TOP STORIES
US Military Destroyed 80 Drones, 6 Missiles Launched From Iran, Yemen, US Centcom Says | Reuters
U.S. forces, supported by U.S. European Command destroyers, on Saturday and Sunday destroyed more than 80 one-way attack drones and at least six ballistic missiles aimed at Israel from Iran and Yemen, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday. This includes a ballistic missile on its launcher vehicle and seven UAVs destroyed on the ground prior to their launch in areas controlled by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, CENTCOM said in a post on X. Iran launched an attack late on Saturday on Israeli territory with drones and missiles in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders. The attack by more than 300 missiles and drones, mostly launched from inside Iran, caused only modest damage as most were shot down by Israel's Iron Dome defense system and with help from the United States, Britain, France and Jordan.
Scoop: Treasury To Green-Light New Iran Sanctions After Israel Attack | Axios
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is preparing fresh sanctions for Iran, vowing that the U.S. "will not hesitate" to inflict economic punishment in response to the Islamic Republic's unprecedented attack on Israel. Why it matters: President Biden is urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to exercise military restraint. But in the economic sphere, the administration is demonstrating a willingness to retaliate against Iran. It's a subtle message to Israel that there is more than one way to harm the ruling regime in Tehran. Driving the news: Yellen will press fellow finance ministers — visiting D.C. for the annual spring IMF meetings this week — to focus their governments on possible sanctions work with the U.S. on coordinated actions. "Treasury will not hesitate to work with our allies to use our sanctions authority to continue disrupting the Iranian regime's malign and destabilizing activity," Yellen is prepared to say Tuesday during her opening remarks at a press conference.
Iran's Leaders Insist The Attack Against Israel Was A 'Victory' | NPR
From President Ebrahim Raisi on down, Iranian officials are heaping praise on the attack the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched against Israel Sunday. The widespread response comes despite Israel saying 99% of Iran's missiles and drones were intercepted. Raisi said the IRGC had "taught a lesson to the Zionist entity," using Tehran's preferred term for Israel. Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency reported that a top Iranian lawmaker, Mojtaba Zonnouri, said the IRGC's "punitive operation" was a "victory" and "was a cause of pride for the people as it humiliated the Israeli regime." At the United Nations in New York, Iran's Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani declared the operation was "completely in line with the Islamic Republic's inherent right to self-defense" after an airstrike in Damascus killed seven IRGC members, including two generals, on April 1. Iran blames Israel for the strike, but Israel has not claimed responsibility for it.
UANI IN THE NEWS
For a time after 9/11, it was clear that intergovernmental cooperation would be necessary to stop terror financing and money laundering by terror groups. But the world is moving on to a new and more dangerous dynamic. U.S. allies in Europe and the Middle East are ignoring the recommendations and directives of the Financial Action Task Force, one of the most critical groups in the world in the effort to protect banks from unlawful activities. As a result, the likelihood has long been rising of confrontations with terrorism in the streets or on the battlefield, instead of on bank balance sheets. Iran’s massive drone and missile attack against Israel over the weekend may be just the beginning.
Middle East On Edge After Iran Attacks Israel | CNN International
Kasra Aarabi, Director of IRGC Research at UANI, spoke with CNN International, where he debunked Iranian regime disinformation about Israel striking a “diplomatic facility” in Syria, underlining that this was an IRGC command and control centre that was being used to launch terror attacks on Israel and US forces in the Middle East.
Iran's Massive Air Attack On Israel Raises Concerns Over War Escalation In The Region | Scripps News
On April 15, 2024, UANI's Policy Director Jason M. Brodsky appeared on the "Morning Rush" show on Scripps News, discussing Iran's attack on Israel and how the Jewish state must respond to prevent this from becoming "the new normal."
Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against a Nuclear Iran, a watchdog group that has pressed the United States to block the Iranian foreign minister from entering America, said there is no obligation to allow representatives of the globe’s foremost terror sponsor to enter the country. "Taking the U.S. obligations as host of the United Nations very seriously should not be a blank check for any foreign official from a hostile power to be admitted to the United States," Brodsky said. "There have to be standards here. Washington has a sovereign right to deny visas for security, terrorism, or foreign policy reasons, irrespective of the U.N. Headquarters Agreement."
