TOP STORIES
Biden Says He Has Decided How To Respond To Attack On US Troops In Jordan | Reuters
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he has made up his mind on how to respond to a drone attack that killed U.S. service members in Jordan, as he weighs punishing Iran-backed militias without triggering a wider war. Biden, speaking to reporters as he left the White House on a campaign trip to Florida, did not elaborate on his decision, which came after consultations with top advisers at the White House. But John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, told reporters aboard Air Force One as Biden flew to Florida that the United States could respond more than once. "It's fair for you to expect that we will respond in an appropriate fashion and it is very possible that what you'll see is a tiered approach here, not just a single action, but essentially multiple actions," he said.
US Readies Retaliatory Strikes For Drone Attack By Iran-Backed Militants | ABC News
The U.S. response to a drone attack that killed three American service members in Jordan last weekend will be carried out "over the course of several days" and striking "multiple targets," a U.S. official told ABC News Tuesday. "These are going to be very deliberate targets -- deliberate strikes on facilities that enabled these attacks" on U.S. forces, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive details. Officials would not say whether any of the targets would be inside or outside Iran. Leaving the White House Tuesday morning, President Joe Biden said he had decided how the U.S. would respond to the attack by Iran-backed militants, but gave no more details. When asked if Iran is responsible, he said Tehran is arming these proxy groups. "I do hold them responsible in that they're supplying the weapons to the people who did it," he said.
Iran threatened Wednesday to “decisively respond” to any U.S. attack on the Islamic Republic following President Joe Biden’s linking of Tehran to the killing of three U.S. soldiers at a military base in Jordan. The U.S. has signaled it is preparing for retaliatory strikes in the Mideast in the wake of the Sunday drone attack that also injured at least 40 troops at Tower 22, a secretive base in northeastern Jordan that’s been crucial to the American presence in neighboring Syria. However, concerns remain that any additional American strikes could further inflame a region already roiled by Israel’s ongoing war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the ongoing attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on shipping in the Red Sea.
UANI IN THE NEWS
Biden Response To China Skirting Sanctions On Iranian Oil Panned: 'Feckless' | Fox News
… To state the obvious: a primary function of sanctions on Iranian oil is to tighten Iran’s budget so the Islamic Republic cannot fund the proxy militaries, like the group that killed US soldiers in Jordan, or Hamas and Hezbollah who attack Israel. "Without Iran’s export of oil, it cannot operate its budget much less successfully fund and arm its proxies, "says former Ambassador Mark Wallace, who heads the group United Against Nuclear Iran. "Without proxies, the Middle East is a much more stable place." Everything from the Gaza war to almost 170 attacks on US targets in the region show it’s anything but stable. The proxies appear well funded and in the face of US sanctions, Iranian Oil revenue is booming.
… Kasra Aarabi, Director of IRGC Research at United Against Nuclear Iran, told The Sun that Iran "knows" the US does not want to attack Tehran directly, something that has emboldened their proxies in the Middle East. He said: "The IRGC believes that the US has zero appetite to impose direct consequences on it, and that's what's pushing this drive for escalation since October 7th. "It believes it can get away with these attacks without facing any direct consequences. At most, they believe the US might hit their proxy forces, but they don't mind using those proxy forces as cannon fodder."
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Sanctions Will Not Stop Iran Killing And Kidnapping On UK Soil, Officials Warned | The Guardian
A journalist at the centre of an Iranian plot to kill two UK-based TV presenters has said sanctions won’t stop Iran from targeting people on UK soil. The UK and US governments sanctioned Iranian officials with travel bans and an asset freeze yesterday over the targeting of Sima Sabet and Fardad Farahzad, who worked for the TV news station Iran International based in London. The plot to kill the two presenters was just one of at least 15 credible threats to kill or kidnap British nationals and others living in the UK since the beginning of 2022, according to UK officials. Iran is increasingly targeting people outside its borders in a tactic known as transnational repression, which aims to stifle debate or criticism. BBC staff in London have told the Guardian that they fear walking outside alone after being harassed by the Iranian authorities, after allegedly being warned: “We can do whatever we want in London.”
