Syria says 4 killed as Israel hits targets in Homs and Damascus in major strike
Syria said Israeli jets attacked several military sites near the capital Damascus and the central city of Homs early Monday, killing four civilians, including an infant.
Iran
Europe Circumvents U.S. Sanctions On Iran
Europe has found a way of circumventing U.S. sanctions on Iran. The governments of France, Germany and the United Kingdom have developed a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to enable European businesses to maintain non-dollar trade with Iran without breaking U.S. sanctions. That SPV, known as INSTEX, is now up and running.
American Delegates Reiterate US ‘Maximum Pressure” Campaign on Iran to Allies, While Iran Agrees to Stay in Nuclear Deal
Acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper met with NATO officials in Brussels Thursday, the same day special envoy Brian Hook was in Paris to drum up support from nuclear deal partners for the US’s position on Iran.
US gets no commitment from NATO for help on Iran threat
NATO allies gave the U.S. no firm commitments that they will participate in a global effort to secure international waterways against threats from Iran, acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday, wrapping up his first alliance meeting.
After US-Russia summit, Netanyahu says Israel won’t stop hitting Iran in Syria
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday vowed to continue to act against Iranian entrenchment in Syria, days after a high-level trilateral meeting with the US and Russia.
Trump’s latest Iran sanctions target $200B economic empire of supreme leader
The Trump administration’s latest sanctions against Iran reinstate an embargo on some of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s front companies that President Barack Obama lifted as part of the nuclear deal and could further expose the Iranian dictator’s corrupt economic empire.
European Signatories Attempt Last-Ditch Effort to Save Nuclear Deal, While Iran Prepares To Break It
Brian Hook, U.S. special envoy for Iran, is in Paris discussing the looming crisis in the Persian Gulf with Britain, France, and Germany, ahead of talks Friday that will see the European allies seek to implement the ‘INSTEX’ currency system with Iran to circumvent Trump’s sanctions.
Trump heads to Asia for talks on trade, Iran, North Korea
Heading into what is likely his most consequential overseas trip of the year, President Trump will be forced to grapple with a flurry of international crises, tense negotiations, and a growing global to-do list.
‘We Wait For Your Help’ Says Kurdish General to America, Hoping to See Greater American Support for Kurdistan in Light of Iran Crisis
Christian leaders met with Kurdish military officials in northern Iraq recently, who sought to position themselves as a natural ally of the US against Iranian aggression, should a conflict develop, and hoped the US would begin to see the cause of Kurdistan as part and parcel of its opposition to Iran.
Pompeo: State Department Report on Non-Existence of Religious Freedom in Iran ‘Shocks the Conscience’
The thinning oxygen in the atmosphere for Iran’s religious minorities came to light Friday with the State Department’s release of its 2018 Report on International Religious Freedom, which detailed the level of suppression suffered by Christians and Baha’i under the Ayatollahs.
Iran Announces Plans to Scrap Nuclear Deal
Iran is planning on further scaling back its commitment to the 2015 nuclear accord July 7th, citing the failure of European signatories to find a way around Trump’s crippling sanctions.
NATO Gears Up to Respond to Russia’s Avoidance of ‘The Responsible Path’
NATO will announce new measures against Russia’s violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty Wednesday, barring Russian compliance with longstanding U.S. demands for it to destroy a nuclear-capable missile system it says violates the treaty.
In trilateral Jerusalem summit, Russia sides with Iran, against Israel and US
Russia’s top national security adviser spoke out on behalf of Iran during trilateral meetings with his Israeli and American counterparts in Jerusalem on Tuesday, backing Tehran’s claims against the United States and supporting its ongoing military presence in Syria, which Israel sees as a threat to its security.
Trump puts sanctions on Iranian supreme leader, other top officials
U.S. President Donald Trump targeted Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials with sanctions on Monday, taking a dramatic, unprecedented step to increase pressure on Iran after Tehran’s downing of an unmanned American drone.
Netanyahu tells Russian official: We will do ‘anything’ to prevent nuclear Iran
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top security adviser on Monday that Israel will do ‘anything it takes’ to ensure Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons.
U.S. Kicks Off 19-Nation War Games Drills in Ukraine
The United States military and partners from 19 countries are getting set to kick off a massive series of war drills in Ukraine amid rising threats from Iran and Russia, according to the Defense Department.
Pompeo in Saudi Arabia to ‘Build Out a Global Coalition’ Against Iran
Mike Pompeo is in Jedda, Saudi Arabia this week to ‘build out a global coalition…prepared to push back against the world’s largest state sponsor of terror,’ following the downing of a $160 million unmanned U.S. drone by Iran on June 20.
IDF said to increase alert amid Iran tensions
The IDF has reportedly stepped up its alert status amid concerns that Iran could try and harm Israel as tensions between Tehran and Washington spiral, Channel 12 reported Sunday.
U.S. warns Iran not to ‘mistake restraint for a lack of resolve,’ military strike still an option
Top White House officials on Sunday warned that Iran should not mistake U.S. discretion for weakness after President Trump called off airstrikes last week in retaliation for Tehran’s downing of an American drone, and officials confirmed over the weekend that the Pentagon already struck back with cyberattacks on Iranian military systems.
Iranian hackers step up cyber efforts, impersonate email from president’s office
Iran has increased its offensive cyberattacks against the US government and critical infrastructure as tensions have grown between the two nations, cybersecurity firms say.