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US was not involved in drone attack on Iran, officials say [Video]
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US was not involved in drone attack on Iran, officials say [Video]

The United States told the Group of Seven foreign ministers on Friday that it received last minute information from Israel about a drone action in Iran, Italys foreign minister said.Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who chaired the meeting of ministers of industrialized countries, said the United States provided the information at a Friday morning session that was changed at the last minute to address the suspected attack.Early Friday, Iran fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones, part of an apparent Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehrans unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country last weekend.Tajani said the U.S. informed the G7 ministers that it had been informed at the last minute by Israel about the drones. But there was no sharing of the attack by the U.S. It was a mere information.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declined to comment on the assertion, but emphasized that the U.S. was not involved in any attack.Im not going to speak to that except to say that the United States has not been involved in any offensive operations, Blinken said.In a communique following the three-day meeting, the ministers urged the parties to prevent further escalation.Video below: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks on Israel attack on IranThe statement pledged support for Israels security and condemned in the strongest terms what the foreign ministers described as Irans unprecedented attack against Israel of April 13-14, which Israel defeated with the help of its partners, as well as the seizure of the Portuguese-flagged vessel MSC Aries in the Strait of Hormuz.We stand ready to adopt further sanctions or take other measures, now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives, the document read.The group also warned Iran against transferring ballistic missiles and related technology to Russia.On the war in Gaza, the group called on Hamas to release hostages and reminded Israel to respect international and humanitarian law.It added that G7 countries remained opposed to a full scale military operation in Rafah that would have catastrophic consequences on the civilian population,” and called for increasing the flow of aid into Gaza.”The G7 worked and will work for a de-escalation, Tajani said in a closing press conference. He said that would include a de-escalation of tensions, followed by a cease-fire, liberation of hostages and aid to the Palestinian people.

Congress moving swiftly on action to punish Iran after revenge attack on Israel [Video]
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Congress moving swiftly on action to punish Iran after revenge attack on Israel [Video]

Iran’s attack against Israel over the weekend has spurred a flurry of bipartisan legislative action in Congress, uniting lawmakers against the country even as the risk of a larger regional war looms.Several measures introduced and passed in the House and the Senate seek to publicly condemn Iran and punish the Islamic Republic financially. Lawmakers have denounced Iran’s actions, which came in response to a suspected Israeli strike weeks earlier on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed two Iranian generals.The world is on fire, and history will judge us for our action, said Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, during a news conference this week.The swift, bipartisan condemnation of Iran has put on sharp display the durability of American support for Israel, even amid growing partisan division over how the country is handling its more than six-month war with Hamas.Congressional action comes as the Biden administration on Thursday imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran, targeting 16 people and two entities that produce engines that power the drones used in the Saturday attack on Israel. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also sanctioned five firms involved in steel production and three subsidiaries of an Iranian automaker accused of materially supporting Irans military and other sanctioned groups.On Capitol Hill, the House this week passed nearly a dozen bills that would, among other things, issue a slate of new sanctions and other financial restrictions against Iran and its leaders. Other legislation looks to prevent current Iranian officials sanctioned from evading those penalties and urge the European Union to expeditiously designate Irans Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization as the U.S. has already done.On the other side of the Capitol, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday advanced five bills, including ones that targeted Iran for its human rights record and would require sanctions on ports and refineries that receive and process Iranian oil.Video below: Israel vows response after Iranian missile attackIrans direct attack on Israel this week underscores the need to further cut off the Iranian regimes key revenue streams, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire said in a statement. “I urge my colleagues in the Senate to support this bill which has already passed the House so that we can send it to President Bidens desk immediately. A number of the bills had passed the House weeks before Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel in October but have been stalled in the Senate committee. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has since caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials. Israel’s conduct of the war has revealed the depth of unease among U.S. lawmakers as concerns over the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza have caused even some of President Joe Biden’s closest allies to threaten conditioning future aid to Israel.Congressional Democrats have been reluctant to challenge Biden’s handling of the ongoing conflict and related regional tensions that have taken shape, mindful that criticism could further weaken Biden in his reelection campaign against former President Donald Trump.But the attack on Saturday has proven to consolidate public support for the Biden administration’s quick response as it ordered U.S. forces to help Israel down nearly all the 300 drones and missiles that were headed its way.It also comes as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., released legislation Wednesday that would provide $95 billion in aid collectively to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. The aid package had been held up for months over Republican opposition to continuing wartime funding for Ukraine as it battles Russia. Iran’s attack on Israel added urgency to Johnson’s plans to bring the issue to the floor for a vote.While the measures targeting Iran have received overwhelming support with the series of House bills mostly passing with at least 300 votes there has been a quiet but growing dissent among progressive Democratic lawmakers in both chambers, who warn that legislative efforts could risk further escalation in the Middle East.Following last weekends unprecedented response by Iran to Israels attack on its consulate, the Republican Majority is explicitly leveraging a series of bills to further escalate tensions in the Middle East,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in a statement Tuesday. This is a blatant attempt to distract from their own incompetence.The strike on Saturday marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel despite decades of enmity dating back to the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel has vowed to retaliate against Iran, risking further expanding the shadow war between the two foes into a direct conflict.Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, condemned Iran’s attack in a statement but called on his colleagues to respond cautiously. He warned that further U.S. action against Iran could lead to a dangerous escalation that could drag America into a war in the Middle East.Cooler heads must now prevail to ensure peace in the region and security for Israel, Sanders said.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to address Congress [Video]
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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to address Congress [Video]

