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August 10, 2023 U.S. to Release $6 Billion to Iran in Exchange for Hostages The United States and Iran reached a deal on August 10 for Tehran’s release of five Iranian-American dual nationals to house arrest in exchange for Washington’s release of several jailed Iranians... August 9, 2023 U.S. Denies Significant Progress in Saudi-Israel Normalization The Biden administration on August 9 denied reports that the United States and Saudi Arabia had agreed to a framework that would see the Arab kingdom normalize relations with Israel. National Security... August 8, 2023 Sanctioned Former Prosecutor-General Chosen to Lead Iran’s Supreme Court Iranian media announced the appointment of Mohammad Jafar Montazeri to the position of the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Iran on August 6. Montazeri, who has served as prosecutor-general of Iran... August 8, 2023 Israel Sharpens Warning to Lebanon Over Hezbollah Provocations Latest Developments Israel will “send Lebanon back to the stone age” if provoked into war by Hezbollah, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on August 8 in a sharpened warning as friction with... August 7, 2023 Violence Among Palestinians in Lebanon Spurs Travel Advisories The United Arab Emirates (UAE) joined a growing list of countries on August 6 warning its citizens against traveling to Lebanon in the wake of clashes between Palestinian militant groups in Ayn al-Hilweh,... August 6, 2023 Israeli SWAT Team Stops Palestinian Terror Squad Israeli special forces killed three Palestinian terrorists on August 6 as they were en route from Jenin to carry out an attack. The daylight interdiction on a West Bank road came less than 24 hours... August 6, 2023 Israeli Security Officer Killed Halting Larger Palestinian Terrorist Attack A Palestinian gunman killed a municipal security officer in Tel Aviv on August 5 before being shot dead, in an interdiction that appears to have prevented a much larger terrorist attack in the Israeli... August 4, 2023 U.S. May Put Military Personnel on Commercial Ships to Deter Iran’s Harassment The Pentagon is considering placing armed U.S. Marines and Navy sailors on commercial ships in response to increased Iranian attempts to harass and seize vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz,... August 3, 2023 Iran and Belarus Sign Defense Cooperation Agreements The Iranian and Belarussian defense ministers met in Tehran on July 31 to sign a pair of defense cooperation agreements. While details about the accords are scarce, Minsk may be looking to Tehran for... July 31, 2023 Fatah-Hamas Reconciliation Talks Result in No Agreement Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas chaired a four-hour meeting with Hamas leaders in Egypt on July 30 in another attempt to reconcile longstanding divisions between the two rival factions.... July 31, 2023 Palestinians in Gaza Protest Hamas Rule, Rising Cost of Living Thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip took to the streets on July 30 to protest economic hardship under Hamas rule. This public expression of discontentment constitutes a rare occurrence and... July 30, 2023 Israel Sees Saudi Connection in Expanded Rail Network Israel unveiled an ambitious expansion of its rail network on July 30, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying it could eventually enable train connections to Saudi Arabia. The $27 billion “One... July 28, 2023 IDF Intelligence Warns of Growing Threat at Israel-Lebanon Border Israeli intelligence personnel have issued increasingly dire warnings about security on Israel’s northern border, Israeli media reported on July 28. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Israeli Prime Minister... July 27, 2023 Palestinian Terrorists Fire Rockets at Israeli Community A new Palestinian terrorist organization known as the Ayyash Battalion claimed responsibility for launching a rocket toward the northern Israeli community of Ram-On on July 27. The attack caused no... July 27, 2023 CENTCOM and Israel Coordinate on Increased Threats from Iran U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla visited Israel from July 25-27, meeting with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF)... July 24, 2023 Iranian Air Force Conducts Training Exercise The Iranian air force began an annual air force drill on July 23, a week after the United States announced it was deploying additional assets around the Strait of Hormuz in response to Iran’s growing... July 20, 2023 U.S. Boosts Middle East Combat Power to Deter Iranian Maritime Aggression To counter Iranian attempts “to threaten