Trump hopes for Israel-Iran deal but cautions fighting may be prolonged
NewsFeed Trump hopes for Israel-Iran deal but cautions fighting may be prolonged
'Sometimes they have to fight it out.' Donald Trump tells reporters he hopes Iran and Israel can real a deal to end the fighting but declines to say if he has urged Israel to end its attacks.
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Al Jazeera
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- Al Jazeera
Iran says most victims of Israeli attacks are civilians
Iran says most victims of Israeli attacks are civilians NewsFeed Iran says most victims of Israeli attacks are civilians Israeli strikes on Iran have hit a hospital in the city of Kermanshah. It's the latest attack on civilian infrastructure. Iranian officials say 224 people have been killed since Israel launched attacks of Friday.
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
How do ballistic missiles work and what's their range?
In response to Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites and senior military figures, Iran has launched hundreds of ballistic missiles towards Israel, with some striking targets on the ground. Although Israel intercepted many of the incoming missiles, several breached its defences, causing significant damage and casualties, including hits on central Tel Aviv and other areas. The exact size of Iran's ballistic missile arsenal is unclear, but it is widely considered one of the largest and most advanced in the region. In the following visual explainer, Al Jazeera unpacks how ballistic missiles work and how they are being used in the ongoing conflict. Ballistic missiles are long-range weapons designed to deliver conventional or nuclear warheads by following a ballistic, or curved, trajectory. Launched using powerful rocket engines, these missiles shoot upwards into the upper atmosphere or even space, travelling at incredibly high speeds. Once their engines are cut off, the missile follows a predetermined path, re-entering the Earth's atmosphere in a steep descent before striking its missiles can travel distances ranging from a few hundred kilometres to more than 10,000 kilometres across continents. Ballistic missiles are classified based on their ranges: Ballistic missiles travel at extremely high speeds, allowing them to travel thousands of kilometres in just minutes. The speed at which they travel is measured in Mach, a unit equivalent to the speed of sound; for example, Mach 5 means five times the speed of sound. Some, usually shorter-range, ballistic missiles reach supersonic speeds (faster than Mach 1, or about 1,225km/h or 761 miles per hour), while others, usually longer-range missiles, can travel at hypersonic speeds – greater than Mach 5 (6,125km/h or 3,806mph). The distance between Iran and Israel is about 1,300km to 1,500km (800-930 miles). Ballistic missiles from Iran travelling at Mach 5 can reach Israel in roughly 12 minutes, though the exact time depends on the missile type and the launch site. What makes ballistic missiles especially dangerous is their combination of long range, high speed, and how difficult they are to intercept. Their fast, high flight path gives defence systems little time to react, and when they re-enter the atmosphere, they descend even faster, making interception even more difficult. Some missiles also deploy decoys or other countermeasures to trick radar and missile defences, making them harder to intercept. Iran has also used cruise missiles against Israel. Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles fly low and steady like pilotless planes, which helps them sneak past air defences. Although they travel much slower than ballistic missiles, giving air defences more time to intercept, their low flight path makes them harder to detect. Their ability to manoeuvre allows them to change course, fly around obstacles and evade missile defences. While ballistic missiles from Iran can reach Israel in about 12 minutes, cruise missiles may take almost two hours, and drones can take up to nine hours. Iran has developed a range of ballistic and cruise missiles over the past three decades. The graphic below summarises some of Iran's most prominent missiles and their has an advanced missile arsenal, including long-range and nuclear-capable systems, developed with decades of support from the United States. The graphic below highlights some of Israel's most notable missiles along with their respective Israeli air defence relies largely on what is known as the Iron Dome system, which is equipped with a radar that detects an incoming projectile, as well as its speed and direction. Other systems intercept medium- and long-range missiles. The David's Sling intercepts missiles ranging between 40km (25 miles) and 300km (186 miles). The Arrow System intercepts missiles with a range of up to 2,400km (1,491 miles).
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
What would an Israel-Iran war mean for the global economy?
