#8 (10/21/2024-10/28/2024) The US succeeded in containing Israel’s response to Iran’s missile attack on 1st October.

Last week, the tension between Iran and Israel levelled up and put the region on the brink of war. However, it could be escalated further, but for the US diplomacy to restrain Israel from targeting Iran’s civilian infrastructure. Here are all the headlines about the US foreign policy and the Middle East in the last week:

??

The Latest in last week:

27

October

US says Iran shouldn't respond to Israel strikes

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Tehran against responding to Israel's strikes on military sites in Iran and said he stressed in a call to his Israeli counterpart the opportunities to de-escalate tensions in the region (TRTWorld).

27

October

Kamala Harris says she is not concerned about Trump’s talks with Netanyahu

“No,” Harris said when asked if talks between Trump and Netanyahu could undermine what the current U.S. government is trying to achieve.?“I do believe that it is critically important that we as the United States of America be an active participant in encouraging one, that this war ends, that we get the hostages out but also that there is a real commitment among nations to a two-state solution and the ‘day after’ (in Gaza),” Harris told reporters (Read more at?Swissinfo).

26

October

US notified by Israel ahead of its strikes in Iran

The official added that there was no U.S. involvement in the Israeli operation (Read more at?Swissinfo).

25

October

Blinken says it is imperative to reach diplomatic resolution in Lebanon

Blinken has also held talks this week to advance efforts to find a diplomatic solution in Lebanon, where Israel launched a ground campaign and intensified air assault against Hezbollah over the past month that has displaced 1.2 million people (Read more at?Swissinfo).

25

October

Qatari Amir meets US Secretary of State

The meeting focused on strengthening the strategic relations between Qatar and the United States, as well as discussing the latest regional and international developments of mutual concern, particularly the situation in Gaza, the occupied Palestinian territories, and Lebanon (Read more at?Qatar Tribune).

25

October

US F-16 jets arrive in Middle East amid fears of Israeli strike on Iran

F-16s from 480th Fighter Squadron based in Germany arrive in Central Command area of responsibility.?CENTCOM did not specify the intended operational role of the F-16s but emphasised their mission to reinforce US presence in the region (Read more at?TRTWorld).

25

October

Biden apology for Indian boarding schools interrupted by Gaza protester

President Joe Biden?formally apologised on Friday for the U.S. government's role in running abusive Native American boarding schools for more than 150 years, and was heckled at the event over his?support for Israel's war on Gaza. A?pro-Palestinian protester?shouted: "How can you apologize for a genocide while committing a genocide in Palestine?"?The president replied, "There is a lot of innocent people being killed and it has to stop." (Read more at?New Arab)

25

October

Jared Kushner Faces Calls for Special Counsel Probe Into Saudi Ties

Kushner, who is married to Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka, has long faced criticism from Democratic figures?regarding a $2 billion investment?secured by his private equity fund, Affinity Partners. This funding from a Saudi Arabian fund led by Crown Prince?Mohammed bin Salman?was received six months after Kushner left his White House position in January 2021 (Read more at?Newsweek).

25

October

Jordan accuses Israel of 'ethnic cleansing' in Gaza at US-Arab talks

Ayman Safadi, Jordan's Foreign Minister, used meetings between the US and Arab countries in London to warn that the Middle East "stands at the brink of a regional war". He said the "only path to save the region from that" was for Israel to stop its "aggressions" to the north and south.?In strongly-worded comments, Mr Safadi said Israel's war on two fronts and "illegal measures" in the West Bank were "pushing the situation to an abyss". He said mediators trying to broker a ceasefire were trying to "get through the nightmare that the region continues to live in" (Read more at?The National).

24

October

US approves possible sale of TOW missiles to Saudi Arabia

"The proposed sale will improve the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing the strength of its homeland defense," it said in a statement (Read more at?Anadolu Ajans?).

24

October

U.S. negotiators to travel to Doha toresume Gaza cease-fire talks

The Biden administration believes Sinwar was the main obstacle to an agreement, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to the region this week hoping to achieve a breakthrough.?Among the options is an Egyptian proposal?for a two-week cease-fire in exchange for the release of six hostages.?Still, it is not immediately clear who would be the decision-maker for any proposal brought forward to Hamas, which has yet to choose Sinwar’s successor (Read more at?NBC News).

24

October

US opposes prolonged Israeli campaign in Lebanon

The United States and Qatar announced a resumption of negotiations on a Gaza ceasefire as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said mediators were exploring new options after months of failing to seal a US-led plan (Read more at?France 24).

24

October

US concerns over Israel's strikes on Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers

Austin's messages related to an incident that occurred last Sunday when three Lebanese soldiers were killed in an Israeli strike on an army vehicle in southern Lebanon (Read more at?RBC-Ukraine).

