2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, May
9 May: An Iraqi activist Ihab Al-Wazni who had survived an assassination attempt which killed Fahim al-Ta'i in December 2019, was shot dead outside his home by armed men on motorbikes in Karbala. Following his death, protests erupted in Iraq's Karbala, as protesters went on to burn tires and shut down roads in the city. Trailers of the Iranian consulate in the city were also set ablaze by the protesters, VOA News added. Protests were also held in the capital Baghdad, including other cities in southern Iraq, with protesters setting the headquarters of Iran-backed militias and government offices ablaze. The Iraqi police have assured that they will leave no stone unturned, as they are determined to bring the perpetrators behind the killing of Ihab al-Wazni to justice.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, May
10 May: An Iraqi journalist, Ahmed Hassan, was entered into intensive care receiving two bullets in the head and one in the shoulder, as he got out of his car in Al Diwaniyah. According to BBC News, brain surgery was performed on Hassan after being admitted into the intensive care at a hospital in Baghdad. Both Hassan and Wazni were said to have played a vital role during the protest against the Iraqi government in October 2019, France 24 added.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, May
15 May: Several Iraqi demonstrators gathered in Baghdad, to show support for Palestinians, over the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. The rallies were said to have been in response to calls made by influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, including other parliamentary leaders. Sadr was also said to have pledged his support to Palestinian armed groups in Gaza, the Euronews added. Palestinian flags were waved by the protesters, as they were shouting anti-Israel slogans and condemning Israel and America.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, May
25 May: One protester was killed and dozens were injured when police attacked protesters gathered at Baghdad's Tahrir Square in the evening, where hundreds marched to demand the end of targeted killings of prominent journalists and activists. Five policemen were also reported to have been among those who were injured when protesters hurled stones at the security forces. Among the protesters who gathered at the Tahrir's Square, several of them came from across southern Iraqi cities where several deaths had been recorded. Tear gas and live ammunition were said to have been used by the Iraqi security forces, in an attempt to disperse the gathering of protesters.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, May
26 May: Iraqi security forces arrested the head of the Al-Anbar faction of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Qasim Muslih, for his role in the killing of two civil activists, including Al-Wazni's. Musleh has also been linked with attacks on bases hosting coalition forces, Al-Monitor added. However, a government source revealed that a military and security committee has been established to carry out the investigation into the case. The Iraqi PM Al-Kadhimi was also reported to have held a meeting with top Shiite political leaders, prior to ordering the formation of an investigative committee. A report by Human Rights Watch has suggested that there's a possibility of Iraqis being unable to vote in the upcoming 2021 elections, due to the ongoing impunity.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, May
Meanwhile, as a show of force, unknown gunmen were said to have driven vehicles around Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, following the arrest of Qasim Muslih. As a security measure to protect the government and diplomatic missions, the elite Counter-Terrorism Service, including Iraqi security forces were deployed to the Green Zone.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, May
27 May: The US has expressed its anger over the use of force that was applied against peaceful protesters who were demanding reforms. They also encouraged the Iraqi government to bring the perpetrators behind the attacks against peaceful demonstrators to justice, the US State Department spokesman stated.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, May
30 May: The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) disclosed that over 1,000 cases concerning the use of force against protesters in Iraq were closed, mostly as a result of threats issued to the families of the victims.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, June
2 June: The threats by the Iran-aligned armed militias against the fortified Green Zone were condemned by the UK, the foreign minister of UK Dominic Raab revealed in a tweet.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, June
6 June: Iraq's air defenses managed to intercept and shot down two drones at the Ain al-Asad air base housing US troops, the Iraqi military disclosed. In order to bring down the drones, the US military's C-RAM defense system which is situated in western Iraq had to be launched, Al-Jazeera added. There wasn't any immediate claim of responsibility by armed groups regarding the attack, despite that Iran-backed groups have claimed responsibility in the past for similar attacks.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, June
Separately, hours prior to the shooting down of the two drones that targeted Ain al-Assad base, a rocket that was fired over Baghdad's airport was also said to have been shot down. There were no casualties or damages recorded, the U.S.-led military coalition's spokesperson in Iraq revealed.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, June
9 June: Two Iraqi military bases housing US-led coalition troops, including foreign contractors, came under multiple rocket attacks. The Balad airbase was said to have been targeted by three rockets, although there were no damages or casualties recorded.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, June
Just a few hours following the attack on the Balad airbase, at least one missile also hit near a military base that is next to the Baghdad International Airport. An anonymous security source claimed that five rockets were launched from the nearby Khalis District along the banks of the Tigris River, according to Kurdistan 24. However, no immediate claim of responsibility for both attacks was made.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, June
Separately, Iran-backed militia commander Qassem Musleh was released after being arrested for two weeks on terrorism allegations and violations against protesters. Musleh was released by the judiciary, as there wasn't enough evidence to implicate him on the terrorism charges. His release was also said to have followed the arrival of Iranian Gen. Esmail Ghaani, head of the expeditionary Quds Force in Baghdad. Musleh received a warm welcome from his supporters at Baghdad's Jadriya Bridge upon his release, as they snapped pictures and rejoiced together.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, July
2 July: With the temperature reaching more than 50 degrees across some parts of Iraq amid deteriorating power and water cuts, several Iraqi protesters reportedly took to the streets of Baghdad. Particularly the southern provinces of Iraq and most of Baghdad were said to have faced more of the effects of the power cuts. Local media reports blamed Friday's power cut on the failure of a major power line, BBC added. In the city of Kut, the protesters gathered outside the closed gates of an electricity substation, to condemn the power cuts that have left them with only several hours of electricity in a day.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, July
Also on Friday, a statement from the office of the Iraqi PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi revealed that the director of Iraq's national electricity company had been fired and that the PM has reassured the restoration of electricity.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, July
8 July: Widespread protests over power cuts have continued across Iraq, including Basra whose temperature has exceeded 50 degrees. The protesters maintained that the power outages were a result of rampant corruption, as well as the inadequacy of infrastructure.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, July
Meanwhile, three rockets targeted the US embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, despite earlier attacks on bases housing US troops. According to the Iraqi military, the US embassy was not hit during the attack, but three places close to the Green Zone were hit. The embassy's defense system, managed to divert one of the rockets that were fired, according to Reuters. One of the rockets landed on the outskirts of a residential area, one was close to the headquarters of the National Security Agency, and the other was at a public square.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, July
16 July: The Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, revealed that arrests have been made, regarding the killing of renowned analyst Hisham al-Hashimi in early July 2020. One of the suspects who were arrested, Ahmed al-Kenani, was said to have been connected with Kata'ib Hezbollah, which Hashimi criticized in the past, according to a security source.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, July
18 July: Several Iraqi protesters took to the streets of Baghdad, calling for justice, over the killings of activists, since the beginning of the anti-government protest movement in 2019. Protests were also said to have been held in southern Iraq's Nasiriyah.


2019–2021 Iraqi protests, Timeline 2021, July
24 July: Just a day after the son of a renowned Iraqi activist went missing, he was reportedly found shot dead in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. 26-year-old Ali Karim, son of Basra activist Fatima al-Bahadly was said to have been abducted on 23 July, by unknown assailants. According to a medical source, Karim was shot twice, once in the head and the other in his chest. Haider al-Abadi, former Iraqi PM criticized the incessant killing of activists, as he mourned the death of Fatima al-Bahadly's son.


2019–2021 Israeli political crisis
The 2019–2021 Israeli political crisis was a period of political instability in the State of Israel, in which four Knesset snap elections were held in a span of two years: in April 2019, September 2019, March 2020 and March 2021. On 13 June 2021, the thirty-sixth government of Israel was sworn in after successfully receiving confidence in the Knesset in a 60-59 vote, with one MK from United Arab List abstaining. The government will be initially led by Naftali Bennett, with Yair Lapid serving as Alternate Prime Minister in a power-sharing agreement. This marks the first change of the Israeli chief executive since Benjamin Netanyahu took power in 2009. 61 Knesset members across 8 ideologically diverse parties are part of the coalition. As such, with a majority of just one vote, passing legislation may prove difficult.


2019–2021 Israeli political crisis, Background
During the 20th Knesset, elected after the 2015 Israeli legislative election Netanyahu secured his fourth term in office as the head of the Thirty-fourth government of Israel. On 26 May 2016, Yisrael Beiteinu joined the government with 5 MKs, and Avigdor Lieberman was appointed Defense Minister in place of Moshe Ya'alon.


2019–2021 Israeli political crisis, Background
On 14 November 2018, Avigdor Lieberman resigned from his position and from the coalition, because of the governments approval of a ceasefire with Hamas, thereby undermining the stability of the government. On December 26, 2018, the law to dissolve the Knesset was approved, and the election campaign for the twenty-first Knesset began.


2019–2021 Israeli political crisis, Following April 2019
The crisis began after the elections of April 2019 left no party able to form a government. The two major parties, Blue and White and Likud, received an equal number of 35 seats. The Likud received a mandate from the president to attempt to form a government, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to arrange a majority coalition of 61 seats. Netanyahu's Likud and their supporting parties voted to dissolve the Knesset instead of letting the president give the mandate to another Knesset member.


