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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran targets US air base in Qatar in apparent retaliatory strike
A U.S. air base in Qatar was attacked Monday by ballistic missiles fired from Iran in what appears to be a retaliatory strike, the Pentagon said. 'Al Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran today,' the Defense Department said in a statement. 'At this time, there are no reports of U.S. casualties.' President Donald Trump summoned top officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine to the White House's Situation Room amid reports of the strikes, according to a senior White House official who was in the room. The official was granted anonymity to discuss the developing situation. Iran claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement from the country's armed forces. Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire since Israel struck Iranian nuclear facilities nearly two weeks ago. The U.S. entered the conflict this weekend by bombing some key Iranian nuclear sites. The Monday strikes suggest Iran is willing to risk broadening the fight, targeting U.S. troops and nations allied with Washington elsewhere in the Middle East — a situation Trump had sought to avoid by urging Iran to return to the negotiating table. How the U.S. and other affected countries respond, however, could determine if the battle escalates. Majed al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both confirmed and condemned the attack in a statement, calling it a 'flagrant violation' of Qatari sovereignty. Al-Ansari added that Qatar's air defenses 'successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles.' 'Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression, in line with international law,' al-Ansari said. Qatar has long tried to maintain relations — often quietly — with virtually all sides in the conflict. Iran's leaders are caught in a dilemma of needing to respond forcefully while trying to avoid a large-scale reprisal from the United States. 'How do you respond in a way that allows you to save face, but that doesn't end up leading to you losing your head?' said Behnam Ben Taleblu of the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank in Washington. Iran's Islamist regime also has been significantly weakened by this month's strikes from Israel, according to Taleblu. Before the open conflict with Israel erupted in mid-June, Iran had the largest and most diverse ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East, with as many as 3,000 missiles and more than 400 launchers. Israel's strikes, however, are believed to have taken out roughly 40 percent of its launch infrastructure, limiting its ability to use those missiles, Taleblu said. Amy Mackinnon and Felicia Schwartz contributed to this report.
Politico
6 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Trump convenes Situation Room meeting as Iran claims attack on US base in Qatar
President Donald Trump summoned top officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine to the White House's Situation Room Monday afternoon amid reports of Iranian attacks targeting U.S. troops in Qatar, according to a senior White House official who was in the room, granted anonymity to discuss the developing situation. The official added that the White House and the Defense Department are monitoring the situation in both Qatar, Iraq and elsewhere across the Middle East where the U.S. has military bases. Iran claimed responsibility for an attack on the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in a statement from the country's armed forces. A U.S. official, also granted anonymity to discuss a developing situation, confirmed that missiles were fired toward the base. Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire since Israel struck Iranian nuclear facilities nearly two weeks ago. The U.S. entered the conflict this weekend by bombing some key Iranian nuclear sites. The Monday strikes suggest Iran is willing to broaden the fight, targeting U.S. troops and nations allied with Washington elsewhere in the Middle East — a situation Trump had sought to avoid by urging Iran to return to the negotiating table. Majed al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both confirmed and condemned the attack in a statement, calling it a 'flagrant violation' of Qatari sovereignty. Al-Ansari added that Qatar's air defenses 'successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles.' 'Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression, in line with international law,' al-Ansari said. Qatar has long tried to maintain relations — often quietly — with virtually all sides in the conflict. Iran's leaders are caught in a dilemma of needing to respond forcefully while trying to avoid a large-scale reprisal from the United States. 'How do you respond in a way that allows you to save face, but that doesn't end up leading to you losing your head?' said Behnam Ben Taleblu, of the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank in Washington. Iran's Islamist regime also has been significantly weakened by this month's strikes from Israel, according to Taleblu. Before the open conflict with Israel erupted in mid-June, Iran had the largest and most diverse ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East, with as many as 3,000 missiles, and more than 400 launchers. Israel's strikes, however, are believed to have taken out roughly 40 percent of its launch infrastructure, limiting its ability to use those missiles, Taleblu said. Amy Mackinnon and Felicia Schwartz contributed to this report.
Sky News AU
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Iran's threats attempt to deter American involvement amid 15-tonne bomb scare
FDD Iran Program Senior Director Behnam Ben Taleblu has weighed in on the power needed to destroy Iran's nuclear facility. According to reports, a 15-tonne 'bunker buster' bomb is needed to destroy the last nuclear facility in Iran, which the US would need to provide Israel with. 'Already you have Iranian officials as well as Iranian government-linked social media channels threatening to widen the war,' Mr Taleblu told Sky News Digital Presenter Gabriella Power. 'Before American entry, these threats of widening the war were designed to deter American involvement and raise the cost of that involvement.'
