US hegemony being challenged by Yemen

Yemen’s Ansarullah movement has seriously challenged the US hegemony in West Asia, particularly in light of Washington’s unwavering support for the Israeli regime’s warmongering and military adventurism in the region.

Nearly two weeks after Israel launched its US-backed genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Yemeni army began firing missiles and drones at Israel in support of Palestinians in the besieged enclave. 

Yemen’s armed forces have also been targeting Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November last year.

The Yemeni army later broadened the scope of its attacks targeting American and British warships. These attacks have been in response to airstrikes carried out by these countries against Yemen with the aim of compelling it to cease anti-Israel operations. 

On Tuesday, the Yemeni army struck a significant blow to the US Navy through the execution of two “specific military operations” off the country’s coast.

“The first operation targeted the American aircraft carrier (Abraham) located in the Arabian Sea with a number of cruise missiles and drones,” the spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces said. 

Yahya Sarea added, “The other operation targeted two American destroyers in the Red Sea with a number of ballistic missiles and drones.” 

He noted that the operation had “successfully achieved its objectives”.

The US Defense Department admitted that US warships were targeted but did not acknowledge the attack against the Abraham Lincoln vessel.

Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters following the attacks that two US-guided missile destroyers – the USS Stockdale and USS Spruance – were hit by at least eight one-way attack drones, five anti-ship ballistic missiles and three anti-ship cruise missiles.

He claimed that the United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) forces “successfully repelled” the Yemeni army’s attacks during a transit of the Bab al-Mandeb strait”, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Since January this year, the US and the UK have conducted multiple airstrikes in Yemen, claiming to target Ansarullah’s positions, with the most recent operations taking place over the weekend.

The US has so far failed to force the Yemeni army to stop its attacks against Israel and the regime’s ships. 

The Ansarullah movement has stressed that it will halt the strikes only if Israel ends its war of genocide on Gaza, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 43,700 Palestinians. 

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said that US strikes against Yemen aim to “further degrade” Ansarullah’s military capability to “protect and defend US forces and personnel in one of the world's most critical waterways”.

For now, the targeting of US warships, including the Abraham Lincoln vessel, clearly indicates that American strikes against Yemen have backfired. 

The Yemeni army has also shot down nearly a dozen US drones over the country’s airspace in the wake of the Gaza war. 

The Yemeni army has significantly upgraded its capabilities, enabling it to effectively target sophisticated US naval vessels and aircraft.

 

No difference who wins election in the US

President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that it "does make a difference" for Iran who has won the presidential elections in the United States, noting Iran and its political system is reliant on its own power and its great and noble nation.   

It was the first reaction by the Iranian president since Donald Trump won the White House in the presidential elections on November 05.

Pezeshkian added, "In developing our relations with other countries we will never have a 'closed or limited' view."

The president said Iran prioritizes developing ties with Muslim and neighboring countries and deeply believes in fostering unity among Islamic nations.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeili Baghaei also said on Thursday that Iran will judge the new US government on the basis of its policies and approaches.

Baghaei said Trump's victory has provided an opportunity for the United States to reassess its "wrong policies".

 

US air and naval presence in Middle East

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered more warplanes and Navy ships to the Middle East to maintain US presence in the region as an aircraft carrier strike group is preparing to leave, the Pentagon announced Friday.

Austin ordered additional ballistic missile defense destroyers, a fighter squadron and tanker aircraft, and several Air Force B-52 long-range strike bombers to the region, press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement. 

“These forces will begin to arrive in coming months as the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group prepares to depart,” he added. 

Ryder did not say how many American forces will be in the region with the changes, but as many as 43,000 US troops have been there recently.

The bulked up US military stance comes as Israel has shown no sign of relenting in its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip and a separate conflict against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel also launched a retaliatory strike on Iran last week targeting military bases and weapons production. That followed Tehran’s strike on Israel exactly one month ago when it fired a barrage of about 180 missiles at the country.

Washington, while pressing for a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon, has made little progress on that front ahead of the US presidential election.

Two White House officials, Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk, were in Israel on Thursday to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but they returned home on Friday with little to show.

In the meantime, US officials have repeatedly said it will defend Israel and US personnel and interests in the region, with the Pentagon last month sending roughly 100 American troops to Israel to operate a provided Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.

The additional B-52 bombers are notable as it is the second time within a month that the US has ordered the warplanes to the Middle East, where it uses the aircraft to send a warning to Iran and its proxies.

“Secretary Austin continues to make clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people,” Ryder said.

 

Hezbollah attacks Israel

Two separate Hezbollah rocket attacks have killed seven people in northern Israel, authorities say — the deadliest day of such strikes in months, reports BBC.

