logo
Israel tightens civil defence measures after US strikes on Iran

Israel tightens civil defence measures after US strikes on Iran

Al Etihad5 hours ago

22 June 2025 07:00
Tel Aviv (dpa)Israel has tightened civil defence restrictions nationwide following US airstrikes on nuclear facilities in Iran, the Israeli military announced on Sunday.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that only essential activities would be allowed across the country, in accordance with new directives approved by Defence Minister Israel Katz. The decision came after a fresh security assessment."It was determined that as of today (Sunday), at 03:45am [0045 GMT], immediate changes will be made to the Home Front Command instructions. As part of the changes, it was decided to shift all areas of the country from Partial and Limited Activity to Essential Activity," the IDF said in a post on Telegram."The instructions include: a prohibition on educational activities, gatherings, and workplaces, except for essential sectors."
The announcement came shortly after President Donald Trump said that US aircraft had attacked three nuclear sites in Iran, including Natanz, Esfahan and the Fordow uranium enrichment facility.
Israel-Iran Conflict
Continue full coverage

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UAE evacuates citizens and residents from Iran amid rising tensions
UAE evacuates citizens and residents from Iran amid rising tensions

Gulf Business

time34 minutes ago

  • Gulf Business

UAE evacuates citizens and residents from Iran amid rising tensions

Image courtesy: WAM The UAE has evacuated a number of its nationals and residents from Iran, according to the UAE's state news agency, WAM, as regional tensions continue to rise. The evacuations were carried out in coordination with Iranian authorities, reflecting what WAM described as the UAE's 'unwavering commitment to the safety of its nationals and residents' and its ability to respond swiftly to emergencies. The UAE has successfully executed evacuation operations, which were coordinated and facilitated by the Iranian side, to ensure their safe return home, the report stated. The announcement comes amid heightened instability in the region following a recent escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran, which has prompted widespread airspace closures and flight suspensions across the UAE focused on fostering peace and stability In addition to the evacuation, the UAE has intensified diplomatic engagement with regional and international partners to help de-escalate tensions. The UAE is conducting 'intensive calls and diplomatic consultations' rooted in its belief in diplomacy and dialogue as the only sustainable path toward peace. The UAE's efforts, the report noted, are part of its broader foreign policy vision of 'fostering stability, justice, and prosperity for the peoples of the region'.

Israel-US attack on Iran: The price of Netanyahu's forever wars
Israel-US attack on Iran: The price of Netanyahu's forever wars

