Iranian leaders facing pressure at home and abroad as public anger mounts over downed plane - CNN

Protests that began as vigils to mourn those who died in the crash quickly turned into mass anti-government demonstrations, with calls for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down and for those responsible for downing the plane to be prosecuted.

"Death to the dictator," some chanted in the capital, Tehran, in footage posted on social media. In one video, demonstrators chanted, "Khamenei have shame. Leave the country."

Khamenei has been in office for three decades, and there is no limit to his term.

Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators in Tehran coughing and fleeing from tear gas as authorities apparently detained protesters while others shouted for police to release them

The Ukraine International Airlines jet that was shot down had passengers from around the world on board, but in Iran, many see the incident as a particularly domestic tragedy. Many people are angry that the government killed so many of its own people -- most of those on board were Iranian nationals and people of Iranian heritage.

Some protesters could be heard shouting "we will kill whoever killed our brothers" in video posted to social media that CNN could not independently verify.

Image of a unified country

Protests have spread to other cities, including Shiraz, Esfahan, Hamedan and Orumiyeh, Reuters reported, exposing widespread discontent with the regime.

The angry crowds are a marked difference from the image of a unified country in mourning seen following the death of top commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq last week.

Following his death, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tehran clutching photos of the revered and powerful figure and chanting "death to the USA."

Widespread reverence for Soleimani, who commanded a cult-like status in the country, had seemingly united Iranians of all political stripes in anger at the US.

But at protests over the weekend, posters of Soleimani had reportedly been torn down, according to Agence France-Presse.

Security forces were deployed in key areas of the capital over the weekend, including Azadi Square near Sharif University, Enghelab (Revolution) Square near Tehran University, and Ferdowsi Square.

Fully equipped riot police were on patrol, accompanied by water cannons and black vehicles that are sometimes used as mobile detention centers.

But protesters appeared undeterred in their anger, testing the limits and patience of the Iranian regime which is known for suppressing all dissent, often brutally.

Late last year thousands of Iranians took to the streets in nationwide anti-government protests sparked by a hike in gas prices in November.

The government responded by shutting down the internet and unleashing what Amnesty International described as a "bloody clampdown." The human rights organization estimated that at least 208 protesters had been killed in 21 cities, citing "credible reports." The United Nations said it had video evidence that Iranian security forces were "shooting to kill."

US President Donald Trump has tweeted his support for the demonstrators and warned Iran in a series of tweets over the weekend: "Do not kill your protesters."

"Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you, and the World is watching," the President said, later retweeting his post in Farsi.

Pressure from home and abroad

During an open session of Iran's parliament in Tehran Sunday, the chief commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, Hossein Salami, apologized for unintentionally shooting down the Ukrainian plane and asked for forgiveness.

"We did made a mistake. Some of our compatriots were martyred because of our mistake but it was unintentional," Salami said. "In my all lifetime I haven't been as sorry as much as now. Never."

"I wish I had been on board and burned with them," he continued.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said his country "deeply regrets this disastrous mistake" and his "thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families."

Iran previously denied US claims that the country had struck down the plane before admitting the mistake Saturday.

The apologies did little to quell protests and, while the Iranian leadership faces public opposition at home, international pressure is piling on the regime to investigate the crash and hold those responsible to account.

The downed plane's victims included 57 Canadians, and that country's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a press conference Saturday that, "Canada will not rest until we get the accountability, justice and closure that the families deserve."

Fresh criticism was also leveled at Iran for the temporary arrest Saturday of British Ambassador Rob Macaire.

According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Macaire was arrested while in the middle of a crowd of protesters in front of Tehran's Amir Kabir University. He was accused of instigating and directing radical and destructive demonstrations, and later released. Macaire said on Twitter that he wasn't taking part in any demonstrations -- and was instead paying respect to victims of the downed Ukrainian plane.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called Macaire's arrest a "flagrant violation of international law" -- a sentiment echoed by the German and French foreign ministries.

Following his release, protesters gathered outside the embassy in Tehran on Sunday, with video showing demonstrators carrying images of Soleimani and burning the UK flag.

Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Khamenei on Sunday blamed the "corruptive presence of the US and its cohorts" for the "current turbulent situation" and has called for the strengthening of relations between countries in the region.

"The current situation in the region demands -- more than ever before -- the strengthening of relations between countries in the region as well as avoiding the influence of foreigners' inductions," Khamenei said, following a meeting with Qatar's leader Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Hours before the airline disaster, Iran fired missiles at Iraqi military bases housing US troops in retaliation for the drone strike. Amid rising tensions in the region, eight Katyusha rockets hit Iraq's Balad Air Base, north of Baghdad, on Sunday, wounding four Iraqi air force officers, the Iraqi military said in a statement. No American or coalition forces were at the base when the rockets struck, a US military official told CNN.

CNN's Sheena McKenzie, Madeline Holcombe, Artemis Moshtaghian, Joshua Berlinger and Hande Atay Alam contributed to writing and reporting.

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2020-01-13 07:43:00Z
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Philippines on alert as volcano spews ash, steam and lava - Al Jazeera English

Tagaytay, Philippines - The Philippine government is on full alert, bracing itself for the possible eruption of the Taal volcano, the second most active in the Southeast Asian nation.

Forced evacuations took place on Sunday and about 8,000 people were moved to safer ground or housed in evacuation centres.

Roads to an evacuation centre in Talisay town on Monday were blocked with police saying that the volcanic ash had made the roads too dangerous to cross.

More:

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage but there was no power in affected areas and water was in short supply.

"We have to be very cautious," said Pong Mercado, the mayor of Taal town. "The roads are slippery and dangerous. I myself am making plans to move to safer ground."

Volcanology and Seismology Department (PhilVocs) has been monitoring Taal since March last year.

On Sunday, it raised the alert level to 4 out of a 5-point scale and warned of a "possible hazardous volcanic eruption" within hours or days.

The area around the Taal volcano has been cloaked in volcanic ash, which also forced the closure of Manila's international airport to shut down [Aaron Favila/AP Photo]

'Rained mud and stone'

Bong Agustin was busy tending to the usual crowd of weekend tourists when he first saw smoke coming out of Taal volcano about 6 miles (10km) away from the hotel where he works.

"I didn't think anything of it but around 2pm [06:00 GMT], I looked out the window and saw the clouds coming from the volcano were red," Agustin said. "Then my friends living close to the volcano sent me text messages saying they were feeling tremors."

Then, he says, it started to rain mud and stones.

Lava fountain from Taal Volcano Main Crater @3:20AM pic.twitter.com/YmLaMJU1vQ

— PHIVOLCS-DOST (@phivolcs_dost) January 12, 2020

Winds carried volcanic ash from Taal to coat Tagaytay and neighbouring towns in grey dust.

Large swathes of pineapple fields and farm animals were cloaked with fine volcanic ash, and leaves and tree branches bent beneath its weight.

The ash fall could be felt from as far as the Philippine capital of Manila, about 70km (45 miles) north, and the city's airport had to be closed.

"It [ashfall] wasn't enough to be painful but it had pebbles. It was more scary than painful," said Charina Palacios, a fruit vendor.

Ash and steam rise into the air behind a church in the town of Taal south of Manila [Courtesy of Renz Lejarso Guevara via AFP]

Palacios said she was unable to sleep on Sunday night because of continuous tremors that were felt every 30 minutes to one hour.

"I don't know what to wish for. Should I hope that it rains so it could wash away the ash and we can save our fruit plantations? But I heard that the ash contained sulphur so I don't [know] if that will damage our fruits," she added.

Tourist attraction - still

PhilVocs said more frequent and stronger tremors and increased water temperatures around the volcano were possible signs of an imminent eruption.

Authorities are on the watch for possible "volcanic tsunamis" when volcanic eruption filled with rock fragments crash into the water and flood neighbouring towns.

They also warned of possible "base surges" where rocks shooting out of the volcano at up to 80km an hour (50mph) can burn or bury anything they touch.

The risk of an impending eruption and mass evacuations did not keep visitors away from the area - a favoured weekend getaway for city dwellers.

