‘Very formidable leader': Netanyahu has ‘completely transformed' the Middle East
The Australian's Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has 'completely transformed' the Middle East.
'He is a very formidable leader, he might be the most formidable leader the Middle East has seen for 100 years or something,' Mr Sheridan told Sky News Australia.
'He has completely transformed the Middle East.
'He has systematically destroyed all of Iran's proxies.'
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The Age
21 minutes ago
- The Age
Yesterday, bombs fell on the prison where I was jailed. It may be a metaphor for the Iranian people's fate
The last time I saw the gates of Iran's Evin Prison was November, 25, 2020. Handcuffed, blindfolded yet finally out of my cell, I was driven to a point just outside the prison walls. Behind me was a nondescript blue and white sign proclaiming the name of the prison, and a single-lane entrance point with guard posts on either side of three-story stone walls. It was a relatively unimposing thoroughfare for such a consequential symbol of power and brutality. I was told to stand in front of the gates, now closed to traffic. A man with a television camera mounted on a tripod appeared, and a Revolutionary Guard member started firing questions at me in Farsi. It was clear that I was expected to participate in one final humiliation: a propaganda clip for the evening news broadcast. Knowing that nothing I said now could possibly derail the deal which had been made to secure my freedom, I stood outside those gates and did my best to render the footage unusable. No, I was not a spy and I do not confess. No, I wasn't treated well in prison. No, I am not thankful to my captors for releasing me, having lost two years and three months of my life to this cruel and barbaric place. Those gates are instantly recognisable to every Iranian, whether or not they watch the propaganda clips routinely aired on state TV targeting people, like me, who had been held inside. They stand for the immense coercive power of the Islamic Republic and the supremacy of its behemoth security apparatus. They stand for the ability of a totalitarian state to reach deep into the lives of ordinary people, threatening to take from them everything and everyone they hold dear should they, for whatever reason, be unlucky enough to cross its threshold. Israel's strike on Evin Prison in Tehran in the hours before US President Donald Trump's ceasefire agreement came into effect had no plausible military purpose. Along with other targets, such as the headquarters of the Basij militia and Revolutionary Guard Corps, this was a highly symbolic attack designed to send a message about Israel's longer-term goals for Iran. To the regime, the destruction of the gates of Evin, filmed by the Israeli Defence Force and circulated online shortly after, represented not only the ruination of Iran's feared internal security apparatus, but that of its ideology too. To the political dissidents housed within Evin, and the Iranian people more broadly, the message was similarly clear: The clerical kleptocracy which has oppressed you for four decades is a paper tiger. Rise up, walk out those gates, and free yourselves. Of course amid all this potent symbolism, Israel has its own narrow interests at play, and these do not necessarily align with those of the Iranian people. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers have made numerous statements about regime change in Iran, as has Trump, but it remains to be seen whether Tel Aviv, Washington or other Western powers will actually do anything to advance the Iranian people's well-documented desire to be rid of the Islamic Republic, beyond talking a big game on social media. Reports emerging from inside Evin Prison after the strikes paint a concerning picture of fear, chaos and, even while under fire, repression and crackdown. The account of Reza Khandan, the husband of prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and an activist himself who is currently imprisoned in Evin, posted a statement online on behalf of a group of prisoners trapped inside. In it, he described inmates injured from broken glass, and a stampede triggered by the panic of those who had 'nowhere to run'. According to Khandan, prison authorities responded with 'threats, intimidation and pressure on prisoners', and have refused to treat the injured.
Sydney Morning Herald
21 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Yesterday, bombs fell on the prison where I was jailed. It may be a metaphor for the Iranian people's fate
The last time I saw the gates of Iran's Evin Prison was November, 25, 2020. Handcuffed, blindfolded yet finally out of my cell, I was driven to a point just outside the prison walls. Behind me was a nondescript blue and white sign proclaiming the name of the prison, and a single-lane entrance point with guard posts on either side of three-story stone walls. It was a relatively unimposing thoroughfare for such a consequential symbol of power and brutality. I was told to stand in front of the gates, now closed to traffic. A man with a television camera mounted on a tripod appeared, and a Revolutionary Guard member started firing questions at me in Farsi. It was clear that I was expected to participate in one final humiliation: a propaganda clip for the evening news broadcast. Knowing that nothing I said now could possibly derail the deal which had been made to secure my freedom, I stood outside those gates and did my best to render the footage unusable. No, I was not a spy and I do not confess. No, I wasn't treated well in prison. No, I am not thankful to my captors for releasing me, having lost two years and three months of my life to this cruel and barbaric place. Those gates are instantly recognisable to every Iranian, whether or not they watch the propaganda clips routinely aired on state TV targeting people, like me, who had been held inside. They stand for the immense coercive power of the Islamic Republic and the supremacy of its behemoth security apparatus. They stand for the ability of a totalitarian state to reach deep into the lives of ordinary people, threatening to take from them everything and everyone they hold dear should they, for whatever reason, be unlucky enough to cross its threshold. Israel's strike on Evin Prison in Tehran in the hours before US President Donald Trump's ceasefire agreement came into effect had no plausible military purpose. Along with other targets, such as the headquarters of the Basij militia and Revolutionary Guard Corps, this was a highly symbolic attack designed to send a message about Israel's longer-term goals for Iran. To the regime, the destruction of the gates of Evin, filmed by the Israeli Defence Force and circulated online shortly after, represented not only the ruination of Iran's feared internal security apparatus, but that of its ideology too. To the political dissidents housed within Evin, and the Iranian people more broadly, the message was similarly clear: The clerical kleptocracy which has oppressed you for four decades is a paper tiger. Rise up, walk out those gates, and free yourselves. Of course amid all this potent symbolism, Israel has its own narrow interests at play, and these do not necessarily align with those of the Iranian people. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers have made numerous statements about regime change in Iran, as has Trump, but it remains to be seen whether Tel Aviv, Washington or other Western powers will actually do anything to advance the Iranian people's well-documented desire to be rid of the Islamic Republic, beyond talking a big game on social media. Reports emerging from inside Evin Prison after the strikes paint a concerning picture of fear, chaos and, even while under fire, repression and crackdown. The account of Reza Khandan, the husband of prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and an activist himself who is currently imprisoned in Evin, posted a statement online on behalf of a group of prisoners trapped inside. In it, he described inmates injured from broken glass, and a stampede triggered by the panic of those who had 'nowhere to run'. According to Khandan, prison authorities responded with 'threats, intimidation and pressure on prisoners', and have refused to treat the injured.
