Iran's navy launches country's first military drill since 12-day war with Israel
While such drills are routine in the Islamic Republic, the 'Sustainable Power 1404″ exercise comes as authorities in Iran are trying to project strength in the wake of a war that saw Israel destroy air defense systems and bomb nuclear facilities and other sites.
The state TV report said the frigate IRIS Sabalan and a smaller vessel, the IRIS Ganaveh, launched Nasir and Qadir cruise missiles at targets in the sea, striking them. Coastal batteries also opened fire as part of the exercise.
Iran's navy, estimated to have some 18,000 personnel, apparently avoided any major attack during the June war.
The navy, based out of the port city of Bandar Abbas, patrols the Gulf of Oman, the Indian Ocean and the Caspian Sea, and broadly leaves the Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth, the Strait of Hormuz, to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
The Guard's naval forces are known for seizures of Western vessels during the breakdown of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, as well as closely shadowing passing U.S. Navy vessels coming into the region.
Since the end of the war, Iran has increasingly insisted that it is ready to counter any future Israeli attack.
Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh said that the country has equipped its forces with new missile, in remarks reported Wednesday by the state-run IRNA news agency. 'In response to any potential enemy adventurism, our forces are prepared to use these new missiles effectively.'
Meanwhile, Iran has suspended its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been monitoring its nuclear sites as Tehran enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels amid the tensions.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the European parties to Iran's nuclear deal, have warned that if Tehran doesn't reach a 'satisfactory solution' to its dispute with the IAEA by Aug. 31, they will trigger a 'snapback' reimposition of all United Nations sanctions on it previously lifted by the accord.
While already stung by American sanctions since 2018, analysts warn that renewed U.N. sanctions could further weaken the country's ailing economy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
25 minutes ago
- New York Post
Black voters still skeptical of Mamdani, leaders blast: ‘You don't get to use African American when it's convenient for you'
An infantilizing charlatan and quack—who owes a huge apology for attempting to pass himself off as African American. That's what black leaders are calling Democrat mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani who, despite his airs of being 'the great, brown hope,' continues to flounder with demographics his entire campaign is supposed to help. Insiders say black voters are not warming up to the Democratic socialist since roundly rejecting him in June's primary. Advertisement 'He owes us an apology, for the community. How dare he?' Chantel Wright, a 59-year-old Harlem resident, bishop, and educator, told the Post in an impassioned interview. 11 New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a socialist, is struggling to win support from the black community. AP 11 Black New Yorkers remain furious and offended by Mamdani claiming to be 'African American' on his application to attend Columbia University, where his father is a professor. Lev Radin/ZUMA Press Wire / Advertisement Wright was referring to news last month that Mamdani – who is of Indian ancestry, but born in Uganda – lied on his application to Columbia University to get favored admissions treatment by claiming to be 'African American.' She, like many black New Yorkers, hasn't forgotten. 'When people use the cover of being African American—that is the most egregious, unacceptable, fraudulent, disingenuous action against our community I can even fathom. 'You don't' get to use the title of African American when it's convenient for you. 'Whose seat did he take at that university? He took another black person's seat. That could have been a first generation or second generation that was able to go to college,' Wright, a staunch supporter of Mayor Eric Adams, wonders. Advertisement 'We don't trust him.' A Marist poll found that only eight percent of black New Yorkers support Mamdani–and it doesn't seem to be improving. 11 Bishop Chantel Wright of Harlem demanded Mamdani issue an apology to the black community, calling his co-opting of black identity 'the most egregious, unacceptable, fraudulent, disingenuous action.' William Farrington 11 'Riding the bus for free might be something that looks cute to the younger generation who was raised on TikTok,' Wright says, insisting the older folks aren't buying Mamdani's snake oil. Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images Advertisement In June's Democratic primary Mamdani's big boost came from white, gentrified Brooklyn and he also led by 20 points among New Yorkers earning over $100,000 — which hardly fits with his socialist agenda and image as a supporter of blue collar workers. As the numbers suggest, the people most inspired by Mamdani's big ideas are the ones who least need a leg up. The 33-year-old candidate's central message is 'affordability,' but many New Yorkers wonder if the socialist candidate — who has rarely held a job for longer than a few months and lived with his parents almost into his 30s — really understands the needs and worldview of low-income wage-earners. 11 Mayor Eric Adams is running for re-election as an independent in a four-way race against Cuomo, Mamdani, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. James Keivom 'I can tell you unequivocally that black voters are not socialist. Period,' Darius Jones, president of the National Black Empowerment Council, an Atlanta-based nonprofit, tells the Post. 'That notion of government being the savior of our people has proven, historically, to be antithetical to our drive for self-determination, our ability to create and pass down wealth generationally.' Wright is more direct when asked about Mamdani's Mamdani's promise to lower the cost of living—which includes his plan for government run grocery stores, a rent freeze (but only for rent stabilized New Yorkers like himself), and free city buses 'Lies from the pit of Hell,' Wright shot back. 