TOP STORIES
A top Hamas official in Lebanon says the Palestinian terror group will support a ceasefire between its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Israel, despite Hezbollah’s previous promises to stop the fighting in Lebanon only if the war in Gaza ends. “Any announcement of a ceasefire is welcome. Hezbollah has stood by our people and made significant sacrifices,” Osama Hamdan tells the Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen, which is seen as politically allied with Hezbollah. There has been no official comment on a potential Lebanon ceasefire from Gaza-based leaders of either Hamas or the smaller terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Hamdan is a member of Hamas’s political wing.
Iran’s Military Vows Retaliation As Lebanon Ceasefire Talks Advance | Iran International
A senior Islamic Republic military commander has vowed to Retaliate against Israel's attack last month, even as ceasefire talks between Israel and Lebanon gather momentum. "The response to Israel's recent aggression has been devised beyond what the regime's [Israeli] leaders can imagine," Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, said on Tuesday. He added, "The Zionists have crossed the Islamic Republic's red lines. Iran will not tolerate any aggression against its territory and will ensure it does not go unanswered." While Tehran has yet to take action, Israeli and US officials report that Israeli airstrikes on October 26 neutralized Iran's last three Russian-supplied S-300 air defense systems, significantly weakening its defensive capabilities.
US Bill Targets Iran Over Plots To Kill Americans | Newsweek
A new bipartisan bill has been introduced following alleged Iranian assassination plots of individuals including President-elect Donald Trump, according to Texas Representative Nathaniel Moran's press statement. Moran and Missouri Representative Ann Wagner introduced the Deterring External Threats and Ensuring Robust Responses to Egregious and Nefarious Criminal Endeavors (DETERRENCE) Act, which would "increase the criminal sentences for those who commit certain crimes at the direction of, or in coordination with, a foreign government." Moran noted that the bill is targeting Iranian assassination agents, and he said, "Recent assassination attempts and threats against President Trump and other U.S. citizens by Iran underscore the urgent need for strong and practical deterrence against all foreign regimes who seek to harm Americans on our soil.
UANI IN THE NEWS
The murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by three Uzbek nationals should serve as a warning shot for Jewish communities around the world. Iran has been seeking to settle accounts with Israel after a series of losses in its proxy network and its own air defence system on Iranian soil. A heightened terror campaign against soft targets in the Jewish world is a very real threat. Iran has attempted multiple operations against Israeli and Jewish targets not only in the Middle East but also beyond. There has been an uptick in such plots, from Europe to South America and from Africa to Asia. Iran has even sought to kill current and former Israeli officials. But its lack of success in such campaigns against protected individuals in Israel’s defence and security establishment has likely increased the pressure from decision-makers in Tehran for lower-level operatives to aim for softer targets like Rabbi Kogan, who was a Chabad emissary in the UAE.
“The murder of Zvi Kogan, of blessed memory, is an abhorrent act of antisemitic terrorism,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated on Sunday after Kogan’s body was found in the desert around 1.5 hours drive from Dubai, where he was kidnapped last Thursday... “The case of Jamshid Sharmahd looms large, who was also kidnapped from Dubai then taken to Oman and then onto Iran,” said Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Iran Projects Optimism For Nuclear Talks Amid Western Pressure | Iran International
Iran’s state media maintained their optimistic forecasts about talks Tehran says are forthcoming with Europe on November 29, despite the lack of confirmation from the EU or the countries involved. News websites in Tehran continued heralding talks, as the EU foreign policy officials remained silent, with repeated requests for confirmation by Iran International on Monday remaining unanswered. On Sunday, Iran’s foreign ministry announced that the two sides will meet in Geneva to continue diplomatic efforts for resolving differences. According to spokesman Esmail Baghaei, the upcoming talks with Germany, France, Britain (E3) and EU officials are seen as a follow-up to meetings held with them on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Oil Falls More Than $2 A Barrel On Possible Middle East Peace Deal | Reuters
Oil prices fell more $2 on Monday after multiple reports that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to the terms of a deal to end the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, citing unnamed senior U.S. officials. Brent crude futures were down $2.02, or 2.69%, at $73.15 a barrel by 9:57 a.m. CST (1557 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down $2.08, or 2.92%, at $69.16 a barrel. Israel said on Monday that it is moving toward a ceasefire in the war with Hezbollah but there are still issues to address, while Lebanese officials voiced guarded optimism but said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not to be trusted.
