Iran-backed militia in Syria says it’s ‘fully prepared’ to battle Israel
The head of a large Iranian-backed Iraqi militia that has been fighting in Syria said his group was ‘fully prepared’ to fight Israel if Damascus asked it to.
Israel
Israel’s Iron Dome system deployed on ships for first time
Israel’s military has for the first time deployed its Iron Dome rocket defense system aboard a ship.
Iran army chief vows next war will see ‘eradication’ of Israel
Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), issued new threats against Israel on Thursday, vowing that any future conflict will be the Jewish state’s last.
FBI failed to warn US targets of Russian hackers
The FBI failed to notify scores of US officials that Russian hackers were trying to break into their personal Gmail accounts despite having evidence for at least a year that the targets were in the Kremlin’s crosshairs, The Associated Press has found.
Iran’s Syria Bases Near Israel Have Apocalyptic Intent
The locations of some of Iran’s military installations in Syria, including some within 30 miles of Israeli territory in the Golan Heights, may be motivated more by Tehran’s desire to provoke an Islamic end-of-the-world cataclysm than for strategic value, contends an expert on Shiite religious dogma.
Trump Revealed Israel’s Secret Raid to Russian Diplomats
The intelligence that President Donald Trump leaked to top Russian officials in an Oval Office meeting in May concerned a highly sensitive Israeli special forces mission, it has been revealed. The operation, which took place in February 2017, involved commandos infiltrating an area under the control of the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), to place a surveilance device. The intelligence obtained through the device prompted a short-term ban on laptops on flights from several majority-Muslim countries to the US and the UK.
Russia declares ‘death’ of body probing Syria chemical attacks
Russia’s UN ambassador said Wednesday the expert body that has determined responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria ‘is dead’ — but Moscow is ready to discuss ‘a new mechanism.’
Israel thwarts attempt to smuggle tons of explosive material into Gaza
An attempt to smuggle tons of explosive material into the Gaza Strip has been thwarted by the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s Crossing Authority, it was announced on Wednesday.
Israel may ‘target’ Iran activity in Syria, Netanyahu said to tell Macron
Israel sees Iranian activity in Syria as “a target” for its forces, and may carry out strikes against Iranian objectives if security needs require it, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call this week.
US VP Pence to address Knesset next month
Vice President of the US Mike Pence is set to give a speech in the Knesset next month, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein’s office confirmed Wednesday.
Putin holds summit with Turkey, Iran to discuss Syria peace deal
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in talks with leaders of Turkey and Iran to end the civil war in Syria that has been raging since 2011.
US investigator Mueller probing Kushner’s contacts with Israelis — report
US special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is investigating senior White House adviser Jared Kushner over contacts with Israeli officials, according to a Wall Street Journal report Tuesday.
Netanyahu presses Putin on keeping Iran out of Syria
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone about a ceasefire deal in the Syrian civil war and Iranian presence near Israel’s borders with the war-torn country, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Hamas rejects Arab League labeling of Hezbollah as ‘terrorists’
The Palestinian terror group Hamas rejected on Monday an Arab League resolution labeling Lebanon’s Hezbollah a terrorist organisation.
Lebanon under ‘total control’ of Hezbollah, Bahrain says
Saudi Arabia warned Sunday that it would not stand idly by in the face of Iranian ‘aggression,’ as Bahrain said the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah was “in total control” of Lebanon.
Yellen to step down from Federal Reserve board
Janet Yellen on Monday submitted her resignation from the Federal Reserve board to US President Donald Trump, announcing that she will leave the board when her successor is sworn in as Fed chairman.
German coalition talks break down, raising prospect of new election
High-stakes talks to form a new German government collapsed Sunday as the pro-business FDP party walked out, plunging Europe’s biggest economy into a political crisis and potentially precipitating the end of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s career.
Israeli minister reveals covert contacts with Saudi Arabia
An Israeli cabinet minister said on Sunday that Israel has had covert contacts with Saudi Arabia amid common concerns over Iran, a first disclosure by a senior Israeli official of such contacts.
IDF fires at Syrian army position in Golan
Israeli tank units in the Golan Heights fired a warning shot at a Syrian army position inside a no-man’s land along the Israeli-Syrian frontier Sunday evening.
Medics: Two injured, one seriously, in West Bank car ramming; terrorist shot
A Palestinian terrorist rammed his car into two people, seriously injuring one of them, before getting shot while trying to stab soldiers in the central West Bank on Friday morning, the army said.