Netanyahu thanks Trump for backing Israel in Iran war
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump for his "support in defending Israel's skies" on Wednesday, as Israel exchanged fire with Iran for a sixth day.
After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, fighting broke out on Friday when Israel launched a massive bombing campaign that prompted Iran to respond with missiles and drones.
"I want to thank President Trump, a great friend of the state of Israel," Netanyahu said in a televised statement.
"I thank him for being at our side, and I thank him for the support of the United States in defending Israel's skies."
He added that Israel was striking Iran with "tremendous power", while acknowledging that Israel had suffered "painful losses" in the war.
"We are striking the ayatollahs' regime with tremendous power," he said. "We are hitting their nuclear programme, their missiles, their military headquarters, the symbols of their power."
He added: "We are suffering numerous losses, painful losses. But the home front is solid, the people are strong and the state of Israel is stronger than ever."
Since Friday, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to Netanyahu's office.
Media in Israel is subject to strict restrictions from the military censor on the reporting of Iranian air strikes.
Iran said on Sunday that Israeli bombing had killed at least 224 people since fighting, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then.--AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Gold steady as Israel-Iran conflict escalates, US involvement uncertain
KUALA LUMPUR: Gold held steady on Friday, with geopolitical tensions escalating in the Middle East as Israel and Iran continued their air war, while investors remained wary of possible US involvement. Spot gold was steady at US$3,367.60 an ounce, as of 0020 GMT. Bullion was down 1.90 per cent so far this week. US gold futures were also stable at US$3,384.20. The conflict in the Middle East intensified on Thursday when Israel bombed Iran's nuclear sites, while Iran fired missile and drone strikes on Israel, including an overnight attack on an Israeli hospital. Neither side has signalled an exit strategy. US President Donald Trump will decide in the next two weeks whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran air war, the White House said on Thursday, raising pressure on Tehran to come to the negotiating table. Meanwhile, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi have spoken by phone several times since Israel began its strikes on Iran last week, in a bid to find a diplomatic end to the crisis, three diplomats told Reuters. Trump reiterated his calls for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, saying the rates should be 2.5 percentage points lower. The Fed held rates steady on Wednesday, and policymakers retained projections for two quarter-point rate cuts this year. European officials are increasingly resigned to a 10 per cent rate on "reciprocal" tariffs being the baseline in any trade deal between the US and the European Union, five sources familiar with the negotiations said. The US dollar index fell 0.20 per cent, making greenback-priced bullion more affordable for overseas buyers. Elsewhere, spot silver was steady at US$36.36 per ounce, platinum fell 0.70 per cent to US$1,297.89, while palladium was down 0.40 per cent to US$1,046.71. All three metals were headed for weekly gains.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Thailand's 'Yellow Shirts' return to streets, demand PM quit
The protest, held in scorching tropical heat, drew mostly elderly demonstrators wearing yellow shirts. - Reuters BANGKOK: Hundreds of anti-government protesters gathered outside Thailand's Government House on Thursday (June 19), demanding Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign over a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen that triggered public outrage. The scandal rocked Paetongtarn's coalition after the Bhumjaithai party, a key partner, pulled out on Wednesday, accusing her of undermining the country and insulting the dignity of the military. The leaked call, in which Paetongtarn referred to the Thai army's northeastern commander as her opponent and addressed Hun Sen as "uncle" has drawn strong public backlash. The protest, held in scorching tropical heat, drew mostly elderly demonstrators wearing yellow shirts - the colour strongly associated with Thailand's monarchy - who accused the 38-year-old leader of "lacking diplomatic skills" and "endangering national interests". "I was very disappointed when I heard the (leaked) audio," Kanya Hanotee, 68, a temple worker told AFP. "She lacks negotiation skills. Who does she think she is? This country is not hers." Protesters waved Thai flags and placards labelling Paetongtarn a "traitor", and chanted "Get out!" and "Go to hell!" while dozens of riot police stood nearby. Many in the crowd were longtime supporters of the conservative, pro-royalist "Yellow Shirt" movement, which has fiercely opposed the Shinawatra political dynasty since the 2000s. Kaewta, 62, a housewife from Bangkok said she joined Yellow Shirt protests near Bangkok's Democracy Monument two decades ago. "I didn't support any political party. All I knew was that I hated Thaksin and his family," she told AFP. "Our politicians are all corrupt." The battle between the conservative pro-royal establishment and Thaksin's political movement backed by its own "Red Shirt" supporters has dominated Thai politics for more than 20 years. Yellow Shirts, backed by Royalists and business elites, led 2008 protests that shut Bangkok's airports, stranded tourists, and helped topple a Thaksin-linked government. In 2010, pro-Thaksin "Red Shirt" protesters rallied in Bangkok in opposition to the military-backed government, ending in a bloody crackdown that left more than 90 people dead. "The power has been passed from her father to her aunt, and now to her," said Mek Sumet, 59, an electrical equipment seller who took part in the 2008 Don Mueang airport occupation. "She doesn't think of the country but only of herself," he told AFP. The kingdom has had a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, and the current crisis has inevitably triggered rumours that another may be in the offing. Despite Thailand's long history of coups, some protestors openly welcomed the idea of another military intervention. "I want the military to take control," Kanya told AFP. "We are thinking long-term. It will be positive for the country." - AFP
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
British FM says ‘window now exists' for diplomacy with Iran
WASHINGTON: On the eve of European talks with Iran over its nuclear program, Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Thursday after meeting high-level US officials that there is still time to reach a diplomatic solution with Tehran. Lammy met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House, before talks on Friday in Geneva with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi alongside his French, German and EU counterparts. The diplomatic flurry came as European countries call for de-escalation in the face of Israel's bombing campaign against Iran's nuclear program -- and as US President Donald Trump weighs up whether or not to join the strikes against Tehran. 'The situation in the Middle East remains perilous,' Lammy said in a statement released by the UK embassy in Washington. 'We discussed how Iran must make a deal to avoid a deepening conflict. A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution,' Lammy said. 'Tomorrow, I will be heading to Geneva to meet with the Iranian foreign minister alongside my French, German and EU counterparts,' the British minister said. 'Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one.' The State Department said Lammy and Rubio had 'agreed Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.' - European push for diplomacy - Araghchi earlier confirmed he would 'meet with the European delegation in Geneva on Friday,' in a statement carried by Iranian state news agency IRNA. The talks are set to include Lammy, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, as well as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Trump has said he is weighing military action against Iran's nuclear facilities as Israel pummels the country and Tehran responds with missile fire. France, Germany, Britain and the European Union were all signatories of the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, which Trump sunk during his first term in office. The EU's Kallas, in coordination with European countries, has insisted that diplomacy remains the best path towards ensuring that Iran does not develop a nuclear bomb. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said European nations were planning to suggest a negotiated solution to end the Iran-Israel conflict. He asked his foreign minister to draw up an initiative with 'close partners' to that end. Barrot has been in regular touch with his German and British counterparts since Israel launched massive air strikes against Iran on Friday. 'We are ready to take part in negotiations aimed at obtaining from Iran a lasting rollback of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs,' Barrot said. Israel says its air campaign is aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran had been enriching uranium to 60 percent -- far above the 3.67 percent limit set by a 2015 deal with international powers, but still short of the 90 percent threshold needed for a nuclear warhead. Iran denies it is building nuclear weapons.
