3 h. ago Israel’s attack has exposed Iran’s lack of firepower – but conflict could yet turn in Tehran’s favour

Iran has struggled to respond effectively after Israel killed many of its top military commandersIt is a week since Israel began its largest attack ever on Iran, and in conventional military terms it is clear that Tehran is under extreme pressure. Israel has been able to achieve superiority over Iran’s skies at extraordinary speed, within hours of launching its surprise assault. Its military claimed on Monday to have knocked out 120 Iranian air defence systems through a mixture of air and drone strikes, about a third of Tehran’s pre-war total.In response, Iran’s most effective weapon has been its stock of high-speed ballistic missiles, estimated at about 2,000 by Israel’s Defence Force (IDF) at the outset of hostilities last week. But the heavy targeting by Israel of launch sites in western Iran, in underground bases such as at Kermanshah – coupled with Israel’s grimly effective targeted killing of Iran’s top military commanders – have left Iran struggling to respond militarily and ...

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14 h. ago Iran Israel war LIVE: Missiles hit nuclear reactor as Iron Dome penetrated

Israel's Iron Dome appears to have buckled under Iranian bombardment after a hospital suffered direct hits - it comes as Israel struck a nuclear reactor in Iran

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18 h. ago Lockheed Martin approaches UK government with air defence pitch

Talks with British officials come as US looks to build ‘Golden Dome’ missile shield

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41 h. ago How has Iran managed to breach Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system?

For many years, the Iron Dome has repelled missile attacks from Hamas and Hezbollah. Two experts explain how Iranian missiles have punctured Israel’s defence

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54 h. ago How has Iran managed to breach Israel’s Iron Dome air defence?

For many years, the Iron Dome has repelled missile attacks from Hamas and Hezbollah. Two experts explain how Iranian missiles have punctured Israel’s defence

Politics

4 d. ago Israel hits Iran’s energy industry and defence ministry as conflict escalates

Iranian missiles evade Israeli air defences to hit refinery and apartment block south of Tel AvivMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael attacked Iran’s energy industry and defence ministry on the third day of an escalating conflict, as several Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defences to hit a refinery and rip through a high-rise apartment block south of Tel Aviv.As fuel depots outside Tehran blazed, Donald Trump presided over the US’s biggest military parade in decades. He later said the arsenal on display could be deployed against Iran if it targeted American assets. Continue reading...

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4 d. ago At least eight killed in Iranian strikes on Israel while Israeli attacks set Tehran oil depot on fire – live updates

At least 35 missing after strike hits town south of Tel Aviv; Iran says situation at Shahron oil depot under controlIsrael claims it has gained control of airspace over TehranHello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the Middle East.Israel and Iran exchanged another round of strikes late on Saturday and into Sunday, with at least eight people killed in Israel when Iranian missiles penetrated air defences in the north and centre of the country as well as hitting a science institute near Tel Aviv.At least eight people are dead and more than 100 injured after Iran launched a barrage of missile strikes at Israel overnight, in retaliation for Israel’s Friday strikes which Israel said targeted Tehran’s nuclear program, hitting key sites including its defence ministry.An unknown number of missiles evaded Israel’s air defence system to hit Rehovot and Bat Yam in Tel Aviv, killing a 69-year-old woman, an 80-year-old woman, and two children including a 10-year-old boy, according to...

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6 d. ago Iranian missiles penetrated Israel's air defenses Friday. How ironclad is the system?

Israel's multilayered air-defense system is credited with protecting the country from serious damage or casualties from past Iranian attacks

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6 d. ago Israel’s air might and Iran’s nuclear bunkers may make for lengthy conflict

Lightning air strikes have weakened Iran’s military leadership, but its nuclear facilities are deeply defendedMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael’s assault on Iran demonstrates a ruthless combination of air power and intelligence – and a significant disparity between the two countries in a conflict that is likely to be a long one if the goal is to eliminate Tehran’s nuclear capability.Israel’s air force undertook waves of airstrikes, beginning at about 3am on Friday, aimed, briefings indicated, first at Iran’s military leaders and intelligence in Tehran, then switching to air defence batteries, missile launch sites and, above all, the critical facility at Natanz where uranium can be enriched to weapons grade. Continue reading...

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6 d. ago Iran vows revenge for Israeli strikes, saying it will write ‘end of this story’

Israel says Iran launched 100 drones towards its territory after attack on Iranian nuclear sites and killing of military leadersMiddle East crisis – latest updatesIran vowed to avenge the attack on its nuclear sites and the assassination in Tehran of its senior military leadership, saying it would respond forcefully and that the “end of this story will be written by Iran’s hand”.In the first signs of a counterstrike, Israel said Iran had launched 100 drones towards Israel and that its air defences were intercepting them outside Israeli territory. Iraq said more than 100 Iranian drones had crossed its airspace, and, soon after, neighbouring Jordan said its air force and defence systems had intercepted several missiles and drones that had entered its airspace, for fear they would fall in its territory. Continue reading...

