Latest news with #Israel-IranWar
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The humiliating way Israel achieved air superiority in Iran during the 12-Day War
As news hit the airwaves that Israel was conducting airstrikes on military and nuclear sites in Iran, Israel commandos were on the ground inside the Islamic Republic, communicating with the Israeli Air Force and Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency. The announcement came as the war began, but what Mossad and the commandos were able to do inside unfriendly territory before the shooting ever started is the bigger surprise. The Israel-Iran War, also known as the 12-Day War in some circles, began on June 13, 2025, as Israeli fighters began surprise attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. Their targets weren't limited to bases and enrichment centers. The IAF struck Iran's air defenses, key military and civilian leaders, and nuclear scientists. In the first day alone, some 200 fighters hit 100 targets across the country. 'We achieved full control of the Iranian skies and every location we chose to operate in. This was made possible in part thanks to the joint efforts and subterfuge of our air forces and commandos on the ground,' Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said in a June 2025 press conference. 'These forces operated covertly in the heart of enemy territory, securing operational freedom of action.' Zamir was the first Israeli official to publicly admit that Israel had troops deployed inside Iranian territory. Along with Mossad, the commandos sabotaged Iranian air defense systems and missile launchers. Other operatives were able to set up a covert drone base located just outside of Tehran, an installation that allowed the Israelis to smuggle precision weapons and commandos inside the country. These drones targeted surface-to-surface missiles that Iran would have fired back toward Israel. The precision weapons and commandos smuggled into the Islamic Republic are what allowed Israel to operate so freely in Iranian airspace during those 12 days in June. Air Superiority was established almost immediately. Some 30 Iranian generals and nine nuclear scientists were killed in the first minutes of the air assault. It was 'groundbreaking thinking, bold planning and surgical operation of advanced technologies, special forces and agents operating in the heart of Iran while totally evading the eyes of local intelligence,' an unnamed Israeli official told the Times of Israel after the 12-Day War. Israel also struck nuclear sites across Iran, including a centrifuge workshop in Isfahan, the nuclear facility at Natanz, and the Fordo Fuel Enrichment Plant. The United States also struck the Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites. Iran and its allies and proxies were still able to fire hundreds of ballistic missiles and more than a thousand explosive drones toward Israel in retaliation for the strikes. Iran also claims to have captured dozens of drones and hundreds of Mossad operatives in the days since the June 24, 2025 ceasefire was announced. Despite the overwhelming effort, air superiority, and combined firepower of the United States and Israel, Iran's ability to enrich uranium, along with its nuclear stockpile, is far from destroyed. The Pentagon said the 12-Day War instead set Iran's nuclear program back by two years. 'The Iranian nuclear project suffered a hard, broad and deep blow and sets it back by years,' Zamir added to his televised statement. 'The campaign is not yet finished. We must remain on guard – many challenges await.' We Are The Mighty is a celebration of military service, with a mission to entertain, inform, and inspire those who serve and those who support them. We are made by and for current service members, veterans, spouses, family members, and civilians who want to be part of this community. Keep up with the best in military culture and entertainment: subscribe to the We Are The Mighty newsletter. Wounded Ukrainian soldiers with bionic arms want to return to the front lines Someone once hacked Iran's nuclear program using AC/DC songs on full blast That time a Marine general led a fictional Iran against the US military – and won
Time Magazine
09-07-2025
- Business
- Time Magazine
China Opens Up to Tourists as Trump's U.S. Closes Itself Off
As the U.S. under President Donald Trump increasingly closes itself off from the world, denying entry to tourists amid a crackdown on border controls and migration, its geopolitical rival China, which has long been known for its relative isolation, has loosened its travel restrictions to unprecedented levels. By July 16, China will have expanded visa-free entry to 75 countries as part of a broader campaign to boost inbound tourism, which has already seen a surge. Last year, over 20 million foreigners visited China without a visa, doubling that of the previous year, according to China's National Immigration Administration. Shanghai alone received 2.6 million overseas visits in the first half of this year, around half of which were visa-free entries, a 45% year-on-year increase. China has been steadily