Latest news with #Israeli-US
Sydney Morning Herald
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
I detest Trump and Netanyahu, but on some things they're actually right
Like a lot of people of center-right/center-left political leanings, I've spent the past few decades detesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, especially as he has grown increasingly authoritarian, bellicose and inhumane. And yet those of us in the Bibi critics' club do have to confront an uncomfortable fact: especially over the past 10 months, Netanyahu has impressively followed through on his aim to remake the face of the Middle East. He's degraded Hamas and Hezbollah, two of the vilest terror regimes on the planet. He has made the Iranian theocracy look pathetic and decrepit. Israel has demonstrated its vast military and intelligence supremacy over its enemies, establishing total freedom of the skies over much of Iran. It has shown that its agents can penetrate enemy organisations and find and kill their militant leaders. Netanyahu's actions have contributed to the toppling of the Assad regime in Syria and have helped the legitimate Lebanese government regain control of its own territory. The Axis of Terror is in shambles. This includes the Israeli-US assault on Iran's nuclear program. We don't yet know how much damage that assault has done. An early Pentagon report found that the attacks set the Iranian project back only a few months, which was picked up big-time on one side of the internet. But several other reports, including one from the Institute for Science and International Security, found that the attack 'effectively destroyed' Iran's enrichment program. We may know in time what the bombings accomplished. In the meantime, we do know that Israel and the US have the will and capacity to attack Iran anytime and any place. We do know that if Iran reconstitutes its nuclear program, Israel and the US have the capacity to deliver a much more devastating and regime-threatening blow. We also know that Iran and its proxies have made some insanely self-destructive miscalculations since October 7, 2023, and they must know that, too. These are ominous omens for the theocrats in Tehran. No, I am not saying I support all the ways Netanyahu has responded to the October 7 attack. I supported the aim of the war in the Gaza Strip – to degrade Hamas – but the way Israel has done this has often been uncivilised and barbaric, exercising a callous disregard for human life. And I'm not saying Netanyahu and his settler allies have any sensible vision for how to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute in the years ahead, beyond bullying, bigotry and cruelty. Loading But I am saying that people like Netanyahu and Donald Trump, who I generally regard as forces for ill in the world, turn out to be, at least on the broader issue of the Iranian threat, forces for good. I am saying that those of us who detest Bibi and Trump should show a little humility and do some rethinking. What do those guys know that led to their success? What can we learn from what just happened? I think Netanyahu was right to be obsessed with Iran over the past several decades. The 1979 Iranian Revolution was a signature event in world history. Iran has been the central source of instability in the Middle East ever since. Other issues in that region are secondary.
The Age
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Age
I detest Trump and Netanyahu, but on some things they're actually right
Like a lot of people of center-right/center-left political leanings, I've spent the past few decades detesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, especially as he has grown increasingly authoritarian, bellicose and inhumane. And yet those of us in the Bibi critics' club do have to confront an uncomfortable fact: especially over the past 10 months, Netanyahu has impressively followed through on his aim to remake the face of the Middle East. He's degraded Hamas and Hezbollah, two of the vilest terror regimes on the planet. He has made the Iranian theocracy look pathetic and decrepit. Israel has demonstrated its vast military and intelligence supremacy over its enemies, establishing total freedom of the skies over much of Iran. It has shown that its agents can penetrate enemy organisations and find and kill their militant leaders. Netanyahu's actions have contributed to the toppling of the Assad regime in Syria and have helped the legitimate Lebanese government regain control of its own territory. The Axis of Terror is in shambles. This includes the Israeli-US assault on Iran's nuclear program. We don't yet know how much damage that assault has done. An early Pentagon report found that the attacks set the Iranian project back only a few months, which was picked up big-time on one side of the internet. But several other reports, including one from the Institute for Science and International Security, found that the attack 'effectively destroyed' Iran's enrichment program. We may know in time what the bombings accomplished. In the meantime, we do know that Israel and the US have the will and capacity to attack Iran anytime and any place. We do know that if Iran reconstitutes its nuclear program, Israel and the US have the capacity to deliver a much more devastating and regime-threatening blow. We also know that Iran and its proxies have made some insanely self-destructive miscalculations since October 7, 2023, and they must know that, too. These are ominous omens for the theocrats in Tehran. No, I am not saying I support all the ways Netanyahu has responded to the October 7 attack. I supported the aim of the war in the Gaza Strip – to degrade Hamas – but the way Israel has done this has often been uncivilised and barbaric, exercising a callous disregard for human life. And I'm not saying Netanyahu and his settler allies have any sensible vision for how to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute in the years ahead, beyond bullying, bigotry and cruelty. Loading But I am saying that people like Netanyahu and Donald Trump, who I generally regard as forces for ill in the world, turn out to be, at least on the broader issue of the Iranian threat, forces for good. I am saying that those of us who detest Bibi and Trump should show a little humility and do some rethinking. What do those guys know that led to their success? What can we learn from what just happened? I think Netanyahu was right to be obsessed with Iran over the past several decades. The 1979 Iranian Revolution was a signature event in world history. Iran has been the central source of instability in the Middle East ever since. Other issues in that region are secondary.