2019–2021 Israeli political crisis, Following September 2019
A second election was held in September 2019. This time, Blue and White overcame the Likud by a single seat. Nonetheless, the Likud received the mandate from the president after gaining the support of one Knesset member more than Blue and White. Netanyahu again failed to form a government. This time, the mandate passed to Benny Gantz, who also failed to achieve a majority. The President passed the mandate to the Knesset members for 21 days. After no other candidate was offered, the Knesset was dissolved.


2019–2021 Israeli political crisis, Following March 2020
In March 2020, the third election was held. This time, Likud gained more seats than Blue and White, but Gantz achieved more recommendations from potential allies in the Knesset and received the mandate from the president. Gantz nevertheless was unable to unite enough allies into a coalition. His bloc was still agreed to replace the Speaker of the Knesset. Following this, the former Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein refused to convene the plenary to vote on his replacement. His refusal created a constitutional crisis.


2019–2021 Israeli political crisis, Following March 2020
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel appealed to the Supreme Court, which ordered Edelstein to convene the Knesset. Following this Edelstein resigned. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel worsened, which precipitated negotiations for a national emergency government. On March 26, Gantz was sworn in as the new Knesset Speaker, with the support of the Likud party, causing a split in Blue and White. Finally, on 20 April 2020, the Likud and Blue and White agreed on an equal unity government, which included a "rotation agreement" between Gantz and Netanyahu on the prime minister's chair. However, following a failed budgetary vote in December 2020, the government coalition collapsed yet again, and a new election was called for March 2021, an unprecedented fourth election in only two years.


2019–2021 Israeli political crisis, Following March 2021
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin met with the heads of all political parties on 5 April, and charged Benjamin Netanyahu with forming the government the next day. Netanyahu had been given until the end of 4 May to form a government. Netanyahu failed to form a new government by the deadline. The next day, Rivlin entrusted Yair Lapid with the second mandate. On 9 May 2021, it was reported that Lapid and Naftali Bennett had made major headway in the coalition talks.


2019–2021 Israeli political crisis, Following March 2021
On 10 May, it was reported that plans were made to form a new government consisting of the current opposition, but that the Islamist Ra'am Party, which froze talks with both Lapid and Bennett in the wake of recent warfare in Gaza, still needed to pledge support for the Change bloc in order for the opposition MKs to secure a majority. In late May, Lapid secured the support from Blue and White, Labor Party, Yisrael Beiteinu, New Hope, and Meretz, with Yamina and Ra'am possibly giving support. On 30 May 2021, Bennett announced in a televised address that Yamina would join a unity government with Lapid, after all but one Yamina MK agreed to back this decision.


2019–2021 Israeli political crisis, Following March 2021
On 2 June 2021, following negotiations with Lapid and Bennett, Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas signed a document tethering his party to the coalition, and agreed to allow his party to join a non-Netanyahu government. Just an hour before his June 2 mandate was set to expire, Lapid informed outgoing president Reuven Rivlin that he could form a new government. On 11 June 2021, Bennett's Yamina party became the last opposition faction to sign a coalition agreement with Lapid's Yesh Atid party, thus allowing the thirty-sixth government of Israel to be sworn in on 13 June.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown
The 2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown was a preventive security lockdown and communications blackout that had been imposed throughout the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir following the revocation of Article 370 which lasted until February 2021, with the goal of preemptively curbing unrest, violence and protests. Thousands of civilians, mostly young men, had and have been detained in the crackdown. The Indian government had stated that the tough lockdown measures and substantially increased deployment of security forces had been aimed at curbing terrorism.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown
The revocation and subsequent lockdown drew condemnation from several countries, especially Pakistan, which had lodged protests with India on multiple occasions.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown
On 5 February 2021, Jammu and Kashmir's Principal Secretary of Power and Information, Rohit Kansal, announced that 4G internet services would be restored in the entire union territory. Subsequently, the ban of 4G and 3G services ended.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Timeline
The lockdown officially started on 5 August 2019, following the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir via the scrapping of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Indian constitution and subsequent introduction of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. Since the lockdown was brought into effect, no foreign journalist has been allowed by the Indian government to report from the new union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Timeline
According to a 6 September 2019 report by the Indian government, nearly 4,000 people have been arrested in the disputed region. Among those arrested were more than 200 local Kashmiri politicians, including two former chief ministers of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, along with more than 100 leaders and activists from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Timeline
On 1 October 2019, a three-judge bench consisting of justices N. V. Ramana, Ramayyagari Subhash Reddy and Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai of the Supreme Court of India, heard the appeal of seven petitions on the lockdown.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Timeline
On 3 October 2019, journalists in Kashmir staged a sit-in protest against the enforced communications blackout, describing the total blockade of internet services and mobile phones as a "gag".


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Timeline
On 4 October 2019, the Indian government denied United States Senator Chris Van Hollen's request to travel to Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, Sandeep Pandey, an education reformer, and other activists who were on an informal fact-finding mission were also barred from leaving the airport in Srinagar. On the same day, protests were held by the local Kashmiri people, where they chanted pro-Pakistan slogans and demanded an end to what they described as the "Indian occupation of their territory".


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Timeline
On 24 October 2019, village council elections were held across Jammu and Kashmir, despite a boycott by most political parties and the detention of many mainstream local politicians; political scientist Noor Ahmed Baba called it "more like an artificial exercise".


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Timeline
Mobile phone services were barred for the 85th consecutive day on 28 October, for at least 2.5 million prepaid cell phone users in Jammu and Kashmir. In January 2020, a 2G internet connection was established in Jammu & Kashmir, albeit only for limited whitelisted sites approved by the Indian government.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Timeline
A new curfew was imposed a day ahead of the first anniversary of India's decision to revoke the disputed region's semi-autonomy, on 4 August 2020. Officials announced a two-day "full curfew" citing intelligence reports of looming protests in the Muslim-majority region, where locals have called for the anniversary to be marked as a "black day".


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Timeline
On 16 August 2020, 4G LTE mobile services were restored in two districts of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on a trial basis, after the Supreme Court of India ruled that an indefinite shutdown was effectively illegal.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Timeline
In December, the Indian government arrested at least 75 Kashmiri leaders and activists to forestall political unrest after an alliance of Kashmir's opposition political parties won elections in Jammu and Kashmir.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Timeline
On 5 February 2021, Jammu and Kashmir's Principal Secretary of Power and Information, Rohit Kansal, announced that 4G internet services would be restored in the entire union territory. This was applauded by the union territory former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah. The move was lauded by Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari and Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Timeline
On September 2, security forces imposed a new lockdown and restriction on communications until 4 September 2021, following the death of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a top Kashmiri separatist leader. In flak jackets and riot gear, armed police and paramilitary personnel patrolled the streets in Srinagar on 4 September 2021 and ordered residents to stay indoors. Razor wire, steel barricades, and armoured vehicles blocked some streets. The situation in Srinagar and Budgam returned to normal by 7 September.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Re-introduction of tourism and recovery, Tourism
In October 2019, the Indian government planned to re-introduce tourism in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and lift security restrictions for all foreigners visiting the region, although they would still be prevented from using mobile internet or cellphones. 2G mobile services were restored in January 2020, while 4G services in Ganderbal and Udhampur were restarted in August 2020. 4G mobile Internet services were fully restored across Jammu and Kashmir in February 2021. In the wake of Syed Ali Shah Geelani's death, a new preemptive blackout was done in early September 2021, which ended completely on 7 September 2021.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Re-introduction of tourism and recovery, Tourism
Figures show 19,000 tourists visited the Union Territory in January 2021, compared to only 3,750 tourists that visited Srinagar in January 2020. In August 2021, Srinagar Airport reported over 8000 passengers in one day. Kuldeep Singh (Director of Srinagar Airport) revealed that out of 72 major airports in India, Srinagar International Airport had become the first to surpass pre Covid passenger arrivals in August 2021. The director stated, “On Friday alone at Srinagar airport, 8515 passengers traveled on 74 flights to and fro and within this month, we are expecting it will cross above 10000.”


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Re-introduction of tourism and recovery, Tourism
In July 2021, a total of around 10.5 lakh (1.05 million) tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir, and rose to 11.22 lakh (1.122 million) tourists in August 2021.


