Israel mounts heavy air strikes in southern Lebanon
Israel has launched dozens of air strikes in south Lebanon in one of its heaviest bombardments of the region since a ceasefire ended the war in 2024 with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The Israeli military said it had hit a Hezbollah infrastructure site in the south.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which has previously said that it withdrew all its forces from the south in line with the US-brokered truce.
Lebanon's health ninistry said at least one person was killed and another eight wounded in the strikes.
Thick columns of smoke rose from the hilltops hit in the attacks in the Nabatieh region, about 10km from the border.
Israel, which inflicted huge damage on Hezbollah during last year's war, has been carrying out air strikes in south Lebanon on a regular basis since the ceasefire, and has also struck the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut several times.
The ceasefire terms require that neither Hezbollah nor any other armed group have weapons in areas near the border south of the Litani river, which flows into the Mediterranean some 20km north of the Israeli border.
They require Israel to withdraw troops from the south and that the Lebanese army deploy into the border region.
Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of failing to fully implement the deal.
Israel still has troops on five hilltop positions in the south. Rockets have been fired from Lebanon towards Israel twice, though Hezbollah denied any role.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has said the group has no more weapons in south Lebanon, in line with the ceasefire terms.
Lebanese authorities have detained Palestinian militants, including Hamas members, accused of firing rockets towards Israel from Lebanon on two occasions since the ceasefire.
Both attacks prompted Israeli airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.
Israel killed thousands of Hezbollah fighters in the war, destroyed much of its arsenal and eliminated top leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah.
The war spiralled after Hezbollah opened fire at the beginning of the Gaza war, declaring solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas.
Israel has launched dozens of air strikes in south Lebanon in one of its heaviest bombardments of the region since a ceasefire ended the war in 2024 with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The Israeli military said it had hit a Hezbollah infrastructure site in the south.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which has previously said that it withdrew all its forces from the south in line with the US-brokered truce.
Lebanon's health ninistry said at least one person was killed and another eight wounded in the strikes.
Thick columns of smoke rose from the hilltops hit in the attacks in the Nabatieh region, about 10km from the border.
Israel, which inflicted huge damage on Hezbollah during last year's war, has been carrying out air strikes in south Lebanon on a regular basis since the ceasefire, and has also struck the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut several times.
The ceasefire terms require that neither Hezbollah nor any other armed group have weapons in areas near the border south of the Litani river, which flows into the Mediterranean some 20km north of the Israeli border.
They require Israel to withdraw troops from the south and that the Lebanese army deploy into the border region.
Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of failing to fully implement the deal.
Israel still has troops on five hilltop positions in the south. Rockets have been fired from Lebanon towards Israel twice, though Hezbollah denied any role.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has said the group has no more weapons in south Lebanon, in line with the ceasefire terms.
Lebanese authorities have detained Palestinian militants, including Hamas members, accused of firing rockets towards Israel from Lebanon on two occasions since the ceasefire.
Both attacks prompted Israeli airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.
Israel killed thousands of Hezbollah fighters in the war, destroyed much of its arsenal and eliminated top leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah.
The war spiralled after Hezbollah opened fire at the beginning of the Gaza war, declaring solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas.
Israel has launched dozens of air strikes in south Lebanon in one of its heaviest bombardments of the region since a ceasefire ended the war in 2024 with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The Israeli military said it had hit a Hezbollah infrastructure site in the south.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which has previously said that it withdrew all its forces from the south in line with the US-brokered truce.
Lebanon's health ninistry said at least one person was killed and another eight wounded in the strikes.
Thick columns of smoke rose from the hilltops hit in the attacks in the Nabatieh region, about 10km from the border.
Israel, which inflicted huge damage on Hezbollah during last year's war, has been carrying out air strikes in south Lebanon on a regular basis since the ceasefire, and has also struck the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut several times.
The ceasefire terms require that neither Hezbollah nor any other armed group have weapons in areas near the border south of the Litani river, which flows into the Mediterranean some 20km north of the Israeli border.
They require Israel to withdraw troops from the south and that the Lebanese army deploy into the border region.
Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of failing to fully implement the deal.
Israel still has troops on five hilltop positions in the south. Rockets have been fired from Lebanon towards Israel twice, though Hezbollah denied any role.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has said the group has no more weapons in south Lebanon, in line with the ceasefire terms.
