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First Post
9 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
As Netanyahu dares Khamenei, here's timeline of Israel-Iran conflict
After decades of proxy warfare, Israel and Iran are now locked in a war that has killed dozens and injured hundreds. Here is the timeline of the Israel-Iran conflict that now threatened to light up West Asia. read more People watch from a bridge as flames from an Israeli attack rise from Sharan Oil depot, following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025. (Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters) In the early hours of Friday, Israel struck Iran's nuclear sites, wiped out the Iranian military's chain of command, and destroyed a host of military sites ranging from air defence units to missile launchers. As Iran responded, the two countries entered direct war after decades of proxy warfare. This is the third time that the two have found each other in a direct confrontation in more than a year — even though this one is the most intense. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the past two instances, both the sides made it a point to offer an offramp to the other and leave a scope of de-escalation in their own attacks. With strikes on Friday and follow-up attacks that continue, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not left any room of de-escalation — at least for now. Here is the timeline of the Israel-Iran conflict from 1970s to 2024. The Islamic Revolution of Iran of 1979 As they have clashed for decades, it may appear that Israel and Iran are natural enemies, but that is not the case. Until the Islamic Revolution of 1979, when radical Islamists overthrew the rule of liberal, pro-West Shah of Iran and established a theocracy, Israel and Iran had extensive partnerships in the domains of economy, trade, defence, agriculture, and intelligence. Iran was part of Israel's 'Alliance of the Periphery' along with Turkey and Ethiopia. The idea of the alliance was to be friends with non-Arab countries in the West Asia and North America region — the enemy's enemy being your friend. In his book 'The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World', Avi Shlaim called Iran the 'jewel in the crown of the Alliance of the Periphery'. 'Its common border with the Soviet Union made Iran a front-line state in the Cold War. Traditional hostility between Iran and the Arab world also facilitated cooperation with Israel. In March 1950, Iran recognised Israel de facto and permitted it to maintain an unofficial low-level representation in Tehran. Iran also supplied oil to Israel. In the aftermath of Suez this low-level economic relationship was transformed into a close political and strategic partnership,' noted Shlaim. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD That changed with the Islamic Revolution of 1979 of Iran when the Islamist Ayatollah Ali Khomenei took over the country. He made opposition to Israel and the United States, whom he called 'Small Satan' and 'Great Satan' respectively, central to the ruling ideology and formally committed Iran to the destruction of Israel. Contrary to the tone that Netanyahu has now chosen, which calls for the overthrowal of the Ayatollah's regime in Tehran, Israel for years sought a relationship with Iran even after the Islamic Revolution. Israel supported Iran in the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88). However, with no reciprocity, Israel's attempts faded and the two sides entered a decadeslong phase of proxy warfare that erupted into a full-scale war last week. Israel-Iran proxy war (1980s-2024) Even as Israel supported Iran against Iraq, Iran propped Hezbollah in Lebanon in 1992. Until its decapitation in 2024, Hezbollah would become the most potent non-state actor in West Asia, with tens of thousands of fighters and an arsenal of hundreds of thousands of missiles and rockets. Inside Lebanon, Hezbollah ran a state inside a state and controlled vast swathes of territories in the southern part of the country bordering Israel. The group clashed with Israel numerous times, conducted attacks, and fought wars. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the 1990s, Iran also started supporting Hamas, which later went on to become the principal Palestinian anti-Israel group. Both Hezbollah and Hamas share Iran's goal of destroying Israel. These are the major incidents during the proxy war: 1992: Argentina Embassy bombing: Hezbollah bombed the Embassy of Israel in Buenos Aeris, Argentina, killing 29 people, including four Israelis. 1994: AMIA Jewish center was bombed in Argentina, killing 85 killed. Hezbollah was blamed for the attack. 2002: Western intelligence agencies expose the Iranian nuclear weapons programme. 2003: Iran formally shuts down the nuclear programme and enters talks. 2006: Iran resumes nuclear fuel enrichment. 2010: Stuxnet virus attack on Natanz nuclear site. 2010-onward: Assassinations of Iranian nuclear 2010-20, Israel assassinated at least six Iranian nuclear scientists, including Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was known as the father of Iranian nuclear programme. He was killed in 2020 with a robotic gun. Other scientists killed included Masoud Alimohammadi (2010), Majid Shahriari (2010), Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani (2010; he survived), Daryoush Rezaei-Nejad (2011), and Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan (2012). 2020: The United States assassinated Qasem Soleimani, the chief of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force in Iraq. Israel assisted in the the strikes, Iran and its proxies in the region targeted US military bases in the region with missiles and rockets. Israel-Iran conflict of 2024 After decades of proxy war and cold war, Israel and Iran exchanged direct blows for the first time in 2024 in the aftermath of the October 7 attack. In April, an Israeli strike on the Iranian diplomatic mission in Syrian capital Damascus killed senior officers of the IRGC. Iran and its proxies launched hundreds of missiles and drones on Israel and a defensive coalition propped by the United States, comprising the US, British, French, Saudi, Emirati, and Jordanian forces, helped Israel in its defence. Israel also responded with strikes days later. Both sides carried out strikes in a manner that allowed them an off-ramp. On July 31, Israel assassinated then-Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in a bomb blast. In a colossal embarrassment for Iran, he was killed inside an IRGC guesthouse while he was attending the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Earlier that day, Israel had assassinated Fuad Shukr, the military chief of Hezbollah, in an airstrike in Lebanese capital Beirut. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Iran responded with hundreds of missiles and drones in October and Israel responded with retaliatory airstrikes. In the second round of strikes too, both sides allowed them an off-ramp even as Israel delivered substantial blows to Iran. This time too, the then-Joe Biden administration revived the defensive coalition for the defence of Israel. In major achievements, Israel destroyed most of the Iranian air defence systems and damaged a key component of the nuclear programme.