the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters,” the Department of Defense announced on July 20 the deployment of a portion... July 20, 2023 King of Morocco Invites Israeli Prime Minister to Visit Morocco’s King Muhammad VI invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 19 to visit him in Rabat. The invitation comes two days after Jerusalem announced that it recognized Morocco’s... July 19, 2023 In Major Reversal, U.S. Lifts Restraints on Iranian Income From Electricity Sales The Biden administration this week reportedly issued a national security waiver allowing Iraq to pay for the import of Iranian electricity by depositing cash in Iranian bank accounts throughout the... July 19, 2023 Secretary of State and Arab League Chief Meet After U.S. Condemns League’s Readmission of Syria Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with League of Arab States Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit at the State Department on July 19. Blinken and Aboul Gheit did not discuss the specifics of their... July 18, 2023 Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Dissent Iran has intensified its crackdown on dissent, Reuters reported on July 18. “Journalists, lawyers, activists, human rights advocates and students have been arrested, summoned or faced other measures... July 14, 2023 Iraq to Pay Iran with Oil for Billions of Dollars in Debt Iraq announced this week it would repay billions of dollars in natural gas debts owed to Iran using Iraqi oil instead of cash — a move that would likely violate U.S. sanctions absent authorization... July 13, 2023 Iran’s President Conducts Influence Tour in Sub-Saharan Africa Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi wrapped up the final leg of his three-day visit to Sub-Saharan Africa with a stop in Zimbabwe on July 13, seeking to bolster Iran’s influence, trade, and business... July 12, 2023 Eyeing Iran, U.S. and Israeli Air Forces Hone Long-Range Strike Skills U.S. Central Command and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on July 10 that they are conducting a combined military exercise in Israel this week as part of the Juniper Oak exercise series. The... July 12, 2023 Israel Repels Hezbollah Sabotage of Lebanese Border Fence Hezbollah operatives tried to sabotage the fence on Lebanon’s border with Israel at two points on July 12 but were dispersed by non-lethal Israeli military responses. The incidents — the latest... July 10, 2023 Palestinian Authority Refuses Israel’s Lifeline to Prevent Collapse The Palestinian Authority (PA) on July 10 rejected an Israeli offer to help prevent its collapse in exchange for Palestinian steps to halt key anti-Israel policies. Under Israel’s terms, the PA would... July 10, 2023 Iran Publicly Hangs Two Afghan Prisoners Iran publicly hanged two Afghan nationals on July 8 on charges of efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) and baghy (armed rebellion) after trials devoid of due process that relied on confessions elicited... July 7, 2023 Non-Enforcement of U.S. Oil Sanctions on Iran Hits New High Following weeks of indications that the United States was moving toward an unacknowledged nuclear agreement with Iran that would include the non-enforcement of U.S. oil sanctions and the release of... July 6, 2023 Iran Becomes Full Member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Iran officially became the ninth member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi participating in the organization’s virtual summit on July 4. Iran’s... July 5, 2023 Soldier Killed as Israel Completes Jenin Counter-Terror Sweep Israel wrapped up Operation Home and Garden — a large-scale incursion into Jenin to kill or capture Palestinian terrorists and root out their infrastructure — after 48 hours in the West Bank city.... July 4, 2023 Palestinian Motorist Rams, Stabs Pedestrians in Tel Aviv A Palestinian terrorist carried out a car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv on July 4, wounding at least seven people before an armed civilian shot him dead. The terrorist, Abed al-Wahab Khalaila,... July 3, 2023 Iran Foments Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in Jenin Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani accused Israel on July 3 of “state terrorism” following the launch of a major Israeli military operation in Jenin to weaken the presence of Iran-backed... July 2, 2023 IDF Conducts Major Operation Against Terrorists in Jenin Israeli forces conducted a major operation in the Palestinian city of Jenin tonight, striking a command center of the Jenin Brigade, among other targets. The brigade used the center as a hub to coordinate... July 2, 2023 Israel to Buy Third F-35 Squadron