Netanyahu: Iran's Leadership Fall Not Goal, But Possible Outcome
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Thursday that changing or toppling Iran's leadership is not Israel's primary objective. However, he acknowledged that such a change could occur as a consequence of Israel's actions. 'The matter of changing the regime or the fall of this regime is first and foremost a matter for the Iranian people. There is no substitute for this,' Netanyahu explained during an interview with Israel's Kan public television. Israel's Military Capabilities
Netanyahu emphasized Israel's capability to eliminate all of Iran's nuclear facilities, regardless of US President Donald Trump's involvement. He made these remarks just before the White House announced that Trump would decide within two weeks whether to engage in the situation. Military analysts suggest that Israel may require US military bunker-busting bombs to effectively target the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. This facility, considered the crown jewel of Iran's nuclear program, lies buried beneath a mountain near Qom. Netanyahu on US Involvement
When asked if Israel could address the Fordow facility independently or with US assistance, Netanyahu responded, 'We have the power to remove all our targets, all their nuclear facilities. However, the president's decision on whether he wants to join or not is again his decision.' He added, 'He will do what is good for the United States, and I will do what is good for the State of Israel. Up to this moment, everyone is doing their part.'
On Wednesday, Trump asserted that the United States alone possesses the capability to destroy or dismantle the Fordow facility. 'But that doesn't mean I'm going to do it – at all,' Trump stated, highlighting the complexities of the situation.
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Saudi Gazette
3 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Pro-Palestinian activists break into RAF airbase
LONDON — Pro-Palestinian activists in the UK have broken into RAF Brize Norton and sprayed two military planes with red paint in a major security breach. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the action as "disgraceful", saying that it was an "act of vandalism". Footage posted online by Palestine Action on Friday showed two people inside the Oxfordshire airbase in darkness, with one riding on a scooter up to an Airbus Voyager and spraying paint into its jet engine. The Ministry of Defense, which has also condemned the move, is now expected to conduct a review of security at UK military bases. It is working with Thames Valley Police, which is leading the investigation. Palestine Action said the activists evaded security and claimed they had put the air-to-air refuelling tankers "out of service". However, RAF engineers are assessing the damage and a defence source told the BBC they did not expect the incident to affect operations. In a statement, a Palestine Action spokesperson said: "Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US and Israeli fighter jets." RAF Brize Norton serves as the hub for UK strategic air transport and refuelling, including flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The air force has conducted reconnaissance flights over Gaza out of the Cyprus base. The base is encircled by a large perimeter fence, with security camera and sensors in the area in addition to manned security checkpoints. Patrols around the base are also carried out from time to time. But a defense source said these measures would not have been able to provide complete cover around the large airbase. Palestine Action has engaged in similar activity since the start of the current war in Gaza, predominantly targeting arms companies. In May, it claimed responsibility for the daubing of a US military plane in Ireland. The group said the activists who entered RAF Brize Norton used repurposed fire extinguishers to spray red paint into the planes' engines. It also said they caused "further damage" using crowbars — though this is not visible in the bodycam footage it provided. Video shows the activists then roaming around the airbase. The protesters did not spray paint on the Vespina aircraft - used by the prime minister for international travel - which was also on the base. An MoD spokeswoman said: "Our armed forces represent the very best of Britain. They put their lives on the line for us, and their display of duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice are an inspiration to us all. "It is our responsibility to support those who defend us." Thames Valley Police confirmed it had received a report about people gaining access to the base and causing criminal damage. "Inquiries are ongoing to locate and arrest those responsible," the force said. Lord West, Labour minister for UK security and former head of the Royal Navy, said earlier that while he was not aware of the full details, the break-in was "extremely worrying". "We can't allow thing like this to happen at all," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, adding that breaches like it were "really a problem" for national security. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the security breach was "deeply concerning". "This is not lawful protest, it is politically motivated criminality," she said in a statement. "We must stop tolerating terrorist or extremist groups that seek to undermine our society." Shadow armed forces minister Mark Francois told the BBC any attempt to interfere with the engines of large aircraft was "totally reprehensible". He added there were "serious questions for the MoD to answer" about how protesters were able to "gain access to what is supposed to be a secure RAF airbase". — BBC
Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Europe to give Iran message that US open to direct talks
European foreign ministers will tell their Iranian counterpart on Friday that the US is open to direct talks even as it considers joining Israeli strikes intended to smash Tehran's nuclear capacity, diplomats said before a meeting in Geneva. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will be told that Iran must send a 'clear signal,' two diplomats told Reuters, with pressure mounting on Tehran to agree tough curbs on its nuclear program to prevent the potential development of an atomic weapon. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to several Western counterparts prior to the Geneva meeting, the diplomats said, indicating readiness to engage directly with Tehran. Washington did not confirm that though broadcaster CNN quoted a US official saying President Donald Trump supported diplomacy from allies that could bring Iran closer to a deal. Tehran, however, has repeatedly said it will not talk to the Trump government until Israeli attacks end. The ministers from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, plus the European Union's foreign policy chief, were meeting separately prior to planned face-to-face talks with Araghchi. 'The Iranians can't sit down with the Americans whereas we can,' said a European diplomat. 'We will tell them to come back to the table to discuss the nuclear issue before the worst-case scenario, while raising our concerns over its ballistic missiles, support to Russia and detention of our citizens.' The talks were due for mid-afternoon in Geneva, where an initial accord between Iran and world powers to curb its nuclear program in return for sanctions lifting was struck in 2013 before a comprehensive deal in 2015. Separate talks between Iran and the US collapsed when Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic capabilities on June 12. 