As Israel and Iran exchange deadly salvoes for a fourth day, there are growing concerns that the conflict will spread across one of the world's key oil- and gas-producing regions. Equity markets initially were roiled after Israel's surprise attack on Friday but have since stabilised. A day after Israel killed several of Iran's top military commanders and nuclear scientists and damaged some of its nuclear sites, Israel then hit Iran's fossil fuel sector on Saturday with Iranian state media reporting a blaze at the South Pars gasfield. More than 220 people have been killed in the Israeli attacks, including at least 70 women and children, according to Iranian authorities. Iran responded with a barrage of ballistic missile and drone strikes, a small percentage of which succeeded in penetrating Israeli defences, killing at least 24 people. On his Truth Social platform, United States President Donald Trump warned Tehran that the next 'already planned attacks' would be 'even more brutal', adding: 'Iran must make a deal [on its nuclear programme] before nothing is left.' As the conflict between the Middle East's two most powerful militaries spirals towards a full-fledged war, financial markets and the aviation sector are taking a hit. Analysts are watching oil prices, and investors are turning to safe havens like gold. And a full-blown war could make things even worse – much worse, experts warned. Brent crude, the global benchmark, rallied to $74.60 per barrel early on Monday. That marked an almost 7 percent increase from Thursday, the day before Israel launched its surprise attack. Much of the world's oil and other key commodities such as natural gas pass through busy sea lanes in the Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, a narrow waterway separating Iran from the Gulf states, links the Arabian Sea to the Indian Ocean. It is a conduit for one-third of the world's seaborne oil supplies, channelling roughly 21 million barrels every day. At its narrowest point, it is 33km (21 miles) wide. Shipping lanes in the waterway are even narrower, making them vulnerable to attack. The conflict between Israel and Iran has revived a decades-old question of whether Tehran will close the maritime chokepoint, triggering an oil price rally. Quoting key conservative lawmaker Esmail Kosari, the Iranian news agency IRINN reported that Tehran is considering closing the strait as the conflict with Israel intensifies. According to Goldman Sachs, a worst-case scenario involving blockades in the Strait of Hormuz could push oil prices above $100 per barrel. Still, during the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988, in which both countries targeted commercial vessels in the Gulf, Hormuz was never completely closed. What's more, attempts to block the Strait of Hormuz would likely disrupt Tehran's own exports, especially to China, cutting off valuable revenue. According to Hamzeh Al Gaaod, an economic analyst at TS Lombard, a strategy and political research firm, 'the repercussions to closing off the strait would be severe for Tehran itself.' When oil prices rise, the cost of production also goes up. This is eventually passed on to consumers, especially for energy-intensive goods like food, clothing and chemicals. Oil-importing countries around the world could experience higher inflation and slower economic growth if the conflict persists. Looking ahead, analysts warned that central banks would face reduced policy flexibility in trying to control rising prices. 'Central bankers from the G7 are currently on an [interest rate] cutting cycle, and so will be worried about a potential energy price shock,' Al Gaaod told Al Jazeera. The Bank of England has recently slashed the United Kingdom's base interest rate to 4.25 percent although the US Federal Reserve has held off on cutting rates in the wake of Trump's tariffs, imposed on almost all countries since he returned to power in January. Wall Street has taken a hit. On Friday, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices shed 1.1 and 1.3 percent, respectively. In the Middle East, Egypt's benchmark EGX 30 index fell 7.7 percent on Sunday while the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange 35 Index dropped 1.5 percent. European equities also drifted down on the news of Israel's attacks. Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 fell a little more than 1.1 percent at the end of last week while the UK's FTSE 100 ended 0.5 percent lower on Friday. Still, some UK companies rallied. BAE Systems, a defence contractor, was up almost 3 percent on Friday, reflecting concerns that tensions could escalate. In the US, share prices of military suppliers, including Lockheed, Northrop Grumman and RTX, also rose. Elsewhere, oil companies BP and Shell gained in value with the former closing nearly 2 percent higher and the latter closing at just more than 1 percent higher. The price of gold was also trading about 1 percent higher on Friday at $3,426 an ounce, close to the record high of $3,500 it hit in April. On Monday, investors tempered some of their risk-off positioning with oil and gold prices falling and stock prices rising. 'It seems that markets are anticipating the conflict will remain relatively contained. Crucially, Iran has not attacked any US military assets in the region,' Al Gaaod said. Several airlines have suspended or cancelled flights in the Middle East, and some countries have shut their airspace. Here is a list of some suspended and rerouted flights: Elsewhere, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported that aviation authorities have shut down the country's airspace until further notice. On Friday, Iraq also closed its airspace and suspended all traffic at its airports, Iraqi state media reported. Eastern Iraq is home to one of the world's busiest air corridors. Dozens of flights cross there at any one moment, flying between Europe and the Gulf – many on routes from Asia to Europe. Jordan's civil aviation authority said it had 'temporarily' closed Jordanian airspace 'in anticipation of any dangers resulting from the escalation happening in the region'. For Al Gaaod, 'there may be short-term disruption for Middle East tourism but only for a month or so. I suspect tourism will bounce back.' He made a similar prediction about global financial markets: 'So long as strikes remain contained, I think equity prices will continue to recover from last week.'
