Skip to main content

Explainer: After nine straight nights of strikes, where is the US-Iran conflict headed?

The US carried out a ninth consecutive night of military strikes against Iran early on Monday, targeting command centres, missile facilities, air defence systems, maritime assets and communications infrastructure. The latest developments indicate the conflict is expanding beyond direct military exchanges, with growing implications for regional security, global energy supplies and international shipping. Here is what to know. Why are the US strikes continuing? President Donald Trump said US forces had struck Iran “very hard,” describing the operations as retaliation for the deaths of US service members in the Middle East. The latest casualty on the US side came in northern Iraq, where a service member was killed during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance recovered from a downed Iranian drone. According to American media, at least 17 US soldiers have been killed since Feb 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran. Strait of Hormuz at the heart of the co...
Post a Comment

Bahrain pushes UN-backed action for Hormuz shipping; France tables rival text

Bahrain has put forward a draft UN Security Council resolution that would authorise countries to use "all necessary means" - diplomatic language for force - to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday. Diplomats said the draft text was backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States, although they said it was unlikely to get through the council, where Russia and China had veto power. France circulated a more conciliatory alternative draft resolution, seen by Reuters, on Monday evening. The move underscores mounting concern in the region that Iran could continue to threaten the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint that carries about a fifth of global oil supplies and underpins Gulf economies. Closing the Strait has been one of Iran's main objectives. Shipping through the waterway has ground to a near-⁠halt after Iran hit vessels in its conflict with the US and Israel. The draft resolution calls Iran’s actions a threat to international peace and security. The Bahraini text would authorise countries, acting alone or through voluntary multinational naval coalitions, to use "all necessary means" in and around the Strait of Hormuz – including in the territorial waters of countries along its shores – to ensure passage and to prevent moves that block or interfere with international navigation. The resolution also expresses the readiness to impose measures, including targeted sanctions. The Bahraini and US missions at the United Nations did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The draft text "demands that the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately cease all attacks against merchant and commercial vessels and any attempt to impede lawful transit passage or freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz." French resolution makes no mention of Iran The resolution would be placed under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter, which allows the council to authorize actions ranging from sanctions to the use of force. Two European and one Western diplomat said there was little prospect of such a resolution being adopted by the Security Council as Iran's allies Russia and China were likely to veto the text if needed. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the US, Britain and France to be adopted by the 15-member body. The Russian and Chinese missions to the United Nations were not immediately available for comment. Read: Iran fires fresh missile waves at Israel, rejects Trump’s ‘negotiation’ claims as fake news France on Monday put forward its own draft, seeking a more conciliatory tone and broader support within the council. President Emmanuel Macron, who has suggested having a UN framework for any action in the Hormuz, has refused to take part in any immediate operations to secure the Strait saying that international efforts could only happen once hostilities calm and with Iran's consent. The French resolution makes no mention of Iran and is not under Chapter Seven. It "urges all parties to refrain from further escalation, calls for a cessation of the ongoing hostilities in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, and calls for a return to the path of diplomacy." Rather than authorising action, the text encourages states with an interest in commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate strictly defensive efforts to ensure the safety and security of navigation, including through the escort of merchant and commercial vessels, in full respect of international law, including the law of the sea. France's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Three US officials have told Reuters that 2,500 Marines, along with the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, and accompanying warships would deploy to the region, although they did not say what their role would be. Two officials said there had been no decision on whether to send troops into Iran itself. Sources previously told Reuters that possible targets could include Iran's coast or Kharg Island oil export hub.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/ItHNcD6
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Arab countries, Pakistan likely to observe Eid on same day

The International Astronomy Centre confirmed on Wednesday that the crescent moon of Shawwal will be impossible to sight on Saturday, March 29, across all regions of the Arab and Islamic world. This is due to the moon setting before the sun, with the conjunction occurring after sunset. As a result, observing the crescent moon, whether by the naked eye, telescopes, or other means, will be unfeasible on March 29. For countries requiring an actual sighting to mark the start of Shawwal, Ramadan will likely extend to 30 days, with Eid Al Fitr falling on Monday, March 31. However, in some regions where the conjunction occurs before sunset, allowing the moon to set after sunset, some countries may choose to declare Eid on Sunday, March 30, following traditional moon-sighting practices. Notably, a partial solar eclipse will be visible at noon on Saturday in parts of the western Arab world, including Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. This event serves as definitive proof that the cresce...
Post a Comment
Read more