US Marines Move Closer To Eastern Mediterranean

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the operations through posts on X, claiming that they had struck Hezbollah facilities in Lebanon.

The attacks came only hours after Hezbollah announced that its Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah would deliver a speech this Friday.

They first teased the news with a 10-second video, in which a figure resembling Nasrallah is seen walking past a Hezbollah logo on a wall. The mysterious clip went viral as viewers tried to decipher it.

Speculation is rife that Nasrallah's upcoming speech may involve some kind of declaration of war against Israel.

Hezbollah, backed by the regime in Iran, boasts an extensive stockpile of rockets, which makes it a far more formidable military force compared to Hamas.

On Sunday, before Israel confirmed striking Syria and Lebanon, reports had emerged that Hezbollah rockets had breached Israel’s missile defense system (Iron Dome), hitting a residential building in northern Israel.

The Biden administration has been trying hard to prevent a broader conflict, which would force it to enter yet another war in the Middle East exactly one year before the 2024 elections.

Critics of Biden’s foreign policy maintain that his reluctance to act tough (against Iran, in particular) would make the situation even more difficult for the US.

“What we need to do is send a clear and forceful message,” said Senator Tom Cotton on Sunday, “whether it’s striking IRGC officials in Syria or in Iraq, or striking directly at Iranian facilities inside Iran to make it clear that we won’t tolerate attacks on Americans throughout the region by Iranian proxies.”

Last week, the Pentagon revealed that American troops in Syria and Iraq had come under repeated attacks from Iran proxies in the week between 17 and 24 October.

Senator Cotton told Fox News that the Biden administration should learn from Donald Trump in assassinating Qassem Soleimani in January 2020.

“If we don’t do something like that,” he warned, “these attacks are going to continue until Americans are killed.”

Iranian officials have become increasingly boastful since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,400 and taking more than 200 hostage.

On Sunday, Iran's President, Ebrahim Raisi, took a typically brazen line, suggesting that Hamas forces were repelling the Israelis in Gaza –and that would be “a defeat heavier than the initial one for Israel.”

Reports from northern Gaza described fierce air and artillery strikes Sunday evening, affecting areas near Gaza City's Shifa and Al-Quds hospitals.

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported receiving warnings from Israeli authorities, urging the immediate evacuation of Al-Quds hospital, which currently shelters approximately 14,000 people.

International organizations say Gaza is facing an acute humanitarian crisis. The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has warned that "many more will die" in Gaza if the Israeli bombing and siege continues.

Calls for a humanitarian ceasefire have intensified in the past week. But Israel has rejected all such calls and announced that its ground operation would continue unabated.

Hamas officials say Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have so far killed more than 8,000 Palestinians, at least half of them women and children. These numbers cannot be independently verified.

The situation is dire as basic necessities like water and food have been cut off from the densely populated enclave of 2.2 million. Israel has allowed limited aid to enter in the past few days.

On Sunday, another 33 trucks were let in, containing water, food and medicine. But the humanitarian workers on the ground say the aid received so far falls desperately short of needs.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, spoke by telephone according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA).

The conversation addressed what Amir-Abdollahian termed the "dangerous developments in the Gaza Strip" in familiar language reiterated by Iranian regime figures since Hamas declared war on October 7. The two apparently underscored "the pivotal role of the international community in achieving a ceasefire and safeguarding the civilian population, especially in light of the escalation of military operations", as Israel began targeted ground operations this weekend.

The engagement between Iran and Saudi Arabia follows their in-person meeting at the end of October during a session of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held in Jeddah.

Last week, US President Joe Biden said a primary goal of Iran-backed Hamas' attack of October 7, the single most deadly day for Jews since the Holocaust, was to throw out normalization between Israel and Saudi, following deals with other Persian Gulf states under the Trump administration. 

"One of the reasons Hamas moved on Israel ... they knew that I was about to sit down with the Saudis," Biden said. "Guess what? The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel."

Just days ago, the Deputy Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Ali Fadavi, claimed that Hamas had successfully disrupted efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel with its attack, which it deemed a US conspiracy.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said during an appearance on CNN Sunday that Iran does not want the Mideast war to "spread out."

"We always had political, media, and international support for Palestine. We have never denied this," he said, adding, "This is the truth, but in relation to this operation called the Al Aqsa Storm, there was no connection between Iran and this Hamas operation, not my government nor part of my country." 