pushing for more people to visit since reopening its borders in early 2023, after its 'Zero-COVID' policies appeared for a time as though they might drive the country into a lasting isolation. It's also part of China's effort to boost its soft power, especially at a time when the Trump Administration appears to be withdrawing the U.S. from the global stage. In recent months, Trump has moved to restrict international students from the U.S., impose sweeping tariffs on the rest of the world, and shutter USAID, while reports of tourists being detained or denied entry by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have deterred some from visiting the U.S. China's response to U.S. actions—including the targeting of Chinese international students and U.S. intervention in the Israel-Iran War—has been relatively restrained, signalling the country's desire to maintain cordial diplomatic ties to the U.S., especially amid trade negotiations, while also advocating for multilateralism like never before. The U.S. has 'demonstrated its military capabilities, its commitment to allies, and its influence in crisis management' through Trump's efforts to broker peace deals around the world, at times wielding the threat of force, but 'these are not the metrics by which China measures its global role,' says Lin Jing, a research fellow at the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore. 'Instead, China continues to showcase its consistency and stability, its non-aligned posture, and its support for a U.N.-centered international order.'. 'There's recognition that when you don't have people-to-people exchanges, you lose an important bulwark against populist rhetoric on both sides,' David Weeks, co-founder and chief operating officer of Sunrise International, a consulting firm that advises overseas universities on recruiting Chinese students, previously told TIME. 'China thinks that we need more, not less, exchange if we have disagreements.' In May, Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng emphasized the importance of people-to-people exchanges to U.S.-China relations, just as the U.S. announced enhanced screenings of student visa applicants from China and Hong Kong. 'It is people-to-people ties that invigorate China-U.S. relations,' he said at his embassy. 'We warmly welcome all American friends to travel in China, shop in China, succeed in China and take part in Chinese modernisation. Come and see the country with your own eyes.' Inbound tourism could also help to rejuvenate China's domestic economy, which the Chinese government has prioritized to mitigate against the worst effects of Trump's tariffs as well as high youth unemployment and a persistent real estate crisis. China is opening more duty-free shops around the country in an effort to bolster spending within the country. Meanwhile, Chinese businesses, like 'Labubu' toy retailer Pop Mart, have gained global popularity, boosting China's soft power and interest around the world in visiting the country. Here's what to know. What are China's new visa-free rules Much of Europe, Asia, and parts of the Middle East are able to travel to China without a visa. China began expanding its visa-free scheme after reopening its borders in 2023 after inbound travel plummeted during the pandemic. The country saw just 14 million visitors in 2023 as compared to 32 million in 2019. Since then, Beijing has introduced or resumed visa-free entry for visitors from nearly every European country, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and most Asian countries, including Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea. Citizens of five Latin American countries—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay—and Uzbekistan were added to the scheme in June. Four countries in the Middle East—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia—were also granted visa-free entry last month. Azerbaijan will become eligible on July 16, bringing the total to 75. (By comparison, nationals from 42 countries have visa-free access to the U.S. for tourism or business stays up to 90 days under the Visa Waiver Program.) China's scheme allows citizens of eligible countries to enter without a visa for up to 30 days. 'Our inbound tourism has already recovered to 70 to 80 per cent of pre-Covid levels. It could be fully recovered this year,' James Liang, chairman of China's leading online travel service Ctrip, reportedly told Shanghai-based outlet The Paper. 