“The ship’s 14 crew members were detained.”  For intelligence.  “Military ends rescue search for Navy SEALs lost in raid on ship with Iranian weapons,” Politico, AP, 1-21-24.

“Houthis seek more Iranian weapons to step up Red Sea attacks, intel shows,” Politico, 1-21-24.  “The shipments are a sign that Tehran is playing a direct role in fueling the crisis in the Red Sea …. “In addition to escalating against America in Iraq and Syria via militia groups to put pressure on America to end Israel’s war against Hamas, Iran also has a more localized logic at play,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “It is trying to create a cycle of violence that leads to the eviction of U.S. forces from the region, beginning with Iraq.” … As of Friday, Iran-backed militia groups had attacked U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria 140 times since October, according to the Pentagon. The attacks have typically been small-scale, using a combination of drones and rockets and causing little damage to infrastructure. But on Saturday, militants in Western Iraq launched a major attack on al Asad airbase, injuring a number of U.S. personnel. … Still, officials and experts maintain that Iran does not seek open war with the West. It’s significant that neither Iran nor Lebanese Hezbollah, a more sophisticated militant group than the Houthis also funded by Tehran, has gotten more involved in the fight in Gaza, said retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of all U.S. forces in the Middle East until 2022. Tehran’s three objectives are: preservation of the regime, destruction of Israel, and ending the U.S. presence in the region, McKenzie said. “Based on that, they do not seek large-scale war with the United States because they know the regime would be threatened by it,” he said.”

“Iranian Soldier Kills 5 Comrades Where IS Attack Killed Dozens,” AP, VOA, 1-21-24.

“Iran appears to spread misinformation to justify attacks on Erbil,” Rudaw, 1-21-24.

Red Alert.  “Iran has almost enough uranium for nuclear bomb, US expert reports,” Jerusalem Post, 1-21-24.