'One weapon, one plane' that can end Iran's nuclear program
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Israel claims that in the last few days it has taken complete control of Iran's airspace, and that it has set back the country's nuclear program immensely with targeted attacks on key sites and people. So why is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still courting a US entry into the conflict ? It comes down to one weapon. The US GBU-57 massive ordnance penetrator, or "bunker buster" missile. (CNN) Iran's key nuclear enrichment facility, Fordow, is buried up to 100m below the surface of the ground, rendering it all but impervious to Israeli aerial action. And observers say that while this facility is online, Iran's nuclear program may be set back, but it's not knocked out. "There is only one weapon in the world that can destroy a place like Fordow, and there's only one plane in the world that can carry that weapon," retired US Air Force colonel and CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton said. The bunker buster can only be carried by a B2 bomber. (CNN) That weapon is the "bunker buster" that has been brought up at times during the ongoing turmoil. More properly, it's the GBU-57, a massive ordnance penetrator (MOP). The MOP is a six-metre, 13.6-tonne bomb that can strike a deeply buried target after multiple impacts with "pinpoint accuracy", Leighton said. And the only plane in the world capable of carrying it is the USAF B2 bomber. "Israel doesn't have any of these planes, or any of these bombs, and that's why they want the US to join their aerial campaign against Iran," Leighton said. President Donald Trump has given himself a two-week deadline to decide whether the US will do so. national
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Oil set to rise again amid Israel-Iran conflict
Oil prices were on track to rise for the third straight week, with investors on edge as the week-old war between Israel and Iran showed no signs of either side backing down. Brent crude futures fell $1.57 cents, or 2 per cent, to $77.28 a barrel. On a weekly basis, it was up 3.9 per cent. The US West Texas Intermediate crude for July - which did not settle on Thursday as it was a US holiday and expires on Friday - was up 86 cents, or 1.1 per cent, to $76. The more liquid WTI for August rose 0.7 per cent, or 50 cents to $74. Prices jumped almost 3 per cent on Thursday as Israel bombed nuclear targets in Iran, and Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel after hitting an Israeli hospital overnight. "Oil prices remain high due to doubled tanker rates and ships avoiding the Strait of Hormuz," said Phil Flynn, analyst at The Price Futures Group. "The risk to supply is keeping them on edge while there have been no major disruptions of Iranian exports," Flynn said. Iran is the third-largest producer among members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, extracting about 3.3 million barrels per day (bpd)of crude oil. About 18 million to 21 million bpd of oil and oil products move through the Strait of Hormuz along Iran's southern coast, and there is widespread concern the fighting could disrupt trade flows in a blow to supplies. There was no sign of an exit strategy from either side, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price" and Iran warned against a "third party" joining the attacks. The White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump will decide whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks. "The "two-week deadline" is a tactic Trump has used in other key decisions. Often these deadlines expire without concrete action,.. which would see the crude oil price remain elevated and potentially build on recent gains," said Tony Sycamore, analyst at IG. Oil prices were on track to rise for the third straight week, with investors on edge as the week-old war between Israel and Iran showed no signs of either side backing down. Brent crude futures fell $1.57 cents, or 2 per cent, to $77.28 a barrel. On a weekly basis, it was up 3.9 per cent. The US West Texas Intermediate crude for July - which did not settle on Thursday as it was a US holiday and expires on Friday - was up 86 cents, or 1.1 per cent, to $76. The more liquid WTI for August rose 0.7 per cent, or 50 cents to $74. Prices jumped almost 3 per cent on Thursday as Israel bombed nuclear targets in Iran, and Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel after hitting an Israeli hospital overnight. "Oil prices remain high due to doubled tanker rates and ships avoiding the Strait of Hormuz," said Phil Flynn, analyst at The Price Futures Group. "The risk to supply is keeping them on edge while there have been no major disruptions of Iranian exports," Flynn said. Iran is the third-largest producer among members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, extracting about 3.3 million barrels per day (bpd)of crude oil. About 18 million to 21 million bpd of oil and oil products move through the Strait of Hormuz along Iran's southern coast, and there is widespread concern the fighting could disrupt trade flows in a blow to supplies. There was no sign of an exit strategy from either side, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price" and Iran warned against a "third party" joining the attacks. The White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump will decide whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks. "The "two-week deadline" is a tactic Trump has used in other key decisions. Often these