* Iran's IRGC unveils underground missile base in the Gulf "The base is one of several bases housing the Guards' Navy's strategic missiles," the state media quoted the head of the Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, as saying.
* US flies two bombers to Middle East in another Iran deterrence mission The US military flew two B-52 bombers to the Middle East Thursday from their base in the United States -- the fourth such deployment and show of force by the US Air Force aimed at sending a message to Iran in the past two months.
* European powers say Iran enrichment move puts new diplomacy with U.S. at risk Britain, France and Germany warned Iran on Wednesday that its decision to restart uranium enrichment at 20 percent risked undermining hopes of reviving diplomacy when a new United States administration takes over later in January.
* Iran, Hezbollah lead mediation to restore Hamas-Damascus ties Mediation efforts led by Iran and Hezbollah to restore ties between Hamas and the Syrian regime seem to be making progress amid rising tensions with their mutual rivals in the region.
* Ex-Israeli Ambassador Danon's Big Idea: Biden should maintain strong stance on Iran, partner with allies Former U.N. diplomat warns that trying to appease Iran will backfire.
* Implications for Israel of the Joint Terrorist Military Exercise in the Gaza Strip The first joint military exercise of the Gaza terrorist organizations was a milestone for Hamas, which wishes to unite these organizations in order to strengthen its control over the Strip as well as its “ambiguity strategy” vis-à-vis Israel.
* Erdogan says Gulf rapprochement 'very beneficial' for region Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday hailed a breakthrough between Gulf Arab states and Qatar earlier this week, saying the move to restore ties and lift restrictions was “very beneficial” for the region.
* Power struggle leaves U.N. rights body without leader Russia and China have opposed a candidate from Fiji seen as a staunch human rights defender to lead the top U.N. rights body, diplomats and observers say, creating a deadlock just as Washington may seek to rejoin the forum it quit in 2018.
* EU-China Investment Deal: "It Spits in the Face of Human Rights" "It is a massive strategic blunder at a time when President Biden will be seeking to put together an international partnership of liberal democracies to deal with the bullying loutish behavior and assault on our international rules by Chinese Communists." — Former Hong Kong Governor Lord Patten, Daily Mail, January 7, 2021.
* Is Russia really in decline? Western pundits still insist country on brink despite repeated predictions of apocalypse falling flat The chorus of doom mongering Western experts and media commentators has failed to send Russians scrambling to buy tinned goods or trading cash for precious metals, as their gloomy predictions again failed to come to pass in 2020.