Attention to the Unseen

The Daily Beast reports: Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson made waves on Friday when he criticized not only President Donald Trump, whom he described as being “complicit” in Israel’s attack on Iran, but also former Fox News pals like Sean Hannity and Rupert Murdoch for acting as “warmongers.” In his Friday morning newsletter, Carlson wrote of Trump’s prior knowledge of the attack on Iran, “While the American military may not have physically perpetrated the assault, years of funding and sending weapons…

Read More Read More

Middle East Eye reports: The US quietly delivered hundreds of Hellfire missiles to Israel before its unprecedented attack on Iran on Friday, Middle East Eye can reveal. The US sent around 300 Hellfire missiles to Israel on Tuesday in a large-scale stock-up of supplies before its attack, and as the Trump administration was saying it was ready to continue engaging Iran in nuclear talks. The transfer of such a large quantity of Hellfires suggests that the Trump administration was well-informed…

Read More Read More

  We are at the risk of wider war in the Middle East and Persian Gulf. Israel has attacked Iran, both its facilities and its personnel. Iran has responded with ballistic missiles. We will talk to Trita Parsi. He is Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute. His books include Treacherous Alliance, the Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States, and Losing an Enemy, Obama, Iran, and the triumph of Diplomacy. We’ll talk about many things including the…

Read More Read More

  Tensions in the Middle East are sky-high as Israel unleashed what it called “preemptive strikes” on Iran last night — in what experts warn could fuel a broader nuclear arms race. In a breaking news live Zeteo Town Hall, Iranian-American academic and policy adviser Vali Nasr speaks to Prem Thakker — and they break down everything you need to know about the conflict. With regards to the region and the Arab world, Nasr says: “If Israel crushes Iran, then…

Read More Read More

Reuters reports: U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters on Friday it was unclear whether Iran still has a nuclear program following Israeli strikes, but experts say the damage to the country’s nuclear facilities so far has appeared limited. Israel’s attacks succeeded in killing Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists and striking military command and control facilities and air defenses, but satellite imagery did not yet show significant damage to nuclear infrastructure, several experts said. “The first day was aimed at…

Read More Read More

Barbara Slavin writes: As I write this early on a Friday morning, the bombs, missiles, and drones are continuing to fly between Israel and Iran. Diplomacy is at threat, and an already bloodied Middle East is on edge. It is far too soon to predict the outcome of Israel’s massive assault on a long-time enemy — as well as the spillover effects on Israel’s chief ally, the U.S. Already, Iran has lost its top military leadership and its main facility…

Read More Read More

Andrew Roth writes: Donald Trump is walking a tightrope as he claims that he was fully aware of Israel’s plans to launch massive airstrikes against Iran while continuing to distance the US from those strikes and deny Washington took any active role in the preparations. The White House’s messaging has shifted quickly from Marco Rubio’s arms-length description of the Israeli attack as a “unilateral action”, to Trump claiming on Friday morning that he was fully in the loop on the…

Read More Read More

The Times of Israel reports: The IDF in an official statement says that it has launched a “precise, preemptive strike” in Iran, “with the goal of damaging Iran’s nuclear program and in response to the Iranian regime’s ongoing aggression against Israel.” “Dozens of Israeli Air Force aircraft recently completed the opening blow, which included strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear-related sites in various areas in Iran,” the IDF says. “The public is requested to follow the instructions of…

Read More Read More