Social and Political

Al-Arabia – Israelis awaited word on how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would respond to Iran’s first-ever direct attack as international pressure for restraint grew amid fears of an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.Netanyahu on Monday summoned his war cabinet for the second time in less than 24 hours to weigh a response to Iran’s weekend missile and drone attack, …

Al-Arabia – US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is preparing fresh sanctions on Iran in response to Iran’s attack on Israel, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing a copy of her remarks. “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, as …

iranintl – Israel and Iran exchanged warnings and threats Monday, as the US government set out to contain the looming Israeli attack, fearing that a tit-for-tat between could lead to an all-out war. Several Israeli officials have stated that Iran’s larger-than-expected attack would not be left unanswered, even though 99% of all Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted by Israeli …

iranintl – China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Iranian FM Hossein Amir-Abdollahian that “China has noted Iran’s statement that its action taken was limited and was an act of self-defense”. In a phone call Monday, Wang condemned the alleged Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate compound on April 1, supporting Iran’s right to self-defense, calling it a violation of international …

iranintl – Iran shut down its nuclear facilities last Sunday over “security considerations,” UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi has said, expressing concern over the “possibility” of an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear sites. Speaking to reporters in New York on Monday, IAEA Director General confirmed that the facilities had reopened within 24 hours, but with no IAEA supervision, as the …

Iranwire – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has threatened a “severe” and “widespread” response to any action against its interests as Israel plans retaliation for the April 13 strikes by Iran. “We categorically declare that the smallest action against Iranian interests will certainly be met with a severe, widespread and painful response against any perpetrator,” President Raisi, told the Qatari Emir …

Iranwire – In the wake of the IRGC drone and missile attack on Israel, Iranian authorities summoned a group of social media users who voiced dissent against it. Additionally, some of these users received intimidating phone calls from security agents. Simultaneously, the Islamic Republic tightened its grip on media and social networks, reinforcing the security apparatus governing these platforms. The …

gatestoneinstitute.org – This was the “attack” prearranged for show between Iran and the Biden administration through backchannels. It’s an attack that allows Iran to show off that it can reach Israel (look at those lights over the Temple Mount), while not inflicting any real damage. [H]ad Iran actually been trying to launch a serious attack, it would have used its …

Al-Arabia – Germany summoned Iran’s ambassador on Monday morning following Tehran’s weekend missile and drone attack against Israel, according to a foreign ministry spokesperson in Berlin.“The meeting is currently taking place,” added the spokesperson. Iran’s first direct attack on Israel, which began on Saturday, was in response to a April 1 strike on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus which has been …

iranintl – One day after Iran launched 350 missiles and drones against Israel, President Joe Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the US will not take part in a counter-offensive. According to all evidence, 99 percent of Iranian projectiles failed to hit targets in Israel, mainly due to strong and multi-layered air defenses. The United States, Britain and Jordan also …