Earlier in the day, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi renewed threats to Israel and the US after Israel launched the ground offensive in Gaza. "The Zionist regime's crimes have crossed the red lines, which may force everyone to take action," he said, suggesting once again the threat of action from its proxies in the region.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Sunday that he would not comment on the expanded ground operation, but he said Washington supported Israel's right to defend itself. "We're not drawing red lines for Israel," he added.

Authorities in the Iranian regime issue fiery statements, threatening escalation in the Gaza war, but they have not taken any concrete steps on the ground to underpin their claims. Media outlets affiliated with the regime and its Revolutionary Guards cite local media about attacks on US bases, but no Western source confirms such reports.

Two US fighter jets struck Iran-linked military facilities in Syria early Friday, a few hours after 900 more US troops arrived in Syria to bolster air defenses for American personnel amid a surge in attacks by Iran-backed militias. Earlier, White House spokesman John Kirby confirmed that Washington has “relayed direct message” to Iran after Biden reiterated its “warning to the Ayatollah,” referring to Iran’s ruler Ali Khamenei.

The Kremlin said Friday that the US strikes show broader regional tensions but claimed there is no danger of Russia being dragged into the conflict. The statement came as Moscow's decision to invite a Hamas delegation has outraged Israel, which urged Russia to expel the group, calling the invitation "deplorable".

The United States has moved 'naval cities' to the region, a move that can be construed as a more consequential move than the symbolic trip by President Joe Biden to Israel to see with his own eyes the aftermath of Hamas attack that killed 1,400 Israelis. What can the US president do for over 220 hundreds of hostages, including Americans, from Tel Aviv that he cannot do from the White House?

As the war between Israel and Hamas reverberates across the Middle East, the risk of war between Hezbollah and Israel remains higher than at any point since their last big conflict in 2006. Reuters cited unnamed sources as saying that Hezbollah knows that Lebanon, with a struggling economy and a crumbling state, cannot afford another war between Hezbollah and Israel. "Hezbollah has no interest in war. Lebanon has no interest in war", a source familiar with Hezbollah thinking said.

Israel has time and again explained to the international community how most regional vices are done by tentacles of the Islamic Republic regime. After all, even if it is possible for Israel to eliminate Hamas militants, they will resurrect thanks to Ayatollah’s deep pockets being endlessly fed with oil money.

Immediately after the multi-thronged operation that Hamas calls al-Aqsa Flood, proclaiming its goal of flooding Israelis out of al-Aqsa, Iran and several other countries and world bodies started urging not to escalate the conflict. Israel has started testing the waters of a ground invasion but wants the world to side with it in the war that according to Palestinian authorities has killed over 7,000 Palestinians.

Israel, which had depended heavily on its military tech and intelligence to control sporadic attacks by the Islamist attacks and was caught by surprise -- has called up hundreds of thousands of reservists, its largest-ever. To acclimate the new army, whose forces have mostly been far from the military atmosphere, the US may be stalling before the conflict enters the next phase, an idea popping up in conversations about the Mideast crisis.

The reason that Iran does not take US warnings seriously and calls them “requests” is the lack of – or very limited – response to attacks on US troops by Iran-backed forces. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s deputy chief of staff for political affairs Mohammad Jamshidi “does not take President Biden’s warnings seriously,” said Jason Brodsky, the policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran. “That should tell the White House something especially after over 13 attacks on US forces in October,” he added.

No major blow has been delivered against Tehran and its proxies, except for the targeted killing of IRGC’s Quds force commander Qasem Soleimani, the architect of Iran’s vast network of militias in the region. US Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) used Soleimani as an example of how the US should deal with the menace of Iran. “If Iran attacks the United States, everything the Ayatollah loves will be a target, and as you know, our aim is very good. Ask Soleimani,” he said on X (formerly twitter).

The war of words and visits to the region along with international meetings can be a prelude to the next phases of the conflict that may set the ground for World War III, that probably ensues after China joins Russia and Iran against the West.

The US has deployed large military power to near Israel but claims it will not engage in the conflict and pursues diplomacy to resolve the crisis. Biden also emphasized that its warning was about attacks on US forces and had “nothing to do with Israel at all.” However, 'Ayatollah,' who believes “diplomacy and battleground” are two complementary things which do not negate each other, claims Israel will not exist to see 2045 and moves toward his dream with material and psychological support.

His comments come after tens of thousands of protesters came to the streets of London in Iran-backed demonstrations calling for ‘free Palestine’.

As revelations came to the extent of the extremist sentiment at the rally in central London, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley admitted on Sky News: “There's bodies of law to deal with terrorism and hate crime but nothing to deal with extremism. This leaves a gap.”

