Middle Orient

3 U.S. service members killed in drone attack in Jordan

Three U.S. soldiers were killed and dozens wounded in a drone strike by a pro-Iranian militia on a U.S. outpost in northeast Jordan overnight, President Biden said in a statement on Sunday. Why it matters: This is the most serious attack on U.S. forces in the Middle East since Hamas …

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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., January 28, 2024)

The southern arena: The fighting continued, mainly in the Khan Yunis area, where IDF forces extended their presence. They confronted armed terrorist squads, located munitions stockpiles, shafts and tunnels. Meanwhile, Israel opened a secure humanitarian corridor for residents from the combat zone to move towards the west. The Palestinian media …

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Demands in Congress for war with Iran after drone kills 3 US soldiers in Jordan

US Central Command claimed Sunday that three US soldiers were killed and 25 injured in a drone strike against a US base in Jordan near the Syrian border. US officials told the New York Times that the strike hit a barracks housing troops at a US base known as Tower …

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Drone attack on American troops risks widening Middle East conflict – and drawing in Iran-US tensions

A drone attack that killed three American troops and wounded at least 34 more at a base in Jordan has increased fears of a widening conflict in the Middle East – and the possibility that the U.S. may be further drawn into the fighting. President Joe Biden vowed to respond …

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Congressional Hawks Urge ‘Hit Iran Hard’ After 3 US Troops Killed By Tehran-Aligned Militants

It took a mere minutes after the headlines spread across the globe for the hawks and neocons to call on the White House to “hit them hard”—in reference to Iran and Iranian-linked groups believed responsible for the attack on a US outpost along the Jordanian border which killed three American …

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Yemen Houthi rebels fire a missile at a US warship, escalating worst Mideast sea conflict in decades

Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a missile Friday at a United States warship patrolling the Gulf of Aden, forcing it to shoot down the projectile, and struck a British vessel as their aggressive attacks on maritime traffic continue. The attack on the U.S. warship, the destroyer USS Carney, marked a further …

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Iran’s New Best Friends

The Houthis Have Become Key Partners in Tehran’s Quest for Regional Dominance Since November, the Red Sea has become the site of escalating attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement, the armed group that governs most of Yemen’s population. These assaults, which the Houthi rebels say are designed to pressure Israel to …

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Iran Update, January 26, 2024

Key Takeaways: Iraq: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq released a statement rejecting the US and Iraqi decision to begin negotiations over the status of US-led coalition forces in Iraq and vowed to continue attacking US forces. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq will likely continue to attack US forces in Iraq …

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Pakistan officially restores all ties with Iran after short-lived spat

Pakistani and Iranian officials are working to cool tensions following a series of cross-border strikes between the two states Pakistan officially moved to restore all diplomatic ties with Iran on 19 January after a brief diplomatic row as both sides fired missiles into each other’s lands. “The apex security committee …

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Israeli reserve soldiers refuse to fight in Gaza

Half a brigade was released from duty after complaining of poor training and lack of weapons before deployment to Gaza About half the soldiers of an Israeli reserve battalion refused to fight in the Gaza Strip and were released from duty by their commander, Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed reported on 17 January. …

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