US ‘not ready’ to butt heads with Iran despite tough talk

“The United States, in general, is trying to avoid direct confrontation with Iran, and quite openly pretend that nothing bad has happened. Rather, their policy is that so long as there are no major casualties on their part, there’s no need to start a big conflict,” IMEMO Middle East expert Nikolai Surkov told Sputnik, when asked about the possible US response to the IRGC’s missile strikes in Iraq’s Erbil and Syria.

“Under what conditions is a direct war between the US and Iran possible? Only after strikes against Iran. Moreover, I wouldn’t be surprised if the strikes came not from the Americans, but from Israel,” Center for Middle East Studies director Semyon Bagdasarov said.

The Iraq strikes signal “an expansion of the geography of the destabilization of the Middle East,” with regional crises now added to by the potential “destabilization” of Iraq, expert on Middle Eastern studies Stanislav Tarasov told Sputnik.

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Biden White House wants failing Ukraine to switch strategy ‘to defense’

The Biden administration wants Ukraine to switch its strategy in the ongoing proxy war against Russia “from offense to defense,” Andreas Kluth, a columnist for Bloomberg, has written.

Ukraine botched the counteroffensive launched last summer despite the billions-worth of NATO military aid, ‘frustrating Washington.’ Hence, the regime in Kiev is to get new instructions from its ‘puppet-masters’.

Russia’s forces are “too well dug in, and the Ukrainians have lost too many soldiers and used up too much ammo,” admitted the columnist. “Offense is always harder than defense, but for Ukraine it may now be out of the question,” he noted succinctly.

The new ‘assignment’ from the White House is reportedly to be delivered by US National Security Advisor Sullivan when he meets with Ukraine’s President Zelensky on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

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Footage from social media depicting new Israeli airstrikes on the city of Houla in southern Lebanon.

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Russia Unleashes Carpet Bombing of Ukrainian Positions Using New Drones

Russian forces have started carpet bombing Ukrainian positions with the help of “Inferno” special drone bombers in a number of areas of the special military operation, the developer Rustehnodron told Sputnik.

"The Inferno drone is equipped with nine slots for dropping grenades. In the course of a combat mission, it flies over the Ukrainian trenches, opens bomb hatches and drops grenades in a series of three. It turns out to be analogous to carpet bombing in aviation. As a result, the enemy personnel gets casualties, killed and wounded. Also, the drone can effectively bomb lightly armored vehicles," a company representative said.

The Inferno carries a four-kilogram payload, which can include VOG-17 grenades, GP-25 grenades, and specially manufactured factory ammunition for dropping with fragmentation and shaped charges. The UAV has a range of five kilometers.

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❗️Putin says Ukraine's strikes on civilian targets in Russia aim to show sponsors that it allegedly can respond to Russia's actions.

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⚡️"Ukraine failed its counteroffensive. If this continues, then its statehood will be put into question," said Putin.

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Putin: "Zelensky's formula for peace is a set of prohibitive demands for negotiations."

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"Winning against Russians is impossible," stated Putin, adding that "Russia has always defended its interests and will continue to do so."

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Iran’s Leader hails Yemeni Houthis's 'great achievement' in Red Sea

“The Yemenis and the Ansar Allah did a great job. They damaged the vital channels of Israel. The US threatened them, but they were not afraid of the US,” Iranian leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei stated, commenting on the Houthis naval operations in the Red Sea.

He also noted that "these efforts, acts of resistance and activities will continue until victory."

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❗️Key points from Putin's statements at the meeting with the heads of municipalities in Russia:

▪️"We have always cherished our Motherland; this tradition is passed from heart to heart."

▪️"Ukraine has refused negotiations with Russia - fools, it should have ended long ago."

▪️Putin declared a complete and absolute failure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive.

▪️The strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on peaceful Russian citizens are an attempt to divert attention from their complete failure on the front.

▪️The sovereignty of Ukraine may suffer an irreparable blow, and it is the responsibility of the current authorities in Kiev.

▪️ Putin thanked the residents of border regions in Russia for their courage and unity, assuring that the authorities would support them.

▪️The unity of Russians and the development of their economy are a complete surprise for Russia's adversaries.

▪️Putin described the strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on peaceful residents in Russia, including from MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System), as barbaric.

▪️The strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on peaceful residents in Russia aim to demonstrate to sponsors an alleged ability to resist Russia.

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⚡️Putin: Nationalistic ideas prevailed in Ukraine after the collapse of the USSR, leading to the current situation.

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Zelensky meets his master in Davos: will Stoltenberg give him "the precious" this time?

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📹 "Ukraine failed its counteroffensive. If this continues, then its statehood will be put into question," said Putin.

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"Everything could have ended long ago, but Ukraine refused negotiations with Russia," said Putin.

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🤷 Climate change, the green economy & Zelensky’s standup routine

How far has the World Economic Forum in Davos sunk? Join us in rating them!

🔊Our little advice: turn up the sound.

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📬 "It’s clear what kind of voting by mail this is: they bought ballots for $10, filled them out and, without any supervision from observers, threw them into mailboxes - and that’s it," Putin said.

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🇷🇺🇰🇵 Kremlin says Putin held meetings with foreign ministers of Russia and North Korea following their talks in Moscow.

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⚡️The IRGC launched missile and drone strikes on Jaish al-Adl positions in Pakistan's Balochistan — Tasnim

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