U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the need to stop the fighting in Sudan and the need to support efforts to form a civilian government during a Friday call with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the State Department said in a statement (Read more at CNBC).
Netanyahu tapped U.S.-born Yechiel Leiter to succeed Michael Herzog as its next ambassador in Washington. The move follows President-elect Trump’s decisive victory in the U.S. presidential election earlier this week. He got his Ph.D. in political philosophy from the University of Haifa. Leiter’s son, Maj. Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed last year during the Israel-Hamas war (Read more at The Hill).
President Tayyip Erdogan called Donald Trump a “friend” in welcoming his return to the White House. Here are some of the rifts between Washington and Ankara: defence, sanctions, NATO, Syria, the pastor and the lira crash, Turkey-Russia ties (Read more at Swissinfo).
Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden did not visit Turkey during his term and Erdogan's planned White House visit early this year fell through with little explanation, underlining the cool relations. Trump's election victory this week was generally met with cheer in NATO-member Turkey, with markets rallying and some officials cautiously optimistic about prospects for new U.S. economic policies (Read more at Reuters).
He also suggested that the war in Ukraine could be resolved quickly if the U.S. administration adopts a solution-focused approach. "Mr. Trump cutting off the arms support provided to Israel could be a good start in order to stop the Israeli aggression in Palestinian and Lebanese lands," he said. (Read more at Duvar).
In the hours since former President Donald Trump won reelection, my phone has been ringing off the hook. Many calls came from counterparts across the Middle East whom I worked with as a Middle East envoy in the first Trump White House. Some were colleagues in Israel and the Gulf Arab states who helped negotiate the Abraham Accords peace deal. Others I have worked with since Trump left office. They all, without exception, are looking forward to Trump’s inauguration (Read more at USNews).
Trump's proposed import tariffs might strengthen the U.S. dollar through reduced spending on foreign goods, benefiting Gulf Cooperation Countries' (GCC) currencies. A stronger dollar from Trump's protectionist policies would also increase foreign investment in the GCC region. In addition, according to Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer, Century Financial, Trump is more likely to resolve regional conflict faster as compared to his counterpart, which is expected to promote further stability in the region (Read more at Investing.com).
The deal was widely expected and has been in the process of finalization throughout the year as Israel has been fighting a multi-front war against Iran-backed proxies in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen. Israel used F-15s in its long-range strike on Yemen in July. The US has also deployed F-15s to the region amid Israel-Iran tensions, illustrating how the Boeing-made plane, which first flew in the 1970s, is increasingly relevant today (Read more at Breaking Defense).
The Gulf's oil and gas exporters generally follow the Fed's lead on rate moves as most regional currencies are pegged to the U.S. dollar; only the Kuwaiti dinar is pegged to a basket of currencies, which includes the dollar (REad more at USNews).
Hezbollah welcomes any effort to stop the war in Lebanon but does not pin its hopes for a ceasefire on a particular U.S. administration, Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim al-Moussawi said on Thursday when asked about Donald Trump's election victory (Read more at MSN).
Lira and Turkish assets rally on Trump's victory. Investors see potential benefits for Turkey's economic program. Turkey's aggressive rate hikes cool inflation, boost reserves (Read more at Reuters).
“To us it does not matter at all who has won the American election, because our country and system relies on its inner strength and a great and honorable nation,” Pezeshkian said late on Wednesday, quoted by the state news agency IRNA (Read more at Arabnews).
Abdel Fattah El Sisi told US president-elect he looks forward to working together. In 2018, Mr Trump praised Egyptian leader El Sisi for doing “a fantastic job” and said the US was “very much behind” him. Egypt's pro-government media speaks of Mr Trump as a strong leader who treats the nation with respect and values Mr El Sisi's leadership (Read more at The National).
Most stock markets in the Gulf rose on Tuesday as markets waited for early indications of the outcome of a knife-edge U.S. election. Dubai's main share index <.TASI> rose 0.2%. The Qatari index <.QSI> finished 0.2% higher. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index <.TASI> edged 0.2% lower (Read more at ZAWYA).
The Pentagon said on Tuesday that Yoav Gallant, whom Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired as defense minister on Tuesday, has been a "trusted partner," and said it will continue to work closely with Israel's next defense minister (Read more at AOL).
Since leaving office in 2021, former President Donald Trump and several of his close allies have maintained a prominent presence in the oil-rich Gulf states. One of the most significant developments in Trump’s ongoing relationship with Gulf leaders came in September, when he hosted Qatar’s ruling emir and the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a key advisor during his time in office, has remained heavily involved in U.S.-Saudi relations. The Trump Organization has continued to explore new business opportunities in the Gulf region. Several other prominent figures from the Trump administration have maintained close business ties with Gulf nations (Read more at NewsX).
Two thirds of Israelis think Trump better for Israel than Harris. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters celebrated Donald Trump's election as president, hailing what a leader of the Israeli settler movement called an ally who would support them "unconditionally" (Read more at Reuters).
U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday he might head to Iran in the coming days to discuss its disputed atomic programme and that he expected to work cooperatively with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Grossi had previously said he hoped to go to Tehran ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. vote as he seeks to resolve several long-standing issues that have dogged relations between Iran, the International Atomic Energy Agency and Western power (Read more at Reuters).
Palestinians, locked in war with Israel for more than a year, expressed fear at Donald Trump’s return to the White House, while the leaders of the Hamas group and the Palestinian Authority urged him to act for peace (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
Cracking down on OPEC-member Iran would support global oil prices, but the effect could also be offset by other Trump policies, from measures to expand domestic drilling, the imposition of tariffs on China that could depress economic activity, or an easing of relations with Russia that could unfetter its sanctioned crude shipments (Read more at MSN).
France's foreign minister will travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Wednesday seeking to press Israel to engage diplomatically to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon after the U.S. presidential election is over. "The United States plays an essential role in ending the Israeli-Arab conflict," Jean-Noel Barrot said on France 2 television when asked whether a win for former President Donald Trump could boost Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Read more at AOL).
The political breakdown among Jewish respondents in Israel revealed that 90% of right-wing voters and 52% of centrists believe Trump would be more beneficial for Israel, while the left favors Harris over Trump, 42% versus 29% (Read more at JNS).
Cairo's plan would have seen four Israeli hostages and 100 Palestinian terrorists released over a 10-day period after an initial 48-hour pause in fighting. Another proposal from Doha last week reportedly involved the release of 11 hostages in exchange for a one-month ceasefire, with priority given to living female captives. During talks in Doha at the end of last month, CIA Director Bill Burns reportedly proposed a 28-day ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for Hamas releasing eight hostages and Israel freeing dozens of Palestinian prisoners (Read more at JNS).
In an effort to engage with “leaders of the Arab-American community,” Harris headed to Michigan, a key swing state that is home to more than 200,000 Arab American voters. There, she pledged to do “everything in her power to end the war”. While acknowledging the “suffering in Gaza”, she reiterated, once again, that she must “ensure Israel is secure”. Trump has consistently prioritized ‘security’ concerns over humanitarian considerations and repeatedly affirmed that Israel should seek a swift victory. Moreover, Trump has frequently voiced skepticism about the two-state solution, suggesting that achieving peace might be difficult under this framework (Read more at Palestine Chronicle).
The United States and Saudi Arabia are discussing a potential security agreement that wouldn't involve a broader deal with Israel. The agreement under discussion is not a full defense treaty (Read more at USNews).
Taskin Torlak, 37, Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley, 23, was one of three US service members hurt May 23 while working on the temporary floating pier that Biden had announced with great fanfare during his State of the Union address in March. The other two service members suffered minor injuries and returned to work after the incident, which the Pentagon has said was not combat related (Read more at NewYork Post).
In phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Blinken "reviewed actions Israel has taken to date and urged further actions to substantially increase and sustain humanitarian aid – including food, medicine and other essential supplies – to civilians across all of Gaza.” Asked what consequences Israel might face if it does not meet the 30-day requirements, Miller declined to speculate, saying: "I do not know what the factual situation that we will face in that period will be." (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı)
While Muslim community leaders who have requested meetings with the Vice President say they have been snubbed, at a rally in Michigan on Sunday Trump was endorsed by several Muslim figures who appeared on stage with the Republican candidate. Anxiety in the Harris campaign over the Arab-American vote appears to be more justified, and is compounded, say observers, by her failure to make any meaningful pledges to end the war. They appear to have miscalculated the level of anger and disappointment at the Biden administration’s support for a war that has bombed Gaza to the stone age and killed six per cent of its population (Read more at Alahram).
Saudi commentator Ali Shihabi says Kingdom does not have a favorite but is looking to work closely with whichever candidate wins to help resolve the Middle East conflict. Shihabi said Saudi Arabia may have historically leaned more toward the Republican Party, but the situation is different this time around, as in recent years the Kingdom’s relationship with the Democrats has vastly improved (Read more at Arabnews).
Mikati said his government’s stance was clear on seeking a ceasefire from both sides and implementation of UN security council resolution 1701, which ended the last round of conflict between the two foes in 2006. The US embassy in Beirut did not immediately respond to requests for comment (Read more at Guardian).
Dubbed "Prince of Polling," globally-acclaimed public opinion pollster John Zogby tells TRT World it would be an "accurate" assessment to suggest Gaza war might bolster Netanyahu in next election while potentially costing Harris in US. Arab Americans have been voting overwhelmingly Democrat since 2004 as a protest against then President George W. Bush's war in Iraq and the revelations at Abu Ghraib prison. She and the Democrats have really alienated Arab Americans and Muslims who could be decisive in those states (Read more at TRTWorld).
The supreme leader did not elaborate on the timing of the threatened attack, nor the scope. The U.S. military operates on bases throughout the Middle East, with some troops now manning a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, battery in Israel. Any further attacks from either side could engulf the wider Middle East, already teetering over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon, into a wider regional conflict just ahead of the U.S. presidential election this Tuesday (Read more at NPR).
Israel is unwilling to go back to the status quo ante after its military offensive in Lebanon. Israel is unwilling to go back to the status quo ante after its military offensive in Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told US envoys Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein, who were in Israel on a new push to secure ceasefires in both Lebanon and Gaza, that Israel’s acceptance of a ceasefire in Lebanon hinged on its ability to “counter threats” and return displaced people to the north (Read more at Arab Weekly).
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is sending bomber aircraft, fighter jets and more Navy warships to the Middle East to bolster the U.S. presence in the region. Austin's latest order, said Ryder, shows the “U.S. capability to deploy world-wide on short notice to meet evolving national security threats.” He said Austin “continues to make clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people.” (Read more at Military Times)
Israel's decision for a month's waiver extension on co-operation between Israeli and Palestinian banks covered a "very short term" and would create "another looming crisis" by Nov. 30, the United States warned on Thursday. The remarks came after a spokesman for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would sign the waiver to extend banks' co-operation for another month after the cabinet agreed (Read more at AOL).
The strikes followed a renewed but as yet fruitless bout of US-led diplomacy aimed at getting a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon to stop over a year of fighting between Israel and Iran-backed groups Hamas and Hezbollah (Read more at New York Post).
The elections are already making a difference in Israel’s calculations. Senior Biden administration officials have stepped up efforts in recent days to resolve the conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza — which would bring a boost to Vice President Harris in her election bid — but Israeli analysts say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is waiting to see who is voted into the White House. If Palestinians and Israelis do not really make a headway on it, it's very difficult to imagine that there will be a U.S. administration that would come to fix things for both sides. But Harris would pursue a “smarter conflict management kind of policy. In Gaza and Lebanon, Israeli analysts predict Trump would give Netanyahu a freer hand, while Israel would need to make more compromises under Harris (Read more at NPR).
Potential US-Saudi agreements about trade and artificial intelligence are “not tied to any third parties” and “can progress probably quite quickly,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said. “Some of the more significant defence cooperation agreements are much more complicated. We would certainly welcome an opportunity to finish them before the (end of the Biden) administration’s term, but that’s reliant on other factors outside of our control,” he said (Read more at Arab Weekly).
The U.S. had drafted a 60-day truce proposal that would see Hezbollah pull back from Lebanon's southern border, both sides cease attacks and 10,000 Lebanese army troops deploy in the south. "It was totally unrealistic because of the onus it places on the Lebanese army to solve these problems," a Western diplomat told Reuters (Read more at USNews).
Iran faces diminished leverage if Trump wins Nov. 5 US election. Trump could grant Israel green light to hit Iran nuclear sites. Possible US-Saudi defence pact to shift balance of power. Tehran recognises 'new architecture' in making in Middle East. Iran's accelerated nuclear enrichment programme raising alarm (Read more at Reuters).
The comments follow news that US envoy Amos Hochstein left the region without making a stop in Beirut. He had been in Israel for talks. "We are working very hard and making progress on reaching understandings of what would be required for the effective implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701. This would be the basis of a diplomatic resolution to the crisis," Blinken said, referring to the 2006 mandate (Read more at Middle East Eye).
As much of the world's attention has focused on the war in Gaza, growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank and land grabs in the occupied territory have raised concern among some of Israel's Western allies. Washington and others have imposed asset freezes and banking restrictions on violent settlers, outposts and groups and urged Israel to do more to stop attacks they say undermine efforts to end the conflict (Read more at Irish Examiner).
The fund aims to attract investors from the Gulf, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Abu Dhabi firms Realize and Neovision Wealth Management have unveiled an investment fund that acquires units of U.S. Treasury bill-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and tokenizes them. Known as the Realize T-Bills Fund, the fund will acquire shares of Blackrock’s low-cost ishares and State Street’s SPDR ETFs (Read more at Bitcoin.com).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. envoys on Thursday that Israel's ability to counter threats to its security from Lebanon and return displaced people to the north were key elements of any ceasefire deal with Lebanon. He was speaking shortly after a Hezbollah attack on northern Israel's town of Metula killed five people. "The main issue is not the paperwork of this or that agreement, but Israel's ability and determination to enforce the agreement and thwart any threat to its security from Lebanon," Netanyahu's office cited him as telling the two U.S. envoys (Read more at CBC).
The US Treasury Department announced sweeping sanctions against 275 individuals and entities in countries including India, China, Switzerland and Turkey aimed at “disrupting global evasion networks.” (Read more at Turkish Minute).
A new poll reveals deep partisan divisions among American voters regarding responsibility for the escalation of the Middle East conflict. About 60% of voters attribute “a lot” of responsibility for the war’s escalation to Hamas, Iran’s government and Hezbollah. Partisan differences emerge regarding Israel’s role, with approximately 60% of Democrats saying the Israeli government bears “a lot” of responsibility, compared to only about one-quarter of Republicans (Read more at JNS).
U.S. President Joe Biden dispatched Special Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein, deputy assistant to the president and senior adviser for energy and investment. Senior Israeli and American officials said that an agreement could be reached within weeks (Read more at JNS).
The United States on Wednesday urged Israel to protect civilian lives and cultural sites in Lebanon after Israel began heavy airstrikes on the historic city of Baalbek and surrounding villages in the eastern Bekaa region. “We have made clear that the campaign they are conducting in Lebanon should not, cannot, must not look like the campaign that they have conducted in Gaza. We do not want to see that type of widespread damage,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said (Read more at Swissinfo).
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides leads the European Union nation closest to Gaza. The small Mediterranean island nation has played a critical role in efforts to get humanitarian aid into Gaza since the war between Hamas and Israel began more than a year ago. He said that Biden and White House officials briefed him on the latest stepped-up efforts by the U.S. administration and other mediators but declined to offer further details about the discussion (Read more at Associated Press).