An Israeli farmer and four foreign agricultural workers were killed when rockets landed near Metula, a town on the border with Lebanon.

Later, an Israeli woman and her adult son were killed in an olive grove near Kibbutz Afek, on the outskirts of the coastal city of Haifa.

Hezbollah said it had fired barrages of rockets toward the Krayot area north of Haifa and at Israeli forces south of the Lebanese town of Khiam, which is across the border from Metula.

The Israeli military identified two projectiles crossing from Lebanon and falling in an open area near Metula on Thursday morning. Four foreign workers who were killed were all Thai nationals.

The military established the zone at the end of September, just before it launched a ground invasion of Lebanon with the aim of destroying Hezbollah weapons and infrastructure.

Thursday’s second rocket attack reportedly hit an agricultural area near Kibbutz Afek, which is about 65km (40 miles) south-west of Metula and 28km from the Lebanese border.

The military said a total of 55 projectiles were fired towards the Western Galilee region, where the kibbutz is located, as well as the Central Galilee and Upper Galilee in the early afternoon. Some of the projectiles were intercepted and others fell in open areas, it added.

The deadly rocket attacks in northern Israel came as two US special envoys met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem to discuss a possible ceasefire deal to end the war with Hezbollah.

Israel went on the offensive against Hezbollah - which it proscribes as a terrorist organization - after almost a year of cross-border fighting sparked by the war in Gaza.

It said it wanted to ensure the safe return of tens of thousands of residents of northern Israeli border areas displaced by rocket attacks, which Hezbollah launched in support of Palestinians the day after its ally Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

More than 2,800 people have been killed in Lebanon since then, including 2,200 in the past five weeks, and 1.2 million others displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.

Israeli authorities say more than 60 people have been killed by Hezbollah rocket, drone, and missile attacks in northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. But dozens of paramedics and other emergency workers have been killed and injured since it intensified its air campaign against Hezbollah five weeks ago.

The military has previously accused Hezbollah of using ambulances to transport weapons and fighters. The IHS has denied having ties to military operations.

Dollar hegemony in danger

The history shows that the world’s base currency can lose its position, as happened with Britain’s pound in the 20th century. The US economy is much smaller as a share of world output now than it was after WWII, when its dominance began. And now some investors are flagging concerns about the potential for chaotic images emanating from the US election that could undermine confidence in American rule-of-law and the broader political system.

In 2009, after the meltdown in US mortgage securities triggered the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, China’s central bank chief of the time issued a high-profile call to move the global financial system away from the dollar. 

Fifteen years later, it continues to reign supreme — having weathered the launch of trade wars under Donald Trump’s administration and a welter of US sanctions on other countries that showcased the risk, for some nations anyway, of keeping assets in dollars. The greenback remains the main currency of choice in global reserves and massively dominates the foreign-exchange market.

Multiple stewards of US economic policy over decades have highlighted the importance of democratic, transparent governance and respect for the law in underpinning the dollar’s role. A violent attempt to disrupt the transfer of power occurred in the wake of the last election, and had little impact on markets. But further instances could have consequences, some warn.

“You can’t be complacent around any of these things” with regard to the dollar, Robin Vince, CEO of BNY Mellon — one of the world’s largest custodians of financial assets — said in an interview last week. “As is the case with many tipping points, you don’t quite know when you’re approaching it until you go over the other side.”

Thierry Wizman, a three-decade Wall Street veteran, said “the American exceptionalism narrative could end if traders lose faith in US institutions.”

“The way that could happen in the next few weeks is if we have an election without a definitive result for several weeks, and where people can’t trust the institutions to adjudicate any of these disputes,” said Wizman, a global currency and rates strategist at Macquarie.

Courtesy: Bloomberg

 

 

Condemnation of Israeli attack on Iran

It may not be wrong to say that Israel having killed thousands in Gaza and Lebanon is now attacking Iran directly with regular intervals. One can say with complete confidence that Israel is doing all this under the patronage of United States. It is worth noting that some of the Muslim countries have condemned Saturday’s attack on Iran, with the request to apply restraint.   

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel’s attacks on Iran as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and a violation of international laws and norms.

“The Kingdom affirms its firm position in its rejection of the continued escalation in the region and the expansion of the conflict that threatens the security and stability of the countries and peoples of the region,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Riyadh also urged all parties to “exercise the utmost restraint and reduce escalation”, warning of the ramifications of continuing military conflicts in the region.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry also released a statement in response to Israel’s overnight attacks, labelling the strikes a “clear violation of international law” that “seriously undermine regional security”.

“Malaysia calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the cycle of violence,” the statement said.

The Foreign Ministry added that Israel’s continued attacks on countries in the Middle East is bringing the region closer to the brink of a wider war.