Economist
3 days ago
- Politics
- Economist
Tracking the Israel-Iran war
Middle East & Africa | Strike and response The latest data and maps on the conflict Your browser does not support this video. Israel launched a series of strikes against Iran in the early hours of June 13th, targeting nuclear sites and missile facilities as well as Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists. Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, said the attacks—named 'Operation Rising Lion'—would continue, with the aim of disabling Iran's nuclear programme. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, promised severe retribution. Both countries have closed their airspace and Israel has declared a state of emergency, expecting retaliation. It says Iran launched 100 drones at the country as an initial response. AZER. TURKMENISTAN Tabriz TURKEY Bonab Piranshahr Tehran SYRIA Fordow Beirut Natanz Damascus Baghdad Isfahan ISRAEL AFGHANISTAN IRAQ Jerusalem Yazd JORDAN IRAN PAKISTAN At June 13th 2025, 1pm GMT SAUDI ARABIA Israeli air strikes Confirmed Reported Nuclear facility bombed by Israel QATAR Riyadh Other nuclear facilities Israel conducted at least six waves of air strikes in the morning. The first, at around 3.30am Iranian time, struck command-and-control centres, ballistic-missile bases and air-defence batteries. Israel also targeted nuclear facilities. Social-media footage showed smoke rising from Iran's biggest uranium-enrichment plant, near the city of Natanz; Iran has confirmed the site was damaged but given few further details. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there was no sign of elevated levels of radiation. In subsequent strikes later in the day, Israel targeted nuclear facilities at Fordow. Other confirmed strikes hit targets in and around the airport in Tabriz, a city in north-western Iran. Israel also struck residential buildings in Tehran, the capital, to decapitate Iran's military leadership. The Israel Defence Forces said it killed top commanders, including the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the head of Iran's emergency command. Several other senior officials were also killed, as were some leading nuclear experts. In total, Iranian media said, 78 people died, with more than 300 injured. Assassination targets General Hossein Salami, IRGC chief commander General Salami was the commander of the most important branch of Iran's armed forces. He held a hardline stance against America and Israel. America and the UN Security Council introduced sanctions against him for his involvement in Iran's nuclear programme. General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran's armed forces General Bagheri was Iran's top-ranking officer and second in command only to the supreme leader. He took part in the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and was a veteran of Iran's war with Iraq in the 1980s. America imposed sanctions against him during Donald Trump's first term. General Gholam-Ali Rashid, chief of Iran's emergency-command headquarters General Rashid led the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, a crucial centre for co-ordinating Iran's military operations. Countries including Britain placed him under sanctions for his involvement in Iran's aerial attack on Israel in April 2024. General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, chief of IRGC's aerospace force General Hajizadeh led Iran's missile programme; his unit is also thought to be responsible for overseeing Iran's drone development. Israel said it killed most of the unit's senior officers as they gathered for an underground meeting. Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani, nuclear scientist Mr Abbasi-Davani was formerly head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation and a member of parliament between 2020 and 2024. He was a hardline advocate for Iran's nuclear programme; countries including America had placed him under sanctions. He survived an assasination attempt in 2010, which Iran blamed on Israel. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, nuclear scientist Mr Tehranchi was a nuclear physicist and head of a university in Tehran. He was thought to be involved in research related to nuclear weapons. For decades Israel has warned of the need to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons. Moreover, tensions between the countries grew dramatically after the attack on Israel by Hamas, an Iran-backed Palestinian militant group, on October 7th 2023, and the outbreak of wars in Gaza, Lebanon and beyond. The countries exchanged long-range attacks in April and October 2024. Now Israel claims Iran is rapidly heading towards the construction of nuclear devices. In March America's director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, said American intelligence agencies believed 'Iran is not building a nuclear weapon'. The Iranians have been in talks with America over the future of their nuclear programme. America's secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said his country was not involved in the Israeli operation; Donald Trump urged Iran to make a nuclear deal with America to prevent more bloodshed. Iran will now mull further retaliation. The nature of its response will in part depend on the damage that Israel managed to inflict on its arsenal of ballistic missiles. If it has retained enough rockets, Iran may attempt to repeat last year's salvoes against Israel in the hope of penetrating Israeli and American defences. Selected Iranian ballistic missile ranges Russia 2,000 km range 1,300 km Kazakhstan 500 km China Turkey Syria Israel Iraq 300 km Iran Egypt India Saudi Arabia Arabian Sea Yemen Source: CSIS, 2024 It could also attack American facilities in the region, or strike oil-shipping routes off its own southern coast. Such options risk drawing America into the war and dragging the Middle East into further turmoil.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iranian exiles in the US want $225 million for years of brutal torture by notorious security chief