2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown, Re-introduction of tourism and recovery, Economic recovery
In 2021, the government of Jammu and Kashmir launched an industrial policy. By mid August Rs 23,000 crore (230 billion INR) worth of investment proposals were cleared by the J&K Government, of which 12,000 crore was in Jammu Division and 11,000 crore in Kashmir Division. Investment proposals rose to Rs 25,000 crore (250 billion INR) by early September, with investments in Jammu Division rising to 12,800 crore and Kashmir Division to 12,200 crore.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections
Local elections were held in 20 municipalities in Libya in March and April 2019. The Libyan Central Commission of Municipal Council Elections aimed for a total of elections in 68 municipalities in 2019. With difficulties in organising elections related to the 2019–20 Western Libya campaign, the elections were not completed in 2019; they continued in 2020, with elections to at least 30 additional councils planned for 2021.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, Background
Of the 120 local councils that were created in 2013, the Libyan Central Commission of Municipal Council Elections (CCMCE), headed by Salem Bentahia as of March 2019, is responsible for elections in the 92 municipalities which successfully held elections with legally confirmed results during 2014–2015, and in Zawiya, Bani Walid and Dirj, in which the CCMCE held elections in 2018.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2019, March 2019
Local elections were held in nine municipalities in southern and western Libya, including Zuwarah, on Saturday 30 March 2019, with an overall participation rate of 38 percent.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2019, April 2019
Elections were held in 11 municipalities in April. On Saturday 20 April, local elections were held in Brak al-Shati, Edri al-Shati, al-Rahibat, Ubari, al-Garda al-Shati, al-Shwairif, and Zaltan. Ghassan Salamé, head of United Nations Support Mission in Libya, complimented Libyans for holding these elections despite the 2019 Western Libya offensive. On Saturday 27 April, municipal elections were held in Sabha. Elections that had been planned for Sabratha and Surman on the same day were postponed by the Libyan National Army. Other towns in which municipal elections were held around these dates included Wadi Otbh, al-Ghuraifa, and Riqdalin.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2019, April 2019, Sabha appeals
Four appeals against the results of the Sabha election resulted in the election being declared invalid in a judicial ruling. In early November 2019, Judge Ibrahim Mahfouz in the Court of First Instance of Sabha overturned three of the appeals. A single judicial circuit can only consider three appeals on a case in the Libyan judicial system, whose top body is the Supreme Judicial Council of Libya, which remained unified during the Second Libyan Civil War.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2019, May 2019
Voter registration by SMS was reopened by the CCMCE on 14 May for Misrata, Sabratha, al-Khums, Msallata, Jufra, Tarhuna, southern Zawiya, Kufra, Ghat, and eight municipalities in the Nafusa Mountains, including Asbi'a, Al-Haraba, Kikla, Kabaw.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2020, August 2020
In mid-August 2020, municipal elections were held in Ghat, the first Libyan local elections for 2020.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2020, August 2020
Municipal elections were planned to be held on 25 August 2020 in Traghan. A militia affiliated with the Libyan National Army (LNA) prevented the election from taking place.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2020, August 2020
The elected Sabha council was restored to power in August 2020 following a court decision. The Government of National Accord (GNA) had earlier replaced the elected Sabha council by a temporary council.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2020, September 2020
On 2 September 2020, plans for the CCMCE to hold municipal elections with local community support in 15 municipalities in the LNA-controlled (eastern) part of Libya, including Derna and Al Qubbah, were announced in Benghazi by CCMCE spokesperson Khaled Younis.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2020, September 2020
Elections were held in Misrata on 3 September with CCMCE support.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2020, September 2020
On 23 September, residents of Gharyan protested, calling for a municipal election to be held.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2020, October 2020
Elections for the municipal councils of Al-Haraba, Jadu, Kabaw and Zawiya in western Libya were planned for 15 October.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2020, December 2020
Municipal elections in ar-Rajban and Zawiya were held on 21 December 2020.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2021, January 2021
The first four council elections of 2021 occurred on 7 January in the cities of Gasr Akhyar and Zliten, as well as for the Tripoli municipalities of Hay al-Andalus and Swani Bin Adam.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2021, January 2021
On 11 January the first municipal elections of the electoral cycle took place in eastern Libya, to the councils of Awjila, Jalu, and Jikharra.


