Numbers matter in peace or war, but more doesn't always mean merrierfertility, firepower, and what we're really multiplying

The world is ageing, so is India. But this doesn't mean that missiles are getting older. East or West, North or South, tried and tested projectiles are being used fast and furiously by the grey-haired generation so that otherworld warheads could be created to raise an archetypal sphere. It's a different matter that several such previous attempts have produced more tribulations for the orb than ever envisioned.
In this context, two reports really deserve attention. While the United Nations has warned that world fertility rates are declining,
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
data points to the supersonic speed with which the population of military arsenal is growing. In reality,
modern warfare
is becoming younger, faster, slimmer and sharper, and, in contrast, homo sapiens are turning out to be older and slower. Evidently, the
armament industry
is staring at no fertility crisis. As a matter of fact, this is one business that is always fired up — whether in peacetime or wartime.
But, more and more weapons, for what purpose? Maybe, those engaged feel that they are doing a service to the universe by multiplying their arsenal exponentially.
Amid all this, Sri Lankans are wrestling with a completely different set of ecosystems. The island nation recently released its first census of crop enemy animals — monkeys, peacocks, giant squirrels and purple faced langurs (numbering more than 13 million together). It's unclear how this data will be used by the country to take
crop damage mitigation
measures, but the survey has already led to some fireworks.
Although the frenzy isn't as wild as ongoing in other parts of the planet, tempers are running high over shortcomings and errors in headcount. Clearly, numbers matter, but the more isn't always the merrier.

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Mint

an hour ago

• Mint

Iran tries to buy time to weigh its response to US strikes

With the U.S. joining Israel to strike Iran's main nuclear sites, Iran's clerical leaders face a tough choice: hit back quickly and risk expanding a devastating war, or return to nuclear talks where they would likely have to cede to American demands. Iranian officials may have bought themselves some time to maneuver Sunday by saying they had minimized the impact from the U.S. strikes to their nuclear program. State media said damage at the key Fordow enrichment facility was limited to the entrance tunnel and that important equipment had been moved out before the bombings. The United Nations' nuclear agency also said there hadn't been radiation leaks. That could reduce the public pressure to retaliate immediately and instead provide the regime room to come up with a plan to deter future U.S. and Israeli strikes. Iran's choice could prove pivotal, determining not only the stability of the broader region and its energy exports to the rest of the world, but potentially the survival of the theocracy in Tehran. 'Iran is facing a dilemma," said Mohamed Amersi, a Middle East expert on the Global Advisory Council of the Wilson Center, a Washington think tank. He said it could respond with symbolic strikes against Western assets while trying to negotiate a cease-fire with Israel in exchange for relief from the West's economic sanctions. Or it could choose to raise the stakes by targeting more substantive Western targets in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, along with strategic locations in Israel and strikes in oil-producing regions of the Persian Gulf. 'In the second case, Iran should expect the U.S. to re-engage," Amersi said. The immediate aftermath of the American strikes saw Iran limit its response to Israel, firing ballistic missiles at several areas of the country and damaging residential buildings in Tel Aviv, according to Magen David Adom, the country's emergency services agency. At least 16 people were wounded. But should Iran opt to broaden its attacks, its targets could include American bases and embassies in Iraq, Bahrain and other parts of the region. Iran could also try to close the Strait of Hormuz—a transit chokepoint for a quarter of the world's oil—by attacking ships or laying mines. The goal would be to trigger an oil-supply crisis, a surge in prices and a drop in global stock markets in a bet that would pressure Persian Gulf nations and the U.S. to broker a diplomatic outcome. It is a risky course that could instead lead to more U.S. attacks that could threaten the durability of the regime in Tehran. Some analysts expect Iran to play it relatively safe. Iranian Navy soldiers patrolling near the Strait of Hormuz in 2019. Based on past behavior, Iran could 'harass shipping to boost oil prices, which could hurt the U.S. economy, especially under Trump," said Europe-based Mostafa Pakzad, chairman of Pakzad Consulting, which advises foreign companies on Iranian geopolitics. In 2018, after President Trump took the U.S. out of a pact limiting Iran's nuclear program and ordered an oil embargo on the country, Tehran attacked passing vessels using limpet mines in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's response to the January 2020 U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Iraq offers further clues to its potential reaction. Soleimani was widely seen as one of the most powerful men in Iran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles at U.S. military bases in Iraq, wounding scores of U.S. troops but not killing any Americans. A key question now is whether Iran even has the military capability to expand the war after 10 days of blistering strikes by Israel that have targeted its weapons systems, senior leaders and military infrastructure. Although Iran continues to strike Israel, its arsenal of missiles is shrinking. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Israel has destroyed half of Iran's missile launchers, making it harder to use those that remain. 'Iran, in a conventional contest, is in a much weaker position," said Michael Singh, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 'But we do know that Iran has other capabilities, whether that's cyber capabilities, terrorist proxies and so forth." Israeli rescue workers at a building in Tel Aviv hit by missiles. The regional militias belonging to Iran's so-called Axis of Resistance, which Tehran has built and supported for decades, have largely remained on the sidelines so far. But Yemen's Houthi militia warned on Saturday that it would target U.S. warships and commercial ships in the Red Sea if the U.S. bombs Iran. Mohammed al-Basha, founder of U.S.-based Middle East security advisory Basha Report, said he anticipates 'measured retaliation from Iranian-backed proxy forces…rather than full-scale warfare," with groups such as the Houthis and Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah targeting American regional interests. He said the attacks would likely resemble Iran's nonlethal response to the Soleimani killing, which he described as a symbolic response by Tehran. Houthi police officers in San'a, Yemen, on Friday. Still, Khamenei warned last week that if the U.S. attacks Iran it 'must know that our people will not surrender, and any military intervention by them will lead to irreparable consequences." And on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it isn't clear how much room remains for diplomacy, saying in a post on X that the U.S. strikes 'will have everlasting consequences." He said 'Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people." Some members of the Iranian parliament have called for an immediate withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Hard-line factions in the government view building nuclear weapons as the best path forward to regain regional influence and deter threats from Israel and now the U.S. Yet with the dust still settling from the U.S. strikes, it is too soon to determine what's left of the country's nuclear program. Write to Sudarsan Raghavan at Benoit Faucon at and Summer Said at

