Does the BBC doubt Iran wanted a nuke?
I don't monitor this stuff all the time. It would be soul destroying. All that happens is that I tune in, often by accident, and here something. Something which once again betrays the long term, institutional, anti-Israel bias of the BBC.
So, Friday night's television news and the Middle East Correspondent Lucy Williamson. Reporting on the Israeli rocket attack upon Iran's nuclear bases, Lucy told us that Israel 'says' Iran is working towards a nuclear bomb. Attribution, you see. Let us hear what the International Atomic Energy Agency had to say in its report on 9 June this year. 'As you know, the Agency found man-made uranium particles at each of three undeclared locations in Iran – at Varamin, Marivan and Turquzabad – at which we conducted complementary access in 2019 and 2020. Since then, we have been seeking explanations and clarifications from Iran for the presence of these uranium particles, including through a number of high-level meetings and consultations in which I have been personally involved.' And later in that report: 'The rapid accumulation of highly enriched uranium – as detailed in my other report before you: Verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of United Nations Security Council resolution 2231 (2015) – is of serious concern and adds to the complexity of the issues I have described. Given the potential proliferation implications, the Agency cannot ignore the stockpiling of over 400 kg of highly enriched uranium.'
The IAEA believes Iran is working towards a bomb. So do the governments of virtually every other country on earth. Israel says?
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Daily Mail
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Caitlyn Jenner flees Israel amid Iran missile attacks and praises President Trump: 'Bye bye terrorists'
Caitlyn Jenner fled Israel Saturday amid ongoing missile attacks from Iran. The Olympic gold medalist, 75, departed the area, after sharing snippets of her trip via social media, according to the Times of Israel. The Mount Kisco, New York-born celebrity said on X Saturday: 'What an incredible way it has been to celebrate Shabbat. 'I am here in Israel, in Tel Aviv with you all. I am a friend, advocate, ally, and thank you to the Israeli people for making me family. We will prevail and liberate the poor Iranian people held hostage by terrorist thugs!' She added: 'The leadership by @IsraeliPM Bibi, and Israel's closest ally President @realDonaldTrump will not allow this reckless violence towards so many continue. Israeli jets overhead in Iran now. (Bye bye terrorists). 'We will liberate Irans citizens Thank you to all allies! PEACE FOR ALL!' Jenner and conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings appeared in good spirits as they shared snaps from inside an Israeli bomb shelter and hotel, seeking refuge while bombs rained down in Tel Aviv. A group of Americans visiting Israel - including the former Olympian and conservative commentator - were prevented from leaving the country on Friday, as the military strike against Iran and the ensuing retaliatory effort locked down the nation's airports. Jennings, 47, was on his first ever trip to the region, visiting major cities such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, as well as kibbutz Nir Oz - the site of the Nova music festival massacre on October 7, 2023, according to Hollywood Reporter. But on Friday, Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel in revenge for strikes on its nuclear sites, prompting a state of emergency and the forced closure of airports amid the escalation. The next day, as Jennings prepped for a remote CNN interview from his hotel, he received the first emergency alert on his phone. 'I stood out on the balcony in my hotel and watched,' he told the Hollywood Reporter. 'In fact, I'm looking at a military jet fly overhead right now.' 'Airspace is closed, airports are closed,' he added. 'The thing we know the least about is how are we going to get out of here.' The Israeli military subsequently warned citizens to take cover in bomb shelters on Friday evening, noting that 'dozens' of Iranian ballistic missiles were en route to Israel. Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles over Tel Aviv, Israel, after Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at the region in revenge for strikes on its nuclear sites on Thursday evening Hours later, Jennings posted a video to X, capturing the view outside his window: missiles streaking through an orange-hued sky as air raid sirens blared in the background. During the video, Jennings counted three missiles that appeared to be intercepted in midair. 'Air raid sirens in Tiberias, Israel just after 5am,' he captioned the post. 