9 News
40 minutes ago
- 9 News
Netanyahu says Israel has agreed to ceasefire deal with Iran
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with Iran hours after US President Donald Trump announced both parties had reached a deal. This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows Al Udeid Air Base outside of Doha, Qatar, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP) Israel claimed missiles struck a residential building in Beer Sheva shortly before parties agreed to the deal, killing four and injuring 22 people. The truce signals a possible end to 12 days of strikes between the two nations, which has largely been narrated by Trump on his own platform Truth Social. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he has agreed to the ceasefire deal with Iran this evening. "Israel has removed a dual immediate existential threat – both in the nuclear and ballistic missile fields," a statement from the prime minister's office said. The statement said the Israeli military "achieved full air control over Tehran's skies, inflicted severe damage on the military leadership, and destroyed dozens of central Iranian government targets". "In light of the achievement of the operation's objectives, and in full coordination with President Trump, Israel has agreed to the president's proposal for a bilateral ceasefire," the statement continued. "Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has agreed to the ceasefire. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP) Iranian state media announced a ceasefire has been "imposed on the enemy" after the country's military response to "US aggression", hours after Iran's retaliatory attacks against a US base in Qatar. "The Sepah (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) successful missile operations in response to US aggression and the exemplary steadfastness and unity of our dear people in defending our land, has imposed ceasefire on the enemy," an anchor with state-run Iran National News Network said in a live broadcast. The anchor did not give a time for when the ceasefire would take place. US President Donald Trump requested the ceasefire between Iran and Israel "in a begging-like manner" shortly after Iran's strikes toward the US's Al Udeid base in Qatar, the anchor said. "Last evening, only an hour after the successful missile attack by the Sepah on America's Al Udeid Base in Qatar, in a begging-like manner of urging, Trump requested the initiation of a ceasefire in the imposed Zionist enemy war against our country," the anchor said. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (AP) Trump doubled down on his declaration of peace between Israel and Iran in a series of posts on Truth Social. "Israel & Iran came to me, almost simultaneously, and said, 'PEACE!' I knew the time was NOW," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "The World, and the Middle East, are the real WINNERS! Both Nations will see tremendous LOVE, PEACE, AND PROSPERITY in their futures. "They have so much to gain, and yet, so much to lose if they stray from the road of RIGHTEOUSNESS & TRUTH. "The future for Israel & Iran is UNLIMITED, & filled with great PROMISE. GOD BLESS YOU BOTH!" He later asked parties not to violate the deal. "THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!" Trump said, signing off the post with "Donald J. Trump, President of the United States!" Trump also credited the B-2 pilots who dropped missiles on Iran's nuclear facilities for today's deal. The US president said the "deal" made between Iran and Israel was brokered thanks to the US-led attack on the weekend. "In a certain and very ironic way, that perfect 'hit,' late in the evening, brought everyone together, and the deal was made!!!" Trump wrote. Trump earlier claimed Israel and Iran "came to me" about peace after announcing the ceasefire on social media. President Donald Trump and his national security team meet in the Situation Room of the White House, Saturday, June 21, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) (Getty) Qatar's major international airport has reopened its airspace after dozens of flights heading to the Middle East were diverted or cancelled. However, travel chaos for Australians trying to head to the region for a holiday or stopovers to Europe is ongoing. A Qantas Perth to London service was diverted to Singapore and a Perth to Paris flight returned to Perth. The diversions impacted return services. "We continue to monitor airspace availability closely and will alter our schedule as required," a Qantas spokesperson said. "We have a number of flight path options that we utilise for our flights to Europe and these are reviewed regularly based on factors including weather and security." A Qantas flight from Perth to Paris was diverted back to Western Australia. (FlightRadar) Israel's skies are now closed to planes until further notice, the Israel Airports Authority said. Israel began allowing limited outbound flights yesterday after closing the airspace on June 13. This will likely impact repatriation flights planned by the Australian government. A military repatriation flight, which departed Queensland for the United Arab Emirates, left Dubai earlier today and was seen heading south-east. Emergency responders work at a building where at least four people died in a missile strike on Beersheba, Israel. (Getty) At least nine people were killed and dozens wounded in Israeli strikes on residential buildings in northwest Iran early Tuesday local time, Iranian state media reported citing a regional official. The attack in Gilan province wounded 33 people and destroyed four residential units, the deputy governor of Gilan said, according to state-affiliated media Tasnim news agency. Of those killed and wounded, 16 were women and children, the governor said. Surrounding houses were also damaged in the explosion, the governor said. Video geolocated by CNN to the city of Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh, in Gilan, shows a large crowd of people and a ball of flames. Israel Iran Conflict Iran Israel Qatar USA Donald Trump World Link in bio CONTACT US