'Scary, but terrifyingly beautiful': Honey Rose Isturias and her partner have previously climbed Taal and came to watch the latest volcanic activity [Ana Santos/Al Jazeera]

Honey Rose Isturias and her partner came from nearby Cavite to celebrate his birthday and specifically to witness Taal's volcanic activity.

"We climbed Taal last year and saw its crater up close," she said, taking selfies with the volcano in the background. "We thought it would be nice to come back.

"It's a bit scary, but also terrifyingly beautiful," she said, watching the volcano as it spewed out clouds of smoke.

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2020-01-13 05:52:00Z
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Why Kate Middleton Can Never Have a 'Normal' Marriage With Prince William - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry are dominating the headlines at the moment over their resignation. But Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William are bound to be the royals who deal with the spotlight 24/7.

Prince William is duty-bound to be the future king and to forever live in the goldfish bowl of royal life — just like his wife, Kate. The two have been together for well over a decade and have forged a relationship that, to many, seems solid and successful.

However, there’s no doubt that for Prince William and Kate, marriage will always be very different from most other couples. 

When did Kate Middleton and Prince William get married?

Kate Middleton | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Kate and Prince William first met around 2001, when they were both students at the prestigious St. Andrews University. They became roommates in 2002 and by the year 2003, they started dating.

After several years, the news of their romance became public knowledge and the two were spotted on getaways together all over the world. Kate even started meeting members of the royal family, proving that Prince William was very serious about his girlfriend.

In 2007, Kate and Prince William briefly broke up, due to media pressure. After less than a year, they were back together again, and this time, it was for good.

They got engaged in November 2010, with Prince William presenting her with his late mother’s fabulous sapphire and diamond ring. Their royal wedding in April 2011 was watched by thousands of people all over the world. It seemed as though Kate and Prince William were truly living a fairytale.

Kate Middleton and Prince William are trying to give their children a normal life

In July 2013, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their first child: Prince George. They eventually welcomed two more children: Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

As parents, Prince William and Kate seem to be very hands-on, constantly holding, hugging, and reassuring their three young children. This is a marked break from royal tradition, as many royal parents have been more “hands-off” in their approach to parenthood. 

According to reports, the couple desperately wants their children to have a normal upbringing and to experience all the joys of childhood, without the pressures that come from growing up within the royal family. At home, Kate enjoys doing hands-on things such as baking and crafting with the children. While they do utilize nannies, they still do a lot of parenting duties on a daily basis on their own, just like other couples all over the world. 

Prince William and Kate Middleton will never have a normal marriage

Even if Kate and Prince William are determined to give their children a normal life, the sad reality is that they will likely never experience that sense of normalcy in their own marriage. According to a recent report, the royal couple is “discouraged” from any public displays of affection, such as hand-holding or even a peck on the cheek, due to the rules of royal decorum.

Although there isn’t any specific rule that states how often married couples can engage in PDA, there are some guidelines, and couples are encouraged to match their behavior to the structure of the event that they are attending. “Regular” married couples don’t have to worry about such things and are free to hold hands, hug, or affectionately touch each other whenever they choose.

Prince William and Kate are forever duty-bound to live this type of life, due to the nature of Prince William’s role in the royal family. Still, the report also claims that the two do truly seem to be happy and that they are more or less used to living in the spotlight. They will certainly need all of their strength as well as their reserve as they navigate the future of the monarchy.

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2020-01-13 07:45:01Z
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Queen calls summit to discuss Meghan and Harry - The - The Washington Post

Joe Giddens AP Britain's Queen Elizabeth II leaves after attending a morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2020.

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II will convene a portentous family meeting on Monday to thrash out the options ahead for Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex — and possibly shape the face of the royal house for years.

The meeting, already dubbed the “Sandringham Showdown,” will take place at the queen’s royal-owned country estate of Sandringham in the east of England.

An official at Buckingham Palace, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed reports in the British media that the meeting will go ahead. The official said that the top royals will review “a range of possibilities” and “what the Sussexes said earlier in the week” — they said they wanted to live part-time in North America — will be “taken into account.”

After more than a year and a half of marriage, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are taking a “step back” from their roles as senior royals in an effort to get some peace from the relentless British tabloids.