24

October

US’ Blinken urges Israel to end its war in Gaza

Blinken said Israel had succeeded in ensuring there could be no repeat of last year’s Oct. 7 assault and it should be looking to bring home the remaining 101 Israeli and foreign hostages and end the fighting.?“Now is the time to turn those successes into an enduring strategic success,” he told reporters as he prepared to leave for Riyadh on the next stage of his visit to the Middle East.?Blinken repeated that the US rejected any Israeli occupation of Gaza and said he had been assured by Netanyahu that Israel had no such plans. “It’s been US policy, it will remain US policy, and it’s also, to the best of my understanding, the policy of the Israeli government, that I heard from the prime minister, who is the authoritative word on these things,” he said?(Read more at?Taipei Times).

23

October

Iranian Hacker Group Aims at US Election Websites and Media Before Vote

An Iranian hacking group is actively scouting U.S. election-related websites and American media outlets as Election Day nears, with activity suggesting preparations for more "direct influence operations," according to a Microsoft blog (Read more at?AOL).

23

October

US warns failure to safeguard Gaza civilians could haunt Israel

In each call, US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin said he cites the need for Israel to be more precise during military operations against Palestinian group, Hamas, to limit civilian casualties, and cites the need to get humanitarian assistance to the civilian population.?“Failure to do that will create a generation of Palestinians that really will continue to resist cooperating with Israel in the future. So you’re actually increasing the numbers of insurgents … if you fail to do that,” Austin said.?“It’s a strategic imperative in my view.” (Read more at?Middle East Monitor)

23

October

US has no evidence of Hezbollah cash bunker under Beirut hospital

“We will continue to collaborate with our Israeli counterparts to gain better fidelity on exactly what they are looking at,” Austin told reporters in Rome (Read more at?Arabnews).

23

October

Rocket attack forces Antony Blinken to seek cover in Israeli air raid shelter

Smoke, apparently from an intercepted projectile, could be seen in the sky above the hotel where Blinken was staying. A loudspeaker inside the building told everyone to stay inside.?A second administration official said the rocket had been fired by the Lebanon-based?Hezbollah militant group.?The all-clear from the citywide alert came approximately 10 minutes after the sirens started (Read more at?NBC News).

23

October

Oil slips on higher US crude stockpiles; market watches Middle East

"The market continues to wait for Israel's response to Iran's missile attack," ING analysts said on Wednesday, adding that the price strength on Tuesday was possibly due to the lack of outcome from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's latest visit to Israel (Read more at?Yahoo Finance).

23

October

US Charges IRGC Official, Others in Iran-Backed Plot to Assassinate Journalist

Prosecutors have said that the defendants had plotted to lure Alinejad out of her house by asking her for flowers from her garden and then gun her down.?U.S. prosecutors have previously charged other suspects in the case, including one man in 2022 and two more in January 2023. Tuesday's filing did not name the alleged victim, but one of the previously charged suspects in the case was arrested for having a rifle outside the Brooklyn home of journalist and activist Masih Alinejad, Reuters reported (Read more at?ArianaNews).

23

October

Russia, Iran, China could stoke post-election violence, US intelligence officials say

?

"Foreign actors, particularly Russia, Iran and China, remain intent on fanning divisive narratives to divide Americans and undermine Americans' confidence in the U.S. democratic system. These activities are consistent with what these actors perceive to be in their interests, even as their tactics continue to evolve," said one official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (Read more at?MSN).

22

October

US unveils new rules to block Iran from accessing bulk US data

The proposal, which was previewed in March, implements an executive order issued earlier this year by President Joe Biden which aims to keep foreign adversaries from using accessible American financial and genomic data and health data for cyber attacks, espionage and blackmail (Read more at?Business Standard).

22

October

US says THAAD system is ‘in place’ as it anticipates Israeli retaliation

Austin declined to say whether the system was operational, but added: “We have the ability to put it into operation very quickly and we’re on pace with our expectations.”?“At the end of the day, that’s an Israeli decision, and whether or not the Israelis believe it’s proportional and how the Iranians perceive it, I mean those may be two different things,” he said (Read more at?Arab Weekly)

22

October

Blinken Told Netanyahu Israel Needs to Do More on Gaza Humanitarian Aid

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that Israel has so far taken insufficient steps to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza, and he asked it to work to improve the situation.?Blinken held "extended conversations" about the humanitarian situation in Gaza with Netanyahu and other senior Israeli leaders, who committed to act upon the U.S. requests (Read more at?USNews).

22

October

Netanyahu Meets Blinken, Urges Political and Security Changes in Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said there was a need for a security and political change in Lebanon that would allow displaced Israelis to return safely to their homes. Netanyahu met with Blinken for 2-1/2 hours on Tuesday and the meeting was friendly and productive, according to a statement from the prime minister's office (Read more at?MSN).

22

October

Halkbank Iran Sanctions Case Can Go Forward, US Court Says

The?decision by the US Court of Appeals in Manhattan could remove legal obstacle to the longstanding case proceeding to trial. Last year, the US Supreme Court ruled Halkbank wasn’t shielded from prosecution by a US statute granting immunity to governments for official acts (Read more at?MSN).

