logo
Damaged unit of Iran's South Pars refinery back operating, Nour News says

Damaged unit of Iran's South Pars refinery back operating, Nour News says

Straits Times5 hours ago

A damaged unit of the South Pars refinery's Phase 14, which was hit by Israel in its first strike on Iran's oil and gas sector, has returned to operation, the Iranian state-run agency Nour News reported on Thursday.
South Pars, the world's biggest gas field, is located offshore in Iran's southern Bushehr province and is responsible for the lion's share of the country's gas production.
Iran is the world's third largest gas producer after the United States and Russia.
Gas production was not halted and the damaged unit was repaired in about 10 days, the agency added.
On June 14, the Israeli strike caused a fire, which has been extinguished, in one of the four units of Phase 14.
Israel launched an air offensive against Iran on June 13 killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites, saying it wanted to stop Tehran building an atomic weapon.
After a 12-day air war between Israel and Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday a ceasefire between them. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Iran says no plan for new US nuclear talks, plays down impact of strikes
Iran says no plan for new US nuclear talks, plays down impact of strikes

Business Times

time28 minutes ago

  • Business Times

Iran says no plan for new US nuclear talks, plays down impact of strikes

[TEHRAN] Iran on Thursday denied it is set to resume nuclear talks with the United States after the end of a 12-day war with Israel, and accused Washington of exaggerating the impact of US strikes. The most serious conflict yet between Israel and Iran derailed nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, yet President Donald Trump said Washington would hold discussions with Tehran next week, with his special envoy Steve Witkoff expressing hope 'for a comprehensive peace agreement'. But Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shut down what he said was 'speculation' that Tehran would come to the table and said it 'should not be taken seriously'. 'I would like to state clearly that no agreement, arrangement or conversation has been made to start new negotiations,' he said on state television. 'No plan has been set yet to start negotiations.' Araghchi's denial came as Iranian lawmakers passed a 'binding' bill suspending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and after supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Trump of exaggerating the impact of US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. In a televised speech - his first appearance since a ceasefire in the war with Israel - Khamenei hailed what he described as Iran's 'victory' over Israel, vowed never to yield to US pressure and insisted Washington had been dealt a humiliating 'slap'. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'The American president exaggerated events in unusual ways, and it turned out that he needed this exaggeration,' Khamenei said, rejecting US claims Iran's nuclear programme had been set back by decades. The strikes, he insisted, had done 'nothing significant' to Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Araghchi, for his part, called the damage 'serious' and said a detailed assessment was under way. Trump said key facilities, including the underground Fordo uranium enrichment site, had been 'obliterated' by American B-2 bombers. Posting on his Truth Social platform, he dismissed speculation Iran might have removed enriched uranium prior to the raid, saying: 'Nothing was taken out... too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!' He added that satellite images showed trucks at the site only because Iranian crews were attempting to shield the facility with concrete. Khamenei dismissed such claims, saying 'the Islamic republic won, and in retaliation dealt a severe slap to the face of America'. Both sides have claimed victory: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a 'historic win', while Khamenei said Iran's missile retaliation had brought Israel to the brink of collapse. US defence In Washington, the true impact of the strikes has sparked sharp political and intelligence debates. A leaked classified assessment suggested the damage to Iran's nuclear programme may be less severe than initially claimed - possibly delaying progress by only a few months. That contrasts with statements from senior US officials. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said several facilities would need to be 'rebuilt over the course of years'. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth accused the media of misrepresenting the operation. He said the United States used massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs on Fordo and another underground site, while submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles targeted a third facility. 'President Trump created the conditions to end the war, decimating - choose your word - obliterating, destroying Iran's nuclear capabilities,' Hegseth said. Doubts remain about whether Iran quietly removed some 400 kg of enriched uranium from its most sensitive sites before the strikes - potentially hiding nuclear material elsewhere in the country. Netanyahu says Iran 'thwarted' Following waves of Israeli attacks on nuclear and military sites and retaliatory missile fire from Iran since mid-June - the deadliest between the two countries to date - the US bombed three key Iranian atomic facilities. Initial intelligence reports, first revealed by CNN, suggested the strikes did not destroy critical components and delayed Iran's nuclear programme only by months. Experts questioned if Iran had pre-emptively moved enriched uranium to protect it. The US administration has forcefully rejected such suggestions. The Israeli military said Iran's nuclear sites had taken a 'significant' blow, but cautioned it was 'still early' to fully assess the damage. Netanyahu said Israel had 'thwarted Iran's nuclear project', warning any attempt by Iran to rebuild it would be met with the same determination and intensity. Iran has consistently denied seeking a nuclear weapon while defending its 'legitimate rights' to the peaceful use of atomic energy. It has also said it is willing to return to nuclear negotiations with Washington. The Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 627 civilians, Tehran's health ministry said. Iran's attacks on Israel killed 28 people, according to Israeli figures. AFP

US House committee subpoenas Harvard over tuition costs
US House committee subpoenas Harvard over tuition costs