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed U.S. lawmakers at the Capitol on Thursday, underscoring the importance of keeping a strong partnership between the two countries at a time of tension in the Asia-Pacific and skepticism in Congress about U.S. involvement abroad.Kishida is in Washington this week visiting President Joe Biden as the White House completes hosting each leader of the Quad an informal partnership between the U.S. Japan, Australia and India that is seen as important to countering China’s growing military strength in the region. Kishida highlighted the importance of the U.S. commitment to global security and offered reassurances that Japan is a strong partner.On Capitol Hill, his audience included many Republicans who have pushed for the U.S. to take a less active role in global affairs as they follow the America First” ethos of Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. The Republican-controlled House has sat for months on a $95 billion package that would send wartime funding to Ukraine and Israel, as well as aid to allies in the Indo-Pacific like Taiwan and humanitarian help to civilians in Gaza and Ukraine.Kishida sought to remind lawmakers of the leading role the U.S. has played globally since World War II.When necessary, it made noble sacrifices to fulfill its commitment to a better world, Kishida said.He warned that the world is again at a turning point when freedom and democracy are under threat around the globe.As we meet here today, I detect an undercurrent of self-doubt among some Americans about what your role in the world should be, he added.Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier this week that he hoped Kishida’s visit would underscore that were in a worldwide situation here against the enemies of democracy led by China, Russia and Iran.Video below: Biden gives remarks at State dinner with Japanese PMJapan has taken a strong role in supporting Ukraine’s defense against Moscow as well as helping humanitarian aid get to Gaza. It is also seen as a key U.S. partner in a fraught region where China is asserting its strength and North Korea is developing a nuclear program.Japan is a close ally critical to both our national and economic security, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement. “This visit will continue to deepen the diplomatic and security relationship between our two countries and build on the strength of decades of cooperation.Kishida was also attending a U.S.-Japan-Philippines summit on Thursday in another effort to bolster regional cooperation in the face of China’s aggression. The United Kingdom also announced Thursday that it would hold joint military exercises with Japan and the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific next year.In Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson has held up the foreign security package since its Senate passage in February but is now working to advance it in the coming weeks. It will be a difficult task to navigate the deep divides on support for Kyiv among Republicans. Making matters worse for the Republican speaker, he is already facing the threat of being ousted from the speaker’s office.Kishida, who was elected in 2021, arrived in Washington while facing political problems of his own in Japan. Polls show his support has plunged as he deals with a political funds corruption scandal within his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The nation’s economy has also slipped to the world’s fourth-largest last year, falling behind Germany.This is the first time a Japanese prime minister addresses Congress since Shinzo Abe traveled to Capitol Hill in 2015. Kishida is the sixth foreign leader to address Congress during Biden’s presidency.