'Missiles visible in the sky. Incoming from Iran.' Jenner, 75, traveled to Tel Aviv last week to headline Friday's Pride parade, and posted photos of herself in some of the region's most iconic spots - including Jerusalem's Western Wall - just before the unrest began. In her posts, she expressed support for the country. 'I am excited to share that I will be in Israel this week,' she wrote 'I'm visiting the resilient people of Israel as the nation continues to recover and restore its place in the Middle East. Stay tuned!' 'My heart is here, with the beautiful people, in Israel,' she wrote on another post. But the night before the parade, Israel carried out its military strike against Iran, prompting organizers to cancel the parade out of safety concerns. Similar to Jennings, the former reality TV star ended up stranded in the country as the airports shut down, Daily Mail exclusively revealed. As ballistic missiles soared through the sky during the counterstrike, Jenner assured loved ones that she is taking every precaution to be safe, including seeking shelter. 'Please pray,' the 75-year-old texted one family member from a secure area. 'I'm holding up okay.' When asked if the bombs were loud, Jenner merely responded, 'Yes.' The family member told the Daily Mail that Jenner had phone service throughout the first wave of the attack and handed situation calmly. On Friday afternoon, Regev Gur - an Israeli influencer - shared a photo to X alongside the former gold medalist as they took shelter together. 'What were you doing with the alarms?' he captioned the post. 'Because I'm drinking wine with Caitlyn.' 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As missiles rained down on Tel Aviv for hours, he called on Iranians to 'rise up' and overthrow Tehran's 'evil and oppressive regime' as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate. A second wave of Iranian missiles also targeted Jerusalem early on Saturday morning, according to Israel's military - with witnesses reporting explosions over the ancient city. Defense Minister Israel Katz chillingly warned that 'Tehran will burn' if more missiles are fired at Israel. Katz said: 'The Iranian dictator is turning the citizens of Iran into hostages and bringing about a reality in which they - especially the residents of Tehran - will pay a heavy price because of the criminal harm to Israeli civilians. 'If (Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles toward the Israeli home front - Tehran will burn.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
PETER VAN ONSELEN: Penny Wong somehow drags Australia into the middle of the Israel-Iran crisis handing Islamic Republic a propaganda coup
The Middle East is teetering on the edge of full-scale regional war - thank god we've got Penny Wong to sort it all out! The Foreign Minister decided the best use of her time was to ring up her Iranian counterpart to offer… well, it's still not exactly clear what: Guidance? Condemnation? Sympathy? Wong claims she was calling to encourage de-escalation: to 'return to diplomacy and dialogue'. Iran, however, immediately issued a statement framing her comments to them as critical of Israel: 'The Australian foreign minister voiced deep regret and serious concern over the escalation of tensions in the region', the Iranian statement said. 'Wong stressed that such developments risk further regional destabilisation. She also urged all sides to refrain from actions that risk escalating tensions.' Israel's ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, then used social media to criticise calls for diplomacy: 'Iran isn't hiding its intent, it declares it. And it's building the weapons to fulfil it. Through its pursuit of nuclear arms, Iran has turned this into an asymmetric conflict, between a democracy seeking to defend itself and a regime bent on destruction.' While the Israeli ambassador didn't name Wong specifically, his criticism was hardly veiled. Wong's call, regardless of her intentions, handed Tehran a propaganda coup and upset Israel. Iran spun her intervention in their favour - and why wouldn't they? When the foreign minister of a liberal democracy calls up the foreign minister of a brutal undemocratic regime and doesn't condemn them outright, of course they take the win and run with it. Wong says that certainly wasn't her intention, pushback which has been echoed by Cabinet colleagues such as Amanda Rishworth who was forced to try and clean up Wong's mess on morning television today. Good intentions (if that's what they really were) don't matter here, outcomes do. And the outcome from Wong's foolhardy intervention backfired. Whatever she hoped to achieve, she ended up muddying Australia's position, fuelling a narrative that plays straight into Iran's hands. She also managed to alienate key allies in the process. For its part Israel is incensed by Wong's actions. This is not foreign policy, it's diplomatic freelancing dressed up as relevance. No one in