State Department officials gathered the incidents from public and non-public sources, including media reporting, civil society groups and foreign government contacts. The mechanism, which was established in August 2023 to be applied to all countries that receive US arms, has three stages: incident analysis, policy impact assessment, and coordinated department action. None of the Gaza cases had yet reached the third stage of action. Options, the former official explained, could range from working with Israel’s government to help mitigate harm, to suspending existing arms export licences or withholding future approvals (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the UN said, ""The United States did not participate in this military operation. Rather, we encouraged the government of Israel to shape the operation as it did. Again, a targeted, proportional and direct response to degrade Iran's ability to threaten its neighbors, deter further attacks and reduce the risk of further escalation (Read more at YahooNews).
In a phone call with Gallant, Austin "reiterated the US commitment to a diplomatic arrangement in Lebanon that allows both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to return safely to their homes on both sides of the border, as well as a hostage release and cease-fire deal in Gaza," said spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder in a statement. Austin also reaffirmed Washington’s "ironclad support" for the defense of Israel and said the US is "well postured" to defend US personnel, allies and partners against attacks from Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies, Ryder added (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
The United States has asked Israel to explain a “horrifying” strike in northern Gaza, State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said on Tuesday, an attack on a residential building in which at least 93 Palestinians were killed or missing. Miller said he could not speak to the specific death toll, but the US was seeking more information. He said it was a “horrifying incident with a horrifying result.” Washington contacted Israeli officials and “made clear we want to know exactly what happened, how you could have a result that produces, according to reports, dozens of children dead, and we don’t yet know the answer to that question,” Miller said (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
Washington believes that Hamas is being led in Gaza by a council until its hierarchy is re-established after Israeli forces killed Yahya Sinwar, the terror group’s chief in the Strip, on Oct. 16, Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department spokesman, said. JNS asked why Washington isn’t pressuring Qatar to push Mashaal into a deal, given that the terror leader is a guest in the Gulf state. Miller cited the prior “tireless efforts” and “intense focus” of Qatari Prime Minister Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to try to seal an agreement. “They have a channel with Hamas that is productive for trying to reach this agreement,” Miller said. “The fact is it’s Hamas that holds the hostages, and so it’s Hamas with whom they have to negotiate.” (Read more at Jewish News Agency)
The warning came a day after Israel’s Knesset voted to ban the UN Palestinian Relief Agency (Unrwa) from operating in occupied Palestine, and Israel. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US was “deeply troubled” by the bill (Read more at Middle East Eye).
CIA director Bill Burns floated a deal for a 28-day Gaza ceasefire, the freeing of around eight hostages by Hamas and the release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners by Israel. Burns discussed the idea during a meeting on Sunday with Israeli and Qatari counterparts (Read more at Arabnews).
Despite Turkey’s longstanding membership in NATO, only 42 percent of respondents expressed favorable views of the alliance. However, this marks a substantial increase from just 21 percent in 2019, with analysts attributing the shift to Turkey’s evolving position following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Younger Turks under 35 are more open to Western powers, with 29 percent expressing favorable opinions of the United States, compared to just 7 percent among those 50 and older. US President Joe Biden garnered only 8 percent confidence among Turkish respondents (Read more at Turkish Minute).
US Presidential Candidate Dr. Jill Stein said “We have two greater evil candidates; there is no lesser evil .. We are at the tipping point. It feels like we’re closer now than ever before.” What’s unique about this ordeal is that social media users and independent media outlets based in the region have been broadcasting the war crimes taking place there on a day-to-day basis. For that reason, Netanyahu’s assaults on the surrounding civilian population are crucial to the upcoming elections since the violence in question has always been funded by US taxpayer dollars (Read more at Palestinechronicle).
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Tehran against responding to Israel's strikes on military sites in Iran and said he stressed in a call to his Israeli counterpart the opportunities to de-escalate tensions in the region (TRTWorld).
The first move by Biden's administration was to acknowledge that Iran would have to pay for the Oct. 1 attack, officials say. U.S. officials worked to present an alternative option that included a set of different measures: Washington worked to impose oil sanctions targeting Iran's so-called "Ghost Fleet" to offer an alternative measure to the Israelis who wanted to damage Iran's oil revenues with a kinetic strike. Moreover, the United States worked to bolster Israel's air defenses ahead of its Saturday strike on Iran. Before deploying the system, the United States wanted to know Israel's attack plans (Read more at USNews).
“No,” Harris said when asked if talks between Trump and Netanyahu could undermine what the current U.S. government is trying to achieve. “I do believe that it is critically important that we as the United States of America be an active participant in encouraging one, that this war ends, that we get the hostages out but also that there is a real commitment among nations to a two-state solution and the ‘day after’ (in Gaza),” Harris told reporters (Read more at Swissinfo).
The official added there was no U.S. involvement in the Israeli operation (Read more at Swissinfo).
Blinken has also held talks this week to advance efforts to find a diplomatic solution in Lebanon, where Israel launched a ground campaign and intensified air assault against Hezbollah over the past month that has displaced 1.2 million people (Read more at Swissinfo).
The meeting focused on strengthening the strategic relations between Qatar and the United States, as well as discussing the latest regional and international developments of mutual concern, particularly the situation in Gaza, the occupied Palestinian territories, and Lebanon (Read more at Qatar Tribune).
F-16s from 480th Fighter Squadron based in Germany arrive in Central Command area of responsibility. CENTCOM did not specify the intended operational role of the F-16s but emphasised their mission to reinforce US presence in the region (Read more at TRTWorld).
President Joe Biden formally apologised on Friday for the U.S. government's role in running abusive Native American boarding schools for more than 150 years, and was heckled at the event over his support for Israel's war on Gaza. A pro-Palestinian protester shouted: "How can you apologize for a genocide while committing a genocide in Palestine?" The president replied, "There is a lot of innocent people being killed and it has to stop." (Read more at New Arab)
Kushner, who is married to Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka, has long faced criticism from Democratic figures regarding a $2 billion investment secured by his private equity fund, Affinity Partners. This funding from a Saudi Arabian fund led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was received six months after Kushner left his White House position in January 2021 (Read more at Newsweek).
Ayman Safadi, Jordan's Foreign Minister, used meetings between the US and Arab countries in London to warn that the Middle East "stands at the brink of a regional war". He said the "only path to save the region from that" was for Israel to stop its "aggressions" to the north and south. In strongly-worded comments, Mr Safadi said Israel's war on two fronts and "illegal measures" in the West Bank were "pushing the situation to an abyss". He said mediators trying to broker a ceasefire were trying to "get through the nightmare that the region continues to live in" (Read more at The National).
"The proposed sale will improve the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing the strength of its homeland defense," it said in a statement (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
The Biden administration believes Sinwar was the main obstacle to an agreement, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to the region this week hoping to achieve a breakthrough. Among the options is an Egyptian proposal for a two-week cease-fire in exchange for the release of six hostages. Still, it is not immediately clear who would be the decision-maker for any proposal brought forward to Hamas, which has yet to choose Sinwar’s successor (Read more at NBC News).
The United States and Qatar announced a resumption of negotiations on a Gaza ceasefire as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said mediators were exploring new options after months of failing to seal a US-led plan (Read more at France 24).
Austin's messages related to an incident that occurred last Sunday when three Lebanese soldiers were killed in an Israeli strike on an army vehicle in southern Lebanon (Read more at RBC-Ukraine).
Blinken said Israel had succeeded in ensuring there could be no repeat of last year’s Oct. 7 assault and it should be looking to bring home the remaining 101 Israeli and foreign hostages and end the fighting. “Now is the time to turn those successes into an enduring strategic success,” he told reporters as he prepared to leave for Riyadh on the next stage of his visit to the Middle East. Blinken repeated that the US rejected any Israeli occupation of Gaza and said he had been assured by Netanyahu that Israel had no such plans. “It’s been US policy, it will remain US policy, and it’s also, to the best of my understanding, the policy of the Israeli government, that I heard from the prime minister, who is the authoritative word on these things,” he said (Read more at Taipei Times).