Straits Times

time36 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

US House committee subpoenas Harvard over tuition costs

A view of Harvard campus on John F. Kennedy Street at Harvard University is pictured in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON - The US House Judiciary Committee sent a subpoena to Harvard University on June 26 seeking documents and communications for its probe into tuition costs and financial aid for Ivy League students. A letter to Harvard President Alan Garber, signed by committee chairman Jim Jordan and US Representative Scott Fitzgerald, both Republicans, described Harvard's response to previous requests for documents as inadequate and said the committee needs the documents 'to fulfill its oversight and legislative responsibilities'. A spokesperson for Harvard said in a statement: 'We are disappointed that the Committee has chosen to issue a subpoena and believe it is unwarranted, unfair and unnecessary.' It added: 'There is no basis for an allegation of collusion in Harvard's setting of tuition and financial aid.' The investigation into tuition is part of a larger fight between Harvard and the White House and Congress, including over cuts to federal funding and efforts to block foreign students from attending the university. President Donald Trump has said he is trying to force change at Harvard - and other top-level universities across the US - because in his view they have been captured by leftist 'woke' thought and become bastions of anti-Semitism. The subpoena comes as part of an investigation by the Republican-controlled US House Judiciary Committee into whether Harvard and other Ivy League schools broke antitrust laws by raising tuition costs. 'We are concerned that Ivy League member institutions appear to be collectively raising tuition prices while engaging in perfect price discrimination by offering selective financial aid packages to maximise profits,' the letter to Harvard's Garber said. US Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee, called the investigation 'plainly ridiculous' and 'based on pathetically weak allegations'. The Harvard spokesperson said the school has produced thousands of pages of documents on its tuition-setting process and financial aid. While the Judiciary Committee said it had received hundreds of requested documents, it added that some of them contained publicly available facts and lacked specific information that was desired. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 27, 2025
While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 27, 2025

Straits Times

time36 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 27, 2025

A man taking a photo of a residential building in Tehran that was hit by an Israeli missile, with the damaged part covered by a large Iranian flag, on June 25. PHOTO: AFP While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 27, 2025 Iran says no plan for new US nuclear talks Iran on June 26 denied it is set to resume nuclear talks with the United States after the end of a 12-day war with Israel, and accused Washington of exaggerating the impact of US strikes. The most serious conflict yet between Israel and Iran derailed nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, yet President Donald Trump said Washington would hold discussions with Tehran next week, with his special envoy Steve Witkoff expressing hope 'for a comprehensive peace agreement'. But Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shut down what he said was 'speculation' that Tehran would come to the table and said it 'should not be taken seriously'. Mr Araghchi's denial came as Iranian lawmakers passed a 'binding' Bill suspending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and after supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Mr Trump of exaggerating the impact of US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. READ MORE HERE US' Rubio to welcome Asian 'Quad' back to Washington US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will welcome counterparts from the 'Quad' – Australia, India and Japan – to Washington on June 24, in an at least brief re-focus on Asia, the State Department announced. Mr Rubio had welcomed Quad foreign ministers on Jan 21 in his first meeting after President Donald Trump's inauguration, seen as a sign that the new administration would prioritise engagement with like-minded countries to counter China. Since then, much of Mr Rubio's attention has been on the Middle East, with the United States bombing Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israel, and on Ukraine, as Mr Trump unsuccessfully seeks a ceasefire in Russia's invasion. READ MORE HERE Harvard contingency plan for international students Harvard University and the University of Toronto have unveiled a contingency plan that would allow select Harvard graduate students to continue their studies in Canada if US visa restrictions prevent them from re-entering the United States. It is the first international student backup strategy announced since the US Department of Homeland Security moved in May to strip Harvard of its ability to enroll international students. A federal judge has since blocked the government's move. In response to potential US visa challenges, students at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government who are unable to return to the United States will have the option to continue their studies through a visiting student programme at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. READ MORE HERE Anna Wintour steps down as editor of US Vogue Magazine legend Anna Wintour is stepping down as editor of fashion bible US Vogue after 37 years in the post, US media reported on June 26. British-born Wintour, 75, has been one of the most influential and formidable figures in fashion and magazine journalism for decades, famous for her ever-present sunglasses and unchanging bob haircut. She was widely seen as the inspiration behind The Devil Wears Prada, a hit 2003 novel and 2006 movie, in which the role of a tyrannical magazine editor was played by Meryl Streep. READ MORE HERE Man City destroy Juve to top group at Club World Cup Manchester City secured top spot in Group G of the Club World Cup with a 5-2 thrashing of Juventus on June 27, exposing the Serie A side's defensive frailties in emphatic fashion. With both teams already through to the knockout stage, City underlined their status as title favourites by becoming the only team to finish the group phase with three wins, showing flashes of their brilliant selves. Pep Guardiola's side finished three points clear of Juventus, who will face the winners of Group H in the last 16. READ MORE HERE Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store