TOP STORIES
Hamas Leader Haniyeh Arrives In Tehran For ‘Significant’ Talks With Iran | Times Of Israel
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh arrives in Tehran with a top-level Hamas delegation for talks with Iranian officials, the terror group reports. The visit comes as Israel appears to have bolted truce and hostage deal negotiations in Qatar after Hamas rejected its latest offer, according to an Israeli official. The terror group said yesterday that it informed the mediators it is sticking to its original position it put forth on March 14, which stipulated a permanent ceasefire, a withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, the return of displaced Gazans, and a “real exchange of prisoners,” demands that Israel has repeatedly rejected as “delusional.”
Israel Warns Iran Is Stepping Up War On Four More Fronts Beyond Gaza | Newsweek
The Israeli military has warned that Iran is behind an uptick in attacks against Israel on four fronts beyond the Gaza Strip, creating major difficulties in the long-term effort to shore up the country's security on multiple fronts. While the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) campaign against the Palestinian Hamas movement and allied factions in Gaza continues, well-armed militias aligned with the Iran-backed "Axis of Resistance" in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen have continued to strike targets within Israel, putting further pressure on the country's defense systems. With the Hezbollah movement carrying out daily operations against northern Israel from Lebanon and, at times, neighboring Syria, a coalition of militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has expanded attacks, claiming multiple strikes against key installations in Tel Aviv, while Yemen's Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, have struck the southern port city of Eilat with growing frequency.
Up To 30 Said Dead In Syria Strikes, Including 8 Iran Guards Fighters, Top Commander | AFP
Some 30 people were killed, among them at least nine pro-Iranian fighters including a commander, in overnight strikes on a villa taken over by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday morning. “Nine pro-Iranian fighters, including a leader and a Syrian, were killed and more than 20 wounded in airstrikes targeting the villa they were staying in, which served as a communications center,” said the Britain-based war monitor, which did not yet know the origin of the strikes. A later post from the rights group on X, formerly Twitter, updated the death toll to at least 30 people.
UANI IN THE NEWS
“…"The U.S. government cannot allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. It would be a regional game changer that would enhance Iran's deterrence and result in nuclear proliferation throughout the region. To avoid that end state, it requires multilateral sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and the development of a credible military threat. But none of those drivers are in place today to deter Tehran effectively,” said UANI Policy Director Jason Brodsky.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
IAEA Unaware Of Secret Iranian Nuclear Site Targeted By Israel | Iran International
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it has no information about a purported Iranian nuclear site that was set on fire in Tehran’s Shadabad neighborhood in 2020. This after Iran International’s investigative report revealed Tehran concealed an Israeli sabotage operation that targeted a covert nuclear facility owned by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. Iran International's in-depth investigative report relied on authenticated documents obtained from both the judiciary and the Ministry of Intelligence. These resources were made available through Ali’s Justice – a network of hacktivists known for their ongoing disclosure of Iranian government documents.
Previously Undisclosed Documents Reveal 2020 Arson At Iran Nuclear Facility | The Jerusalem Post
A workshop belonging to Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization in the Shadabad area of Tehran was set on fire in July 2020, information concealed until now by Iranian officials, according to Iran International who claimed to have viewed judicial documents relating to the arson. The documents confirmed that Iran believes the Mossad orchestrated the fire. The judicial documents were obtained as part of a trove that a network of hacktivists leaked to the source on Thursday. Some of the referenced Iranian government documents are among millions of judicial records that the group announced they obtained Thursday.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Pakistan To Seek US Sanction Waivers For Gas Pipeline From Iran | Bloomberg
Pakistan plans to ask the US to relax possible sanctions around a natural gas pipeline project from neighboring Iran. The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is planning to give the US administration “political and technical” reasons to secure waivers, Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik told reporters. The pipeline project “cannot bear the burden of sanctions,” he said. Pakistan has for decades sought to access natural gas from Iran, which has struggled to build up an export industry despite holding the world’s largest reserves of the fuel because of United Nations sanctions on Tehran and restrictions on dollar-denominated transactions. The two nations signed a 25-year supply deal in 2010 but the pipeline has been held up, leading Iran to threaten legal action.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
US Must Stop Iran’s Terrorist Proxies In The Red Sea | Washington Examiner
Last week, a Houthi missile hit Israeli territory for the first time since the Yemeni rebels began their terrorist campaign against Israel and its Western allies last November. Thankfully, no one was hurt — but the close call is a reminder that the Houthis pose a major threat to American interests in the Middle East and the Red Sea. The Biden administration has taken a number of positive steps toward mitigating the crisis, but it has failed to make neutralizing the Houthis part of a broader strategy to protect the global order. As a result, these terrorists continue to use their geographically advantageous location on the Arabian Peninsula to wage war against the West. Allowing this problem to fester any further would be a total catastrophe.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
A Second Act For Ballet In Iran? | The New York Times
As the ballet dancers moved through the familiar rituals of their daily class, they tried to ignore the gunshots and explosions outside. It was 1979, and Iran was in the midst of a revolution that would overthrow the ruling Shah and turn the country into an Islamic republic. The dancers were the last few members of the Iranian National Ballet. Bahareh Sardari was among them. On a recent video call from her home in Herndon, Va., she recalled what happened next: the National Ballet, which had been founded in 1958 and had grown and flourished, ended. “All of the foreign dancers in the company had already left,” she said. “Then one of the ayatollahs decided that ballet — which he probably knew nothing about — was incompatible with the Islamic Republic.”
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Israel Thwarts Iranian Arms Smuggling Plot | Jewish News Syndicate
The Israel Security Agency revealed on Monday that it had thwarted Iranian attempts in recent months to smuggle advanced weapons into Judea and Samaria. These shipments were to be delivered to terror operatives in the territory for use against Israeli targets. The ISA worked in cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces to uncover the plot, which was brought to light during questioning of detained Palestinians suspected of planning to carry out terror attacks.