An Iranian hacking group is actively scouting U.S. election-related websites and American media outlets as Election Day nears, with activity suggesting preparations for more "direct influence operations," according to a Microsoft blog (Read more at AOL).
In each call, US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin said he cites the need for Israel to be more precise during military operations against Palestinian group, Hamas, to limit civilian casualties, and cites the need to get humanitarian assistance to the civilian population. “Failure to do that will create a generation of Palestinians that really will continue to resist cooperating with Israel in the future. So you’re actually increasing the numbers of insurgents … if you fail to do that,” Austin said. “It’s a strategic imperative in my view.” (Read more at Middle East Monitor)
“We will continue to collaborate with our Israeli counterparts to gain better fidelity on exactly what they are looking at,” Austin told reporters in Rome (Read more at Arabnews).
Americans should reflect on how the United States got ensnared in an earlier Israeli war there, and a tragic result of that involvement that occurred 41 years ago this week. Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, which was the beginning of an occupation that would not end completely until 2000. One of the most horrifying low points was the massacre in September 1982 at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. The Israel Defense Forces, fired illuminating flares so that the killing could continue through the night. A couple of weeks earlier, the United States under the Reagan administration had agreed to deploy US Marines. At least on the face of it, this deployment had a noble peacekeeping mission (Read more at New Arab).
Smoke, apparently from an intercepted projectile, could be seen in the sky above the hotel where Blinken was staying. A loudspeaker inside the building told everyone to stay inside. A second administration official said the rocket had been fired by the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group. The all clear from the citywide alert came approximately 10 minutes after the sirens started (Read more at NBC News).
"The market continues to wait for Israel's response to Iran's missile attack," ING analysts said on Wednesday, adding the price strength on Tuesday was possibly due to the lack of outcome from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's latest visit to Israel (Read more at Yahoo Finance).
Prosecutors have said that the defendants had plotted to lure Alinejad out of her house by asking her for flowers from her garden then gun her down. U.S. prosecutors have previously charged other suspects in the case, including one man in 2022 and two more in January 2023. Tuesday's filing did not name the alleged victim, but one of the previously charged suspects in the case was arrested for having a rifle outside the Brooklyn home of journalist and activist Masih Alinejad, Reuters reported (Read more at ArianaNews).
"Foreign actors, particularly Russia, Iran and China, remain intent on fanning divisive narratives to divide Americans and undermine Americans' confidence in the U.S. democratic system. These activities are consistent with what these actors perceive to be in their interests, even as their tactics continue to evolve," said one official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (Read more at MSN).
The proposal, which was previewed in March, implements an executive order issued earlier this year by President Joe Biden which aims to keep foreign adversaries from using accessible American financial and genomic data and health data for cyber attacks, espionage and blackmail (Read more at Business Standard).
Austin declined to say whether the system was operational, but added: “We have the ability to put it into operation very quickly and we’re on pace with our expectations.” “At the end of the day, that’s an Israeli decision, and whether or not the Israelis believe it’s proportional and how the Iranians perceive it, I mean those may be two different things,” he said (Read more at Arab Weekly)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that Israel has so far taken insufficient steps to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza, and he asked it to work to improve the situation. Blinken held "extended conversations" about the humanitarian situation in Gaza with Netanyahu and other senior Israeli leaders, who committed to act upon the U.S. requests (Read more at USNews).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said there was a need for a security and political change in Lebanon that would allow displaced Israelis to return safely to their homes. Netanyahu met with Blinken for 2-1/2 hours on Tuesday and the meeting was friendly and productive, according to a statement from the prime minister's office (Read more at MSN).
The decision by the US Court of Appeals in Manhattan could remove legal obstacle to the longstanding case proceeding to trial. Last year, the US Supreme Court ruled Halkbank wasn’t shielded from prosecution by a US statute granting immunity to governments for official acts (Read more at MSN).
Police have arrested an unknown number of pro-Palestine protesters at the University of Minnesota after a group of students briefly occupied an administrative building in protest against Israel's genocide in Gaza, organisers said. The Monday afternoon protest prompted an alert from school officials: "Protestors have entered Morrill Hall on the East Bank, causing property damage and restricting entrance and exit from the building," the alert said (Read more at TRTWorld).
They discussed security and economic stability in the West Bank as well as the Palestinian Authority’s efforts to improve its anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime. The U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo noted the Palestinian Authority’s progress on strengthening its CFT regime to further support these relationships, including by completing key milestones related to the assessment of AML/CFT risks within its jurisdiction and bolstering effective compliance with international standards (Read more at US Treasury).
"The United States will bear full responsibility for its role in instigating, inciting and enabling any acts of aggression by Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran ... as well as for the catastrophic consequences on regional and international peace and security," Iran's U.N. mission said in a letter to the U.N. Security Council (Read more at USNews).
Nine members of Force 100 investigated over allegations of sexual assaulting prisoner at Sde Teiman detention camp that could lead to it being barred from receiving assistance. The investigation – a rare occurrence on the part of the US with regard to Israel – could result in the unit being penalised under a landmark peace of legislation known as the Leahy law, which prohibits the state and defence departments from rendering assistance to foreign security force units facing credible accusations of human rights abuses (Read more at Guardian).
After holding talks in Beirut on Monday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Hochstein suggested that ceasefire efforts are focused on the implementation of a United Nations Security Council resolution that ended the last war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. Hochstein added that additional steps must be taken to make sure that 1701 is enforced “fairly, accurately, transparently, so that everybody knows the path that we’re on” (Read more at Aljazeera).
Qatar was once the top LNG supplier to Japan and South Korea, but buyers are showing preference for supplies from the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. These suppliers all offer shorter-term contracts and unlike Qatar do not restrict the cargoes' final destination. This gives buyers flexibility to sell cargoes elsewhere in the future if they no longer need the cargoes. US sellers, ADNOC and Oman generally offer LNG volumes on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, which allows buyers to resell cargoes. Deals are usually linked to US natural gas prices at the Henry Hub benchmark, which tend to be cheaper than contracts linked to oil (Read more at Business Standard).
Trump said: “If I were president, that war would have never started. You wouldn’t have all those dead people... (and) demolished cities and areas. (We) wouldn’t have had Oct. 7.” He criticized Joe Biden and his administration’s foreign policy failures for the wars on multiple fronts (Read more at Arabnews).
Two demands are revealed: Israel wants freedom for its air force to operate in Lebanon’s airspace and for the Israeli military to be allowed to carry out “active enforcement” in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah. One US official said neither Lebanon nor the international community would likely agree to conditions that would “dramatically undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty” (Read more at Arabnews).
"We'd like to see Israel scale back on some of the strikes it's taking, especially in and around Beirut. And we'd like to see things transition to some sort of negotiation that will allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes," said the Pentagon chief at the G7 defense meeting in Naples, Italy (Read more at RBC-Ukraine).
Harris dodged a question on whether Arab American and Muslim anger over US support for Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza and more recently in Lebanon could cost her the election in the battleground state of Michigan, but said she would continue speaking out about the tragic loss of innocent lives (Read more at Arabnews).
The documents marked top secret first appeared online via a channel on Telegram based in Tehran, claiming they had been leaked by someone in the U.S. intelligence community, then later the U.S. Defense Department. The information appeared entirely gathered through the use of satellite image analysis. The documents are attributed to the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, and note that Israel was still moving military assets in place to conduct a military strike. They were sharable within the “Five Eyes,” which are the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia (Read more at Associated Press).
