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Biden Admin Expresses ‘Official Condolences’ for Death of Iranian President Who Was Dubbed the ‘Butcher of Tehran’

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The Biden administration on Monday expressed condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

Raisi and several Iranian regime officials were killed in a helicopter crash in northern Iran over the weekend. Raisi, known as the “Butcher of Tehran,” oversaw aggressive foreign policies that increased tensions with the West and authoritarian domestic policies to repress and abuse the Iranian population, whom he was deeply unpopular with.

“The United States expresses its official condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and other members of their delegation in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement on Monday. “As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

“We regret any loss of life. We don’t want to see anyone die in a helicopter crash,” Miller told reporters on Monday.

(Read more from “Biden Admin Expresses ‘Official Condolences’ for Death of Iranian President Who Was Dubbed the ‘Butcher of Tehran'” HERE)

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Iran’s President in Helicopter Crash; Still Missing in Mountains

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By Breitbart. Iranians have been asked to pray for the safety of President Ebrahim Raisi after his helicopter went missing on the way back from a meeting Sunday with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.

The helicopter was also carrying Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, among other officials. It went missing in heavy fog in the mountainous region of northwestern Iran. (Read more from “Iran’s President in Helicopter Crash; Still Missing in Mountains” HERE)

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Authorities Lost Contact With Raisi’s Helicopter; Rescue Teams Still en Route to Site — Iranian Reports

By The Times of Israel. Authorities have lost contact with the helicopter in which Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was traveling, according to the Iranian Fars news agency.

Initial reports indicate that a helicopter carrying the Iranian president crash-landed.

The two other helicopters in the convoy, which were carrying ministers and officials, arrived at their destination safely, Tansim reports.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Seyyed Mohammad-Ali Al-Hashem, the Friday prayer imam of Tabriz, were said to have been on the helicopter with Raisi, the report adds. (Read more from “Authorities Lost Contact With Raisi’s Helicopter; Rescue Teams Still en Route to Site — Iranian Reports” HERE)

‘Extremely Troubling’: Biden Official Suspended for Unnerving Reason

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Two GOP lawmakers claimed Monday to have discovered the reason why Robert Malley, President Joe Biden’s special envoy for Iran, was suspended from his role.

Pending a federal investigation, Malley was suspended without pay and had his security clearance revoked in June 2023 with little reason given as to why. Republican Idaho Sen. James Risch and Texas Rep. Mike McCaul sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday saying that their “own investigations have uncovered” that Malley was put under investigation and on leave because “he allegedly transferred classified documents to his personal email account and downloaded these documents to his personal cell phone,” according to The Washington Post.

“It is unclear to whom he intended to provide these documents, but it is believed that a hostile cyber actor was able to gain access to his email and/or phone and obtain the downloaded information,” the lawmakers wrote.

McCaul and Risch asked Blinken in the letter to answer a series of questions about their findings, including how many classified documents Malley was handling, whether he attempted to send them to another party, whether a “malign cyber actor” — such as the Iranian regime — gained access to his phone, and whether he has received warnings from the State Department before about his handling of classified material.

“The allegations we have been privy to are extremely troubling and demand immediate answers,” McCaul and Risch wrote in the letter to Blinken. “These allegations have substantial impact on our national security and people should be held accountable swiftly and strongly. We look forward to your immediate response.” (Read more from “‘Extremely Troubling’: Biden Official Suspended for Unnerving Reason” HERE)

Israel Strikes Iranian Sites Near Suspected Nuclear Facilities, Reports Say

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Reports have surfaced indicating that Israel launched airstrikes targeting multiple Iranian sites, including areas near suspected locations of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Israel’s Army Radio disclosed early Friday morning local time that ABC News had identified Israeli strikes near the town of Isfahan, Iran, as well as in regions within Syria and Iraq. The Times of Israel further detailed:

According to Iran’s Fars news agency, explosions were heard near the airport in Isfahan, central Iran. However, the cause of these explosions remains unknown, with investigations ongoing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.

Isfahan province hosts several Iranian nuclear sites, including Natanz, which serves as a focal point for Iran’s uranium enrichment efforts.

Speculation circulated on social media suggesting that the targets in Syria and Iraq might be associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the external terrorist arm of the Iranian military.

The Israeli strikes are believed to be in response to a significant missile and drone assault launched by Iran against Israel over the preceding weekend. Despite interception by Israeli and allied air defenses, this marked the first direct attack by Iran against Israel from Iranian territory.

Israel had previously issued warnings that any attack originating from Iran would prompt retaliatory strikes within Iranian borders.

For years, Israel has contemplated the possibility of targeting Iran’s nuclear program, regardless of support from the United States.

Assessments indicate that the Iranian regime lacks substantial air defense capabilities. Dr. Shay Har-Zvi of the Institute for Policy and Strategy (IPS) at Reichman University, speaking to Breitbart News, noted that Iran’s air defenses, supplied primarily by Russia, have yet to incorporate the latest generation systems like the S-400. He suggested that Israeli actions might be motivated by concerns over potential Russian-Iranian collaboration, which could lead to the deployment of advanced air defense systems by Iran. However, he also emphasized Russia’s reluctance to directly engage in a confrontation between Iran and Israel.

Iran Closes Nuclear Facilities Over Fears They Could Be Targeted in Strike

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The Islamic Republic of Iran temporarily closed its nuclear facilities this week over “security considerations” that they could be targeted by Israel in an airstrike in retaliation for Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone barrage.

