Latest news with #MidnightHammer
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘An attack that affects us all': UAE diplomat calls on Iran to rebuild 'damaged trust' with Gulf countries
UAE advisor Anwar Gargash called Iran's missile strike on Qatar a violation that affects the entire Gulf and urged Tehran to restore damaged trust/ Image: X@mofauae UAE Presidential Advisor Dr. Anwar Gargash has publicly called on Iran to take urgent steps to rebuild trust with Gulf nations, following Tehran's missile attack on the Al Udeid U.S. military base in Qatar. His remarks, delivered via a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, come in the aftermath of regional tensions linked to Iran's response to U.S. and Israeli military actions. Gargash, who serves as diplomatic advisor to the President of the United Arab Emirates, said that Gulf countries had deliberately pursued a de-escalatory approach to the Israel-Iran war, seeking to resolve differences, particularly surrounding Iran's nuclear program, through diplomacy and multilateral engagement. However, he said Iran's decision to target Qatar, a fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) state, had undermined those efforts and harmed collective regional confidence. 'The nations in the region had taken a stance against the Israeli war on Iran, working through all international platforms to de-escalate the situation and calling for a resolution of outstanding issues, chief among them the nuclear file, through political means,' Gargash stated. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Jolie-Pitt Family Shows Support For Shiloh's Change Drivepedia Undo Despite these efforts, Gargash emphasized that Iran had crossed a line by launching a missile strike at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, an act he said threatens all GCC states, not just its immediate target. 'Iran targeted the sovereignty of the brotherly State of Qatar, an act that affects us all,' he said. 'The Gulf states took a strong and impactful stance against the Israeli war on Iran. Today, as we turn the page on the war, Tehran remains required to rebuild trust with its Gulf neighbors, having damaged it through this aggression.' Qatar Condemns Attack, Says Right to Respond Reserved On June 23, Iran launched missiles toward the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which houses the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East. The attack followed U.S. strikes the day before, as part of coordinated military action. Qatari officials stated that the attack was successfully intercepted, with no casualties or injuries reported. In a formal response, Qatar condemned the missile strike as a 'flagrant violation' of its sovereignty and said it 'reserved the right to respond.' A U.S. official also confirmed that there were no casualties at the base. U.S. Strike: Operation 'Midnight Hammer' The Iranian missile launch came in response to a U.S. military operation carried out on June 22, code-named 'Operation Midnight Hammer.' As part of this operation, B-2 stealth bombers dropped more than a dozen bunker-buster bombs on Iran's nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz, while Tomahawk cruise missiles struck the Isfahan site. These U.S. military actions took place after the United States joined Israel's campaign during what has been referred to as the 12-Day War, a recent period of heightened hostilities between Iran and Israel. Trump Reacts to Iran's Strike U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed the Iranian strike as 'very weak.' He said Iran had given 'early notice' of the attack and thanked the Islamic Republic for the advance warning, which he said 'made it possible for no lives to be lost, nobody to be injured.' Trump added, 'Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same,' he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
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First Post
18 hours ago
- Politics
- 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.
Sky News AU
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Iran warns Donald Trump not to inflame relationship in wake of social media post claiming he saved Khamenei's life
Tehran has issued a furious response to the United States after President Donald Trump said he saved the life of Iran's Supreme Leader. A ceasefire between Israel and Iran was introduced this week after it was brokered by the US, but there are fears it is fragile. The deal was brokered after the US struck three Iranian nuclear facilities in a targeted military operation known as Midnight Hammer. So far, the ceasefire has stood firm, despite a scare when Trump had to order Israel to turn back fighter jets from a planned attack after accusing Iran of launching a missile at the Jewish state after the deadline had passed. But President Trump's social media presence has rubbed Iran the wrong way after a post about their Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, where he claimed he saved his life. "I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered," Trump posted to Truth Social. "I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!'" Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi shared a post on X in response, warning the President to be careful with how he speaks about Iran's Supreme Leader. "If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers," he said. Mr Araghchi did not stop there, as he made reference to off the cuff comments made by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte where he described Trump as "daddy" when referring to how he handled the conflict in the Middle East. "The Great and Powerful Iranian People, who showed the world that the Israeli regime had NO CHOICE but to RUN to 'Daddy' to avoid being flattened by our Missiles, do not take kindly to Threats and Insults. "If Illusions lead to worse mistakes, Iran will not hesitate to unveil its Real Capabilities, which will certainly END any Delusion about the Power of Iran." The chilling message comes after Khamenei delivered his first public comments since the ceasefire, warning Iran won't hesitate to target American military bases in the Middle East if the US launches any future attacks. The 86-year-old said Iran "delivered a slap to America's face" when an Iranian missile attack struck a US base in Qatar, in retaliation to the US strikes on its nuclear facilities "The US President Trump unveiled the truth and made it clear that Americans won't be satisfied with anything less than an event will never happen," he said. "The fact that the Islamic Republic has access to important American centres in the region and can take action against them whenever it deems necessary is not a small incident, it is a major incident, and this incident can be repeated in the future if an attack is made."
