Iran Says "Can't Give Up" Nuclear Program Despite "Serious Damage"
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
Prior to the war, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks mediated by Oman but could not agree on the extent to which Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium. Israel and the United States say Iran was close to enriching to levels that would allow it to quickly produce a nuclear weapon, while Tehran says its enrichment program is for civilian purposes only.
KEY QUOTES
"It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously we cannot give up of enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride," the foreign minister told the Fox News show "Special Report with Bret Baier" in a clip aired on Monday.
The foreign minister said the damage to the nuclear facilities in Iran after U.S. and Israeli strikes was serious and was being evaluated further.
"Well, our facilities have been damaged, seriously damaged, the extent of which is now under evaluation by our atomic energy organization. But as far as I know, they are seriously damaged."
CONTEXT
U.S. ally Israel attacked Iran on June 13 and the Middle Eastern rivals then engaged in an air war for 12 days in which Washington also bombed Iran's nuclear facilities. A ceasefire was reached in late June.
Iran is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Israel is not. The U.N. nuclear watchdog says it has "no credible indication" of an active, coordinated weapons program in Iran. Tehran maintains its nuclear program is solely meant for civilian purposes.
Israel is the only Middle Eastern country believed to have nuclear weapons and said its war against Iran aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons.
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First Post
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- First Post
Trump pledges to raise tariffs on India over Russian oil. Why this may not deter New Delhi
Donald Trump has doubled down on India purchasing oil from Russia. The US president has threatened to raise tariffs 'substantially' on goods over its continued purchase of crude. But New Delhi, it seems, will continue to source oil from Moscow read more A Russian crude oil tanker transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on India over its purchase of Russian oil. File image/Reuters To buy or not to buy… That's the question India is having to ask after US President Donald Trump has stepped up his attacks against the country for its purchase of oil from the Vladimir Putin-led nation. On Monday, the US leader threatened to 'substantially' raise tariffs on goods from India over its purchase of Russian oil. This came after Trump has already announced a 25 per cent tariff on New Delhi along with a 'penalty' for buying Russian crude. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Since last week, Trump has taken aim at India along with his officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, questioning India's purchase of Russian oil. However, the question is — will Prime Minister Modi acquiesce to Trump's demands and stop buying Russian oil? The answer: it seems quite unlikely, and here's why. Trump's threats to India on Russian oil The current tension between India and the US stems from when Donald Trump first announced that he would slap tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a peace deal with Ukraine by August 7-9. Then last week, Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's levies on US products and purchases of Russian oil and military equipment. While India was 'our friend', it had always bought most of its military equipment from Russia and was 'Russia's largest buyer of energy, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine — all things not good'! Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on July 30. This was followed up by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that the purchase of Russian crude was a 'point of irritation' in US-Indo ties, telling Fox News that while India was an 'ally' and 'strategic partner', Delhi's purchase of Russian oil was hampering its relationship with Washington. US President Donald Trump and some of his officials from the administration have been pressuring India to forego its oil trade with Russia in the past one week. File image/Reuters Then on Sunday (August 3), Trump's top aide accused India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine by buying oil from Moscow. 'What he (Trump) said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia,' said Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House and one of Trump's most influential aides, in an interview with Fox News, adding, 'People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That's an astonishing fact.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And Trump himself doubled down on the pressure on Monday (August 4) with a fresh post on Truth Social, in which he accused India of buying 'massive amounts' of oil from Russia and then 'selling it on the open market for big profits.' 'They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the tariff paid by India to the USA,' he said. India's purchase of Russian oil The strain in India-US ties has also to do with oil, namely Russian oil. Earlier, India purchased most of its oil from West Asia, but this changed after Russia began selling its oil at discounted rates after the West shunned it as punishment for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In fact, an US Energy Information Administration report reveals that India increased its purchases of Russian oil more than sixfold after the conflict broke out. Moreover, the International Energy Agency notes that 70 per cent of Russian crude was exported to India in 2024. Compiling data, Bloomberg reports that India, on an average, has been buying Russian crude at about 1.7 million barrels a day so far this year. Bloomberg reports that India, on an average, has been buying Russian crude at about 1.7 million barrels a day so far this year. Representational image/Reuters India's stance on Russian oil On Monday (August 4), a little after Trump threatened additional tariffs on India, India responded to the situation, indicating that it wouldn't stop purchasing crude and even stated that 'the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable'. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a statement said that India has 'been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He called out the US and Europe's double standards noting that while they criticised India, they themselves were carrying out trade with Russia. 'India's imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion. 'The European Union in 2024 had a bilateral trade of €67.5 billion in goods with Russia. In addition, it had trade in services estimated at €17.2 billion in 2023. This is significantly more than India's total trade with Russia that year or subsequently. European imports of LNG in 2024, in fact, reached a record 16.5 million tonnes, surpassing the last record of 15.21 million tonnes in 2022. 'Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilisers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel and machinery and transport equipment. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Where the United States is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilisers as well as chemicals.' He further noted that India began importing from Russia traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability. Other officials in the Indian administration note that despite Trump's threats, India will continue its trade with Russia for a number of reasons. Representational image/Reuters Let the Russian oil flow Other officials in the Indian administration note that despite Trump's threats, India will continue its trade with Russia for a number of reasons. Firstly, they noted that there was a growing sense within the administration that it shouldn't allow for American policymaking to shape its choices on vital energy supplies for its 1.4 billion people. Analysts and officials from the government also note that if even India suspended its oil trade with Moscow it wouldn't help the US. As Pankaj Saran, a former Indian deputy national security adviser and ambassador to Moscow, told the New York Times, 'What we also have to keep in mind is that even if India may cut to zero, China is not going to. You will have a kind of a bizarre situation where Russia will sell to China at cheap prices, and so you would have China being the ultimate beneficiary.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Moreover, Indian experts note that it was owing to its purchase of oil that helped keep global oil prices in check. Indians kept the Russian oil flowing at the capped price, helping to shrink Russia's revenue but also ensuring that global prices would remain in check. One source was quoted as telling the Mint, 'Had India not absorbed discounted Russian crude combined with OPEC production cuts of 5.86 mb/d, global oil prices could have surged well beyond the March 2022 peak of US$137/bbl, intensifying inflationary pressures worldwide.' In fact, former US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti had lauded New Delhi's purchase of Russian oil in 2024. In the now widely circulated video, Garcetti is heard saying, 'They (India) bought Russian oil because we wanted somebody to buy Russian oil at a price cap. That was not a violation or anything. It was actually the design of the policy because, as a commodity, we didn't want the oil prices going up, and they fulfilled that.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD "India brought Russian Oil, because we wanted somebody to buy Russian oil...", says US ambassador Garcetti on India buying Russian oil ; Adds,'no Price Cap violation, we did not want oil prices to go up..' — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 11, 2024 Experts also noted that India's contracts are long-term and 'it's not so simple to just stop buying overnight'. Trade research body GTRI also noted, 'India's oil trade with Russia has taken place with full transparency and broad understanding with the US. One of the key reasons India stepped up Russian oil purchases was to help stabilise global oil markets after Western sanctions disrupted traditional supply chains. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'By maintaining diversified and affordable energy access, India contributed to preventing a global oil price shock. Trump's decision to raise tariffs on India citing oil trade is not only unjustified — it ignores market realities misrepresents trade data, and undermines a key strategic partnership in the Indo-Pacific.' India also has to consider the price of moving away from Russian oil. New Delhi would have to pay more if it went with sources of oil like Saudi Arabia, who sells at a higher price to Asian countries because of a policy called the 'Asian premium' maintained by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Ospec). We will just have to wait and watch to see what happens next — will Trump drop his demand or will India give in. With inputs from agencies
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Israel Eyes Full Gaza Occupation Amid Ceasefire Collapse, Hostage Deadlock: Report