2019–2021 Libyan local elections, 2021, January 2021
Voting continued on 23 January in the Tripoli suburb of Garabulli and a re-run in two precincts of Swani Bin Adam.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
The 2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis is the ongoing state of heightened military tensions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their respective allies in the Persian Gulf region. Starting in early May 2019, the U.S. began a buildup of its military presence in the region to deter an alleged planned campaign by Iran and its non-state allies to attack American forces and interests in the Persian Gulf and Iraq.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
This followed a rise in political tensions between the two countries during the Trump administration, which included the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the imposition of new sanctions against Iran, and the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. In response, Iran designated the United States Central Command as a terrorist organization.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
Several merchant ships in the Persian Gulf were damaged in two incidents in May and June 2019. Western nations blamed Iran, while Iran denied involvement. In June 2019, Iran shot down an American RQ-4A surveillance drone flying over the Strait of Hormuz, sharply increasing tensions and nearly resulting in an armed confrontation. In July 2019, an Iranian oil tanker was seized by Britain in the Strait of Gibraltar on the grounds that it was shipping oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. Iran later captured a British oil tanker and its crew members in the Persian Gulf. Both Iran and the UK later released the ships. Meanwhile, the U.S. created the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), which sought to increase "overall surveillance and security in key waterways in the Middle East", according to the United States Department of Defense.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
The crisis escalated in late 2019 and early 2020 when alleged members of the Kata'ib Hezbollah militia, part of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, killed an American contractor in an attack on an Iraqi base hosting U.S. personnel. In retaliation, the U.S. conducted airstrikes against Kata'ib Hezbollah's facilities in Iraq and Syria, killing 25 militiamen. Kata'ib Hezbollah responded with an attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, which prompted the U.S. to deploy hundreds of new troops to the Middle East and announce that it would preemptively target Iran's "proxies" in Iraq.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
Days later, the commander of IRGC's Quds Force Qasem Soleimani and PMF commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were both killed in a U.S. drone strike, resulting in Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei pledging to exact revenge on U.S. forces. The U.S. deployed nearly 4,000 troops in response to the tensions, and Israel heightened its security levels. On 5 January 2020, Iran ended its commitments to the nuclear deal, and the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution to expel all foreign troops from its territory.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
The U.S. and Iran nearly entered into an open conflict on 8 January 2020 when the IRGC launched ballistic missile attacks against two military bases in Iraq housing U.S. soldiers in retaliation for the killing of Soleimani, a rare direct Iran–U.S. confrontation and the closest to the brink of war between the two nations in decades. Upon initial assessments of no U.S. casualties, the Trump administration curtailed tensions by temporarily ruling out a direct military response but announcing new sanctions. It was later revealed that more than a hundred U.S. troops sustained injuries during the attacks.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
During the crisis, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down after departing from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, and Western officials said the plane had been brought down by an Iranian SA-15 surface-to-air missile. On 11 January 2020, the Iranian military admitted in a statement that they had mistakenly shot down the plane due to human error.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
The crisis re-emerged in July 2021 after a third incident targeting merchant ships, in which two crew members were killed. An additional tanker, the MV Asphalt Princess, was captured, and subsequently released hours later. The crisis is a concern for Maritime security as the increased war-like risks present challenges for commercial shipping.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Background
On 8 May 2018, the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal, reinstating sanctions against Iran. Iran's oil production hit a historic low as a result of these sanctions. According to the BBC in April 2019, United States sanctions against Iran "led to a sharp downturn in Iran's economy, pushing the value of its currency to record lows, quadrupling its annual inflation rate, driving away foreign investors, and triggering protests". Iranian officials have accused the U.S. of waging hybrid warfare against the country.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Background
Tensions between Iran and the U.S. escalated in May 2019, with the U.S. deploying more military assets to the Persian Gulf region after receiving intelligence reports of an alleged "campaign" by Iran and its "proxies" to threaten U.S. forces and Strait of Hormuz oil shipping. U.S. officials cited intelligence reports that included photographs of missiles on dhows and other small boats in the Persian Gulf, supposedly put there by Iranian paramilitary forces. The U.S. feared the missiles could be fired at its Navy.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Belligerents, Iran and allies
The U.S. began a buildup of its military presence in the region to deter what it regards as a planned campaign of belligerency by Iran and its non-state allies to attack American forces and interests in the gulf and Iraq. PMF and Kata'ib Hezbollah were targeted by U.S. airstrikes, claiming their proxy belligerent role on the orders of Iran.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Belligerents, International Maritime Security Construct
The International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), formerly known as Operation Sentinel or the Sentinel Program, is a multinational maritime effort established by the U.S. to ensure gulf security following Iranian seizures of commercial tankers.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Belligerents, International Maritime Security Construct
Following Iran's shoot-down of a U.S. surveillance drone on 20 June 2019, the U.S. bolstered its efforts to establish a coalition to deter Iranian attacks in the Persian Gulf. On 19 July, U.S. Central Command acknowledged what it called Operation Sentinel which had the stated goal of de-escalating tensions and promoting maritime stability in international waters "throughout the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait (BAM) and the Gulf of Oman". Sentinel called for participating nations to provide escorts to their flagged commercial vessels in the region and for coordinating surveillance capabilities.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Belligerents, International Maritime Security Construct
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper later commented on the nature of the operation, stating "My view is... we would want to prevent the Iranians seizing or stopping a ship, certainly, for any arbitrary reason whatsoever". Some U.S. allies, particularly European allies, were reportedly reticent towards the Sentinel Program due to qualms associated with signing on to a U.S.-led naval effort that could potentially drag them into a confrontation with Iran; this was coupled with reports of a potential European-led naval security effort separate from the U.S. By September 2019, the U.S. had "rebranded" Operation Sentinel as the "International Maritime Security Construct", reportedly to attract more participation.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Belligerents, International Maritime Security Construct
In early August 2019, the United Kingdom agreed to join the U.S. in its maritime program, abandoning the idea of a European-led naval protection force. On 21 August, Australia announced it would join the U.S.-led naval coalition, with plans to deploy a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft to the Middle East for one month before the end of 2019, a frigate in January 2020 for six months, and Australian Defence Force personnel to the IMSC headquarters in Bahrain. Australia ended its participation in the IMSC on 28 December 2020 after defense minister Linda Reynolds announced a shifting of naval resources to the Indo-Pacific.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Belligerents, International Maritime Security Construct
On 16 September, IMSC members held a Main Planning Conference aboard RFA Cardigan Bay along with representatives from 25 additional countries where they reaffirmed commitments to the operation and discussed their efforts to enhance maritime security throughout key waterways in the region. Saudi Arabia joined the coalition on 18 September and the United Arab Emirates joined on 20 September.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Belligerents, International Maritime Security Construct
In November 2019, Albania became the seventh nation to join the IMSC. Lithuania joined the coalition in March 2020.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Belligerents, International Maritime Security Construct, Allies and supporters
On 6 August 2019, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz reportedly said Israel would participate in the coalition, providing intelligence and other unspecified assistance.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Belligerents, International Maritime Security Construct, Allies and supporters
Japan announced on 18 October 2019 that it would not join the IMSC but would instead send its own separate naval assets to the region to guard merchant vessels "related to Japan" while still closely cooperating with the United States. A senior Japanese official said the contingency force would likely include warships and aircraft that will patrol the Gulf of Oman, the Northern Arabian Sea and other regional waters. In February 2020, as part of efforts by the Japanese government to protect the lanes that provide all the oil the Japanese economy depends on, a Japanese warship departed for the Gulf of Oman.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Belligerents, International Maritime Security Construct, Allies and supporters
Kuwait and Qatar expressed the intention to join in November 2019.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2019
On 5 May 2019, then-U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton announced that the U.S. was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and four B-52 bombers to the Middle East to "send a clear and unmistakable message" to Iran following Israeli intelligence reports of an alleged Iranian plot to attack U.S. forces in the region. Bolton said, "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack." The USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed to the Arabian Sea, outside the Persian Gulf.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2019
On 7 May, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a surprise midnight visit to Baghdad after canceling a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Pompeo told Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi they had a responsibility to protect Americans in Iraq. On 8 May, an advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran was confident the U.S. was both unwilling and unable to start a war with Iran. On the same day, Iran announced that it would reduce its commitment to the JCPOA nuclear deal which the U.S. had withdrawn from.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2019
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani set a 60-day deadline for the EU and world powers to rescue the current deal before it resumed higher uranium enrichment. The United States Air Forces Central Command announced that F-15C Eagle fighter jets were repositioned within the region to "defend U.S. forces and interests in the region". On 10 May, the U.S. deployed the Marine transport ship USS Arlington and a Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM) battery to the Middle East. The Pentagon said the buildup was in response to "heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2019, May 2019 Gulf of Oman ship attacks
On 12 May, four commercial ships, including two Saudi Aramco oil tankers, were damaged near the port of Fujairah in the Gulf of Oman. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) claimed the incident was a "sabotage attack", while a U.S. assessment reportedly blamed Iran or Iranian "proxy" elements for the attack.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2019, May 2019 Gulf of Oman ship attacks
On 13 May, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad said U.S. citizens should not travel to Iraq and for those who were already there to keep a low profile. On the same day, The New York Times reported that Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan had presented a military plan to send as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East if Iran attacked American forces or took steps toward developing nuclear weapons. U.S. president Donald Trump later discredited this, saying he would instead "send a hell of a lot more" than 120,000 troops if necessary.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2019, May 2019 Gulf of Oman ship attacks
On 14 May, both Iranian and U.S. officials said they were not seeking war, even as threats and counter-threats continued. Ayatollah Khamenei downplayed the escalation, saying in comments carried on state television that "no war is going to happen," while Mike Pompeo said while on a visit to Russia, "We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran." On the same day, Houthi rebels—which have alleged ties to Iranian elements—in Yemen carried out multiple drone attacks on a Saudi oil pipeline deep in Saudi territory.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2019, May 2019 Gulf of Oman ship attacks
The U.S. said it believed Iran sponsored the attack, though it was unclear if the attack was particularly related to the Iran–U.S. tensions or related to the Yemeni Civil War that began in 2015 and the U.S.-backed Saudi Arabian-led intervention there. On 15 May, the U.S. State Department announced that all non-emergency staff had been ordered to leave the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2019, May 2019 Gulf of Oman ship attacks
On 19 May, President Trump warned that in the event of a conflict, it would be "the official end of Iran". Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded that Trump's "genocidal taunts" would not "end Iran". On the same day, a rocket exploded inside the heavily fortified Green Zone sector of Baghdad, landing less than a mile from the U.S. Embassy. On 24 May, the U.S. deployed 1,500 additional troops to the Persian Gulf region as a "protective" measure against Iran.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2019, May 2019 Gulf of Oman ship attacks
The deployment included reconnaissance aircraft, fighter jets and engineers; 600 of the troops were given extended deployments, meaning 900 would be fresh troops. U.S. Navy vice admiral and Director of the Joint Staff Michael Gilday said the U.S. had a high degree of confidence that Iran's Revolutionary Guard was responsible for the 12 May explosions on four tankers and that it was Iranian proxies in Iraq who fired rockets into Baghdad's Green Zone.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2019, May 2019 Gulf of Oman ship attacks
On 20 May, Trump said: "We have no indication that anything's happened or will happen" in Iran. However, on 25 May, Trump invoked a rarely used legal loophole to approve the sale of $8 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, declaring that ongoing tensions with Iran amounted to a national emergency. Weapons would also reportedly be sold to the UAE and Jordan. On 28 May, the International Atomic Energy Agency certified that Iran was abiding by the main terms of the JCPOA, although questions were raised on how many advanced centrifuges Iran was allowed to have, as that was only loosely defined in the 2015 deal.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019
On 1 June, President Hassan Rouhani suggested Iran would be willing to hold talks but asserted that it would not be pressured by sanctions and American military posturing. On 2 June, Mike Pompeo said the U.S. was ready for unconditional discussions with Iran on its nuclear program, but affirmed that it would not relent on pressuring Iran until it starts behaving like a "normal country". "We are prepared to engage in a conversation with no pre-conditions. We are ready to sit down," Pompeo said, while also saying Trump had always been willing to seek dialogue with Iranian leadership.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019
Iran's foreign ministry responded stating, "The Islamic Republic of Iran does not pay attention to word-play and expression of hidden agenda in new forms. What matters is the change of U.S. general approach and actual behavior toward the Iranian nation," which it said needed "reform".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019
The softening dialogue came amid U.S. military exercises in the Arabian Sea, which saw various aircraft "simulating strike operations"; Yahya Rahim Safavi, top military aide to Ayatollah Khamenei, said U.S. military vessels in the Persian Gulf were within range of Iranian missiles and warned that any clash between the two countries would push oil prices above $100 a barrel.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019
On 6 June, the Houthis in Yemen shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B) drone. The U.S. military claimed the attack was performed with Iranian assistance. U.S. Central Command commander Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. warned that Iran and its "proxy" forces still posed an "imminent" threat to U.S. forces: "I think we're still in the period of what I would call tactical warning ... The threat is very real."