Three former political dissidents now living in the U.S. are suing the Shah of Iran's 'chief torturer' – who later relocated to Florida and became a real estate developer – over years of unimaginable abuse they say continues to haunt them to this day. Parviz Sabeti, according to a $225 million lawsuit obtained by The Independent, 'is widely recognized as an architect of the institutionalization of torture in Iran, including the use of forced public recantations obtained through torture, a practice developed under his tenure and rapidly expanded and employed by the Islamic Republic of Iran today.' The complaint, which was filed February 10 in Orlando federal court, alleges Sabeti, one of the 'most powerful and feared men' in the Shah's regime, maintains ongoing relationships with individuals linked to the fearsome Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, established by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini upon his return to power in 1979. Sabeti was identified as second-in-command of Iran's secret police, or SAVAK, which existed prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979 that saw the current regime take over and form a totalitarian government. A source with knowledge of the case told The Independent that there is a sense among many that the Shah's tenure was 'distinct' from that of Ayatollah Khomeini and the Islamic Republic, but that they are in fact 'two sides of the same coin.' At the same time, they said that Islamic Republic 'is a much worse violator of human rights than the government of the Shah. The legacy of torture was built by [the Shah], and expanded by the Islamic Republic.' 'The SAVAK was never abolished, it was actually co-opted by the Islamic Republic,' the source continued, arguing that the plaintiffs in this case were 'denied accountability and justice' by both the Shah and the present-day ayatollahs. 'These people, who have been through so much, see it as their mission to speak out.' Sabeti, who has not yet been served with the suit, did not respond on Monday to emails, texts and voicemails requesting comment. Sabeti's accusers, who are identified in court filings as John Does I, II, and III, claim the 88-year-old 'planned, supervised, and advocated' for their arrests and subsequent torture, during which they were allegedly electrocuted, hung from the ceiling by their wrists, had weights hung from their genitals, whipped, beaten and forced to endure the 'Apollo,' a device described in the complaint as 'an electric chair with a metal mask designed to amplify the screams of the victims in their own ears.' 'I have lived in fear of the Islamic Republic for the last four decades,' John Doe I, a 72-year-old California resident, wrote in an affidavit filed alongside the complaint. He says he has been the target of surveillance by Iranian agents, both online and in real life, that his child has been harassed on the street by regime supporters, and that the Iranian government has pressured his family members to divulge details of his current whereabouts. In a separate affidavit, John Doe II, an 85-year-old also living in California, said he is 'afraid of the Islamic Republic and its ability to silence dissidents no matter where they are in the world,' and that he believes Sabeti 'would be willing and able to harm me and my family for my participation in this lawsuit.' For his part, John Doe III, a 68-year-old Californian, maintains in his affidavit that he 'do[es] not believe that residing in the United States protects me from harm by agents acting on behalf of the Iranian government.' The complaint paints Sabeti as a menacing figure who served as deputy director of the SAVAK under Shah Reza Pahlavi. Together, Sabeti and his compatriots were responsible for the 'mass arrest and torture of thousands of perceived political opponents, including lawyers, writers, theater directors, university teachers, members of ethnic minority groups, intellectuals, students, activists, artists, and political rivals.' 'This deliberate reign of state terror reached its peak during [Sabeti's] tenure as Chief of SAVAK's Third Division,' which the complaint calls the SAVAK's 'most notorious' unit. Sabeti and his wife fled Iran in 1978, taking 'active measures' to conceal their whereabouts, the complaint says. He has spent the past four decades in hiding, finally revealing himself again in 2023 against the backdrop of mass demonstrations in Iran, producing a 7.5-hour documentary 'defending his tenure' as one of the Shah's most violent henchmen, according to the complaint. He also provoked outrage among Iranian exiles for appearing that same year at a Los Angeles protest against the Iranian regime. John Doe I was a student at Tabriz University when he was arrested in his dorm room by the SAVAK in 1974, according to the complaint. Court filings say he was tortured for weeks amid accusations that he had provided a classmate with a book of illicit political poetry, and that his brutal treatment was 'coordinated' and 'approved' by Sabeti. After 40 days of violent interrogations, John Doe I was brought before a military tribunal on charges of acting against national security, and sentenced to four years in prison, the complaint states. 