“We are always concerned about this possibility,” said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi at a U.N. Security Council meeting. “What I can tell you is that our inspectors in Iran were informed by the Iranian government that [Sunday], all the nuclear facilities that we are inspecting every day would remain closed on security considerations.”

Grossi kept inspectors back on Monday over fears that Israel could hit the facilities after Iran launched combined more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel over the weekend — the first time the country has ever directly attacked Israel.

Several foreign policy and military experts urged Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear program following the attack, arguing that the window was closing for them to do so. (Read more from “Iran Closes Nuclear Facilities Over Fears They Could Be Targeted in Strike” HERE)

WATCH: Democrats Refuse to Condemn Burning American Flag, Chanting ‘Death to America’

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Numerous House Democrats in the nation’s capital refused to condemn burning the American flag and chanting “death to America” when confronted by a reporter this week.

The questions from the reporter came in response to far-Left protesters on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City this week holding a pro-Palestinian demonstration that disrupted traffic.

“Anti-Israel protesters blocking the Brooklyn Bridge were burning the American flag and chanting ‘Death to America,’” the reporter said to Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA). “Do you support that type of protest? Congresswoman, do you support burning the American flag and chanting Death to America?”

Pressley refused to answer or even acknowledge the reporter.

The reporter later asked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) the same questions.

(Read more from “WATCH: Democrats Refuse to Condemn Burning American Flag, Chanting ‘Death to America’” HERE)

Israel Decides on Response to Iranian Missile Attack: Report

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Israeli media reported on Tuesday evening that the country’s war cabinet has decided how it will respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack over the weekend with the timing being the only factor that has not yet been determined.

The war cabinet — which consists of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and a former head of Israel’s military, Benny Gantz — is now waiting for “opportunity to be exploited” so that the attack can be launched, according to Israel’s Kann News.

Government officials advised Netanyahu that he needed to attack “sensitive facilities in Iran” in response to the Islamic Republic launching more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel, the report said.

One government official said that the longer the response takes to carry out, the less likely it is to be significant in scale or impact. (Read more from “Israel Decides on Response to Iranian Missile Attack: Report” HERE)

Saudi Arabia Publicly Acknowledges It Helped Defend Israel This Weekend

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Saudi Arabia formally acknowledged that it helped shoot down kamikaze drones heading for Israel. It’s part of the Kingdom’s not-so-secret “cozy” relationship with the Jewish state over the past few years. There are no formal diplomatic ties between these two countries yet.

Still, there’s hope that the Trump-era Abraham Accords, where Morocco, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Sudan signed a normalization treaty with Israel, can be built upon and expanded. There should be cautious optimism. These new revelations reveal that the Middle East, by and large, might not want to be thrust into a destructive regional war. However, recognizing Israel’s right to exist might still be a diplomatic work in progress. Arab nations provided Israel and American forces with vital intelligence during Iran’s assault against Israel over the weekend[.] (Read more from “Saudi Arabia Publicly Acknowledges It Helped Defend Israel This Weekend” HERE)

White House on Iran Striking Despite U.S. Saying Not To: ‘Another Way of Looking at This Is, They Didn’t’ Succeed

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During an interview with CBS on Monday, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby responded to a question on Iran attacking Israel despite American warnings to not do so and what that says about American influence in the region by stating that “I think another way of looking at this is, they didn’t. They meant to cause casualties, they meant to cause extensive damage inside Israel, and they didn’t.” . . .

Kirby responded, “I think another way of looking at this is, they didn’t. They meant to cause casualties, they meant to cause extensive damage inside Israel, and they didn’t. And the reason they didn’t was because the United States and partners came to help…defend Israel, we came to their assistance, and we knocked down just about everything that the Iranians threw up into the sky. And as the president told Prime Minister Netanyahu on the phone Saturday night, this was an extraordinary success, and you ought to look at it as an extraordinary success. Israel proved that it’s not alone and they proved that they’re militarily superior to Iran. And they ought to consider what that success actually means in the region. There’s no reason for this to escalate further. The president doesn’t want a wider war in the region. Everything he’s been doing since October 7 has been designed to prevent that. And, of course, we’re not looking for a war with Iran.” (Read more from “White House on Iran Striking Despite U.S. Saying Not To: ‘Another Way of Looking at This Is, They Didn’t’ Succeed” HERE)

‘The U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!’ Iran Warns America Against Helping Israel

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Iran is threatening a wider attack should Israel respond militarily to its massive drone and missile assault, while also warning the United States against further involvement.

The Islamic Republic fired more than 300 missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from its territory toward Israel overnight Saturday, in what Tehran says was retaliation for the April 1 killing of several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers in Syria by Israel.

“If the Zionist regime (Israel) or its supporters demonstrate reckless behavior, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said in a statement on Sunday.

“We used an attack with ballistic and cruise missiles. The operation was designed to attack the air base from which the Israeli planes that attacked the consulate [in Damascus] were launched. There were direct hits in the attack. We only targeted military bases,” said Mohammad Bakri, chief of staff of the Iranian Army.

“We sent a message to the U.S. that if it cooperates with Israel in the next steps, its bases will not be safe,” he added. (Read more from “‘The U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!’ Iran Warns America Against Helping Israel” HERE)