Iraq

Iraqi Shia cleric and head of National Wisdom Movement, Ammar Hakim, has strongly condemned recent Israeli attacks on Iranian cities, expressing solidarity with the Iranian people, their leadership, and government.

Hakim urged the international community to unite in countering the spread of Israeli influence, which he argued violates international charters and norms. He warned that Israel’s actions threaten to escalate conflicts, extending violence beyond Palestine and Lebanon into Syria, Iran, and other nations.

Hakim called on the United Nations and the Security Council to take decisive action to prevent Israel’s behavior from further destabilizing the region.

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Pakistan

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif stated on Saturday that Pakistan firmly condemns Israel's recent aggression against Iran and stands with Iran and its neighbors in their pursuit of peace.

He also called on all parties involved to exercise restraint to prevent further escalation. On his social media platform X, the prime minister posted, “Deeply concerned by the recent act of Israeli aggression against Iran. Such actions threaten regional peace and stability and violate sovereignty and international law.”

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Kuwait

Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a strong condemnation of Israel’s recent military action against Iran, describing it as part of a broader policy aimed at destabilizing the region through violations of national sovereignty.

In a statement released Saturday, the ministry highlighted that Israel’s aggression against Iran exemplifies a disruptive approach that endangers the security of the entire region and disregards international laws and norms.

The ministry called on the international community and the UN Security Council to take responsibility in curbing these actions, which threaten the region’s future and the welfare of its people. It emphasized the importance of decisive steps to uphold regional security and stability, grounded in international laws and treaties.

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United Arab Emirates 

The UAE has strongly condemned Israel’s military strikes on Iran, and expressed its deep concern over the continued escalation and its repercussions on security and stability in the region.
====================== 

Oman

Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned Israel’s recent attack on Iranian territory, calling it a blatant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and international law.

The ministry stated that Israel’s latest act of aggression attempted to target military sites in Tehran province early Saturday, but the assault reportedly failed to achieve its objectives. This incident, it noted, is part of a broader pattern of Israeli hostilities in the region.

================

 

Israel strikes military targets in Iran

Israel has launched direct airstrikes against Iran in a high-stakes retaliatory attack that brings the Middle East closer to a regional war.

The Israeli military said it had completed its air attack on Saturday morning, hitting missile manufacturing sites and aerial defences in several areas inside Iran. Israel’s public broadcaster said three waves of strikes had been completed.

Iranian air defences said Israel attacked military targets in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam and that “limited damage” was caused to some locations.

A senior US official described the strikes as “extensive”, “precise” and against military targets across Iran. The US did not participate in the strikes, the official said, but worked with the Israeli government to encourage a low-risk attack with no civilian harm.

“The effect was a proportionate self-defence response. The effect is to deter future attacks and to degrade Iran’s abilities to launch future attacks.”

The official stressed that the US considered the operation to be an “end to the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran”.

“This should be the end of the direct military exchange between Israel and Iran – we had a direct exchange in April and that was closed off and now we’ve had this direct exchange again.”

At least seven explosions were reported over the capital, Tehran, and nearby Karaj as well as the eastern city of Mashhad just after 2.30am local time on Saturday, as Israeli jets struck military targets in the country.

Iranian media initially appeared to downplay the airstrikes, noting that Tehran’s airport was operating normally. State TV reported several strong explosions heard around the capital, while the state news agency, IRNA, said there had been no casualties. There was no immediate official comment about the source of explosions, which Iranian news outlets reported were under investigation. Air defence systems were activated around the country.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took the rare step of acknowledging the attack on Iran, in a confirmation that a decades-old shadow war between the enemy states has now firmly moved into the open.

Before Israel launched the airstrikes on Saturday, Iran had repeatedly warned there were “no red lines” for Iran on the issue of defending itself. Last week, the country’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, also indirectly threatened US forces against operating in Israel after Washington dispatched a Thaad advanced missile defence system battery and 100 troops to aid its ally amid the tensions.

The White House was notified shortly before Israel carried out airstrikes on Iran, a spokesperson said. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, had said on Wednesday that Israel’s retaliation should not lead to greater escalation.

Hezbollah confirms Hashem’s martyrdom

Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, the head of the Lebanese resistance movement’s Executive Council, was martyred in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut earlier this month.

“We pledge to our great martyr and his martyred brothers to continue the path of resistance and jihad (struggle) until achieving its goals of freedom and victory,” Hezbollah said in a statement.

The Israeli army said on Tuesday that Safieddine was killed during a strike on October 04, 2024.

Safieddine was widely expected to be formally elected as the next Hezbollah leader after Israel assassinated Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah last month. 

Israel killed Nasrallah, who was the movement’s chief since 1992, in an airstrike on a neighborhood in southern Beirut on September 27, 2024.