'Don't pee-pee on our leg and tell us that it's raining. Advertisement 11 Mamdani's highly energized and motivated base is primarily youths making over six figures, who've settled in western Queens and gentrified Brooklyn. Getty Images 11 Mamdani supporters have turned off black voters by preaching government dependence and lawlessness. MediaPunch / BACKGRID 'Because we know the difference. One thing our parents teach us as soon as we are cognizant is that nothing is free. You're going to pay double for it in the back end. 'So, no, riding the bus for free might be something that looks cute to the younger generation who was raised on TikTok,' she says, 'but the older folks I'm talking to are not buying it. It's a smokescreen.' Advertisement There remains a sense in the black community that the Mamdani train has left the station without their input, as one NAACP chief pointed out recently, even as Mamdani launches a (belated and lackluster) effort to get them on board. His team has now hired a fulltime staffer—Afua Atta-Mensah, a nonprofit boss who identifies herself on social media bios as a 'she/her,' 'savant,' and 'Prosecco purist'—to expand his support in traditional black strongholds like Brownsville, East Flatbush, and Crown Heights. 11 Darius Jones, president of the National Black Empowerment Council, sad Mamdani and his ilk 'infantilize' black people and jeopardize self-determination. Courtesy of Darius Jones 11 Jones believes dangerous ideas like defunding the police and legalizing prostitution are 'vanity projects' from out-of-touch elites. Courtesy of Darius Jones Advertisement Aside from Mamdani's resume chasms and college application blackface, leaders in the black community are speaking out against the socialist takeover of the Democrat party—which Democratic Socialists of America member Mamdani is now the central figurehead for. 'It's infantilizing to put out these notions that 'we want to take over the means of production,'' says Jones, of one of Mamdani's more outwardly Marxist talking points. 'People who are still espousing [government dependency] are showing how disconnected they are from black people—to think that those notions still carry favor in our community.' He points to Mamdani's advocacy to decriminalize all drugs and prostitution, as well as defunding the police, as 'particularly damaging and often punitive to black families.' Advertisement 11 Black leaders say defunding the police will increase crime, poverty, and human trafficking in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Matthew McDermott 11 Leaders say black families want safety and stability, not an 'experiment,' with some saying Eric Adams is their choice. Michael Nagle 'If you live in some of these fashionable areas of New York, notions like that might sound egalitarian, or novel. But if you're actually a grandmother living in a community with high crime, what's that going to do?' Bishop Wright concurs, telling the Post: 'New York doesn't need an experiment right now. We'd be out of our minds.' Jones believes such ideas are downright insulting. 'People underestimate the political sophistication of black people,' he says. 'Black people see this as a vanity project—idealism that comes out of faculty lounges at NYU or Columbia,' the latter of which being where Mamdani's father teaches; the family also lived close to campus in the college's subsidized housing. 'It's all great and fanciful for people who don't have real connections to black people.'
San Francisco Chronicle
25 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Fatal Florida crash fuels immigration fight between DeSantis and Newsom
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis dispatched his top deputy to California to oversee the handover of a truck driver accused of making an illegal U-turn that killed three people in Florida last week. Sending his newly appointed lieutenant governor, Jay Collins, underscores Republicans' push to crack down on illegal immigration. It also revs up a political rivalry between DeSantis and California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, both of whom aspire to higher office. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Monday that truck driver Harjinder Singh, a native of India, was in the country illegally. 'Three lives lost because of Gavin Newsom. Because of California's failed policies," Collins said Thursday at a press conference near an airport in Stockton, California. "We're done with that," Collins added, using an expletive. A spokesperson for Newsom described Collins' trip to California as a 'photo op' and criticized Florida officials for letting a 'murder suspect walk.' Collins did not elaborate on why Singh was able to fly to California after the Aug. 12 crash on Florida's Turnpike. U.S. Marshals arrested him Saturday in Stockton. Singh made the illegal turn on the highway about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of West Palm Beach, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. A minivan in the neighboring lane was unable to avoid the truck's trailer and slammed into it, killing the minivan's driver and two passengers. Singh and a passenger in his truck were not injured. Florida authorities said Singh entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2018. According to Homeland Security, Singh obtained a commercial driver's license in California, which is one of 19 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that issue licenses regardless of immigration status, according to the National Immigration Law Center. Collins said Thursday that Singh never should have been issued a driver's license, calling the move 'unacceptable.' Collins said Singh lacks basic English proficiency and did not know the road signs. Newsom's press office responded on the X platform that Singh obtained a work permit while Donald Trump was president. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin disputed that, saying the federal government denied him a permit during Trump's first term in September 2020 and granted him one in June 2021, under President Joe Biden. Singh is charged with three state counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations. The federal government has asked that he be transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after his criminal case is complete.