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019
Also on 6 June, the UAE, supported by Norway and Saudi Arabia, told the United Nations Security Council 12 May attacks had the marks of a "sophisticated and coordinated operation", and were most likely performed by a "state actor". Video of the damage to the tankers Amjad, Al Marzoqah, A Michel and Andrea Victory was released to broadcasters.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019, June 2019 Gulf of Oman ship attacks
On 13 June 2019 two oil tankers caught fire after allegedly being attacked by limpet mines or flying objects in another incident in the Gulf of Oman. As in the May incident, the U.S. blamed Iranian forces for the attacks. On 17 June, the U.S. announced the deployment of 1,000 more soldiers to the Middle East.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019, Sanctions and Iranian shoot-down of U.S. drone
Tensions reached a new high when, on 20 June, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down a U.S. RQ-4A Global Hawk surveillance drone, saying the drone had violated Iranian airspace. IRGC commander Hossein Salami called the shoot-down a "clear message" to the U.S. while also warning that, though they were not seeking war, Iran was "completely ready" for it. U.S. Central Command later confirmed that the drone was shot down by Iranian surface-to-air missiles but denied that it violated Iranian airspace, calling it an "unprovoked attack", and that it was in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and the U.S. provided conflicting GPS coordinates for the drone's location, making it unclear whether the drone was within Iran's 12-mile territorial boundary. The U.S. requested a 24 June closed-door United Nations Security Council meeting to address the regional tensions with Iran, according to diplomats.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019, Sanctions and Iranian shoot-down of U.S. drone
Trump ordered a retaliatory military strike on Iran on 20 June, but withdrew the order minutes before the operation began. Trump said he had decided to halt the operation after being told that as many as 150 Iranians would be killed, although some administration officials said Trump had been advised of the potential casualties before he ordered the operation to be prepared. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton reportedly objected to the reversal.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019, Sanctions and Iranian shoot-down of U.S. drone
On 22 June, it was reported that Trump had approved cyber attacks that disabled IRGC computer systems used to control rocket and missile launches the night of the drone-downing. The cyber strikes were handled by U.S. Cyber Command in conjunction with U.S. Central Command. It represented the first offensive show of force since Cyber Command was elevated to a full combatant command in May 2018. Also on 22 June, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a warning to U.S. industries that Iran was stepping up cyber attacks of critical industries—particularly oil, gas and other energy sectors—and government agencies, and has the potential to disrupt or destroy systems.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019, Sanctions and Iranian shoot-down of U.S. drone
On 23 June, Iranian President Rouhani blamed the United States' "interventionist military presence" for the high tensions. Iranian Major General Gholam Ali Rashid warned the U.S. of "uncontrollable" consequences should a conflict break out. Meanwhile, during a speech in Israel, U.S. security advisor John Bolton said Iran should not "mistake U.S. prudence and discretion for weakness", emphasizing that future military options are not ruled out and that Trump had only stopped the strike from going forward "at this time". Mike Pompeo visited the Persian Gulf region for talks with Saudi Arabia and the UAE in a bid to build a coalition to combat perceived Iranian nuclear and "terror" ambitions.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019, Sanctions and Iranian shoot-down of U.S. drone
On 24 June, the Trump administration announced new sanctions against Iranian government and IRGC leadership, including Supreme Leader Khamenei and his office. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the sanctions were to block "billions" in assets. On the same day, Trump told reporters he did not need congressional consent for an initial strike on Iran. On 25 June, Iran said the new sanctions prompted a "permanent closure" of their diplomatic ties, and the regime refused to negotiate with Washington until the sanctions were lifted.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019, Sanctions and Iranian shoot-down of U.S. drone
On 27 June, Javad Zarif tweeted that sanctions are not an "alternative to war; they ARE war" and argued that Trump's usage of the term "obliteration" against Iran is a reference to genocide, a war crime. He also said negotiations and threats are "mutually exclusive" and called the concept of only a short war with Iran an "illusion".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019, Sanctions and Iranian shoot-down of U.S. drone
In classified briefings, Pompeo and other U.S. State Department and Pentagon officials reportedly advised members of the U.S. Congress on what they described as alarming ties between Iran and al-Qaeda—including giving the terrorist organization safe haven in the country.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019, Sanctions and Iranian shoot-down of U.S. drone
The New York Times reported that lawmakers were leery of assertions of Iranian links to al-Qaeda, notably due to concerns that the administration may be using specious assertions to build a case for military action against Iran based on the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists—supposed links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda were used as partial justification to invade Iraq in 2003. On 27 June, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Mulroy sharply denied that Pentagon officials linked al-Qaeda to Iran during congressional meetings.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019, Sanctions and Iranian shoot-down of U.S. drone
"In these briefings, none of the officials mentioned al-Qa'ida or the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force," Mulroy said, adding that he and the Defense Intelligence Agency instead "described the historical ties between Iran and the Taliban, and I explained that these ties are widely and publicly known and referenced in articles and books".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2019, Sanctions and Iranian shoot-down of U.S. drone
Following the drone shoot-down, the U.S. continued unabated to deploy military assets to the region. By 28 June, the U.S. had deployed nearly a dozen F-22 Raptor fighter jets to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar—the first ever deployment of F-22s to the base—to "defend American forces and interests".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2019, Alleged U.S. downing of Iranian drones
On 18 July, according to the Pentagon, USS Boxer took defensive action against an Iranian drone that had closed in within approximately 1,000 yards (910 m) of the ship in the Persian Gulf; U.S. forces jammed the drone, causing it to crash. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied any of the country's drones had been brought down. U.S. General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., commander of the U.S. Central Command, subsequently claimed that USS Boxer may have downed a second Iranian drone.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2019, British and Iranian tanker seizures
On 3 July, Gibraltar enacted "Sanctions Regulations 2019" after the March 2019 Sanctions Act, referring to the EU sanctions for Syria (EU No. 36/2012). It also specified the Panama-flagged Iranian tanker Grace 1 as a ship under those regulations. On 4 July, the ship was seized by British authorities while carrying out an off-port limited logistics stop near Gibraltar, on suspicion that the vessel was carrying oil to Syria in breach of the European Union sanctions.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2019, British and Iranian tanker seizures
A force of 30 Royal Marines boarded the ship from a helicopter and speedboat, accompanied by Royal Gibraltar Police officers and HM Customs Gibraltar officers. Four of the ship's crew, including the captain and chief officer, were arrested but subsequently released on bail without charge. The Spanish Foreign Office lodged a complaint with its British counterpart. Iran demanded the ship's release and denied the vessel was violating sanctions, and an official of the IRGC issued a threat to seize a British ship in retaliation.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2019, British and Iranian tanker seizures
Ayatollah Khamenei described the incident as a British act of "piracy" which has been given a "legal appearance". Britain offered to release the ship in exchange for an Iranian guarantee that it would not proceed to the Syrian port of Baniyas to deliver oil to the refinery there. On 11 July, the Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose foiled an Iranian attempt to capture the BP-owned British oil tanker British Heritage as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2019, British and Iranian tanker seizures
Three boats believed to be from the IRGC approached the tanker and tried to halt it, after which HMS Montrose, which had been shadowing the tanker, moved between the boats and the tanker and trained guns on the boats, warning them to back off. The Iranian boats then turned away. The Royal Navy subsequently deployed the destroyer HMS Duncan to the Persian Gulf to reinforce HMS Montrose.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2019, British and Iranian tanker seizures
On 14 July, a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker, MT Riah, which was operating in the UAE, disappeared from ship tracking maps near Iran after crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Adding to the mystery, no entity claimed ownership of the tanker.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2019, British and Iranian tanker seizures
On 20 July, the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero was seized in a raid by IRGC forces. Four small boats and a helicopter stopped the ship and Iranian commandos rappelled on board from the helicopter. The ship was taken to Bandar Abbas and its crew of 23 detained on board. On 4 September, Iran decided to free only seven crew members of the detained British tanker. A second British-owned and Liberian-flagged ship was also seized but later allowed to continue its journey. In a letter to the UN, Iran said the Stena Impero had collided with and damaged an Iranian vessel, and ignored warnings by Iranian authorities.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2019, British and Iranian tanker seizures
The ship's seizure sparked a diplomatic crisis between the United Kingdom and Iran. The British government condemned the seizure of the ship and demanded its release, warning of "serious consequences". Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi visited Iran to negotiate the release of Stena Impero at the request of the British government. Iran confirmed that it seized the ship as retaliation over the British seizure of Grace 1 in Gibraltar and hinted that it would be willing to release Stena Impero in exchange for the release of Grace 1.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2019, British and Iranian tanker seizures
On 31 July, the United States sanctioned the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, complicating the chances of a diplomatic resolution of the crisis.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, August 2019: Seizure of Iraqi tanker and Grace 1 controversy
On 4 August 2019, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized an Iraqi tanker for allegedly smuggling oil to other Arab countries. The seven crew members on board were detained, further heightening tensions in the Persian Gulf. Three days later, Britain joined the U.S.-led International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC)—then known as the "Sentinel Program"—to protect oil tankers in the gulf and surrounding seas.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, August 2019: Seizure of Iraqi tanker and Grace 1 controversy
On 15 August, Gibraltar released Grace 1 after receiving assurances the oil would not be sold to an EU-sanctioned entity, and after rejecting a request from the United States Department of Justice to allow them to seize the ship. The Iranian government later said it had issued no assurances that the oil would not be delivered to Syria and reasserted its intention to continue supplying oil to the Arab nation.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, August 2019: Seizure of Iraqi tanker and Grace 1 controversy
On 16 August, the Department of Justice issued a warrant in Washington, D.C. to seize Grace 1, the cargo of oil, and $995,000 on the grounds that the profit from the ship's voyage was intended to enrich the IRGC, which the U.S. had previously designated a terrorist organization. On 18 August, Gibraltar announced that its Justice Ministry had rejected the U.S. warrant, as U.S. sanctions against Iran did not apply in the European Union, and the ship, renamed Adrian Darya 1 and registered under the Iranian flag, was expected to sail imminently from Gibraltar.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, August 2019: Seizure of Iraqi tanker and Grace 1 controversy
After releasing the ship, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the tanker and its captain and inputted them in the blacklist. Some days later, Brian Hook, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran, sent emails to the Indian captain of the ship and offered some million dollars in U.S. cash to steer the Adrian Darya 1 to a country where it could be seized by U.S. forces; but he rejected these offers.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2019: Saudi Aramco attacks and release of Stena Impero
On 3 September, Iran announced that the oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 had delivered its cargo, defying U.S. threats. Satellite imagery had shown the tanker near Syria. On 9 September, Britain's foreign minister accused Iran of selling the oil that was carried in Adrian Darya 1 to Syria. Iran said the oil had been sold to a private company which is not an EU-sanctioned entity, so its assurance to Gibraltar had not been breached.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2019: Saudi Aramco attacks and release of Stena Impero
On 14 September, the 2019 Abqaiq–Khurais attack took place—a coordinated cruise missile and drone attack that targeted the state-owned Saudi Aramco oil processing facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais in eastern Saudi Arabia. The Houthi movement in Yemen claimed responsibility, tying it to events surrounding the Saudi Arabian intervention in the Yemeni Civil War. However, claims made by some U.S. officials that the attacks originated in Iran, despite Iran's denial, further escalated the current gulf crisis.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2019: Saudi Aramco attacks and release of Stena Impero
On 16 September, the IRGC seized another vessel near Iran's Greater Tunb island in the Persian Gulf. It was reported that the vessel was allegedly smuggling 250,000 litres of diesel fuel to the UAE.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2019: Saudi Aramco attacks and release of Stena Impero
On 23 September, the Iranian president criticized the IMSC, the new U.S.-led maritime coalition set to patrol the region's waterways, and asked the western powers to leave the security of the Persian Gulf to them.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2019: Saudi Aramco attacks and release of Stena Impero
On 27 September, the British oil tanker Stena Impero departed from Iranian waters after around two months in Iranian detention. The remainder of the ship's 23 crew members who were detained in Iran were released as well, with seven crew members already released on 4 September. On 28 September, Stena Impero, which was also able to transmit signals, docked at Port Rashid, Dubai. The same day, HMS Duncan returned to her homeport, Portsmouth naval base.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, November 2019: IMSC launches operations
On 7 November 2019, International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) launched official operations in Bahrain to protect the shipping lanes near the troubled Iranian territorial waters. The coalition opened its command center in the kingdom, to ward off the perceived threat to the global oil supply amid the crisis.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, December 2019: U.S. airstrikes on Iraqi militia and attack on Baghdad embassy
In early December, the Pentagon considered sending reinforcements to the Middle East to deal with escalating tensions due to attacks against international shipping through the Persian Gulf, a missile strike against a Saudi oil facility, violent crackdown of protests in Iran, and heightened Iranian activities in the region. The number of people dead in Iranian demonstrations remained disputed, though Iran had not released any official estimates.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, December 2019: U.S. airstrikes on Iraqi militia and attack on Baghdad embassy
U.S. special representative for Iran Brian Hook announced that his country was offering $15 million for information concerning the whereabouts of Abdulreza Shahlai, a senior Iranian commander accused of orchestrating numerous attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and a foiled attempt to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, December 2019: U.S. airstrikes on Iraqi militia and attack on Baghdad embassy
On 27 December, Iran, Russia, and China began a four-day naval exercise in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman. The exercise was launched from Chabahar Port near Pakistan, and included the Chinese Type 051 destroyer Xining. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed it had deployed ships from the Baltic Fleet in its official newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda. According to Iranian government and military officials over its state news channel Press TV, the exercise was a response to U.S.–Saudi regional maneuvers and was meant to demonstrate that Iran was not isolated despite U.S. sanctions. In contrast, the spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, claimed the exercise was a "normal military exchange" unconnected to the international tensions.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, December 2019: U.S. airstrikes on Iraqi militia and attack on Baghdad embassy
Also on 27 December, K-1 Air Base in Iraq's Kirkuk Governorate was attacked with Katyusha rockets, injuring several Iraqi Security Forces personnel, four U.S. soldiers, and killing a U.S. civilian military contractor. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned the attacks, blaming Iranian-backed Shi'ite Muslim militias. On 29 December, U.S. airstrikes targeted Kata'ib Hizbollah facilities in Iraq and Syria killing 25 militants and injuring at least 55 others. The Department of Defense said the operation was in retaliation for repeated attacks on Iraqi military bases hosting Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) coalition forces, particularly the K-1 Air Base attack. About 5,000 U.S. troops were present in Iraq to deal with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant remnants and to assist the Iraqi military. Kata'ib Hezbollah denied responsibility for the attacks.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, December 2019: U.S. airstrikes on Iraqi militia and attack on Baghdad embassy
On 31 December, Iran-backed militiamen under the Popular Mobilization Forces attacked the outer perimeter of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, prompting American diplomats to evacuate to safe rooms. The militiamen later withdrew. An additional 100 U.S. Marines were sent to reinforce the embassy.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Baghdad Airport strike and reduced Iranian nuclear commitments
A major flashpoint in the crisis occurred on 3 January 2020, when President Donald Trump approved the targeted killing of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Iraqi paramilitary leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and other IRGC and Iraqi paramilitary personnel were also killed in the drone attack. Shortly after the attack, the U.S. deployed an additional 3,000 ground troops to the Middle East, in addition to 14,000 already stationed there since May the previous year.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Baghdad Airport strike and reduced Iranian nuclear commitments
