April 12, 2021

Daily News Brief

April 12, 2021

Top of the Agenda

Iran Blames Israel for Blackout at Major Nuclear Facility

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused Israel of attacking Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility (Al Jazeera), which had launched new centrifuges for enriching uranium a day earlier, and vowed that Iran would take revenge. The details of the attack remain unclear, with Iranian officials saying there was a blackout at the site. They said centrifuges were damaged (WaPo) but uranium enrichment has not stopped. Israel has refused to confirm or deny responsibility, but unnamed Israeli and U.S. officials told the New York Times that the country was involved. 

Israel is suspected to have targeted the Natanz facility in the past, and it has opposed talks that started last week aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. Zarif said the incident will not disrupt the talks, which are set to resume on Wednesday and aim to bring Iran and the United States back into compliance with the agreement. He also promised that the Natanz facility would be built back stronger.

Analysis

“Seems the latest Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities set back the program by some 9 months. This will strengthen Israel’s argument that there’s no need for [U.S. President Joe] Biden to rush back into the nuclear agreement and lift sanctions,” CFR’s Martin S. Indyk tweets. “[But] the attack will also drive Iran’s nuclear program further underground, which will then require anywhere/anytime inspections to detect and prevent it. And for that there will need to be a nuclear agreement.”

“[Tehran] will feel compelled to retaliate in order to signal to Israel that attacks are not cost-free,” Eurasia Group’s Henry Rome tells the New York Times. “Iran also needs to ensure that such a retaliation does not make it politically impossible for the West to continue pushing forward with [Iran nuclear deal] re-entry.”

This CFR Backgrounder explains the Iran nuclear deal.

Pacific Rim

China Considers Mixing COVID-19 Vaccines to Boost Efficacy

George F. Gao, the head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said scientists are considering combining different COVID-19 vaccines to increase the low efficacy (SCMP) of Chinese vaccines. Gao later said his comments that appeared to question the vaccines’ efficacy were “misunderstood” (FT).

This CFR Backgrounder explains global COVID-19 vaccine efforts.

Philippines: The country and the United States kick off two weeks of military exercises (Nikkei) today amid heightened tensions between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea. The annual exercises were canceled last year due to the pandemic. 

South and Central Asia

India Surpasses Brazil as Country With Second-Most COVID-19 Cases

India recorded more than 160,000 new COVID-19 cases (Reuters) in twenty-four hours, accounting for one in six of all new infections globally. It now has the most cases in the world after the United States. Nonetheless, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the city of Haridwar today for a religious festival.

Afghanistan: The government said it finalized a proposed peace plan (TOLOnews) that it will present during a to-be-scheduled conference in Turkey. Meanwhile, U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad left Kabul after meeting with Afghan officials for four days to accelerate the peace process.

For CFR’s Strength Through Peace blog, Laurel Miller explains why violence in Afghanistan could increase in 2021.

Middle East and North Africa

Jordan’s Prince Hamzah Makes First Public Appearance Since Rift

Prince Hamzah bin Hussein of Jordan appeared in public (AP) for the first time since April 3, when his claims about being on house arrest sparked questions about a rift in the royal family. The palace released a photo of the prince and King Abdullah II at their father’s tomb, though it did not confirm that restrictions on Hamzah’s movement had been lifted.

This Day in History: April 12, 1975

The U.S. embassy in Cambodia is evacuated as the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, prepares its final assault against the Khmer Republic in Phnom Penh, which soon surrenders.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Chad’s President Expected to Win Sixth Term

Idriss Deby Itno, who has been Chad’s president for three decades, likely won a sixth term (AFP) in yesterday’s election. Opposition parties called for voters to boycott the election after the government cracked down on dissent. The ruling party claimed voter turnout was high (Africanews), though official figures have yet to be released.

Tanzania/Uganda: The countries signed agreements with oil companies (Daily Monitor) to develop a pipeline that will move crude oil from western Uganda to international markets.

Europe

England Eases Coronavirus Restrictions

Shops, salons, and gyms are among the businesses allowed to reopen (BBC) today for the first time in months as England relaxes coronavirus restrictions. Restaurants and pubs can now serve customers seated outdoors. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s stay-at-home order is ending, and some rules are being rescinded in Scotland and Wales.

Ukraine: A spokesperson for President Volodymyr Zelensky said the president has not yet spoken (Reuters) with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Russia’s troop buildup in Ukraine’s Donbas region. Russia has sent more than forty thousand troops to its border with eastern Ukraine and forty thousand to Crimea, the spokesperson said.

Americas

Conservative Banker Wins Ecuador’s Presidential Election

Guillermo Lasso unexpectedly defeated (MercoPress) Andres Arauz, a leftist candidate backed by former President Rafael Correa, in yesterday’s presidential election. Lasso pledged to improve opportunities for indigenous communities and revive the economy (Reuters) by promoting foreign investment.

Peru: The country will hold a runoff presidential election (Bloomberg) in June after no candidate received enough votes to win yesterday’s election.

United States

Hundreds Protest Police Killing of Black Man in Minnesota

Daunte Wright, a twenty-year-old Black man, died after a police officer shot him during a traffic stop in Minnesota yesterday. Hundreds of people took to the streets (NYT) to protest in Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis. Derek Chauvin, a white former police officer, is currently on trial in the state for the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, last year.

This CFR Backgrounder examines how U.S. policing compares with law enforcement in other countries.

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