Tehran says air defence systems restored after Israel conflict
Listen to article
Iran has replaced air defences damaged during last month's conflict with Israel, Iran's Defah Press news agency reported on Sunday quoting Mahmoud Mousavi, the regular army's deputy for operations.
During the conflict in June, Israel's air force dominated Iran's airspace and dealt a heavy blow to the country's air defences while Iranian armed forces launched successive barrages of missiles and drones on Israeli territory.
"Some of our air defences were damaged, this is not something we can hide, but our colleagues have used domestic resources and replaced them with pre-arranged systems that were stored in suitable locations in order to keep the airspace secure," Mousavi said.
Prior to the war, Iran had its own domestically-made long-range air defence system Bavar-373 in addition to the Russian-made S-300 system. The report by Defah Press did not mention any import of foreign-made air defence systems to Iran in past weeks.
Following limited Israeli strikes against Iranian missile factories last October, Iran later displayed Russian-made air defences in a military exercise to show it recovered from the attack.
Earlier today, Iran, Britain, France and Germany could hold talks next week on Tehran's nuclear programme, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, following warnings by the three European countries that failure to resume negotiations would lead to international sanctions being reimposed on Iran.
"The principle of talks has been agreed upon, but consultations are continuing on the time and place of the talks. The country in which the talks could be held next week has not been finalised," Tasnim reported, quoting a source informed on the matter.
Read: Iran says 'no specific date' for US nuclear talks
The report on possible talks comes a few days after the foreign ministers of the so-called E3 nations, as well as the European Union's foreign policy chief, held their first call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi since Israel and the US attacked Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago.
The three European countries, along with China and Russia, are the remaining parties to a 2015 nuclear deal reached with Iran - from which the United States withdrew in 2018 - that lifted sanctions on the Middle Eastern country in return for restrictions on its nuclear programme.
The E3 have said they would restore UN sanctions on Tehran via the so-called "snapback mechanism" by the end of August if nuclear talks that were ongoing between Iran and the US before the Israel-Iran air war do not resume or fail to produce concrete results.
"If EU/E3 want to have a role, they should act responsibly, and put aside the worn-out policies of threat and pressure, including the 'snap-back' for which they lack absolutely [any] moral and legal ground," Araqchi said earlier this week.
The snapback mechanism can be used to restore UN sanctions before the UN Security Council resolution enshrining the deal expires on October 18.
Prior to the Israel-Iran war, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks mediated by Oman but faced major stumbling blocks such as uranium enrichment in Iran, which Western powers want to bring down to zero to minimise any risk of weaponisation.
Tehran maintains its nuclear programme is solely meant for civilian purposes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
Bangladesh to hold elections in February 2026, says Yunus
People use coloured smoke and wave flags as they celebrate the one year anniversary since student-led protests ousted Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at Manik Mia Avenue, outside of the parliament building, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 5, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus said on Tuesday he would ask the election commission to hold a national election next February. Earlier thousands of exultant Bangladeshis gathered in Dhaka on Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of the mass protests that toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as the interim government unveiled a symbolic roadmap promising democratic reform. Rallies, concerts, and prayer sessions were held in the capital as people in the Muslim-majority South Asian nation celebrated what they called the country's 'second liberation'. The events culminated with Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus formally reading out the 'July Declaration' – a 28-point document that seeks to give constitutional recognition to the 2024 student-led uprising, sparked by economic woes and repression, that forced Hasina to flee to India on August 5. Also Read: Dhaka shows interest in coal, limestone import 'The people of Bangladesh express their desire that the student-people uprising of 2024 will get proper state and constitutional recognition,' said Yunus, the de facto prime minister who heads the interim government installed after Hasina's ouster, as representatives of political parties looked on. People watch Muhammad Yunus, leader of Bangladeshi interim government, as he appears on a screen while reading the July Declaration, during celebrations marking the one-year anniversary of student-led protests that led to the ousting of Bangladeshi then-Prime-Minister Sheikh Hasina, at Manik Mia Avenue, outside the parliament building, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 5, REUTERS 'The July Declaration will feature in the schedule of the reformed constitution as framed by the government formed through the next national election,' he said. Supporters see the charter as a foundation for institutional reform, but critics have warned its impact could be largely symbolic in the absence of a legal framework or parliamentary consensus. Earlier on Tuesday, in a message to the nation, Yunus said: 'Together, we will build a Bangladesh where tyranny will never rise again,' As he paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives. A peaceful, fair and transparent election could be held early next year, he said, pledging a return to full democratic rule amid mounting pressure for a swifter transition and growing labour unrest. 