The Hindu

2 hours ago

• The Hindu

Morning digest: June 23, 2025

Iranian Parliament votes to close vital Strait of Hormuz after U.S. strikes on nuclear sites, disruptions likely to impact oil prices for India Iran's Parliament, the Majlis, has reportedly approved the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to the attacks by the U.S. on Iranian nuclear facilities, the country's state-owned media PressTV reported on Sunday (June 22, 2025), citing Esmaeil Kowsari, a member of the Majlis. According to the report, the final decision on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz lies with Iran's Supreme National Security Council. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, and is one of the world's most important oil trade routes. India imports about 80% of its oil requirement, meaning that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz will likely impact the price of oil that India purchases. The Strait of Hormuz is also a vital trade route for ships travelling to and from India. United Nations chief warns of cycle of retaliation after U.S. bombs Iran United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned Sunday (June 22, 2025) against yet 'another cycle of destruction' and retaliation following the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, which he said marked a 'perilous turn' in the region. 'I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East,' the secretary-general told an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. 'The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation,' he added. 'Anti-Naxal' campaigns to continue in monsoon, says Amit Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday (June 22, 2025) said that for the first time, 'anti-Naxal' operations would continue during the monsoon even as he reiterated his appeal that Naxals lay down arms and join the mainstream. 'Every time during the rainy season, Naxalites used to get rest, but this time, we will not let them sleep during monsoon and we will move further to achieve the target of 31/3 (2026, to eliminate Naxalism_,' Mr. Shah said, laying the foundation stone for the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) campus and a Central Forensic Science Lab in Chhattisgarh's Nava Raipur Atal Nagar. India debunks claims of U.S. using Indian airspace for Iran strikes, PIB Fact Check confirms India on Sunday (June 22, 2025) dismissed as 'fake' claims by certain social media handles that the U.S. fighter jets used Indian airspace to launch strikes against Iran. The U.S. bombed three nuclear sites in Iran on Sunday (June 22, 2025), with U.S. President Donald Trump warning of additional strikes if Iran retaliates. 'Several social media accounts have claimed that Indian airspace was used by the United States to launch aircraft against Iran during Operation #MidnightHammer. This claim is fake,' PIB Fact Check said in a post on X. NIA nabs one more in Maoist revival conspiracy case The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday (June 22, 2025) arrested a key accused involved in the attempts to revive a Communist Party of India (Maoist) Northern Region Bureau (NRB) terror module. The agency also seized digital devices, including hard drives, pen drives, and mobile phones, as well as other 'incriminating' material during a search in the West Delhi house of the accused person identified as Vishal Singh, originally from Uttar Pradesh's Mathura. 'Investigations have revealed that the accused, a member of the CPI (Maoist), had delivered a drone to leaders of the banned terror outfit in Chhakarbanda/Panchrukhiya forest area of Bihar to further its anti-national activities,' the probe agency said. INS Tamal, India's last imported warship, to be commissioned on July 1 The Indian Navy is all set to commission its latest stealth multi-role frigate INS Tamal on July 1 at Kaliningrad in Russia. This will be the last warship of the Indian Navy to have been built outside India and the eighth in the series of Krivak-class frigates inducted from Russia over the past two decades. The ceremony will be presided over by Western Naval Commander Vice Admiral Sanjay J. Singh in the presence of several high-ranking Indian and Russian government and defence officials. ECI considers intensive house-to-house verification to update electoral rolls before Bihar Assembly election Amid allegations by Opposition parties over alleged manipulation of voter rolls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday (June 22, 2025) said it was contemplating intensive house-to-house verification for the revision of electoral rolls before the upcoming Bihar Assembly election. This approach is being considered as, in the past, persistent concerns have been raised by various civil society organisations, political parties, and agencies on the inclusion or deletion of names of electors from the rolls, sources in the ECI said. Another flight from Iran carrying 311 Indians lands in Delhi; over 1,400 evacuated so far India on Sunday (June 22, 2025) evacuated more than 300 Indian nationals from Iran amid the escalating tensions between the Persian Gulf nation and Israel following the U.S. bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said 311 Indians landed in Delhi on a special flight from the Iranian city of Mashhad. With the fresh batch of evacuees, the total number of those brought back from Iran now stands at 1,428. Three-hundred eleven Indian nationals arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashhad at 4:30 p.m. on June 22, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. DGCA launches comprehensive safety audit to ensure aviation safety