Iran’s Advance Notice Of Attack On Israel Raises Questions | Al-Arabiya News
…Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told Al Arabiya English that Iran may have provided advance notice to mitigate casualties and damage in Israel, in an effort to prevent a military response against Iranian territory. But despite Iran’s efforts to minimize the impact, Israel is deliberating its response options. The US, Israel’s main ally, has said that it would not participate in any direct attack on Iran alongside Israel, a position that could provide reassurance to Iran and constrain Israel’s options for retaliation. Iran justified its actions as self-defense following the Damascus consulate strike, which killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including two senior commanders.
…“[Israel] may aim to combine cyber and kinetic operations. It could target the bases from which the drones and missiles were launched as well as Iran’s defense industries. It may also choose to decapitate key [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp] terrorists leadership and take aim at oil facilities,” Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, said on Sunday. “On the more extreme end, it may seek to damage Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, although U.S. support for that endeavor would be important. The others are not as dependent on American support as Israel has undertaken a variation of such operations before.”
WW3 Fears Spike As Israel 'Draws Up List Of Targets' With 'Painful' Strike On Iran Planned | Express
…Kasra Aarabi, director of research at United Against Nuclear Iran, believes that Israel's army could strike assets belonging to the military intelligence of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He told the Daily Telegraph: "The nuclear facilities, which are controlled by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are a very, very important dimension to this.”
Iran Retaliates Against Israel | CBC News
Policy Director of United Against Nuclear Iran, Jason Brodsky discusses the latest on Iran launching drones at Israel.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
UN Nuclear Watchdog 'Concerned' Israel Could Target Iranian Nuclear Facilities | Sky News
The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief says he is worried Israel could target Iranian nuclear facilities. Israel's military chief said on Monday that his country will respond to last weekend's missile and drone attack by Iran, which was launched in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on Iran's embassy compound in Syria. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said Iran closed its nuclear facilities on Sunday over "security considerations". They reopened on Monday but IAEA inspectors were kept away "until we see that the situation is completely calm". "We are going to resume tomorrow," Mr Grossi said on Monday. "This has not had an impact on our inspection activity." When asked about the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, he said: "We are always concerned about this possibility." He urged "extreme restraint". The IAEA regularly inspects Iran's main nuclear facilities - Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful but Western countries say Tehran is trying to make nuclear bombs.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Biden Unlikely To Cut Iran's Oil Lifeline After Israel Attack | Reuters
Iran's unprecedented missile and drone strike on Israel is unlikely to prompt dramatic sanctions action on Iran's oil exports from the Biden administration due to worries about boosting oil prices and angering top buyer China, said analysts. Shortly after Tehran launched its weekend attack - retaliation for Israel's suspected April 1 strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus - House Republican leaders accused President Joe Biden of failing to enforce existing measures and said they would take up this week a series of bills to sharpen sanctions on Iran. Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Representative Steve Scalise the No. 2 House Republican, said the administration had made it easier for Iran to sell its oil, generating revenues that were being used to "go fund terrorist activity." The political pressure to punish Iran creates a thorny problem for the administration: how to deter such attacks in future without escalating regional tensions, raising oil prices or antagonizing China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil.