deadlines expire without concrete action,.. which would see the crude oil price remain elevated and potentially build on recent gains," said Tony Sycamore, analyst at IG. Oil prices were on track to rise for the third straight week, with investors on edge as the week-old war between Israel and Iran showed no signs of either side backing down. Brent crude futures fell $1.57 cents, or 2 per cent, to $77.28 a barrel. On a weekly basis, it was up 3.9 per cent. The US West Texas Intermediate crude for July - which did not settle on Thursday as it was a US holiday and expires on Friday - was up 86 cents, or 1.1 per cent, to $76. The more liquid WTI for August rose 0.7 per cent, or 50 cents to $74. Prices jumped almost 3 per cent on Thursday as Israel bombed nuclear targets in Iran, and Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel after hitting an Israeli hospital overnight. "Oil prices remain high due to doubled tanker rates and ships avoiding the Strait of Hormuz," said Phil Flynn, analyst at The Price Futures Group. "The risk to supply is keeping them on edge while there have been no major disruptions of Iranian exports," Flynn said. Iran is the third-largest producer among members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, extracting about 3.3 million barrels per day (bpd)of crude oil. About 18 million to 21 million bpd of oil and oil products move through the Strait of Hormuz along Iran's southern coast, and there is widespread concern the fighting could disrupt trade flows in a blow to supplies. There was no sign of an exit strategy from either side, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price" and Iran warned against a "third party" joining the attacks. The White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump will decide whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks. "The "two-week deadline" is a tactic Trump has used in other key decisions. Often these deadlines expire without concrete action,.. which would see the crude oil price remain elevated and potentially build on recent gains," said Tony Sycamore, analyst at IG. Oil prices were on track to rise for the third straight week, with investors on edge as the week-old war between Israel and Iran showed no signs of either side backing down. Brent crude futures fell $1.57 cents, or 2 per cent, to $77.28 a barrel. On a weekly basis, it was up 3.9 per cent. The US West Texas Intermediate crude for July - which did not settle on Thursday as it was a US holiday and expires on Friday - was up 86 cents, or 1.1 per cent, to $76. The more liquid WTI for August rose 0.7 per cent, or 50 cents to $74. Prices jumped almost 3 per cent on Thursday as Israel bombed nuclear targets in Iran, and Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel after hitting an Israeli hospital overnight. "Oil prices remain high due to doubled tanker rates and ships avoiding the Strait of Hormuz," said Phil Flynn, analyst at The Price Futures Group. "The risk to supply is keeping them on edge while there have been no major disruptions of Iranian exports," Flynn said. Iran is the third-largest producer among members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, extracting about 3.3 million barrels per day (bpd)of crude oil. About 18 million to 21 million bpd of oil and oil products move through the Strait of Hormuz along Iran's southern coast, and there is widespread concern the fighting could disrupt trade flows in a blow to supplies. There was no sign of an exit strategy from either side, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price" and Iran warned against a "third party" joining the attacks. The White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump will decide whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks. "The "two-week deadline" is a tactic Trump has used in other key decisions. Often these deadlines expire without concrete action,.. which would see the crude oil price remain elevated and potentially build on recent gains," said Tony Sycamore, analyst at IG.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Gaza war pushes violence against children to new levels
Violence against children caught up in multiple and escalating conflicts reached "unprecedented levels" last year, with the highest number of violations in Gaza and the West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti. The United Nations annual report on Children in Armed Conflict detailed "a staggering 25 per cent surge in grave violations" against children under the age of 18 from 2023, when the number of such violations rose by 21 per cent. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "Children bore the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks, and were affected by the disregard for ceasefires and peace agreements and by deepening humanitarian crises." He cited warfare strategies that included attacks on children, the deployment of increasingly destructive and explosive weapons in populated areas, and "the systematic exploitation of children for combat." Guterres said the United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations against children — 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed earlier but verified last year. The violations include killing, maiming, recruiting and abducting children, sexual violence against them, attacking schools and hospitals and denying youngsters access to humanitarian aid. The UN kept Israeli forces on its blacklist of countries that violate children's rights for a second year, citing 7,188 verified grave