President Trump defended the move, claiming in an interview with The Ingraham Angle on the Fox News Channel that General Soleimani was planning further attacks against four U.S. Embassies across the Middle East. This was later challenged by U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper in interviews on Face the Nation on CBS and State of the Union on CNN, who claimed that President Trump was not embellishing that there was an Iranian threat but that he had seen no evidence that U.S. embassies were to be targeted. As the funeral procession for Soleimani and al-Muhandis was ongoing in Baghdad, several rockets hit near the U.S. embassy and the Balad Air Base without any casualties.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Baghdad Airport strike and reduced Iranian nuclear commitments
Amid international fears of a direct confrontation between the two nations, Trump warned Iran on 4 January against attacking U.S. assets or any Americans in the region. He threatened that in the event of an Iranian attack, the U.S. would target 52 Iranian sites, including cultural sites, which represented the 52 hostages taken by Iran in 1979, and would strike "very fast and very hard". The White House officially notified the U.S. Congress about the killing of Qassem Soleimani, in accordance with the 1973 War Powers Resolution, a day after the fact.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Baghdad Airport strike and reduced Iranian nuclear commitments
Meanwhile, thousands of people in 70 cities across the U.S. participated in antiwar demonstrations against a new conflict in the Middle East. On the same day, the UK sent two warships, HMS Kent and HMS Defender, to the Persian Gulf to protect their ships and citizens. The Royal Navy was deployed to accompany British-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Baghdad Airport strike and reduced Iranian nuclear commitments
On 5 January, Iran announced that it would not continue to abide by the limitations mentioned in the 2015 nuclear deal. An Iranian government statement on state television said "If the sanctions are lifted ... the Islamic Republic is ready to return to its obligations." Iran also demanded the Iraqi parliament to get rid of the American presence in their country. The Iraqi parliament passed a resolution to expel all foreign, particularly U.S., troops from Iraqi territory through a vote boycotted by Sunni and Kurdish representatives.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Baghdad Airport strike and reduced Iranian nuclear commitments
The media initially reported that the U.S. would comply with the resolution after a draft letter from Brigadier General William H. Seely III addressed to the Iraqi Defense Ministry emerged claiming as such, but Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark A. Milley and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper soon clarified that the letter had been sent in error and the U.S. Armed Forces would not withdraw from Iraq. In response to the Iraqi parliament situation, Trump threatened to impose sanctions on Iraq "like they've never seen before".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Baghdad Airport strike and reduced Iranian nuclear commitments
On 10 January, Acting Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi placed a telephone call to Secretary of State Pompeo demanding that the U.S. send a delegation "to prepare a mechanism to carry out the parliament's resolution regarding the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq". Pompeo rejected Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi's requests. Shortly afterwards Iraq's highest-ranking Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, condemned the U.S.–Iran crisis.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Baghdad Airport strike and reduced Iranian nuclear commitments
In response to Iran's violations of the 2015 nuclear deal, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany threatened to activate the deal's dispute mechanism reenacting European Union and United Nations sanctions on Iran, a move supported by the U.S. State Department. In response, the Iranian Foreign Ministry threatened a "serious and strong response", and President Rouhani made a televised Cabinet address on Iranian state television directly threatening European troops while blaming U.S. escalation for the crisis. Soon afterwards, Rouhani claimed the country was enriching uranium at a higher rate per day than before the ratification of the deal, though experts questioned the logistical reality of that claim.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Baghdad Airport strike and reduced Iranian nuclear commitments
Meanwhile, the legality of the Baghdad Airport strike was brought into question in the U.S. and abroad. The U.S. Congress was not consulted before the attack and some congress members sought to restrict the president's ability to attack Iran. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the strike, and declared that Congress needed to be consulted in advance for any such military actions. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she would introduce a resolution to limit Trump's ability to take actions against Iran. On 10 January, the House ratified the resolution by a vote of 224–194.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Baghdad Airport strike and reduced Iranian nuclear commitments
The vote was mostly conducted among party lines, with eight Democrats opposing the resolution and three Republicans favoring it. Following the killing of Soleimani, a classified intelligence briefing to the U.S. Senate by CIA Director Gina Haspel was heavily scrutinized by many congressmembers and caused many legislators to question the Trump administration's rationale for the attacks. Shortly afterwards the U.S. State Department cancelled four further briefings on the crisis to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee without rescheduling them. Representative Eliot Engel, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, invited Mike Pompeo to a 29 January hearing to testify on the crisis and threatened to issue a subpoena against him.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, IRGC ballistic missile attack and new sanctions
On 8 January 2020, Iraq's Al Asad Airbase, which hosted U.S.-led coalition troops, was attacked with ballistic missiles as a part of Iran's "Operation Martyr Soleimani", named for general Qasem Soleimani. It was reported that the airbase in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan was attacked as well. During the attack, the IRGC declared that "fierce revenge by the Revolutionary Guards had begun", indicating it was the official response to the killing of Soleimani. Although among the facilities struck were troop sleeping quarters, some analysts suggested the strike was deliberately designed to avoid causing any fatalities to dissuade an American response. While the U.S. initially assessed that none of its service members were injured or killed, the U.S. Department of Defense ultimately said that 110 service members had been diagnosed and treated for traumatic brain injuries from the attack.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, IRGC ballistic missile attack and new sanctions
During his White House address hours after the attack, Trump ruled out a direct military response, urged rapprochement with Iran, demanded NATO be more involved in regional affairs, and demanded a new Iran nuclear deal be arranged. Trump, however, also announced new sanctions on Iran and affirmed his position that Iran could not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, IRGC ballistic missile attack and new sanctions
On 9 January, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council announcing that the United States was willing to negotiate with Iran to prevent further escalation. Ayatollah Khamenei rejected the possibility of talks at any level between U.S. and Iranian officials unless the United States returned to the JCPOA; Iranian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi likewise rejected the option. Both ambassadors justified their countries' military actions under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. On 14 January, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson encouraged the negotiation of a new nuclear deal between the Trump administration and the Iranian government, which President Trump expressed agreement with.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, IRGC ballistic missile attack and new sanctions
On 10 January, the Trump administration imposed new economic sanctions targeting Iran's metals industry and eight senior officials who were involved in the prior missile attacks. According to U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, the sanctions would affect "billions" in revenue. The U.S. also warned Iraq that it would freeze its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York if it continued to urge the withdrawal of American troops, which would prevent the Iraqi government from accessing oil revenues, damage the Iraqi economy, and devalue the Iraqi dinar.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, IRGC ballistic missile attack and new sanctions
On 15 January, the United States and Iraq resumed joint military operations against the Islamic State after a ten-day suspension following the drone strike on Soleimani.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Shootdown of Ukrainian passenger plane
Hours after the ballistic missile attacks, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed just after taking off from Tehran International Airport, killing all 176 passengers and crew, including 82 Iranian and 63 Canadian citizens. An investigation was launched to decipher the reason for the crash. On 9 January, U.S. officials said they believe the aircraft had been shot down in error by an Iranian Tor missile, based on evidence from reconnaissance satellite imagery and radar data. Iranian officials initially denied the allegations but, on 11 January, admitted to accidentally shooting down the plane.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Shootdown of Ukrainian passenger plane
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged deescalation and claimed that the United States' escalation of the conflict was partially to blame for the accident, saying "If there was no escalation recently in the region, those Canadians would be right now home with their families. This is something that happens when you have conflict and the war. Innocents bear the brunt of it." The incident slightly worsened Canada–United States relations. The airline shoot-down also reignited anti-government protests within Iran that had previously become dormant during the massive public outcry against the death of Soleimani. Foreign ministers from the countries who lost citizens in the crash—Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan, and the United Kingdom—met at the Canadian High Commission in London and demanded that Iran provide compensation for families of the victims.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Further tensions and controversies
On 12 January, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah called for Iran's allies in the Axis of Resistance—including Iran, the Syrian Arab Republic, Hezbollah, the Popular Mobilization Forces, and the Houthi movement in Yemen—to intensify its military campaigns against the U.S. to expel U.S. forces from the Middle East. During a state visit by Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar to Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei called for regional cooperation against the U.S. However, following discussions between Sheikh Tamim and President Rouhani, Tamim concluded that de-escalation and dialogue were the only means to resolve the regional crises. In response to the increased tensions, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and many U.S. states released advisories warning of Iranian cyberattacks, while the Texas Department of Information Resources said Iranian cyberattacks had reached a rate of 10,000 per minute.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Further tensions and controversies
On 17 January, Ayatollah Khamenei personally led Friday prayers in Tehran for the first time since February 2012, speaking at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque. During his televised sermon, Khamenei lamented the shootdown of the Ukrainian airliner, sought to present the image that the country was unified despite protests and the international crisis, and lashed out at the UK, France, and Germany, referring to them as "servants" of the "villainous" United States. Khamenei denounced the Trump administration as "clowns" and insisted that the "real punishment" for General Soleimani's assassination would be forcing American forces out of the Middle East.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Further tensions and controversies
In response Trump, who was vacationing at Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, at the time, made posts on Twitter urging Iranian leadership to stop "killing" Iranian protesters and that it "should abandon terror and Make Iran Great Again!" One of the posts was written in both English and Persian. On the same day, the Asian Football Confederation banned Iran from hosting international football matches. On 18 January, the U.S. sanctioned Brigadier General Hassan Shahvarpour, an IRGC commander in Khuzestan Province, after security personnel fired into protesters without warning during anti-government demonstrations in Mahshahr County.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2020, Further tensions and controversies
On 26 January, three rockets were fired on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, wounding at least one staff member present at the cafeteria at dinner time, with the nationality of the wounded still undisclosed, other sources reported three wounded.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February–March 2020: Camp Taji attacks and reduction of coalition forces in Iraq
On 9 February, during routine maritime patrols, U.S. forces aboard the USS Normandy (CG-60) interdicted and seized a cache of Iranian-made weapons aboard a dhow in the Arabian Sea that was purportedly en route to supply Houthi rebels in Yemen. According to the U.S., the shipment consisted of 358 weapons components, including 150 Dehlavieh anti-tank missiles, three Iranian-made SAMs, thermal imaging weapon scopes, and other components for manned and unmanned aerial and surface vessels, such as bomb boats and weaponized drones.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February–March 2020: Camp Taji attacks and reduction of coalition forces in Iraq
On 10 February, the Pentagon confirmed that more than a hundred U.S. service members were injured from the 8 January IRGC ballistic missile attacks, with 109 personnel diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February–March 2020: Camp Taji attacks and reduction of coalition forces in Iraq
On 13 February, the U.S. Senate voted 55–45 to constrain Trump's ability to wage war on Iran without congressional approval. The bipartisan vote for the Iran War Powers Resolution included eight Republican senators. Trump threatened to veto the resolution. On the same day, a rocket hit an Iraqi base in Kirkuk that housed U.S. forces. No casualties were reported.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February–March 2020: Camp Taji attacks and reduction of coalition forces in Iraq
On 11 March, Qasem Soleimani's birthday, 15 Katyusha rockets struck Camp Taji, Iraq, killing two U.S. soldiers and one British soldier from the Royal Army Medical Corps. The attack left 12 other American soldiers, contractors and OIR coalition personnel (including a Polish soldier) injured, five critically. On 13 March after midnight, after a previous retaliatory operation, the U.S. launched air raids against Kata'ib Hezbollah facilities in Karbala and the Babylon area near the Karbala International Airport; the strikes reportedly killed at least three Iraqi soldiers, two policemen and one civilian. 11 Iraqi soldiers were wounded as well as five Popular Mobilization Forces fighters.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February–March 2020: Camp Taji attacks and reduction of coalition forces in Iraq
On 14 March, before 11:00 AM, another rocket attack struck Camp Taji; more than 24 107mm caliber rockets struck the coalition compound and the Iraqi Air defenses installation there, injuring three coalition soldiers and two Iraqi soldiers. Iraqi forces subsequently found seven Katyusha rocket launchers with 25 rockets armed but not launched nearby.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February–March 2020: Camp Taji attacks and reduction of coalition forces in Iraq
On 16 March, the U.S. announced it would pull out from three of its eight bases on Iraq, amid continued tensions with the Iraqi government and Iran. In the border crossing of al-Qaim, the U.S. handed over equipment to the Iraqi security forces to ensure border security with Syria, a significant move that effectively ended any significant U.S. presence along the Iraqi side of the border.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February–March 2020: Camp Taji attacks and reduction of coalition forces in Iraq
The other two military bases later transferred to the Iraqis were the Qayyarah Airfield and the K-1 Air Base. CJTF-OIR said the base transfers and repositioning of forces were pre-planned in coordination with the Iraqi government in response to progress in the ongoing operation against ISIL and unrelated to the recent base attacks or the COVID-19 viral pandemic situation in the country. The coalition added it would relocate and consolidate personnel and equipment from several Iraqi bases throughout 2020.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February–March 2020: Camp Taji attacks and reduction of coalition forces in Iraq
On 17 March, two rockets struck the Besmaya Range Complex, south of Baghdad, where Spanish troops were stationed; no casualties were reported.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February–March 2020: Camp Taji attacks and reduction of coalition forces in Iraq
The gradual reduction of NATO and coalition presence in Iraq continued on 24 March when the Czech Republic withdrew troops citing security threats, the global COVID-19 pandemic, and a planned mission restructuring. 30 Czech soldiers participating in Operation Inherent Resolve and the NATO Training Mission in Iraq returned to Prague.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February–March 2020: Camp Taji attacks and reduction of coalition forces in Iraq
On 25 March, France announced it would withdraw its forces from training duties in Iraq, mostly trainers to local armed forces, largely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Iraq's military halted all training in early March to minimize the risk of the illness spreading among its forces, including from the OIR coalition.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
On 3 April, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed forces Mohammad Bagheri said, "Iran will respond severely if the United States does anything to undermine security of Iran".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
On 7 April, in Iraq, the coalition withdrew from the Abu Ghraib operating base, the al-Sqoor base inside Nineveh Operations Command, and the Al-Taqaddum Air Base, handing control to the Iraqi security forces. However, amidst the force consolidation, by 13 April the U.S. had also installed and activated Patriot air defense systems, an Army C-RAM system, and an AN/TWQ-1 Avenger at Al Asad Airbase and the base at Erbil (the two bases attacked by Iran in January), and at Camp Taji, after gradually moving the systems piece-by-piece into Iraq since January.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
CENTCOM commander Gen. Frank McKenzie said the Patriots and other systems were taken from another location where they were also needed, without saying where. U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley also added that hundreds of troops from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, which deployed to Iraq in January as an Immediate Response Force following the embassy attack, would remain until "... the situation with the Shia militia groups and Iran ... 100 percent settled down".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
On 14 April, an oil tanker named SC Taipei sailing under the flag of Hong Kong was seized and released the same day by armed men while anchored 3 nm off Iran's Ras Al Kuh coast.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
Gulf tensions remained high in mid-April between Iranian and U.S. vessels. On 15 April, during U.S. Army AH-64E Apache deck landing qualifications with the Navy in the northern Persian Gulf, 11 NEDSA speed boats began circling six U.S. vessels partaking in the exercise, including coming within 10 yards of the U.S. Coast Guard's Island-class cutter Maui (WPB-1304) and within 50 yards of the USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3).