US media acknowledged that Israel used American-made 900kg (2,000-pound) bombs in the strike that killed Nasrallah and levelled residential buildings in Beirut’s suburb of Dahieh.

Israel has killed multiple Hezbollah commanders amid the exchanges of fire with the resistance group since October 8, 2023. That is a day after Israel launched its war of genocide in Gaza. Hezbollah has carried out attacks against Israel in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel also launched a massive bombing campaign in Lebanon on September 23 this year and launched a ground incursion into southern Lebanon on October 1.

Israel has killed about 2,500 people in Lebanon since October last year, including 1,800 in the past few weeks.

In response to Israel’s attacks, Hezbollah has intensified its retaliatory operations targeting strategic military sites in Tel Aviv and Haifa.  

The resistance movement’s reprisal strikes have spread a growing sense of panic among Israelis keeping the regime on its toes. 

Drone strikes Netanyahu’s residence

According to media reports, a drone launched from Lebanon struck the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea on Saturday.

The Netanyahu's office confirmed in a statement that the drone was aimed at Netanyahu's private home, but noted that the premier and his family were not present at the time of the attack.

Earlier, the Israeli army reported that three drones were fired from Lebanon, with two successfully intercepted and the third crashing into a building in Caesarea. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties from the incident.

This drone attack occurs amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, which have intensified since the Gaza conflict began last October.

Israel has escalated its offensive in Lebanon, resulting in significant casualties, including the deaths of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and several other commanders.

The extensive airstrikes, followed by a ground invasion, have claimed over 1,500 lives and displaced approximately 1.2 million people.

Join Sanders to stop weapons sale to Israel

In the United States, Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced a congressional resolution to stop US$20 billion in weapons sales to Israel to stop the United States patronizing genocide in Gaza by Israel.

 According to sanders, “Much of this carnage in Gaza has been carried out with US-provided military equipment.”

He added, “Providing more offensive weapons to continue this disastrous war would violate US and international law.”

As long as bombs and other weapons are being supplied to Israel, the US administration is supporting the genocide in Gaza and the killing of over 42,000 Palestinian civilians.

Not only the members of Congress must join with Sanders people from around the world must demand halt to weapons sales to Israel and end to the genocide.

The measure led by Sanders could help in halting sales of missile systems, tank rounds, and other weapons, including munitions, causing the worst destruction in Gaza. 

What after Sinwar assassination?

The killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is raising new questions over the course of the war and the fate of hostages still held by Hamas. While the United States is pressing both the sides to seize the opportunity to end the fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems adamant at continuing the genocide.

Sinwar was considered the main obstacle in achieving a cease-fire and hostage deal over the course of a year of negotiations, Netanyahu has also been criticized as moving the goal posts in talks and prioritizing the military operation to eliminate Hamas over diplomacy to release hostages. 

US President Biden and Vice President Kamala the Democratic presidential nominee, said in reaction to Sinwar’s killing that there is now an opportunity for a “day after” in Gaza without Hamas in power.

“This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza, and it must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination,” Kamala said in remarks from Wisconsin. 

Netanyahu, in a recorded speech confirming Sinwar’s death, showed no signs of letting up Israel’s military operations, which have succeeded in devastating Hamas’s leadership and military capabilities, while also devastating the Strip, causing a mass humanitarian crisis, and resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians. 

“Now it is clear to everyone in Israel and the world why we insisted on not ending the war, why we persisted in the face of all pressure,” Netanyahu said. 

“The war is not over yet and it is hard and it is exacting a heavy price from us. Citizens of Israel, we are in the war of resurrection, great challenges are still ahead of us … together we will fight and with God’s help together we will win.”

In his remarks, Netanyahu said Israel would give amnesty to anyone who willingly releases remaining hostages — Hamas or other armed groups in Gaza like Palestinian Islamic Jihad and civilian families.

“I call on everyone who holds our hostages: Whoever lays down his weapon and returns our hostages — we will allow him to go out and live.”

He added that the return of hostages would bring “the end of the war closer.” 

Biden congratulated Netanyahu on the killing in a call from Air Force One as he traveled to Germany.

The White House said the two leaders agreed there is an opportunity to advance the release of the hostages “and to bring the war to a close with Israel’s security assured and Hamas never again able to control Gaza.”

Netanyahu’s office, in their description of the call, did not address ending the war, but focused on advancing the release of hostages.  

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made calls Thursday to his counterparts in Qatar and Saudi Arabia as part of the administration’s push to “redouble its efforts” to end the conflict and secure the release of hostages, the State Department said. 

Now there’s a question, who will speak for Hamas? Khaled Meshaal, a senior Palestinian political official in exile in Qatar, is one name being raised as a possible replacement.