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9 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia launches attacks on Kyiv and Odesa a day after massive drone bombardment

Russia launched almost 500 drones at Ukraine on Monday in the biggest overnight drone attack of the war. What we know on day 1,203See all our Ukraine war coverageKyiv and the port city of Odesa came under “massive” drone attacks from Russia early Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said. An AFP journalist in central Kyiv heard at least a dozen of explosions and gunfire, as air defences tried to down the drones. Buildings and cars in several districts were burning and debris fell near a school. Russian strikes on Odesa hit maternity and medical facilities that had been evacuated, local officials said, reporting no casualties there.The attack came a day after Russia launched almost 500 drones at Ukraine in the biggest overnight drone bombardment of the three-year war, according to the Ukrainian air force, as the Kremlin presses ahead with its summer offensive. In addition to the 479 drones, 20 missiles of various types were fired at different parts of Ukraine from Sunday to Monday, according...

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1 week ago Nato chief Mark Rutte warns UK must spend more on defence or ‘learn to speak Russian’

Nato needs a 400% increase in air and missile defence, Mr Rutte says, warning Russia could be ready to use force against it within five years

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1 week ago Mark Rutte warns NATO members must increase defence spending or ‘you better learn to speak Russian’

The NATO general secretary has called for a 400% increase in air and missile defence spending, claiming member states will need to “start learning Russian” otherwise.

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1 week ago NATO chief says a '400% increase' in air and missile defence is required to protect Europe from Putin and become 'a more lethal alliance'

NATO head Mark Rutte will on Monday call for a 'quantum leap' in defence capacities including a '400-percent increase' in air and missile defence which 'protects' the alliance against Russia.

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1 week ago NATO needs 400% increase in air and missile defence, Rutte will say in London

NATO needs 400% increase in air and missile defence, Rutte will say in London  Reuters

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1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Poland scrambles planes to secure airspace as Russia targets western Ukraine

The Polish response comes as Russian troops advance on east-central Ukraine. What we know on day 1,202See all our Ukraine war coveragePoland and allied countries scrambled aircraft early on Monday to ensure the safety of Polish airspace after Russia launched airstrikes targeting western Ukraine near the Polish border, the operational command of the Polish armed forces said. “The steps taken are aimed at ensuring security in the regions bordering the areas at risk,” it said on X.All of Ukraine was under air raid alerts in the early hours of Monday after the Ukrainian air force warned of Russian missile and drone attacks.Russia launched an air attack on Kyiv, which Ukraine’s air defence units were trying to repel, the military administration of the Ukrainian capital said on the Telegram messaging app early on Monday.Russia says its forces are advancing to the edge of the east-central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk for the first time in the three-year war, raising the prospect of a...

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2 w. ago Defence review plans will make army ‘10 times more lethal’, says John Healey – politics live

Defence secretary says ‘the world is more dangerous’ as he addresses MPs about strategic defence reviewHere is the clip of Keir Starmer in his Today programme interview refusing to say when the government will raise defence spending to 3% of GDP.In an interview with the Times published on Saturday John Healey, the defence secretary, said that he had “no doubt” that Britain would reach the 3% target by 2034 – ie, before the end of the next parliament. Yesterday he described this as an “ambition”. Continue reading...

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2 w. ago Starmer defends not putting date on 3% defence spending target as UK to announce plans to build new submarines – politics live

Prime minister to launch strategic defence review in Glasgow this morningHere is the clip of Keir Starmer in his Today programme interview refusing to say when the government will raise defence spending to 3% of GDP.In an interview with the Times published on Saturday John Healey, the defence secretary, said that he had “no doubt” that Britain would reach the 3% target by 2034 – ie, before the end of the next parliament. Yesterday he described this as an “ambition”. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Russia launches deadly attacks across Ukraine before Istanbul talks with Kyiv – Russia

Russian shelling and air attacks kill five near Zaporizhzhia before second round of peace talks in IstanbulUkraine and Russia both launched large-scale drone barrages overnight.The Russian defence ministry said its air defence units had “intercepted and destroyed” 162 Ukrainian drones. Continue reading...

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2 w. ago Keir Starmer to unveil strategic defence review and put UK on ‘war

Prime minister to launch strategic defence review in Glasgow this morningStarmer repeats his claim that he has an ambition to get defence spending up to 3% of GDP in the next parliament.Q: But “ambition” is not a commitment. I can have a commitment to lose weight. That does not mean it will happen.What you can take from this is, yes, that 3% but I am not, as the prime minister of a Labour government, going to make a commitment as to the precise date until I can be sure precisely where the money is coming from, how we can make good on that commitment, because I don’t believe in performative fantasy politics, and certainly not on defence and security.Nato has been the single most effective alliance for keeping the peace for 80 years, and our job is not just to celebrate that as we do, but to ask ourselves the searching question as I ask myself on a daily basis, which is, how do we ensure that Nato preserves the peace for decades to come for this generation? Continue reading...

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