U.S. Treasury to Impose New Sanctions on Iran After Israel Attack
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is preparing fresh sanctions for Iran, vowing that the United States “will not hesitate” to inflict economic punishment in response to the Islamic Republic’s unprecedented attack on Israel (Reuters)
Yellen will press fellow finance ministers—visiting Washington for the annual spring IMF meetings this week—to focus their governments on possible sanctions work with the United States on coordinated actions; the G7 is also considering sanctions with the goal of isolating Iran internationally, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters (Axios)
Additionally, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the sanctions will target Iran’s “missile and drone program” (NYT)
Israel’s War Cabinet Weighs Response to Iranian Attack as United States Urges Restraint
Israel’s war cabinet reconvened today for a second day of meetings in response to Iran’s attack on Israel over the weekend; with support from countries including the United States, France, Jordan, and the United Kingdom, Israel shot down many of the more than three hundred drones and missiles fired by Iran (FT)
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby called the Iranian offensive “utterly unsuccessful” (CBS)
World leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, urged Israel to calibrate its response carefully, and U.S. officials have said Washington will not participate in any retaliatory strikes (WaPo)
Iran’s weekend barrage also prompted an emergency UN Security Council meeting and a Group of Seven (G7) condemnation of Iran’s attack “in the strongest terms;” on Sunday, Israel’s war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said Israel would respond “in a way and at the time that suits us” (Reuters)
In the United States, House Speaker Mike Johnson said after the attack that he would move forward with a vote on military aid to Israel (CNN)
Iran Launches Drone, Missile Attacks Against Israel
On Saturday night, Iran launched a series of drone and missile attacks on Israel; the attacks follow Tehran’s promise to retaliate in the wake of an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian consular building in Syria which killed several senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers on April 1 (Reuters)
Over 300 unmanned aerial vehicles, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles were fired at Israel, the majority of which were intercepted by Israel and the United States over Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and parts of Israel (AP)
The majority of the drones and missiles were launched from Iran, though some were launched from within Iraq and Yemen (NYT)
The Iranian strikes were preceded by rocket attacks in northern Israel carried out on Friday by Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, based in Lebanon (Al Jazeera)
Following Saturday night’s attacks, the United States pledged “ironclad” support for Israel’s security against threats from Iran and Iranian-backed proxy groups; President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the early hours of Sunday morning (France 24)
Early assessments indicate limited damage to an Israeli military base; minor injuries have been reported in Israel (NBC)
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday, as will the G7 (BBC)
U.S. Central Command Chief Travels to Israel as Diplomats Try to Avert Iranian Attack
The United States has worked through countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to urge Iran not to retaliate after an Israeli strike hit an Iranian diplomatic outpost in Syria last week (FT)
The head of U.S. Central Command arrived in Israel yesterday to prepare for what U.S. intelligence has said is an “imminent” threat from Iran (Times of Israel)
U.S., Israel Prepare for Iranian Retaliation for Damascus Strike
Washington and its allies have warned Israel that strikes by Iran or its proxies could occur in the coming days, unnamed sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg; Israel has said it would wait for the potential Iranian strike to come before relaunching its Gaza Strip offensive and has warned that if Iran hits Israel, Israel will strike back (Bloomberg)
At Least Five Killed in Militant Attack on Iranian Police
Sunni militants attacked two police cars in southeast Iran, killing at least five police officers and wounding one, Iranian state TV reported (Al Arabiya)
The Jaish al-Adl group claimed the attack, which took place in Sistan-Baluchestan province a few days after it assaulted two Revolutionary Guards’ headquarters in the same region and killed eleven security personnel (Reuters)
Iran to Release Four Environmental Activists After More Than Six Years in Prison
The environmentalists had been jailed for alleged espionage and were among a group pardoned to mark the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, their lawyer said; environmental activists have fallen under scrutiny in Iran for highlighting corruption (RFE/RL)
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian inaugurated the country’s new consulate in Damascus on Monday, a week after a deadly Israeli strike destroyed the premises (Reuters)
Amir-Abdollahian started a regional tour on Sunday in Muscat, where the foreign minister met Omani officials and a representative of Yemen’s Houthis, Mohamed Abdel-Salam, who said the group would continue to target Israel-bound ships until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza (Times of Israel).
Iranian Official Says Israeli Embassies Are No Longer Safe
A top Iranian military adviser on Sunday warned Israel that none of its embassies were safe following a strike in Damascus last week blamed on Israel that killed twelve people, including two elite Iranian generals (NBC)
Israel has been preparing for an Iranian response without directly acknowledging its involvement in the strike; the remarks by General Rahim Safavi signaled that the attack on a diplomatic mission could be met with a similar response (Reuters)
Iran Says ISIL Members Planning Eid al-Fitr Attack Arrested
Iranian police announced the arrest of three ISIL members accused of planning a suicide attack during next week’s celebrations marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (Al Mayadeen)
The police said the senior member Mohammad Zaker, known as “Ramesh,” and two others were arrested in Karaj, west of the capital Tehran, following clashes, according to Iranian media (Reuters).
