Biden's "war cabinet": The key people advising him on the Israel-Hamas war

Tony Blinken-Secretary of State, Lloyd Austin-Secretary of Defense, Jake Sullivan-National Security Adviser, Jon Finer-Deputy National Security Adviser, Bill Burns-CIA Director, Avril Haines-Director of National Intelligence, David Satterfield-Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues, Brett McGurk-NSC Coordinator for the Middle East, Kamala Harris-Vice President, Phil Gordon-National Security Adviser to the VP, Roger Carstens-Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Gen. Erik Kurilla-CENTCOM Commander (Read more at Axios).

Can the F-16 Deal Revive the Turkish-American Partnership

Various geopolitical disruptions can remind both sides of the added value they generate from working in harmony. The US withdraw from Afghanistan is one such example, where Türkiye and the United States quickly saw merit in cooperating to boost security at the Kabul airport. The war in Ukraine is another example ranging from the grain deal to Black Sea security. The same could happen in the context of the war in Gaza (Read more at Carnegie).

Only the U.S. can force peace in the Middle East

Lebanon foreign minister continues, the US should pressure Israel. Washington remains Israel’s primary foreign backer, sending it roughly $4 billion annually in military aid, which constitutes about 16% of Israel’s defense budget (Read more at CNBC).

The US Needs to Get Out of the Middle East — Soon

An American soldier standing guard at Tower 22 in the Jordanian desert cannot simultaneously watch over the NATO border in Estonia, the demilitarized zone on the Korean peninsula or Philippine shoals in the South China Sea (Read more at Bloomberg).

US, Arab, European ministers meet to outline ideas for post-war Gaza

It took place on the sidelines of the annual Munich Security Conference and would be linked to the normalisation of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, according to diplomats and officials (Read more at Middle East Eye).

US plans to send weapons to Israel even as Biden pushes for ceasefire

The proposed arms delivery includes MK-82 bombs and KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions that add precision guidance to bombs, and FMU-139 bomb fuses (Link)

Why did Blinken fail to reach an end to the war in Gaza

This may be due to the lack of experience of Biden’s administration and the failure to withdraw from the region. America returned with its largest presence since World War II. After Hezbollah carried out more than a thousand military operations against Israel, it established a buffer zone inside enemy territory, when the settlers fled the border areas that became the target of resistance strikes (Link).

US confronts ‘Axis’: Who are Iran’s allies? Can they be deterred

Analysts say the current escalation is dangerously prone to overreach and miscalculation that could lead to a direct U.S.-Iran conflict. American troops number 2,500 in Iraq and 900 in Syria. About the proxies, Renad Mansour, head of the Iraq Initiative at the Chatham House says, “The word ‘proxy’ here is difficult, because it implies just working entirely on behalf of someone else. These groups have their own interests.” (Link)

Pro-Palestinian activists occupy Museum of Modern Art in New York

Protesters carrying banner saying ‘Cultural workers stand with Gaza’ call for lifting of blockade in Gaza, end to ‘artistic collaboration’ with Israel (Link).

US conducted cyberattack on suspected Iranian ship

The cyberattack took place a week ago as part of a government response to a drone attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan late last month and wounded dozens of others. It is said that the ship had been collecting intelligence on cargo vessels (Link). 

U.S. and Arab nations plan for postwar Gaza

The planning group envisions a unified Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza coupled with a Saudi-Israel normalization deal. However, the plan is premised on Israel ceasing its counteroffensive against Hamas before taking Rafah. Such a step would deny Israel the ability to complete its objective of dismantling Hamas (Link). 

MIT suspends students over protests against Israel's attacks on Gaza

The president of MIT said "We need to keep the community safe.” 13 student organizers had individually been threatened with permanent suspension from MIT. The president didn't address such disciplinary action against student organizers in her video messages (Link).

A Message to Joe Biden: A Palestinian State Must Be Based on These Three Pillars

Territory cannot be acquired by force, the far right in Israel must be shunned, and there must be genuine reform of the Palestinian National Council (Read more at Carnegie).

Iraqi Kurds concerned over move to end US-led coalition's mission to fight ISIS

Baghdad and Washington have held at least two rounds of talks since late last month to end the mission in Iraq of the US-led international coalition formed in 2014 to fight ISIS. The US has 2,500 troops in Iraq and a US withdrawal would probably increase concern in Washington about the influence of Iran over Iraq's ruling elite (Link).

Biden blocks deportation of Palestinians in US, citing conditions in Gaza

The move grants "deferred enforced departure" to an estimated 6,000 Palestinians for the next 18 months (Link).

U.S. Centcom says its forces seized Iranian arms shipment bound for Houthis

On Jan. 28, over 200 packages containing medium-range ballistic missile components, explosives, unmanned underwater/surface vehicle (UUV/USV) components, military-grade communication and network equipment, anti-tank guided missile launcher assemblies, and other military components were discovered on board, it said (Link).

US ambassador praises Türkiye as an indispensable ally

Jeff Flake welcomes Congress' green light for F-16 sales to Türkiye as an opportunity to revitalise bilateral relations between the NATO allies (Link).

Anti-Semitism and safety fears surge among US Jews, survey found

Number of American Jews who say they feel less secure in the US has jumped 22 percent from last year’s survey (Link).

Pompeo, the US former secretary of state danced with Israeli troops

I've been to Israel on numerous occasions. But this visit has been the most poignant and the most heartbreaking. What happened on October 7th was so shocking and so sadistic that the trauma is felt constantly, everywhere by everyone (Link).

Turkey, the United States, and the Israel-Hamas War

The onset of the conflict in Gaza has further estranged Erdogan from Washington. He reacted indignantly to the U.S. deployment of two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Eastern Mediterranean and suggested that the United States has no business sending the carriers or playing a role in this conflict (Read more at CFR).

Saudi crown prince reiterates 'strong interest' in Israel ties: Blinken

But he also made clear what he had said to me before, which is that in order to do that, two things will be required -- an end to the conflict in Gaza, and a clear, credible timebound path to the establishment of a Palestinian state (Link).