassies
Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Sunday said Iran ‘probably and could have been’ planning to target the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and three other diplomatic facilities abroad in the days leading to the American strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Israel reportedly attacks Syria-Iraq border, thwarts shipment of Iranian ballistic missiles
Israeli aircraft attacked a truck convoy near the Syria-Iraq border in an effort to thwart the delivery of weapon systems to pro-Iranian militias, Arab media reported overnight Thursday. Israel has not commented on the incident.
As protests restart in Iran, demonstrators refuse to trample US, Israeli flags
Protesters gathered on the streets of Iran Sunday for a second day of demonstrations against the regime, prompted by the Iranian leadership’s belated admission that it accidentally downed a Ukrainian airliner last week, killing all 176 people on board.
Democrats pass measure aimed at curbing Trump military authority in Iran
House Democrats Thursday passed a resolution to curb President Trump’s authority to use military force against Iran.
Iranian missile now thought to be the cause of downed Ukrainian jet
Western officials are now leaning toward the conclusion that Iran shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet Wednesday that was leaving the airport in Tehran and bound for Kyiv.
Erdogan, Putin launch new gas line, vow Mideast diplomacy
The presidents of Turkey and Russia inaugurated the dual natural gas line connecting their countries Wednesday, opening up a new export path for Russian gas into Turkey and Europe and promising cooperation in trade and diplomacy.
Two Earthquakes Hit Iran ‘Close to Nuclear Power Plant’
Two earthquakes measuring 4.9 and 4.5 in magnitudes hit Iran on Wednesday, Jan. 8, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Iran will suffer ‘crushing blow’ if it attacks Israel, Netanyahu warns
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday warned Iran against attacking Israel in response to the American killing last week of senior military commander Qassem Soleimani.
Putin, Erdogan Call for De-Escalation After Iran Missile Attack
Hours after Iran fired missiles at U.S. soldiers in Iraqi military bases, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a de-escalation between both parties.
Trump Asking NATO to Become More Involved With Middle East in Wake of Iran Missile Strikes
President Donald Trump said he’d be asking the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, to get more involved with the Middle East after Iran fired missiles at Iraqi bases hosting U.S. troops on Jan. 7.
House to vote Thursday to curb President’s war powers
House Democrats emerged from a classified briefing Wednesday deeply skeptical of President Donald Trump’s decision to order the killing of a top Iranian leader and unconvinced that he posed an ‘imminent’ threat to United States forces.
Trump returns to “maximum pressure,” avoids military confrontation following Iranian strike
President Trump announced that the US would not be responding militarily to a barrage of 16 missiles launched from Iran in the early hours of the morning Wednesday that hit Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq and damaged aircraft hangers and a US helicopter.
Ukraine investigating ‘all possible causes’ of plane crash in Iran
A Ukrainian passenger jet crashed minutes after takeoff from Iran Wednesday, killing all 176 passengers and crew.
Iran believed to possess more than 2,000 ballistic missiles, Pentagon officials say
U.S. defense officials believe Iran is sitting on a stockpile of thousands of ballistic missiles and powerful munitions, following the country’s attack early Wednesday on American coalition forces in Iraq.
‘We’re going to war, bro’: Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne deploys to the Middle East
The 600 mostly young soldiers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, were headed for the Middle East, part of a group of some 3,500 U.S. paratroopers ordered to the region. Kuwait is the first stop for many. Their final destinations are classified.
Report: Hezbollah will attack Israel if US responds to Iran attack
Hezbollah will attack Israel if the United States responds to missile attacks carried out by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday night, according to the Iranian Tasnim news agency.
Pentagon Says a ‘Dozen Missiles’ Were Fired From Iran at Iraqi Bases With US Troops
Iranian officials said missiles were launched at U.S. troops in Iraq in retaliation after Iranian Gen. Qassem Suleimani’s death in Baghdad, according to Iranian state-run media outlets, in an attack that was later confirmed by the Pentagon.
Iranian attack scrambles House war powers vote
Top House Democrats’ plans to push a measure limiting the Trump administration’s war-making powers are in flux following an Iranian missile attack Tuesday on U.S. bases inside Iraq.