In The Times on Saturday, it was revealed that Tehran is behind the protests as it tries to escalate tensions against its archenemy Israel amidst its war with Hamas in Gaza which broke out on October 7 when Hamas militia invaded Israel in a terror attack. Thousands came by land, air and sea, killing at least 1,400, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 230 more.

The demonstrations have also raised serious questions about the UK’s dealings with extremism in a year when the UK’s top security and political chiefs admitted that Iran remains one of the UK’s biggest threats.

In the article in Saturday’s The Times, it said police sources admitted that protests were found to be “directly linked to the Iranian regime and includes a campaign of online disinformation and Iranian operatives being physically present at protests”.

The UK has refused to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization, designated by the US, in spite of numerous attempted attacks on UK soil.

Earlier this month, the UK’s counter extremism commissioner, Robin Simcox, warned that the “scale of Iranian-backed activity in this country; and the extent to which Iran attempts to stoke extremism here” was massively under addressed.

MI5 chief Ken McCallum also addressed the issue this month, warning that while Iran has been posing a threat for “a long time”, Iran’s proxy war on Israel would take things in a new direction.

“In particular, the last 18 months or so have been a particularly intensive phase of Iran-generated threat on UK soil. Plainly, events in the Middle East sharpen the possibility that Iran might decide to move into new directions”, he said.

Following Saturday’s protests, analyst Amy Mek wrote on X that “Islamic Terror accounts on Twitter are reporting (celebrating) that Muslim Hamas supporters have overpowered police and are marching toward the Israeli embassy while shouting genocidal jihad chants.

She wrote of the Muslims chanting ‘Khaybar Khaybar ya yahoud’ meaning ‘we will exterminate the Jews today just as Mohamed massacred them in the Khaybar oasis in 629’ in rallies in Trafalgar Square.

“Muslims once again are promising death to Israel and death to the Jews,” she wrote.

Pointing out the problematic issue long challenging the UK which has always raised controversy for the human rights it grants terrorists: “Being accused of Islamophobia have resulted in arrests and prosecutions in the United Kingdom. However, the disturbing double standards of speech policing are evident when Muslims call for the death of Jews and Jihad on the streets of London.”

The UK’s problems are not only confined to Iran, and it is not only the UK which is seeing a rising tide of Islamic extremism, mass protests taking hold across Europe.

Simcox earlier this month raised the red flag to numerous clerics which are on UK soil, several of them praising the barbarity associated with the likes of Al Qaeda and ISIS.

Controversial figures such as Abu Hamza and Anjem Choudary have long been met with calls for more strict management of the country’s mosques.

One counter terrorism expert in the UAE said the issue lies with the country’s failure to enforce integration. “These preachers come from their home countries and preach as if they are still in their home countries, without integrating their communities to be a part of society, so their loyalty is never with their adopted country.

“They stay aligned with the plight of the people back home and rather than see themselves as British Muslims, they continue to be whatever their original nationality is, only abroad. The UK has long failed to find a way to train and integrate its clerics.”

Earlier this year, a review into the country’s Prevent programme, a counter terrorism intervention scheme, found that it had spent more time focusing on the far right that Islamic extremists, leading in one case to the murder of an MP. 

Esmail Kosari, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament and a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated, "the crimes that America is currently committing are more repugnant than Israel's because the command of the crimes lies with CENTCOM."

The claims follow Iran-backed Hamas' declaration of war on October 7, when thousands of its militia invaded Israel by air, land and sea, killing at least 1,400 and taking 230 hostage in Gaza, including women and children. While Iran denies directing the operation, it funds Hamas at least $!00m a year and backs it with the likes of military and technical support and training.

The US was quick to back Israel's right to defend itself, offering its support and sending warships to the region as Iran's leaders rallied its regional proxies to ready for a multifront conflict, but has called for calm in a bid to prevent regional escalation.

Kosari's unsubstantiated allegations claimed that the “lack of a cohesive spirit within the Israeli regime prompted the US to send CENTCOM commanders to Gaza to direct military operations” though there is no US presence in Gaza, which is solely controlled by Hamas, designated by the US, EU and UK.

His comments come at a time when US facilities in the region have come under increasing attacks from Iran-backed proxies and fears of its largest proxy, Hezbollah, joining the war, are ever present.

Just days ago, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian issued a warning regarding the United States' support for Israel during his visit to New York to attend a special session of the United Nations General Assembly. 

In an interview with Bloomberg Television from Iran's mission to the UN in New York, he warned, "The US is advising others to show self-restraint, but it has sided with Israel totally."