U.S. Braces for Possible Iranian Retaliation After Israeli Strike
The United States is on high alert and actively preparing for a “significant” Iranian attack targeting Israeli assets in the region that could come as soon as next week in response to the Israeli strike in Damascus that killed top Iranian commanders, a senior administration official told CNN (CNN). The Pentagon does not believe U.S. forces will be targeted and is not repositioning its assets at this time, a U.S. official said (Politico).
Separatist Group in Iran Claims Responsibility for Attacks That Left Twenty-Eight Dead
The Baluch group known as Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for grenade and gun attacks in two cities that killed ten Iranian security officers and eighteen militants, Iran’s interior ministry said; the violence began on Wednesday and raged until midday Thursday as gunmen attempted to take over military bases of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (NYT)
Iran Vows Revenge on Israel After Damascus Embassy Attack
Iran said on Tuesday it would take revenge on Israel for an airstrike that killed two of its generals and five military advisers at its embassy compound in Damascus, raising the risk of further escalation in conflict in the Middle East (Reuters)
Iran Accuses Israel of Killing Commanders in Syria Strike
Iran accused Israel of an attack on its embassy compound in Damascus, Syria, vowing revenge and sparking fears that the ongoing regional conflict is expanding (FT)
At least seven Iranian military personnel and six Syrian nationals were killed in the strike, which destroyed the consulate building, Iranian state media reported; three of those reported killed were senior Iranian commanders (Bloomberg)
Israel did not immediately comment on the attack but has stepped up strikes on Iran-backed militants in Syria since the start of its war with Hamas; this would be Israel’s first attack that has directly hit an Iranian diplomatic facility (Reuters)
Following the attack, Iran summoned the Swiss envoy who represents U.S. diplomatic interests in Iran (CNN)
Washington had no involvement or advanced knowledge of the strike, a National Security Council spokesperson said (NYT)
State Department: Washington Does Not Support Gas Pipeline Between Iran and Pakistan
A U.S. State Department spokesperson warned yesterday that those doing business with Iran risk running aground U.S. sanctions; Pakistan’s petroleum minister previously said Islamabad would seek a sanctions waiver for the project (VOA)
War Monitor: Iranian Commander Killed in Strikes in Syria
An Iranian military commander was among thirteen people killed in air strikes in eastern Syria overnight, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said; there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks (AFP)
G-7 Allies Warn Iran Against Deal to Provide Russia With Ballistic Missiles
Iran will face new sanctions if it follows through with a deal to provide Russian forces with ballistic missiles for its war against Ukraine (AP)
FT: U.S., Iran Held Secret Talks on Red Sea De-escalation
The indirect talks occurred in January in Oman and were the first such meetings between the two countries in ten months, U.S. and Iranian officials told the Financial Times;Washington reportedly urged Iran to use its influence over the Houthi rebels in Yemen to get them to reduce their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and voiced concerns over Tehran’s nuclear activities (FT)
A second round of talks slated for February was postponed as U.S. officials focused on securing a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas (Times of Israel)
Chinese, Russian, and Iranian Navies Conduct Joint Military Exercises
Iran said the drills are being carried out to strengthen “maritime security of international maritime trade, combatting piracy, and maritime terrorism” (Al Jazeera)
UN: Iranian State Violence Responsible for Mahsa Amini’s Death
Evidence shows that trauma inflicted on twenty-two-year-old Mahsa Amini while she was in custody of Iran’s morality police led to her 2022 death, a UN fact-finding mission said in a report; a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry called the conclusions “unfounded” (WaPo)
UN Report: Regime Committed Crimes Against Humanity Suppressing Protests
Iran’s crackdown on anti-government protests in 2022 included close-range shooting at women’s faces and genitals and other crimes against humanity, a new UN report said (The Guardian)
Preliminary Results Suggest Historic Low Turnout in Iranian Elections
Overall turnout in Iran’s parliamentary election on Friday fell to as low as 41 percent, according to a state news agency (Guardian)
Many opposition figures called for a boycott of the vote when reformist and moderate candidates were blocked from being able to run; about half of the thirty parliamentary candidates did not reach the required threshold for votes, leading to a runoff in Tehran (FT)
Iran Holds Legislative Elections Amid Calls to Boycott Vote
Many politicians and activists such as jailed Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi have called on Iranians to boycott today’s vote to demonstrate dissatisfaction with the government; this is the first election since the 2022 death of twenty-two-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody for violating the country’s headscarf law that kickstarted nationwide anti-government protests (NYT)
UN Watchdog: Iran Reduced Near-Weapons Grade Uranium
This is the first time Iran has reduced its stockpile of uranium enriched to near-weapons grade levels since it started producing the material in 2021; the move comes as Tehran and Washington have sought to avoid direct confrontation in the regional conflict in the Middle East (WSJ)
U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Iran for Support of Russia’s War in Ukraine
Iran will face new sanctions for the arms sales to Russian forces, which supported its invasion of Ukraine; National Security Council spokesman John Kirby warned of further sanctions if Iran provides ballistic missiles to Russia (AP)
Iran Accuses Israel of Attack on Gas Pipeline
Iran’s oil minister accused Israel of causing explosions last week on an Iranian natural gas pipeline (WaPo)
Israel did not immediately comment on the matter; the explosions come as Iran blames Israel for attacks on its nuclear program and further raise tensions between Israel and Iran-backed groups in the wider Middle East (AP)