Netanyahu: 'Israel launched Operation Rising Lion' – DW – 06/13/2025
Anja Kueppers-McKinnon
06/13/2025
June 13, 2025
Israel has launched strikes on Iran, targeting the country's nuclear programme sites. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the attacks also targeted Iran's ballistic missile arsenal — and will continue for as long as it takes to remove the threat of Iran's nuclear programme.
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DW
31 minutes ago
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Iran vows further 'massive attacks' after strikes on Israel – DW – 06/17/2025
06/17/2025 June 17, 2025 Israeli strikes kill dozens of Palestinians near Gaza aid distribution center At least 45 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been killed and hundreds injured by Israeli forces while people were heading for an aid distribution site in Khan Younis, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry and a local hospital. Israel's army has not yet commented on the incident. Gaza civil defense spokesperson Mahmud Bassal, who gave a higher death toll of at least 47, told the AFP news agency: "Israeli drones fired at the citizens. Some minutes later, Israeli tanks fired several shells at the citizens, which led to a large number of martyrs and wounded." Eyewitnesses told Germany's dpa news agency that the Israeli army had carried out shelling as people were on their way on foot or by car to the distribution center between the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis. Mourning Palestinians carried the bodies of those killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza Image: Hatem Khaled/REUTERS The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is supported by Israel and the US, began distributing aid last month after an almost three-month-long Israeli blockade of humanitarian supplies. The foundation is meant to provide an alternative to humanitarian assistance from the UN and NGOs, which Israel claims has been misappropriated by Hamas militants in the past. Palestinians have been reported killed near the distribution centers on several occasions. UN agencies and major aid groups deny that their aid is being diverted to any significant extent and have rejected the creation of the GHF, saying the aid they provide is inadequate and that the system improperly allows Israel to control who has access to assistance.
Int'l Business Times
an hour ago
- Int'l Business Times
Iraq Treads A Tightrope To Avoid Spillover From Israel-Iran Conflict
In Iraqi airspace, Iranian missiles and drones have crossed paths with Israeli warplanes, forcing Baghdad to step up efforts to avoid being drawn into the region's latest conflict. But with Baghdad both an ally of Iran and a strategic partner of the United States, Israel's closest supporter, it may struggle to avoid the fighting spreading to its territory. "There is a sizable risk of a spillover escalation in Iraq," said political analyst Sajad Jiyad. "Iraqis have a right to be worried," he added. With warnings of all-out regional war intensifying following Israel's surprise assault on Iran last week, fears are growing over an intervention by Iran-backed Iraqi factions, which have been calling for the withdrawal of US troops deployed in Iraq as part of an anti-jihadist coalition. A senior Iraqi security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that among pro-Iran actors "everyone is cooperating with the government to keep Iraq away from conflict." But Jiyad warned that if the US supports Israel's attacks, it "may lead to pro-Iran elements inside Iraq targeting US troops" or other American interests like the embassy in Baghdad or the consulate in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region. This could lead to the US and Israel taking retaliatory actions within Iraq, Jiyad added. Iraq, which has been for years navigating a delicate balancing act between Tehran and Washington, has long been a fertile ground for proxy battles. In 2020, during US President Donald Trump's first term, Washington killed Iran's esteemed Revolutionary Guards general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Most recently, amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Iraq was on the brink of being drawn into the conflict after pro-Iran factions launched numerous attacks on US troops in the region, as well as mostly failed attacks on Israel, in support of Palestinians. Washington retaliated by hitting the armed groups. In recent days, Baghdad has been working diplomatic channels to prevent the latest violence from spreading onto its turf. It has called on Washington to prevent Israeli jets from using Iraqi airspace to carry out attacks against Iran. It also asked Iran not to strike US targets in its territory, and was promised "positive things", according to a senior Iraqi official. Israel's