Iran Summons British Envoy To Protest 'Accusations' | AFP
Iran on Tuesday summoned the British ambassador to Tehran to protest against London's "accusations" against the Islamic republic, state media reported. "Following the continuation of the British regime's accusations against the Islamic Republic of Iran, Simon Shercliff, the British ambassador in Tehran, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs... and was informed of our country's strong protest", IRNA state news agency said. The statement did not elaborate on the accusations, but it comes after Britain accused Iran-aligned groups of being behind a deadly attack on US troops in Jordan and, along with the United States, imposed sanctions on a network that they allege targets Iranian dissidents. Iran, however, denied any links to the drone strike in Jordan that killed three US military personnel and said it was not seeking an "expansion" of conflict in the Middle East.
MISSILE PROGRAM
Iran Showcases ‘Khaybar Shekan’ Missile It Used To Attack Syria | Jerusalem Post
Iran showcased its Khaybar Shekan ballistic missile on Wednesday in an event in Tehran near the Azadi Sports Complex, according to pro-government media in Iran. The missile is now the pride of the Tehran regime because it was used to target an area in northwestern Syria. Iran claimed to be targeting “Takfiri” groups, a word they use for ISIS and other extremists. However, Iranian media also claimed in mid-January, after the missile was used, that it was a “message” to Israel. Tasnim News showed the missile on display in Iran in a report on Wednesday. The media said that four of these large ballistic missiles had been used in January and they had been fired from southern Iran. This is an important point for the Iranian regime. It marks the “IRGC’s longest-range missile operation,” the report says. Iran could have fired the missiles from northern Iran. It purposely fired them from the south to see if they could reach the 1,300km range intended for the missiles.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
Iran, US Exchange Messages Ahead Of Biden Military Response | Iran International
Washington has sent a message to Iran saying that it did not want an open war and warned that escalation would be met with US retaliatory action. Iranian sources told Al-Jazeera Arabic that “The US sent more than one message to Tehran over the past two days via third parties.” The report adds that Tehran rejected Washington's threats and said targeting its territory is a red line, and crossing the line would be met with an appropriate response. “Tehran's message said that it does not want a war with Washington either, but it will forcefully confront any American adventure.” Iranian-backed militants carried out a drone attack on US troops in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, resulting in the deaths of three US service members and injuring over 40 others with five suffering from traumatic brain injuries.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Western Iran Businesses Strike To Protest Execution Of Kurds, Say Activists | Voice Of America
Businesses and shops in several cities in Kurdish-populated western Iran shut down Tuesday in a strike protesting the hanging a day earlier of four Kurds convicted of collaborating with Israel, activists said. The four, who had been arrested in July 2022, were hanged at a prison in the city of Karaj outside Tehran in defiance of a campaign by rights groups who said their trial had been grossly unfair. Their hanging added to concerns over a surge in executions in Iran, which has seen on average two people executed every day so far this month, according to campaigners. The Norway-based Kurdish-focused Hengaw group and the France-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network published images they said showed whole streets of shops shuttered in major urban centers, including Kermanshah, Saqez and Sanandaj. Hengaw said the action was observed in a dozen towns and cities, with internet connections cut and Revolutionary Guard Corps helicopters circling overhead in some areas.
Tehran Woman Jailed For Nearly A Year After Confrontation Over Dog Walk | Iran Wire
The Tehran Revolutionary Court has handed down an 11-month prison sentence to a woman following an altercation with a religious vigilante while walking her dog, according to an activist news agency. Negin Chaparian, 34, was convicted of “spreading propaganda against the regime, provoking impurity and indecency, and outraging public decency,” HRANA reported on January 31. In August last year, Chaparian engaged in a dispute with a religious vigilante who was harassing her for walking her dog in a Tehran park. Chaparian was arrested after sharing photos of the altercation on social media. She spent three days in custody before being released on bail. Iran’s clerical establishment views dog ownership as "morally depraved" and a sign of Western influence. It also argues that keeping the animals inside homes is unhygienic and un-Islamic.
