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The Citizen
23-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Assault on Iran signals ‘oil crisis'
The US's strike in Iran could lead to increased transport charges and hiked fuel costs. Israeli security forces and first responders gather at the site of an Iranian strike that hit a residential neighbourhood in the Ramat Aviv area in Tel Aviv on June 22, 2025. AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP The last time there was a crisis this serious in the Middle East, during the Arab-Israel war of 1973, the rest of the world suffered in what is now called the 'oil crisis', as Arab oil producers reduced supplies and petrol stations everywhere ran out of fuel. In South Africa, that manifested as draconian restrictions, including a ban on fuel sales after hours and over weekends, as well as a reduction in the national speed limit from 120km/h to 80km/h to conserve fuel. When US President Donald Trump ordered the B-2 bombers to destroy Iran's supposed nuclear weapon development facilities, he set the world on what might well be a similar trajectory to 1973. This time, even if the Arab oil producers don't announce an embargo, Iran may forcibly close the Strait of Hormuz, through which most oil flows… or the Houthi rebels in Yemen may resume attacks on merchant shipping and US Navy vessels in and around the Red Sea. Those actions will have knock-on effects in increased transport charges and hiked fuel costs, which will, again, be felt around the world. Worryingly, too, Russian Deputy President Dmitri Lebedev said 'a number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads'. That would ratchet tensions up to a shade less than World War III in the minds of many people. It also seems that despite the ongoing Israeli assault on Iran, Tehran is far from finished… and if you doubt that, look at the damage being visited on Israel. How long the Israeli population, concentrated as it is in a very small area compared to the size of Iran, will be able to tolerate the situation, remains to be seen. Finally, will the US bombs bring the Iranians to the negotiating table – or will they harden their resolve to fight on? NOW READ: Did the US strikes succeed, and how will Iran respond?
The Citizen
22-06-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
US joins Israel-Iran conflict with overnight bombing campaign
The United States bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran with the latter responding with strikes on targets in Israel. Israeli security forces and first responders gather at the site of an Iranian strike that hit a residential neighbourhood in the Ramat Aviv area in Tel Aviv on June 22, 2025. AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP President Donald Trump said the US military carried out strikes Sunday on three Iranian nuclear sites and that Tehran 'must now agree to end this war', following days of speculation over whether the United States would join its ally Israel's bombing campaign. As the Iran-Israel war entered its 10th day, here are the latest developments: US intervention Trump said the US military carried out a 'very successful attack' on three Iranian nuclear sites, including the underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordo. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran,' Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform, referring to Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz. 'A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site,' Fordo, he said, adding the planes were safely out of Iranian airspace and on the way home. Iranian media said the Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites were hit. Ahead the US strikes, The New York Times and specialist plane tracking sites said American B-2 stealth bombers had left a base in the United States and flown across the Pacific. The B-2 can carry America's heaviest payloads, including the bunker-busting GBU-57 — the only weapon capable of destroying Iran's deeply buried nuclear facility in Fordo. Trump said that, after the strikes, Iran 'must now agree to end this war', insisting that under no circumstances should Iran possess a nuclear weapon. Israel raised its alert level after the strikes, permitting only essential activities until further notice, the military announced. Iran says US attacks 'outrageous' Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, condemned the US attacks and said his country had the right to defend its sovereignty. 'The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences,' the foreign minister wrote on X, describing the attacks as 'lawless and criminal'. 'In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defence, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people.' Iran's foreign ministry said in a separate statement Washington 'will stop at no illegality or crime' to support Israel. Iran and Israel exchange missile salvos Iran's armed forces said they targeted multiple sites in Israel including Ben Gurion airport, after US attacks on key nuclear sites. The targets included the airport, a 'biological research centre', logistics bases and various layers of command and control centres, it said, quoted by Fars news agency. IRNA news agency said 40 missiles were fired in the '20th wave' of Iranian strikes. At least 23 people were hurt and police said at least three impacts were reported. 'Houses here were hit very, very badly,' Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai told reporters at the scene. 'Fortunately, one of them was slated for demolition and reconstruction, so there were no residents inside. 'Those who were in the shelter are all safe and well. The damage is very, very extensive, but in terms of human life, we are okay.' The Israeli military said it had launched its own fresh waves of strikes in western Iran and in Qom, south of Tehran, IRNA reported four Revolutionary Guard members were killed in strikes on a military base in the north of the city. UN nuclear watchdog says 'no increase' in radiation The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency said it had not detected any increase in radiation levels at key nuclear sites in Iran following the US strikes. 'Following attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran… the IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time,' the watchdog said on X. The UN body's head, Rafael Grossi, said the IAEA would hold an 'emergency meeting' at the organisation's headquarters in Vienna on Monday in response to the US strikes. © Agence France-Presse
Sinar Daily
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Sinar Daily
Iran defends itself with retaliatory missile strikes on Israel, dozens Injured