In an interview marking one year since Hamas’s attack, Meshaal said the armed group will “rise like a phoenix” even if its military and leadership are devastated. 

“We don’t know who will be on the other end of the negotiating table now, but it certainly won’t be Sinwar,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Even Netanyahu’s opponents in Israel are signaling support for continuing the war against Hamas and an ongoing Israeli military presence in the Strip. 

Benny Gantz, chair of the National Unity Party who resigned from Netanyahu’s wartime Cabinet, said in a statement that the Israeli military “will have to continue operating in Gaza for years,” although he added that “this moment must be seized and leveraged to bring the hostages home and topple the Hamas regime.” 

“Sinwar, who was described as a major obstacle to a deal, is no longer alive. It is critical that all attention is now focused on achieving the goal of a deal which will secure the release of our son Omer and the rest of the hostages,” the Neutras said in a statement. 

“We’re calling on the Israeli government and the US administration to act swiftly and do whatever is needed to reach a deal with the captors. We are at an inflection point where the goals set for the war with Gaza have been achieved, all but the release of the hostages.”

Members of the US Congress also reacted to Sinwar’s death with support for the revival of cease-fire and hostage release talks. 

“It is my hope that Sinwar’s elimination will result in further progress toward the release of all hostages still held in Gaza, as well as to a cease-fire for Palestinians who have suffered under Hamas’s grip for far too long,” said Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. 

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he hopes Sinwar’s death “marks a turning point in this war.” 

“Let us all unite in praying that, at last, the door will open to the end of this terrible war, the remaining hostages will be released, the recovery in Gaza will begin, and the efforts toward securing peace will be renewed.”

 

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed

Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas and the architect of the Octtober 07 attack on Israel, was killed on Thursday during an Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

“Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar,” the IDF posted on X Thursday, after NewsNation reported his death in the morning.

The IDF and Shin Bet, its internal security service, released a statement confirming some details of the operation.

“Yahya Sinwar was eliminated after hiding for the past year behind the civilian population of Gaza, both above and below ground in Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip,” it said.

“The dozens of operations carried out by the IDF and the ISA over the last year, and in recent weeks in the area where he was eliminated, restricted Yahya Sinwar’s operational movement as he was pursued by the forces and led to his elimination.”

Sinwar was Israel’s top target in Gaza, but survived in Hamas’s underground tunnel network for more than a year as the war of his making raged above.  

A messianic psychopath is how one US official described Sinwar. Among Hamas leadership, he was viewed as “a nasty guy,” said one analyst. As an enforcer in the 1980s, he earned the moniker “Butcher of Khan Yunis.”

Sinwar viewed tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in a war with Israel “as necessary sacrifices” to achieve his goal of destroying the Jewish State. That appeared to be the inspiration for Hamas launching the attack against Israel on October 07; committing a massacre of such brutality it would trigger a massive Israeli response. 

“For Netanyahu, a victory would be even worse than a defeat,” Sinwar told an Italian journalist in 2018, of the Israeli prime minister, according to a profile by the Wall Street Journal.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the time that the “depravity defies comprehension,” in viewing the aftermath of the 1,200 people killed on October 07, Of the 250 people taken hostage, about 101 hostages remain in Hamas captivity.  

Dubbed a “dead-man walking,” by Israel’s military in the aftermath of the attack, Sinwar evaded Israeli forces by hiding among the armed groups subterranean tunnel system; surrounding himself with hostages; and communicating through letter-writing to avoid electronic detection. 

Believed to be between 61-63 years, Sinwar came of age in the Gaza Strip during the 1967 six-day war, when Israel captured the Strip from Egypt; and the first intifada, or uprising, against Israel, in the 1980s. Raised in a refugee camp, Sinwar joined the burgeoning Hamas movement, charged with hunting down and killing suspected Palestinian informants to Israel. 

He was arrested by Israeli forces in 1988 and given four life sentences for the abduction and murder of two Israeli soldiers. But his time in jail served as an education to understand his enemy, learning the Hebrew language and studying Israeli culture and politics. He published a novel in 2004 that centered on themes of oppression and resistance. 

Sinwar had his life saved in prison, when an Israeli dentist signaled that he had something wrong with his brain, and was rushed into emergency surgery. But he showed no easing of his religious fervor to liberate what he viewed as Islamic land. 

He was released from prison in 2011, one of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who Hamas held hostage for five years. 

Sinwar’s life experience would help write the blueprint for the October 07 attack. In 2012, Hamas, for the first time, demonstrated that its rocket arsenal could hit Tel Aviv, and that was part of a short, but critical war that laid out a pattern of escalation between Hamas and Israel, and negotiation for periods of calm. Similar scenarios were repeated in 2014, 2018 and 2021. 