'Fallen autocrats and their self-serving allies remain active,' he added, urging unity to protect the gains of the uprising while his government holds reform talks with political parties and civil society. His interim government had launched sweeping reforms, he added, while trials for those responsible for the 'July killings' of 2024 were progressing swiftly. Mixed emotions Crowds waving flags, holding placards, and chanting slogans gathered near parliament, including some who had been injured in the protests. 'On this day in 2024, the tyrant Sheikh Hasina fled the country,' said Ahmedul Hasan, who was accompanied by his sister. 'I was here last year too. I've come again to remember that moment and join the celebrations.' Others were less exuberant. 'Even after all the bloodshed and sacrifice, a truly liberal democracy in Bangladesh still feels like a distant dream,' said Sabbir Ahmed, a college student from Jamalpur who participated in last year's protests. Read More: Bangladesh to unveil democratic reforms on coup anniversary Police were on high alert throughout the capital, with armoured vehicles patrolling the streets to deter any attempt by Hasina's banned Awami League to disrupt the day's events. 'Let this anniversary not be a day of retrospection, but a rallying cry for a brighter tomorrow,' Hasina said in an open letter to the people of Bangladesh, adding that she had never resigned from her duties as prime minister. 'Bangladesh has overcome adversity before, and we will rise again, stronger, more united, and more determined to build a democracy that truly serves its people.' Despite some opposition, it is backed by major political groups, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former premier Khaleda Zia. Supporters see the charter as a foundation for institutional reform, but critics have warned its impact could be largely symbolic in the absence of a legal framework or parliamentary consensus.
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Indian jeweller Titan eyes shifting some manufacturing to Gulf as US trade tensions escalate
DUBAI: India's biggest jeweller and watchmaker Titan is exploring shifting some manufacturing to the Middle East Gulf to maintain low-tariff access to U.S. markets amid trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi, Managing Director C.K. Venkataraman said on Tuesday. Titan, part of the Tata Group conglomerate, announced this month plans to acquire a majority stake in Dubai-based luxury retailer Damas, which operates 146 stores across the Gulf. In light of the deal, valued at $283 million, Venkataraman told Reuters the region is being considered 'as a manufacturing base to export to the U.S.' His comments reflect how global companies may seek new routes to navigate trade barriers, as the U.S. levies or threatens tariffs on international trade partners. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump slapped a surprise 25% tariff on imports from India and threatened further hikes this week over India's purchases of Russian oil. In contrast, the United Arab Emirates faces a 10% tariff under Trump's baseline rate. Indian jeweller Titan to buy large stake in Dubai's Damas Titan's Tanishq brand has several U.S. stores and is planning a major expansion, while its diamond-focused label CaratLane launched in the U.S. in October, the company said. Titan began talks to buy Damas in 2024, before U.S. trade policy shifts came into focus. Shifting some manufacturing to a Gulf Cooperation Council country would be a way to mitigate recent rises in U.S. tariffs, Venkataraman said in a video call with Reuters. The U.S. is a less feasible manufacturing base due to cost and skills constraints, especially for artisan-made jewellery, he said. 'If the tariffs remain like what they are currently threatened to be, then any arbitrage on a tariff … any significant arbitrage would be meaningful for us to consider,' Venkataraman said.
Business Recorder
3 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Trump says US will ‘very substantially' raise tariffs on India in next 24 hours over Russian oil purchases
WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would increase the tariff charged on imports from India from the current rate of 25% 'very substantially' over the next 24 hours, given India's continued purchases of Russian oil. 'They're fueling the war machine, and if they're going to do that, then I'm not going to be happy,' Trump told CNBC in an interview, adding that the main sticking point with India was that its tariffs were too high. India accuses EU, US of double standard over Russian trade He did not provide a new tariff rate for India.
