Preemptive strike? The media and Israel's attack on Iran
Israel has launched an unprovoked assault on Iran, including strikes on nuclear facilities and assassinations of several senior military commanders and scientists. In front of the world's media, however, the Netanyahu government is spinning the attack as 'preemptive'.
Contributor:
Negar Mortazavi – Host, The Iran Podcast
This past week, phone and internet services virtually collapsed across Gaza, as Israel repeatedly bombed transmission stations and communication towers.
Meenakshi Ravi explains how Gaza now risks digital isolation.
President Trump has turned Los Angeles into an ideological battleground amid protests against anti-immigration raids. His mobilisation of the National Guard and marines – without the approval of California's state government – has produced made-for-TV images of the kind likely to appeal to the MAGA faithful.
For many others, it is yet another sign of a dangerous turn away from civil liberties under his presidency.
Featuring:
Branko Marcetic – Staff writer, Jacobin
Sarah Mehta – Senior policy counsel, ACLU
Jose Olivares – Investigative journalist
Will Swaim – Podcast host, Radio Free California
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Can Iran confront Israel on its own?
Israel pounds Iran – and Iran strikes back, hitting Tel Aviv. Since Israel's war on Gaza began in October 2023, Israel has damaged Iran, not just at home, but also outside its territory – by striking its allies. Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in Beirut, the Houthis in Yemen have taken hits, as well as militias in Iraq. Israel struck Iranian interests in Syria and Tehran's ally, former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, was deposed. Hamas' leadership has also been decimated, including in assassinations carried out in Tehran. So is Iran now fighting from a weakened position? Presenter: Cyril Vanier Guests: Ronnie Chatah, Political commentator, writer and host of The Beirut Banyan podcast. Setareh Sadeqi – Professor at the University of Tehran's Faculty of World Studies. David DesRoches, Professor of National Defense University and former Pentagon director of Arabian Peninsula Affairs.
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
World leaders weigh in on ‘alarming' Israel Iran conflict
World leaders and senior officials have called on both Israel and Iran to walk back from the brink of all-out war as the bitter enemies traded intense attacks for a second day. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Saturday that Israel's strikes on Iranian infrastructure had set its nuclear programme back years, without providing evidence, but rejected global calls for restraint. 'We will hit every site and every target of the Ayatollahs' regime, and what they have felt so far is nothing compared with what they will be handed in the coming days,' he said in a video message. During its surprise attack on Friday, the Israeli army targeted more than 200 military and nuclear sites, killing top Iranian army commanders, scientists and other senior officials. Iran strong retaliation penetrated Israel's lauded missile defence on Friday night and overnight into Saturday, with air raid sirens sounding across Israel. At least four people were killed, with the Israeli military saying Iran had fired about 200 ballistic missiles in four waves. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Saturday of a 'more severe and powerful response' if Israel continued to strike. In light of the escalation, world leaders have spoken to Iranian and Israeli top officials, fearing a possible regional war. Here is what some countries have said: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the Iranian president that Israel was looking to 'drag the whole region into the fire,' according to a statement from the Turkish presidency. Erdogan also told Pezeshkian that Israel's attacks aimed to divert attention from the genocide in Gaza. Erdogan told Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Israel needed 'to be stopped', calling it 'the main threat to stability and security in the region'. The issue of Iran's nuclear programme 'can only be resolved through negotiations', he added. The Turkish leader also spoke with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. President Vladimir Putin spoke to United States President Donald Trump and condemned Israel's attacks on Iran. Top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Putin 'expressed serious concern about a possible escalation of the conflict, which would have unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East'. According to Ushakov, Trump described the current events in the Middle East as 'very alarming'. The two leaders did not rule out a return to the negotiating meetings on Iran's nuclear programme, Ushakov said. Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to his Iranian and Israeli counterparts and made clear Beijing's support for Tehran. Wang told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that Beijing 'supports Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty, defending its legitimate rights and interests, and ensuring the safety of its people', according to a statement by the foreign ministry. Wang told Araghchi that Israel's actions 'seriously violate … the basic norms governing international relations', adding attacks on nuclear facilities 'have set a dangerous precedent with potentially catastrophic consequences'. During his conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, Wang expressed that its attack on Iran was 'unacceptable'. 'Diplomatic means for the Iranian nuclear issue have not been exhausted, and there is still hope for a peaceful solution. Force cannot bring lasting peace,' Wang said, adding that Beijing was willing to play a role in de-escalating the conflict. Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also spoke with Pezeshkian and reiterated Qatar's strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli attack targeting the territory of Iran, considering it a flagrant violation of Iran's sovereignty and security, and a clear breach of the rules and principles of international law. The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday that the UK is moving military assets, including fighter jets, to the Middle East for contingency support across the region. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was 'alarmed' by the overnight strikes 'with reports of fatalities and injuries in Israel'. 'We must urgently de-escalate & prevent any further harm to civilians,' Lammy said on X, adding that he had spoken to his Iranian counterpart 'to urge calm'. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul spoke to his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, and warned that the risk of 'further escalation is real.' 'Iran's nuclear program threatens not only Israel, but also Saudi Arabia and the broader stability of the region. The countries here share a clear goal: to prevent nuclear proliferation. Germany is firmly committed to de-escalation,' he wrote on X. President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke to his Iranian counterpart and called for French 'diplomatic facilities and nationals in Iran and the wider region not to be targeted under any circumstances'. 'I also urged the utmost restraint to avoid escalation. Iran's nuclear program is a serious concern and must be resolved through negotiation,' Macron wrote on X. 'I therefore invited President [Masoud] Pezeshkian to return swiftly to the negotiating table to reach an agreement — the only viable path to de-escalation … We stand ready to contribute and to mobilise all our efforts to achieve that goal,' he added. Pope Leo XIV called on Israel and Iran to show responsibility and reason. 'The situation in Iran and Israel has seriously deteriorated at such a delicate moment. I wish to forcefully renew an appeal for responsibility and reason,' the pope said in a statement. 'The commitment to build a safer world free from the nuclear threat must be pursued through a respectful meeting and sincere dialogue,' he said. 'No one should ever threaten the existence of the other,' he added.
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
What is the Strait of Hormuz, could it factor into Israel-Iran conflict?
Iran is considering closing the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian news agency IRINN has reported, citing key conservative lawmaker Esmail Kosari, as the conflict with Israel intensifies. The move would send oil prices soaring and risk expanding the war. So what is the strategic waterway and why is it vital to global trade? Hormuz is the only marine entryway into the Persian Gulf. It splits Iran on one side and Oman and the United Arab Emirates on the other, and it links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea in the Indian Ocean. According to the US Energy Information Administration, about 20 percent of global oil consumption flows through the strait, which the agency describes as the 'world's most important oil transit chokepoint'. At its narrowest point, it is 33km (21 miles) wide, but shipping lanes in the waterway are even narrower, making them vulnerable to attacks and threats of being shut down. During the Iran-Iraq conflict between 1980 and 1988, which killed hundreds of thousands on both sides, both countries targeted commercial vessels in the Gulf in what became known as the Tanker War, but Hormuz was never completely closed. More recently, in 2019, four ships were attacked near the strait off the coast of Fujairah, UAE, amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States during Donald Trump's first presidency. Washington blamed Tehran for the incident, but Iran denied the allegations. Attacking shipping lanes has long been used to apply pressure amid conflict. Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen have been attacking ships around Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the entryway into the Red Sea on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula. While the Houthi campaign has affected global commerce, ships can avoid the Red Sea by sailing around Africa – a longer but safer journey. However, there is no way to ship anything by sea out of the Gulf without going through Hormuz. Even countries that do not import petrol from Gulf countries would be affected if the strait were to be closed because a major drop in supply would spike the price per barrel on the global market. Despite the Iranian lawmaker's threat, it is unclear whether Iran has the ability or willingness to shut down the strait. Such a move would almost certainly invoke retaliation from the US, which has naval military assets in the region. After Israel launched a wave of attacks across Iran early on Friday, targeting military leaders, residential buildings, army bases and nuclear sites, Iran responded with hundreds of ballistic missiles. Although the US helped shoot down the Iranian missiles, Washington has not directly attacked Iran. US officials have stressed that Washington was not involved in the Israeli strikes. Tehran has not targeted US troops or interests in the region, either. Closing Hormuz, however, would hit Americans in the wallet and could spark a military response from Trump. While an Iranian move against the strait may not be imminent, Kosari's comments underscore that attacking shipping lanes is a card that Tehran may play amid the hostilities. In April 2024, Iranian armed forces seized a container ship near the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions across the region after a deadly Israeli attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus, Syria. A limited Iranian strike on Israel in response was followed by an Israeli one on Iran. At the time, they were the most serious direct military exchanges between the two foes.