Tehran is picking up the phone to Penny Wong and genuinely seeking the Australian foreign minister's advice. So why would they care what she has to say when she proactively puts a call through? Just because Julie Bishop previously engaged with the Iranians in less hostile times doesn't greenlight Wong's intervention here. There's a broader problem here too. Australia can't credibly claim to be a neutral broker in this conflict, and nor should it try to be one. Labor's recent criticisms of Israel followed up with a call to Tehran now look that little bit more anathema to our role as a defender of western liberal democracy. We're a middle power with strong ties to the West, that's just a fact, and it includes strong historical ties to Israel. Labor has already pushed the boundaries in that respect with its criticisms of Israel in relation to Palestine. Wong has managed to make Donald Trump appear positively competent by way of comparison. The cost of being taken advantage of like this is reputational. So what happens now? There's no obvious next step for Australia. We're not a power broker in the Middle East, we never have been. We're not on the UN Security Council either. We don't even have much sway over the parties involved. If the goal was to be seen doing something Wong has succeeded, just not in the way she had hoped. This was a masterclass in the art of bumbling your way into the middle of a crisis you have no capacity to resolve. It's the kind of misguided stunt that achieves precisely nothing, except perhaps to confirm that even when we don't need to be involved, Wong can still find a way to get in over her head.
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Israel-Iran conflict set to dominate as world leaders gather for G7
Sir Keir Starmer said that the G7 meeting in Alberta would provide an opportunity for allies to make the case for de-escalation in the 'fast moving' situation in the Middle East, with Donald Trump among those set to attend. Leaders have been urging calm in recent days since Israel first launched strikes against Iran before the weekend, with Sir Keir having held calls with Mr Trump, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz among others. Israel and Iran continued to exchange fire on Sunday, as the Iranian health ministry said that 224 people have been killed since the conflict ignited on Friday. Israel's attacks have killed a number of Tehran's top generals, as the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which controls Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles, said intelligence chief General Mohammad Kazemi and two other generals were the latest killed. The UK Government updated its travel guidance to advise against all travel to Israel on Sunday amid the continuing blows. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office website warns that 'travel insurance could be invalidated' if people travel against the advice, and described the current status as a 'fast-moving situation that poses significant risks'. Asked about reports that ministers have drawn up contingency plans to evacuate British nationals from Israel, a Number 10 spokesman said on Sunday: 'We always monitor the situation closely and we keep contingency plans, as you'd expect, under constant review.' The Associated Press reported on Sunday that Mr Trump in recent days vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mr Trump said on Sunday that 'Iran and Israel should make a deal'. 'We will have peace soon between Israel and Iran,' he posted on his TruthSocial platform. 'Many calls and meetings now taking place.' He also told ABC News that 'it's possible we could get involved' in the conflict. A planned sixth round of talks between the US and Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme did not take place on Sunday. 'We remain committed to talks and hope the Iranians will come to the table soon,' a senior US official said. The UK has been calling for de-escalation, and Sir Keir confirmed on Saturday that more RAF jets would be sent to the region for 'contingency support'. Earlier on Sunday, Rachel Reeves said that the decision to send the planes ' does not mean that we are at war'. 'We do have important assets in the region and it is right that we send jets to protect them and that's what we've done. 'It's a precautionary move,' she told Sky News. Oil prices surged surged on Friday after Israel's initial strikes against Iran's nuclear programme, sparking fears of increasing prices in the UK. The Chancellor told the BBC that there is 'no complacency' from the Treasury on the issue and 'we're obviously, monitoring this very closely as a government'. An Iranian health ministry spokesman said on social media that as well as the 224 fatalities, 1,277 other people were admitted to hospital. He asserted that more than 90% of the casualties were civilians.
