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GMA Network
18-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
26 Pinoys may be repatriated from Israel this weekend — DFA
Firefighters and rescue personnel work at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Haifa, Israel, June 15, 2025. REUTERS/ Rami Shlush The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said 26 Filipinos may be repatriated from Israel this weekend amid its ongoing conflict with Iran. In Nimfa Ravelo's Super Radyo dzBB report, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the Filipinos could exit Israel via border crossing into Jordan since flight operations are currently suspended. 26 na Pilipino na nagpapalikas mula sa Israel, maaaring makauwi ng Pilipinas ngayong weekend — @DFAPHL | via @nimfaravelo — DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) June 18, 2025 They are among the 150 Filipinos who have expressed willingness to leave Israel. Meanwhile, the DFA is arranging the repatriation of 17 Filipinos who want to leave Iran. The Philippine Embassy in Tehran is also working on sending its non-essential diplomatic staff back to the country. According to the DFA, repatriation is difficult since the airports are closed and exit options via land borders to neighboring countries from the Islamic Republic will be longer due to the worsening situation in the region. De Vega said the identities of the 17 Filipino government officials are confidential. An earlier report noted that congressmen, mayors, vice mayors, and members of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Agriculture were among the officials. The public officials are in Israel for a study visit at the invitation of the Israeli government. The House of Representatives said no incumbent lawmaker is stranded in Israel. It is still unclear if the said Filipino officials are among those who will be repatriated this weekend. —RF, GMA Integrated News
Economic Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Israel's Iron Dome is leaking on purpose as Iran's ballistic missile count passes 400
Reuters Smoke rises at an impacted facility site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, at Haifa Israel June 15, 2025. REUTERS/Rami Shlush ISRAEL OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ISRAEL Iran has launched over 400 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel since fighting escalated last week, Israeli military officials confirmed. The wave of attacks follows Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and senior military personnel under Operation Rising Lion. While many of the missiles were intercepted, several breached Israel's defences, hitting targets in Tel Aviv and other responded with overnight strikes on Iranian infrastructure linked to nuclear and missile programmes. Iranian state media claim that the 'Haj Qassem' missile was used to hit central Tel Aviv, killing 10 people and injuring nearly 200. The missile, named after the late General Qassem Soleimani, is designed to evade both the Iron Dome and US-made THAAD systems, according to Iran's Tasnim News Islamic Republic also fired a large number of Shahab-series and other long-range missiles in response to Israeli strikes. Some hit targets on the ground, causing visible damage in Bat Yam, Rishon LeZion, and near the Kirya military complex in Tel officials acknowledged that while a high percentage of missiles were intercepted, 'no system in the world can claim 100% interception'. The IDF estimated a 5–10% leakage rate. Also Read: Iran is no pushover: Israel is learning the hard wayIran's exact inventory remains classified, but its missile programme is considered one of the most advanced in the region. Over the past three decades, it has developed dozens of ballistic and cruise missile missiles are launched using powerful rocket engines, exiting the Earth's atmosphere before re-entering it at steep angles. Their range varies: Short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) – less than 1,000km Medium-range (MRBM) – 1,000–3,500km Long-range (LRBM) – 3,500–5,500km Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) – over 5,500km The distance between Iran and Israel ranges from 1,300km to 1,500km. A missile travelling at Mach 5—five times the speed of sound—can cover that distance in around 12 missiles are fast and follow high trajectories. When they re-enter the atmosphere, they descend rapidly—often at hypersonic speeds (above Mach 5)—leaving air defences with only seconds to respond. Some missiles release decoys or employ manoeuvrable re-entry vehicles (MaRV) to avoid missiles and drones are also in use. These fly slower but lower, making them harder to detect. Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles can manoeuvre mid-flight and follow terrain contours to evade radar. Iranian drones and cruise missiles, though slower, complicate the threat landscape. A drone may take up to nine hours to reach Israeli airspace, and cruise missiles nearly two, but their unpredictability adds strain to defensive systems. Israel uses multiple systems to handle the varied threats: Iron Dome: Targets short-range rockets and artillery. David's Sling: Designed to intercept medium-range cruise and ballistic missiles between 40km and 300km. Arrow-2 and Arrow-3: Built to intercept long-range ballistic missiles up to 2,400km, even in space. Footage online suggests multiple Iranian projectiles breached these defences, causing fires and destruction in residential areas. Some unverified videos show direct impacts near Nevatim Air Base and the IDF's central command in Tel viral clip appears to show a missile slipping past the Iron Dome and striking near the Kirya. A separate video circulated by Iranian media claimed Israeli air defences accidentally struck each other—a claim Israeli officials United States has deployed THAAD and Patriot missile systems in the region and is assisting Israel in defence operations, a U.S. defence official confirmed. American naval assets have also engaged incoming even advanced systems like THAAD have shown limitations. In past conflicts, they failed to intercept some Houthi-fired missiles over Saudi Arabia and the Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Iran had 'crossed every red line,' while Defence Minister Israel Katz said, 'The Iranian people will pay a big price.'Israel's military acknowledges its defences are not airtight. 'Iran's missiles are not something we don't know how to intercept,' a senior IDF official the volume, variety, and velocity of Iran's attack are testing the limits of Israel's systems. While most missiles are intercepted, those that slip through have caused significant casualties, damage, and Israeli air force has responded with renewed strikes on missile factories and storage sites in western Iran, as both countries prepare for what could be an even larger phase of casualties climbing—over 250 in Iran, 24 in Israel—and defences stretched, the question now is not just how well systems can intercept, but how long this tit-for-tat can continue before the conflict escalates beyond control.