Trump, speaking later to reporters in Philadelphia, said he had had "a very nice call" with Netanyahu on Saturday. The Israeli leader had asked his opinion about what to do with Iran, he said. Israel is pondering its military reaction to recent Iranian missile strikes. "He was asking what I thought. And I just said, you do what you have to do," Trump said (Read more at USNews).
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has issued a warning to the United States after President Joe Biden said he knows “how and when” Israel would attack Iran. “Anybody with knowledge or understanding of ‘how and when Israel was going to attack Iran’, and/or providing the means and backing for such folly, should logically be held accountable for any possible causality,” Araghchi said on his X account (Read more at IRNA).
"There's an opportunity in my view and my colleagues agree that we can probably deal with Israel and Iran in a way that ends the conflict for a while. That ends the conflict, in other words, that stops the back and forth," Biden said. Biden also said he has an understanding of how and when Israel was going to retaliate against missile attacks by Iran. He declined to elaborate (Read more at USNews).
He praised the Israeli leader as doing a good job while attacking President Joe Biden's administration. "He's called me. I haven't spoken to him. I'm going to speak to him probably now," Trump said. "Biden is trying to hold him back….and he probably should be doing the opposite actually." (Read more at USNews)
Signatories include former Congress members Donna Shalala and Toby Moffett, former President Barack Obama's former transportation secretary Ray LaHood, academics, CEOs and investors (Read more at MSN).
Israeli leaders are seeking to lock in strategic gains that go beyond military victories – to reshape the regional landscape in Israel's favour and shield its borders from any future attacks. By intensifying its military operations against Hezbollah and Hamas, Israel wants to ensure that its enemies and their chief patron, Iran, don't regroup and threaten Israeli citizens again (Read more at Business Standard).
It was through access and overflight for US aircraft in northern Australia. An Australian official said the "support is consistent with our long-standing alliance commitment and close cooperation, demonstrating the interoperability of our militaries" (Read more at ABC)
Joe Biden is expected to use Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to wind down the war in Gaza, but in the waning months of his term the U.S. president may lack leverage to bend the Israeli leader to his will (Read more at AOL).
US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death marks a moment of relief for Israelis while providing the opportunity for a “day after” in Gaza without the group in power. “I will be speaking soon with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to congratulate them, to discuss the pathway for bringing the hostages home to their families, and for ending this war once and for all, which has caused so much devastation to innocent people.,” Biden said (Read more at Qatar Tribune).
The action targeted three individuals linked to Hezbollah's finance arm and four Lebanon-based companies registered to conceal ties to the group. The US also sanctioned three individuals involved in the production and sale of the amphetamine known as captagon, who it said have funded the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and its allies, including Hezbollah (Read more at News Arab).
“The U.S. has been saying to Israel that they have to improve humanitarian support to Gaza, but they gave one month delay. One month delay at the current pace of people being killed. It’s too many people,” Josep Borrell told reporters ahead of a European Union leaders’ summit (Read more at The Print).
The strikes hit “hardened” underground facilities used to store weapons components of the kind used by the Houthis to target civilian and military vessels in the region, Austin said. “This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened or fortified,” Austin added (Read more at Aljazeera).
"The Secretary encouraged the Government of Israel to continue taking steps to address the dire humanitarian situation, noting the recent action by Israel to increase the amount of humanitarian assistance entering Gaza," the Pentagon said in a statement. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Austin wrote to Israeli officials on Sunday demanding concrete measures to address the worsening situation in the Palestinian enclave, or face potential restrictions on U.S. military aid. The Pentagon summary after the Wednesday call did not mention the letter (Read more at Reuters).
In his final months in office, President Joe Biden is signaling new willingness to use U.S. military assistance to Israel as both a carrot and a stick to influence its high-stakes confrontation with Iran and Iran-backed militant groups. The 30 days Biden has given Israel to comply with its demands will run out after the Nov. 5 U.S. election, giving Netanyahu the ability to decide how fully he should comply, especially if the Republican candidate with whom he is close, former President Donald Trump, defeats the Democrat, Vice President Kamala Harris (Read more at Reuters).
Miller told a regular press briefing that Sinwar had been the "chief obstacle" to reaching an end to the war. "That obstacle has obviously been removed. Can’t predict that that means whoever replaces (Sinwar) will agree to a ceasefire, but it does remove what has been in recent months the chief obstacle to getting one," said U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller (Read more at USNews).
Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said “We’ve had a small number of special operations forces that have been advising the Israelis on hostage recovery efforts. That included working side by side with their Israeli counterparts to help locate and track Sinwar and other Hamas leaders hiding in Gaza who’ve been holding people, include Americans, hostage since Oct. 7 last year,” (Read more at The Hill).
Ten years to the day after the formal launch of the U.S.-led operation against the Islamic State, the United States and its NATO allies gathered in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the future of a mission facing increasing headwinds. Niger kicked out the U.S. military from its counter-terrorism base in West Africa this summer. Afghanistan has been largely off-limits since the Taliban's 2021 takeover. And Iraq wants the Pentagon to start reducing its personnel and end coalition operations there (Read more at MSN).
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the Security Council on Wednesday at a meeting convened by France UK and Algeria that such a policy “would not just be horrific and unacceptable” but also had “implications under international and US law”. The sudden surge in pressure is in part a response to growing fears that Israel may be trying to force Palestinians to leave northern Gaza using starvation, but also reflects a new assertive line being pushed by the US vice-president, Kamala Harris, worried her election prospects will be damaged if the administration is seen to have presided over an enforced mass exodus (Read more at Guardian).
Washington supports limited incursions by Israel to attack and degrade Hezbollah, but the US opposes a broad bombing campaign on Beirut and attacks that don’t avoid civilian harm, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the strike that destroyed the municipal headquarters in the southern Lebanon town of Nabatieh and killed 16 people including the mayor hit civilians meeting to coordinate relief efforts. Miller said if Israel intentionally targeted such a meeting that would be “unacceptable,” but said the circumstances would need to be verified. (Read more at Arabnews).
Two U.S. officials who resigned last year in protest over President Joe Biden's policy on the Gaza war have launched a lobbying organization and a political action committee to advocate for a revamp of Washington's long-standing stance on the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. Their PAC, called "A New Policy", would support candidates whose position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict center on aligning U.S. policies with human rights and equality and would ensure U.S. arms transfers to all countries in the Middle East including Israel comply with both U.S. and international law (Read more at Reuters).
The US & Canada have made coordinated designations of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network. Samidoun is said to be a sham charity that fundraises for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a terrorist organisation (Read more at Global Sanctions).
President Joe Biden’s decision to send an advanced missile defense system to Israel – and the roughly 100 U.S. soldiers needed to operate it – serves as a reminder that the 2024 race might turn on the economy, abortion and immigration. But the winner will be commander in chief. The latest deployment is a deeply political act, an expression of national will that comes with the danger that service personnel could come under deadly fire in an escalating Middle East conflict (Read more at USNews).
“There are specific strikes that it would be appropriate for Israel to carry out. But when it comes to the scope and nature of the bombing campaign that we saw in Beirut for the past few weeks, it’s something that we made clear to the government of Israel we had concerns with and we were opposed to,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said (Read more at Swissinfo).
Israel is highly dependent on U.S. military aid as it fights a war on several fronts and has been under intense scrutiny as warnings emerge again about the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza. Israeli authorities closed crossings into Gaza earlier this month, halting deliveries of food and essential supplies to 400,000 Palestinians before some trucks were able to enter again (Read more at Axios).
Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati also assured that efforts are underway to de-escalate tensions and to "remove any pretext for Israel to attack Beirut airport, ports, and land border crossings." (Read more at BreakingNews)
The Federal Aviation Administration is extending the prohibition against flying below certain altitudes through October 2027 citing risks from Iranian-aligned militia groups' activities and third-party military operations. The restrictions also apply to foreign operators operating as code share flights for US carriers. Last month, the US Transportation Department fined Air Canada $250,000 for operating flights in 2022 and 2023 in prohibited Iraqi airspace (Read more at NDTV).