The palace source also said that the 93-year-old queen wished to resolve the situation “at pace” — translation, “days not weeks.” — but added there’s an understanding that any solution will take “time to be implemented.”

[Meghan flies back to Canada; Prince Harry in ‘crisis’ talks with Prince Charles]

The Monday summit is thought to be the first time that the four top royals have gathered since the bombshell news on Wednesday that Harry and Meghan want to step back from royal duties and seek financial independence.

Meghan flew to Canada a few days ago. The British media have speculated she could dial in.

What kind of family holds such a meeting? The House of Windsor does, a dynasty whose monarch serves as the — albeit mostly ceremonial — head of state in Britain, as well as the Commonwealth nations, whose vast inherited wealth and extensive land holdings make them one of the richest families in Britain.

The meeting could be tense.

Damir Sagolj

Reuters

Britain’s Prince Harry gestures next to his wife Meghan as they ride a horse-drawn carriage after their wedding ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, Britain, May 19, 2018.

The palace was caught off guard — “shocked” or “hurt” or “dismayed,” according to the newspapers — by the Wednesday announcement, though some have suggested it wasn’t so much the content of the news but the timing of the announcement, via Instagram, that startled the palace.

But talks are going ahead and will likely focus on how the royals plan to live part-time in two countries, what kind of work they will do on behalf of the queen, and also the sort of work they will pursue to become “financially independent.”

It is one thing to take salaries as heads of a popular charity and do good works, and entirely another to serve as possible “international influencers” promoting products and becoming a kind of top-shelf version of the Kardashians.

The issue of security arrangements, responsibilities and costs may also come up. Will their protection be paid for and provided by Britain? Or Canada? Or the Sussexes themselves?

On their new independent website, SussexRoyal.com, the couple say that “the provision of armed security by The Metropolitan Police is mandated by the Home Office, a ministerial department of Her Majesty’s Government, responsible for security and law & order.”

Hello! magazine, which has been watching the drama unfold very closely, noted that a line that initially appeared on the Sussexes’ website when it was launched on Wednesday — “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are classified as internationally protected people which mandates this level of security” — has been deleted.

[Harry and Meghan are quitting the castle, but who’s going to pay for the butler?]

Polls show that the majority of Brits are in favor of Megxit, which is what the separation is being called, but alongside that, there is also a majority who don’t want to taxpayers dollars to be spent.

After announcing plans to “step back” from royal duties Jan. 8, Britons outside of Buckingham Palace gave their takes on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s future plans.

The events over the last few days have amplified speculation that there are deep divisions between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and other members of the royal family.

Rumors of a split have been simmering for some time. Harry seemed to acknowledge that there was tension when he was asked if there was a rift between him and his brother, Prince William, by the ITV broadcaster Tom Bradby. Harry told Bradby that he and William were “on different paths at the moment” but added that he loved him “dearly.”

Writing in the Sunday Times, Bradby, who is thought to be close to both brothers, said that things started to sour around the time of Harry and Meghan’s wedding when “really damaging things were said and done.”

He wrote that “it is pretty clear to me from conversations with both sides that this exit could suit everyone, at least in terms of narrow self-interest. But there is no doubt Harry and Meghan feel they have been driven out.”

He also said that when he ever so gently pressed Meghan in that same ITV program if she “was okay,” she answered, “thanks for asking, as not many people have.” Bradby took that response to refer to the royal family rather than the public or media.

He also suggested that there was much that hasn’t come to light.

“I have some idea of what might be aired in a full, no-holds-barred, sit-down interview and I don’t think it would be pretty,” he wrote.

Read more

Dear Lifetime and Hallmark: Here are 15 plot ideas for your next Prince Harry-Meghan movies

How much did the British tabloids’ brutal coverage of Harry and Meghan impact their decision to ‘step back’?

The dark side of Harry and Meghan’s fairy-tale escape

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

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2020-01-12 13:22:00Z
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Iran admits to unintentionally shooting down Ukrainian plane: Live updates - CNN International

CNN has obtained video through Alireza Azami, an activist in the Netherlands, showing thousands of people gathered in front of the gate of Amir Kabir University in Tehran yesterday.