Middle East Eye

time37 minutes ago

  • Middle East Eye

Israel-US attack on Iran: The price of Netanyahu's forever wars

Israel's decision to attack Iran cannot be interpreted through any rational lens. It directly contradicts Israel's longstanding military doctrine, which was built on short, decisive operations aimed at securing tangible strategic goals - a doctrine rooted in Israel's inherent geographic, economic and demographic vulnerabilities. What we are witnessing now is a fundamental shift: the abandonment of strategic realism in favour of a theology-driven war without end. The transformation is stark. Israel is evolving from a western-backed colonial project seeking international legitimacy, into a messianic colonial enterprise that thrives on perpetual war. The growing use of religious rhetoric and the enlistment of God into the logic of war underscore this systemic change. On Sunday, Washington joined Israel's war on Iran as it carried out attacks on Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Donald Trump described the strikes as 'very successful'. Iranian officials confirmed that parts of nuclear sites were struck, including Fordow, the secretive Iranian nuclear enrichment facility buried half a kilometre under a mountain near the city of Qom. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised what he called a "bold decision" by Trump to bomb Iran's nuclear sites, saying it would "change history." Following the US strikes, Netanyahu now faces a profound internal challenge. His secular opposition, who once backed his military ventures, are questioning why they must sacrifice their quality of life for the sake of endless conflict. At the same time, Netanyahu is eroding the democratic space for the Jewish public in order to maintain the momentum of his militarised agenda. The internal front, not Iran, may become his toughest battlefield. One of the most bizarre but telling decisions has been the imposed restrictions of Israeli citizens' freedom of movement, including the closure of Ben Gurion Airport for outbound travel, coupled with a warning from the National Security Council discouraging reentry via Jordan or Egypt. Although flights still depart from Israel, they are largely reserved for tourists and foreign residents, while citizens are effectively trapped. This move has an unmistakable internal political logic: it disproportionately impacts middle-class opposition voters who can afford long-term travel abroad, while Likud's working-class base, largely from the periphery, remains unaffected. Moving money Meanwhile, since the outbreak of the war on Gaza - and even earlier, during Israel's judicial overhaul - many Israelis have opted to move money overseas, with a financial services firm reporting in March a 50 percent increase in the number of Israelis seeking to exchange and transfer money overseas. Since October 2023, there has reportedly been a seven-fold rise in money transfers from Israel to other countries, with around $5.6bn moved out of the country that year alone. For Netanyahu, these financial shifts must be alarming. For years, he has championed the idea that Israel could only maintain its highly equipped military through a strong economy. Yet his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners contribute little in this regard, while his messianic allies push for more wars and territorial expansion. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Ironically, the segments of society that sustain the Israeli economy are the ones most opposed to Netanyahu's government. But they have not opposed his wars: rather, they continue to support Israel's military actions, while attempting to preserve a western standard of living. Their inability - or refusal - to critically examine the Zionist ethos that taught them the world is inherently antisemitic, and that they must live by the sword, has allowed Netanyahu and his allies to exploit their economic power. In doing so, they've helped accelerate Israel's descent into a messianic state, emboldening racist policies and a Jewish supremacist ideology. This is Netanyahu's vision for Israel: an ethno-religious, free-market state in permanent conflict with its neighbours, sowing destruction wherever it extends its reach This dynamic is now visible amid the conflict with Iran, with multiple documented cases where Jewish Israelis have denied Palestinian citizens - and even foreign workers - access to bomb shelters during missile attacks. This is Netanyahu's vision for Israel: an ethno-religious, free-market state in permanent conflict with its neighbours, sowing destruction wherever it extends its reach, while actively destabilising the surrounding region. Ironically, this echoes Israel's critiques of Iran. Those Israelis who do understand the consequences of this war are already feeling them. The financial impacts range from damage to private property, to the broader repercussions of shutting down Israel's civilian economy and transitioning to an emergency economy, in which only essential businesses and institutions continue to operate. On one hand, this creates economic uncertainty and mounting concern; on the other, it is happening under psychological pressure and a genuine fear of Iranian missile attacks. Temporary stability Although the Israeli economy continues to show resilience, Israeli analysts are warning that this stability is temporary. If Israel does not return to its doctrine of short, decisive wars, its financial resources will be depleted, and the economy will suffer long-term damage. While the number of Iranian missiles that have successfully struck Israeli territory is relatively small, each impact brings serious consequences, rendering entire residential blocks uninhabitable. In the Israeli context, where the real-estate market is among the most expensive in the world, even limited damage carries outsized economic implications. On a personal level, I can attest to a real and unfamiliar fear of Iranian missiles - a fear that neither Palestinian citizens of Israel nor Jewish Israelis have experienced before. It is producing widespread panic and deep concern. The Turkish public asks: After Israel's attack on Iran, are we next? Read More » Many families are now homeless, yet still saddled with mortgage debt. So when reports emerged of Israelis attempting to flee to Cyprus via private yachts, it came as no surprise. The fantasy of sipping espresso in Tel Aviv while Gaza burns has collapsed. Living in a messianic state that wages perpetual war carries psychological and financial costs, even for those who once enjoyed its benefits. There is now a widespread belief that Netanyahu will not stop with Iran. Escalations involving Pakistan or Turkey are no longer far-fetched. Israeli think-tanks are already laying the groundwork to justify future confrontations with Ankara, portraying them as inevitable. To the rational observer, this is madness. But this is the reality of Israel today: a state that has dragged the global economy into its war games, ignited regional tensions, and invoked God to justify destruction. Secular Israelis who supported Netanyahu's wars now have the privilege of planning their escape, while Palestinians continue to pay the price - not only for Israeli policy, but for the West's enduring complicity in legitimising it. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.

Gulf markets hold steady despite US entry in Israel-Iran war
Gulf markets hold steady despite US entry in Israel-Iran war

The National

time43 minutes ago

  • The National

Gulf markets hold steady despite US entry in Israel-Iran war

Gulf stock markets held steady on Sunday after the US struck three nuclear sites in Iran in overnight attacks, escalating the Israel-Iran war that threatens to disrupt energy supplies from the oil-rich region. Benchmark gauges in Doha, Kuwait advanced while stocks in Bahrain were little changed in early trade. The main index of the bourse in Muscat, however, retreated slightly. Doha's main stock measure was up 0.88 per cent at 11.05am UAE time while the main market in Kuwait advanced 1.06 per cent, while Bahrain's bourse was 0.04 per cent lower. Muscat bourse's main index slid 0.48 per cent. " GCC investor sentiment will be shaped by rising geopolitical risk following US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites," Iridium Advisor said in a note on Sunday morning. Investor attention is now centred on the risk of Iranian retaliation, particularly toward US assets, regional energy infrastructure, and maritime routes like the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, it said. "While broad financial disruption appears unlikely, markets will monitor liquidity conditions. For now, the market impact will hinge more on the nature and timing of Tehran's response than the strikes themselves." The US military bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, President Donald Trump said on Saturday night, calling the attacks a "spectacular military success". "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," he said. He also warned of the possibility of further attacks, saying there were "many targets left". "Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier." Iran retaliated on Sunday morning with about 25 missiles, authorities said. The war, which began on June 13 following air strikes by Israel on Tehran, has rattled investors. The UAE markets ended higher last week, with the Dubai Financial Market up 1.5 per cent at the close of session and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange gaining 0.95 per cent at market close. Global stocks ended last week on a mixed note, with both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq composite ending the session on Friday lower, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed slightly higher. In Europe, London's FTSE 100 closed 0.2 per cent lower, while Paris' CAC 40 gained 0.5 per cent. Frankfurt's DAX was up 1.3 per cent. In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index edged 1.3 per cent higher and Shanghai's composite was down 0.07 per cent, with Japan's Nikkei down 0.2 per cent.

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