Channel 4
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Channel 4
Israel denies that IDF soldiers were ordered to shoot at aid site
The UN Secretary General has said the Israeli-US aid operation in Gaza is 'killing people' and is 'inherently unsafe'. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed near food distribution sites in the past month, according to the Hamas-run government. This comes amid claims in the Israeli media that IDF soldiers are being ordered to fire on unarmed civilians seeking food. Tonight Israel's Prime Minister angrily denied the allegations. Reporter: Alex Thomson Producer: Ed Gove Camera/Editor: Stuart Webb
Euronews
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Experts will assess damage to Iran's nuclear sites, says diplomat
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel brokered by the US continues to hold, but many questions remain about what is left of Tehran's nuclear programme amid controversy on the impact of US strikes on the facilities. Speaking to Euronews, Iran's ambassador to Greece, Malek Hossein Gevzad, said the crisis had rallied the Iranian people and that the damage to nuclear sites from US strikes would be assessed by experts. Gevzad said Iran believes in diplomacy, but stressed that circumstances have changed and decisions are now taken with the protection of national interests in mind. Diplomacy and self-protection: finding a difficult balance "The basic principle of Iran's foreign policy is and remains diplomacy and negotiations," he said. However, he noted that following the aggression that, according to the Iranian side, Israel and the US have shown, Iran has been forced to adjust its stance. US pilots dropped some 30,000-pound bombs early Sunday on two key underground uranium enrichment plants in Iran, delivering what American military leaders believe is a knockout blow to a nuclear programme that Israel views as an existential threat. Before the US involvement, Israel had been pummeling Iran for more than a week and had requested US intervention to complete the job. American sailors bolstered the surprise mission by firing dozens of cruise missiles from a submarine toward at least one other site. According to the Iranian diplomat to Greece, these actions were a violation of Iran's territorial sovereignty, which gives the Islamic Republic the right to respond. Damage to nuclear facilities - Estimates expected Gevzad argued that Iran's nuclear programme was used exclusively for peaceful purposes and was severely damaged. The extent of the damage is being assessed by Iranian experts once the safety of the infrastructure has been ensured, he said. The reaction of Iranians and the attitude of the West Despite the tension between Iran and the West, the ambassador stressed the unity of the Iranian people: "The aggression caused national unity and strengthened the rallying of the people around the government and the armed forces." In the same context, he strongly criticised Europe, which he accused of not only failing to condemn the attacks, but in some cases supporting the aggressor side. The Iranian ambassador praised Russia and China for their condemnation of the Israeli-US strikes on Tehran's nuclear sites. Gedanz said this shows a clear stance in favour of Iran, condemning hostile actions against it. Their support, he said, "is an important factor in maintaining international stability and peace" The Iranian diaspora in Greece The ambassador concluded by thanking the Iranian community residing in Greece, which he described as "united and committed to defending the homeland". He said Iranians in the diaspora stood in solidarity with the people, government and armed forces of Iran. A relatively small Iranian diaspora resides in Greece, with most arriving after the 1979 Iranian Revolution or the Iran-Iraq War. In 2021, approximately 2,500 Iranians were living in Greece.
Shafaq News
12 hours ago
- Health
- Shafaq News
MSF: Gaza aid scheme turns into death trap
Shafaq News - Gaza On Friday, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) called for the immediate dismantling of the Gaza food distribution program Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), warning that the system has caused over 500 deaths and thousands of injuries in the past month. The GHF is a proxy mechanism backed by Israel and the US has been operating four distribution sites under full Israeli control. Each location is fenced, monitored by military watchposts, and guarded with barbed wire and earth mounds. MSF accused Israeli authorities and their partners of turning humanitarian aid into a tool of degradation and violence, forcing starving Palestinians to risk their lives for minimal supplies. 'People are shot whether they arrive early, on time, or late,' said Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, MSF's emergency coordinator in Gaza. Medical teams have seen a sharp rise in gunshot injuries at these sites. The MSF field hospital in Deir al-Balah reported a 190% increase in gunshot patients during the week of June 8. Since June 7, the clinic in Al-Mawasi—normally unequipped for trauma care—has treated over 420 wounded people, averaging more than 10 new patients a day. MSF reiterated that humanitarian aid must never be controlled by warring parties or used to further military aims, urging the Israeli authorities to lift the siege and restore a principled, impartial aid system coordinated by the UN. The Israeli-US food distribution scheme in Gaza is slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid. In one month, 500+ have been killed for seeking Israeli authorities must revert to a principled humanitarian system, coordinated by the UN. — MSF International (@MSF) June 27, 2025