MISSILE PROGRAM
Iran’s Sabalan Destroyer has quadrupled its missile diversity and range as part of recent model evolutions, Tehran’s navy chief claimed in an interview with Iran’s semi-state official newspaper Tasnim News Agency on Sunday. The Sabalan is now equipped with 16 anti-ship cruise missiles, the official claimed. The destroyer had previously reportedly been equipped with only four ‘Qader’ and ‘Qadir’ cruise missiles. The early models of the Sabalan had reportedly been purchased from the United Kingdom before the Islamic regime forcefully took control of the nation, according to Tasnim. It was an Alvand-class warship named Rostam.
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
UAE Says Suspects Arrested In Alleged Killing Of Israeli Rabbi Are From Uzbekistan | Reuters
Three suspects arrested in the United Arab Emirates and accused of murderingan Israeli rabbi in the UAE are citizens of Uzbekistan, the UAE ministry of interior said on Monday. The ministry released a statement identifying the three men, two of whom it said were aged 28 and the third 33, and released images showing each of the three men blindfolded and handcuffed. The investigation by Emirati authorities is continuing, the statement said, without saying whether the men had been charged.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
“For most people, Dubai is a vacation destination, but for us, it’s always been a place where anti-regime dissidents disappear,” explained Gazelle Sharmahd, an anti-Islamic Republic activist whose father was kidnapped from Dubai four years ago, strikingly resembling the kidnapping and murder of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan from the UAE. “I was originally a nurse,” Sharmahd explained, “but when my father was kidnapped, I became a hundred percent dedicated to fighting for him and others like him. This has become my life’s mission.”
Two Political Prisoners Sentenced To Death As Iran’s Execution Rate Soars | Iran International
Two Iranian political prisoners have been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court in Urmia in separate cases. The sentences for Mehran Hasanzadeh and Hamid Abdollahzadeh add to growing concerns over the escalating use of capital punishment against political dissidents in the country. Hasanzadeh, a resident of Oshnavieh, was convicted on charges of rebellion (Baghi), a capital offense under Iran's Islamic law.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
US Not Joining Scheduled European Talks With Iran | Iran International
The State Department announced Monday that the United States will not participate in talks between Iran and three European powers scheduled for November 29 in Geneva, to discuss nuclear and regional issues. “We are closely coordinating with our E3 partners regarding Iran’s full implementation of its nuclear safeguard obligations and holding Iran accountable for its failure to meet those obligations,” spokesperson Matthew Miller said in his daily briefing. Deputy foreign ministers from France, Germany and the United Kingdom will meet with their Iranian counterpart Majid Takht-Ravanchi to discuss Iran’s nuclear program and other issues, both Tehran and London confirmed.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Israel Conducts Widespread Strikes Near Beirut | The New York Times
The Israeli military late on Sunday conducted a heavy barrage of airstrikes on the southern outskirts of Beirut where Hezbollah holds sway, with fighter jets racing across the skies above the Lebanese capital and deafening explosions ringing out for miles. Lebanon’s state-run news agency described the bombardment as a “ring of fire,” with thick, black plumes of smoke seen rising above the city’s skyline.] The airstrikes followed a series of sweeping evacuation warnings on Sunday by the Israeli military for the area, known as the Dahiya — more warnings than in any other day this month. They also came as Hezbollah fired about 250 projectiles into Israel on Sunday, one of the group’s largest aerial attacks over the past year.
ECONOMIC WARFARE
Hong Kong Is Becoming Hub For Financial Crime, U.S. Lawmakers Say | The Wall Street Journal
Leading China hawks in the U.S. House of Representatives are calling for a rethink on whether Hong Kong should continue to enjoy the cozy banking relationship it has with the U.S., saying the city is becoming a hub for money-laundering and sanctions evasion... “Hong Kong has shifted from a trusted global financial center to a critical player in the deepening authoritarian axis of the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Russia and North Korea,” the lawmakers said. “We must now question whether longstanding U.S. policy towards Hong Kong, particularly towards its financial and banking sector, is appropriate.”
CONGRESS & IRAN
US Bill Aims To Protect Citizens From Iranian Murder-For-Hire Plots | Iran International
New bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing the penalties for crimes committed by foreign adversaries targets Iran’s government and the hired criminals it allegedly employs to kill opponents on American soil. The Deterrence Act is a response to Iran’s plot to kill President elect-Donald Trump and other Iran-led murder-for-hire attempts which US investigators have described in lengthy criminal complaints in recent months. The bill increases criminal penalties for those who commit or attempt certain crimes on behalf of foreign adversaries, which already come with increased prison sentences.
