HITTING BACK
Multiple reports said the U.S. was informed of the attack in advance, but did not give it the “green light.”
Shannon Vavra is a national security reporter for The Daily Beast covering the politics of war, national security, hacking, disinformation, and espionage. She previously worked at Axios and CyberScoop, where she covered the NSA, Cyber Command, and cyber-espionage. She received her bachelor’s degree from Tufts University in international relations with a specialty in Europe and the former Soviet Union. Send her tips at shannon.vavra@thedailybeast.com or tips@thedailybeast.com. You can also use our anonymous document submission system, SecureDrop. Click here to find out how.
‘SURELY AND CATEGORICALLY’
Tehran is now publicly threatening to “deviate” plans for its nuclear program ahead of an expected attack from Israel.
A FRIEND INDEED
Intelligence officials are investigating potential North Korean fingerprints in Iran’s April 13 blitz.
‘DEEPLY TROUBLED’
Chaos erupted in Georgia as an opposition leader punched another lawmaker over a controversial bill.
VENDETTA
Military chief Herzi Halevi confirmed on Monday that Israel intends to hit back at Iran.
ALL OUT WAR?
President Biden warned Israel that the U.S. would not back retaliatory strikes after Iran’s massive drone and missile assault was 99 percent intercepted.
SCRAMBLE
A Pentagon official has arrived in Israel in preparation for what could be a “quick spiral” into calamity with Iran.
BRACE
The attack is expected to come in the form of missile or drone strikes against Israeli government sites, according to the report.
HARD PASS
The reported plan—which includes giving up territory to Russia—is a nonstarter for Kyiv, according to top Ukrainian officials.
BLOOD FEUD
The recent assassination of a top Iranian commander could beckon a dark new cycle of vengeance in the Middle East, abounding with cryptic messages and secret targets.