TOP STORIES
US Warned Iran Of 'Terrorist Threat' Before Jan. 3 Attack – Official | Reuters
The U.S. government privately warned long-time antagonist Iran about a "terrorist threat" within its borders ahead of a deadly attack this month that was claimed by the Islamic State militant group, a U.S. official said on Thursday. While the official said the warning about the Jan. 3 attack - two suicide bombings in the southeastern city of Kerman that killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores - was routine, analysts said it may imply a U.S. effort to build trust with Iran.
Houthis Claim Direct Hit On US Warship As Vessels Attacked In Red Sea | The National
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed to have fought off two US warships, reporting a “direct hit” on one of them while the vessels were “protecting two American commercial ships” in the Red Sea on Thursday, the group’s spokesman said. The US said it intercepted missiles fired at two ships operated by Maersk, the shipping company that handles about 15 per cent of container shipping globally. The company said both ships “reported seeing explosions close by” and the US Navy intercepted several projectiles, adding that the company was suspending Red Sea transits by vessels of its US subsidiary Maersk Line Limited.
The United States and Iraq will begin talks soon to wind down the mission of a U.S.-led military coalition formed to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq, both governments said Thursday. The Pentagon said the size of the U.S. military footprint in the country will be part of the discussions. The announcement comes as U.S. forces in Iraq have been increasingly targeted by Iran-backed militias, though the U.S. says the talks were first discussed last year and the timing is not related to the attacks.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Iran Oil Sanctions Are Working, Says Biden Adviser | Bloomberg
Amos Hochstein, President Joe Biden's energy security adviser, says Iran's oil export program is "under extreme sanctions." He's on "Bloomberg Surveillance."
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
US Offers $15m For Capture Of Iranian Businessman | Iran International
The United States has announced a bounty of up to $15 million for any information leading to the apprehension of Iranian businessman Hossein Hatefi Ardakani. Ardakani is accused of aiding in the acquisition of technology for attack drones sold to Russia. He faces sanctions and charges for his alleged involvement in procuring dual-use technology utilized in drone production by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The decision to issue the bounty comes amidst growing concerns over Iran's provision of drones utilized in various conflicts, including Russia's war on Ukraine. The Commerce Department, responsible for administering US export controls, disclosed the bounty as part of a broader effort to combat national security threats.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Iranian MP Vows Response To Israel's Killing Of IRGC Commanders | Iran International
An Iranian MP says Tehran will retaliate against Israel's recent attack that claimed the lives of five Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders in Syria. Fadahossein Maleki, a member of the National Security Committee of the Parliament, emphasized on Thursday that “the fact that military commanders exercise prudence does not mean they don’t want to respond.” The incident occurred on January 20, when a residential building in Damascus's Mazzeh neighborhood was targeted in what Syria's state-run SANA news agency described as an Israeli airstrike. The IRGC confirmed that four personnel initially lost their lives, identified as Hojatollah Omidvar, Ali Aqazadeh, Hossein Mohammadi, and Saeed Karimi. Later, a fifth officer, Mohammad-Amin Samadi, succumbed to injuries sustained in the attack.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Iran’s Guardian Council’s decision this week to disqualify virtually all “pragmatists,” including former president Hassan Rouhani, from public office makes ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran’s proxies a virtual certainty, and war more likely than ever. At stake on March 1 are both the parliamentary elections as well as elections for the 88-member, eight-year term Assembly of Experts.
Iranian Dissidents On Hunger Strike To Protest Hangings | Al-Monitor
Iranian dissidents living inside the Islamic republic and in exile Thursday went on hunger strike to protest the surge of hangings in Iran that included most recently a participant in the 2022 protest movement who activists say had mental health difficulties. Led by jailed 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, those going on the one-day hunger strike ranged from dozens of her cellmates in Tehran's Evin prison to prominent campaigners living outside the country. Concern over Tehran's use of capital punishment has intensified following the hanging on Tuesday of Mohammad Ghobadlou, a 23-year-old sentenced to death over the fatal running down of a police officer during the protests, following a trial activists said was grossly unfair.
Fire At A Hospital In Iran's Capital Contained, No Fatalities - State Media | Reuters
A huge fire that broke out at a hospital in Iran's capital Tehran was contained on Thursday evening, state media reported, with an official saying the blaze had engulfed the building's exterior facade. There were no fatalities, Tehran Fire Department spokesperson Jalal Maleki told state TV, adding that the cause of incident was under investigation. "So far, we have not received any reports about any badly wounded person. The fire mainly affected the exterior of the hospital building," Maleki said, adding that the fire started at 1900 local time (1530 GMT).
