April 15 2024
Strategic defeat
1 Iran launches massive drone and missile strike on Israel
2 Putin, Xi more popular than Biden in Mideast
3 Homeowners skip meals, medical care to afford housing
4 TikTok ban stalled in Senate
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1 Iran launches massive drone and missile strike on Israel
Iran launched a large aerial attack on Israel and the territory it controls starting late on Saturday, firing at least 300 drones and missiles. It is the first such direct attack launched from Iranian territory after decades of shadow warfare between the two countries. The assault was in response to a recent strike on a building in the Iranian Embassy complex in Syria that killed several of Iran’s top commanders.
With its first-ever direct military attack on Israel, Iran crossed old red lines and created a precedent in its decades-long shadow war with the Jewish state.
As a show of force, the attack was unprecedented in scope, involving more than 300 drones and missiles combined, but analysts said it was also carefully choreographed — giving Israel and its allies time to prepare, and providing the Israeli government a possible off-ramp amid fears of a widening war. The assault was designed with the knowledge that Israel’s “multi-layer systems would prevent most of the weapons from reaching a target,” said Sima Shine, head of the Iran program at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. “That outcome made space for Netanyahu and senior leaders to strike a more measured tone than they could if one of the missiles had taken out an apartment building or barracks.”
Saturday’s Iranian strike on Israel was huge by any standard. Tehran launched more than 170 explosive-laden drones, around 120 ballistic missiles and about 30 cruise missiles, according to Israel. The damage could have been catastrophic. As it turned out, almost all were intercepted. That success was due to a combination of Israel’s sophisticated air-defense system and critical assistance provided by the U.S. and other Western and Arab partners. American, British and Jordanian warplanes played an especially important role in downing drones. Most of the Iranian drones and missiles were destroyed before they even reached Israeli airspace.
2 Putin, Xi more popular than Biden in Mideast
A recent poll has highlighted a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), revealing that Russia and China are increasingly surpassing the United States in terms of influence within the region. The survey, conducted by Al-Monitor in collaboration with Premise, engaged 2,670 participants across Egypt, Türkiye, Iraq, and Tunisia from March 4 to March 22, 2024, to gauge their perceptions on global power dynamics. The findings indicate a clear preference for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping over US President Joe Biden among the respondents. Putin emerged as the most favored leader with a 44.4% approval rating, followed by Xi at 33.8%, and Biden trailing at 21.7%. Notably, Putin's popularity was highest in Egypt at 51.6%, while Biden saw a slight edge in Iraq at 29.2%, albeit still ranking behind the leaders of Russia and China, a Russia Today report said. The poll suggested that the US's standing in the region might have been affected by its support for Israel's actions in Gaza
3 Homeowners skip meals, medical care to afford housing
Half of homeowners and renters struggle to afford their housing payments, a recent Redfin survey found. Roughly 1 in 5 people who struggle to afford housing have skipped meals and/or worked extra hours to help cover costs, while about 1 in 6 have delayed medical care. Skipping vacations was the most common sacrifice among white and Asian respondents, while Black respondents were most likely to work extra hours. A surprisingly high share of millennials—most of whom are not retired—have dipped into retirement savings so they can afford housing.
4 TikTok ban stalled in Senate
The TikTok ban passed the House amid much fanfare a month ago, but so far it's crickets in the Senate. With the bill stalled amid opposition in both parties, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer met this past week with Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, who said she isn't sure the House bill can withstand a court challenge and doesn’t want to rush legislation that would force Chinese parent ByteDance to divest itself of the video-sharing app used by 170 million people in the US. She also said she likes the idea of extending to one year the deadline for divestment to a year from six months. Mitch McConnell tried to kickstart the bill, but it has yet to find a Republican co-sponsor. ByteDance, meanwhile, saw profit surge 60%. It is taking a hands-off approach to the US fight, leaving local officials to focus on lobbying efforts, unlike an earlier effort four years ago, a sign it isn't too worried.
News Items, Matt Murray
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