Netanyahu says Trump's decision to strike Iran will 'change history'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised what he called a "bold decision" by President Donald Trump to bomb Iran's nuclear sites, saying it would "change history."
"History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime, the world's most dangerous weapons," Netanyahu said in a speech.
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Arabian Post
39 minutes ago
- Arabian Post
Evacuation Flights Bring UAE Citizens Home from Iran
UAE authorities have flown back several nationals and residents from Iran as part of a security-driven emergency operation amid intensifying regional uncertainty. The coordinated move, which involved direct communication between officials in Abu Dhabi and Tehran, was aimed at ensuring swift and safe repatriation in light of mounting geopolitical instability in the region. The evacuation operation, which took place without prior public notice, was disclosed by the UAE government through an official communication that framed the development as part of the country's strategic priority to protect its population at all times, both within and beyond its borders. Government officials described the mission as successful and said it underscored both the preparedness of UAE institutions and the cooperation extended by Iranian authorities. This operation followed a period of escalating concern across Gulf capitals regarding the shifting security calculus in the region. Heightened tensions along multiple flashpoints, including Israel's confrontation with Hezbollah, increased Israeli military activity in Syria, and broader US-Iran rivalries, have prompted many regional states to reassess the safety of their citizens in neighbouring countries. ADVERTISEMENT Evacuations were undertaken with what authorities called 'full coordination' from the Iranian side, with logistical support extending to airport access and departure clearances. Officials said the operation reflects a commitment by both nations to preserve civilian safety despite broader political differences. While Iran and the UAE maintain diplomatic ties, their strategic positions in the Gulf have occasionally placed them on opposite sides of regional disputes. The successful completion of this evacuation marks a rare point of cooperation amidst an increasingly polarised environment. UAE officials did not specify the exact number of people evacuated, but confirmed that both Emirati nationals and residents were part of the group brought back to UAE territory. The evacuees were met with standard health and security protocols on arrival, in line with the country's emergency response procedures. No medical emergencies were reported among those returned, and the process was completed without logistical complications. Iranian authorities, while not releasing an official statement on the matter, were reported to have facilitated the operational groundwork needed for the departures, including transit permissions and support from local airport personnel. This was seen as part of a longstanding, if cautious, bilateral understanding that civilian welfare must be insulated from geopolitical frictions. This development comes amid a broader trend of diplomatic recalibrations across the Gulf and wider Middle East. Several states, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have publicly and privately raised the stakes around citizen security in conflict-adjacent zones. The UAE, in particular, has enhanced its foreign evacuation protocols, building on its previous experiences in Afghanistan, Sudan, and Ukraine, where its response teams worked to airlift both UAE citizens and international residents. The latest operation involved a combination of government aircraft and commercial chartered flights, with air corridors carefully planned to avoid disputed or high-risk airspaces. Although details of the exact flight paths have not been disclosed, air traffic tracking data indicated movement between Tehran and major UAE airports over a 24-hour window, matching the timing of the reported repatriations. ADVERTISEMENT Geopolitical observers view the UAE's evacuation effort as a signal of both risk awareness and logistical capacity. As tensions simmer along multiple borders, particularly those surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and the Levant, Gulf countries have been intensifying contingency planning. With Tehran's political and security position under increasing international scrutiny, the possibility of further evacuations or advisories remains open. This latest evacuation adds to a growing list of strategic exercises undertaken by the UAE to secure its global citizenry. The country has been steadily building its capacity to respond to foreign crises, supported by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in close alignment with regional air traffic authorities and international embassies. The execution of these evacuations further demonstrates Abu Dhabi's investment in scalable and swift civilian response mechanisms during volatile periods. Diplomatic analysts suggest that the UAE-Iran coordination for this mission could act as a low-key confidence-building measure, even as major disagreements over regional policy persist. The UAE has continued to balance economic pragmatism with strategic caution in its dealings with Tehran, keeping open commercial and diplomatic links while aligning more broadly with Western defence strategies.
