Latest news with #KennethMcKenzie
Glasgow Times
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- Glasgow Times
Times Past: How Glasgow's Clyde Tunnel changed the city forever
The Glasgow Herald article from that day captures the sense of public excitement generated by the opening of the road tunnel, with drivers and passengers "marvelling at the steepness of the dip under the Clyde and the climb out on the other side." Two days earlier, on the 3rd of July 1963, hundreds of spectators had crowded behind the crash barriers on Govan Road to catch a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at the official opening ceremony. West Tunnel under construction looking north, showing lighting, trunking and exhaust duct cladding (1963) (Image: Supplied) The effects of the new tunnel on Glasgow's traffic were felt immediately. On King George V Bridge, at the time the most westerly of Glasgow's bridges and the site of regular snarl-ups, traffic flowed freely. The long queues of cars that could usually be seen waiting for the Govan ferry at rush hour had disappeared – "they must all be using the tunnel today," commented ferryman Kenneth McKenzie in the Evening Times the day after the opening of the tunnel. West Tunnel, general view looking north (1963) (Image: Supplied) The opening of the Clyde Tunnel had been a long time in the making. Glasgow Corporation had been eager to improve Glasgow's cross-river transport infrastructure since the end of WW2. The importance of the stretch of the Clyde westwards from Govan and Finnieston to Glasgow's shipbuilding industry rendered a bridge across that section of the river undesirable. The boom of the motor car and the resultant congestion in the city, however, required a solution. A pamphlet created to mark the opening of the tunnel, held at Glasgow City Archives, outlines the difficulty faced by those attempting to cross the river by car prior to the construction of the tunnel: "motor traffic has had to rely on vehicular ferries to carry vehicles between the opposite banks or make a detour into the heart of Glasgow and cross the river by one of the four city bridges." In 1948, Glasgow Corporation acquired the powers to construct a road tunnel under the Clyde, between Whiteinch and Linthouse. Financial troubles meant nearly ten years would pass before Lord Provost Andrew Hood would sink a silver-plated spade into the soil at Linthouse to mark the beginning of the construction of the tunnel. Building the Clyde Tunnel was gruelling work for the tunnellers underground. Nicknamed the 'Tunnel Tigers', the cohort included many emigrant workers from County Donegal. The 'Tigers' spent eight hours a day digging tonnes upon tonnes of stone and silt from beneath the river. Beyond being physically exhausting, the work could also be dangerous. There were numerous cases of workers suffering from 'the bends' during and after their work on the Clyde Tunnel, and two workers, Leslie Bone and Thomas Roache, died from decompression sickness. When the first tunnel was completed in 1963, it was hailed as a feat of civil engineering. At time of opening, the Clyde Tunnel's 6% gradient made it the steepest road tunnel in the world – a fact which won't be surprising to anyone who has puffed their way out of the tunnel's cycle lane on their bike. The initial estimate was that 9000 cars a day would use the Clyde Tunnel, but within a year of opening that figure had shot up to 22000. While the Clyde Tunnel proved popular with motorists, some certainly felt its disadvantages. The neighbourhoods of Whiteinch and Linthouse were considerably altered by the construction of the tunnel, with the demolition of 250 tenements, a church, several bowling greens and a number of allotments. The residents of these areas found the peace of their neighbourhoods disturbed by the traffic of the large new roads. The Herald reports how "people accustomed to quiet nights found the late-night and early-morning traffic interrupted their sleep," while children who used to play freely in the street found themselves hemmed in by crash barriers. The Clyde Tunnel is a landmark not only of Glasgow's road network, but of the country as a whole. In the 62 years since its construction, it remains Scotland's only road tunnel, and now carries around 25 million motorists, cyclists and pedestrians a year.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
One number could define the Iran-Israel conflict's outcome
The outcome of the defining conflict between Iran and Israel may depend on one simple number, which is at very best a rough estimate. Israeli military data and expert analysis say Iran has fired about 700 of its medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM) at Israel over the past 14 months, leaving it with anything between 300 to 1,300 left in its stockpile. This remaining arsenal is subject to Israel's fierce air assault of the past five days, with the IDF saying it has targeted at least a third of the surface-to-surface launchers that fire MRBMs, possibly further reducing Iran's ability to strike back at Israel. The depletion of its arsenal may compound Iran's desire to negotiate its way out of the conflict and also intensify the ferocity of the Israeli campaign in the coming days, analysts have said, as Israeli airpower finds itself almost unchallenged and Iran's nightly assaults on Israeli cities seem recently to have ebbed. Few reliable estimates for Iran's stockpile exist, although US CENTCOM's commander General Kenneth McKenzie said in 2023 that they had more than 3,000 missiles of different ranges. Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said likely 1,000 to 2,000 of these were medium-range, capable of spanning the 1,400 kilometers between Iran and Israel. He called the estimate 'at best a back-of-the-envelope calculation.' According to the IDF, Iran used 120 MRBMs in its April 13 attack last year on Israel, another 200 on October 1, and a total of 380 in the past five days. This tally would deplete its overall known arsenal by a total of 700. But whether it leaves Tehran with an existential crisis over its missile deterrence depends on both the size of its initial stockpile, and what damage Israel has done to Iran's military infrastructure, since it began striking across the country on Friday. Ben Taleblu suggested this might leave Iran with 1,300 MRBMs. Other estimates were more pessimistic. Dr. Eyal Pinko, a retired Israeli naval intelligence officer, now a senior research fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, said: 'Taking into consideration that they fired around 400 to 500 in the last four days and Israel destroyed some of the arsenal of what they had, I believe they have now 800 to 700.' The few glimpses of the damage done to Iran's air defenses and missile production from Israeli strikes on October 26 have revealed a significant toll. Admiral Tony Radakin, the UK's Chief of the Defence Staff, said in a December speech that 100 Israeli aircraft had fired as many missiles from as many miles away and 'took down nearly the entirety of Iran's air defense system. It has destroyed Iran's ability to produce ballistic missiles for a year.' But recently Israel has amplified the threat that Iran's missile production poses. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday, as Israel launched its air campaign, that Iran had sped up its manufacture of ballistic missiles to 300 a month, which could leave them with 20,000 in six years. He did not provide evidence for the claim. Pinko said the 2024 strikes had 'destroyed the main facilities for manufacturing ballistic missiles motors' in Iran, creating severe limitations to the country's supply chain. Still, he notes that potential assistance from China in the coming months could boost production again. Iran would not want its arsenal of MRBMs to sink 'below four digits,' said Ben Taleblu. 'For the Islamic Republic, quantity has a quality of its own,' he said, adding that Iran excels 'in crisis management but is actually a poor conventional warfighter. And having to expend these ballistic missiles during a time of war, rather than a time of crisis precisely puts it in this bind.'
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Air Force's Bunker-Buster Bomb Could Take Out Iran Nuclear Facility, But Israel Hints at Other Options
The entire Israeli campaign to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons will be considered a failure if the spinning centrifuges deep underground at the Fordow enrichment facility south of Tehran are left untouched, the former head of U.S. Central Command said Monday. "I take it at face value when the Israelis say if Fordow is untouched when they're finished, they would regard it as a failure" of Operation Rising Lion, which began last Friday with wide-ranging airstrikes against Iran's air defenses, military facilities and key leaders, retired Marine Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie said in a Middle East Institute panel discussion. Former CIA and National Security Council official Ken Pollack, the panel's moderator, said he had been told by Israeli officials that, "If this ends with Fordow still functioning, we have not achieved our objectives." Read Next: Military Moves Ships, Aircraft to Middle East as Senator Seeks to Stop US Action Against Iran Even as Fordow remains a high priority for the Israelis, the facility has been relatively untouched thus far, McKenzie said. "I'm certain they're gonna get round to Fordow," he said, but how the Israelis could attack and destroy a facility believed to be protected by reinforced concrete a half-mile underground was unclear. The Air Force has the weapon that could possibly penetrate the Fordow facility -- the GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator), a precision-guided, 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bomb that can penetrate down 200 feet before exploding. The MOP weapon can be delivered only by the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, McKenzie said. "It is a uniquely American capability we've trained with over a number of years," he explained, but added that the bunker buster was unlikely to be used unless Iran attacked U.S. personnel or assets in the region. However, McKenzie said without giving specifics that "there are other ways to get at that space," meaning Fordow. "I really can't say a lot more about that," he said, but the other ways would involve what he called "heroic measures." Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, suggested Sunday that Israel had contingency plans to deal with Fordow without U.S. assistance. "We have a number of contingencies ... which will enable us to deal with Fordow. Not everything is a matter of, you know, taking to the skies and bombing from afar," Leiter said Sunday on ABC-TV's "This Week" program. Related: Trump Vetoed Israeli Plan to Kill Iran's Supreme Leader, US Official Tells AP
India.com
16-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Iran opens 'door to hell' for Israel with 30 years of preparation; it's like Gaza..., America will...
