Iran's Revolutionary Guards deny reports of drone attack in Tabriz
TEHRAN: Iran's Revolutionary Guards denied earlier reports on Tuesday that there was a drone attack in the northwestern city of Tabriz, three Iranian news sites reported.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian media said air defenses were activated in the area amid a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
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Pakistan says Trump still deserves Nobel for halting India clash, Iran-Israel fighting
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday defended Islamabad's decision to recommend United States President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in brokering two ceasefires in under two months. The government last week announced it would formally nominate Trump for what it called his 'decisive diplomatic intervention' during last month's military standoff with India, a brief but intense escalation in which the nuclear-armed rivals exchanged missile, drone and artillery strikes before the US brokered a truce on May 10. The standoff, which killed nearly 70 people on both sides, renewed fears of a wider conflict between Pakistan and India, who have fought three full-scale wars, mostly over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Indian officials have denied that Trump played any role in securing the May 10 ceasefire, but Pakistan insists his behind-the-scenes push was key to defusing the crisis. The nomination, however, has sparked public criticism after Trump last week launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in retaliation for attacks on Israeli targets. The region narrowly avoided further escalation when Washington subsequently said it had brokered a ceasefire between Iran and Israel on Monday, ending nearly two weeks of missile and drone attacks that killed over 200 Iranians and about 30 Israelis. 'I believe that within just a month and a half, President Trump has managed two ceasefires,' Asif told Independent Urdu in an interview. 'So, our endorsement for his Nobel Prize, it's not just about one but two ceasefires that has further strengthened our case for it.' Asif also credited Trump for preventing a wider regional war in the Middle East and urged him to build on the momentum by reviving efforts for a two-state solution in Palestine. 'And I would take it a step further that President Trump should now work toward a two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state,' he said. While reports of violations continued to emerge after the Iran-Israel ceasefire was announced, the truce has largely held under heavy US pressure. Trump, who campaigned on pledges to act as a 'peacemaker' and quickly resolve conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza — both still ongoing five months into his presidency — has called the Iran-Israel truce a personal diplomatic triumph. Trump has also claimed credit for mediating a deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda to defuse tensions over rebel groups operating near their border. He has also previously offered to mediate the decades-old Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan and has sought to portray himself as a mediator in the long-running Serbia-Kosovo conflict.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Israel claims victory as US intel says Iran nuclear sites not destroyed
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a 'historic victory' against Iran despite a US intelligence report concluding that American strikes set back Tehran's nuclear program by just a few months. Iran and Israel agreed a ceasefire on Tuesday ending 12 days of tit-for-tat strikes, after US President Donald Trump joined the conflict with bunker-busting bombs at the weekend that he said destroyed key Iranian nuclear sites. A classified preliminary US intelligence report however, concluded that American strikes on Iran set back its nuclear program by just a few months. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the authenticity of the assessment but said it was 'flat-out wrong.' In an address to the nation after the ceasefire announcement, Netanyahu said 'Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.' 'We have thwarted Iran's nuclear project,' he said. 'And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity, to foil any attempt.' Israel had said its bombing campaign, which began on June 13, was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran has consistently denied. Israel's military said that its strikes had set back Iran's nuclear program 'by years.' After Trump angrily berated both sides for early violations of the truce on Tuesday, Tehran announced it would respect the terms of the deal if Israel did the same, while Israel said it had refrained from further strikes. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was willing to return to negotiations over its nuclear program, but that his country would continue to 'assert its legitimate rights' to the peaceful use of atomic energy. US media on Tuesday cited people familiar with the Defense Intelligence Agency findings as saying the American strikes did not fully eliminate Iran's centrifuges or stockpile of enriched uranium. The strikes sealed off entrances to some facilities without destroying underground buildings, according to the report. White House Press Secretary Leavitt responded on social media: 'The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran's nuclear program.' While Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war for decades, their 12-day conflict was by far the most destructive confrontation between them. Israeli strikes hit nuclear and military targets — killing scientists and senior military figures — as well as residential areas, prompting waves of Iranian missile fire on Israel. The war culminated in US strikes on underground Iranian nuclear sites using bunker-busting bombs — which Israel lacks — followed by an Iranian reprisal targeting the largest US military facility in the Middle East. Trump shrugged off that response as 'weak,' thanking Tehran for giving advance notice and announcing the contours of the ceasefire just hours later. Some Israelis welcomed the prospect of a truce. 'Everyone is tired. We just want to have some peace of mind,' said Tel Aviv resident Tammy Shel. 'For us, for the Iranian people, for the Palestinians, for everyone in the region.' In Iran, people remained uncertain whether the peace would hold. Amir, 28, fled from Tehran to the Caspian Sea coast and told AFP by phone, 'I really don't know... about the ceasefire but honestly, I don't think things will return to normal.' Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 610 civilians and wounded more than 4,700, according to the health ministry. c, according to official figures and rescuers. The international community reacted with cautious optimism to the truce. Saudi Arabia and the European Union welcomed Trump's announcement, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia hoped 'that this will be a sustainable ceasefire.' But French President Emmanuel Macron warned there was an 'increased' risk that Iran would attempt to enrich uranium secretly following the strikes on its nuclear sites. After the truce was announced, Israel's military chief Eyal Zamir said Israel's focus would now shift back to Gaza. The Israeli opposition, the Palestinian Authority and the main group representing the families of Israeli hostages all called for a Gaza truce to complement the Iran ceasefire.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Beijing, a longtime friend of Tehran, turns to cautious diplomacy in Iran's war with Israel