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Appeals court throws out massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York appeals court on Thursday threw out the massive financial penalty a state judge imposed on President Donald Trump, while narrowly upholding a finding he engaged in fraud by exaggerating his wealth for decades. The ruling spares Trump from a potential half-billion-dollar fine but bans him and his two eldest sons from serving in corporate leadership for a few years. Trump, in a social media post, claimed 'total victory.' 'I greatly respect the fact that the Court had the Courage to throw out this unlawful and disgraceful Decision that was hurting Business all throughout New York State,' he wrote. The decision came seven months after the Republican returned to the White House. A sharply divided panel of five judges in New York's mid-level Appellate Division couldn't agree on many issues raised in Trump's appeal, but a majority said the monetary penalty was 'excessive.' After finding Trump flagrantly padded financial statements that went to lenders and insurers, Judge Arthur Engoron ordered him last year to pay $355 million in penalties. With interest, the sum has topped $515 million. Additional penalties levied on some other Trump Organization executives, including Trump's sons Eric and Donald Jr. — bring the total to $527 million, with interest. An 'excessive' fine 'While the injunctive relief ordered by the court is well crafted to curb defendants' business culture, the court's disgorgement order, which directs that defendants pay nearly half a billion dollars to the State of New York, is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution,' Judges Dianne T. Renwick and Peter H. Moulton wrote in one of three opinions shaping the appeals court's ruling. Engoron's other punishments, upheld by the appeals court, have been on pause during Trump's appeal, and the president was able to hold off collection of the money by posting a $175 million bond. The court, which split on the merits of the lawsuit and Engoron's fraud finding, dismissed the penalty in its entirety while also leaving a pathway for an appeal to the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals. Trump and his co-defendants, the judges wrote, can seek to extend the pause on any punishments taking effect. The panel was sharply divided, issuing 323 pages of concurring and dissenting opinions with no majority. Rather, some judges endorsed parts of their colleagues' findings while denouncing others, enabling the court to rule. Two judges wrote that they felt New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit against Trump and his companies was justifiable and that she had proven her case but the penalty was too severe. One wrote that James exceeded her legal authority in bringing the suit, saying that if any of Trump's lenders felt cheated, they could have sued him themselves, and none did. One judge wrote that Engoron erred by ruling before the trial began that the attorney general had proved Trump engaged in fraud. In his portion of the ruling, Judge David Friedman, who was appointed to the court by Republican Gov. George Pataki, was scathing in his criticism of James for bringing the lawsuit. 'Plainly, her ultimate goal was not 'market hygiene' ... but political hygiene, ending with the derailment of President Trump's political career and the destruction of his real estate business," Friedman wrote. "The voters have obviously rendered a verdict on his political career. This bench today unanimously derails the effort to destroy his business.' In a statement, James focused on the part of the case that went her way, saying the court had 'affirmed the well-supported finding of the trial court: Donald Trump, his company, and two of his children are liable for fraud.' 'It should not be lost to history: yet another court has ruled that the president violated the law, and that our case has merit,' James said. The appeals court, the Appellate Division of the state's trial court, took an unusually long time to rule, weighing Trump's appeal for nearly 11 months after oral arguments last fall. Normally, appeals are decided in a matter of weeks or a few months. Claims of politics at play Trump and his co-defendants denied wrongdoing. At the conclusion of the civil trial in January 2024, Trump said he was 'an innocent man' and the case was a 'fraud on me.' The Republican has repeatedly maintained the case and the verdict were political moves by James and Engoron, both Democrats. Trump's Justice Department has subpoenaed James for records related to the lawsuit, among other documents, as part of an investigation into whether she violated the president's civil rights. James' personal attorney Abbe D. Lowell has said investigating the fraud case is 'the most blatant and desperate example of this administration carrying out the president's political retribution campaign.' Trump and his lawyers said his financial statements weren't deceptive, since they came with disclaimers noting they weren't audited. The defense also noted bankers and insurers independently evaluated the numbers, and the loans were repaid. Despite such discrepancies as tripling the size of his Trump Tower penthouse, he said the financial statements were, if anything, lowball estimates of his fortune. During an appellate court hearing last September, Trump's lawyers argued that many of the case's allegations were too old and that James had misused a consumer protection law to sue Trump over private business transactions that were satisfactory to those involved. State attorneys said that while Trump insists no one was harmed by the financial statements, his exaggerations led lenders to make riskier loans and that honest borrowers lose out when others game their net worth numbers. Legal obstacles The civil fraud case was just one of several legal obstacles for Trump as he campaigned, won and segued to a second term as president. On Jan. 10, he was sentenced in his criminal hush money case to what's known as an unconditional discharge, leaving his conviction on the books but sparing him jail, probation, a fine or other punishment. He is appealing the conviction. And in December, a federal appeals court upheld a jury's finding that Trump sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s and later defamed her, affirming a $5 million judgment against him. The appeals court declined in June to reconsider. Trump still can try to get the Supreme Court to hear his appeal. Trump also is appealing a subsequent verdict that requires him to pay Carroll $83.3 million for additional defamation claims. ___ Follow the AP's coverage of President Donald Trump at Jennifer Peltz And Michael R. Sisak, The Associated Press