New Delhi: When Israel attacked Iran's capital Tehran, Fordo Nuclear Facility and military bases in Isfahan, the world's eyes were fixed on Iran's counter attack. Iran had been saying for years that if Israel attacks, it will be given a befitting reply. This time, after the Israeli attack began, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said that 'Israel will be rendered helpless.' And Iran has done what it had been warning the world about for years. It has launched a flurry of ballistic missiles against Israel. Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps i.e. IRGC has fired more than 200 missiles and drones simultaneously. Many of these missiles were medium range, whose range is between 1000 to 2000 kilometers. Iran is firing at least 150 missiles at Israel at a time. Although experts say that Israel has largely destroyed Iran's ability to fire ballistic missiles, it is still able to fire at least more than 150 advanced ballistic missiles at a time, which shows how strong Iran's ballistic missile programme is. It has even been revealed that Iran was preparing to fire 1000 ballistic missiles at a time and if it was able to do so, no one would have been able to stop Israel from becoming like Gaza, because no air defense system in the world can intercept 1000 ballistic missiles at once. Iran has rapidly expanded its ballistic missile power The strongest pillar of Iran's military strategy is its ballistic missile capability. In the last 25 to 30 years, Iran has advanced its ballistic missile capability significantly. It now has advanced ballistic missiles which Israel is failing to intercept. After years of hard work, Iran has accumulated a stockpile of hundreds of surface-to-surface missiles, including short range, medium range and intermediate range missiles. Missiles like Fateh-110, Zulfiqar, Shahab-3 and Khorramshahr are no longer just names, but strategic messages. In retaliatory attacks against Israel, Iran has shown by using these missiles in an exceptionally coordinated manner that it has not just rockets but also high-precision strike capability. The USA and Israel believe that Iran may have around 3000 ballistic missiles. Apart from this, the Israeli defense system has also destroyed missiles outside the earth's atmosphere, which means that Iran has also used intercontinental ballistic (ICBM) missiles. The use of ICBM missiles means that Iran has already built missiles that can drop nuclear bombs and it is just waiting to make nuclear bombs. The US National Intelligence Director's Office said that the ballistic missile stockpile that Iran has is the largest in the Middle East. Kenneth McKenzie, the head of the US Central Command, warned in March about the 'increasing size and sophistication of Iran's missile force'. He said that 'Tehran's missiles, combined with its nuclear capability, pose a complex deterrent challenge.' What kind of ballistic missiles does Iran have? To attack Israel, Iran needs ballistic missiles with a range of more than 1,000 kilometers. Iran's state-run news outlet ISNA published a graphic last year showing nine types of Iranian missiles that it said could reach Israel. However, it is not clear at the moment what type of missiles Iran has used in its recent attacks. But previous attacks have reportedly included medium-range ballistic missiles such as Imad and Ghadr-1 and Iran's first hypersonic Fatah-1. So far, the attacks show that Iran has used three types of medium-range ballistic missiles, with a range of between 1,400-1,700 kilometers. Apart from this, the most important thing seen in Iran's attacks so far is that a lot of payload i.e. gunpowder has been used in the missiles so that maximum level of destruction is spread. Israeli military officials said that Iran has so far attacked Israel with about 400 ballistic missiles and it has 3000 ballistic missiles in its stock. Speaking to the New York Times, two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that Iran had originally planned to launch 1,000 ballistic missiles on Israel in response to Israeli attacks on Iran. But this could not happen due to Israeli attacks. Israel's strong air defense systems include Iron Dome, which is for short-range threats. Iron Dome is one of the most effective air defense systems in the world. David's Sling, Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 are providing defense against medium and long-range Iranian missiles. Israel also has the American Patriot system, which has a range of about 160 km, which is also protecting Israel. Still, some missiles are falling.
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First Post
14-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Iran's expanding arsenal amid conflict with Israel: What missiles does Tehran have?