BEIJING: When Israel attacked Iran nearly two weeks ago, the Chinese government, a longtime friend of Iran, jumped into action — at least, when it came to words. It condemned the attacks. Its leader, Xi Jinping, got on the phone with the Russian leader and urged a ceasefire. Its foreign minister spoke with his counterpart in Iran. But that's where China stopped. The usual rhetoric was delivered. De-escalation and dialogue were trumpeted. Yet China offered no material support. Despite Beijing's clout as a near-peer rival to the United States and its ambition to play a bigger role on the world stage, Beijing refrained from offering military support to Iran, let alone getting directly involved in the conflict. The decision underscored the limitations it faces in the Middle East. 'Beijing lacks both the diplomatic capabilities and the risk appetite to quickly intervene in, and to think it can successfully navigate, this fast-moving and volatile situation,' said Jude Blanchette, director of the China Research Center at RAND. Given the tangled politics of the Middle East, where China holds substantial economic and energy stakes yet wields minimal military influence, Beijing 'isn't inclined to stick its neck out,' Blanchette added. Instead, the Chinese government opts to remain 'a measured, risk‑averse actor.' China weighs commercial interests Zhu Feng, dean of the School of International Relations at Nanjing University in eastern China, said volatility in the Middle East is not in China's interests. 'From China's point of view, the Israel-Iran conflicts challenge and impact China's business interests and economic security,' Zhu said. 'This is something China absolutely does not want to see.' After the Iranian parliament floated a plan to shut down the strategically located Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, China spoke against it. 'China calls on the international community to step up efforts to de-escalate conflicts and prevent regional turmoil from having a greater impact on global economic development,' said Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry. On Tuesday, following the ceasefire announcement, US President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post: 'China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran,' suggesting the ceasefire would prevent the disruption of Iranian oil production. A 2024 report by the US Energy Information Administration contained estimates suggesting that roughly 80 percent to 90 percent of the oil exported by Iran went to China. The Chinese economy could struggle to preserve its industrial production without the roughly 1.2 million barrels of oil and other fossil fuels provided by Iran. Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the Washington-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, summed up Beijing's responses as 'steady oil buys and ritual calls for 'dialogue'.' 'That's about it,' Singleton said. 'No drones or missile parts, no emergency credit line. Just words calibrated to placate Tehran without rattling Riyadh or inviting US sanctions.' Beijing's muted responses also expose the gap between China's great-power rhetoric and its real reach in the region. Said Singleton: 'China's Gulf footprint is commercial, not combat-ready. When missiles fly, its much-touted strategic partnership with Iran shrinks to statements. Beijing wants discounted Iranian oil and a 'peace-broker' headline, while letting Washington shoulder the hard-power risks.' In statements, China sides with Iran and pledges to mediate At the United Nations, China, a permanent member of the Security Council, teamed up with Russia and Pakistan in putting forward a draft resolution condemning 'in the strongest terms' the attacks against peaceful nuclear sites and facilities in Iran. They called for 'an immediate and unconditional ceasefire' even though the United States, another permanent member on the council, is almost certain to veto the proposal. Shortly after Israel attacked Iran, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, and told him that 'China explicitly condemned Israel's violation of Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.' Wang, using common diplomatic language, said China was 'ready to maintain communication with Iran and other relevant parties to continue playing a constructive role in de-escalating the situation.' Wang later spoke with foreign ministers of Oman and Egypt; both nations are key mediators in the region. And late last week, before the US got involved militarily, Xi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin; the two agreed to stay in closer contact over Iran and work toward de-escalation. But China stayed away from any direct involvement, and Russia also had muted responses to the Israel-Iran conflict. Iran is an important link in Xi's ambitious global project Belt and Road Initiative, and in 2023 joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a security group by Russia and China to counter the US-led NATO. It has conducted joint exercises with China, including this year's 'Maritime Security Belt 2025' in the Gulf of Oman, in which Russia also took part. On Wednesday, Beijing will convene a meeting of defense ministers of SCO member nations. As important as Iran is to China, it is only part of Beijing's calculus, according to an analysis by the Soufan Center, a New York-based organization that focuses on global security challenges. In an intel brief, the center said the conflict has revealed that Beijing's support for its partners, especially those in confrontation with the United States, 'is limited by a complex matrix of interests, including its desire to avoid alienating major economic partners and escalating tensions with the West.'