Azami told CNN the videos were shot by people at the protests who want to remain anonymous for safety reasons. 

In the video below, protesters can be heard chanting “Khamenei have shame. Leave the country."

Some context: Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged Iran’s Armed Forces to investigate the “possible shortcomings” that led to the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane on Wednesday.

Watch Azami's video below:

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2020-01-12 13:09:00Z
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Did Iran mean to kill Americans in its Iraq attack? The answer hints at how far Iran will go to challenge US - USA TODAY

Tom Vanden Brook and Courtney Subramanian USA TODAY

Published 7:49 AM EST Jan 12, 2020

WASHINGTON – When President Donald Trump tweeted "All is Well!" Tuesday after Iran's missile attack on two U.S. air bases in Iraq, the danger of imminent war seemed to have passed.

No casualties. It was a warning shot, said a U.S. official after dawn broke Wednesday in the desert. Many outside national security experts agreed, saying they believed Iran took deliberate steps to avoid American casualties. And in a televised address, Trump spoke of "minimal damage" and "Iran standing down" in a relatively restrained retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iran's second-most powerful figure, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

But by dusk in Washington, the official assessment had darkened. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley became the first of several administration officials to assert Iran had indeed sought to kill U.S. soldiers and destroy vehicles and warplanes.

Days later, Iran's intentions remain a subject of intense debate and some outside experts harbor doubts about Milley's assertion. Iran has been even less clear. Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard’s Aerospace Force, said Tehran was not trying to kill anyone "although tens of US troops have likely been killed and wounded," according to Iran's Fars News Agency.

The question of whether Iran tried to kill U.S. soldiers or merely rattle Americans with a warning shot is significant because the answer hints at how far Tehran is willing to go to challenge the country it calls the "Great Satan."

Persian Gulf: Iran got its revenge for Qasem Soleimani's killing but the US Navy is still a target

"This is the first, not the final, shot from Iran," said Eric Brewer, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who focused on Iran issues at Trump's National Security Council. "Whether or not Iran intended to kill Americans, I don't think we should expect that this is the only step that Iran is going to take on."

If Iran wanted to, they could have

In the chaos before dawn on Wednesday, officials scurried to assess damage from 16 short-range ballistic missiles that Iran had fired at two air bases U.S. and coalition troops occupy in Iraq: al-Assad in the western part of the country and Erbil in the north. Eleven missiles struck at al-Assad, and one fell near Erbil. The rest failed to reach their targets. 

By mid-morning Wednesday, those officials, privy to initial assessments, told USA TODAY that the lack of casualties and relatively minor damage to tents, a helicopter and a hangar were probably intended as a warning that worse could be in store. Part of that theory rests on Iran's capability, displayed in September, to target with precision and damage oil production facilities in Saudi Arabia. If Iran wanted to hit a target, a senior U.S. official said, it would have.

That view gained currency with Trump's address. Backed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Vice President Mike Pence, Milley and members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Trump signaled Wednesday that tit-for-tat steps toward war seemed to have stopped.

"Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world," he said.

Trump vs. Tehran: Iraqis stuck in the middle in battle for Middle East influence

By Friday, the message had changed. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters "there’s no doubt in my judgment, as I observed the Iranian activity in the region that night, they had the full intention of carrying – killing U.S. forces, whether that was our military folks or diplomatic folks who were in the region."

National security experts and many prominent lawmakers suggested that if Iran's aim was to kill U.S. troops, it would have launched more missiles and probably picked different targets such as the U.S. embassy in Baghdad or other parts of the Green Zone where there could have been hundreds of casualties, if not more.

The Iranians waged the bet, fraught with risk but deemed necessary, to launch a conventional attack on U.S. forces to avenge Soleimani's death. 

Mark Quantock, a retired two-star Army general who served as director of intelligence for Central Command, said it appeared that Iran sought to mitigate the risk by signaling the strike long enough in advance to allow U.S. forces to prepare.

In fact, the attack did not surprise U.S. forces. 