In the wake of Iran's massive missile retaliation against Israel, we take a look at Tehran's formidable missile arsenal. From short-range rockets to potential hypersonic weapons, Iran's missile programme is vast and growing read more Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visits the Ministry of Defense missile and defence achievements exhibition in Tehran, Iran, February 2, 2025. Iran's Presidential website/WANA via Reuters Iran's missile retaliation into Saturday morning on Israel was triggered by an Israeli aerial and drone attack that struck key Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure. The Israeli operation, according to Iran's UN ambassador, also targeted prominent figures in Iran's military and scientific communities. In response, Iran launched drones and waves of ballistic missiles toward Israel, with explosions reported in cities such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Israeli defence systems engaged the incoming projectiles, while authorities advised civilians to take shelter. Iranian media claimed that approximately 180 ballistic missiles were launched in this unprecedented retaliatory move. We take a look at Iran's missile capabilities: How did Israel's missile programme come about? Iran's ballistic missile programme is among the most expansive in West Asia, originating well before the 1979 Islamic Revolution but gaining urgency and momentum during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Managed primarily by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), this programme has evolved from reverse-engineered Soviet and North Korean designs into a largely indigenous, technologically diversified arsenal. In 2022, US Central Command General Kenneth McKenzie confirmed that Iran possesses over 3,000 ballistic missiles. This number excludes Iran's growing force of land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs) and space launch vehicles (SLVs), which share overlapping technologies with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). US and Israeli intelligence assessments have long warned that Iran's focus on accuracy, maneuverability, and propulsion technology, particularly its growing use of solid-fuel designs, reflects an ambition to create missiles capable of evading interception and delivering substantial payloads over long distances. What missiles did Iran use in its latest barrage against Israel? The latest conflict saw Iran retaliate against Israeli strikes by launching around 180 ballistic missiles, according to state-affiliated Fars news agency. The barrage included a mix of Emad and Ghadr missiles, alongside two of its more advanced models — the Kheibar Shekan and Fattah — all of which are medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) with ranges surpassing 600 miles (approximately 965 kilometres). Israel's government described its preemptive attacks as essential to thwarting Iran's alleged march toward nuclear weapons capability. The US and independent experts, however, maintained that Iran was not actively developing a nuclear weapon at the time of the Israeli assault. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Iran's missile response targeted urban centers, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, sending civilians to bomb shelters for extended periods. These missiles showcased advancement as several were designed to navigate missile defence systems through satellite-guided control fins and variable re-entry angles. What missiles does Iran have in its arsenal? Iran has deployed and tested a wide range of short-, medium-, and long-range systems. The bulk of its arsenal is comprised of ballistic missiles, but it also maintains cruise missiles and has developed space launch capabilities. Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) Iran's short-range missile portfolio includes variants of Soviet Scud systems such as Shahab-1 (300 km) and Shahab-2 (500 km), both of which use liquid fuel. More advanced SRBMs like the Fateh-110 (300 km), Fateh-313 (500 km), Raad-500 (500 km), Zolfaghar (700 km), and Dezful (1,000 km) employ solid-fuel propulsion, enabling faster launch and greater mobility. Several of these systems have demonstrated high accuracy, with Circular Error Probable (CEP) values between 10–100 metres, according to open-source defence assessments. Medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs): Iran's MRBM capability includes the Shahab-3 (1,300 km), Ghadr (1,600 km), Emad (1,800 km), and the Khorramshahr series (ranging from 2,000–3,000 km). Most of these utilise liquid fuel, though more recent developments prioritise solid-fuel engines. The Kheibar Shekan (1,450 km) and Haj Qassem (1,400 km), for example, are solid-fuelled and fitted with advanced guidance systems. Iran's newer Qassem Basir, a successor to the Shahid Haj Qassem, reportedly has a 1,200 km range and is designed specifically to evade systems like THAAD and Patriot. The Sejjil missile — a solid-fuelled, two-stage MRBM with a range of up to 2,000 km — represents a significant leap in Iran's indigenous capability, giving it the ability to launch long-range strikes with reduced launch preparation time and improved survivability. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Long-range capable systems & cruise missiles While Iran has publicly stated a self-imposed missile range limit of 2,000 km since 2015, experts caution that this could be reversed. The Khorramshahr-4, with a lighter warhead, could likely exceed this limit. Meanwhile, cruise missiles like the Soumar (believed to be derived from the nuclear-capable Russian Kh-55), Hoveizeh (1,350 km), and the Paveh (1,650 km) offer Iran strategic strike options at subsonic speeds and with varying propulsion types, including turbojets and turbofans. How has Iran used these different missiles? Many of Iran's missiles are inherently dual-use — capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear payloads. This has remained a persistent concern for the international community. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 had called upon Iran to refrain from developing missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons. However, with the expiration of related restrictions and sanctions in October 2023, Iran has accelerated its testing and refinement of such systems. The transition from liquid to solid propellants across newer platforms also indicates Iran's intent to reduce launch windows, making missile systems harder to detect and destroy in preemptive strikes. Iran claims that its most advanced missiles, such as the Fattah, can follow hypersonic trajectories — using atmospheric manoeuvring to defeat even the most advanced anti-missile shields. Iran has not confined its missile use to direct state conflict. Since 2017, the country has employed missiles in combat operations, including the 2020 strike on US bases in Iraq. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tehran has also exported missile technology to its regional proxies — including Houthi rebels in Yemen — who have used them against civilian and military targets in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and even against maritime traffic in the Red Sea. There have also been intelligence assessments suggesting Iranian willingness to provide missile systems to Russia, further raising international scrutiny. Iran's space programme, though civilian in name, shares a technological foundation with its missile programme. Vehicles like the Safir, Simorgh, Zuljanah, Qased, and Ghaem-100 demonstrate long-range propulsion capabilities that are nearly identical to those needed for intercontinental ballistic missile development. For instance, the Simorgh, capable of lifting payloads into low-Earth orbit, has an estimated range between 4,000–6,000 kilometres — placing it well beyond the parameters of regional deterrence and into the realm of strategic missile development. With inputs from agencies
