Mediaboss Marketing

This frame grab shows the aftermath of a March 11, 2017 Saudi attack against a marketplace in the western Yemen city of al-Hudaydah.

Iran has strongly condemned a Saudi military attack against a marketplace in the Yemeni city of al-Hudaydah, which killed 26 civilians.

The Friday attack, which also wounded 10 other Yemenis in the western city, was followed by flyovers by Saudi warplanes that were meant to keep medical staff off the premises.

Speaking on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi lambasted the increase in Saudi military strikes against residential areas and civilian targets in Yemen.

It behooves the United Nations and other international organizations to responsibly address the issue of Yemeni civilians carnage through aerial attacks, Qassemi said. They should employ all their efforts to immediately stop such attacks and implement the measures required to preserve the health and security of civilians [there], especially women and children.

Later, footage appeared of the aftermath of the Hudaydah attack, showing the area being strewn with bodies charred and mutilated beyond recognition.

Saudi Arabia has been pounding Yemen since March 2015. Over 12,000 have died since the onset of the invasion, which was launched in an unsuccessful attempt to bring Yemens former Riyadh-allied government back to power.

Ever since the launch of the war, Saudi Arabia has also been enforcing a blockade on Yemen, claiming it would prevent the delivery of arms to Yemens Houthi Ansarullah movement, which has been defending the country against the aggressors.

Qassemi also condemned Saudi Arabias continued denial of access by responsible international organizations and institutions to the afflicted areas.

Read more:

On Friday, an attacker threw an improvised explosive device at people in the Mudhaykhirah District of the southwestern Yemeni Ibb Province, killing five people, including a child, and injuring 15 others.

Yemens al-Masirah television network reported that the attacker was subsequently hunted down and killed by civilians in the area.

Meanwhile, avessel enlisted with the Saudi coalition waging war on Yemen hit a naval mine in the Red Sea, The Associated Press reported, citing security officials.

The incident killed two sailors and wounded eight, including the ships captain.

View post:
Iran condemns new Saudi slaughter in Yemen - Press TV

UPI.com

Iran Gets First Long-Haul Jetliner From Airbus Wall Street Journal (subscription) LONDONAirbus SE said Friday it had delivered the first long-range airliner to Iran since the easing of sanctions on the country, marking another milestone for controversial agreements the European plane maker and rival Boeing Co. struck last year to ... Iran gets its first widebody aircraft since easing of sanctionsUPI.com Iran Air Receives 2nd New AirbusFinancial Tribune Iran Air Takes Its First A330-200 as Fleet Upgrade ContinuesAviation International News ATWOnline all 17 news articles »

More:
Iran Gets First Long-Haul Jetliner From Airbus - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Since former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn warned Iran that it was on notice for an illegal missile test and the administration issued exceptionally narrow sanctions, we have heard little if anything from the administration about the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iranian aggression in the region, Irans human rights atrocities or much of anything else concerning the worlds largest state sponsor of terrorism. (The White House spokesman did issue one of the sort of empty platitudes that it is unwavering in its determination to bring home American Robert Levinson, believed to be held in Iran for 10 years that conservatives ridiculed during the Obama administration.)

Obviously unconcerned about being on notice, Iran this week yet again conducted a ballistic missile test. The Times of Israel reports: Irans semi-official Fars news agency reported Thursday that the countrys Revolutionary Guard successfully tested another ballistic missile, while boasting that Irans efforts to build a better home-made version of the Russian S-300 missile defense system were well on their way. This follows Russias latest delivery of anti-missile equipment to Iran. (Last week, Iran announced that the advanced S-300 air defense system, delivered by Russia following the July 2015 nuclear deal after years of delay, was now operational.)

[Is Trump giving Putin a pass on a missile deployment?]

If the administration has an Iran policy different from that under President Barack Obama, its not evident what it might be.Michael Singhof the Washington Institute has some ideas. He recommends that we first define three policy objectives:

Ripping up the JCPOA is not an end unto itself, nor does he think its a wise move at this point. Rather than abandoning the JCPOA or unconditionally committing to it, the United States should secure the commitment of allies to better enforce the deal and address its flaws, he recommends.As a critic of the JCPOA, he has reached the conclusion that we do more harm walking away from it now than in enforcing it:

The JCPOA is a flawed agreementit permits Iran too much nuclear activity, does not address Irans past weaponization activities or missile development, and has insufficient provisions for guarding against clandestine Iranian nuclear work. Moreover, its provisions begin to expire within a decade. Nevertheless, it is part of the reality that confronts the new administration, and Iran and U.S. allies alike would resist its renegotiation. In walking away from the deal, Washington would face the difficult task of devising a new strategy to contain Irans nuclear program and rallying allied support for such a strategy in the face of intense international skepticism.

That means we do no more than is strictly required under the deal. Unlike the Obama administration, we should not offer ways to help Iran get the benefit of the deal, but rather insist that we reject any demand to exceed those obligations unless Iran is willing to add to its own obligations.