21

October

Police arrest pro-Palestine students at University of Minnesota

Police have arrested an unknown number of pro-Palestine protesters at the University of Minnesota after a group of students briefly occupied an administrative building in protest against Israel's genocide in Gaza, organisers said.?The Monday afternoon protest prompted an alert from school officials: "Protestors have entered Morrill Hall on the East Bank, causing property damage and restricting entrance and exit from the building," the alert said (Read more at?TRTWorld).

21

October

US Treasury official speaks to Palestinian PM about economic stability

They discussed security and economic stability in the West Bank as well as the Palestinian Authority’s efforts to improve its anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime.?The??U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo noted the Palestinian Authority’s progress on strengthening its CFT regime to further support these relationships, including by completing key milestones related to the assessment of AML/CFT risks within its jurisdiction and bolstering effective compliance with international standards (Read more at?US Treasury).

21

October

Iran Tells UN: Biden Has Signaled US Approval, Support for Attack on Iran

"The United States will bear full responsibility for its role in instigating, inciting and enabling any acts of aggression by Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran ... as well as for the catastrophic consequences on regional and international peace and security," Iran's U.N. mission said in a letter to the U.N. Security Council (Read more at?USNews).

21

October

US investigation of IDF unit over alleged abuse against Palestinians

Nine members of Force 100 investigated over allegations of sexual assaulting prisoners at Sde Teiman detention camp?that could lead to it being barred from receiving assistance.?The investigation – a rare occurrence on the part of the US with regard to Israel – could result in the unit being penalised under a landmark peace of legislation known as?the Leahy law, which prohibits the state and defence departments from rendering assistance to foreign security force units facing credible accusations of human rights abuses (Read more at?Guardian).

21

October

US says it is seeking lasting end to war in Lebanon as soon as possible

After holding talks in Beirut on Monday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Hochstein suggested that ceasefire efforts be focused on the implementation of a United Nations Security Council resolution that ended the last war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006.?Hochstein added that additional steps must be taken to make sure that 1701 is enforced “fairly, accurately, transparently, so that everybody knows the path that we’re on” (Read more at?Aljazeera).

21

October

Qatar LNG sales to key Asian markets confronted by US, UAE rivalry

Qatar was once the top LNG supplier to Japan and South Korea, but buyers are showing preference for supplies from the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. These suppliers all offer shorter-term contracts and unlike Qatar do not restrict the cargoes' final destination.?This gives buyers the flexibility to sell cargoes elsewhere in the future if they no longer need the cargoes.?US sellers, ADNOC and Oman generally offer LNG volumes on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, which allows buyers to resell cargoes. Deals are usually linked to US natural gas prices at the Henry Hub benchmark, which tends to be cheaper than contracts linked to oil (Read more at?Business Standard).

21

October

Trump blames Biden for Mideast crises in Al-Arabiya interview

Trump said: “If I were president, that war would have never started. You wouldn’t have all those dead people... (and) demolished cities and areas. (We) wouldn’t have had Oct. 7.” He criticized Joe Biden and his administration’s foreign policy failures for the wars on multiple fronts (Read more at?Arabnews).

21

October

Israel shares Lebanon ceasefire demands with US

Two demands are revealed: Israel wants freedom for its air force to operate in Lebanon’s airspace and for the Israeli military to be allowed to carry out “active enforcement” in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.?One US official said?neither Lebanon nor the international community would likely agree to conditions that would “dramatically undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty” (Read more at?Arabnews).

?

Good Analysis:

27

October

How Biden Pushed Israel to Calibrate Its Strikes on Iran

The first move by Biden's administration was to acknowledge that Iran would have to pay for the Oct. 1 attack, officials say.?U.S. officials worked to present an alternative option that included a set of different measures: Washington worked to impose oil sanctions targeting Iran's so-called "Ghost Fleet" to offer an alternative measure to the Israelis who wanted to damage Iran's oil revenues with a kinetic strike. Moreover, the United States worked to bolster Israel's air defenses ahead of its Saturday strike on Iran. Before deploying the system, the United States wanted to know Israel's attack plans (Read more at?USNews).

23

October

The 41-year-old lessons of the 1983 U.S. Marines barracks bombing in Beirut

Americans should reflect on how the United States got ensnared in an earlier Israeli war there, and the tragic result of that involvement that occurred 41 years ago this week.?Israel?invaded Lebanon?in 1982, which was the beginning of an occupation that would not end completely until 2000.?One of the most horrifying low points was the?massacre?in September 1982 at the?Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. The Israel Defense Forces,?fired?illuminating flares so that the killing could continue through the night.?A couple of weeks earlier, the United States under the Reagan administration had agreed to?deploy?US Marines.?At least on the face of it, this deployment had a noble peacekeeping mission (Read more at?New Arab).

?

This is the only newsletter that is solely dedicated to the US foreign policy in the Middle East. To receive the newsletter in your inbox once a week, register here: https://isadeli.substack.com