Israel Pushing For More Sanctions Against Iran | Reuters
Israel’s foreign minister said on Tuesday he was urging countries to place sanctions on Iran's missile programme and proscribe its Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation after Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israel." Alongside the military response to the firing of missiles and drones, I am leading a diplomatic attack against Iran," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a social media post.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS & NEGOTIATIONS
White House Avoids Weighing In On Possible Israeli Response To Iran's Attack | ABC News
The White House on Monday carefully avoided weighing in on any possible Israeli response to Iran's attack over the weekend but also stressed the U.S. didn’t want to see further escalation in the region. "This is an Israeli decision to make -- whether and how they'll respond to what Iran did on Saturday," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the daily press briefing. "And we're going to leave it squarely with them." ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce followed up by asking if the administration was making any suggestions to Israel officials on how to react. "We are not involved in their decision-making process about a potential response," Kirby responded.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Disturbing Executions In Iran Demand Global Condemnation | Iran News Update
Iran’s regime has carried out a horrifying wave of executions in recent days, including the brutal killing of a young woman who was just 16 years old at the time of her arrest. These heinous acts demand immediate global condemnation and action to halt the unjust executions. Executions of Minors and Innocents. On April 11th, the regime’s henchmen executed 19-year-old Marjan Hajizadeh and her husband Esmail Hassaniani in Zanjan Central Prison. Marjan was only 16 when initially arrested, making her execution a grave violation of international laws prohibiting the death penalty for minors. Their executions cruelly coincided with Eid al-Fitr celebrations. In a separate tragic incident on April 13th, 20-year-old Mehrdad Abdollahzadeh from Sardasht was killed by regime officials while working as a kolbari (cross-border porter) near the Beitush border heights. He fell to his death after being shot at by the criminal authorities.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Iran launched an unprecedented retaliatory attack on Israel over the weekend that included hundreds of missiles and drones launched primarily from its own soil, but also by Iran-backed groups in several other countries. Virtually everything fired at Israel was intercepted before entering the country's territory, according to the Israel Defense Forces, which reported "very little damage" from the attack. A 7-year-old girl who was severely injured by shrapnel was the only known casualty in the attack. The child, from a Bedouin village in Israel's southern Negev desert, was still fighting for her life on Monday. Iran's assault was designed to saturate Israeli and U.S. air defenses with drones and cruise missiles and clear the way for Iran's ballistic missiles, two U.S. officials told CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. It took several hours for the drones and missiles to travel toward Israel, and alerts began to sound across the country at about 2 a.m. local time on Sunday (7p.m. Eastern on Saturday).
Israel Vows To Retaliate Against Iran For Missile Attacks | Axios
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Sunday that Israel has no choice but to respond to the unprecedented missile and drone attack launched by Iran over the weekend, a U.S. official and another source briefed on the call told Axios. Why it matters: The Biden administration and several other Western countries allied with Israel are urging Benjamin Netanyahu's government not to rush into a retaliation against Iran that could lead to a regional war. The latest: Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, said Monday that "Israel is considering next steps" and that "the launch of so many missiles and drones to Israeli territory will be answered with a retaliation." Ahead of a meeting Monday with Iraq's deputy prime minister, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. is coordinating a diplomatic response to the Iranian attack intended to prevent further escalation.
Netanyahu Faces Pressure Amid Iran Attack As Allies Advocate Caution | Al-Arabiya
All eyes are on Israel after Iran’s unprecedented attack, but its war cabinet has not signaled any preference for the course to follow, while allies who helped thwart the strike call for caution. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, less vocal than usual, has yet to define any shape, form, or timing for a response to the first direct Iranian attack on Israeli soil. He did say on Monday that Iran threatens world peace and the international community must stand united to face Iran’s aggression. “The international community must continue to stand united in resisting this Iranian aggression, which threatens world peace,” he said in a statement released by his office on X, after Iran carried out a direct attack on Israel over the weekend using hundreds of drones and missiles.
CONGRESS & IRAN
Congress Grapples With Foreign Aid After Iran Attack On Israel | USA Today
An Iranian attack on Israel over the weekend has put new momentum behind a stalled Congressional effort to pass billions of dollars in foreign aid to a pair of key U.S. allies. After months of delay, House Republicans said on Monday they will take a different approach to get the issue across the finish line: Put funding for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies up for a vote on their own, plus a fourth bill that will include several other unrelated GOP foreign policy priorities. Those include provisions to seize Russian assets to distribute them to Ukraine and to force TikTok's Chinese parent company to sell it or face a practical ban in the United States. Whatever passes in the House will then be sent to the Senate to grapple with and where it's uncertain if the measure can find the votes to become law. One thing is clear: The drone and missile attack – retaliation for an Israeli airstrike earlier this month on the Iranian embassy in Damascus – has been met with an outpouring of messages of support for Israel from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Johnson Outlines House Plan To Vote On Foreign Aid Bills | NBC News
House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke to reporters after a GOP conference meeting that he said was “fruitful and productive” and outlined his plan to put four national security bills on the House floor: Israel aid, Ukraine aid, Indo-Pacific aid and a fourth measure that includes GOP national security priorities that would include more sanctions on Iran. “Every member ultimately will be able to vote their own conscience on all of these matters and everyone have an opportunity to weigh in and bring the amendments that they think are suitable,” said Johnson, R-La. He said that he would prefer to send each bill to the Senate individually but that no final decision has been made. If bill text comes out tomorrow, as is the hope, Johnson said, the House might not vote on the packages until Friday. The House is scheduled to leave Thursday afternoon and be in recess next week, but that could change.