'Be Aware': House Lawmakers Describe What It's Like Living Under Threat By China, Iran | Fox News
Being a federal official in any country would naturally open oneself up to the possibility of foreign threats. Threats against heads of state generally get the most attention, but even being a member of Congress has its risks – for some more than others. "The FBI came in and gave me a defensive briefing, and told me that there were just a couple members that were going to be targets in a disinformation campaign," House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. "And, you know, to sort of be aware of it."
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Netanyahu Signals Openness To Cease-Fire With Hezbollah, Officials Say | The New York Times
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has indicated he is open to a cease-fire in the yearlong conflict with Hezbollah, as U.S. officials pressured him to finalize a deal before Thanksgiving, according to two Israeli officials briefed on his thinking. Mr. Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with his cabinet on Tuesday to discuss a proposed deal to end the war in Lebanon, two other Israeli officials said. Mediators have made significant progress toward a cease-fire over the past week, but a key sticking point has been Mr. Netanyahu’s insistence on securing some assurance that Israel could restart the fighting if Hezbollah broke the truce, Israeli officials said.
Russia Turning To Iran-Backed Troops For Ukraine War | Fox News
Chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin joins 'Faulkner Focus' to discuss Russia using Iranian-back troops for Ukraine.
CHINA & IRAN
China has urged Iran not to resort to military action but to solve conflict through dialogue and negotiation as a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah nears. The remarks were made by Zhai Jun, China’s special envoy for Middle Eastern affairs, while meeting Iranian ambassador to China Mohsen Bakhtiyar in Beijing on Monday, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Zhai said China was “deeply concerned” about the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East, adding that military measures could not resolve disagreements between countries, and dialogue and negotiation were the correct solution. He also urged Arab and Islamic countries to contribute more to de-escalating regional conflicts.
AFGHANISTAN & IRAN
Iranian & Chinese Envoys Discuss ‘Foreign Intervention’ In Afghanistan | Afghanistan International
Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran's special envoy for Afghanistan, who was recently dismissed from his position, had held talks with Yue Xiaoyong, China's special envoy for Afghanistan. The Iranian embassy stated that the two sides discussed establishing peace and preventing divisive foreign interventions in Afghanistan. On Monday, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kabul wrote in a note on the X social media platform that Qomi and Xiaoyong also emphasised on the need to combat terrorism and the importance of strengthening the regional contact group initiative.
OTHER FOREIGN AFFAIRS
German Charges 4 Suspects For Stockpiling Arms For Hamas In Europe | The Times Of Israel
German federal prosecutors say they have charged four suspected members of Hamas, allegedly tasked with sourcing and storing weapons for the Palestinian terror group in Europe. Two men born in Lebanon, an Egyptian citizen, and a Dutch man were suspected of “membership in a foreign terrorist organization,” the federal prosecutor’s office says in a statement. The men “held important positions within the association, with direct ties to leaders of the military wing” of Hamas, prosecutors say.
Norway Drops Investigation Into Suspected Links To Lebanon Exploding Pagers | Reuters
Norway's PST security police force said on Monday it had found no grounds to further investigate Norwegian links to the supply of booby-trapped pagers to Hezbollah in Lebanon, which exploded in September killing dozens of people and wounding thousands. Israel has acknowledged responsibility for the pager attacks, which took Hezbollah by surprise and were followed by a major air and ground military campaign against the Iran-backed militant group. Norway's PST had launched a preliminary investigation into any Norwegian link to the case, after it emerged that a Norwegian man was listed as the owner of a Bulgarian company under investigation in Bulgaria over possible links to the case.
MISCELLANEOUS
Mohammad Rasoulof Left Iran After Making His Most Daring Film | NPR
Just days after he finished shooting his latest film, The Seed of The Sacred Fig, Mohammad Rasoulof got a call that would change the course of his life. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Court had just sentenced him to eight years in prison over charges linked to his earlier films and activism. It was the latest, and harshest, in a series of arrests and jail time over the past 15 years. There was no possibility of appeal. Security forces had yet to learn of the new film, which was shot in secret without required government authorization. "That's when I saw no other way but leaving the country," Rasoulof told NPR's Leila Fadel during a recent visit to New York, part of travels that have taken him across the world to promote what is assuredly his most daring film.