Lebanese authorities have detained Palestinian militants, including Hamas members, accused of firing rockets towards Israel from Lebanon on two occasions since the ceasefire.
Both attacks prompted Israeli airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.
Israel killed thousands of Hezbollah fighters in the war, destroyed much of its arsenal and eliminated top leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah.
The war spiralled after Hezbollah opened fire at the beginning of the Gaza war, declaring solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas.
Israel has launched dozens of air strikes in south Lebanon in one of its heaviest bombardments of the region since a ceasefire ended the war in 2024 with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The Israeli military said it had hit a Hezbollah infrastructure site in the south.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which has previously said that it withdrew all its forces from the south in line with the US-brokered truce.
Lebanon's health ninistry said at least one person was killed and another eight wounded in the strikes.
Thick columns of smoke rose from the hilltops hit in the attacks in the Nabatieh region, about 10km from the border.
Israel, which inflicted huge damage on Hezbollah during last year's war, has been carrying out air strikes in south Lebanon on a regular basis since the ceasefire, and has also struck the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut several times.
The ceasefire terms require that neither Hezbollah nor any other armed group have weapons in areas near the border south of the Litani river, which flows into the Mediterranean some 20km north of the Israeli border.
They require Israel to withdraw troops from the south and that the Lebanese army deploy into the border region.
Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of failing to fully implement the deal.
Israel still has troops on five hilltop positions in the south. Rockets have been fired from Lebanon towards Israel twice, though Hezbollah denied any role.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has said the group has no more weapons in south Lebanon, in line with the ceasefire terms.
Lebanese authorities have detained Palestinian militants, including Hamas members, accused of firing rockets towards Israel from Lebanon on two occasions since the ceasefire.
Both attacks prompted Israeli airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.
Israel killed thousands of Hezbollah fighters in the war, destroyed much of its arsenal and eliminated top leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah.
The war spiralled after Hezbollah opened fire at the beginning of the Gaza war, declaring solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas.
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2 hours ago
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Trump not interested in Musk talks after bill feud
US President Donald Trump is not interested in talking with his former ally Elon Musk, amid a bitter feud over the president's sweeping tax-cut bill, a White House official said, adding that no phone call between the two men is planned for the day. A separate White House official had said earlier that Trump and Musk were going to talk to each other on Friday. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem, the poor guy's got a problem," Trump told CNN on Friday morning. Trump, the world's most powerful leader, and Musk, the world's richest man, battled openly on Thursday in an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla rose 4.5 per cent when markets opened on Friday. In Thursday's session, the stock dived 14 per cent and lost about $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the electric vehicle maker's history. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought to the White House to head up a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The falling-out began brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill. The feud is complicating efforts to pass the bill, which is the president's main demand of the Republican-controlled Congress. Musk has denounced the package, which contains most of Trump's domestic priorities, as a "disgusting abomination" that would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. The package narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Nonpartisan analysts say it would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been in touch with Musk. "I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," he said on CNBC. Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded "Yes" to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government's space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day. Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. with AP US President Donald Trump is not interested in talking with his former ally Elon Musk, amid a bitter feud over the president's sweeping tax-cut bill, a White House official said, adding that no phone call between the two men is planned for the day. A separate White House official had said earlier that Trump and Musk were going to talk to each other on Friday. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem, the poor guy's got a problem," Trump told CNN on Friday morning. Trump, the world's most powerful leader, and Musk, the world's richest man, battled openly on Thursday in an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla rose 4.5 per cent when markets opened on Friday. In Thursday's session, the stock dived 14 per cent and lost about $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the electric vehicle maker's history. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought to the White House to head up a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The falling-out began brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill. The feud is complicating efforts to pass the bill, which is the president's main demand of the Republican-controlled Congress. Musk has denounced the package, which contains most of Trump's domestic priorities, as a "disgusting abomination" that would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. The package narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Nonpartisan analysts say it would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been in touch with Musk. "I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," he said on CNBC. Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded "Yes" to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government's space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day. Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. with AP US President Donald Trump is not interested in talking with his former ally Elon Musk, amid a bitter feud over the president's sweeping tax-cut bill, a White House official said, adding that no phone call between the two men is planned for the day. A separate White House official had said earlier that Trump and Musk were going to talk to each other on Friday. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem, the poor guy's got a problem," Trump told CNN on Friday morning. Trump, the world's most powerful leader, and Musk, the world's richest man, battled openly on Thursday in an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla rose 4.5 per cent when markets opened on Friday. In Thursday's session, the stock dived 14 per cent and lost about $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the electric vehicle maker's history. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought to the White House to head up a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The falling-out began brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill. The feud is complicating efforts to pass the bill, which is the president's main demand of the Republican-controlled Congress. Musk has denounced the package, which contains most of Trump's domestic priorities, as a "disgusting abomination" that would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. The package narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Nonpartisan analysts say it would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been in touch with Musk. "I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," he said on CNBC. Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded "Yes" to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government's space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day. Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. with AP US President Donald Trump is not interested in talking with his former ally Elon Musk, amid a bitter feud over the president's sweeping tax-cut bill, a White House official said, adding that no phone call between the two men is planned for the day. A separate White House official had said earlier that Trump and Musk were going to talk to each other on Friday. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem, the poor guy's got a problem," Trump told CNN on Friday morning. Trump, the world's most powerful leader, and Musk, the world's richest man, battled openly on Thursday in an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla rose 4.5 per cent when markets opened on Friday. In Thursday's session, the stock dived 14 per cent and lost about $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the electric vehicle maker's history. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought to the White House to head up a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The falling-out began brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill. The feud is complicating efforts to pass the bill, which is the president's main demand of the Republican-controlled Congress. Musk has denounced the package, which contains most of Trump's domestic priorities, as a "disgusting abomination" that would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. The package narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Nonpartisan analysts say it would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been in touch with Musk. "I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," he said on CNBC. Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded "Yes" to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government's space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day. Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. with AP
9 News
5 hours ago
- 9 News
Israel confirms it is arming Hamas rivals in operation opposition calls 'complete madness'
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Israel is arming local militias in Gaza in an effort to counter Hamas in the besieged enclave, officials say, as opposition politicians warned that the move endangers national security. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the covert enterprise on Thursday, calling it "a good thing." In a video posted on social media, Netanyahu said Israel had "activated clans in Gaza which oppose Hamas," and that it was done "under the advice of security elements." Opposition leader Yair Lapid speaks in Israel's parliament in October last year. (Debbie Hill/AP via CNN Newsource) Former defence minister and Netanyahu rival Avigdor Liberman divulged the move on Israel's Channel 12 News on Wednesday, saying that Israel was distributing rifles to extremist groups in Gaza and describing the operation as "complete madness." "We're talking about the equivalent of ISIS in Gaza," Liberman said one day later on Israel's Army Radio, adding that Israel is providing weapons to "crime families in Gaza on Netanyahu's orders." "No one can guarantee that these weapons will not be directed towards Israel," he said, a warning echoed by one of the officials who spoke with CNN. After Liberman's revelation, the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement saying, "Israel is acting to defeat Hamas in various ways upon the recommendation of the heads of the security establishment." The ongoing operation was authorised by Netanyahu without security cabinet approval, two officials told CNN, which is the normal forum for making major policy decisions. Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners would likely have vetoed such a move. Meanwhile, Hamas said the plan revealed "a grave and undeniable truth." Gaza City's Shujaiya neighbourhood in October 2024. (Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) In a statement, the militant group said: "The Israeli occupation army is arming criminal gangs in the Gaza Strip with the aim of creating a state of insecurity and social chaos." One group that has received weapons from Israel is the militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab, officials said. Abu Shabab heads an armed group that controls some territory in eastern Rafah and he has posted photos of himself holding an AK-47 rifle with UN vehicles behind him. Though Abu Shabab has denied receiving weapons from Israel, Hamas has accused him of being a "traitor." "We pledge before God to continue confronting the dens of that criminal and his gang, no matter the cost of the sacrifices we make," Hamas said on Thursday. Opposition politicians ripped Netanyahu for the plan to arm militias and the secrecy around it, lambasting it as a continuation of the Israeli leader's decision to allow millions of dollars in cash to travel from Qatar to Gaza beginning in late 2018. They accused him of strengthening Hamas in the past as an alternative to the rival Palestinian Fatah faction, and now arming gangs as an alternative to Hamas. "After Netanyahu finished handing over millions of dollars to Hamas, he moved on to supplying weapons to groups in Gaza affiliated with ISIS – all improvised, with no strategic planning, and all leading to more disasters," opposition leader Yair Lapid said on social media. Netanyahu has not laid out a plan for who will govern Gaza in the future and has hardly made clear any of his post-war intentions for the coastal enclave. Part of Israel's war goals include the complete disarmament of Hamas and the end of its ability to govern in the territory. The arming of militias in Gaza appears to be the closest that Netanyahu has come to empowering any form of alternate rule. Despite nearly 20 months of war, Israel has not been able to dislodge Hamas completely from large swaths of Gaza, and the militant group – classified as a terrorist organisation in Israel, the United States, and the European Union – has clung to power. Yair Golan, head of the left-wing Democrats party, said in a post on social media: "Instead of bringing about a deal, making arrangements with the moderate Sunni axis, and returning the hostages and security to Israeli citizens, he is creating a new ticking bomb in Gaza." Israel Hamas Conflict Israel Palestine Gaza World War CONTACT US Property News: The last inner Sydney suburbs where houses cost under $2m.