"The battery will be fully operational capable in the near future, but for operations security reasons we will not discuss timelines" The Pentagon said (Read more at Reuters).
The November 5 US elections will mark the first time AAPAC has chosen not to endorse a candidate since the group's 1998 inception. It usually endorses Democrats (Read more at Rappler).
Netanyahu had told the Biden administration that he was willing to strike military rather than oil or nuclear facilities in Iran, suggesting a more limited counterstrike aimed at preventing a full-scale war. The retaliatory action would be calibrated to avoid the perception of "political interference in the US elections," the Washington Post quoted one official as saying (Read more at Irish Examiner).
USAid officials attend meetings at site where Palestinians say they were subjected to rape, electrocution and beatings. Established after the 7 October Hamas-led attack on southern Israel and the subsequent war on Gaza, the Sde Teiman base became a makeshift centre to hold Palestinian detainees. Since October 2023, more than 4,000 Palestinians from Gaza have been detained by the Israeli military there, often held without charge or evidence of wrongdoing (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday said indirect talks with the US through its intermediary Oman have stopped as Tehran "does not see a basis" for them amid wars and heightened tension in the region (Read more at The National).
Awarding Boeing a $1.5-billion contract in 2018, Kuwait ordered 28 F/A-18 Super Hornets to replace its F/A-18C/D fighter jets. The retired planes will now be sold to Malaysia if a deal is reached and Washington approves the sale. A multi-role combat aircraft, the F/A-18C/D is used for defensive and offensive operations and is capable of carrying precision-guided and unguided bombs (Read more at Defense Post).
The deal includes 220 Raytheon AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder Tactical Missiles, missile containers, support equipment, spares, missile software, training, and related technical assistance and program support. “This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by ensuring the readiness of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic growth in the Middle East,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement (Read more at Defense Post).
The Pentagon said Austin expressed concern to Gallant about the dire humanitarian situation in northern Gaza and stressed that steps must be taken soon to address it (Read more at Axios).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Biden administration he is willing to strike Iranian military targets rather than oil or nuclear facilities, two officials familiar with the matter told The Washington Post (Read more at MSN).
President Biden quietly tasked his National Security Council to warn Iran that the US would view any Tehran-backed assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump as an act of war, according to a report. Behind the scenes, the Harris-Biden administration has reportedly pressed Iran to halt its plottings against Trump and other former members of his administration amid elevated security threats from the US adversary (Read more at New York Post).
The Pentagon has said it will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery and troops to Israel, even as Iran warned Washington on Sunday to keep American military forces out of Israel. Before then, the US sent a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019 for training. The THAAD advanced defence system each consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors, and radio and radar equipment, which requires 95 soldiers to operate. The battery is considered a complementary system to the Patriot, but it can defend a wider area, with the capability to hit targets at ranges of 150 to 200 kilometres (Read more at Euronews).
Trump was asked when last he spoke to the Israeli leader during a Fox News interview. "Like two days ago and he came to my house in Florida, Mar-a-Lago with his wife who was lovely," he responded. Trump called the lack of conversation between Biden and Netanyahu in nearly two months "pathetic." (Read more at Strait Times).
The US Central Command on Saturday said its forces had conducted air strikes against "multiple known ISIS camps in Syria", adding that the strikes were aimed at disrupting the ability of the group to conduct attacks against the United States and its allies (Read more at France 24).
After weeks of intensive diplomacy aimed at securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants, the United States has settled on an altogether different approach: let the unfolding conflict in Lebanon play out. For the U.S. the Israeli campaign could bring at least two benefits. First, weakening Hezbollah could curb Tehran's influence in the region and lower the threat to Israel and to U.S. forces. Washington also believes that military pressure could force Hezbollah to put down arms and pave the way for the election of a new government in Lebanon that would oust the powerful militia movement, which has been a significant player in Lebanon for decades. Jonathan Lord, a former Pentagon official now with the Center for a New American Security in Washington, said that would be hard to achieve (Read more at Reuters).
According to the WSJ poll, Trump leads Harris in the seven swing states 50% to 39% on who is best able to handle Russia's war in Ukraine. Trump also has a 48% to 33% lead over Harris on who is better suited to handle the Israel-Hamas war (Read more at USNews).
The statements from a senior Biden administration official and a spokesperson from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) complement earlier comments from CIA Director William Burns, who stated this week that there is no evidence suggesting that Iran’s leadership has reversed its 2003 decision to halt its nuclear weaponization efforts. “We assess that the Supreme Leader has not made a decision to resume the nuclear weapons program that Iran suspended in 2003,” said the ODNI spokesperson, referring to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Read more at Matzav).
The conflict in the Middle East was a central issue during Friday’s East Asia Summit in Laos, where Blinken said Washington was dedicated to using diplomacy to try to control the situation in the face of what he called an Iranian-led axis of resistance. “The intense focus of the United States, which has been the case going back a year... (is) preventing these conflicts from spreading. And we’re working on that every day,” Blinken told a press conference. Friday’s discussions included the war in Ukraine, Myanmar’s civil war, climate change, tensions in the Taiwan Strait and concern about confrontations in the South China Sea, a key conduit for at least $3 trillion in annual ship-borne trade (Read more at Arab News).
Washington's occasional condemnation of Israel over the war's civilian death toll has mostly been verbal with no substantive change in policy (Read more at Business Standard).
Strengthening Lebanon's army will be crucial to implementing a key United Nations Security Council resolution that aims to keep peace on the country's border with Israel, the United States and France have warned (Read more at Yahoo News).
As part of their attempts to avoid being caught in the crossfire, Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar are also refusing to let Israel fly over their airspace for any attack on Iran and have conveyed this to Washington. The moves by the Gulf states come after a diplomatic push by Tehran to persuade its Gulf neighbors to use their influence with Washington amid rising concerns Israel could target Iran's oil production facilities (Read more at Daily Sabah).
The U.S. State Department and Treasury working in coordination said the actions intensify financial pressure on Iran, limiting the regime’s ability to earn critical energy revenues to undermine stability in the region and attack U.S. partners and allies. "In response to Iran’s attack on Israel, the United States is taking decisive action to further disrupt the Iranian regime’s ability to fund and carry out its destabilizing activity,” said Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen (Read more at Maritime Executive).
U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking to reporters, said he has authorized security to protect Trump as if he were a sitting president, and if Trump’s request falls in that category it should be granted (Read more at News Nation Now).
"It's the fastest, safest way to get Americans out of harm's way," Consul General Julie Eadeh said in an interview in Istanbul. Ten of 12 U.S. chartered flights from Beirut have arrived in Istanbul carrying 1,025 citizens and immediate family members since Oct. 2, according to another U.S. official (Read more at AOL).
'Let’s be clear: conditions are catastrophic and will further deteriorate if additional steps are not taken,' says US envoy at UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. The envoy also said the US is "concerned by the situation in northern Gaza, including the announcement by Israel of a new evacuation order for several communities ... We are particularly concerned that Palestinian civilians have nowhere safe to go," she said (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
The worsening trust crisis is magnified by Israel's planned retaliation against Iran for its massive missile attack, which requires coordination with the U.S. in case Iran responds. "Our trust of the Israelis is very low right now and for a good reason," one U.S. official said. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told Israel's minister for strategic affairs Ron Dermer that the U.S. expects "clarity and transparency" from Israel about its plans to retaliate against Iran because it will have implications for U.S. forces and interests in the region (Read more at Axios).
Qassem said the group supported the efforts of Lebanon's Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, to secure a ceasefire, without providing further details on any conditions demanded by Hezbollah. "For a year, you had the world calling for this ceasefire, you had Hezbollah refusing to agree to one, and now that Hezbollah is on the back foot and is getting battered, suddenly they've changed their tune and want a ceasefire," U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said (Read more at MSN).