'There are still some bottlenecks to be addressed. If they are tackled, China's inbound tourism could reach the world's top tier in 10 or 20 years.' China has also expanded its transit policy that allows travellers from 55 countries to enter China without a visa for 10 days if they then depart for a different country from where they came. The transit policy includes 10 countries that are not part of the visa-free scheme: Canada, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia, the U.K., Ukraine, and the U.S. China is also aiming to open up Xinjiang—the Uyghur autonomous region that is under Western sanctions over human-rights concerns—to more domestic and foreign tourists. Earlier this year, local officials announced goals of bringing in at least 400 million annual visits to the region by 2030. Travel to the U.S. falls China's opening up is happening against a backdrop of the U.S. tightening its visa rules. Trump has targeted international students in his crackdown on universities across the U.S. His punitive moves have included attempting to remove Harvard's ability to enroll international students, targeting foreign-born students for removal from the country, and quietly revoking the visas of thousands of international students (before reversing the move). He's also heightened screening requirements for student visa applicants—especially those from China—including requiring applicants make their social media accounts 'public' for vetting. During his 2024 campaign, Trump also vowed to reinstate his travel ban on travellers from Muslim countries, and in June he announced a new travel ban on nationals from 12 countries and tightened restrictions on nationals from seven more. And he is reportedly considering adding 36 countries to the travel ban list. Several countries have issued advisories about travelling to the U.S., including China, which advised its citizens to 'fully assess the risks' before travelling to the U.S. because of 'the deterioration in China-U.S. trade relations and the domestic security situation in the U.S.' Some European countries, including the U.K. and Germany, issued warnings after multiple European travellers were detained at the U.S. border, some for weeks. Others, including Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands, cautioned transgender and nonbinary travellers about U.S. travel after Trump issued an executive order recognizing only two sexes, and several states have targeted trans people. Canada, too, warned its citizens about potential delays, denial of entry, and device seizures. Some Canadians have also launched a travel boycott of the U.S., after Trump repeatedly threatened to use 'economic force' to make Canada the 51st state of the U.S. Overseas travel to the U.S. has dropped 2.5% through April this year as compared to a year ago, Bloomberg reported, with the largest drop of 10% happening in March after Trump announced tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico. The World Travel & Tourism Council estimates that the U.S. will lose out on $12.5 billion from tourism this year, although some suggest the shortfall could be as high as $29 billion.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Netanyahu seeks US mechanism for approval on future Iran strikes if nuclear threat resurfaces
EXCLUSIVE: Source tells 'Post' that PM is seeking similar mandate to IAF in Lebanon, where there is prior US approval for strikes on suspicious activity at nuclear sites, or involving uranium. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will ask US President Donald Trump for a "green light" to take action against any Iranian activity related to Tehran's rebuilding of its nuclear program in their Monday meeting, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post. "The goal is to receive a mandate similar to the situation in Lebanon, meaning that if suspicious activity is detected at nuclear sites, or if there's evidence of uranium being removed from the areas that where hit by US and Israeli warplanes, there would already be prior US approval to act against it," the official added. Israel's objective is to establish a US-led mechanism aimed at preventing Iran from reconstructing its nuclear program. "We want the snapback sanctions mechanism to be imposed on Iran as well, due to its lack of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the official told the Post, adding that Israel wants to increase pressure on Tehran. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors left Iran last week "due to security reasons while Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has signed a law suspending cooperation with the IAEA." Before departing for Washington on Sunday, Netanyahu told reporters that "We must remain vigilant against Iran's attempts to renew its pursuit of nuclear weapons aimed at our destruction." The IDF has shifted its focus back to southern Lebanon, where it continues to target Hezbollah infrastructure, after the Israel-Iran War concluded in June. The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) killed terrorist Qassem Salah Al-Husseini in the area of Kfarkela in southern Lebanon on Thursday, the two security agencies announced Friday. Husseini was a Lebanese terrorist involved in advancing plots against Israeli civilians and IDF troops on the northern front on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's Quds Force. The US bombing of Iran's key Fordow nuclear site has "seriously and heavily damaged" the facility, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with CBS News. "No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordow. That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged," Araghchi said in the interview broadcast on Tuesday. Jerusalem Post Staff, Peled Arbeli, and Reuters contributed to this report.