violations by its military, including the killing of 1,259 Palestinian children and injury to 941 others in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported much higher figures, but the UN has strict criteria and said its process of verification is ongoing. Guterres said he is "appalled by the intensity of grave violations against children in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel," and "deeply alarmed" by the increase in violations, especially the high number of children killed by Israeli forces. He reiterated his calls on Israel to abide by international law requiring special protections for children, protection for schools and hospitals, and compliance with the requirement that attacks distinguish between combatants and civilians and avoid excessive harm to civilians. The UN also kept Hamas, whose October 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on the blacklist. In Congo, the UN reported 4,043 verified grave violations last year and 2,568 violations in Somalia. In Nigeria, 2,436 grave violations were reported. And in Haiti, the UN reported 2,269 verified grave violations. In the ongoing war following Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations kept the Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups on its blacklist for a third year. The secretary-general expressed deep concern at "the sharp increase in grave violations against children in Ukraine" — 1,914 against 673 children. He expressed alarm at the violations by Russian forces and their affiliates, singling out their verified killing of 94 Ukrainian children, injury to 577 others, and 559 attacks on schools and 303 on hospitals. In Haiti, the UN put a gang, the Viv Ansanm coalition, on the blacklist for the first time. Secretary-General Guterres expressed deep "alarm" at the surge in violations, especially incidents of gang recruitment and use, sexual violence, abduction and denial of humanitarian aid. The report said sexual violence jumped by 35 per cent in 2024, including a dramatic increase in the number of gang rapes, but stressed that the numbers are vastly underreported. "Girls were abducted for the purpose of recruitment and use, and for sexual slavery," the UN chief said. In Congo, the UN reported 358 acts of sexual violence against girls — 311 by armed groups and 47 by Congo's armed forces. And in Somalia, 267 children were victims of sexual violence, 120 of them carried out by Al-Shabab extremists. According to the report, armed groups were responsible for almost 50 per cent of the violations of children and government forces the main perpetrator of the killing and maiming of children, school attacks and denial of humanitarian access. "The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball — but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings — should keep all of us awake at night," said Virginia Gamba, the UN special representative for children and armed conflict. Violence against children caught up in multiple and escalating conflicts reached "unprecedented levels" last year, with the highest number of violations in Gaza and the West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti. The United Nations annual report on Children in Armed Conflict detailed "a staggering 25 per cent surge in grave violations" against children under the age of 18 from 2023, when the number of such violations rose by 21 per cent. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "Children bore the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks, and were affected by the disregard for ceasefires and peace agreements and by deepening humanitarian crises." He cited warfare strategies that included attacks on children, the deployment of increasingly destructive and explosive weapons in populated areas, and "the systematic exploitation of children for combat." Guterres said the United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations against children — 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed earlier but verified last year. The violations include killing, maiming, recruiting and abducting children, sexual violence against them, attacking schools and hospitals and denying youngsters access to humanitarian aid. The UN kept Israeli forces on its blacklist of countries that violate children's rights for a second year, citing 7,188 verified grave violations by its military, including the killing of 1,259 Palestinian children and injury to 941 others in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported much higher figures, but the UN has strict criteria and said its process of verification is ongoing. Guterres said he is "appalled by the intensity of grave violations against children in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel," and "deeply alarmed" by the increase in violations, especially the high number of children killed by Israeli forces. He reiterated his calls on Israel to abide by international law requiring special protections for children, protection for schools and hospitals, and compliance with the requirement that attacks distinguish between combatants and civilians and avoid excessive harm to civilians. The UN also kept Hamas, whose October 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on the blacklist. In Congo, the UN reported 4,043 verified grave violations last year and 2,568 violations in Somalia. In Nigeria, 2,436 grave violations were reported. And in Haiti, the UN reported 2,269 verified grave violations. In the ongoing war following Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations kept the Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups on its blacklist for a third year. The secretary-general expressed deep concern at "the sharp increase in grave violations against children in Ukraine" — 1,914 against 673 children. He expressed alarm at the violations by Russian forces and their affiliates, singling out their verified killing of 94 Ukrainian children, injury to 577 others, and 559 attacks on schools and 303 on hospitals. In Haiti, the UN put a gang, the Viv Ansanm coalition, on the blacklist for the first time. Secretary-General Guterres expressed deep "alarm" at the surge in violations, especially incidents of gang recruitment and use, sexual violence, abduction and denial of humanitarian aid. The report said sexual violence jumped by 35 per cent in 2024, including a dramatic increase in the number of gang rapes, but stressed that the numbers are vastly underreported. "Girls were abducted for the purpose of recruitment and use, and for sexual slavery," the UN chief said. In Congo, the UN reported 358 acts of sexual violence against girls — 311 by armed groups and 47 by Congo's armed forces. And in Somalia, 267 children were victims of sexual violence, 120 of them carried out by Al-Shabab extremists. According to the report, armed groups were responsible for almost 50 per cent of the violations of children and government forces the main perpetrator of the killing and maiming of children, school attacks and denial of humanitarian access. "The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball — but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings — should keep all of us awake at night," said Virginia Gamba, the UN special representative for children and armed conflict. Violence against children caught up in multiple and escalating conflicts reached "unprecedented levels" last year, with the highest number of violations in Gaza and the West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti. The United Nations annual report on Children in Armed Conflict detailed "a staggering 25 per cent surge in grave violations" against children under the age of 18 from 2023, when the number of such violations rose by 21 per cent. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "Children bore the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks, and were affected by the disregard for ceasefires and peace agreements and by deepening humanitarian crises." He cited warfare strategies that included attacks on children, the deployment of increasingly destructive and explosive weapons in populated areas, and "the systematic exploitation of children for combat." Guterres said the United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations against children — 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed earlier but verified last year. The violations include killing, maiming, recruiting and abducting children, sexual violence against them, attacking schools and hospitals and denying youngsters access to humanitarian aid. The UN kept Israeli forces on its blacklist of countries that violate children's rights for a second year, citing 7,188 verified grave violations by its military, including the killing of 1,259 Palestinian children and injury to 941 others in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported much higher figures, but the UN has strict criteria and said its process of verification is ongoing. Guterres said he is "appalled by the intensity of grave violations against children in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel," and "deeply alarmed" by the increase in violations, especially the high number of children killed by Israeli forces. He reiterated his calls on Israel to abide by international law requiring special protections for children, protection for schools and hospitals, and compliance with the requirement that attacks distinguish between combatants and civilians and avoid excessive harm to civilians. The UN also kept Hamas, whose October 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on the blacklist. In Congo, the UN reported 4,043 verified grave violations last year and 2,568 violations in Somalia. In Nigeria, 2,436 grave violations were reported. And in Haiti, the UN reported 2,269 verified grave violations. In the ongoing war following Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations kept the Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups on its blacklist for a third year. The secretary-general expressed deep concern at "the sharp increase in grave violations against children in Ukraine" — 1,914 against 673 children. He expressed alarm at the violations by Russian forces and their affiliates, singling out their verified killing of 94 Ukrainian children, injury to 577 others, and 559 attacks on schools and 303 on hospitals. In Haiti, the UN put a gang, the Viv Ansanm coalition, on the blacklist for the first time. Secretary-General Guterres expressed deep "alarm" at the surge in violations, especially incidents of gang recruitment and use, sexual violence, abduction and denial of humanitarian aid. The report said sexual violence jumped by 35 per cent in 2024, including a dramatic increase in the number of gang rapes, but stressed that the numbers are vastly underreported. "Girls were abducted for the purpose of recruitment and use, and for sexual slavery," the UN chief said. In Congo, the UN reported 358 acts of sexual violence against girls — 311 by armed groups and 47 by Congo's armed forces. And in Somalia, 267 children were victims of