GMA Network
16-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Iranian missiles hit Tel Aviv and Haifa, Israel warns of tough response
Firefighters and rescue personnel work at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Haifa, Israel, June 15, 2025. REUTERS/ Rami Shlush TEL AVIV/DUBAI/WASHINGTON — Iranian missiles struck Israel's Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa before dawn on Monday, killing at least eight people and destroying homes, prompting Israel's defense minister to warn that Tehran residents would "pay the price and soon." Iran said its parliament was preparing a bill to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), adding that Tehran remains opposed to developing weapons of mass destruction. Passing the bill could take several weeks. Israel is presumed to have a sizable nuclear arsenal but neither confirms nor denies it. It is the only Middle East state that has not signed the NPT. Israel's military, which has gutted Iran's nuclear and military leadership with airstrikes, said on Monday it had killed four senior intelligence officials including the head of the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence unit. Israeli authorities said a total of seven missiles of the fewer than 100 fired by Iran overnight had landed in Israel. A military spokesman also said Israel had achieved aerial superiority over Iran and had destroyed more than a third of Iran's surface-to-surface missile launchers. At least 100 people were wounded in Israel in the overnight blitz, part of a wave of attacks by Tehran in retaliation for Israel's strikes targeting the nuclear and ballistic missile programs of sworn enemy Iran. Iran, facing its worst security breach since the 1979 Islamic revolution, said dozens of alleged saboteurs and "spies" linked to Israel had been arrested since the start of the conflict. Iran's currency has lost at least 10% of its value against the US dollar since the start of Israel's biggest ever attack on its old enemy last Friday. The dangers of further escalation loomed over a meeting of G7 leaders in Canada, with US President Donald Trump expressing hope on Sunday that a deal could be done but no sign of the fighting abating on a fourth day of war. Geopolitical stability in the Middle East has already been undermined by spillover effects of the Gaza war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. In total, 24 people in Israel have been killed so far in the Iranian missile attacks, all of them civilians. The death toll in Iran has reached at least 224, with civilians accounting for 90% of the casualties, an Iranian health ministry spokesperson said. Iran's state media reported that the Farabi hospital and surrounding areas in the western province of Kermanshah were hit in a missile attack, causing serious material damage. In Israel, search and rescue operations were underway in Haifa where some 30 people were wounded, emergency services said, as dozens of first responders rushed to the strike zones. Fires were seen burning at a power plant near the port. Video footage showed several missiles over Tel Aviv and explosions could be heard there and over Jerusalem. Several residential buildings in a densely populated neighborhood of Tel Aviv were destroyed in a strike that blew out the windows of hotels and homes near the US Embassy branch in the city. The US ambassador said the building sustained minor damage, but there were no injuries to personnel. 'It's terrifying' Guydo Tetelbaun was in his apartment in Tel Aviv when the alerts came in shortly after 4 a.m. (0100 GMT). "As usual, we went into the [shelter] that's right across the street there. And within minutes, the door of the [shelter] blew in," the 31-year-old chef said. "It's terrifying because it's so unknown. This could be the beginning of a long time like this, or it could get worse, or hopefully better, but it's the unknown that's the scariest.' The pre-dawn missiles also struck near Shuk HaCarmel, a popular market in Tel Aviv that typically draws large crowds buying fresh fruit and vegetables. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the latest attack employed a new method that caused Israel's multi-layered defense systems to target each other and allowed Tehran to successfully hit many targets, without providing further details. The Israeli Defense Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement: "The arrogant dictator of Tehran has become a cowardly murderer who targets the civilian home front in Israel to deter the IDF from continuing the attack that is collapsing his capabilities." "The residents of Tehran will pay the price, and soon." Katz later issued a separate statement saying that Israel had no intention of deliberately harming Tehran's residents. Leaders meet Group of Seven leaders gathered in the Canadian Rockies on Sunday with the Israel-Iran conflict expected to be a top priority. Before leaving for the summit on Sunday, Trump was asked what he was doing to de-escalate the situation. "I hope there's going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal," he told reporters. "Sometimes they have to fight it out." Oil prices edged down on Monday, after surging 7% on Friday, as the military strikes by Israel and Iran over the weekend avoided oil production and export facilities. While investors remain on edge, stock and currency markets in Asia were little moved. Israel has said its military campaign will escalate in the coming days. Trump has lauded Israel's offensive while denying Iranian allegations that the US has taken part and warning Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include US targets. Trump has repeatedly said Iran could end the war by agreeing to tough restrictions on its nuclear program, which Iran says is for peaceful purposes but which Western countries and the IAEA nuclear watchdog say could be used to make an atomic bomb. — Reuters
GMA Network
16-06-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Israel-Iran battle escalates, civilians urged to evacuate target areas
Israelis take cover in a public shelter during a missile attack on Israel from Iran, at Haifa, Israel, June 14, 2025. REUTERS/ Rami Shlush BAT YAM, Israel/DUBAI/WASHINGTON — Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on Sunday, killing and wounding civilians and raising concerns of a broader regional conflict, with both militaries urging civilians on the opposing side to take precautions against further strikes. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he hoped a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders in Canada on Sunday would reach an agreement to help resolve the conflict and keep it from escalating. Iran has told mediators Qatar and Oman that it is not open to negotiating a ceasefire with the US while it is under Israeli attack, an official briefed on the communications told Reuters on Sunday. Israel's military, which launched the attacks on Friday with the stated aim of wiping out Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, warned Iranians living near weapons facilities to evacuate. Early on Monday, it said Israel's air force attacked surface-to-surface missile sites in central Iran. "Iran will pay a heavy price for the murder of civilians, women and children," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said from a balcony overlooking blown-out apartments where six people were killed in Bat Yam, a town south of Tel Aviv. Iran's armed forces told residents of Israel to leave the vicinity of "vital areas" for their safety. Oil prices rise Images from Tehran showed the night sky lit up by a huge blaze at a fuel depot after Israel began strikes against Iran's oil and gas sector - raising the stakes for the global economy and the functioning of the Iranian state. Brent crude futuresLCOc1 were up $2.14, or 2.9%, to $76.37 a barrel by 2225 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 climbed $2.03, or 2.8%, to $75.01. They surged more than $4 earlier in the session. An Iranian health ministry spokesperson, Hossein Kermanpour, said the toll since the start of Israeli strikes had risen to 224 dead and more than 1,200 injured, 90% of whom he said were civilians. Those killed included 60 on Saturday, half of them children, in a 14-storey apartment block flattened in the Iranian capital. Explosions rattled Tel Aviv in the afternoon as Iran launched its first daylight missile raid since Israel attacked on Friday. At least 10 people, including children, have been killed so far, according to Israeli authorities. Hours later, shortly after nightfall, Iran launched a second wave of missiles, which struck a residential street in Haifa, a mixed Jewish-Arab city in northern Israel. The national emergency service reported nine people were injured in the strike, along with two others following a missile impact in the south. In Bat Yam on Sunday evening, shocked residents surveyed the damage of an overnight strike, while many across Israel braced for another sleepless night, unsure of what may come next. "It's very dreadful. It's not fun. People are losing their lives and their homes," said Shem, 29, whose home was shaken overnight when a missile struck a nearby apartment tower. Trump vetoes plan to target Khamenei, officials say In Washington, two US officials told Reuters that US President Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan in recent days to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do we're not even talking about going after the political leadership," said one of the sources, a senior US administration official. When asked about the Reuters report, Netanyahu told Fox News on Sunday: "There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that." "We do what we need to do," he told Fox's "Special Report With Bret Baier." Regime change in Iran could be a result of Israel's military attacks, Netanyahu said in the interview, adding that Israel would do what it takes to remove what he called the "existential threat" posed by Tehran. Israel's military spokesperson has said the current goal of the campaign is not regime change, but the dismantling of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and removing its capabilities "to annihilate us". Israel launched a surprise attack on Friday morning that wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and damaged its nuclear sites, and says the campaign will escalate in coming days. The intelligence chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Kazemi, and his deputy were killed in Israeli attacks on Tehran on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said. Iran has vowed to "open the gates of hell" in retaliation in what has emerged as the biggest-ever confrontation between old enemies. Trump warns Iran not to attack Trump has lauded Israel's offensive while denying Iranian allegations that the US has taken part. "If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before," he said in a message on the Truth Social platform. "However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict." Trump had earlier said the US had no role in Israel's attack and warned Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include US targets. The US military has helped shoot down Iranian missiles that were headed toward Israel, two US officials said on Friday. The US president has repeatedly said Iran could end the war by agreeing to tough restrictions on its nuclear program, which Iran says is for peaceful purposes but Western countries say could be used to make an atomic bomb. The latest round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US, due on Sunday, was scrapped after Tehran said it would not negotiate while under Israeli attack. Talking to reporters as he left for the G7 summit in Canada, Trump said on Sunday he hopes Israel and Iran can broker a ceasefire but said sometimes countries have to fight it out first. — Reuters
Straits Times
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Israel-Iran battle escalates, will be high on agenda as world leaders meet
Emergency personnel operate after missiles were launched from Iran to Israel, in Haifa, Israel, June 15, 2025. REUTERS/Shir Torem Emergency personnel operate after missiles were launched from Iran to Israel, in Haifa, Israel, June 15, 2025. REUTERS/Shir Torem A rescue personal walks inside a damaged synagogue at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, at Zavdiel, Israel, June 15, 2025. REUTERS/Itay Cohen Firefighters and rescue personnel work at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Haifa, Israel, June 15, 2025. REUTERS/Rami Shlush ISRAEL OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ISRAEL Firefighters and rescue personnel work at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Haifa, Israel, June 15, 2025. REUTERS/Rami Shlush ISRAEL OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ISRAEL Israel-Iran battle escalates, will be high on agenda as world leaders meet TEL AVIV/DUBAI/WASHINGTON - Israel and Iran kept up their attacks, killing and wounding civilians and raising concern among world leaders meeting in Canada this week that the biggest battle between the two old enemies could lead to a broader regional conflict. The Iranian death toll in four days of Israeli strikes, carried out with the declared aim of wiping out Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, had reached at least 224, with 90% of the casualties reported to be civilians, an Iranian health ministry spokesperson said. At least 10 people in Israel, including children, have been killed so far, according to authorities there. Group of Seven leaders began gathering in the Canadian Rockies on Sunday with the Israel-Iran conflict expected to be a top priority. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his goals for the summit include for Iran to not develop or possess nuclear weapons, ensuring Israel's right to defend itself, avoiding escalation of the conflict and creating room for diplomacy. "This issue will be very high on the agenda of the G7 summit," Merz told reporters. Before leaving for the summit on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump was asked what he was doing to de-escalate the situation. "I hope there's going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal," he told reporters. "Sometimes they have to fight it out." Iran has told mediators Qatar and Oman that it is not open to negotiating a ceasefire while it is under Israeli attack, an official briefed on the communications told Reuters on Sunday. FIRST DAYLIGHT ATTACK ON ISRAEL Explosions shook Tel Aviv on Sunday during Iran's first daylight missile attack since Israel's strike on Friday. Shortly after nightfall, Iranian missiles hit a residential street in Haifa, a mixed Jewish-Arab city, and in Israel's south. In Bat Yam, a city near Tel Aviv, residents braced on Sunday evening for another sleepless night after an overnight strike on an apartment tower. "It's very dreadful. It's not fun. People are losing their lives and their homes," said Shem, 29. Images from Tehran showed the night sky lit up by a huge blaze at a fuel depot after Israel began strikes against Iran's oil and gas sector - raising the stakes for the global economy and the functioning of the Iranian state. Brent crude futures were up $1.17, or 1.6%, to $75.39 a barrel by 0015 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained $1.11, or 1.6%, to $74.14. They had surged more than $4 earlier in the session. TRUMP VETOES PLAN TO TARGET KHAMENEI, OFFICIALS SAY In Washington, two U.S. officials told Reuters that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan in recent days to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. When asked about the Reuters report, Netanyahu told Fox News on Sunday: "There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that." "We do what we need to do," he told Fox's "Special Report With Bret Baier." Israel began the assault with a surprise attack on Friday that wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and damaged its nuclear sites, and says the campaign will escalate in coming days. The intelligence chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Kazemi, and his deputy were killed in attacks on Tehran on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said. Iran has vowed to "open the gates of hell" in retaliation. TRUMP WARNS IRAN NOT TO ATTACK Trump has lauded Israel's offensive while denying Iranian allegations that the U.S. has taken part and warning Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include U.S. targets. Two U.S. officials said on Friday the U.S. military had helped shoot down Iranian missiles that were headed toward Israel. The U.S. president has repeatedly said Iran could end the war by agreeing to tough restrictions on its nuclear program, which Iran says is for peaceful purposes but which Western countries and the IAEA nuclear watchdog say could be used to make an atomic bomb. The latest round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the U.S., due on Sunday, was scrapped after Tehran said it would not negotiate while under Israeli attack. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
