Iran crisis steals attention from Trump’s Israel-Palestinian peace plans
Talk of war with Iran is drowning out President Donald Trump’s efforts to bring peace to another part of the Middle East.
Iran
Iran Shot Down a $176 Million U.S. Drone. Here’s What to Know About the RQ-4 Global Hawk
In technical terms, the drone that Iran shot down was a U.S. Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS-D) aircraft, which is a Navy version of the Air Force’s high-flying RQ-4A Global Hawk. In simple terms, it is an unmanned aircraft that is intended for surveillance at sea.
Russia and China Oppose ‘Unilateral’ Moves By US On Iran
Russia and China are concocting a plan to circumvent US sanctions on Iran.
US Must Prevent Establishment of Iranian ‘Land Bridge’ to Mediterranean, New Think Tank Paper Urges
Iran is seeking to build a ‘land bridge’ to extend the reach of its influence all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, and ‘disrupting’ this corridor should be a priority of the United States, a paper published on Tuesday by the Washington, DC-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) think tank said.
Iran shoots down US drone amid rising tensions in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have shot down a US ‘spy’ drone in the southern province of Hormozgan, which is on the Gulf, the Guards’ news website Sepah News said on Thursday.
New U.S. deployment includes more Patriot missile defenses
The latest deployment of 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East, which was announced on Monday, will include a Patriot missile battalion, manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft and ‘other deterrence capabilities,’ the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
U.S. Senate To Vote On Bill To Block Trump’s Sale of Weapons To Saudi Arabia, Others
The U.S. Senate will vote on June 20 on legislation seeking to block $8 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies, as lawmakers’ anger with Riyadh increases.
Israel Holds F-35 Drills in Anticipation of Regional War
Israel is holding its first drills with US-purchased F-35 fighter jets this week, in a large-scale exercise designed to simulate a war with northern adversaries Hezbollah, Syria, and Russia.
China Upbraids the US for ‘Extreme Pressure Methods’ Against Iran
China is seeking to deter the US from its current Iran policy, Reuters reports.
US squadron of F-15E fighters arrive in UAE amid Iran tensions
A squadron of American F-15E Strike Eagles arrived in United Arab Emirates on Thursday as part of reinforcements against the Iranian threat as announced last month by the Pentagon.
‘Iranian missiles can hit aircraft carriers in Persian Gulf’
Iranian missiles are capable of carrying out precision strikes on aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami said Tuesday in an interview with Iranian state television.
Netanyahu: Israel-Russia-U.S. meeting in Jerusalem crucial for regional security
Next week’s meeting in Jerusalem between the national security advisers of Israel, the United States, and Russia is ‘very important for the stability of the Middle East during these turbulent times,’ said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.
Pompeo: US forces in Persian Gulf just a deterrent
The Trump administration is not seeking conflict with Iran and its military buildup in the Persian Gulf is aimed entirely at deterring Iranian aggression and threats to US interests and international shipping, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday.
Russia-Iran strain raises possibility of US-Israel-Russia Syria deal
While few expect the advisors’ meeting this month in Jerusalem to produce immediate results, American and Israeli officials hope that it could prepare the ground for a deal that would further weaken Russian ties to Iran and reduce, if not terminate, Iran’s presence in Syria.
Iran Prepared to Enrich Uranium at 20%, Breaking Nuclear Agreement
Iran will not hesitate from stepping up its uranium enrichment to 20%, an Iranian nuclear spokesperson said Monday.
Pentagon approves sending 1,000 more troops to Mideast as US releases new photos of tanker attack linked to Iran
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released new images Monday showing the aftermath of mine attacks against two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week, including some images purporting to show Iranian forces removing an unexploded device from the hull of one of the vessels.
Germany, UK warn Iran over enrichment threat; EU takes wait-and-see approach
Germany and Britain on Monday warned Tehran not to breach uranium stockpile limits set by the 2015 nuclear deal, as the EU’s diplomatic chief dismissed Iranian threats as ‘political dialectics.’
U.N. officials: U.S. planning a ‘tactical assault’ in Iran
Diplomatic sources at the UN headquarters in New York revealed to Maariv that they are assessing the United States’ plans to carry out a tactical assault on Iran in response to the tanker attack in the Persian Gulf on Thursday.
U.S. says to send more troops to the Middle East, cites Iran threats
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan announced on Monday the deployment of about 1,000 more troops to the Middle East for what he said were defensive purposes, citing concerns about a threat from Iran.
Royal Navy plans to deploy marines to Gulf as Iran blamed for oil tanker attacks
The Royal Navy is drawing up plans to deploy marines to the Persian Gulf to protect British ships after a series of alleged Iranian attacks on oil tankers in the region.