The Israeli security establishment, under the leadership of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during this time, began to refer to these operations as “mowing the lawn.”

It’s that sense of control that critics say lulled Israel’s intelligence into complacency ahead of October 07, despite warnings from young, female intelligence observers that a major attack was being prepared.  

Sinwar’s death marks a major operational success for the Israel Defense Forces, an ongoing psychological blow to Israel’s adversaries of Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iran – where the most senior leaders, and who were vaults of operational knowledge, have been picked off one by one.

This includes Hezbollah’s long-time chief Hassan Nasrallah, killed in a bomb strike in September, the assassination of his successors; and the assassination of top Hamas political chief Ismael Haniyeh at a guesthouse in Tehran in July. Israel allegedly killed Hamas’s number three official, Saleh al-Arouri, in Beirut in January. 

It’s unclear how Sinwar’s absence from the battlefield will impact Israel’s intent to eliminate Hamas completely from the Gaza Strip, whether it will change the dynamics of hostage talks that have stalled for months, or Israel’s operations in Lebanon or plans to respond to recent attacks from Iran.

 

Biden administration persistently lying

Reportedly the Biden-Harris administration has sent a letter to Israel saying that if Israel doesn’t take steps within 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, it “may have implications for US policy” under laws prohibiting US military aid to countries that block US humanitarian aid.

Israel has already blocked US humanitarian aid to Gaza for months, meaning US military aid to Israel is already illegal. And this is not simply a “humanitarian crisis” that can be solved with humanitarian aid; this is genocide. 

Humanity and US law both demand a weapons embargo now, not vague statements that Israel “may” face future “implications” for continuing to commit genocide.

The Biden-Harris administration’s statements cannot be taken at face value after over a year of zero accountability for the most serious crimes against humanity.

Secretary of State Blinken already lied to Congress to cover up previous findings of Israel blocking US humanitarian aid, but he has not been held accountable.

Earlier, President Biden said that Israel invading Rafah would be a red line for US support, yet Biden continued his unconditional support for Israel after it invaded Rafah.

Now the 30-day timeline for the Biden-Harris administration’s vague warning of possible implications falls conspicuously after the November election, denying voters any opportunity to hold the administration accountable for failure to deliver.

To be honest, the Biden-Harris administration has repeatedly lied in order to give unconditional support to Israel’s genocidal war.

The administration has faced no accountability for its crimes, nor has it held Israel accountable for its crimes.

Now they are transparently trying to avoid accountability from the voters while continuing their unconditional support for genocide. 

The US citizens must demand a weapons embargo now - anything else is just empty rhetoric from habitual liars to provide political cover for genocide. 

Voters must not let them fool people into thinking the Biden-Harris administration is planning to suddenly change course after the election when their leverage as voters is gone. Voters must use the power of their vote to stop this genocide.

 

Indonesia urges recognition of Palestine State

Indonesia has called on East Asian nations to officially recognize the state of Palestine and urged the international community to uphold international law and principles of humanity.

Speaking at the East Asia Summit in Laos, Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin warned that failure to adhere to international law could lead to the emergence of new conflicts.

“As leaders, we must take a stance and side with international law and humanity. Do not be selective in implementing international law. If this continues, I am afraid that many new conflicts will emerge,” Amin said, as reported by Antara News.

Amin also urged countries that have yet to recognize Palestine to do so immediately, stressing the importance of universal respect for international law without exceptions.

Currently, 146 countries recognize the state of Palestine, with recent additions including Spain, Norway, Ireland, and several Caribbean nations.

His remarks come amidst ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza. Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 42,000 people, mostly women and children.

 

Treacherous Geopolitical Conditions

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon on Friday warned about potential risks in the future for the economy, citing the war in Ukraine and Israel’s war against Hamas and Hezbollah.

“There is significant human suffering, and the outcome of these situations could have far-reaching effects on both short-term economic outcomes and more importantly on the course of history,” Dimon said in the bank’s third-quarter results release, CNBC reported.

JPMorgan Chase posted earnings showing a 2% loss in net income from the year before, down to US$12.9 billion. Revenue was up 6% to US$43.4 billion, the report showed.

CNN reported that Dimon had warned that while inflation appears to be slowing and the country has avoided recession, “several critical issues remain, including large fiscal deficits, infrastructure needs, restructuring of trade and remilitarization of the world.”

“While inflation is slowing and the US economy remains resilient, several critical issues remain, including large fiscal deficits, infrastructure needs, restructuring of trade and remilitarization of the world,” Dimon said, according to CNBC.

To Dimon’s point, CNBC reported last week that the Russian government approved a draft budget that upped defense spending by 25% from 2024.