Sky News AU
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
US President Donald Trump riding high after historic immigration Supreme Court victory, finalises rare earth minerals deal with China
US President Donald Trump has secured a litany of significant wins, including the Supreme Court limiting the power of judges to block presidential policies and expediating a rare earth export agreement with China as part of a finalised trade deal. The Trump administration has been touting a string of recent accomplishments, including brokering a ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran after it struck three Iranian nuclear facilities in a targeted military operation known as Midnight Hammer. The US President also managed to increase the defence contributions of NATO states, with members agreeing to bolster annual defence spending to five per cent of GDP by 2035. The President's widely anticipated 'big, beautiful bill' is also progressing with haste, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune telling Senate Republicans he expected to see the legislative text of the budget reconciliation package on Friday evening. The US Supreme Court handed President Trump a historic win on Friday by curbing the ability of judges to impede his policies nationwide, changing the balance between the federal judiciary and the executive branch. The 6-3 ruling, authored by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, did not let Trump's directive restricting birthright citizenship go into effect immediately and directed lower courts that blocked it to reconsider the scope of their orders. The ruling also did not address the legality of the policy, part of Trump's hardline approach toward immigration. The Republican President lauded the ruling and said his administration could now try to move forward with numerous policies such as his birthright executive order that he said, 'have been wrongly enjoined on a nationwide basis.' Trump called the ruling a "monumental victory for the Constitution, the separation of powers and the rule of law." "We have so many of them. I have a whole list," Trump told reporters at the White House. The court granted the administration's request to narrow the scope of three so-called "universal" injunctions issued by federal judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington state that halted enforcement of his directive nationwide while litigation challenging the policy played out. The court's conservative justices were in the majority and its liberal members dissented. The ruling specified that Trump's executive order cannot take effect until 30 days after Friday's ruling. The ruling raises the prospect of Trump's order eventually applying in some parts of the country. More than 150,000 newborns would be denied citizenship annually under Trump's directive, according to the plaintiffs who challenged it, including the Democratic attorneys general of 22 states as well as immigrant rights advocates and pregnant immigrants. The ruling was issued on the final day of decisions on cases argued before the Supreme Court during its nine-month term that began in October. The court also issued rulings on Friday backing a Texas law regarding online pornography, letting parents opt children out of classes when storybooks when LGBT are read and preserving Obamacare's provision on health insurers covering preventive care among others. The US President also abruptly cut off trade talks with Canada on Friday over its tax targeting U.S. technology firms, saying that it was a "blatant attack" and that he would set a new tariff rate on Canadian goods within the next week. The move plunges US-Canada relations back into chaos after a period of relative calm that included a cordial G7 meeting in mid-June where Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to wrap up a new economic agreement within 30 days. It also came just hours after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent struck an upbeat tone on trade, touting progress had been made with China on reviving the flow of critical minerals for the U.S. manufacturing sector and in other key tariff negotiations. During US-China trade talks in May in Geneva, Beijing committed to removing the measures imposed since April 2, but those critical materials were not moving as fast as agreed, Bessent said in an interview with Fox Business Network, so the US put countermeasures in place. "I am confident now that we, as agreed, the magnets will flow," Bessent said. - With Reuters
Economic Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
'Disrespectful, condemnable': Iran hits back at Donald Trump, asks if he's 'genuine about a deal'
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has warned Donald Trump to change his 'disrespectful and unacceptable' tone towards Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei if the US wants nuclear talks. Trump claimed he saved Khamenei from an 'ugly and ignominious death' during clashes with Israel. The US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites under Operation Midnight Hammer. Despite the White House insisting it seeks peace, Iran says respect must come first, vowing it will not bow to threats. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Trump claims he saved Khamenei Talks or no talks Iran holds its ground Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has called out US President Donald Trump 's recent outburst against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei . He said bluntly that if the US President truly wants to talk, he must first watch his words.'If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers,' Araghchi posted on remain high after Israel struck Iranian nuclear and military sites on 13 June. The fighting lasted 12 days. Washington joined the offensive by bombing three of Iran's nuclear facilities on 22 June under what it called Operation 'Midnight Hammer'. Iran hit back by launching missiles at a US base in Israel, Araghchi wrote, 'The Great and Powerful Iranian People, who showed the world that the Israeli regime had NO CHOICE but to RUN to 'Daddy' to avoid being flattened by our Missiles, do not take kindly to Threats and Insults.'While the dust settled, Trump took to Truth Social and claimed he had stopped Israeli and US forces from killing Khamenei. 'I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life,' Trump wrote.'I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!'' he also questioned Khamenei's claim of victory over Israel. He said the Iranian leader had 'blatantly and foolishly' lied about winning the war. 'As a man of great faith, he is not supposed to lie,' Trump US President said he had been working on possible sanction relief for Iran. 'But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more,' Trump that, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insists the door to talks is not closed. 'I spoke to our special envoy Witkoff at length this morning and I can assure all of you we continue to be in close communication with the Iranians and through our intermediaries as well, namely the Qataris, who have been an incredible ally and partner throughout this entire effort,' she said. She added the US wants Iran to agree to a non-enrichment civil nuclear Araghchi showed no sign of softening. He warned, 'If Illusions lead to worse mistakes, Iran will not hesitate to unveil its Real Capabilities, which will certainly END any Delusion about the Power of Iran.'He reminded the world that Iran's resilience runs deep. 'The complexity and tenacity of Iranians are famously known in our magnificent carpets, woven through countless hours of hard work and patience. But as a people, our basic premise is very simple and straightforward: we know our worth, value our independence, and never allow anyone else to decide our destiny.'He signed off with a line that leaves little doubt where Tehran stands. 'Good will begets good will, and respect begets respect.'The 12-day conflict may have ended but both sides keep their guards up. Trump's claim that Iran is 'a burned out, blown up Country, with no future, a decimated Military, a horrible Economy, and DEATH all around them,' has only hardened Tehran's now, Iran's message is clear. They will not bow to threats, or insults. They say any deal must begin with respect — or not at all.