sexual violence, 120 of them carried out by Al-Shabab extremists. According to the report, armed groups were responsible for almost 50 per cent of the violations of children and government forces the main perpetrator of the killing and maiming of children, school attacks and denial of humanitarian access. "The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball — but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings — should keep all of us awake at night," said Virginia Gamba, the UN special representative for children and armed conflict. Violence against children caught up in multiple and escalating conflicts reached "unprecedented levels" last year, with the highest number of violations in Gaza and the West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti. The United Nations annual report on Children in Armed Conflict detailed "a staggering 25 per cent surge in grave violations" against children under the age of 18 from 2023, when the number of such violations rose by 21 per cent. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "Children bore the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks, and were affected by the disregard for ceasefires and peace agreements and by deepening humanitarian crises." He cited warfare strategies that included attacks on children, the deployment of increasingly destructive and explosive weapons in populated areas, and "the systematic exploitation of children for combat." Guterres said the United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations against children — 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed earlier but verified last year. The violations include killing, maiming, recruiting and abducting children, sexual violence against them, attacking schools and hospitals and denying youngsters access to humanitarian aid. The UN kept Israeli forces on its blacklist of countries that violate children's rights for a second year, citing 7,188 verified grave violations by its military, including the killing of 1,259 Palestinian children and injury to 941 others in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported much higher figures, but the UN has strict criteria and said its process of verification is ongoing. Guterres said he is "appalled by the intensity of grave violations against children in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel," and "deeply alarmed" by the increase in violations, especially the high number of children killed by Israeli forces. He reiterated his calls on Israel to abide by international law requiring special protections for children, protection for schools and hospitals, and compliance with the requirement that attacks distinguish between combatants and civilians and avoid excessive harm to civilians. The UN also kept Hamas, whose October 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on the blacklist. In Congo, the UN reported 4,043 verified grave violations last year and 2,568 violations in Somalia. In Nigeria, 2,436 grave violations were reported. And in Haiti, the UN reported 2,269 verified grave violations. In the ongoing war following Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations kept the Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups on its blacklist for a third year. The secretary-general expressed deep concern at "the sharp increase in grave violations against children in Ukraine" — 1,914 against 673 children. He expressed alarm at the violations by Russian forces and their affiliates, singling out their verified killing of 94 Ukrainian children, injury to 577 others, and 559 attacks on schools and 303 on hospitals. In Haiti, the UN put a gang, the Viv Ansanm coalition, on the blacklist for the first time. Secretary-General Guterres expressed deep "alarm" at the surge in violations, especially incidents of gang recruitment and use, sexual violence, abduction and denial of humanitarian aid. The report said sexual violence jumped by 35 per cent in 2024, including a dramatic increase in the number of gang rapes, but stressed that the numbers are vastly underreported. "Girls were abducted for the purpose of recruitment and use, and for sexual slavery," the UN chief said. In Congo, the UN reported 358 acts of sexual violence against girls — 311 by armed groups and 47 by Congo's armed forces. And in Somalia, 267 children were victims of sexual violence, 120 of them carried out by Al-Shabab extremists. According to the report, armed groups were responsible for almost 50 per cent of the violations of children and government forces the main perpetrator of the killing and maiming of children, school attacks and denial of humanitarian access. "The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball — but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings — should keep all of us awake at night," said Virginia Gamba, the UN special representative for children and armed conflict.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Criminal regime': Netanyahu calls Iran's leaders the ‘arch-terrorists' of the world
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran are the 'arch-terrorists' of the world during a visit to a hospital in southern Israel which was targeted by Iranian missile strikes. 'They are targeting civilians because they are a criminal regime,' Mr Netanyahu said. 'They're the arch-terrorists of the world; they want to have nuclear terrorism, which will put the entire world under nuclear blackmail, and they would use these weapons. 'We are in the process of achieving a tremendous victory.'
