Iran executes nine arrested over planned 'IS' attack
Iranian authorities have executed nine people they say were members of the Islamic State group, state media report, after their arrest in early 2018 during clashes in which three members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed.
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Sydney Morning Herald
12 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Dangerous place': US pulls some Middle East staff as Iran tensions rise
Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh raised alarm on Wednesday when he warned that, in the event of a conflict following failed nuclear talks, it would retaliate by hitting US bases in the region. 'America will have to leave the region because all its military bases are within our reach and we will, without any consideration, target them in the host countries,' he told reporters. Iran's UN mission on Wednesday posted on X: 'Threats of 'overwhelming force' won't change facts: Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon and US militarism only fuels instability.' That statement appeared to be a response to a comment by US Army General Michael 'Erik' Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command, that he had provided the president with 'a wide range of options' to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. Kurilla postponed testimony he was due to deliver before U.S. lawmakers on Thursday because of tensions in the Middle East, two other U.S. officials said. Analysts are debating possible motived for personnel moves, The New York Times reported. Some think the US and Britain might be trying to intimidate Iran, or were responding with alarm to Tehran's statements. Some also wondered whether US and British officials were reacting to a heightened chance that Israel would attack Iran. Trump has said that he does not want Israel to take military action that could disrupt his efforts to broker a nuclear deal with Tehran. Britain's Foreign Office said it was monitoring the situation and would keep its embassy in Iraq under constant review following the US moves. Earlier on Wednesday, Britain's maritime agency warned that increased tensions in the Middle East may lead to an escalation in military activity that could impact shipping in critical waterways. It advised vessels to use caution while travelling through the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Straits of Hormuz, which all border Iran. The US has a military presence across the major oil-producing region, with bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations across the Middle East, a US official said. Another American official said that was mostly relevant to family members located in Bahrain – where the bulk of them are based. The US embassy in Kuwait said in a statement on Wednesday that it 'has not changed its staffing posture and remains fully operational'. Another US official said that there was no change in operations at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American military base in the Middle East and that no evacuation order had been issued for employees or families linked to the US embassy in Qatar, which was operating as usual. Iraq's state news agency cited a government source as saying Baghdad had not recorded any security indication that called for an evacuation. Iraq – a rare regional partner of both the US and its arch regional foe, Iran – hosts 2500 American troops, although Tehran-backed armed factions are linked to its security forces. Tensions inside Iraq have heightened since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, with Iran-aligned armed groups in the country repeatedly attacking US troops, though attacks have subsided since last year. Israel and Iran also twice exchanged fire last year – the first ever such direct attacks between the region's most entrenched enemies – with missiles and war drones hurtling across Iraqi airspace. Israel has also struck Iran-linked targets across the region, including Iraqi armed groups operating both inside Iraq and in neighbouring Syria.
The Age
12 hours ago
- The Age
‘Dangerous place': US pulls some Middle East staff as Iran tensions rise
Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh raised alarm on Wednesday when he warned that, in the event of a conflict following failed nuclear talks, it would retaliate by hitting US bases in the region. 'America will have to leave the region because all its military bases are within our reach and we will, without any consideration, target them in the host countries,' he told reporters. Iran's UN mission on Wednesday posted on X: 'Threats of 'overwhelming force' won't change facts: Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon and US militarism only fuels instability.' That statement appeared to be a response to a comment by US Army General Michael 'Erik' Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command, that he had provided the president with 'a wide range of options' to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. Kurilla postponed testimony he was due to deliver before U.S. lawmakers on Thursday because of tensions in the Middle East, two other U.S. officials said. Analysts are debating possible motived for personnel moves, The New York Times reported. Some think the US and Britain might be trying to intimidate Iran, or were responding with alarm to Tehran's statements. Some also wondered whether US and British officials were reacting to a heightened chance that Israel would attack Iran. Trump has said that he does not want Israel to take military action that could disrupt his efforts to broker a nuclear deal with Tehran. Britain's Foreign Office said it was monitoring the situation and would keep its embassy in Iraq under constant review following the US moves. Earlier on Wednesday, Britain's maritime agency warned that increased tensions in the Middle East may lead to an escalation in military activity that could impact shipping in critical waterways. It advised vessels to use caution while travelling through the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Straits of Hormuz, which all border Iran. The US has a military presence across the major oil-producing region, with bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations across the Middle East, a US official said. Another American official said that was mostly relevant to family members located in Bahrain – where the bulk of them are based. The