They want Israel's support: DMK slams Centre's silence on Palestine issue
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India] June 22 (ANI): DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan has criticised the Centre's silence on the Palestine issue, which he said is 'wrong' accusing the Union Government of shifted its stance to garner support from Israel.
Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Elangovan said, 'The Indian Government has supported Palestine earlier and approved it, now they are silent. The policy of the government should be the same, but now they want Israel's support, so they are supporting Israel. Earlier, they said that they approve of Palestine as a separate nation; now, they are silent on this issue, which is wrong...'
Previoulsy, India had abstained during voting at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) over the ceasefire in Gaza. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a permanent resolution demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. A total of 149 countries voted in favour of a ceasefire in Gaza in the UNGA; meanwhile, 19 countries abstained and 12 nations voted against the resolution.
In the intervening hours of Saturday and Sunday (June 21-22), the US and Israel targeted Iran's nuclear sites in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow. Fardow is Iran's main enrichment location for uranium enrichment to 60 per cent. According to a CNN report, the US likely used six B-2 bombers to drop a dozen GBU-57 A/B 'bunker buster' bombs, also known as Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP), on the Fordow nuclear site, which is Iran's main location for uranium enrichment.
A US official also told CNN that a full payload of bombs was dropped on Fordow.In his first public remarks following the strikes, President Trump warned that further action could be taken if Tehran fails to agree to a satisfactory peace settlement.
Last week, India's Representative Office in Ramallah urged Indian nationals in Palestine to remain vigilant and observe locally advised safety and emergency procedures 'in view of the current situation'. It has also released a number which Indian nationals can contact in case of emergency.'
'In view of the current situation in the region, all Indian nationals in Palestine are requested to remain vigilant and observe locally advised safety and emergency procedures. Please exercise caution and avoid unnecessary movement. In case of an emergency, please contact us at +970592916418 or cons.ramallah@mea.gov.in. We remain at your disposal for any further guidance,' India's Representative Office in Ramallah said in a post on X.
The advisory came amid escalating tensions in West Asia following Israel's strikes on Iran. The Israel Defence Force (IDF) had said Israel has launched a 'precise, preemptive strike' in Iran. The spokesperson, BG Effie Defrin, said the strikes were aimed at damaging Iran's nuclear programme and in response to the Iranian regime's ongoing aggression against Israel. (ANI)
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22 minutes ago
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How the Israel-Iran conflict could impact India
On June 13, the Israeli military began striking what it claimed were nuclear targets and other sites in Iran, with the aim of stalling Tehran's nuclear programme. Iran retaliated with missile attacks on Israel. The official toll in Iran is at least 430 so far, while at least 25 persons have died in Israel. The continued exchange of fire has led to concerns of a wider regional conflict that the United States could get drawn into. Washington is an ally of Israel and acts as a guarantor of the country's security. Tehran has rejected US President Donald Trump's demand for an ' unconditional surrender ' and vowed to fight back. The prevailing uncertainty has led to a spike in global oil prices. The price of benchmark Brent crude had jumped to $78 per barrel by Thursday from $69 per barrel on June 12, the day before the conflict began. But the spike was not because of Israeli military's strikes reportedly on the Shahran oil depot in Tehran and one of Iran's largest refineries in Shahr Rey. These actions have little impact on Iranian energy exports. Instead, the spike in prices primarily stem from concerns about the possible blocking of the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict. The closure could threaten global energy security. The chokepoint The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterbody that connects the Gulf to the Arabian Sea. In 2024, an average 20 million barrels of oil was transported through the strait every day. That was about one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption. This makes the Strait of Hormuz one of the most strategically important chokepoints. Iran has in the past threatened to block the waterbody in retaliation to pressure from the West. On Sunday, the Iranian Parliament decided that the Strait of Hormuz should be closed, state-run Press TV quoted lawmaker Major General Kowsari as saying. The final decision will be taken by the Supreme National Security Council, the member of the parliamentary national security commission added. Unlike other chokepoints such as the Suez Canal or the Strait of Malacca, there is no practical alternative for fuel supplies to bypass the Strait of Hormuz in large volumes. Cargo ships are already sailing closer to the Omani coast and have been advised by maritime agencies and governments to avoid Iranian waters in the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on Wednesday. An attempt to shutter the strait will not go unchallenged because of the regional powers' strategic interest in keeping fuel supply open. But the ensuing military confrontation may still disrupt supplies to some extent. India's interest When Tel Aviv and Tehran last exchanged missile fire in October, former Indian diplomat Navdeep Suri had told Scroll that if the conflict escalated and became an all-out war, Iran, feeling threatened, had the capacity to block the Strait of Hormuz. In that case, New Delhi will be staring at a scenario that will 'directly impact India's energy security', he had said. 'A very large chunk of India's energy supplies come from there and that could really be serious for us,' explained Suri, who served as India's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. 