The Advertiser
9 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'In ruins': Russia sees dim prospects for nuclear pact
Russia sees little chance of saving its last nuclear accord with the United States, due to expire in eight months, given the "ruined" state of relations with Washington, its top arms control official says. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also told TASS news agency US President Donald Trump's proposed Golden Dome missile defence project was a "deeply destabilising" factor creating formidable new obstacles to arms control. His comments were among Moscow's bleakest yet about the prospects for the New START agreement, the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the two countries, which caps the number of strategic warheads that each side can deploy. President Vladimir Putin in 2023 suspended Russian participation in New START, blaming US support for Ukraine, although he said Moscow would remain within the treaty's limits on warheads, missiles and heavy bomber planes. But if the treaty is not extended or replaced after it expires on February 5 next year, security experts fear it could fuel a new arms race at a time of acute international tension over the conflict in Ukraine, which both Putin and Trump have said could lead to World War III. The Federation of American Scientists, an authoritative source on arms control, says if Russia decided to abandon the treaty limits, it could theoretically increase its deployed nuclear arsenal by up to 60 per cent by uploading hundreds of additional warheads. Ryabkov described Russia-US ties as "simply in ruins". "There are no grounds for a full-scale resumption of New START in the current circumstances. And given that the treaty ends its life cycle in about eight months, talking about the realism of such a scenario is increasingly losing its meaning," Ryabkov told TASS. "Of course, deeply destabilising program like the Golden Dome - and the US is implementing a number of them - create additional, hard-to-overcome obstacles to the constructive consideration of any potential initiatives in the field of nuclear missile arms control, when and if it comes to that." Trump said last month he had selected a design for the $US175-billion Golden Dome project, which aims to block threats from China and Russia by creating a network of satellites, perhaps numbering in the hundreds, to detect, track and potentially intercept incoming missiles. Ryabkov's comments came in the same week that Ukraine stunned Moscow by launching drone strikes on air bases deep inside Russia that house the heavy bomber planes that form part of its nuclear deterrent. Russia has said it will retaliate as and when its military sees fit. Russia sees little chance of saving its last nuclear accord with the United States, due to expire in eight months, given the "ruined" state of relations with Washington, its top arms control official says. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also told TASS news agency US President Donald Trump's proposed Golden Dome missile defence project was a "deeply destabilising" factor creating formidable new obstacles to arms control. His comments were among Moscow's bleakest yet about the prospects for the New START agreement, the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the two countries, which caps the number of strategic warheads that each side can deploy. President Vladimir Putin in 2023 suspended Russian participation in New START, blaming US support for Ukraine, although he said Moscow would remain within the treaty's limits on warheads, missiles and heavy bomber planes. But if the treaty is not extended or replaced after it expires on February 5 next year, security experts fear it could fuel a new arms race at a time of acute international tension over the conflict in Ukraine, which both Putin and Trump have said could lead to World War III. The Federation of American Scientists, an authoritative source on arms control, says if Russia decided to abandon the treaty limits, it could theoretically increase its deployed nuclear arsenal by up to 60 per cent by uploading hundreds of additional warheads. Ryabkov described Russia-US ties as "simply in ruins". "There are no grounds for a full-scale resumption of New START in the current circumstances. And given that the treaty ends its life cycle in about eight months, talking about the realism of such a scenario is increasingly losing its meaning," Ryabkov told TASS. "Of course, deeply destabilising program like the Golden Dome - and the US is implementing a number of them - create additional, hard-to-overcome obstacles to the constructive consideration of any potential initiatives in the field of nuclear missile arms control, when and if it comes to that." Trump said last month he had selected a design for the $US175-billion Golden Dome project, which aims to block threats from China and Russia by creating a network of satellites, perhaps numbering in the hundreds, to detect, track and potentially intercept incoming missiles. Ryabkov's comments came in the same week that Ukraine stunned Moscow by launching drone strikes on air bases deep inside Russia that house the heavy bomber planes that form part of its nuclear deterrent. Russia has said it will retaliate as and when its military sees fit. Russia sees little chance of saving its last nuclear accord with the United States, due to expire in eight months, given the "ruined" state of relations with Washington, its top arms control official says. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also told TASS news agency US President Donald Trump's proposed Golden Dome missile defence project was a "deeply destabilising" factor creating formidable new obstacles to arms control. His comments were among Moscow's bleakest yet about the prospects for the New START agreement, the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the two countries, which caps the number of strategic warheads that each side can deploy. President Vladimir Putin in 2023 suspended Russian participation in New START, blaming US support for Ukraine, although he said Moscow would remain within the treaty's limits on warheads, missiles and heavy bomber planes. But if the treaty is not extended or replaced after it expires on February 5 next year, security experts fear it could fuel a new arms race at a time of acute international tension over the conflict in Ukraine, which both Putin and Trump have said could lead to World War III. The Federation of American Scientists, an authoritative source on arms control, says if Russia decided to abandon the treaty limits, it could theoretically increase its deployed nuclear arsenal by up to 60 per cent by uploading hundreds of additional warheads. Ryabkov described Russia-US ties as "simply in ruins". "There are no grounds for a full-scale resumption of New START in the current circumstances. And given that the treaty ends its life cycle in about eight months, talking about the realism of such a scenario is increasingly losing its meaning," Ryabkov told TASS. "Of course, deeply destabilising program like the Golden Dome - and the US is implementing a number of them - create additional, hard-to-overcome obstacles to the constructive consideration of any potential initiatives in the field of nuclear missile arms control, when and if it comes to that." Trump said last month he had selected a design for the $US175-billion Golden Dome project, which aims to block threats from China and Russia by creating a network of satellites, perhaps numbering in the hundreds, to detect, track and potentially intercept incoming missiles. Ryabkov's comments came in the same week that Ukraine stunned Moscow by launching drone strikes on air bases deep inside Russia that house the heavy bomber planes that form part of its nuclear deterrent. Russia has said it will retaliate as and when its military sees fit. Russia sees little chance of saving its last nuclear accord with the United States, due to expire in eight months, given the "ruined" state of relations with Washington, its top arms control official says. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also told TASS news agency US President Donald Trump's proposed Golden Dome missile defence project was a "deeply destabilising" factor creating formidable new obstacles to arms control. His comments were among Moscow's bleakest yet about the prospects for the New START agreement, the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the two countries, which caps the number of strategic warheads that each side can deploy. President Vladimir Putin in 2023 suspended Russian participation in New START, blaming US support for Ukraine, although he said Moscow would remain within the treaty's limits on warheads, missiles and heavy bomber planes. But if the treaty is not extended or replaced after it expires on February 5 next year, security experts fear it could fuel a new arms race at a time of acute international tension over the conflict in Ukraine, which both Putin and Trump have said could lead to World War III. The Federation of American Scientists, an authoritative source on arms control, says if Russia decided to abandon the treaty limits, it could theoretically increase its deployed nuclear arsenal by up to 60 per cent by uploading hundreds of additional warheads. Ryabkov described Russia-US ties as "simply in ruins". "There are no grounds for a full-scale resumption of New START in the current circumstances. And given that the treaty ends its life cycle in about eight months, talking about the realism of such a scenario is increasingly losing its meaning," Ryabkov told TASS. "Of course, deeply destabilising program like the Golden Dome - and the US is implementing a number of them - create additional, hard-to-overcome obstacles to the constructive consideration of any potential initiatives in the field of nuclear missile arms control, when and if it comes to that." Trump said last month he had selected a design for the $US175-billion Golden Dome project, which aims to block threats from China and Russia by creating a network of satellites, perhaps numbering in the hundreds, to detect, track and potentially intercept incoming missiles. Ryabkov's comments came in the same week that Ukraine stunned Moscow by launching drone strikes on air bases deep inside Russia that house the heavy bomber planes that form part of its nuclear deterrent. Russia has said it will retaliate as and when its military sees fit.