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
According to the U.S. Navy, "The IRGCN vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the U.S. vessels at extremely close range and high speeds ... the U.S. crews issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, five short blasts from the ships' horns and long range acoustic noise maker devices, but received no response." The incident lasted almost an hour, until the Iranian vessels departed, and occurred about two weeks after the U.S. moved a carrier strike group out of the region.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group had departed the Middle East earlier in the month after operating in the region with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, a rare occurrence for the Navy which has not had multiple strike groups in the region for years. On 19 April, the IRGC acknowledged that an incident took place, but dismissed the U.S. version of events.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
On 22 April, in response to the 15 April incident, U.S. president Trump tweeted that he instructed the U.S. Navy to "shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats" if they harassed U.S. ships. Senior Pentagon officials said the tweet reflected a lawful order that would be implemented, though it did not mark a change in the rules of engagement.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
President Trump vetoed a Senate resolution on 6 May that would have required him to seek congressional authorization before taking military action against Iran.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
On 7 May, the United States removed four Patriot missile batteries, two jet fighter squadrons and dozens of military personnel from Saudi Arabia while considering a reduction in the U.S. Navy presence in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. decision may have been related to the Russia–Saudi Arabia oil price war as it affected the U.S. oil prices.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
On 10 May, the Iranian frigate Jamaran accidentally launched a Noor anti-ship missile at its support vessel, the Konarak, while the latter was deploying practice targets for a naval exercise. It was later determined that 19 sailors were killed and 15 injured. Some observers concluded that the Iranian friendly fire incident typified the ongoing instability in the Persian Gulf. Fabian Hinz of the California-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies, an expert on Iran's military, said the incident "... really showed that the situation with Iran is still dangerous because accidents and miscalculations can happen".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
On 12 June, the United Nations concluded that the cruise missiles that struck the Saudi Aramco oil complex in September 2019 likely came from Iran.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
Meanwhile, on 19 June, the board of the UN's atomic watchdog agency adopted a resolution calling for Iran to provide inspectors access to sites where the country is thought to have stored or used undeclared nuclear material.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
On 24 June, the U.S. imposed sanctions on five Iranian tanker captains for their links to the export of Iranian gasoline and gasoline components to Venezuela.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
On 29 June, Iran issued an arrest warrant for U.S. president Donald Trump and 35 other individuals on "murder and terrorism charges" for the January drone strike on General Qasem Soleimani and requested international assistance in detaining him. Responding to Iran's request to issue a red notice, Interpol issued a statement that it could not comply as its charter prohibits "intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character." U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook dismissed the warrant as "a propaganda stunt that no one takes seriously and makes the Iranians look foolish." Analysts and commentators identified the issuance of the warrant as symbolic rather than a genuine attempt to arrest Trump.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
Also on 29 June, a report by Al Arabiya released photo evidence of a wooden dhow carrying hundreds of reportedly Iranian weapons and other material bearing Persian language that was intercepted on 17 April. The dhow was found off the coast of Mocha, Yemen.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
Special representative Brian Hook visited Israel and Saudi Arabia and stated "Israel and the U.S. 'see eye to eye' on the need to extend the UN conventional arms embargo [against Iran], warning that its expiration would allow it to export more arms to its regional proxies."