“I’m making (it) very clear that there should be no kind of military action in Lebanon that looks anything like Gaza and leaves a result anything like Gaza.” Mr Netanyahu said on Oct 8 in a video message directed at the people of Lebanon that Hezbollah was weaker than it had been in many years and urged Lebanese to “take back your country” (Read more at Strait Times).
"We have been making clear to the government of Israel that they have an obligation under international humanitarian law to allow food and water and other needed humanitarian assistance to make it into all parts of Gaza, and we fully expect them to comply with those obligations." the State Department said. Despite the US's alleged concerns, it has made clear that its funding of Israel's war machine is unconditional, with the US continuing to provide weapons and diplomatic support for Netanyahu's government despite it crossing alleged red lines set by Washington (Read more at New Arab).
The U.S. embassy in Beirut remains open and can help Americans who need emergency passports or other documentation and the U.S. will continue to make airplanes available as long as the Beirut airport remains open White House press spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said (Read more at USNews).
The 30-minute call was the first known chat between Biden and Netanyahu since August. The call was “direct and very productive”, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, while acknowledging the two leaders have disagreements and are open about them (Read more at South China Morning Post).
Oil fell by more than $1/bbl on Oct. 9 on rising U.S. crude inventories, while the risk of supply disruption from the Middle East conflict and Hurricane Milton in the U.S. curbed price declines (Read more at Hart Energy).
He warned that the next US administration is unlikely to be able to secure enough votes to support the deal. “We can get you a treaty through the Senate between the United States and Saudi Arabia, a defence agreement like you have in Japan and Australia, if you do it on President Biden’s watch,” Graham, who is seen as close to Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, told reporters in Jerusalem. “The next president will have a very difficult time getting 67 votes,” he said in reference to the two-thirds majority needed in the US Senate for approving a defence treaty (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
The Pentagon declined to comment on reports that the trip was dropped because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to sign off on it until he gets “a phone call” with President Joe Biden, and the Israeli cabinet approves the response to Iran. “I am going to stay out of Israeli politics,” Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters at a news briefing. “I wouldn’t read too much into it.” Austin and Gallant have a “great relationship” and have spoken more than 80 times, Singh added (Read more at Aljazeera).
But it is "meaningless" unless a deal is actually reached, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said. "We must have a ceasefire and a hostage deal as immediately as possible," she said (Read more at USNews).
He added "they never took advantage of it. You know, as a developer, it could be the most beautiful place — the weather, the water, the whole thing, the climate. It could be so beautiful. ... it could be one of the best places in the world." . He claimed he's "been there" despite public records showing he's never visited Gaza, and his campaign told the New York Times "Gaza is in Israel. President Trump has been to Israel." (Read more at Axios)
Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff “will plant a memorial tree on the grounds of the Vice President’s Residence in honor of the victims and deliver remarks,” according to the White House. Trump will deliver remarks in Miami at an Oct. 7 remembrance event (Read more at USNews).
The United States imposed fresh sanctions on individuals and a "sham charity" it said were international financial supporters of Hamas, among others, on the anniversary of the group's bloody attack on Israel. Among the individuals targeted are Yemeni national Hamid Abdullah Hussein al Ahmar, said to be an international supporter of Hamas, and nine entities linked to him. Several Europe-based fundraisers were also named, including Italy-based Mohammad Hannoun, Majed al-Zeer in Germany and Adel Doughman in Austria (Read more at Barrons).
When State Department spokesman Matthew Miller asked if the US still sees Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon as a "limited operation," Miller responded: "We have seen the ground operations so far continue to be limited." Asked if the US believes Israel has complied with international law so far, he said: "That's never the question I can answer with a sweeping conclusion here." He also emphasized the importance of keeping Beirut airport and the roads to the airport be open so that American citizens and citizens of other countries who want to leave that can get out (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
Harris sidestepped a question in the interview on whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a ”real close ally.” ”I think with all due respect the better question is do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people and the answer to that question is yes,” Harris said (Read more at First Post).
"Military pressure can at times enable diplomacy. Of course, military pressure can also lead to miscalculation. It can lead to unintended consequences," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement (Read more at USNews).
Polls show Stein garnering just 1% in the Nov. 5 election, while Harris and her Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, are almost tied with 49% and 48%. But Stein, who has been campaigning on a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an immediate U.S. arms embargo on Israel, won 40% of the Muslim vote in Michigan in an August poll. Democrats could win back those voters if they demanded and work to enact an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon (Read more at USNews).
The United States will provide nearly $157 million in new humanitarian assistance to support populations affected by conflict in Lebanon and the region, the State Department said in a statement on Friday. "This funding will address new and existing needs of internally displaced persons and refugee populations inside Lebanon and the communities that host them. The assistance will also support those fleeing to neighboring Syria," the State Department said (Read more at AOL).
Asked if he was worried an Israeli strike on Iran's oil facilities would raise oil prices, he said, "If a hurricane hits, prices are going to go up. I don't know; who knows." Biden was also asked why he had not spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent days. He replied: "Because there's no action going on right now." (Read more at TRTWorld).
But he said more needed to be done to avoid a Middle East war. Asked by reporters in Washington on Thursday how confident he was that such a war could be averted, Biden said, “How confident are you it’s not going to rain? Look, I don’t believe there is going to be an all-out war. I think we can avoid it (Read more at Arabnews).
The emails, which haven’t been reported before, reveal alarm early on in the State Department and Pentagon that a rising death toll in Gaza could violate international law and jeopardize US ties in the Arab world. The messages also show internal pressure in the Biden administration to shift its messaging from showing solidarity with Israel to including sympathy for Palestinians and the need to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza (Read more at Irish Examiner).
43 old Kushner has a close relationship with Saudi Arabia and has invested $2 billion in his firm Affinity Partners, and Mr. Kushner created it after he left the White House. They included discussions on the process of normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a key diplomatic objective of the Biden and Trump administrations (Read more at CNA).
The targets included “Houthi offensive military capabilities.” U.S. officials earlier told The Associated Press that U.S. military aircraft and warships bombed Houthi strongholds at roughly five locations. Houthi media said the strikes hit Yemen’s capital Sanaa, the airport in Hodeida, the south of Dhamar city and the southeast of al-Bayda province — the latter of which has several Houthi military outposts (Read more at The Hill).
"The Israelis have not concluded what they are going to do in terms of a strike. That's under discussion," Biden said. Biden was also asked if he thought that by not engaging in diplomacy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was trying to influence the Nov. 5 U.S. election in which Republican former President Donald Trump faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. "Whether he is trying to influence the election, I don't know but I am not counting on that," Biden said in response. "No administration has done more to help Israel than I have." (Read more at Reuters)
Nasrallah blocked any effort to elect a person who was not its ally Suleiman Frangieh. One candidate is the commander of the Lebanese armed forces Gen. Joseph Aoun, who is supported by the U.S. and France. The Lebanese armed forces will be a key player in any post-war settlement in Lebanon. With Nasrallah dead and Hezbollah at its weakest in years, the Biden administration thinks there is now an opportunity to dramatically reduce its influence on the Lebanese political system and elect a new president who is not an ally of the Shia militia, two U.S. officials said (Read more at Axios).
The Biden administration believes it is appropriate for Israel to continue with its ground and air attacks on Hezbollah for now, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Thursday, even as he acknowledged the risk of the operation in Lebanon expanding beyond Israel’s current aims. Washington has repeatedly warned Israel against escalating the conflict, but a three-week ceasefire proposal put forward by the U.S. and other countries last week was quickly dismissed by Israel in favor of intensified operations (Read more at Arab America News).
U.S.-arranged flights have brought about 350 Americans and their immediate relatives out of Lebanon this week. U.S.-arranged flights have brought about 350 Americans and their immediate relatives out of Lebanon this week (Read more at Associated Press).
