IDF's massive blow
Israel launches strike on Hezbollah's underground project in Lebanon; watch (ET Online)
IDF's massive blow
02:10 Min | June 27, 2025, 11:08 PM IST
Smoke billowed from Nabatieh district in southern Lebanon on Friday (June 27) following Israeli strikes. According to a post on X written by the Israeli army's spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted a site used by Hezbollah to manage fire control and defence systems. 'This site is part of an underground project that was taken out of service as a result of IDF raids in the area', he said, adding that the IDF detected attempts to rebuild it. Lebanese president Joseph Aoun condemned the strikes in a statement published on his X account, denouncing what he called 'Israel's continued violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and the November ceasefire agreement.' A US-brokered truce in November ended a year-long war between Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah.
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First Post
20 minutes ago
- First Post
Lessons Israel-Iran war has for India's Operation Sindoor
India has to learn from Israel the contours of future war, where the enemy could be already well within the gates, wreaking havoc when it is given the signal read more It may be too early to learn lessons from the Israel-Iran war, but there are certainly some quick takeaways for India. Because Operation Sindoor is not over, and terrorism from Pakistan is unlikely to end as long as the army is in control there. Don't forget also that everyone is watching the war calibration carefully. Lessons will be learnt by all sides in this for their own purposes. And that's where we need to think and analyse and plan for the future. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Deep Intelligence The first aspect of the war is that Israel had access to precise intelligence on the ground in terms of a continuous feed. Fodrow, Natanz and others were static bases and needed no great intelligence capability. But the targeting of some 14 scientists is a different game altogether. Reports indicate that the majority were killed by explosive-laden drones, indicating a very high level of internal penetration into Iran. Israel has always had a formidable intelligence capability. But this was something else, and it's an open question what kind of deep assets it used when the 'go' command was given. For depend upon this. Such assets are not built overnight. That is worrying in terms of future wars. That means India has to not just up its technical intelligence for the future but also use technology to guard against such locally launched attacks – which could be on intel agencies, on high officials, and on personnel of sensitive installations. So far, the thrust of defence expenditure has been in securing the country's borders. Time to look inwards. Sindoor as Template The second aspect is rather the reverse. In many ways, the US operation, 'Midnight Hammer', was a textbook copy of 'Operation Sindoor'. Trump's announcement of having targeted 'only' nuclear sites, clear signs of talking to Iranians, and most of all, a series of moves to end the war quickly, something that the US is not known for. Those moves included allowing China to continue to buy oil – though sanctions remain – thus ensuring that outside powers did not take a hand. Iran was mollified by leaving open the possibility of sanctions relief. Then was his weighing heavily on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, to end his continuing strikes. Since the US could at any time stop its missile interception assistance for Israel, this arm-twisting was likely to have had a telling effect. The Standoff War Another takeaway from both operations is the 'stand-off' wars. Prior to US entry into Iran, Washington made sure that Israel had managed complete air superiority with bombing and missile raids. Even then it used a formidable array of aircraft that included the famed Stealth B-2's, practically invisible to radar, and fighter aircraft from its many bases in West Asia. And to make trebly sure, some 'two dozen' land-attack cruise missiles were fired from a submarine which was entirely undetected, at Isfahan. All attacks were at the extreme west of Iran, indicating that aircraft had no intention of doing a flyby and 'loitering' in the war zone. The blueprint of overwhelming force is used since even one aircraft lost would have been the political end for President Trump. No cities were hit, and US intel would have known full well that the major sites had been evacuated. But the lesson is that when there are no serious casualties, escalation is unlikely. This was also the case in Sindoor, where casualties were few. India did not have such a luxury of a package of aircraft (not to mention bases from where fighters could take off and provide protective cover), nor did it even enter Pakistan. But both provide a lesson in 'stand-off' wars. That means a line of technology development that includes, vitally, the ability of continuous satellite monitoring. India's own space programmes need to take note, and quickly. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Control of the Narrative Another issue to assess is control of the narrative. Even today, the imagery that is being discussed all over the internet is that of Iran. The damages to Israel were kept under wraps, with even the last missile strike by Iran, which mowed down three buildings at Beersheba, with casualties estimated at 4, which seems incredible given the clearly apparent destruction. But Israelis have long been used to violence and have safe rooms, standard procedures for quick evacuation and bunkers. What was hidden even more was the cost that Israel had to take on, with one estimate putting this at $3 billion in immediate costs, while tax authorities estimate costs at more than double the sum of claims stemming from the October 7 attack plus all 615 days since. And that's just claims for damages to property. Apart from this is the loss of man hours and its effect on gross domestic product. But the point is that none of this was apparent in an independent media, with the opposition swiftly putting aside rivalry in a show of national solidarity. It was only after a truce was declared that the Opposition lambasted Trump for interfering in the criminal charges against Netanyahu, which began in 2020 for fraud and breach of trust. Israel, like India, enjoyed widespread support after the first Hamas attack, which, however, rapidly deteriorated as its war entered its 629th day. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even the recent meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation saw a split – as did the G-7 meeting – over the question of the Iran war. In the end, the general consensus is that Iran can still make the bomb, perhaps in months. The takeaway of this lesson is probably that warmaking seldom wins friends and, in today's world, may not even deliver desired objectives. Far better to build up a narrative, as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh did recently when he refused to sign on to a joint statement of the Shanghai Organisation Cooperation while calling out the double standards on terrorism. But overall, here's the sum of it all. Internally, India has managed Kashmir without inordinate use of force; in fact, with 'one hand tied behind its back'. That, together with the manifold changes after the revocation of Article 370, had integrated Kashmir to the rest of India even more, not the other way around. That's something Tel Aviv should learn. But India has to, in turn, learn from Israel the contours of future war, where the enemy could be already well within the gates, wreaking havoc when it is given the signal. In this, both Pakistan and China are better placed than India. Time to reverse that, either with human assets – which are difficult for obvious reasons – and with technology. Future iterations of Operation Sindoor need to keep this clearly in the forefront. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The author is Director (R&A) at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies. She tweets @kartha_tara. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Iran holds funeral for top brass, scientists killed in Israeli strikes
Mourners dressed in black lined streets in Iran's capital Tehran at a funeral on Saturday for top military commanders, nuclear scientists and some of the civilians killed during this month's war with Israel. People attend the funeral procession of Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Israeli strikes in Tehran.(Reuters) At least 16 scientists and 10 senior commanders were among those mourned at the funeral, according to state media, including armed forces chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards commander General Hossein Salami, and Guards Aerospace Force chief General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. Their coffins were driven into Tehran's Azadi Square adorned with their pictures as well as rose petals and flowers, as crowds waved Iranian flags. State-run Press TV showed an image of ballistic missiles on display. State TV said the funeral, dubbed the "funeral procession of the Martyrs of Power", was held for a total of 60 people killed in the war, including four women and four children. Attending the funeral were President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior figures including Ali Shamkhani, who was seriously wounded during the conflict and is an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Bagheri, Salami and Hajizadeh were killed on June 13, the first day of the war. Israel, the only Middle Eastern country widely believed to have nuclear weapons, said its war against regional rival Iran aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons. Iran denies having a nuclear weapons program. The U.N. nuclear watchdog, which carries out inspections in Iran, has said it has "no credible indication" of an active, coordinated weapons programme in Iran. A senior Israeli military official said on Friday that Israel had killed more than 30 senior security officials and 11 senior nuclear scientists during the war. According to Iranian health ministry figures, 610 people were killed on the Iranian side in the 12-day war, 13 of them children and 49 women, before a ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday. More than 4,700 were injured. Activist news agency HRANA put the number of killed at 974, including 387 civilians. Israel's health ministry said 28 were killed in Israel and 3,238 injured.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'Jo Hume Chhedega…': PM Modi's Speech on Operation Sindoor Cut Short by Audience. Here's Why
/ Jun 28, 2025, 01:33PM IST Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forced to pause his speech when thunderous applause and chants of 'Modi! Modi!' erupted at a public event. The trigger? Just three words: "Jo Hume Chhedega..." — a veiled but unmistakable warning to Pakistan. PM Modi was referring to Operation Sindoor, India's bold military response to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives, allegedly carried out by Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives. Though he couldn't complete the line, the crowd understood—and completed it with their cheers. This emotional and powerful moment showcased how deeply national security resonates with citizens. Watch the full clip and reaction as PM Modi outlines India's zero-tolerance policy on terror.#pmmodi #operationsindoor #modispeech #pahalgamattack #indiaresponds #modivsPakistan #joHumeChhedega #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews