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Israel-Iran conflict: This number could define the outcome
The battle between Iran and Israel has escalated into one of the Middle East's most defining confrontations in decades, and the fate of the conflict may hinge on a deceptively simple number: how many medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) Iran has left. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to Israeli military data and independent expert estimates, Iran has fired around 700 MRBMs at Israel over the past 14 months, including more than 380 in just the last six days. That leaves Tehran's remaining stockpile somewhere between 300 and 1,300 missiles, depending on who you ask—a wide range that underscores just how murky and consequential the numbers game has become. A war of attrition and estimation The Iranian arsenal has been battered not only by its own usage but also by Israel's relentless six-day aerial assault. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claim to have taken out at least a third of Iran's MRBM launchers, directly impacting Tehran's ability to sustain long-range attacks. "If these launch estimates hold, Iran's deterrence capabilities are hanging by a thread," CNN quoted Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the foundation for the defense of democracies. He warns that Iran's missile stockpile may soon drop "below four digits"—a psychological and strategic red line for the Islamic Republic. Taleblu noted that Iran's missile strategy relies heavily on overwhelming quantity rather than cutting-edge technology. "For the Islamic Republic, quantity has a quality of its own," he said. "Losing that quantity threatens their entire warfighting doctrine." Cracks in Iran's defense and production Damage to Iran's infrastructure may be even more severe than previously acknowledged. UK chief of the defence staff admiral Tony Radakin revealed in December that 100 Israeli aircraft launched a devastating barrage that nearly wiped out Iran's air defense network and its ballistic missile production capabilities—for a full year. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Israeli intelligence further claims that strikes earlier this year destroyed key facilities responsible for missile motor production, severely disrupting Iran's supply chain. However, experts caution that foreign support, especially from China, could help Iran recover and rebuild its production lines faster than expected. Despite this, conflicting narratives persist. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently claimed Iran could ramp up production to 300 missiles a month, theoretically reaching 20,000 missiles in six years. But he offered no concrete evidence for the claim, prompting skepticism from analysts. Running on empty—or playing possum? Iran has so far refused to disclose its actual missile count. But according to Dr Eyal Pinko, a former Israeli naval intelligence officer and current fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center, the current estimate ranges between 700 and 800 MRBMs left, factoring in recent launches and confirmed losses. For Tehran, this situation is precarious. Iran is not known for conventional warfighting prowess, and it historically leans on its missile arsenal as both deterrent and diplomatic leverage. If its MRBM supply dips too low, Iran could be forced into negotiations from a position of weakness—or escalate the conflict in desperation. As Israeli airpower continues to pound Iranian positions, the war appears to be shifting from a contest of ideologies to one of inventory. In this war of missiles, every launch narrows Tehran's strategic options—and may ultimately determine whether the conflict burns out or blows up.
Daily Tribune
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Use of US bunker-buster bomb looms over Iran conflict
AFP | Washington, United States A powerful American bunker-busting bomb is the only weapon capable of destroying Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities, making it President Donald Trump's weapon of choice if he chooses to militarily back Israel. The GBU-57, a 30,000-pound (13,607 kg) warhead capable of penetrating 200 feet (61 meters) underground before exploding, is missing from Israel's arsenal despite its stated goal of preventing Iran from building a nuclear bomb. - Why this bomb? - In less than a week, the Israeli army has taken out Iranian military commanders and damaged numerous surface installations, raising more questions than answers. "The regime's missile stockpiles, launchers, military bases, production facilities, nuclear scientists, military command and control has taken a very severe beating," said Behnam Ben Taleblu, director of the Iran program at the Washington-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a conservative-leaning group. "But there are still outsized questions as to how efficacious of a strike Israel had against the beating hearts of Iran's nuclear program," Taleblu said. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported no damage at Fordo, a uranium enrichment plant south of Tehran. Unlike the Natanz and Isfahan sites in central Iran, Fordo is buried deep underground, beyond the reach of Israeli bombs. "All eyes will be on Fordo, which is buried under about 300 feet of rock in central Iran," Taleblu said. Former US Army lieutenant general and Rand Corporation defense researcher Mark Schwartz insists that "only the United States has the conventional capacity" to destroy such a site. And by "conventional capacity," he means the non-nuclear GBU-57 bomb. - What are its capabilities? - The US military says the GBU-57 -- also named Massive Ordnance Penetrator -- "is designed to penetrate up to 200 feet underground before exploding," navigating through rock and concrete. This differs from missiles or bombs that typically detonate their payload near or upon impact. "To defeat these deeply buried targets, these weapons need to be designed with rather thick casings of steel, hardened steel, to sort of punch through these layers of rock," said Masao Dahlgren, a fellow working on missile defense for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based research center. The 6.6-meter-long GBU-57 also has a specialized fuse because "you need an explosive that's not going to immediately explode under that much shock and pressure," Dahlgren said. Design for this bomb began in the early 2000s, and an order for 20 units was placed with Boeing in 2009. - How is it deployed? - The only aircraft capable of deploying the GBU-57 is an American B-2 Bomber, a stealth aircraft. Some of these bombers were deployed in early May on Diego Garcia, the site of a joint UK-US military base in the Indian Ocean, but were no longer visible by mid-June, according to AFP's analysis of satellite imagery provided by Planet Labs. With their long-range capabilities, B-2s departing from the United States "are able to fly all the way to the Middle East to do bombing runs. That's been done before," Dahlgren said. Each B-2 can carry two GBU-57 bombs, and Schwartz said multiple bombs will likely be needed. "They're not going to just be one and done," he said. Schwartz added that the air superiority Israel has established over Iran reduces the risks faced by the B-2 bombers. - What are the consequences? - Such a US intervention would come with "a lot of political baggage for America," Taleblu said, emphasizing that the bunker-buster bomb is not the only way to address Iran's nuclear program. Without the GBU-57 bombs, and short of a diplomatic solution, Taleblu said Israelis could attack access to underground complexes like Fordo by "trying to hit entrances, collapse what they can, cut electricity" and take other measures that have already been taken at Natanz.