The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee urged President Joe Biden to speed up weapons shipments to Israel, including 2000-pound (907 kg) bombs that have been held up for months over human rights concerns. Michael McCaul, who reviews all major foreign U.S. weapons sales in his position as committee chairman, said he was also aware of more than 10 other planned weapons sales to Israel that have been awaiting final approval for more than four months and urged that they proceed quickly (Read more at USNews).
Many of them were from Michigan. "We are already hearing reports of confirmed deaths and fear there will be more. We cannot stand by while our constituents and their families are suffering," Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In a post on X earlier on Thursday, Tlaib said the U.S. government's "lack of urgency to get Americans out of Lebanon is shameful." (Read more at USNews)
When asked by a reporter if he supported Israel striking Iran’s oil facilities, Biden said, “we’re discussing that. I think that would be a little… anyway.” Biden said he did not expect any immediate action from Israel — even if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently paid little heed to calls for restraint as he targets the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia in Lebanon (Read more at Defense Post).
US Vice President Kamala Harris condemned Iran's "reckless and brazen" missile attack against Israel "unequivocally." "As I have said, I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist militias. My commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering," Harris said (Read more at Anadolu Agency).
Iran's missile attack on Israel, and Washington's full backing of its ally on a response against Tehran, sent markets into a risk-off mode. Safe-haven currencies like Japan's yen and Swiss franc saw strong bids, along with oil and defense stocks. U.S. energy majors Exxon Mobil and Chevron rose 1.6% and 1.5%, respectively. Major oil and gas producers ConocoPhillips, Occidental Petroleum and Devon Energy gained between 1.5% and 1.9% while oilfield services firm SLB and Halliburton both rose about 2% each. Analysts expect the market to remain "jittery" as investors await Israel's retaliation and the resultant impact on supply (Read more at Zawya).
The U.S. CIA on Wednesday launched a new drive to recruit informants in China, Iran and North Korea, adding to what it says has been a successful effort to enlist Russians (Read more at USNews).
The Republican presidential nominee made the comments after being asked Tuesday if he believed he "should have been tougher on Iran" following the attack. "What does injured mean? You mean because they had a headache? Because the bombs never hit the fort?" Trump said (Read more at Axios).
Other US officials warned Iran would face “severe consequences”, with State Department spokesman Matthew Miller telling reporters he was not “ruling anything out”. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett explicitly called for such an attack in a post on X, saying Israel must “act now to destroy Iran’s nuclear program”. “We have the justification. We have the tools”, Bennett said (Read more at Aljazeera).
Two U.S. guided-missile destroyers destroyed a handful of Iranian missiles using a combination of weapons, including the Standard Missile 3, a U.S. official confirmed to USNI News on Wednesday. USS Bulkeley (DDG-84) and USS Cole (DDG-67) fired about a dozen interceptors at Iranian missiles fired at Israel, the Pentagon said Tuesday (Read more at US Navy Institute).
The United States warned Iran that it would face severe consequences for its ballistic missile attack on Israel on Tuesday, saying the barrage marked a significant escalation but appeared to have been thwarted. Biden was reported to have urged Netanyahu to “take the win” and refrain from retaliation after Iran’s April attack to avoid a wider regional war, given that Israel was largely unscathed (Read more at Swissinfo).
Oil prices rise on fears over Middle East supply disruptions. Israel vows retaliation against Iran over Tuesday's missile attack. US crude, gasoline inventories rose while distillate stocks fell last week. Israel's retaliation could include targeting Iranian oil production facilities among other strategic sites. An attack on Iran's oil infrastructure could provoke Tehran to respond with a strike on Saudi oil facilities, similar to one conducted in 2019 on crude processing facilities there, said Tamas Varga of oil brokerage PVM (Read more at Reuters).
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to his Israeli counterpart late on Tuesday, hours after Iran's missile attack on Israel following Israel's military campaign in Lebanon, and said Washington was "well-postured" to defend its interests in the Middle East. "The minister and I expressed mutual appreciation for the coordinated defense of Israel against nearly 200 ballistic missiles launched by Iran and committed to remain in close contact," Austin said separately in a post on X (Read more at AOL).
Iran launched around 180 ballistic missiles toward Israel in a two-wave attack on Tuesday that U.S. and Israeli officials say was largely repelled. This was Iran's largest-scale attack ever against Israel (Read more at Axios).
"Through these violent activities, Hilltop Youth is actively destabilizing the West Bank and harming the peace and security of Palestinians and Israelis alike. The group has carried out killings, arson and other attacks to intimidate Palestinians and has devastated communities in the process." Treasury said in a statement (Read more at Daily Star).
A U.S. official said that the Iranian strike could be as large or potentially bigger than one on April 14 in which Tehran launched more than 300 missiles and drones. "A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran," the second US official said (Read more at USNews).
The Army has sent at least one "robot dog" armed with an artificial intelligence-enabled gun turret to the Middle East for testing as a fresh counter-drone capability for U.S. service member. A U.S. Army Central spokesman told that the armed robot dog was one of several “non-counter-sUAS” systems tested alongside 15 counter-drone platforms at Red Sands during the September test and that the gun engaged several static ground targets (Read more at Military.com).
The president said the attack appears to have been "defeated and ineffective." "This is testament to Israeli military capability and the U.S. military," Biden said in his first on-camera remarks on the issue. "It's also a testament to intensive planning between the United States and Israel to anticipate and defend against the brazen attack we expected." "Make no mistake, the United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel," Biden added (Read more at ABC).
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday offered support to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for “dismantling attack infrastructure” along the border with Lebanon, after Israel launched “targeted ground raids” on Hezbollah. Austin also issued a warning to Iran of “serious consequences” should it directly attack Israel in response to their attacks on the Tehran-backed militant group (Read more at Defense Post).
The new rule allows data centers from around the world to apply for a VEU status through which they can receive AI chips or other designated items under general authorization, rather than requiring their US suppliers to obtain multiple individual export licenses to ship to them. The move comes despite growing concerns among US policymakers that the Middle East could become a conduit for China to obtain American products (Read more at Forbes Middle East).
The additional forces would raise the total number of troops in the region to as many as 43,000. The increased presence will involve multiple fighter jet and attack aircraft squadrons. The additional personnel includes squadrons of F-15E, F-16, and F-22 fighter jets and A-10 attack aircraft, and the personnel needed to support them (Read more at Associated Press).
"The Victory Base at Baghdad Airport was targeted with three rockets, two of which were shot down by the base's special defences, while the third fell near the headquarters of the Counter Terrorism Service Command," a security source said. A second security source said there were no casualties and that the incident had not affected air traffic (Read more at Barrons).
Asked about reports that Israeli ground troops were preparing to move into southern Lebanon, Biden told reporters that he was “comfortable with them (Israel) stopping.” Several top aides reinforced Biden’s call for a ceasefire by urging a diplomatic resolution to the violence to allow tens of thousands of displaced Israelis and Lebanese to return to their homes along the border. Washington “will continue to work with our partners in the region and around the world to advance a diplomatic resolution,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a State Department conference (Read more at Cyprus Mail).
“This is what they have informed us that they are currently conducting, which are limited operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure near the border,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters. Asked to confirm they were limited ground operations, he said: “That is our understanding.” (Read more at AOL)
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) determined that Air Canada had violated regulations by flying over Iraq, an airspace prohibited due to the risk of military conflict. This violation led to a fine of 338,000 dollars to the company (Read more at Flywest)
U.S. Central Command said it struck northwestern Syria on Tuesday (September 24, 2024), targeting a senior militant from the al-Qaeda-linked Hurras al-Deen group and eight others. They say he was responsible for overseeing military operations (Read more at Hindu).
The United States is watching to see what Hezbollah does to try to fill its leadership vacuum "and is continuing to talk to the Israelis about what the right next steps are", White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said (Read more at Cyprus Mail).