Arabian Post
2 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Oil Traders Brace As US Bombs Iran Nuclear Sites
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Oil markets swung sharply following the US Air Force's striking of Iran's Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan nuclear facilities on 21 June, triggering a fresh wave of geopolitical risk. Brent crude futures jumped over 11 per cent earlier this week after Israeli attacks, and traders are now preparing for further price volatility once global trading resumes. President Trump described the operation as a 'spectacular military success' and warned that more targets await if Iran does not seek peace. The US employed six B‑2 bombers laden with GBU‑57 'bunker‑buster' bombs—ordnance only capable of penetrating Fordow's deep underground vaults. Natanz and Esfahan were also hit, reportedly using Tomahawks from submarines. ADVERTISEMENT Market analysts warn that disruption to Iran's 2.5 million barrels per day export capacity, plus the threat of a shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, would lift risk premiums sharply. Oxford Economics estimates oil could reach $130 a barrel if Iran decides to close the Strait, sending inflation soaring. Investors are preparing for turbulence in equities and a rush towards safe-haven assets like the US dollar and gold. Potomac River Capital's CIO, Mark Spindel, warned of markets being 'initially alarmed' with heightened volatility continuing until the extent of the damage is confirmed. Global markets have seen mixed signals: while crude prices surged up to 18 per cent since Israel's June 13 raids, equities such as the S&P 500 have remained relatively steady. Predicting a deeper sell-off may depend on whether Iran follows through with threats — including disrupting the Strait, leveraging regional proxies, or escalating cyber campaigns. Iran's official response has been defiant rather than conciliatory. Tehran's Atomic Energy Organisation assures no radiation has been released, and lawmakers claim the damage is superficial and repairable. Iran's foreign ministry has labelled the strikes 'outrageous' and cautioned that the consequences will be 'everlasting'. Global leaders have voiced alarm. New Zealand's foreign minister urged all parties to 'de-escalate and return to diplomacy', while Australia and Mexico emphasised restraint and dialogue. Venezuela and Cuba condemned the strikes as violations of international law, calling for immediate halt to military action. Oil market specialist Saul Kavonic warns Brent could move towards $100 a barrel 'depending on Iran's retaliation'. While Saudi output increases may buffer short-term shortages, traders recognise that any direct counterstrike on Gulf tanker routes or infrastructure would compound risk. The destruction of key nuclear enrichment sites may set back Iran's nuclear programme temporarily. Yet experts caution that the regime's scientific expertise cannot be fully neutralised and the damage might harden Tehran's resolve to pursue a bomb. This may also hinder diplomatic engagement, as Iran could withdraw from the Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty and cease cooperation with the IAEA. In financial hubs and oil centres from London to Shanghai, traders are reviewing risk models, stress-testing portfolios and hedging energy exposure. Asian markets, heavily reliant on Gulf crude, could face inflationary pressure if shipping routes are disrupted. A key question now is whether the United States and its allies will pursue further strikes or shift to diplomatic pressure. Trump's administration insists that Iran now has a binary choice: embrace peace or face further 'precision' strikes. Critics warn that without congressional authorisation, deeper military involvement risks entangling the US in a long-term Middle East conflict.
Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Israel-US attack on Iran: The price of Netanyahu's forever wars
Israel's decision to attack Iran cannot be interpreted through any rational lens. It directly contradicts Israel's longstanding military doctrine, which was built on short, decisive operations aimed at securing tangible strategic goals - a doctrine rooted in Israel's inherent geographic, economic and demographic vulnerabilities. What we are witnessing now is a fundamental shift: the abandonment of strategic realism in favour of a theology-driven war without end. The transformation is stark. Israel is evolving from a western-backed colonial project seeking international legitimacy, into a messianic colonial enterprise that thrives on perpetual war. The growing use of religious rhetoric and the enlistment of God into the logic of war underscore this systemic change. On Sunday, Washington joined Israel's war on Iran as it carried out attacks on Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Donald Trump described the strikes as 'very successful'. Iranian officials confirmed that parts of nuclear sites were struck, including Fordow, the secretive Iranian nuclear enrichment facility buried half a kilometre under a mountain near the city of Qom. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised what he called a "bold decision" by Trump to bomb Iran's nuclear sites, saying it would "change history." Following the US strikes, Netanyahu now faces a profound internal challenge. His secular opposition, who once backed his military ventures, are questioning why they must sacrifice their quality of life for the sake of endless conflict. At the same time, Netanyahu is eroding the democratic space for the Jewish public in order to maintain the momentum of his militarised agenda. The internal front, not Iran, may become his toughest battlefield. One of the most bizarre but telling decisions has been the imposed restrictions of Israeli citizens' freedom of movement, including the closure of Ben Gurion Airport for outbound travel, coupled with a warning from the National Security Council discouraging reentry via Jordan or Egypt. Although flights still depart from Israel, they are largely reserved for tourists and foreign residents, while citizens are effectively trapped. This move has an unmistakable internal political logic: it disproportionately impacts middle-class opposition voters who can afford long-term travel abroad, while Likud's working-class base, largely from the periphery, remains unaffected. Moving money Meanwhile, since the outbreak of the war on Gaza - and even earlier, during Israel's judicial overhaul - many Israelis have opted to move money overseas, with a financial services firm reporting in March a 50 percent increase in the number of Israelis seeking to exchange and transfer money overseas. Since October 2023, there has reportedly been a seven-fold rise in money transfers from Israel to other countries, with around $5.6bn moved out of the country that year alone. For Netanyahu, these financial shifts must be alarming. For years, he has championed the idea that Israel could only maintain its highly equipped military through a strong economy. Yet his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners contribute little in this regard, while his messianic allies push for more wars and territorial expansion. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Ironically, the segments of society that sustain the Israeli economy are the ones most opposed to Netanyahu's government. But they have not opposed his wars: rather, they continue to support Israel's military actions, while attempting to preserve a western standard of living. Their inability - or refusal - to critically examine the Zionist ethos that taught them the world is inherently antisemitic, and that they must live by the sword, has allowed Netanyahu and his allies to exploit their economic power. In doing so, they've helped accelerate Israel's descent into a messianic state, emboldening racist policies and a Jewish supremacist ideology. This is Netanyahu's vision for Israel: an ethno-religious, free-market state in permanent conflict with its neighbours, sowing destruction wherever it extends its reach This dynamic is now visible amid the conflict with Iran, with multiple documented cases where Jewish Israelis have denied Palestinian citizens - and even foreign workers - access to bomb shelters during missile attacks. This is Netanyahu's vision for Israel: an ethno-religious, free-market state in permanent conflict with its neighbours, sowing destruction wherever it extends its reach, while actively destabilising the surrounding region. Ironically, this echoes Israel's critiques of Iran. Those Israelis who do understand the consequences of this war are already feeling them. The financial impacts range from damage to private property, to the broader repercussions of shutting down Israel's civilian economy and transitioning to an emergency economy, in which only essential businesses and institutions continue to operate. On one hand, this creates economic uncertainty and mounting concern; on the other, it is happening under psychological pressure and a genuine fear of Iranian missile attacks. Temporary stability Although the Israeli economy continues to show resilience, Israeli analysts are warning that this stability is temporary. If Israel does not return to its doctrine of short, decisive wars, its financial resources will be depleted, and the economy will suffer long-term damage. While the number of Iranian missiles that have successfully struck Israeli territory is relatively small, each impact brings serious consequences, rendering entire residential blocks uninhabitable. In the Israeli context, where the real-estate market is among the most expensive in the world, even limited damage carries outsized economic implications. On a personal level, I can attest to a real and unfamiliar fear of Iranian missiles - a fear that neither Palestinian citizens of Israel nor Jewish Israelis have experienced before. It is producing widespread panic and deep concern. The Turkish public asks: After Israel's attack on Iran, are we next? Read More » Many families are now homeless, yet still saddled with mortgage debt. So when reports emerged of Israelis attempting to flee to Cyprus via private yachts, it came as no surprise. The fantasy of sipping espresso in Tel Aviv while Gaza burns has collapsed. Living in a messianic state that wages perpetual war carries psychological and financial costs, even for those who once enjoyed its benefits. There is now a widespread belief that Netanyahu will not stop with Iran. Escalations involving Pakistan or Turkey are no longer far-fetched. Israeli think-tanks are already laying the groundwork to justify future confrontations with Ankara, portraying them as inevitable. To the rational observer, this is madness. But this is the reality of Israel today: a state that has dragged the global economy into its war games, ignited regional tensions, and invoked God to justify destruction. Secular Israelis who supported Netanyahu's wars now have the privilege of planning their escape, while Palestinians continue to pay the price - not only for Israeli policy, but for the West's enduring complicity in legitimising it. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