CONGRESS & IRAN
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor Thursday morning that President Biden has "clear authority" to continue carrying out airstrikes in the Middle East and urged the president to do more to deter attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. "The Constitution of the United States, the consensus of our nation's founders and the weight of exhaustive historical precedent gives the president the clear authority to use military force when American lives and interests are under attack," McConnell said. "The commander in chief does not lack authority. Rather, he is failing to sufficiently exercise the authority that he has right now."
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Military Strikes Hezbollah Airstrip Allegedly Built By Iran For Drone Attacks | Times Of Israel
The IDF says it carried out a series of strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including an airstrip used by the terror group in the Qalaat Jabbour mountain region. The IDF says it also struck targets in the areas of Tyre and Mghairiyeh. The airstrip, revealed by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last year, served Hezbollah’s aerial unit, according to the IDF. Israel accused Iran of building the runway, which is thought to be used by the terror group to launch drones.
Iran And Russia Strengthen Ties In Partnership Against The West | Newsweek
Moscow and Tehran will strengthen their security partnership and team up to counter sanctions imposed by the West, a key architect of Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has said. Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's Security Council, announced closer cooperation between the allies after a meeting with the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Akbar Ahmadian. Ties between Tehran and Moscow have deepened since the start of the war in Ukraine, with Iran supplying Russian forces with Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) which have wreaked havoc on Ukrainian infrastructure. Both nuclear-armed countries face tough international sanctions.
CHINA & IRAN
Exclusive: China Presses Iran To Rein In Houthi Attacks In Red Sea, Sources Say | Reuters
Chinese officials have asked their Iranian counterparts to help rein in attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthis, or risk harming business relations with Beijing, four Iranian sources and a diplomat familiar with the matter said. The discussions about the attacks and trade between China and Iran took place at several recent meetings in Beijing and Tehran, the Iranian sources said, declining to provide details about when they took place or who attended. "Basically, China says: 'If our interests are harmed in any way, it will impact our business with Tehran. So tell the Houthis to show restraint'," said one Iranian official briefed on the talks, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
GULF STATES, YEMEN, & IRAN
US, UK Sanction Houthis As Group Vows To Continue Attacks | Bloomberg
The US and UK imposed sanctions Thursday on four senior Houthi militants as the Iran-backed group continues its attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea. “The Houthis’ terrorist attacks on merchant vessels and their civilian crews in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden have disrupted international supply chains and infringed on navigational rights and freedoms,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
IRAQ & IRAN
Biden Nominates New Iraq Ambassador Before Talks To End Anti-ISIS Coalition | The National
The White House on Thursday nominated Tracey Ann Jacobson as the new US ambassador to Iraq, as Washington and Baghdad prepare to begin talks on the possible end of the anti-ISIS coalition in the country. Ms Jacobson, a career member of the foreign service, was most recently interim charge d’affaires at the US embassy in Ethiopia. She has also been ambassador to Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kosovo. Ms Jacobson was also deputy chief of mission at the embassy in Riga, Latvia, and held positions at the State Department and the National Security Council.
US Begins Talks With Iraq On Future Of ISIS War | The Hill
Both countries agreed to establish the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC) in August and the Pentagon says the talks are not connected to recent tensions in the region. But Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has repeatedly condemned U.S. strikes in his country, including one this week striking three sites used by Iranian-backed militia groups. Al-Sudani said this week there was a “need to take all necessary political, diplomatic and security measures to protect Iraq’s sovereignty and maintain its security.”
OTHER FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Erdogan Says Turkey Weighing Opening New Border Crossings To Boost Trade With Iran | Al Arabiya
Turkey is considering opening new border crossings with eastern neighbor Iran, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late on Wednesday after talks with his Iranian counterpart, as they seek to revive sagging economic relations. Erdogan, speaking at a Turkish-Iranian business council meeting alongside Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, blamed international sanctions on Tehran and the COVID-19 pandemic for a decline in trade volumes.
How Significant Is Niger's PM Visit To Iran Post-Coup And Amid Africa Push? | Al-Monitor
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi praised Niger’s post-coup government during a meeting with Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine in Tehran Thursday as the Islamic Republic seeks to boost its relations with African states. Raisi said Niger has a “brilliant future” and praised the West African country’s “path of independence and freedom,” the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Zeine arrived in Iran on Wednesday and was greeted by Iran’s First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber. Officials from the two countries signed an agreement on political and economic cooperation and another on health following his arrival, according to the semiofficial Mehr News Agency.
MISCELLANEOUS
Shipping Costs Soar In Wake Of Red Sea Attacks | New York Times
For about two months, a barrage of missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea by Houthi militants has posed a difficult choice to shipowners using the Suez Canal: risk an airborne strike and pay sharply higher insurance rates, or forgo the canal and take the longer route around Africa, snarling schedules and entailing higher fuel charges. The attacks — at a choke point that handles 12 percent of global trade, including nearly one-third of the world’s container ship traffic — have already forced some shutdowns at European auto plants and raised fears of a surge in consumer prices.