3 d. ago From Iraq to Iran: the US quest for Israeli military dominance – and its fallout

As Israeli jets and American bombers streaked across Iranian skies earlier this month, the world watched a familiar game plan unfold – one that had its origins in secret meetings, veiled ambitions and the relentless logic of regional dominance that has haunted the Middle East for generations. The process began decades earlier, in the smoke of American air strikes on Iraq and the calculations of US policymakers determined to keep Israel unrivalled. It was the late 1990s when a small, bipartisan...

Events

5 d. ago Trump, at Nato summit, defends US strikes on Iran nuclear facilities

US President Donald Trump rejected media reports that US air strikes only partly damaged Iran’s nuclear facilities as “fake news” on Wednesday, maintaining his claim that the targeted sites had been “obliterated”. Speaking to reporters during the Nato summit in The Hague, Trump said that the US had carried out a “massive” precision strike on Saturday against Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. “It was very, very successful. It was called obliteration. No other military on earth could’ve done...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump defends US strikes on Iran nuclear facilities at Nato summit

US President Donald Trump rejected media reports that US air strikes only partly damaged Iran’s nuclear facilities as “fake news” on Wednesday, maintaining his claim that the targeted sites had been “obliterated”. Speaking to reporters during the Nato summit in The Hague, Trump said that the US had carried out a “massive” precision strike on Saturday against Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. “It was very, very successful. It was called obliteration. No other military on earth could’ve done...

Politics

5 d. ago Did US strikes wipe out Iran’s nuclear facilities? Chinese experts sceptical

Chinese defence experts expressed scepticism about US President Donald Trump’s claim that air strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s biggest nuclear facilities, following reports that core components of Tehran’s nuclear assets remained intact. CNN reported on Tuesday that an assessment by the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s intelligence arm, was at odds with Trump’s claim that Iran’s enrichment sites – Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan – were “completely and totally obliterated”. While the full...

Events

6 d. ago White House clarifies Trump’s comment on China buying Iranian oil

US President Donald Trump’s declaration on Tuesday that China “can now continue” to buy Iranian oil did not signal a change in Washington’s policy on banning such trade, the White House said. Trump’s earlier comments about China-Iran oil trade were made to highlight the continuation of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz - a critical shipping lane that appeared threatened by the escalation of conflict in the Middle East following the US military’s air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, according...

Politics

7 d. ago China ‘unlikely to take decisive role’ as US bombing of Iran tests influence

Even as US air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities put China’s influence to the test in the strategically important region, most observers expect Beijing to avoid direct intervention of any kind. They said Beijing was likely to instead focus on diplomatic support for Tehran as the US became more entangled in the Israel-Iran conflict. US bombing over the weekend reportedly damaged three of Iran’s nuclear facilities, marking the most significant Western military action against Tehran since the...

Events

7 d. ago Beijing tells China ships in Strait of Hormuz to phone home amid safety risks

Check in once a day so we know you’re OK – that is the message China has sent to all domestic shipping vessels traversing the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran mulls closure of the key oil trade route following air strikes by the United States at the weekend. Effective immediately, all shipping companies and ship-management firms must submit daily reports with specific details from vessels transiting not only the Hormuz – a critically important shipping chokepoint – but also the Gulf of Oman and the...

Events

8 d. ago China criticizes attack on Iran as U.S. asks Beijing for trade route help

China criticizes attack on Iran as U.S. asks Beijing for trade route help  The Japan Times

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8 d. ago Asian shippers fear spiralling costs as Iran threatens Strait of Hormuz closure

US air strikes on Iran sent oil prices soaring on Monday, leaving Asian shippers burdened with fresh costs on top of extra insurance premiums of US$1 million more per tanker, as Tehran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz and paralyse the crucial sea lane. Up to 20 million barrels of oil pass each day through Hormuz, one-fifth of global supply, most of it destined for East Asia’s biggest economies – China, South Korea and Japan. The neck of water is controlled by Iran, whose parliament on...

Events

8 d. ago Pentagon says US operation against Iran nuclear sites inflicted ‘severe damage’

The Middle East is plunged deeper into crisis after the United States launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which US President Donald Trump said “completely and fully obliterated” three key sites, marking a major escalation in the Israel-Iran air war. Detailing a complex strike mission dubbed “Midnight Hammer” that involved seven B-2 bombers and the deployment of Massive Ordnance Penetrator “bunker buster” bombs for the first time in a conflict, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said...

Events

9 d. ago Iran hitting back at US inevitable as window for diplomacy narrows: analysts

Iranian retaliation against the American air strikes ordered by President Donald Trump is inevitable, despite a diplomatic backchannel message from Washington to Tehran before the attack that it was intended as a one-off, according to analysts. The only uncertainty, Middle East experts say, is how the Islamic republic will balance its responses so as to preserve the regime and show its potency within the region – if only to buy enough time to clandestinely build nuclear warheads. “Trump just...

Events

1 week ago Israel ‘ready to keep talking to China’ despite criticism of Iran air strikes

Israel wants to “continue talking” to China despite its repeated condemnations of the recent attacks on Iran, its ambassador to Beijing has said. Eli Belotserkovsky did not rule out the possibility of China acting as a mediator but in an interview with the SCMP on Wednesday he said the country’s biggest concern was its military operation. Asked about Beijing’s position, Belotserkovsky said Israel’s relations with China were “very important”, and that the two sides had open channels of...

Politics

2 w. ago Beijing ready to play a 'constructive role': Chinese FM talks to Israel, Iran counterparts; affirms suppo

Beijing ready to play a 'constructive role': Chinese FM talks to Israel, Iran counterparts; affirms suppo  Times of India

Politics

2 w. ago China criticizes Israeli strikes on Iran, warns of ‘potential grave consequences’

China criticizes Israeli strikes on Iran, warns of ‘potential grave consequences’  Washington Times

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