Latest news with #nuclearThreat
New York Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Live Updates: Israel and Iran Trade Strikes in Increasingly Deadly Attacks
Missiles fired from Iran in the sky over Jerusalem, on Saturday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has said that the sweeping attacks on Iran that began early Friday are essential to cripple what he describes as not one, but two 'existential' threats to his country. Alongside Iran's nuclear program, which Mr. Netanyahu has warned about for decades, he cites a newer menace: Iran's ballistic missiles, more than 200 of which have been launched against Israel in waves of retaliatory barrages this weekend. Even as Israel has pummeled Iran with its own sophisticated missiles, setting oil facilities in Tehran ablaze, it still fears Iran's capacity for fierce retaliation. In a video statement on Friday night, Mr. Netanyahu said Iran had accelerated production and aimed to manufacture 300 ballistic missiles a month, which would amount to 20,000 missiles within six years. He said each one was like 'a bus-full of explosives' primed to land on Israeli cities. How many missiles has Iran fired, and how many of them hit Israel? Iran has launched about 200 missiles at Israel since Friday night, in addition to scores of explosive drones, according to the Israeli authorities. The Israeli military has so far not released data about the number of missiles it has intercepted or how many have evaded its air defenses, saying such details could aid the enemy. But the Israeli prime minister's office said on Saturday afternoon that 17 sites had been identified where missiles made impact. Some have hit Tel Aviv and its suburbs of Ramat Gan and Rishon LeZion, in central Israel's coastal plain. On Saturday night, a barrage was aimed at the northern city of Haifa and its surroundings. Missile strikes on Friday night and Saturday have killed at least seven Israeli civilians and injured more than 200 people, including seven soldiers, according to the authorities. Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, Israel's chief military spokesman, said on Saturday that Israel's air defenses were 'among the best in the world' but were 'not hermetic.' Image Rescue workers scanning an Iranian missile impact site in Rishon LeZion, Israel. Credit... Amit Elkayam for The New York Times What have the Iranians been trying to hit? Many of the sites struck by Iranian missiles appear to be inside Israeli cities. Israel has accused Iran of intentionally aiming at civilian areas. It is unclear whether any sensitive military or infrastructure sites have been hit. Officials do not disclose such information, saying it would aid the enemy. But Israel is a relatively small country — only slightly larger than New Jersey. Most of its population lives in the crowded coastal plain. And the military maintains bases and camps in many populated areas, as well as in more remote parts of the country. A residential tower block that suffered a direct hit early Saturday is part of a popular entertainment district, filled with cafes and restaurants. It is also close to the main military and government headquarters in Tel Aviv, which was most likely the intended target. Later on Saturday, missiles were aimed at the port city of Haifa. Israel's largest oil refinery is in the Haifa Bay area. How many missiles does Iran have left? The Israeli military has been striking Iran's stocks of ballistic missiles and missile launchers, reducing the number it has left to launch at Israel. Military officials and experts say Iran still has hundreds of missiles — perhaps up to 2,000 — with ranges that can reach Israel. If Iran continues launching missiles at its current rate, it could most likely sustain the pace of fire for a few more days. How powerful are the missiles hitting Israel? Mr. Netanyahu said each Iranian missile carried a ton, or 2,000 pounds, of explosives, although military officials and experts say the weight can vary. Tal Inbar, an Israeli space and missile expert, said Iran's ballistic missiles carried from 300 to 700 kilograms, or about 660 to 1,540 pounds, of explosives and that the total weight of the warhead could be up to 2,200 pounds. What has Israel learned about Iran's missile capabilities? Mr. Inbar, the space and missiles expert, said that Israel was not surprised by Iran's missile capabilities, having already been the target of large barrages of similar projectiles in April 2024 and October 2024, when Iran retaliated for Israeli strikes on its territory and interests. The Houthi militia, an Iran-backed group based in Yemen, has also been firing ballistic missiles at Israel, saying it is acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. But the Houthis tend to fire a single missile in a day, and most of them have been intercepted by Israeli and American air defense systems. The difference this time, Mr. Inbar said, was the quantity of missiles that Iran fired simultaneously, in an effort to overwhelm air defenses, and the fact that some impact sites have been in densely populated areas, where just the shock waves cause extensive damage. He said some footage released by the Israeli military on Saturday showed at least one type of missile that Iran had not fired at Israel before. Named the 'Shahed Haj Qassem,' it has a range of nearly 1,000 miles. It is a solid propellant missile that does not need to be refueled before launching, Mr. Inbar said, meaning that it can sit underground for years and become operational within minutes.