Iran asserts its right to self-defence following deadly Israeli strikes, launching retaliatory missile attacks on major cities across Israel. By SINAR DAILY REPORTER 14 Jun 2025 08:44am This picture shows a trail from an Iranian rocket in the sky above Jerusalem on June 13, 2025. Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel in a counter-strike on June 13, after an unprecedented onslaught hammered the Islamic republic's top military brass and targeted its nuclear facilities and bases. - (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP) SHAH ALAM - Explosions rocked Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Friday night as Iran launched long-range missile strikes targeting major Israeli cities, in a retaliatory move following Israel's largest-ever military assault on the Islamic Republic this week. Foreign media reported air raid sirens blared across Israel as Iranian missiles pierced the night sky with at least 40 people were reported injured, including two critically, after several buildings were struck. The Israeli military said fewer than 100 missiles were launched in two waves, with most either intercepted or falling short. However, significant damages were still reported, especially in densely populated areas. Israel's airstrikes earlier in the week had targeted critical Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure, including the Natanz pilot enrichment facility, which United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi confirmed was "destroyed." In a fiery warning, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that Israel "must expect severe punishment" for what he labelled a "crime" - the assassination of several senior military officials and six nuclear scientists. First-responders gather outside a that was hit by an Israeli strike in Tehran on June 13, 2025. Israel hit about 100 targets in Iran on June 13, including nuclear facilities and military command centres and killing senior figures including the armed forces chief and top nuclear scientists. - (Photo by MEGHDAD MADADI / TASNIM NEWS / AFP) Among the high-ranking Iranian casualties were the armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri and Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami. Iran said the total death toll from Israeli strikes has risen to 78, with over 320 people wounded, most of them civilians. Reaffirming Tehran's stance, Iran's UN envoy accused the United States (US) of complicity in the Israeli attacks and held Washington fully responsible for the consequences. After the Israeli attacks on Iran, a nearly three-hour emergency Security Council meeting saw the Iranian ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani stating that Israel's attack on Iran is a declaration of war. He said it was a premeditated act of aggression, calling it "barbaric and criminal" and a direct violation of numerous international legal instruments, including the IAEA Statute and the Geneva Convention. He dubbed these actions "deliberate and systematic killings" were not only "illegal, but inhuman." "Iran affirms its inherent right to self-defence, as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter and will respond decisively and proportionately to this act of aggression at a time, in a place and by means of its choosing. "This is not a threat. This is a natural consequence of an unprovoked military attack," he said. People and first-responders gather atop a building a that was hit by an Israeli strike in Tehran on June 13, 2025. Israel hit about 100 targets in Iran on June 13, including nuclear facilities and military command centres and killing senior figures including the armed forces chief and top nuclear scientists. - (Photo by MEGHDAD MADADI / TASNIM NEWS / AFP) Meanwhile, Israel's ambassador Danny Danon said this was an act of self-preservation for the state of Israel, saying they not only attacked Iran's nuclear sites, but also military leaders, the nuclear programme and military infrastructure. He claimed that "Israel waited for diplomacy to work, but it didn't." He claimed that there were supposed to be more talks between the US and Iran to try to reach a peaceful resolution this weekend. He said he came to the Security Council not asking for permission, but instead, recognition that the international community has failed to stop Iran's nuclear programme. In other news, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US was "not involved" in the strikes and warned Iran against attacking American bases in the region. More Like This
eNCA
08-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Israel forces close UN schools in annexed east Jerusalem
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Thursday that Israel closed three of its schools in annexed east Jerusalem, months after an Israeli ban on its activities took effect. An AFP photographer at the scene reported that a closure notice in Hebrew was left at the entrance of at least one of the schools, and UNRWA said at least one of its staff members was detained. "From May 8, 2025, it will be prohibited to operate educational institutions, or employ teachers, teaching staff or any other staff, and it will be forbidden to accommodate students or allow the entry of students into this institution," the closure order read. UNRWA's director in the West Bank, Roland Friedrich, told AFP that "heavily armed" forces surrounded three UNRWA schools in east Jerusalem's Shuafat camp at 9:00 am on Thursday. Friedrich added that 550 pupils aged six to 15 were present when the closure was enforced, calling the event "a traumatising experience for young children who are at immediate risk of losing their access to education." Friedrich said that police were being deployed at three separate schools in other parts of east Jerusalem, which has been annexed by Israel since 1967. An AFP photographer reported that Israeli forces removed children from two schools, many of whom left in tears, and posted a closure notice stating that the schools were operating illegally without "authorisation". AFP | AHMAD GHARABLI Several young pupils, some visibly moved and others shocked, hugged in front of the school before leaving the premises. The Palestinian Authority condemned the move in a statement to AFP, calling it a "violation of children's right to education". In a statement, its ministry of education called the closures a "crime" and urged international institutions to "to assume their responsibilities and defend the right of refugee children to a free and safe education". UNRWA has provided support for Palestinian refugees around the Middle East for more than 70 years, but has long clashed with Israeli officials, who have repeatedly accused it of undermining the country's security. - 'Wholly inadequate' - At the end of January, Israeli legislation came into force severing ties with the agency, which is banned from operating on Israeli soil. Contact between it and Israeli officials is also forbidden. Israel has accused UNRWA of providing cover for Hamas militants, claiming that some of the agency's employees took part in Hamas's October 7, 2023 assault on Israel which sparked the war in Gaza. A series of investigations, including one led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, found some "neutrality-related issues" at UNRWA, but stressed Israel had not provided evidence for its headline allegation. AFP | AHMAD GHARABLI Palestinian human rights group Adalah reported that Israeli police were raiding six UNRWA-run schools in east Jerusalem. The organisation filed a petition with Israel's Supreme Court in mid-January arguing the new legislation against UNRWA violated "fundamental human rights and Israel's obligations under international law". The Supreme Court rejected its request for the legislation to be suspended. In April, Adalah demanded a halt to the closure orders on UNRWA-run schools at the Supreme Court. The state responded that the Jerusalem municipality was offering alternative schooling and the court rejected the NGO's motion. Adalah called the proposed alternatives "wholly inadequate". Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, though the United Nations considers its annexation of the city's eastern sector illegal. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state. By Ahmad Gharabli
