Last Friday, #ISIS attacks killed 25+ pro- #Assad fighters in several attacks in central & eastern #Syria .

On Saturday, the #SDF claimed to have foiled a major #ISIS attack on #Hasakeh city, detaining 38 #ISIS militants in a series of raids.

#Assad 's being a little devious here -- these meetings (under #Trump & #Biden ) have been primarily focused on the case of Austin Tice & other U.S. citizens believed held in #Assad -held #Syria .

A secret #Biden NSC trip to #Oman a year ago, however, did partly touch on 'politics.'

This morning, #Assad 's regime directed a suicide drone into a small crane being used by farmers repairing a water well in #Aleppo 's western countryside.

Two other civilian vehicles were struck by suicide drones nearby, leaving several injured.

#Iran 's proxies in #Iraq have targeted U.S. troops twice in 24hrs -- once at Ain al-Asad ( #Anbar , # #Iraq ) & once at RLZ base (NE #Syria ).

As I said last week, signals have been clear in recent days that a re-activation of attacks on U.S. 'soft targets' was coming.

تعافي ' #داعش '... الساحات والتهديدات majalla.com/node/314721 - Charles Lister

This facility was originally the U.S. military’s “Forward Operating Base/FOB Kalsu” & is more recently under the control of #Iraq ’s PMF militias.

NEW - reported airstrike on an #Iraq military base & weapons depot in Iskandariya in #Babil province.

Footage here & elsewhere shows clear signs of secondary detonations of weaponry/ammunition therein.

All solidarity with Emma Tsurkov — #Iraq ’s government has done nothing to truly seek my friend Elizabeth Tsurkov🌻’s release.

She’s being held by Kataib #Hezbollah , a terrorist organization that happens to be embedded in #Iraq ’s political & military establishment.

Shame indeed.

#Qatar 's recent statements on #Gaza mediation are intended as protest -- any threat to disengage is negated by the fact that there's no simply more effective alternative.

Spurious allegations, meanwhile, are politics, not fact.

My comments to The World:

theworld.org/segments/2024/…

'This was far from the ‘devastating’ retaliation promised by so many in #Israel .. #Iran ’s swift denial could also be designed to shut this door, but time will tell whether #Iran ’s proxies are folded into that equation.'

My comments to POLITICO:

politico.com/news/2024/04/1…

With #Israel 's stated objectives in #Gaza far from accomplished, #Hamas re-emerging in the north, #Rafah unresolved & hostilities with #Hezbollah in #Lebanon spiking, is the Israel Defense Forces at risk of being stretched thin, or outstretched altogether?

Good thread from Jack Detsch:

NEW - French security forces have surrounded #Iran ’s consulate in #Paris after a man carrying explosives (grenades &/or suicide belt) has entered the facility & threatened to blow himself up.

It looks like #Israel 's strikes on #Iran overnight likely involved the use of 'Blue Sparrow' air-launched ballistic target missiles.

What appears to be a Sparrow booster (which separates, as standard) was found near #Baghdad .

According to #Iran media & sources:

- Drones, not missiles
- No target hit on ground
- Air defense worked
- All normal on the ground
- Supreme National Security Council currently meeting
- #IRGC air defense on alert
- Airspace largely closed, air traffic grounded
- #Tabriz fine.

The #IRGC claim to have downed several #Israel missiles over #Iran airspace tonight -- though I'd suggest taking that with a giant pinch of salt.

#Iran 's proxy networks are already implicating the U.S. in #Israel 's strikes tonight -- claiming [illogically] that U.S. aircraft conducted refueling for #Israel 's jets over #Iraq airspace.

Watch this space. U.S. troops likely back in the target set, once again.

At the same time, #Israel 's action tonight pales in comparison to the 'devastating' threats made by much of the war cabinet since Saturday night. More could come later through covert action, but nevertheless.

Hard not to envision some form of #Iran response coming, though.

With one air sortie, #Israel just did more damage to the #IRGC than #Iran managed with ~350 suicide drones, cruise missiles & ballistic missiles over the weekend.

#Israel almost certainly fired from #Iraq 's airspace -- not needing to enter #Iran itself.