Tehran Court Upholds Five-Year Sentence For Political Activist | Iran International
The Tehran Revolutionary Court has upheld the verdict of a five-year prison term and two-year exile for long-time activist and political detainee Majid Tavakoli. According to the court's statement, Tavakoli, a prominent student leader and human rights activist, was found guilty of attempting to "overthrow the Islamic Republic and establish a liberal system," as stated in a letter from the ministry of intelligence. Tavakoli's activism traces back to his involvement in the student protests following the disputed Presidential Election of 2009, during which he was arrested multiple times by Iranian intelligence authorities. His arrest sparked international attention, particularly after allegations surfaced that he had cross-dressed as a disguise to evade capture. In a show of solidarity, a campaign protesting his imprisonment emerged, with men posting photos of themselves wearing hijabs.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Powerful Iran-Backed Militia In Iraq To Suspend Military Ops Against US Forces In Region | CNN
In a surprise move, the most powerful Iran-backed militia in Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah, announced on Tuesday the suspension of its military operations against US forces in the region two days after a drone attack killed three US service members and wounded dozens of others. “We are announcing the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces (US troops) – in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government,” Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement. “We will continue to defend our people in Gaza in other ways, and we recommend to the brave Mujahideen of the Free Hezbollah Brigades to [carry out] passive defense (temporarily) if any hostile American action occurs towards them.” The group is considered the most powerful armed faction in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias in the country.
US Sees ‘Footprints’ Of Iran-Backed Group In Tower 22 Drone Attack | C4isrnet
A drone strike that killed three U.S. troops and injured dozens more in Jordan could have been executed with a number of airframes but bore the signs of an extremist group with access to Iranian weaponry, according to the U.S. Department of Defense and outside analysts. While the department investigates what type of drone slipped past air defenses and hit a desert installation known as Tower 22 near Syria, preliminary evidence suggests the attack was the workings of Kataib Hezbollah, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh. The group emerged in the early 2000s and has since been blamed for violence across Iraq.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
How Were Potential Candidates For Leadership Sidelined In Iran? | Iran International
Discussions persist in Iran over the contentious ban imposed by regime hardliners preventing former President Hassan Rouhani from running in the March 1 elections. Rouhani’s disqualification is primarily attributed by local media to his perceived low performance during his presidency, the complete removal of the reformists from the political arena by the authoritarian camp, and the regime’s preference for minimal electoral participation. However, these explanations do not fully address the core reason behind his disqualification. To comprehend this story on a broader scale, one must consider three key realities unfolding at the pinnacle of the power structure within Iran's Islamic Republic: First, Ali Khamenei, who is currently 84 years old, has undergone significant health issues, including a surgery a decade ago. Over the past ten years, observers have witnessed a noticeable decline in his physical and mental faculties during his televised speeches.
CONGRESS & IRAN
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., discusses how the GOP is pushing for tougher sanctions on Iran on ‘The Bottom Line.’
GULF STATES, YEMEN, & IRAN
Yemen's Houthis Threaten More Attacks On US, British Warships | Reuters
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group said on Wednesday it would keep up attacks on U.S. and British warships in the Red Sea in what it called acts of self defence, stoking fears of long-term disruptions to world trade. In a statement, the group's military spokesperson said all American and British warships participating in "aggression" against its country were targets. The U.S. and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, and returned the militia to a list of terrorist groups as turmoil from the Israel-Hamas war spreads through the region.
IRAQ & IRAN
US Expects Iraq To Help Disrupt Iran-Backed Groups' Finances - Treasury Official | Reuters
The U.S. expects Iraq's government to help it identify and disrupt the financing of Iran-backed armed groups in the country after a drone attack by Iraqi militants that killed three U.S. soldiers, a senior U.S. Treasury official said. The Pentagon said the drone strike on a U.S. military outpost near the Jordan-Syria border on Sunday bore the "footprints" of Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah, though a final assessment had not yet been made. ran-aligned groups have been waging attacks on Israeli and U.S. targets from Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria since the war between Palestinian ally Hamas and Israel erupted on Oct. 7. Iraqi armed factions have claimed more than 150 attacks on U.S. forces in the region since. "We are now in a situation where there has been a loss of American life in Jordan," the Treasury official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity, in line with regulations.