use of Iraq's airspace has angered pro-Iran groups, who accused US troops of allowing it. Powerful armed faction Kataeb Hezbollah stressed that Iran does not need "military support", but it said that the group is "closely monitoring" the US military in the region. It warned that if Washington intervenes in the war, the group "will act directly against its interests and bases in the region without hesitation." A US official urged the Iraqi government to "protect diplomatic missions, as well as US military personnel." "We believe Iraq will be more stable and sovereign by becoming energy independent and distancing itself from Iran's malign influence," the official told AFP, referring to Iraq's dependency on gas imports from Iran. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, warned that Iran-backed groups "continue to engage in violent and destabilising activities in Iraq." Israel's surprise attack on Iran targeted military and nuclear facilities and killed many top commanders and atomic scientists. Iran responded by unleashing barrages of missile strikes on Israel. Tamer Badawi, an expert on Iraqi armed groups, said "the more Iran struggles to sustain its firepower against Israel, the likelier it becomes that Iraqi paramilitary actors will be drawn in." For now, "Iran is trying to avoid collateral damage to its network by keeping its regional allies on standby. But this posture could shift," he added. Before launching its attack on Iran, Israel had badly hit Tehran's proxies in the region, significantly weakening some groups, including Lebanon's Hezbollah. "Beyond attacks within Iraq, Iran-backed Iraqi groups retain the capacity to target Israel from western Iraq using their missile arsenals, as they have done before," Badawi said. They might also target American interests in Jordan. But Iraqi officials say they have other plans for their country, which has only recently regained a semblance of stability after decades of devastating conflicts and turmoil. Iraq is gearing up for its legislative elections in November, which are often marked by heated political wrangling. For armed groups, elections are a crucial battleground as they strive to secure more seats in parliament. "Sometimes, the sword must be kept in the sheath, but this does not mean abandoning our weapons," a commander of an armed faction told AFP. The armed groups will not leave Iran, their "godfather.. in the battle alone." A man lifts a placard as Iraqi protesters, including clerics and tribal leaders, rally in support of Iran against the US and Israel in Iraq's Shiite holy city of Najaf AFP A man holds the Iranian flag as supporters of Iraqi pro-Iran groups demonstrate in Baghdad near the Green Zone AFP Supporters of Iraqi pro-Iran groups hold cutouts of US President Donald Trump with a shoe around the neck during a protest in support of Iran in Baghdad AFP
Local Germany
an hour ago
- Local Germany
Iranians in Germany share 'mixed feelings' on Israel offensive
In Frankfurt, Hamid Nasiri, 45, a product developer at a pharmaceutical company, said he had "mixed feelings" about the fighting, started by Israel on Friday after weeks of tensions over Iran's nuclear programme. Like many Iranians in Europe, he sees Israel's offensive as a chance to topple the Iranian leadership under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- long accused of human-rights abuses and brutally repressing dissent. "On the one hand, Israel's actions are specifically directed against the Islamic government, which is itself known for its brutal methods. That gives me a certain hope," Nasiri said. "At the same time, I naturally mourn for the people of Iran. When women, children and now scientists are killed, I find that morally very disturbing," he said. "Many are caught between hope for change and horror at what is happening right now," said an Iranian teacher based in Frankfurt who did not want to give her name. She has not been able to reach a friend living in northern Tehran since Friday. Israel on Friday launched a surprise aerial campaign targeting sites across Iran, saying the attacks aimed to prevent its enemy from acquiring atomic weapons. Iran's uranium enrichment has for decades caused tension with the West and Israel, which fear the drive is aimed at making an atomic bomb, a charge denied by Tehran. The Israeli strikes have so far killed at least 224 people, including top military commanders, nuclear scientists but also civilians, according to Iranian authorities. Advertisement Iran's retaliatory strikes on Israel have so far killed 24 people, according to Israeli authorities. In Berlin, an Iranian translator who wanted to remain anonymous said she felt "torn" over Israel's attacks. "I hope so much that this war will overthrow the mullah regime. I wish for that so much. Then all the deaths would not have been in vain," she said.