Israel’s Defense Ministry on July 2 green-lit the procurement of a third squadron of F-35 warplanes. The 25 new planes, worth $3 billion, will be financed by U.S. defense grants to Israel, the ministry... June 30, 2023 EU, UK Reportedly Say They Will Keep Missile Sanctions on Iran in Place Latest Developments The European Union and the United Kingdom have told Iran that they do not plan to remove sanctions on entities connected to Tehran’s missile and nuclear programs on October... June 30, 2023 UAE Says Israel Helped Repel Cyberattack The cyber security chief of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti, said this week that Israel helped the country repel a cyberattack. “Thank God for the Abraham Accords,” Al-Kuwaiti... June 29, 2023 Mossad Operation in Iran Nets Terror Plot Leader Israel’s Mossad revealed on June 29 that a detailed confession by a leader of an Iranian terrorist cell helped authorities in Cyprus dismantle a cell plotting to attack Israeli and Jewish targets.... June 28, 2023 Iran Pledges Support for Putin After Failed Mutiny The chief of the Iranian armed forces general staff, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, invited Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to visit Iran during a phone call on June 28. According to a readout... June 28, 2023 U.S. Releases Funds to Pay Iran’s Debts Iran’s deputy oil minister, Majid Chegeni, said on June 25 that Iraq repaid its $2.76 billion debt to Iran on purchases of natural gas using funds previously frozen by U.S. sanctions due to Tehran’s... June 26, 2023 Hamas-Linked Terrorists Attempt West Bank Rocket Attack Palestinian terrorists attempted to fire rockets from the West Bank at Israel on June 26 in an escalation of tactics. The rockets, launched near Jenin, fell short inside the West Bank, causing no damage... June 26, 2023 Iranian Terrorist Attack on Israelis Thwarted in Cyprus An Iranian terrorist attack against Israelis in Cyprus was foiled, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 25. The statement followed a Cypriot newspaper report about a counterterrorist... June 22, 2023 Israel Kills Three Palestinian Terrorists in Rare West Bank Drone Strike An Israeli drone strike in the northern West Bank killed three Palestinian terrorists on June 21, including two members of Islamic Jihad and one member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. The Israel Defense... June 22, 2023 Hezbollah Establishes Armed Posts in Israeli Territory The Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah has established military posts on Mount Dov inside sovereign Israeli territory at the border with Lebanon, a discussion in the Israeli parliament’s Foreign... June 20, 2023 Hamas and Islamic Jihad Meet Iranian Leaders in Tehran Leaders of the Iran-backed Palestinian terror organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad (IJ) both met this week with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh met with Raisi... June 20, 2023 Palestinian Terrorists Kill At Least Four in West Bank Shooting Palestinian terrorists killed at least four people in a gun attack in the city of Eli in the West Bank on June 20. In addition to the fatalities, at least four people were wounded. The casualties’... June 19, 2023 Israel Deploys Helicopter to West Bank Clash Israel deployed an IDF helicopter to support the extrication of troops hit by a roadside bomb during a counter-terrorism raid in the West Bank on June 19. The rare aerial intervention followed ferocious... June 18, 2023 Israel Green-Lights Gaza Offshore Gas Development The Israeli government gave the Palestinian Authority and Egypt a green-light on June 18 to develop a natural gas field off the Gaza Strip’s shore on condition that Israel’s national interests... June 16, 2023 Protests Across Iran Persist, Now Nine Months On Latest Developments Today marks the nine-month anniversary of nationwide protests in Iran, which began last September when Tehran’s morality police killed 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for allegedly... June 15, 2023 U.S. Deploys F-22s to Syria to Deter ‘Unprofessional Behavior’ by Russia U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on June 14 the deployment of advanced fighter jets, F-22 Raptors, to the Middle East to deter dangerous and provocative behavior by Russian aircraft in the... June 14, 2023 China, Palestinian Authority Sign ‘Strategic Partnership’ Agreement China and the Palestinian Authority (PA) signed a “strategic partnership” agreement on June 14 during a four-day visit to Beijing by 87-year-old PA President Mahmoud Abbas. During Abbas’ meeting...

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