 

US Enabled a Middle East Bully

According to Joe Macaron, one of the collateral damages of the Gaza conflict is the US global leadership. In the past year, the Biden administration was unable or unwilling to tame an out-of-control Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has gone beyond the retaliation to the October 07 attacks on the Gaza Envelope of southern Israel.

Netanyahu compared it to Pearl Harbor and 9/11, and the Biden administration has understandably embraced that,

However, this worn-out argument has unleashed a beast that is undermining US interests and failing to secure Israel in the long run.

Netanyahu is switching from one front to the other: Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Yemen with no internal or external constraint on his actions and the disproportional killing of civilians.

The Biden administration has initially advised Israel to agree on a ceasefire in Gaza and move to the second level of targeting Hamas commanders.

Netanyahu did neither; instead, he initiated another conflict in Lebanon with a death toll exceeding 1,000 since September 23, where not more than 3% of them were Hezbollah commanders.

Netanyahu’s discourse and policies are putting the Middle East in a perpetual security competition where Israel does whatever is necessary to ensure its self-defense while maximizing its force with an ambitious agenda to change “the balance of power in the region for years.”

It was enough to watch Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly to detect an egomaniacal discourse that is taking both Israel and the US on a dangerous path.

This overconfidence in Netanyahu’s discourse would not have existed without the air power dominance that the US provides, the Biden administration has yet to use this leverage of military aid to constrain Netanyahu. 

The US is now perceived as complicit with Netanyahu or unable to influence a key ally.

Beyond the immediate ecstasy of killing Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, Netanyahu has no clear plan or exit strategy, neither in Gaza nor Lebanon.

The Biden administration is enabling a bully by providing the tools and protection.

The excessive use of force will not secure the long-term stability of Israel nor sustain a moral and effective US global leadership.

Iran’s strategy for a year at least has been to intimidate the US military so Washington can exercise enough pressure on Netanyahu to agree on a ceasefire in Gaza, which was the safest path for the Iranian regime to avoid a direct confrontation with Israel.

The Biden administration has conveyed a clear message to Tehran not to attack American assets on the assumption that the US is committed to Israel’s security but is not directly involved in the conflict in Gaza and beyond.

It seems Netanyahu is pulling the US into a regional conflict rather than maintaining the stance from the first Iranian attack last April when Washington acted as a global leader managing the conflict between two regional powers. The US wants Iran to stay idle as Israel goes after its proxies one after the other.

Dealing with the threats of the Iranian regime and its proxies requires a long-term strategy because mass killing would only produce a radical generation in Gaza, Lebanon, and beyond.

Guaranteeing the silence of Arab autocrats is not enough to secure a long-term resolution of the Arab conflict with Israel.

In an insightful analysis in Foreign Affairs, Richard Haas argued, “America needs a playbook for difficult friends” and that Washington should have an independent policy when it disagrees with an ally as a subtle way to show objection without damaging the relationship.

The US should claim back its leadership role in the Middle East and send a clear signal that there is daylight between American and Israeli interests and that the US commitment to Israeli security is not a blank check.

The Biden administration’s blind support for Netanyahu is unprecedented and setting a dangerous precedence.

The damage to US image and interests in the Middle East should not be underestimated, and the long-term game is the most effective one; there are no quick fixes to the threats of the Iranian regime and its proxies.

Gaza War Dooms Biden’s Plan

According to David B. Ottaway, a year after the onset of the Israel-Hamas War, the Biden Administration’s plan for a new Middle East security architecture anchored in an alliance between the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia is dead for the foreseeable future.

Its death is another victim of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to allow an independent Palestinian state as a basis for a solution to the conflict that most countries, including the United States, are demanding.

Before the war started, US diplomats were making progress in nudging Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) toward establishing ties with the Jewish state. Both the crown prince and Biden were talking optimistically about Saudi recognition of, and open cooperation with, the Jewish state.

Two of Saudi Arabia’s closest allies, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain had already taken that step in the 2020 Abraham Accords.

Biden was enticing MBS with a formal US-Saudi defense treaty to protect the kingdom from its chief enemy, Iran. The Palestinian cause was fading, in the minds of Arab leaders, and Israel was on the verge of fulfilling its dream of winning recognition from the Middle East’s Arab powerhouse. 

The Gaza War halted all this momentum in its tracks, and there is no ceasefire in sight. The Israeli military has occupied all of Gaza and, in the process, killed nearly 42,000 Palestinian civilians and Hamas fighters, displaced most of its 2.2 million Palestinian population from their homes, and inflicted massive damage on its infrastructure.

This has caused even Arab leaders with no love for Hamas because of its Islamic roots, refusal to recognize the Jewish state, and ties to Iran to harden calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Nowhere is this shift in the attitude of Arab leaders better on display than in Saudi Arabia. In an interview with Fox News on September 20, just 17 days before the Hamas attack, MBS went out of his way to deny reports that US-led negotiations over Saudi normalization of relations with Israel were in trouble.