'He has suffered from kidney issues throughout his life as a result of the wounds and infections that he suffered while in prison,' it goes on. 'John Doe I still has the scars from being whipped and lashed. He has hidden these scars, and many of the details of what happened to him, from people throughout [his] life.' John Doe II, an artist, was a member of an arts collective forcibly shut down by the SAVAK during the 1970s, according to the complaint. He was arrested and imprisoned multiple times for, among other things, supporting free speech in Iran, and, following a show trial in a military court, served seven years of a 12-year sentence during which he was tortured 'repeatedly' on Sabeti's orders, the complaint alleges. 'John Doe II's torture has left a deep and heavy psychological burden on him, where every day is its own struggle,' it says. 'To help deal with the lasting effects of his torture, John Doe II has had years of therapy. Even thinking about his torture is a visceral and painful process for him. At times, John Doe II has post-traumatic stress reactions when he tries to talk about his torture, including full body shakes and feelings of dizziness.' John Doe III was still in high school when he was arrested by the SAVAK on allegations of sharing anti-Shah literature, and tortured at a facility in his hometown of Shiraz, according to the complaint. After his name was given up by a classmate caught with a homemade gun used to shoot birds, John Doe III was charged with participating in an armed group and sentenced to two years in prison, the complaint states. There, it says he was subjected to gruesome forms of torture, all allegedly authorized and overseen by Sabeti, that still affects him. 'Recounting and reliving his torture is difficult for John Doe III; it can feel dishonorable and humiliating,' according to the complaint. 'His trauma has left a heavy burden on him for his entire life, although he has tried his best to cope.' Now that Sabeti has revealed himself, John Does I, II and III can pursue their claims against him, the complaint states. And while they fear reprisal by members of the Iran regime and supporters of the Shah, the complaint says the Does 'feel they can no longer wait' until such threats have been eliminated, if ever. The trio is demanding compensatory and punitive damages of at least $75 million each, for a total of $225 million, plus attorneys' fees. Once served with the lawsuit, Sabeti will have three weeks to respond to the accusations.
The Independent
24-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Iranian exiles in the US want $225 million for years of brutal torture by notorious security chief
Three former political dissidents now living in the U.S. are suing the Shah of Iran's 'chief torturer' – who later relocated to Florida and became a real estate developer – over years of unimaginable abuse they say continues to haunt them to this day. Parviz Sabeti, according to a $225 million lawsuit obtained by The Independent, 'is widely recognized as an architect of the institutionalization of torture in Iran, including the use of forced public recantations obtained through torture, a practice developed under his tenure and rapidly expanded and employed by the Islamic Republic of Iran today.' The complaint, which was filed February 10 in Orlando federal court, alleges Sabeti, one of the 'most powerful and feared men' in the Shah's regime, maintains ongoing relationships with individuals linked to the fearsome Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, established by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini upon his return to power in 1979. Sabeti was identified as second-in-command of Iran's secret police, or SAVAK, which existed prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979 that saw the current regime take over and form a totalitarian government. A source with knowledge of the case told The Independent that there is a sense among many that the Shah's tenure was 'distinct' from that of Ayatollah Khomeini and the Islamic Republic, but that they are in fact 'two sides of the same coin.' At the same time, they said that Islamic Republic 'is a much worse violator of human rights than the government of the Shah. The legacy of torture was built by [the Shah], and expanded by the Islamic Republic.' 'The SAVAK was never abolished, it was actually co-opted by the Islamic Republic,' the source continued, arguing that the plaintiffs in this case were 'denied accountability and justice' by both the Shah and the present-day ayatollahs. 'These people, who have been through so much, see it as their mission to speak out.' Sabeti, who has not yet been served with the suit, did not respond on Monday to emails, texts and voicemails requesting comment. Sabeti's accusers, who are identified in court filings as John Does I, II, and III, claim the 88-year-old 'planned, supervised, and advocated' for their arrests and subsequent torture, during which they were allegedly electrocuted, hung from the ceiling by their wrists, had weights hung from their genitals, whipped, beaten and forced to endure the 'Apollo,' a device described in the complaint as 'an electric chair with a metal mask designed to amplify the screams of the victims in their own ears.' 