Troops had hours to prepare for the attack, dispersing personnel to bunkers well before the missiles crashed down, according to a U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly. The warning came from U.S. intelligence sources and was shared with American allies, the official said.

“They were trying to kill equipment and housing,” Quantock said. “They signaled the attack and knew we were watching. Through technical means, we would know that they were fueling missiles and positioning them. They also knew the Iraqis would tell us.”

Second attack: Pentagon launched second attack on an Iranian militant the same day it killed Soleimani

Deaths would have sparked retaliation

But if what Pompeo and other officials are now asserting is true – that Iran ordered a lethal strike – the U.S. was a lot closer to war this week than many people assumed. 

Given time to shelter in bunkers, U.S. forces across Iraq withstood the attack by more than a dozen ballistic missiles. Iran’s goal was to destroy several aircraft and perhaps a munitions bunker that could generate a spectacular explosion, Quantock said.

Had any U.S. deaths occurred, a strike on the Iranian bases that launched the missiles would almost certainly have been the Pentagon's next move, he said.

“Now you’re hitting Iran proper,” he said. “That ups the ante substantially.”

Trump's war powers: House votes to limit President Trump's war powers following Soleimani killing

On Friday, U.S. officials reported Iraq to be quiet. And it may remain so for some time, Quantock added, but it's hardly over. 

“This is phase one of their response,” he said.

Thomas Warrick, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, pointed to Iran's "peculiar sense of symmetry" when it comes to its international views and taking action against the U.S.  

"What we or our allies do to them, they do back to us, not exactly in the same way, but in a similar way," he said of Iran during a panel Thursday. "This in fact makes Iran much more predictable than I think many people opining on these issues tries to say."

While experts agreed further military strikes from Tehran were unlikely, Warrick pointed to comments by President Hassan Rouhani and the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who have both said Iran's strategic objective is to drive U.S. forces from the region. How Iran plans to achieve that goal is less clear. 

Trump-Trudeau: Downing of Ukrainian airliner Iran could draw Trump and Trudeau together

'Blood for blood'

Iran, as Trump noted, may be standing down. For now. Quantock said he expected two more waves of attacks in the coming weeks and months.

The next threat comes from the Iranian-backed militias whose rocket attacks killed an American contractor on Dec. 27 near Erbil. They also laid siege to the U.S embassy in Iraq. Soleimani had firm control over their actions, but his successor is expected to have less influence. They held Soleimani in high regard and will seek vengeance.

“Blood for blood,” Quantock said. “Likely mortars or rocket attacks. Damage, explosions and casualties.”

Such proxy forces, long fostered by Soleimani, pose greater risks of renewed conflict with Iran as the Trump administration has been quicker than prior administrations to blame Tehran for attacks by regional militia groups, CSIS's Brewer said. 

Iran sanctions: Trump administration hits Iran with new economic sanctions

The most recent spate of tensions between Washington and Tehran came after Pompeo blamed Iran for attacks on Saudi oil refineries in September that disrupted 5% of the world's global oil supply. Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes, but Pompeo insisted Iran was behind the attacks. Trump responded by imposing harsher sanctions on the Islamic Republic. 

Finally, the Quds Force that Soleimani led has international reach, creating risks for U.S. embassies and personnel around the world.

Still Warrick warned the gamble the Iranians took show they're relying too much on luck, noting it was "by the grace of God no one was killed" during the strikes on the two Iraqi air bases. 

"It's a huge mistake to rely on luck to save your country from a major and devastating military response, which would have been the case if someone simply decided to go out and retrieve an item in their tent," he said.

"And that kind of action is as dangerous as anything else that I've heard criticized from any party in this dispute," Warrick said. 

Ilhan Omar: Republicans mock Ilhan Omar for saying Iran war talk sparked PTSD

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2020-01-12 12:41:56Z
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Iran braces for protests after admitting plane shootdown - CNBC

Residential and commercial properties sit illuminated on the city skyline in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015.

Simon Dawson | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Iran's security forces deployed in large numbers across the capital on Sunday, expecting more protests after its Revolutionary Guard admitted to accidentally shooting down a passenger plane at a time of soaring tensions with the United States.