'It's in our interest that it doesn't get out of hand.' India consumes 5.5 million barrels of crude per day for refining. Of this, 1.5 million barrels come through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. If the strait gets blocked, Amena Bakr, the head of Middle East and OPEC+ insights at analytics firm Kpler, told CNBC International on June 13 that oil prices could jump to three-digits. To put the impact of such a scenario into context: a spike of every $10 per barrel drives up inflation in India by about 0.5%, financial services company Morgan Stanley had estimated in April 2024. But Puri told NDTV that closing the strait was not in Iran's own interest. Yet, he said, India remained comfortably placed to meet its fuel needs, adding that New Delhi can tap into alternative supplies if needed. Here is a summary of the week's other top stories. Countering Trump's claims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told United States President Donald Trump that India will never accept mediation to resolve tensions with Pakistan. The topic came up during a phone call when Trump asked for the details about India's military strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on Pakistan in May, said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Trump was told that India had agreed to the ceasefire only on Islamabad's request, said Misri. The 'halt to military action was directly between India and Pakistan', the foreign secretary quoted Modi as having reiterated. The call between the two leaders came against the backdrop of the US president repeatedly claiming that he helped settle the tensions between India and Pakistan. 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Opposition leaders criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for saying that those who speak English in India will soon feel ashamed. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that English was 'not a barrier, but a bridge', adding that the language provides employment and boosts people's self-confidence. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi said to Shah that 'the only thing to be ashamed of is imposing your will on the people and trying to destroy the pluralism of India'. Shah's comment on Thursday came against the backdrop of several state governments and regional parties accusing the Union government of imposing Hindi through the National Education Policy's three-language formula. Also on Scroll this week for a curated selection of the news that matters throughout the day, and a round-up of major developments in India and around the world every evening. What you won't get: spam.
India Today
23 minutes ago
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Decoding the US strikes on Iran
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Hindustan Times
23 minutes ago
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US joins Israel against Iran; Tehran says Trump ‘betrayed' diplomacy
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He held Washington to be "responsible" for the consequences of its act of aggression. Araghchi added that US President Donald Trump did not just betray Iran but "deceived his own nation". The Iranian foreign minister said the US "betrayed diplomacy and negotiations", adding that it is irrelevant to ask Tehran to return to diplomacy. According to him, Washington only understands the language of threat and force. Araghchi affirmed that the US crossed a "very big red line" by attacking Iranian nuclear sites. ALSO READ | US B-2 bombers flew 37 hours non-stop, refueling mid-air to hit Iran nuclear sites US strikes in coordination with Israeli army: The American strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities were carried out 'in coordination' with the Israeli military, said the army's spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, adding that they were still assessing damage at the nuclear sites. Iran diplomat to meet Putin on Monday: Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that he will travel to Moscow later on Sunday and will hold "serious considerations" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'We enjoy a strategic partnership and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions,' he said about Iran-Russia ties. Moscow expressed strong condemnation of the US bombing in Iran, calling the attacks "irresponsible" and a "gross violation of international law". India's PM Modi expresses 'deep concern': Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday and expressed 'deep concern' over the escalating tensions in the Middle East region. In a post on X, PM Modi said he reiterated India's call for "immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability". US joined attacks after Israel's 'incompetence': Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said that the American strikes on Iran's nuclear sites show that the US was the "main driver" behind the Israeli strikes. He added that Washington joined Israel's bombing campaign after witnessing the country's "incompetence". ALSO READ | Donald Trump gave Iran two weeks, struck in two days. Here's why the US President didn't wait Iran says IAEA paved way to aggression: Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and its chief, Rafael Grossi, "paved the way to this aggression" of US strikes on Iran. He also called on the IAEA board of governors to condemn the attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran mulls closure of Strait of Hormuz: Amid the escalating tensions with Israel and the additional conflict of US strikes on Iran, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi was asked about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He responded, saying that "a variety of options are available to Iran". The Strait, located between Iran and Oman, and links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south, is the passage for around one-fifth of the world's total oil consumption. Britain notified of US strikes in advance: British cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News that the UK, as a key ally, was notified in advance of the US strikes on Iran. He said, "Whilst the British government, the UK, has not been involved in these attacks, we have been making extensive preparations for all eventualities." Reynolds further stated that the government was working on how to take care of British citizens as well as its military bases, personnel, and infrastructure in the Middle East region. ALSO READ | Satellite images show trail of destruction at Iran's Fordo nuclear site after US strike Israel took down Iran's 2 F-5 fighter jets: Israel said that it took out two of Iran's F-5 fighter jets, adding that it hit the aircraft at the Dezful airport. The F-5s are part of Iran's ageing fleet of fighter jets. Previously, Israel hit F-14 Tomcats flown by the Iranian military in the war. However, Iran has not acknowledged the losses of aircraft or other material in the war so far. Iran fires biggest ballistic missile at Israel: Following the US strikes on its nuclear facilities, Iran said that it fired one of its biggest ballistic missiles targeting Israel. Iranian state TV showed what seemed like previous test-firing footage of the Khorramshahr-4 missile, with an on-screen caption that it was used on Sunday's barrage on Israel. The ballistic missile has the heaviest payload of Iran's fleet. The missile has a 2,000-kilometre range with a 1,500-kilogram warhead. (With inputs from agencies)