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Even as Israel Blitzes Tehran, It Fears Iran's Destructive Missiles
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has said that the sweeping attacks on Iran that began early Friday are essential to cripple what he describes as not one, but two 'existential' threats to his country. Alongside Iran's nuclear program, which Mr. Netanyahu has warned about for decades, he cites a newer menace: Iran's ballistic missiles, about 200 of which have been launched against Israel in waves of retaliatory barrages this weekend. Even as Israel has pummeled Iran with its own sophisticated missiles, setting oil facilities in Tehran ablaze, it still fears Iran's capacity for fierce retaliation. In a video statement on Friday night, Mr. Netanyahu said Iran had accelerated production and aimed to manufacture 300 ballistic missiles a month, which would amount to 20,000 missiles within six years. He said each one was like 'a bus-full of explosives' primed to land on Israeli cities. How many missiles has Iran fired, and how many of them hit Israel? Iran has launched about 200 missiles at Israel since Friday night, in addition to scores of explosive drones, according to the Israeli authorities. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The National
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Europe assesses diplomatic options over Israel-Iran conflict ahead of G7 summit
Europe's cautious diplomacy is being tested by the Israel-Iran conflict as it seeks de-escalation with allies in the Middle East, while acknowledging the threats of Iran's nuclear programme. The past two days have seen a flurry of calls between European and Gulf leaders and diplomats, as the possibility of all-out war leaves countries with 'difficult calculations" to make. The rapidly escalating conflict is likely to be at the top of the agenda of the annual G7 summit that opens in Canada on Sunday, alongside US tariffs and the war in Ukraine. Before flying out to Canada, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. The pair discussed the 'gravely concerning situation' and agreed on the need to de-escalate," Downing Street said. 'The Prime Minister updated on his conversations with partners so far and reiterated that the UK is poised to work closely with its allies in the coming days to support a diplomatic resolution," the statement said. This followed a call between Mr Starmer and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu in the immediate aftermath of the strikes on Friday. Yet Mr Starmer, alongside French and German leaders, has also spoken about the 'great concerns' he has over Iran's nuclear programme and the threat it poses to Israel. 'It's obvious that for a long time we've had great concerns about the Iranian nuclear programme,' he told Bloomberg on Friday. 'I do recognise Israel's right to self defence, but I'm very concerned.' French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian premier Giorgia Meloni also spoke with the Saudi Crown Prince before making their way to the summit. 'The two sides … affirmed the need to exert all possible efforts for de-escalation, restraint, and resolving all disputes through diplomatic means,' the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement about the call with Mr Macron. Mr Macron and Ms Meloni also held separate conversations with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed. "They underscored the need for maximum restraint and for intensifying efforts to de-escalate tensions and resolve disputes through diplomatic means that preserve the region's security and stability,' Wam reported on Saturday. European countries are seeking to deter Iran from its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, without being dragged into war. The UK and France were involved in the last exchanges between Iran and Israel, when their air forces shot down drones fired by Iran in April 2024, and to a more limited extent in October 2024, during a ballistic missile attack by Tehran. 'Everybody at the moment is trying to stay out of this,' said Sir John Jenkins, a former UK Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. 'It's an incredibly difficult calculation'. Saudi Arabia normalised relations with Iran in 2023, after decades of hostility. Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE condemned Israel's strikes on Friday, but Iran's nuclear ambitions and its ballistic missiles programme have long cast a shadow over the region. Iran's neighbouring countries take an alternative view of progress and are pursuing the long term visions of diversifying their economies and attracting foreign investment, Mr Jenkins said. The diplomatic track pursued by Saudi Arabia had succeeded for a time in keeping US support for the Israeli campaign at bay. 'The Saudis played this cleverly by distancing themselves from the Israeli position,' he said. US President Donald Trump's recent visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where the US agreed to set up major AI data processing centres, was an 'indication of where (both countries) want to be in the future'. 'People aren't going to invest in what look like war zones," he said. But the extent to which Iran's neighbours and Europe can stay out of the war will depend on developments in the coming days. "Everybody is going to try to minimise their own exposure to the impact of the current conflict. But whether they're going to be successful depends on how this now plays out," Mr Jenkins said.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Iran expands military response: Strikes on Israel to continue, US bases now in crosshairs
TEHRAN, June 14 — Iran's strikes against Israel will continue, with targets set to expand to include US bases in the region in the coming days, Iran's Fars news agency reported today, citing senior Iranian military officials. 'This confrontation will not end with last night's limited actions and Iran's strikes will continue, and this action will be very painful and regrettable for the aggressors,' Fars reported, citing senior military officials. They were quoted saying that the war would 'spread in the coming days to all areas occupied by this (Israeli) regime and American bases in the region'. The threat of a wider war comes as Iran and Israel continue targeting each other on Saturday after Israel launched its biggest-ever air offensive against its longtime foe in a bid to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. — Reuters
Reuters
a day ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Iran vows to continue strikes against Israel, US bases, military officials say
June 14 (Reuters) - Iran's strikes against Israel will continue, with targets set to expand to include U.S. bases in the region in the coming days, Iran's Fars news agency reported on Saturday, citing senior Iranian military officials. "This confrontation will not end with last night's limited actions and Iran's strikes will continue, and this action will be very painful and regrettable for the aggressors," Fars reported, citing senior military officials. They were quoted saying that the war would "spread in the coming days to all areas occupied by this (Israeli) regime and American bases in the region". The threat of a wider war comes as Iran and Israel continue targeting each other on Saturday after Israel launched its biggest-ever air offensive against its longtime foe in a bid to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