Riot police in black uniforms and helmets massed in Vali-e Asr Square, Tehran University and other landmarks as calls circulated for protests later in the day. Revolutionary Guard members patrolled the city on motorbikes and plainclothes security men were also out in force. People looked down as they walked briskly past the police, hoping not to draw attention to themselves.

The plane crash early Wednesday killed all 176 people on board, mostly Iranians and Iranian-Canadians. After initially pointing to a technical failure and insisting the armed forces were not to blame, authorities on Saturday finally admitted to accidentally shooting it down in the face of mounting evidence and accusations by Western leaders.

Iran downed the Ukrainian flight as it braced for retaliation after firing ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces. The ballistic missile attack, which caused no casualties, was a response to the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iran's top general, in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad.

Iranians have expressed anger over the downing of the plane and the misleading explanations from senior officials in the wake of the tragedy. They are also mourning the dead, among whom were a large number of young people with promising futures who were studying abroad.

"Even talking about it makes my heart beat faster and makes me sad," said Zahra Razeghi, a Tehran resident. "I feel ashamed when I think about their families."

"The denial and covering up the truth over the past three days greatly added to the suffering and pain of the families, and me," she added.

Another individual, who only identified himself as Saeed, said the largely state-run media had concealed the cause of the crash for "political reasons."

"Later developments changed the game and they had to tell the truth," he said.

Hundreds of students gathered at Tehran's Shahid Beheshti University on Sunday to mourn the victims and protest against authorities for concealing the cause of the crash, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported. They later dispersed peacefully.

A candlelight ceremony late Saturday in Tehran turned into a protest, with hundreds of people chanting against the country's leaders — including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — and police dispersing them with tear gas. Protests were also held in the city of Isfahan and elsewhere.

Police briefly detained the British ambassador to Iran, Rob Macaire, who said he went with the intention of attending the vigil and did not know it would turn into a protest.

"Can confirm I wasn't taking part in any demonstrations!" he tweeted. "Went to an event advertised as a vigil for victims of #PS752 tragedy. Normal to want to pay respects — some of victims were British. I left after 5 mins, when some started chanting."

He said he was arrested 30 minutes after leaving the area.

Britain said its envoy was detained "without grounds or explanation" and in "flagrant violation of international law."

"The Iranian government is at a cross-roads moment. It can continue its march towards pariah status with all the political and economic isolation that entails, or take steps to deescalate tensions and engage in a diplomatic path forwards," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said it was awaiting a police report on the arrest.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency cited an unnamed official as saying the ambassador was suspected of organizing and provoking the protesters, which was in violation of diplomatic protocol and justified his arrest on national security grounds.

It said he was taken to the Foreign Ministry, which later released him.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of Iran's parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, also accused the ambassador of organizing protests and called for his expulsion.

Iranian media meanwhile focused on the admission of responsibility for the crash, with several newspapers calling for those responsible to apologize and resign.

The hardline daily Vatan-e Emrouz bore the front-page headline, "A sky full of sadness," while the Hamshahri daily went with "Shame," and the IRAN daily said "Unforgivable."

Mehdi Karroubi, an opposition activist under house arrest, lashed out at Khamenei himself.

"You, as the commander in chief of the armed forces, are directly responsible for this," he said in a statement. "If you were aware and you let military and security authorities deceive people, then there is no doubt you lack the attributes of constitutional leadership."

Criticism of the supreme leader is punishable by up to two years in prison.

Tensions with the United States eased after the ballistic missile attack, when President Donald Trump declined to respond and welcomed Iran's apparent decision to stand down.

The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, traveled to Iran for talks with senior officials. Qatar hosts a large U.S. military base and shares an offshore gas field with Iran. It has often served as a mediator between the two countries, which have no diplomatic relations.

Syria's Prime Minister Imad Khamis was also leading a high-level delegation to Iran, which includes the defense and foreign ministers. Syrian state media described it as an "important visit" in light of recent events, without elaborating. Iran is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad in his country's civil war, and Soleimani had mobilized militias and coordinated military aid.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was also traveling to Iran, with plans to visit Saudi Arabia the following day.

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2020-01-12 12:18:00Z
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