'There is no room for negotiations with the US until Israeli aggression stops,' Araghchi was quoted as saying on Iranian state TV on Friday. Signal sought The E3 have in past talks with Iran suggested it keep some uranium enrichment but accept extremely strict international inspections of its nuclear activities. Trump has demanded zero enrichment and French President Emmanuel Macron appeared to echo that call on Friday, saying any new deal needed to go towards zero enrichment for Iran. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke to Rubio on Thursday night, during which Rubio said Washington was ready for direct contact with the Iranians any time, according to a French diplomatic source. The main message Europeans will pass to Araghchi is that the US has signaled readiness for direct talks, but that Iran must give a serious signal, the two European diplomats said, without defining what the signal should be. Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has spoken to Araghchi several times since last week, sources say. While diplomats did not expect a breakthrough in Geneva, they said it was vital to engage with Iran because once the war stopped the nuclear issue would remain unresolved given that Tehran would still retain the scientific know-how. 'Even now, if they have something to say, we will listen,' Araghchi said of the Europeans. 'We are not ashamed of defending our nation's rights and we are not avoiding anyone.' German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said European powers had always been ready to talk provided Iran committed to not developing nuclear weapons. 'Now it's Iran's move,' he said. Trump has said he will decide within two weeks whether to join Israeli strikes. 'A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution,' said British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
The success of a key NATO summit is in doubt after Spain rejects a big hike in defense spending
The success of a key NATO summit hung in the balance on Friday after Spain announced that it cannot raise the billions of dollars needed to meet a new defense investment pledge demanded by US President Donald Trump. Trump and his NATO counterparts are meeting for two days in the Netherlands starting next Tuesday. He insists that US allies should commit to spending at least 5 percent of gross domestic product, but that requires investment at an unprecedented scale. Trump has cast doubt over whether the US would defend allies that spend too little. Setting the spending goal would be a historic decision. It would see all 32 countries invest the same amount in defense for the first time. Only last week NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte expressed confidence that they would endorse it. But in a letter to Rutte on Thursday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote that committing to a 5 percent target would not only be unreasonable but also counterproductive. 'It would move Spain away from optimal spending and it would hinder the (European Union's) ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defense ecosystem,' Sánchez wrote in the letter seen by The Associated Press. Spain is not entirely alone. Belgium, Canada, France, and Italy would also struggle to hike security spending by billions of dollars, but Spain is the only country to officially announce its intentions, making it hard to row back from such a public decision. Beyond his economic challenges, Sánchez has other problems. He relies on small parties to govern, and corruption scandals have ensnared his inner circle and family members. He's under growing pressure to call an early election. In response to the letter, Rutte's office said only that 'discussions among allies on a new defense investment plan are ongoing.' NATO's top civilian official had been due to table a new proposal on Friday to try to break the deadlock. The US and French envoys had also been due to update reporters about the latest developments ahead of the summit but postponed their briefings. Rutte and many European allies are desperate to resolve the problem by Tuesday so that Trump does not derail the summit as he did during his first term at NATO headquarters in 2018. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO allies agreed that 2 percent of GDP should be the minimum they spend on their military budgets. But NATO's new plans for defending its own territory against outside attack require investment of at least 3 percent. Spain agreed to those plans in 2023. The 5 percent goal is made up of two parts. The allies would agree to hike pure defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP. A further 1.5 percent would go to upgrade roads, bridges, ports, and airfields so that armies can better deploy and to prepare societies for future attacks. Mathematically, 3.5 plus 1.5 equals Trump's 5 percent. But a lot is hiding behind the figures, and details of what kinds of things can be included remain cloudy. Countries closest to Russia–Belarus and Ukraine–have all agreed to the target, as well as nearby Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands, which is hosting the June 24–25 summit. The Netherlands estimates that NATO's defense plans would force it to dedicate at least 3.5 percent to core defense spending. That means finding an additional 16 billion to 19 billion euros (18 billion to 22 billion). Supplying arms and ammunition to Ukraine, which Spain does, will also be included as core defense spending. NATO estimates that the US spent around 3.2 percent of GDP on defense last year. The additional 1.5 percent spending basket is murkier. Rutte and many members argue that infrastructure used to deploy armies to the front must be included, as well as building up defense industries and preparing citizens for possible attacks. 'If a tank is not able to cross a bridge. If our societies are not prepared in case war breaks out for a whole of society approach. If we are not able to really develop the defense industrial base, then the 3.5 percent is great, but you cannot really defend yourselves,' Rutte said this month. Spain wanted climate change spending included, but that proposal was rejected. Cyber-security and counter-hybrid warfare investment should also make the cut. Yet with all the conjecture about what might be included, it's difficult to see how Rutte arrived at this 1.5 percent figure. It's not enough to agree to spend more money. Many allies haven't yet hit the 2 percent target, although most will this year, and they had a decade to get there. So an incentive is required. The date of 2032 has been floated as a deadline. That's far shorter than previous NATO targets, but military planners estimate that Russian forces could be capable of launching an attack on an ally within 5–10 years. The US insists that it cannot be an open-ended pledge and that a decade is too long. Still, Italy says it wants 10 years to hit the 5 percent target. Another issue is how fast spending should be ramped up. 'I have a cunning plan for that,' Rutte said. He wants the allies to submit annual plans that lay out how much they intend to increase spending by. For Europe, Russia's war on Ukraine poses an existential threat. A major rise in sabotage, cyberattacks, and GPS jamming incidents is blamed on Moscow. European leaders are girding their citizens for the possibility of more. The United States also insists that China poses a threat. But for European people to back a hike in national defense spending, their governments require acknowledgment that the Kremlin remains NATO's biggest security challenge. The billions required for security will be raised by taxes, going into debt, or shuffling money from other budgets. But it won't be easy for many, as Spain has shown. On top of that, Trump has made things economically tougher by launching a global tariff war–ostensibly for US national security reasons–something America's allies find hard to fathom.