The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a comprehensive safety audit to provide a holistic evaluation of the aviation sector by meticulously examining safety, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance. The aviation regulator's new audit framework is expected to proactively identify systemic vulnerabilities, enhance resilience and ensure strict adherence to the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and India's national aviation objectives. The move to strengthen the safety infrastructure comes days after the tragic crash of London-bound Air India flight AI-171 moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad. Air India to temporarily reduce flights operated with narrow-body planes on 19 routes Air India on Sunday (June 22, 2025) said it will temporarily reduce 118 weekly flights operated with narrow-body planes on 19 routes and suspend services on three routes. The announcement comes days after the Tata Group-owned carrier said it will cut international flights operated with wide-body planes by 15% temporarily. In a statement, the airline said it is going for 'temporary cuts of less than 5% to its overall narrow-body network'. It said, 'This voluntary decision leads to the temporary suspension of Air India's services on 3 routes and reduction of frequency on 19 routes. The changes are effective until at least 15 July 2025.' U.S. travel advisory warns citizens of crime, rape, terrorism in India, urges 'increased caution' The U.S. has issued an advisory for its citizens travelling to India, urging 'increased caution' due to crime and rape, and advising them not to travel to certain parts of central and eastern parts of the country due to terrorism. The travel advisory issued last week states that 'rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India' and violent crimes, including sexual assault, happen at tourist sites and other locations. It added that terrorists, who target tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls and government facilities, may attack with little or no warning. The advisory also tells U.S. citizens not to travel to parts of Central and East India 'due to terrorism.' Iranian ambassador says U.S. 'decided to destroy diplomacy' with strikes on nuclear sites Iran said Sunday (June 22, 2025) that the U.S. 'decided to destroy diplomacy' with its strikes on the country's nuclear programme and that the Iranian military will decide the 'timing, nature and scale of Iran's proportionate response'. Iran's United Nations ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, spoke to an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council hours after the U.S. inserted itself into Israel's war against Iran by striking three nuclear sites inside the Islamic Republic. U.S. President Trump hints at potential regime change in Iran The Trump administration on Sunday (June 22, 2025) sent a series of conflicting messages to Iran — with U.S. officials initially indicating a willingness to resume negotiations after a surprise attack on three of the country's nuclear sites and President Donald Trump talking up the possibility of regime change. 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change', but if the current Iranian regime is unable to make Iran great again, why wouldn't there be a regime change?' Mr. Trump posted on social media. 'MIGA!!!' At least 20 dead in Syria church attack; Government blames Islamic State At least 20 people were killed Sunday (June 22, 2025) in a suicide attack on a church in Damascus, authorities said, with Syria's Interior Ministry blaming a member of the Islamic State group. The international community condemned the attack, the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, and the first on a church there since the country's civil war erupted in 2011. The Interior Ministry said in a statement that 'a suicide attacker affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group entered the Saint Elias church in the Dwelaa area of the capital Damascus, where he opened fire and then blew himself up with an explosive belt'. Over 100 firefighters battle large wildfire on eastern Greek island of Chios More than 100 firefighters assisted by water-dropping helicopters and planes were battling a large wildfire burning near the main town of the eastern Aegean island of Chios Sunday (June 22, 2025), with emergency services ordering the evacuation of a dozen areas. The fire department said three separate blazes had broken out in the morning and mid-day on Sunday (June 22, 2025) near the town of Chios. The flames were fanned by strong winds, leaving firefighters struggling to contain what turned into one large blaze. The fire department said it was sending an arson investigation team to the island. Ind vs Eng, 1st Test Day 3: Bumrah hands India a slender lead Trying to get near a 471-run first-innings total would have been a steep climb for most sides. But so emphatically did England turn the tables on India that for most of day three of the first Test in Headingley, it was the visitors — despite a rejuvenating, cool breeze blowing across the ground — who resembled a pack of tired cyclists staring at a hulking mountain. England, from an overnight 209 for three, fought India to a standstill, ending its first essay just six runs adrift. For the remaining two days, the forecast is for grey skies. That means India has to bat well, both for time and runs. India showed the stomach for a fight by reaching 90 for two, propelled by a silken K.L. Rahul knock (47 batting, 75b, 7x4). Jasprit Bumrah got a deserved fifer (24.4-5-83-5), but by the time the 31-year-old earned his fourth and fifth wickets.