US embassy in Kuwait said in a statement on Wednesday that it 'has not changed its staffing posture and remains fully operational'. Another US official said that there was no change in operations at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American military base in the Middle East and that no evacuation order had been issued for employees or families linked to the US embassy in Qatar, which was operating as usual. Iraq's state news agency cited a government source as saying Baghdad had not recorded any security indication that called for an evacuation. Iraq – a rare regional partner of both the US and its arch regional foe, Iran – hosts 2500 American troops, although Tehran-backed armed factions are linked to its security forces. Tensions inside Iraq have heightened since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, with Iran-aligned armed groups in the country repeatedly attacking US troops, though attacks have subsided since last year. Israel and Iran also twice exchanged fire last year – the first ever such direct attacks between the region's most entrenched enemies – with missiles and war drones hurtling across Iraqi airspace. Israel has also struck Iran-linked targets across the region, including Iraqi armed groups operating both inside Iraq and in neighbouring Syria.
The Advertiser
13 hours ago
- The Advertiser
US reduces staffers in Middle East as tensions rise
The United States is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest, the State Department and military say. The State Department said it has ordered the departure of all non-essential personnel from the US embassy in Baghdad based on its latest review and a commitment "to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad". The embassy already had been on limited staffing, and the order will not affect a large number of personnel. The department, however, also is authorising the departure of non-essential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait. That gives them the option of leaving those countries at government expense and with government assistance. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth "has authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations" across the region, US Central Command said in a statement. The command "is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East". Tensions in the region have risen in recent days as talks between the US and Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program appear to have hit an impasse. The talks seek to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions that the US has imposed on the Islamic Republic. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. The next round of talks - the sixth - is tentatively scheduled for this weekend in Oman, but US officials said it looked increasingly unlikely that the talks would happen. President Donald Trump, who has previously said Israel or the US could carry out air strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations failed, gave a less-than-optimistic view about reaching a deal with Iran, telling the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast that he was "getting more and more less confident about" a deal. "They seem to be delaying, and I think that's a shame ... Something happened to them," he said in the interview recorded on Monday. Iran's mission to the UN posted on social media that "threats of overwhelming force won't change the facts". "Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and US militarism only fuels instability," the Iranian mission wrote. Iranian Defence Minister General Aziz Nasirzadeh separately told journalists on Wednesday that he hoped talks with the US would yield results, though Tehran stood ready to respond. "If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent's casualties will certainly be more than ours, and in that case, America must leave the region, because all its bases are within our reach," he said. Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, a Mideast-based effort overseen by the British navy, issued a warning to ships in the region that it "has been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners". It did not name Iran, though those waterways have seen Iranian ship seizures and attacks in the past. The United States is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest, the State Department and military say. The State Department said it has ordered the departure of all non-essential personnel from the US embassy in Baghdad based on its latest review and a commitment "to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad". The embassy already had been on limited staffing, and the order will not affect a large number of personnel. The department, however, also is authorising the departure of non-essential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait. That gives them the option of leaving those countries at government expense and with government assistance. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth "has authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations" across the region, US Central Command said in a statement. The command "is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East". Tensions in the region have risen in recent days as talks between the US and Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program appear to have hit an impasse. The talks seek to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions that the US has imposed on the Islamic Republic. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. The next round of talks - the sixth - is tentatively scheduled for this weekend in Oman, but US officials said it looked increasingly unlikely that the talks would happen. President Donald Trump, who has previously said Israel or the US could carry out air strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations failed, gave a less-than-optimistic view about reaching a deal with Iran, telling the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast that he was "getting more and more less confident about" a deal. "They seem to be delaying, and I think that's a shame ... Something happened to them," he said in the interview recorded on Monday. Iran's mission to the UN posted on social media that "threats of overwhelming force won't change the facts". "Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and US militarism only fuels instability," the Iranian mission wrote. Iranian Defence Minister General Aziz Nasirzadeh separately told journalists on Wednesday that he hoped talks with the US would yield results, though Tehran stood ready to respond. "If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent's casualties will certainly be more than ours, and in that case, America must leave the region, because all its bases are within our reach," he said. Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, a Mideast-based effort overseen by the British navy, issued a warning to ships in the region that it "has been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners". It did not name Iran, though those waterways have seen Iranian ship seizures and attacks in the past. The United States is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest, the State Department and military say. The State Department said it has ordered the departure of all non-essential personnel from the US embassy in Baghdad based on its latest review and a commitment "to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad". The embassy already had been on limited staffing, and the order will not affect a large number of personnel. The department, however, also is authorising the departure of non-essential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait. That gives them the option of leaving those countries at government expense and with government assistance. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth "has authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations" across the region, US Central Command said in a statement. The command "is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East". Tensions in the region have risen in recent days as talks between the US and Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program appear to have hit an impasse. The talks seek to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions that the US has imposed on the Islamic Republic. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. The next round of talks - the sixth - is tentatively scheduled for this weekend in Oman, but US officials said it looked increasingly unlikely that the talks would happen. President Donald Trump, who has previously said Israel or the US could carry out air strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations failed, gave a less-than-optimistic view about reaching a deal with Iran, telling the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast that he was "getting more and more less confident about" a deal. "They seem to be delaying, and I think that's a shame ... Something happened to them," he said in the interview recorded on Monday. Iran's mission to the UN posted on social media that "threats of overwhelming force won't change the facts". "Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and US militarism only fuels instability," the Iranian mission wrote. Iranian Defence Minister General Aziz Nasirzadeh separately told journalists on Wednesday that he hoped talks with the US would yield results, though Tehran stood ready to respond. "If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent's casualties will certainly be more than ours, and in that case, America must leave the region, because all its bases are within our reach," he said. Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, a Mideast-based effort overseen by the British navy, issued a warning to ships in the region that it "has been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners". It did not name Iran, though those waterways have seen Iranian ship seizures and attacks in the past. The United States is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest, the State Department and military say. The State Department said it has ordered the departure of all non-essential personnel from the US embassy in Baghdad based on its latest review and a commitment "to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad". The embassy already had been on limited staffing, and the order will not affect a large number of personnel. The department, however, also is authorising the departure of non-essential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait. That gives them the option of leaving those countries at government expense and with government assistance. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth "has authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations" across the region, US Central Command said in a statement. The command "is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East". Tensions in the region have risen in recent days as talks between the US and Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program appear to have hit an impasse. The talks seek to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions that the US has imposed on the Islamic Republic. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. The next round of talks - the sixth - is tentatively scheduled for this weekend in Oman, but US officials said it looked increasingly unlikely that the talks would happen. President Donald Trump, who has previously said Israel or the US could carry out air strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations failed, gave a less-than-optimistic view about reaching a deal with Iran, telling the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast that he was "getting more and more less confident about" a deal. "They seem to be delaying, and I think that's a shame ... Something happened to them," he said in the interview recorded on Monday. Iran's mission to the UN posted on social media that "threats of overwhelming force won't change the facts". "Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and US militarism only fuels instability," the Iranian mission wrote. Iranian Defence Minister General Aziz Nasirzadeh separately told journalists on Wednesday that he hoped talks with the US would yield results, though Tehran stood ready to respond. "If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent's casualties will certainly be more than ours, and in that case, America must leave the region, because all its bases are within our reach," he said. Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, a Mideast-based effort overseen by the British navy, issued a warning to ships in the region that it "has been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners". It did not name Iran, though those waterways have seen Iranian ship seizures and attacks in the past.
