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Iran Says It Will 'Use All Available Tools' To Respond To Israel's Attack | Reuters
Tehran will "use all available tools" to respond to Israel's weekend attack on military targets in Iran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday. Iran previously played down Israel's air attack on Saturday, saying it caused only limited damage, while U.S. President Joe Biden called for a halt to escalation that has raised fears of an all-out conflagration in the Middle East.
China And Iran Champion Close Ties, But Beijing’s Influence Is Limited | The Washington Post
China and Iran flaunted their close friendship this week. At a meeting in Russia aimed at solidifying an anti-Western alliance, Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Iran’s first BRICS summit as a full member. He also made a show of Beijing’s diplomatic and economic alliance with Tehran as conflict in the Middle East further escalates and Iran braces for Israel to retaliate against it for recent attacks. “China will unswervingly develop friendly cooperation with Iran,” Xi told Pezeshkian, according to a Chinese government readout. Xi expressed his support for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, and the two leaders agreed to work together on “opposing hegemony and bullying.”
Two weeks before Israeli warplanes struck Iran Saturday morning, President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed on the parameters of the attack in a half-hour phone call, their first in almost two months. After mounting worry that Israel might strike Iran’s oil infrastructure or even nuclear installations, the Israeli leader set his sights on military targets—to the relief of American officials. The airstrikes that unfolded met Washington’s expectations while dealing Iran a punishing blow. The attack destroyed Iran’s most advanced air-defense systems, while delivering a setback to the country’s ballistic missile program, U.S. and Israeli officials said Saturday.
UANI IN THE NEWS
On Saturday, Israel launched a retaliatory strike against Iran which targeted around 20 military sites across the country, using over 100 combat aircraft. This was an unprecedented operation by Israel against Tehran – in both its breadth and depth. Israel’s aim was to degrade and deter. And in the process, it has reminded the world of the weaknesses of America’s current policy towards Iran. So far, Iranian media has been downplaying the Israeli strikes. Even as the bombing campaign was underway, pro-regime Telegram channels were posting videos showing placid scenes of Iranian cityscapes. In April, when Israel launched an attack on Esfahan, Iranian state television broadcast the morning traffic with soothing music. This time, state media played classical music to accompany the sunrise over Tehran. Soon after, Iran’s ministry of education announced that schools would open on Saturday as normal.
Israel’s Strikes On Iran ‘Should Be The End Of It’, Says US | The Telegraph
The US has said the air strikes against Iran should be the end of direct conflict between Israel and the Islamic Republic. The White House said that the Saturday morning attack by the IDF on around 20 targets in Tehran and other Iranian locations should “close out” direct conflict between the two countries. Israel struck Iran in retaliation after it launched nearly 200 missiles and drones three weeks ago. The barrage from Tehran was itself a response to Israel’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, the terror group backed by Iran. […] Analyst Jason Brodsky said: “You can see here how Israel is very cleverly focusing on Iran’s regime’s missile and drone production sites. This is to keep the US and Europeans on board as they will be quietly cheering the attacks on these same sites which are arming Russia against Ukraine.”
World Powers Call For Restraint After Israel Hits Iran | i24 News
‘The Iranian leadership fears Donald Trump,’ UANI Policy Director Jason Brodsky joins Natasha Raquel to discuss the political implications of the Israeli strikes in Iran.
Netanyahu Praises Iran Attack While Khamenei Downplays | i24 News
Israel's virtuoso operation busted 3 Iranian myths: that it could attack Israel via proxies without paying a direct price; that its proxies would rise up against Israel should it attack Iran; and that its air defenses can repel an Israeli attack, UANI Senior Advisor Norman Roule tells Benita Levin.
Iranian Military Forces On High Alert | WION News
Iran and Israel tensions escalate. Khamenei draws red lilnes for Israeli strikes. Mohammed Saleh is joined by Daniel Roth, Research Director, United Against Nuclear Iran, for perspective.
Israeli Air Strikes On Iran Reveal Greater Extent Than Initially Reported | Iran International
Satellite imagery has shown Israel struck nuclear testing sites in its weekend air attacks on Iran, in addition to air defense systems, perhaps opening the way for future raids if threatened by Tehran... Jason Brodsky, from United Against Nuclear Iran, said the attacks this weekend send “a very clear message” to Iran. “Israel is laying the groundwork to attack your oil and petrochemical refineries in the next round should you retaliate,” he wrote on X after Israel struck with great accuracy air defences around Iran’s critical energy sites. While the facilities were avoided, there were clear warnings of what could come should Iran hit back.
Iran’s desire to ramp up nuclear testing has experts fretting over their potentially disastrous consequences, sparking WWW3 fears... Kasra Arabi, director of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) research at United Against Nuclear Iran, a non-profit dedicated to preventing Iran from fulfilling its ambition to possess nuclear weapons, said Sinwar's death caused "irreparable damage."