Because the JCPOA has gaping holes, including the failure to address missile testing, Singh recommends (1) stricter enforcement of existing sanctions targeting Irans missile activities and the adoption of new ones as needed; (2) a commitment to intercept or otherwise respond to any Iranian missile test that endangers the territory or forces of the United States and its allies; (3) stepped-up efforts to interdict missile-related shipments to and from Iran, as well as to gather and share the intelligence required to engage in such interdictions; and (4) strengthened and better-integrated missile defense in the Middle East and Europe to negate any advantages Iran seeks to gain by improving its missile capabilities.

Next, on the regional front, Singh recommends that we engage on Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, and on countering Iran-backed proxy networks in the Middle East and beyond. The administration should be, for example, undertaking efforts in Yemen to interdict arms, funding, and other forms of support for the Houthis; Washington should likewise increase regional intelligence sharing toward that end. In Syria, it requires a number of steps, including:

Sanctions on the Assad regime and any Iranian or Iran-backed individuals and entities supporting it should be strictly enforced and, if necessary, enhanced; further, Iran should be sanctioned for the provision of arms and other military support to Syriaand to militias elsewhere in the regionin violation of UNSC Resolution 2231 and other measures.

Extend the international coalitions mission in Iraq by at least two years, in order to demonstrate our ongoing (albeit limited) commitment to Baghdad.

Extend funding to continue building and training the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service and Iraqi security forces.

Push Baghdad to resist undue Iranian influence (e.g., the institutionalization of Iran-backed militias) and to abide by UN resolutions on Iran (e.g., against arms transfers from the Islamic Republic) and assist it in doing so.

Finally, he urges specific steps to strengthen regional alliances. This assistance should be not only bilateral but also aimed at forging a more coherent and functional multilateral alliance by resuscitating the George W. Bush-era Gulf Security Dialogue with the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and adding to it Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco, he says. The United States should also reinvigorate its strategic coordination with Israel, and seek to foster deeper Arab-Israeli cooperation on Iran, terrorism, and other issues. Engagement with Iran should continue as needed, but should be done together with regional partners where possible and supplemented by increased outreach. The Trump administration should, among other things, step up intelligence-sharing, invest in regional missile defense and bilateral dialogue with each U.S. ally in the region to determine its key vulnerabilities, shortfalls in effectiveness, and equipment needs, drawing upon lessons from recent conflicts such as Yemen.

Does the administration agree with these sorts of steps? Is it conferring with allies about the numerous options available to us? If it is, we see little if any sign of it. As Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson becomes less relevant and the State Department faces steep budget cuts and operates without filling key political slots, the administration will find putting into place any sort of coherent policy exceptionally difficult. While the administration is adrift, our allies and Congress (which is eager to move on sanctions) are looking for an alternative to the policy of neglect, appeasement and accommodation that has frightened allies and emboldened Tehran. If Trump cannot get his act together, he might well miss the best opportunity we will have going forward to contain and defang Iran short of war.

Excerpt from:
Trump misses an opportunity to defang Iran - Washington Post (blog)

WASHINGTON (JTA) The FBI says it hasa dedicated team seekingthe return of Robert Levinson, aformer agent who went missing in Iran a decade ago.

The announcement, included in a statement releasedThursday on the 10th anniversary of Levinsons disappearance, is unusual. Over the years, the State Department and the White House have noted the anniversary, but the FBI has not weighed in.

Bob and the entire Levinson family are remembered every day by his FBI friends and colleagues, said the statement. The FBI shares in their anguish and resolve to return their husband, father and grandfather to his family and country.

It concluded: The FBI continues to dedicate a team of agents and analysts who, along with our interagency partners, remain steadfast in our mission to locate Bob and return him home where he belongs.

Robert Levinson, 68, of Coral Springs, Florida, a private investigator and former FBI agent who was also a part-time consultant for the CIA, disappeared onIrans Kish Island during what has since been revealed as a rogue CIA operation.

Also Thursday, the White House reiterated President Donald Trumps pledge, made as a candidate, to bring Levinson home.

The Levinson family has suffered far too much during the last decade due to the absence of Mr. Levinson, a loving father, brother, husband, grandfather and friend to many, the White House said in a statement on Thursday. Each and every day, but especially today, our hearts are with the Levinson family. We will not rest until this case is resolved.

The statement notedthat there is an outstanding $5 million reward for information leading to Levinsons return.

Under President Barack Obama, five Americans were released by Iran in January 2016 in an exchange timed to coincide with the implementation of the nuclear deal struck between Iran and six major powers. Levinson was not one of those released, but the Obama administration, which had brokered the deal, accepted an Iranian pledge to help track his whereabouts and said his return was a top priority.

Iranian tips on Levinsons whereabouts have reportedly led to dead ends.