'I have lived in fear of the Islamic Republic for the last four decades,' John Doe I, a 72-year-old California resident, wrote in an affidavit filed alongside the complaint. He says he has been the target of surveillance by Iranian agents, both online and in real life, that his child has been harassed on the street by regime supporters, and that the Iranian government has pressured his family members to divulge details of his current whereabouts. In a separate affidavit, John Doe II, an 85-year-old also living in California, said he is 'afraid of the Islamic Republic and its ability to silence dissidents no matter where they are in the world,' and that he believes Sabeti 'would be willing and able to harm me and my family for my participation in this lawsuit.' For his part, John Doe III, a 68-year-old Californian, maintains in his affidavit that he 'do[es] not believe that residing in the United States protects me from harm by agents acting on behalf of the Iranian government.' The complaint paints Sabeti as a menacing figure who served as deputy director of the SAVAK under Shah Reza Pahlavi. Together, Sabeti and his compatriots were responsible for the 'mass arrest and torture of thousands of perceived political opponents, including lawyers, writers, theater directors, university teachers, members of ethnic minority groups, intellectuals, students, activists, artists, and political rivals.' 'This deliberate reign of state terror reached its peak during [Sabeti's] tenure as Chief of SAVAK's Third Division,' which the complaint calls the SAVAK's 'most notorious' unit. Sabeti and his wife fled Iran in 1978, taking 'active measures' to conceal their whereabouts, the complaint says. He has spent the past four decades in hiding, finally revealing himself again in 2023 against the backdrop of mass demonstrations in Iran, producing a 7.5-hour documentary 'defending his tenure' as one of the Shah's most violent henchmen, according to the complaint. He also provoked outrage among Iranian exiles for appearing that same year at a Los Angeles protest against the Iranian regime. John Doe I was a student at Tabriz University when he was arrested in his dorm room by the SAVAK in 1974, according to the complaint. Court filings say he was tortured for weeks amid accusations that he had provided a classmate with a book of illicit political poetry, and that his brutal treatment was 'coordinated' and 'approved' by Sabeti. After 40 days of violent interrogations, John Doe I was brought before a military tribunal on charges of acting against national security, and sentenced to four years in prison, the complaint states. 'He has suffered from kidney issues throughout his life as a result of the wounds and infections that he suffered while in prison,' it goes on. 'John Doe I still has the scars from being whipped and lashed. He has hidden these scars, and many of the details of what happened to him, from people throughout [his] life.' John Doe II, an artist, was a member of an arts collective forcibly shut down by the SAVAK during the 1970s, according to the complaint. He was arrested and imprisoned multiple times for, among other things, supporting free speech in Iran, and, following a show trial in a military court, served seven years of a 12-year sentence during which he was tortured 'repeatedly' on Sabeti's orders, the complaint alleges. 'John Doe II's torture has left a deep and heavy psychological burden on him, where every day is its own struggle,' it says. 'To help deal with the lasting effects of his torture, John Doe II has had years of therapy. Even thinking about his torture is a visceral and painful process for him. At times, John Doe II has post-traumatic stress reactions when he tries to talk about his torture, including full body shakes and feelings of dizziness.' John Doe III was still in high school when he was arrested by the SAVAK on allegations of sharing anti-Shah literature, and tortured at a facility in his hometown of Shiraz, according to the complaint. After his name was given up by a classmate caught with a homemade gun used to shoot birds, John Doe III was charged with participating in an armed group and sentenced to two years in prison, the complaint states. There, it says he was subjected to gruesome forms of torture, all allegedly authorized and overseen by Sabeti, that still affects him. 'Recounting and reliving his torture is difficult for John Doe III; it can feel dishonorable and humiliating,' according to the complaint. 'His trauma has left a heavy burden on him for his entire life, although he has tried his best to cope.' Now that Sabeti has revealed himself, John Does I, II and III can pursue their claims against him, the complaint states. And while they fear reprisal by members of the Iran regime and supporters of the Shah, the complaint says the Does 'feel they can no longer wait' until such threats have been eliminated, if ever. The trio is demanding compensatory and punitive damages of at least $75 million each, for a total of $225 million, plus attorneys' fees. Once served with the lawsuit, Sabeti will have three weeks to respond to the accusations.
