Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
‘Leave now’: U.S., U.K. tell citizens to get out of Lebanon as Middle East war escalates
The U.S. and the United Kingdom urged their citizens over the weekend to get out of Lebanon. Published August 4, 2024
Pentagon dispatches carrier strike group, fighter jet squadron to Mideast as tensions escalate
The Pentagon is dispatching a new carrier strike group, a fighter jet squadron, missile defense-capable cruisers and other military assets to the Middle East amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, and Tehran's network of proxy groups across the region, military officials said Friday. Published August 2, 2024
Iran should think twice before direct attack on Israel, former CENTCOM chief says
Iran should think twice before launching a direct retaliatory attack on Israel, the former head of U.S. Central Command said Wednesday, as the apparent assassination in Tehran of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh again demonstrated the gap in military capabilities between the Mideast foes. Published July 31, 2024
U.S., other opponents of Maduro weigh response to election ‘victory’
Venezuela teetered on the brink of a political crisis Monday after President Nicolas Maduro claimed reelection amid contested and seemingly suspicious vote tallies, while the Biden administration cast heavy doubt on the results and critics alleged that Mr. Maduro's socialist government had flagrantly overturned the will of the country's voters. Published July 29, 2024
Kremlin takes aim at Kamala Harris’ lack of foreign policy credentials amid global uncertainty
Some of America's adversaries appeared eager Monday to downplay the foreign policy credentials of Vice President Kamala Harris, now the heavy favorite to be the Democratic Party's 2024 White House nominee after President Biden left the race a day earlier, painting Ms. Harris as a figure with minimal impact on U.S. relationships and policies abroad during her tenure in the White House. Published July 22, 2024
Israelis strike Houthi port after Tel Aviv attack; Yemeni retaliation bid blocked
Israel said Sunday it foiled a retaliatory attack from Yemen's Houthi rebels, a day after Israeli fighter jets struck a major port in Yemen, a strike meant to avenge a deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv launched by the Iran-backed Houthis last week. Published July 21, 2024
Israeli airstrikes hit Houthis after Iran-backed rebels’ drone assault on Tel Aviv
Israeli fighter jets struck Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, the Israeli Defense Forces said, a day after the Iran-backed terrorists launched a deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv. Published July 20, 2024
Rebuild military, limit foreign wars, unleash AI: GOP platform lays out Trump’s security priorities
The construction of an Israel-style Iron Dome missile shield over America. A new -- and less regulated -- approach to artificial intelligence. Those are a few of the key foreign policy and national security planks inside the Republican Party's official 2024 platform, a document that's light on many policy specifics but heavy on the broad "America First" principles that have come to define Donald Trump's GOP. Published July 16, 2024
Polish leader seeks quick entry for Ukraine, repudiates call to cede territory for peace with Russia
The president of Poland sharply rejected the notion of any cease-fire deal that would require Ukraine to cede territory to Moscow -- drawing a clear line in the sand while China, fellow NATO ally Hungary and some leading American politicians are amplifying calls for a rapid negotiated end to the conflict. Published July 9, 2024
Ukraine faces moment of truth as NATO allies gather to mark 75th anniversary
The overarching question hanging over NATO leaders as they gather in Washington to mark the alliance's 75th anniversary this week is how and when -- and perhaps, even if -- they will formalize a clear, irreversible pathway to Ukraine's eventual membership in the alliance, even while its grueling war with Russia grinds through its third year. Published July 7, 2024
‘There’s a price for being Russia’s enemy’: Putin, Kim aim to intimidate U.S.
Russian President Vladimir Putin needs North Korea -- not just for its weapons, but also to help deliver a warning to the U.S. and its allies: There will be a significant price to pay for any nation that gets on the Kremlin's bad side. Published July 2, 2024
From the limelight to shadows of doubt: Faith in Zelenskyy drops as war drags on
From Europe to Asia, and even at home, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's stock is plummeting. Published July 2, 2024
Moderate, hard-liner candidates set for run-off in Iranian election; critics say contest is a sham
Cardiologist Masoud Pezeshkian, considered the lone moderate in Iran's snap presidential elections, finished in first place over the weekend, but he'll need plenty of help to overcome a well-known Iranian hard-liner in a candidate runoff set for July 5. Published June 30, 2024
The world is watching: Foreign press pans Biden’s debate performance as ‘unmitigated disaster’
An "unmitigated disaster." An "incoherent" performance. A "horrific" showing that underscored the questions swirling around the world about whether President Biden is fit to serve another four years in the White House. Published June 28, 2024
As Iran braces for vote, regime foes plan major ‘free Iran’ rally Saturday in Berlin
Iranian voters will go to the polls Friday to choose their next president, with anti-U.S. hard-liners dominating the list of major candidates. Published June 27, 2024
Netanyahu out on a limb over Gaza; Israel ends unity war Cabinet, raising calls for new elections
Israel's three-man unity war cabinet was formally dissolved Monday, sparking fresh questions about the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ongoing and increasingly controversial war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and adding fuel to growing public calls across Israel for new elections and a new government. Published June 17, 2024
Trump would not leave South Korea ‘undefended,’ former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says
Former President Donald Trump's seemingly tough public stance on U.S. troops in South Korea is part of a negotiating strategy and does not mean Mr. Trump would pull all American forces from the Korean peninsula, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Tuesday. Published June 5, 2024
Nuclear war risk ‘goes up a little bit every year,’ ex-House Speaker Gingrich tells Times’ forum
The likelihood of a nuclear war "goes up a little bit every year," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Tuesday, warning that the amount of conflicts now raging across the globe coupled with the sheer number of nations equipped with the world's deadliest weapons constitutes a uniquely dangerous dynamic. Published June 4, 2024
Biden approval of U.S. weapons in Russia seen as latest costly delay
The Biden administration has finally given Kyiv the green light to use American-provided weapons for limited strikes on Russian territory. For the embattled Ukrainians, it may be too late. Published June 3, 2024
Iran-backed Houthis vow ‘escalation,’ fire missiles at U.S. warship in Red Sea; no Americans hurt
Houthi rebels in Yemen fired anti-ship ballistic missiles at an American vessel in the Red Sea late Saturday, Pentagon officials said, as clashes between the Iran-backed militant group and U.S. forces heat up. Published June 2, 2024
