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Post by Newsman on Apr 12, 2024 17:20:36 GMT -5
News reports are coming in that Iran has threatened retaliation against Israel for its' killing of an Iranian IRGC general a few weeks ago in Damascus, Syria...(The Guardian) US seeking to deter Iran from strike on Israel, officials sayThe US is seeking to deter Iran from carrying out a retaliatory strike against Israel with concerted declarations of commitment to Israeli security, while at the same time trying to prevent the outbreak of a major regional war, officials in Washington have said. US officials still believe that a direct Iranian missile or drone strike is possible within the next few days, in retaliation for the Israeli bombing of an Iranian consular building in Damascus on 1 April, which killed a top Islamic Revolutionary Guards general and six other Guard officers. The developments came as the US restricted the movements of its diplomats in Israel over security fears, the embassy said. “Out of an abundance of caution, US government employees and their family members are restricted from personal travel” outside the Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheeva areas “until further notice”, an embassy notice on Thursday said. Israel would rely heavily on US-supplied weaponry in any response to an Iranian strike, a point that Benjamin Netanyahu made implicitly on Thursday, by standing in front of American-made F-15 fighters at the Tel Nof airbase in southern Israel to tell reporters: “Whoever harms us, we will harm them.”
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Post by Webster on Apr 12, 2024 17:33:47 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Australia urges Iran not to escalate tensions in the Middle EastAustralia has urged Iran not to escalate tensions in the Middle East after Tehran’s supreme leader threatened to retaliate against Israel, reports the Associated Press and Reuters. Iran has vowed revenge after Israeli war planes destroyed the Iranian consulate in Damascus, killing at least 11 people, including a senior commander in the al-Quds force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the strike tantamount to an attack on Iranian soil and said Israel “must be punished, and it shall be”. Australian foreign affairs minister Penny Wong said on Friday she had spoken with her Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and urged his nation to “use its influence in the region to promote stability, not contribute to escalation”. “Australia is deeply concerned by indications Iran is preparing military action against Israel,” she said in a post on X. “Further conflict will only add to the devastation in the Middle East.” France warns its citizens to 'refrain from travel' to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and Palestinian territoriesFrance on Friday warned its citizens to “imperatively refrain from travel in the coming days to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories”, the foreign minister’s entourage told Agence France-Presse (AFP). France’s foreign minister Stéphane Séjourné at a crisis meeting also asked that family members of French diplomats in Iran be evacuated, and no French civil servants be sent on missions to the listed countries, reports AFP.
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Post by Webster on Apr 12, 2024 17:34:34 GMT -5
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Post by Webster on Apr 12, 2024 17:44:33 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Indian foreign ministry advises against travel to Iran and IsraelIndia advised its citizens on Friday against travelling to Iran and Israel until further notice in view of the “prevailing situation in the region”, reports Reuters. The advisory from the foreign ministry came amid Iran’s threats to retaliate against a suspected Israeli airstrike on its embassy in Syria this month. Countries including the US and Russia have issued similar travel advisories for their staff and citizens in the region. According to Reuters, India’s foreign ministry said its citizens in the two countries should observe “utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum”. White House: prospect of attack by Iran on Israel remains 'a viable threat'John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, has told reporters that the prospect of an Iranian attack on Israel is “still a viable threat”, after concerted efforts by Israel and the US to deter it. “We are in constant communication with our Israeli counterparts about making sure that they can defend themselves against those kinds of attacks,” Kirby said. He confirmed that the head of US Central Command, Gen Erik Kurilla, is in Israel talking with Israeli defence officials, about how Israel can be best prepared. It is also likely Kurilla is there to influence and moderate any Israeli response. The Biden administration is very concerned about the possibility of out-of-control escalation.
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Post by Webster on Apr 12, 2024 17:53:35 GMT -5
(The Guardian) The White House did not release any further details on the “viable threat” of an impending attack by Iran on Israel. “I can’t speak to what the intelligence picture tells us in terms of the size, scale, scope of what that attack might look like, except to say that we’re taking this seriously,” said John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson. US officials have said that Washington and Tehran have been exchanging messages in recent days, including a message from Iran warning the US to stay out of a Israel-Iran conflict, which elevated the level of alarm in the administration. Kirby would not go into details about US messaging but said it included emphasis on America’s “iron clad” commitment to Israel’s security, the phrase used by Joe Biden earlier this week. Kirby added: “It has also been made clear that we will do what we have to do to protect our own people and our own facilities as appropriate. I think I just need to leave it at that.”
More on the White House’s warning on the “viable threat” of an impending attack by Iran on Israel: Reporters pressed John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, on why the US does not release more detailed intelligence as it did in the run up to Russia full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He said the White House was “comfortable” with the messaging it had put out. But he added: “What we are not going to sit back and be comfortable on is knowing exactly what this is going to look like. And that’s why we are working so intensively to make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself. And we have had conversations with others in the region too. Nobody’s sitting back and resting easy on this. It’s a serious threat. We’re taking it seriously and we believe that it’s best for those conversations to happen away from the public eye so that we can make sure Israel is as prepared as possible.”
