in Iraq
Voice of America
US, Britain Launch Airstrikes Against Houthi Targets
washington — The U.S. Central Command said it conducted a self-defense strike early Sunday against a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile "prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea."
In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, CENTCOM said U.S. forces had determined that the cruise missile in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen "presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region." CENTCOM said its action ensures freedom of navigation and...
Categories: Iraq
Iranian-Backed Militia Official Downplays US Strikes in Iraq, Hints at De-escalation
BAGHDAD — An Iraqi militia official on Saturday hinted at a desire to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East following retaliatory strikes launched by the United States against dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Hussein al-Mosawi, spokesperson for Harakat al-Nujaba, one of the main Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, in an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad condemned the U.S. strikes, saying...
Categories: Iraq
US Troops in Middle East: What Are They Doing and Where?
WASHINGTON — The United States launched airstrikes on Iraqi and Syrian targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and the militias Tehran backs, following an attack on one of the many sites across the Middle East where the U.S. has a military presence.
Here is what we know about the U.S. military presence in the Middle East:
Where are U.S. bases in the Middle East?
The U.S. has operated bases around the Middle East for decades. At its peak, there were more than 100,000 U.S. troops...
Categories: Iraq
Hamas Demands Israel Release Fatah Leader Marwan Barghouti
JERUSALEM — He's viewed by some Palestinians as their Nelson Mandela, and he's a prime candidate to become their president in the future. He's also the highest-profile prisoner held by Israel.
Now Marwan Barghouti's freedom is at stake in cease-fire negotiations between Hamas and Israel. Hamas leaders demanded Friday that Israel release Barghouti, a leader of the militant group's main political rival, as part of any deal to end the fighting in Gaza.
The demand...
Categories: Iraq
US Launches Retaliatory Strikes Against Iran’s Quds Force and Militias
The United States on Friday launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force and affiliated militia groups, in retaliation for the deaths of three American soldiers from a drone attack Sunday on a US base in Jordan. The strikes began shortly after President Joe Biden participated in the dignified transfer of their remains, at Dover Air Force Base. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara was with the president and brings this report.
Categories: Iraq
Biden: ‘If You Harm an American, We Will Respond’
Washington — United States airstrikes hit more than 85 targets Friday linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and its proxies in Iraq and Syria, in retaliation for last Sunday's deadly drone attack on an American military base in Jordan.
The massive barrage targeted seven locations, including command and control headquarters, intelligence centers, storage sites for rockets, missiles, drones and ammunition, along with other facilities. President Joe Biden said the strikes demonstrate to...
Categories: Iraq
US Bolsters Defenses Around Jordan Base as It Readies Response to Drone Attack
washington — The U.S. has bolstered defenses at a base in Jordan that was attacked by Iran-backed militants as it prepares for a wider U.S. response to the drone attack that killed three service members, a U.S. official said Friday.
Even as a larger U.S. military response seemed imminent, some Iran-backed factions pledged to continue to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East. In a statement released Friday, one of Iraq's strongest Iran-backed militias, Harakat al-Nujaba, announced its...
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Children in Gaza Face Mental Health Crisis
GENEVA — The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, is warning that children in Gaza are facing a mental health crisis and are in desperate need of psychosocial support, which is largely unavailable under the security and humanitarian conditions prevailing in the war-torn enclave.
“The only way to have this mental health and psychosocial support delivered at scale is with a cease-fire,” said Jonathan Crickx, who is UNICEF’s chief of Communication and Advocacy-State of...
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French Minister Heads to Mideast With Post-War Gaza Plans in Mind
paris — France's foreign minister travels to the Middle East on Saturday to test ideas about reviving an Israeli-Palestinian political process after the Gaza war as Europe tries to play a role in a conflict that has deeply divided the European Union.
"There will be a discussion with his regional counterparts, especially Israeli and Palestinian counterparts, to see how to restart a political perspective in the region," Deputy foreign ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine...
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Biden Meets Grieving Families of 3 US Troops Killed in Jordan
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, DELAWARE — U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base on Friday to honor the three American service members killed in a drone attack in Jordan. The solemn ritual, called a dignified transfer, has become relatively uncommon in recent years as the U.S. has withdrawn from conflicts abroad.
The Bidens arrived at the base Friday afternoon to witness the transfer of the remains of the troops killed in Sunday's...
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Canada Considers Sanctions on 'Extremist' West Bank Settlers
ottowa, canada — Canada is looking at imposing sanctions on "extremist" settlers in the West Bank, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday, a day after the U.S. took action against four Israeli men accused of being involved in violence in the occupied territory.
"We are looking into how to make sure that those responsible for extremist violence or extreme settler violence in the West Bank are held to account for it," Trudeau told reporters in Waterloo,...
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Rafah Hit With Deadly Attacks
Categories: Iraq
Hostages Rescued, Armed Man Detained at P&G Factory in Turkey
ANKARA — Police detained an armed man who took staff hostage at a Procter & Gamble factory in northwestern Turkey on Thursday and rescued seven hostages, ending a protest against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, the local governor's office said.
The Kocaeli governor's office said that the hostages were unharmed, adding that the operation to rescue them was launched after negotiations with the hostage-taker failed.
"Our security forces intervened and neutralized...
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