Israel Wants Iran To ‘Pay A Price’ For Ballistic Missile Attack | Sky News
We've just been speaking with Jason Brodsky from the Middle East Institute about Israel's strikes on Iran. He told us that Israel's action is "targeted at military sites", and the aim is "to re-establish deterrence and to change the Iranian regime's decision-making calculus to dissuade it from ever launching a direct attack against Israel like we saw on 1 October". He also said Israel will wants Iran to "pay a price" so that its leaders conclude that the costs of attacking Israel now outweigh the benefits. Asked what is likely to happen next, Mr Brodsky said Israel does expect Iran to potentially strike back, which is why the US has moved advanced air defence systems into Israel in the last few weeks.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Major Gulf Markets Rise As Iran Downplays Israel's Strikes | Reuters
Major stock markets in the Gulf rose in early trade on Monday as tensions eased after Iran played down Israel's strikes on military targets over the weekend, saying the air attack had caused only limited damage. The strikes bypassed Tehran's oil and nuclear infrastructure and did not disrupt energy supplies, easing geopolitical tensions in the broader region. And while that sent oil prices tumbling, the regional equity indexes gained.
MISSILE PROGRAM
Israel attacked military targets in Iran with pre-dawn airstrikes Saturday in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired on Israel earlier this month. It was the first time Israel’s military has openly attacked Iran. The Israeli military said its aircraft targeted facilities that Iran used to make the missiles fired at Israel as well as surface-to-air missile sites. Crucially, there was no indication that Iran’s oil or nuclear sites were struck. Iran insisted the strikes caused only “limited damage,” and Iranian state-run media downplayed them. Taken together, the moves suggested at least for now that both countries are trying to avoid a more serious escalation.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iranians Slam State TV For Downplaying Israeli Strike, Promoting Escalation | Iran International
Iran’s state broadcaster (IRIB) has sparked public anger by downplaying Israel’s overnight strikes on Iranian military targets Saturday while encouraging further escalation of the conflict. Critics argue that IRIB has overstepped in downplaying the scope and impact of Israel’s strikes on Iran’s military installations, even by its own standards, reducing its coverage to little more than ultra-hardliner propaganda. In the past few years, the vast state-funded organization whose head is appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been under the complete sway of the ultra-hardliner Paydari (steadfastness) Party and the allies of the former nuclear negotiator and presidential candidate Saeed Jalili.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
How Biden Pushed Israel To Calibrate Its Strikes On Iran | Reuters
Hours after Iranian missiles rained down on Israel on Oct. 1, President Joe Biden's administration sent an urgent message to Israel: Take a breath. Israel, Washington argued, owned the clock and had time to decide on how to best respond to an Iranian strike that the United States assessed could have killed thousands if Israel, with U.S. military support, hadn't been able to defeat the attack from its long-time foe.n Such a massive Iranian attack had the potential to trigger a sharp, rapid Israeli response that, weeks before the U.S. presidential election, could push the Middle East closer to an all-out regional conflagration, officials feared.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Key Mediator Egypt Proposes A 2-Day Gaza Cease-Fire And The Release Of 4 Hostages | Associated Press
Egypt’s president announced Sunday his country has proposed a two-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas during which four hostages held in Gaza would be freed. There was no immediate response from Israel or Hamas as the latest talks were expected in Qatar, another key mediator. President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said the proposal includes the release of some Palestinian prisoners and the delivery of humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza. It aims to “move the situation forward,” he said, adding that negotiations would continue to make the cease-fire permanent.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Iran Conservatives Aim To Distance From 'Radicals,' Return To Pre-2005 Stance | Iran International
Islamic radical conservatism in Iran, dominant in government for the past two decades, has revealed its dangers through "purification" efforts, an adventurous foreign policy, erosion of the middle class, and the weakening of the private sector. After two decades of alienating the majority of Iranians—leading over 61% of eligible voters to abstain from the June 2024 presidential election—some within the system now appear to be considering a revival of pre-2005 traditional conservatism.
Social Media Platform X Suspends Hebrew Account Of Iran Supreme Leader | The Times Of Israel
Social media platform X has suspended the Hebrew-language account of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a day after it was opened. A note on his @Khamenei_Heb account says it has been suspended for violating X’s rules. The suspension comes hours after the account posted a message saying “The Zionist regime made a mistake. It erred in its calculations on Iran. We will cause it to understand what kind of strength, ability, initiative, and will the Iranian nation has.”
RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
Israel’s Strike On Iran ‘Very Significant’, But Restrained By US | Iran International
Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes on Iran this weekend caused “significant damage,” despite US President Joe Biden urging restraint and vetoing numerous potential targets, including nuclear and energy infrastructure. Farzin Nadimi, a security analyst and a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, told Iran International that Israel’s four-hour bombardment achieved a "very significant result”, in spite of Washington urging the Jewish state to moderate its response to nearly 200 ballistic missiles fired at Israel this month. Sites including a former nuclear testing site closed down in 2003 and military facilities were hit in the barrage.