Original post:
FBI: Dedicated team seeking return of Jewish agent missing in Iran - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

MOSCOW Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Moscow on Thursday seeking reassurancefrom Russian President Vladimir Putin that his countrys presence in Syria would help Israel block arch-nemesis Iran from taking advantage of the chaos to position itself permanently on Israels northern border.

Until now, the Israeli government has stayed relatively quiet about developments in the six-year-old conflict raging in neighboring Syria, acting militarily only when it feels its security threatened. But now, as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad receives a boost from the strategic alliance between Russia and Iran, Tehrans expanding influence across the region is causing alarm in Israel.

At the start of his meeting with Putin, Netanyahu noted the significant progress made by Russia and other players in the region in fighting Islamist militant groups, including the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. He added, however, that the victory over the terrorism of ISIS cannot lead to an upsurge in terrorism by Iran and its proxies. We will not exchange terrorism for terrorism. ISIS is an alternative acronym for the Islamic State.

[Putin, the perpetual spoiler, tries his hand at a peace process]

After the meeting, Netanyahu issued a statement in which he said, I made it clear that regarding Syria, while Israel is not opposed that there should be an agreement there, we strongly oppose the possibility that Iran and its proxies will be left with a military presence in Syria under such an agreement.

Although Russia is unhappy with some of Irans strategic objectives in a postwar Syria, it is unclear how far Putin would go in supporting Israeli action to prevent Iran from building a sphere of influence from Tehran to Lebanon, via Syria and Iraq.

Syria is at a crossroads right now. On one side, there is a cease-fire that seems to be holding and Assad has managed to regain control of parts of his country. Israel is worried that Iran and its proxies will gain a permanent foothold in Syria, said senior Israeli minister Tzachi Hanegbi, a close ally of Netanyahu.

Ever since Russia entered Syrian territory two years ago, Israel has repeatedly emphasized to Putin its red lines regarding Iran and the groups it supports Lebanons Hezbollah and other Shiite militias involved in the fighting in Syria. Netanyahu has visited Moscow four times over the past 1 years, and the two sides have struck cooperation agreements aimed at preventing confrontations between their warplanes in Syrian airspace.

With rapid changes on the ground, however, Hanegbi said Israel feels it is time to focus on the future.

[Trump wants to push back against Iran, but Iran is now more powerful than ever]

In its official statements, Moscow has been unwilling to make predictions about what would happen with Irans military buildup after the end of hostilities in Syria.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, in an interview with the newspaper al-Hayat on Sunday that was quoted by the Interfax news agency, said that any decision on the withdrawal of Iranian forces would rest with Syrias leaders.

(Ishaan Tharoor and Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

The lawful authorities who will be lawfully chosen in Syria would be the ones with the right to demand the withdrawal of all foreign powers from the country, Bogdanov said.

This official stance reflects the reality that Putin has neither the ability nor the intention to exclude Iran from a settlement in Syria, not when Irans role in supporting Assad far exceeds that of Russia, said Vladimir Frolov, a foreign-policy analyst based on Moscow.

During the course of Syrias war, Iran has provided billions of dollars to shore up Assads regime and contributed much of the manpower that has sustained the depleted Syrian armys capabilities, in the form of Shiite militias recruited from the region and elsewhere.

In the process, Iran has significantly expanded its reach across Syria, giving it new strategic depth in any future conflict with Israel. Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps are now present along the 1967 cease-fire line with Israel in the Golan Heights, putting them directly opposite Israeli troops for the first time.

Hezbollah, which has fought wars with Israel and has an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 fighters in Syria, is also active in the Golan.

On Wednesday, an Iranian-allied Shiite militia from Iraq, Hezbollah al-Nujaba, announced that it had established a new unit, the Golan Liberation Brigade, dedicated to liberating the remainder of the Golan Heights occupied by Israel since 1967.

If the Syrian government requests, we are ready to take actions to liberate Golan, Irans Tasnim news agencyquoted a spokesman as saying.

Iran is also thought to have deployed missiles in Syria capable of reaching deep inside Israeli territory.

While refraining from commenting on the war in Syria, Israel is believed to have carried out unclaimed airstrikes inside Syria targeting suspected Iranian and Hezbollah weapons storage sites and missile depots in recent years. Russia has turned a blind eye to the strikes.

Putin, who has made support for Assad a cornerstone of his policy, would probably be unwilling to go beyond that and support an Israeli incursion.

Given all this, it is hard to see what Putin could promise to Netanyahu, Frolov said. He might, and likely will, promise a lot, but is in no position to deliver.

Eglash reported from Jerusalem. Liz Sly in Beirut contributed to this report.

Read more:

First sign of enhanced U.S.-Russia relations under Trump: An invite to Syria talks

Iran opposes U.S. participation in Russian-backed Syria talks

New anti-Islamic State plan could change U.S. strategy in Syria

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

See original here:
Netanyahu urges Putin to block Iranian power corridor on Israel's border - Washington Post