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Post by Webster on Apr 12, 2024 17:55:25 GMT -5
(The Guardian) The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is expected to meet with his war cabinet as the threat of an Iranian attack against Israel looms, BBC reports citing local media reports. The meeting will feature top officials, including the defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and top opposition figure Benny Gantz. Here’s more from BBC on how the possibility of an attack from Iran is affecting Israel: The possibility of an Iranian attack has led to concern and anxiety in Israel. But the government has not issued any new advice to the population on top of existing guidance to stock up on water, food for three days and essential medicine. Israeli radio, however, reported local authorities had been told to prepare for the possibility of an attack, including by assessing the readiness of public shelters.Information on the attack is still forthcoming, but a US official who spoke to CBS News warned that Iran could launch more than 100 drones as well as dozens of missiles. The attack could be aimed at military targets within Israel.
Iran reportedly told other Arab countries last week that US bases in the region will be attacked if the US gets involved in any fighting concerning Iran and Israel, Axios first reported. Three US officials told Axios that Iran communicated the message to other Arab nations and views the US as responsible for a previous Israeli attack that killed an Iranian general in Damascus. Iran has thus threatened to attack US bases if the US further involves itself. One US official told Axios: The Iranian message was we will attack the forces that attack us, so don’t f--k with us and we won’t f--k with you …In response, the US has reportedly asked Israel to have a say before any attacks are launched against Iran. From Axios: US officials say the Biden administration asked Israel to notify the US and for the US to have a say before decisions are made about any retaliation by Israel.
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Post by Newsman on Apr 13, 2024 13:34:34 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Reports of vessel being boarded near Strait of HormuzA British maritime organisation warned Saturday that a vessel may have been boarded by an unknown party near the crucial strait of Hormuz, reports the Associated Press (AP). The warning from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) offered no details about the boarding in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah. The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the west, particularly after a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria. According to the AP, Iran did not immediately acknowledge seizing any vessel, nor was there any report carried by state media about the incident. However, Iran since 2019 has engaged in a series of ship seizures and had attacks on vessels attributed to it amid ongoing tensions with the west over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. The Gulf of Oman is near the strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil passes. Fujairah, on the United Arab Emirates’ eastern coast, is a main port in the region for ships to take on new oil cargo, pick up supplies or trade out crew. Iran blamed after ship boarded on strait of HormuzA video seen by the Associated Press (AP) shows commandos raiding a ship near the strait of Hormuz by helicopter on Saturday, an attack a Middle East defence official attributed to Iran amid wider tensions between Tehran and the west. According to the AP, the video showed the attack earlier reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). Earlier updates from the UKMTO offered no details about the boarding in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah, except that the vessel had been “reported to have been seized by regional authorities”. Iran did not immediately acknowledge seizing any vessel, nor was there any report carried by state media about the incident. The defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity with the AP to discuss intelligence matters, shared the video with the news agency. In it, the commandos are said to have descended on to a stack of containers sitting on the deck of the vessel. The AP say that a crew member on the ship could be heard saying: “Don’t come out.” He then tells his colleagues to go to the ship’s bridge as more commandos come down on the deck. It adds that, one commando can be seen kneeling above the others to provide them potential cover from fire. Though the AP could not immediately verify the video, it said that it corresponded to known details of the boarding, and the helicopter involved appeared to be one used by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards, which has carried out other ship raids in the past. The AP report that the vessel involved is likely the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship associated with London-based Zodiac Maritime. Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group, it adds. Neither MSC nor Zodiac immediately responded to a request for comment by the AP. According to the news agency, MSC Aries had been last located off Dubai heading toward the strait of Hormuz on Friday and the ship had turned off its tracking data, which has been common for Israeli-affiliated ships moving through the region.
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 14:17:24 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Iran seized ship 'linked to Israel', says state news agencyIran’s state news agency IRNA said on Saturday that its Revolutionary Guards had seized the MSC Aries vessel it said was “linked to Israel” and it was being transferred to Iran’s territorial waters, reports Reuters. A Guards navy special forces helicopter boarded the Portuguese flagged vessel and seized it, IRNA added. Iran will bear consequences for any escalation, says Israeli militaryIran will bear consequences if it escalates violence in the region, an Israeli military spokesperson said on Saturday, according to Reuters. “Iran will bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further,” R Adm Daniel Hagari said in a statement. “Israel is on high alert. We have increased our readiness to protect Israel from further Iranian aggression. We are also prepared to respond.” Reuters report that the comments by Hagari came after the statement was made in reference to the seizure of a vessel between the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 14:18:16 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Dutch airline KLM will no longer fly over Israel and Iran, Dutch press agency ANP reported on Saturday, citing a KLM spokesperson. KLM, the Dutch arm of Air France-KLM, said the move was a precaution, referring to the rising tensions between Iran and Israel, but added that it would continue flying to Tel Aviv, on Israel’s Mediterranean coast.
Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz said on Saturday that Tehran is conducting piracy and should be sanctioned for it, after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the strait of Hormuz, reports Reuters. “The Ayatollah regime of Khamenei is a criminal regime that supports Hamas’s crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law,” Katz said. “I call on the EU and the free world to immediately declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards corps as a terrorist organization and to sanction Iran now,” he added.
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Post by Newsman on Apr 13, 2024 16:15:33 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Iran launches drones towards Israel, says IDFRear Adm Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesperson, has said that Iran has launched dozens of drones towards Israel, a development that brings the two countries to the brink of all-out conflict after more than a decade of shadow war and soaring tensions in the wake of 7 October and Israel’s war in Gaza. The drones are “hours away” from reaching Israeli soil, officials told local media on Saturday night. Israel’s forces have been on high alert for days for the possibility of a direct attack launched by Tehran, and jets could be heard roaring across the north of the country after the announcement. Israel’s sophisticated Iron Dome air defence system is expected to be able to intercept Shahed drones, which fly at around 150km/hour. Rumours swirled for several hours before Hagari’s statement at 11pm local time (9pm BST) about Iran’s threatened retaliation for the 1 April killing of Gen Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior figure in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, in a strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in the Syrian capital of Damascus for which Tehran holds Israel responsible. As several surrounding countries closed their airspaces in anticipation of the attack, Israel announced that schools will be closed for the next two days.
Iran has launched an ‘unmanned aerial vehicle’ towards Israel, according to the Israeli military. In a statement released minutes ago on X, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari wrote: A short time ago, Iran launched an unmanned aerial vehicle from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel. The IDF is on high alert and forms a situation picture at all times. The air defense system is on high alert at the same time as the Air Force planes and Navy ships that are on a mission to protect the country’s skies. The IDF is monitoring all the targets.Meanwhile, Israeli Channel 12 TV news reported that Iran has launched dozens of UAVs at Israel and that their flight time was expected to take hours, Reuters reports. Two Iraqi security officials have also told Reuters that dozens of drones were spotted flying from Iran in the direction of Israel over Iraqi airspace. Iraq has shut down its airspace and ceased all air traffic, according to Iraq’s transportation ministry, Reuters reports. The reported attacks come nearly two weeks after Israel killed an Iranian top commander during a bombing on Iran’s consulate in Damascus.
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Post by Newsman on Apr 13, 2024 16:20:22 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Benjamin Netanyahu: 'Whoever harms us, we will harm them'Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has released the following statement on Saturday evening amid Iran’s launch of drones towards Israel: In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran.
Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong.
We appreciate the US standing alongside Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries. We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination.
Citizens of Israel, I know that you also are also level-headed. I call on you to follow the directives of IDF Home Front Command. Together we will stand and with God’s help – together we will overcome all of our enemies.”
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 16:23:25 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Joe Biden cuts short Delaware trip and heads back to White HouseJoe Biden has cut short his weekend at the beach at Rehoboth and is returning to the White House in his Marine One helicopter, which lifted off at 3.36 local time. Among the aides travelling with the president is Marc Gustafson, the senior director for the White House Situation Room, which is where Biden will be heading as he touches down. According to the White House, the president will be joined in the situation room by the defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Charles Brown, the CIA director William Burns, the director of national intelligence, Avril Haines and the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. Meanwhile, the head of US Central Command, Gen Erik Kurilla, who has been in Israel for the past two days coordinating and rehearsing responses with Israeli defence leaders, is reported to have flown out. Much of the Biden administration’s diplomatic focus since the Gaza war broke out has been on preventing a broader regional conflict. That effort is now at its most precarious point. US National Security Council: 'The United States will stand with the people of Israel'In a statement released on Saturday, the US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said: Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation by his national security team and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House.
His team is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies. This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours.
President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel’s security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 16:24:39 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Jordan’s air defence is ready to shoot down any Iranian aircraft that violate its airspace, Reuters reports. Two regional security sources have said the army was also in a state of high alert and radar systems were monitoring drone activity.
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei has vowed that Israel’s “malicious Zionist regime will be punished” following Iran’s launch of drone attacks against Israel. In a video on X, Khamenei said: The malicious regime itself, which is all malice, evil and error, added another mistake to its own errors by launching an attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
The consulate and embassy offices in any country where they exist are regarded as the soil of the country to which the embassy belongs. Attacking our consulate is like attacking our soil …vThe malicious regime has made a wrong move in this case. It should be punished and it will be punished.
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 16:25:52 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Joe Biden’s motorcade arrived back at the White House at 5:02 pm, according to the White House pool report. He walked into the Oval Office and the pool was too far away to shout questions.
All schools in Israel will be closed and gatherings of more than 1,000 people will be limited from now until at least 11pm on Monday, the Israeli military has said in a post on Telegram. Meanwhile, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said: “In accordance with the situational assessment and in light of the security situation, the Home Front Command is issuing updates and adjustments to the defensive guidelines at this time — starting tomorrow morning and over the coming days, educational establishments, day camps, and planned trips will not take place.”
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 16:35:15 GMT -5
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