To the contrary, he said, “every day we get closer” toward what he called “the biggest historical deal since the end of the Cold War.” He made no demand for a Palestinian state as a precondition, just that Israel “ease the life of the Palestinians.”

On September 19, 2024 he delivered quite a starkly different message at the annual opening of his kingdom’s consultative Shoura Council.

The Palestinian cause was “at the forefront” of Saudi attention, and he was working tirelessly to see the establishment of a Palestinian state.

He warned, “We affirm that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.” He thanked the 143 countries that had already recognized a Palestinian state and urged others to follow suit.

If Saudi Arabia hews to this precondition, then the new Middle East the Biden administration has worked tirelessly to birth seems doomed, at least without a radical change in Israeli thinking and government.

United States has become a proxy of Israel

Historically, the United States has used many countries as its proxy, but lately, the super power has become a proxy of Israel. Many of our readers may raise eyebrows on our expression, but they are advised to read today’s post dispassionately.

According to pentagon, the US military struck more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, attacking the bases and weapons systems.

US Central Command (Centcom) forces conducted strikes on 15 Houthi targets around 5.00pm local time. The targets included “Houthi offensive military capabilities,” according to a statement from the command, which is responsible for protecting US interests in the Middle East.

“These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US, coalition, and merchant vessels,” the statement adds.

US officials earlier told The Associated Press that US military aircraft and warships bombed Houthi strongholds at roughly five locations.

Houthi media said the strikes hit Yemen’s capital Sanaa, the airport in Hodeida, the south of Dhamar city and the southeast of al-Bayda province — the latter of which has several Houthi military outposts.

The Houthi media also blamed the strikes on US and British forces, but the United Kingdom said it was not involved.

Houthi rebels have launched steady attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea near Yemen since last November. The air and sea attacks, which they say are in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel’s war with Hamas, have been met with US retaliatory strikes.

The Houthis earlier this week claimed to have shot down another American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen, with the US military acknowledging it had lost a drone.

The militia group also claimed responsibility for an attack aimed at three US ships in the Red Sea. US officials say Navy destroyers intercepted the two Houthi drones and more than half a dozen missiles and that there was no damage to its vessels, according to the AP.

The American strikes in Yemen also come amid the backdrop of a growing regional escalation after Iran’s major missile attack on Israel this week in response to a ramped-up Israeli airstrike campaign in Lebanon against the Tehran-backed Hezbollah.

 

No supporter of Palestinians except Iran

On Monday October 07, a year of Israeli genocide in Gaza will complete. A new front has been opened in Lebanon. Israel and Iran have attacked each other.

 Following are the takeaways from conflict: 1) Israel has emerged superior due to extensive support from the United States and European countries, 2) Iran has received many dents because of lack of support from other countries, 3) Iran is virtually alone, most of its missiles have been intercepted by Arab Muslim countries and 4) oil rich Arab countries are under the hegemony of United States and avoid even condemning Israel. 

Therefore, Iran has two option 1) accept Israel’s hegemony or 2) continue to support Palestinians and accept killing of its people.

The chances of getting any support from oil rich Arab countries are the least.

Israel bans UN chief in row over Iran

The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has been banned from entering Israel over his response to Iran's ballistic missile bombardment.

In a statement, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz called Guterres an "anti-Israel secretary general who lends support to terrorists".

Writing on social media site X, formerly Twitter, after Iran fired about 180 missiles into Israel, Guterres said he condemned "the broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation" and said these "must stop".

He said the region "absolutely" needed a ceasefire, but did not specifically mention the Iran attack.

In a statement on Wednesday, Katz declared the UN secretary general persona non grata, saying that anyone who "cannot unequivocally condemn Iran's heinous attack on Israel does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil".

He specifically criticized Guterres for "his anti-Israel policy since the beginning of the war".

Tuesday's attack by Iran is the latest in a series of escalations, starting almost a year ago with attacks on Israel by Hamas, and recently involving increased fighting between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 07, 2023 by Hamas gunmen, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage

Since the attack, a military campaign in Gaza has now killed a total of 41,689 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Over the course of the conflict, there have been a number of clashes between Israel and the United Nations about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

There has also been friction between Israel and the UN over the role of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

In January 2024, Israel alleged that a number of the agency's staff members had been involved in the October 07 attacks.

In response to this, the agency launched an investigation - with a number of its international funders withdrawing support for it, before later reinstating it. In August, nine staff members were dismissed over potential involvement in the attacks.

During the conflict, UNRWA has criticized Israel for air strikes in Gaza which have killed its staff members.