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April–June 2020
On 30 June, Chinese ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said during a virtual UN Security Council meeting the Trump administration could not initiate a Security Council mechanism to nullify the 2015 Iran nuclear deal by re-invoking the arms embargo, saying "Having quit the JCPOA, the U.S. is no longer a participant and has no right to trigger the snapback" of sanctions. Notably, German ambassador Christoph Heusgen concurred with the Chinese stance, though echoed the U.S. concern about "the expiration of these limitations" on Iran's ability to purchase weapons.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2020: Mahan Air intercept and Great Prophet XIV
On 1 July, a fire and explosion hit a centrifuge production plant at a nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz, Iran. No deaths or injuries were reported. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz denied Israeli involvement, saying "Not every incident that transpires in Iran necessarily has something to do with us." "All those systems are complex, they have very high safety constraints and I'm not sure they always know how to maintain them," Gantz told Israel Radio.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2020: Mahan Air intercept and Great Prophet XIV
On 6 July, NEDSA commander Admiral Alireza Tangsiri claimed Iran had built offshore missile facilities and underground speedboat and "missile cities" along its southern coast. Also on 6 July, the Mossad spy agency reportedly said it recently foiled planned or attempted Iranian attacks on Israeli diplomatic missions in Europe and elsewhere.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2020: Mahan Air intercept and Great Prophet XIV
On 7 July, the United Nations Human Rights Council, led by special rapporteur Agnès Callamard, concluded that the killing of General Qasem Soleimani in January 2020 by U.S. forces was "unlawful". Callamard said that based on U.S. evidence, the killing was "arbitrary" and "violated the UN charter." "No evidence has been provided that General Soleimani specifically was planning an imminent attack against U.S. interests, particularly in Iraq, for which immediate action was necessary and would have been justified," Callamard wrote. On 21 July, Ayatollah Khamenei threatened that Iran would eventually conduct a reciprocal strike against the U.S. as further vengeance for the killing of Soleimani.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2020: Mahan Air intercept and Great Prophet XIV
On 8 July, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted at Iranian-links in the 6 July assassination of prominent Iraqi counter-terrorism expert Hisham al-Hashimi, highlighting threats made against him by Iranian-linked groups.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2020: Mahan Air intercept and Great Prophet XIV
On 16 July, CNN reported the U.S. had "several" intelligence indications that Iran had put portions of its air defense system on "high alert" in recent days, following unexplained explosions at key facilities tied to the country's military and nuclear programs. On 18 July, according to Iranian media, a large explosion was heard in Ahvaz; further reports linked the explosion to an oil pipeline, though this was not officially confirmed.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2020: Mahan Air intercept and Great Prophet XIV
On 24 July, two U.S. F-15 fighter jets briefly intercepted a Mahan Air passenger aircraft flying near a U.S. coalition garrison in Syria while en route from Tehran to Beirut. According to Iranian media and government officials, the intercepting F-15 made "provocative" and "dangerous" maneuvers, causing the airliner's pilot to abruptly lower altitude to avoid collision, injuring several passengers on board, with at least two taken to the hospital upon emergency landing.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2020: Mahan Air intercept and Great Prophet XIV
According to the U.S., however, the F-15s followed proper international procedure and were conducting a standard visual inspection of the airliner after it appeared "to have deviated from" an established commercial air corridor. The intercepting F-15 flew within 1,000-1,500 meters of the aircraft and then departed after identification, a U.S. official added. Iran demanded an international investigation in response to the incident and foreign minister Javad Zarif condemned the intercept and the American "occupation" in Syria as "lawlessness upon lawlessness".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2020: Mahan Air intercept and Great Prophet XIV
On 26 July, satellite imagery revealed the IRGC Navy (IRGCN) had towed a replica U.S. Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, first revealed in 2014, from a naval base in Bandar Abbas to the Strait of Hormuz a day prior in preparation for annual live-fire drills similar to the 2015 Great Prophet IX exercise. Iranian officials and state media had yet to publicly acknowledge the development. The actual USS Nimitz entered the region the week prior to replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Arabian Sea after the latter's seven-month deployment.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2020: Mahan Air intercept and Great Prophet XIV
A spokeswoman for the United States Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, commented that the fleet remained vigilant and questioned the "... tactical value they would hope to gain by using such a mock-up in a training or exercise scenario." U.S. special representative Brian Hook demanded Iran "spend more time on diplomacy and less time on military stunts".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2020: Mahan Air intercept and Great Prophet XIV
On 28 July, the IRGCN released footage of the drills, dubbed Great Prophet 14 (Great Prophet XIV), which included the mock carrier being assailed by commandos and a range of weaponry including limpet mines, anti-ship cruise missiles, truck-launched ballistic missiles, fast-attack speedboats, glide bombs, and, notably, Shahed 181 and 191 drones reportedly reverse engineered from the American RQ-170 drone captured by Iran in 2011. Iranian media also claimed the exercise was observed by its Nour military satellite launched in April 2020.