Sydney Morning Herald
25-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
How Qatar helped broker the Israel-Iran ceasefire
As Qatar and the other Persian Gulf nations watched the Israel-Iran War unfold over the past two weeks, they worried that an escalation could result in Iran targeting their strategic energy resources, undermining a critical source of their revenue. If the Iranian government was set on targeting American soldiers in the Gulf, it may have viewed the base in Qatar as less likely to provoke an escalation or damage its relations with some other Gulf Arab countries, which had been warming in recent years. The wealthy emirate of Qatar has generally maintained closer ties with Iran than most of the other Persian Gulf countries. It has also played a leading role in mediating between Israel and Hamas, the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group, since the war in the Gaza Strip began in October 2023. If Iran had attacked another Persian Gulf nation, it might have run into more complicated territory. The headquarters of the US Navy's 5th Fleet, in Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia's oil installations could also have become targets. But Iran's diplomatic relations with these two other Persian Gulf nations are still new and relatively shaky. Loading The United Arab Emirates is one of Iran's largest trading partners, offering Iran a vital link to the global economy as it navigates long-standing Western sanctions. The prospect of missiles flying over Dubai, a glitzy metropolis in the UAE, would have alienated a neighbour that Iran depends on. Qatari officials intervened with Iran on behalf of the Trump administration, according to three diplomats briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy. They said that Trump had told the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, that Israel had signed off on a US ceasefire proposal. The president had asked Qatar to help bring Iran on board, the diplomats said. The Qatari prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, then persuaded Iran to agree to the truce proposal by late Monday in a call with the Iranian leadership, the diplomats said. A senior White House official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the negotiations publicly, said the Qatari emir played a role in the ceasefire discussions. Loading The truce took effect early Tuesday morning and appeared to be holding as evening approached. Qatar's handling of the crisis illustrated the value the wealthy Persian Gulf emirate puts in its relationship with the United States, said Hopton, the former British diplomat.
The Age
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
How Qatar helped broker the Israel-Iran ceasefire
As Qatar and the other Persian Gulf nations watched the Israel-Iran War unfold over the past two weeks, they worried that an escalation could result in Iran targeting their strategic energy resources, undermining a critical source of their revenue. If the Iranian government was set on targeting American soldiers in the Gulf, it may have viewed the base in Qatar as less likely to provoke an escalation or damage its relations with some other Gulf Arab countries, which had been warming in recent years. The wealthy emirate of Qatar has generally maintained closer ties with Iran than most of the other Persian Gulf countries. It has also played a leading role in mediating between Israel and Hamas, the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group, since the war in the Gaza Strip began in October 2023. If Iran had attacked another Persian Gulf nation, it might have run into more complicated territory. The headquarters of the US Navy's 5th Fleet, in Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia's oil installations could also have become targets. But Iran's diplomatic relations with these two other Persian Gulf nations are still new and relatively shaky. Loading The United Arab Emirates is one of Iran's largest trading partners, offering Iran a vital link to the global economy as it navigates long-standing Western sanctions. The prospect of missiles flying over Dubai, a glitzy metropolis in the UAE, would have alienated a neighbour that Iran depends on. Qatari officials intervened with Iran on behalf of the Trump administration, according to three diplomats briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy. They said that Trump had told the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, that Israel had signed off on a US ceasefire proposal. The president had asked Qatar to help bring Iran on board, the diplomats said. The Qatari prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, then persuaded Iran to agree to the truce proposal by late Monday in a call with the Iranian leadership, the diplomats said. A senior White House official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the negotiations publicly, said the Qatari emir played a role in the ceasefire discussions. Loading The truce took effect early Tuesday morning and appeared to be holding as evening approached. Qatar's handling of the crisis illustrated the value the wealthy Persian Gulf emirate puts in its relationship with the United States, said Hopton, the former British diplomat.