India.com

3 hours ago

• India.com

How Israel Became A Nuclear Power, How Many Bombs Does It Have?

Israel-Iran War: Despite never officially confirming its nuclear arsenal, Israel has long been believed to possess nuclear weapons. The secrecy surrounding its programme makes any estimate uncertain. But experts believe there is enough evidence to draw some broad conclusions. Israel remains one of the world's unofficial nuclear states. It has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), nor has it ever publicly declared or denied having nuclear weapons. According to estimates by the Federation of American Scientists and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Israel today likely holds around 90 nuclear warheads. However, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell once suggested, in a leaked email, that Israel might possess as many as 200 bombs – each one potentially aimed at Iran. Israel's nuclear journey began soon after its independence. In 1952, the newly formed government created the Israel Atomic Energy Commission to spearhead nuclear research. Around 1958, construction reportedly began at the secretive facility near Dimona in the Negev desert. By the mid-1960s, whispers within intelligence circles suggested that Israel was making significant progress. By 1967, just after the Six-Day War, it is believed that Israel had developed the capacity to build nuclear explosives. What makes Israel's programme particularly enigmatic is how discreetly it was built. Despite imposing strict controls on nuclear materials, many Western suppliers allegedly provided Israel with technology and components without fully enforcing NPT safeguards. This assistance, direct or indirect, helped Israel quietly amass the rare isotopes and technical know-how needed for bomb development. Why Israel built nukes? It viewed nuclear weapons as an insurance policy in a volatile region. Its leadership feared that if Iran ever acquired a nuclear bomb, Israel's very existence could be threatened. That mentality has intensified as recent events, missile exchanges, airstrikes and a growing Iran-Israel standoff, have elevated both countries to the edge of open conflict. The wide range of estimates, between 90 and 200 warheads, reflects uncertainty. The lower number comes from technical assessments of Israel's capacity – plutonium production rates, missile delivery systems and storage facilities. The higher end comes from diplomatic notes like Colin Powell's statement, suggesting Israel may have stockpiled more weapons than outside observers can verify. Israel's nuclear programme remains cloaked in silence, supported by decades of official ambiguity. Current estimates are just that, estimates. But whether it holds a few dozen or several hundred nuclear bombs, Israel clearly has enough firepower to shape its national security policy for decades to come. And in a region increasingly defined by missile tests, nuclear rhetoric and high-speed airstrikes, that arsenal carries a heavy geopolitical weight.