Last Updated: As Israeli troops are already occupying 75 per cent of the area, the new orders call for the seizure of the remaining pockets, including areas where hostages are held Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly instructed the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to take full control of the Gaza Strip in a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict, according to reports. The directive is seen as a move to intensify pressure on Hamas to secure the release of Israeli hostages still held inside the enclave. With Israeli troops already occupying about 75 per cent of the territory, the new orders call for the seizure of the remaining pockets, including areas where hostages are believed to be held. The Jerusalem Post reported that Netanyahu's office delivered the directive directly to IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, with an ultimatum: implement the order or resign. The push for full military control of Gaza comes amid a complete breakdown in ceasefire talks and rising frustration within Israel's leadership over the ongoing captivity of hostages held by Hamas since the start of the conflict. Notably, Netanyahu's reported directive to occupy the remainder of the Gaza Strip signals a dramatic escalation in the war effort. According to The Times of Israel, several ministers have confirmed that Netanyahu has privately used the term 'occupation of the Strip" — marking a stark shift from the government's earlier resistance to re-entering the enclave's densely populated areas. The Israeli Security Cabinet is expected to convene on Tuesday to formalise the next phase of operations in Gaza, as pressure builds both from within the military ranks and from a public increasingly distressed by the plight of hostages and the absence of a resolution. Hamas Releases Hostage Video The development follows the release of disturbing videos by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, showing two Israeli hostages — Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David — in visible distress. In the footage, Braslavski says he can no longer walk due to injuries, while David is seen digging what he calls his own grave, stating he has gone days without food. 'When I see these, I understand exactly what Hamas wants," Netanyahu said in a televised address on Sunday. 'They do not want a deal. They want to break us using these videos of horror." Meanwhile, reports from Israeli Army Radio suggest growing tensions within the military leadership. Chief of Staff Zamir is said to be frustrated with the lack of long-term strategy from the political leadership, expressing concern over a potential war of attrition with Hamas. Public discontent also surged over the weekend, as tens of thousands of Israelis rallied on Saturday night calling for an immediate ceasefire and a deal to bring the hostages home. The mass protest, one of the largest in recent weeks, was driven by the harrowing hostage footage circulating online. Netanyahu also met with officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross, urging them to push for humanitarian access to the hostages — a request that Hamas has consistently denied throughout the conflict. Humanitarian Crisis Deepens As military operations intensify, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. The United Nations estimates that nearly 1,400 Palestinians have died since May while attempting to access aid, many near distribution sites operated by an American contractor with Israeli backing. While the IDF denies deliberately targeting civilians, it acknowledges using warning fire to control crowds near aid trucks. From March to May, Israel enforced a full blockade on Gaza, halting all deliveries of food, medicine, and humanitarian supplies. Although restrictions have since eased slightly under international pressure, conditions remain dire for the enclave's estimated two million residents. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : gaza israel netanyahu view comments Location : Israel First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
‘Illegal and unprecedented': Israel fires attorney general; Supreme Court halts move
Benjamin Netanyahu (ANI) Israel's government plunged deeper into political crisis on Monday after the cabinet unanimously voted to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, a move immediately blocked by the country's Supreme Court. The court issued an injunction suspending the decision pending legal review, preventing any replacement from being appointed in the meantime. Justice Minister Yariv Levin formally notified Baharav-Miara of the cabinet's decision, saying she 'should not try to impose herself on a government that has no trust in her.' Baharav-Miara, a central figure in multiple legal battles involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's administration, has frequently challenged the legality of key decisions, including Netanyahu's May attempt to sack the head of the Shin Bet security agency, Ronen Bar. That move was widely seen as retaliation for Bar's role in an ongoing investigation into alleged illicit Qatari payments to Netanyahu's aides—a case dubbed 'Qatargate' in Israeli media. Netanyahu and his allies accuse the attorney general of overstepping her role and obstructing elected officials, while critics argue that her removal represents a dangerous attack on judicial independence. Following the dismissal, opposition party Yesh Atid and several watchdog organisations filed emergency petitions with the High Court. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like When Knee Pain Hits, Start Eating These Foods, and Feel Your Pain Go Away (It's Genius) Click Here Undo The Movement for Quality Government, a leading civil group, described the firing as 'illegal' and 'unprecedented,' accusing the government of changing the rules after failing to remove Baharav-Miara through legal means. 'This decision turns the role of the attorney general into a political appointment,' it said. The court has scheduled hearings over the next 30 days to consider the legality of the move. The attorney general has argued that Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial creates a conflict of interest that bars him from removing her. The high-stakes confrontation comes as Netanyahu faces increasing domestic and international pressure over the war in Gaza. He vowed on Monday to update Israel's war strategy, with reports suggesting a plan to reoccupy all of Gaza may be in the works. Meanwhile, criticism continues to mount over the government's handling of the hostage crisis and aid restrictions in the Palestinian territory.
