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2 days ago | 
fdd.org | Reagan Easter |Ivana Stradner
As negotiations continue between Russia and Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pushing for the return of thousands of kidnapped Ukrainian children. Earlier this month in Istanbul, Russia acknowledged deporting children from eastern Ukraine. U.S. senators have introduced a bipartisan resolution calling for the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. President Trump should do more to help bring these kids home.
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2 days ago | 
fdd.org | Reagan Easter |Clifford D. May
The uranium enrichment plant at Fordow was known as the jewel in the crown of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s “supreme leader.” It would have been more accurate to call it the dagger in the ayatollah’s cloak, or maybe the bomb in the terrorist’s backpack. It was one ingredient in a decades-long strategic cocktail: Cook up terrorist proxies to kill and die for you and your goals; place them in a “ring of fire” around Israel; obtain a nuclear weapons capability; stir or shake vigorously.
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3 days ago | 
fdd.org | Reagan Easter |Bridget Toomey |Joe Truzman |Bill Roggio
As Israel and Iran exchanged final volleys of fire in the early hours of June 24 after US President Donald Trump brokered a still-uncertain ceasefire, unknown actors, strongly thought to be Iran-backed Shiite militias, launched attacks on US and Iraqi bases throughout Iraq. Sabah al Numan, the military spokesman for Iraq’s prime minister, acknowledged the attacks in a statement released on the prime minister’s official X account.
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1 week ago | 
fdd.org | Reagan Easter |Clifford D. May
In 1979, I spent several months in Iran covering what was then called the Iranian Revolution. My attempts to learn Farsi were unsuccessful. But all these years later, two phrases stick in my mind: “Marg bar Esrāʾil!” and “Marg bar Āmrikā!”Many of my fellow reporters insisted that “Death to Israel!” and “Death to America!” should not be taken literally or even seriously.
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1 week ago | 
fdd.org | Reagan Easter |Cameron McMillan |Ryan Brobst
The Pentagon is surging additional combat power to the Middle East and Europe as the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict shows no signs of cooling down. The USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is reportedly heading from East Asia to the Middle East. A large fleet of U.S. Air Force air-to-air refueling aircraft also reportedly flew across the Atlantic to Europe on June 15, where they could be used to support operations in the Middle East.
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1 week ago | 
fdd.org | Reagan Easter |Ivana Stradner
As Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear programme continues, the Kremlin is flexing its diplomatic muscles. Vladimir Putin offered his mediation service during his call with President Trump, who later emphasised that he “would be open to it.” Russia has also restated its willingness to take uranium from Iran as part of a nuclear deal. This plan would see Russia take control of highly enriched uranium produced by Iran and use it for energy production.
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1 week ago | 
fdd.org | Reagan Easter |Joe Truzman
Since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, the Israeli military has targeted and eliminated key figures belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s (IRI) military apparatus. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched Operation Rising Lion just after midnight on June 13, targeting key nuclear and military facilities inside Iran.
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1 week ago | 
fdd.org | Reagan Easter |Bill Roggio
The Taliban has condemned Israeli strikes on Iranian soil, including the elimination of nuclear personnel, denouncing the attacks as “actions that flagrantly violate the core tenets of international law.” The statement, released by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on June 13, the day Israel struck Iran’s nuclear program, air defenses, ballistic missiles, military commanders, and other key targets, highlights the longstanding ties between the terror group and the Iranian regime.
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1 week ago | 
fdd.org | Reagan Easter |Seth J. Frantzman
In the days before Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, the State Department was preparing for a possible evacuation of personnel from Iraq. In the past, Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have targeted the US Embassy in Baghdad as well as US military personnel in Iraq. Iraq is in a complex position because it hosts American forces who are part of the US-led coalition to defeat the remnants of ISIS.
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1 week ago | 
fdd.org | Reagan Easter |Seth J. Frantzman
At least 30 Iranian ballistic missiles have landed in Israel since the beginning of the recent conflict between Israel and Iran on June 13. Iran has launched more than 370 missiles at Israel since the hostilities started, according to Israel’s Government Press Office. By the morning of June 16, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel, and roughly 600 have been wounded, 10 of them seriously.
