Dr H A Hellyer on Israel-Iran conflict

Israel has warned that Iran will pay a heavy price for a missile attack that struck a hospital. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is weighing Washington's involvement in the conflict. CNA speaks to Dr H A Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence.

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Straits Times

28 minutes ago

• Straits Times

Iranian retaliation against US forces could come soon, US officials say

Iranian retaliation against US forces could come soon, US officials say Follow our live coverage here. WASHINGTON - The United States believes Iran could carry out retaliatory attacks targeting American forces in the Middle East soon, although the US is still seeking a diplomatic resolution that would see Tehran forgo any attack, two US officials said on June 23. One of the officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity to discuss the assessment, said Iran's retaliatory attack could happen within the next day or two. Iran has threatened to retaliate after US bombed its nuclear sites over the weekend. US officials have warned Iran against hitting back at the US and President Donald Trump said after the strikes that any retaliation by Iran against the US would be met with a force far greater than that used in the weekend US attacks. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, said on June 22 that the US military had increased protection of troops in the region, including in Iraq and Syria. The United States has a sizeable force deployed to the Middle East, with nearly 40,000 troops in the region. Some of them operate air defense systems, fighter aircraft and warships that can detect and shoot down incoming enemy missiles but their positions are vulnerable to attack. Reuters reported last week that the Pentagon had moved some aircraft and ships from bases in the Middle East that may be vulnerable to any potential Iranian attack. That included aircraft being removed from the 24-hectare Al Udeid Air Base, in the desert outside the capital Doha. It is Middle East's largest US base and houses around 10,000 troops. Tehran has vowed to defend itself and retaliate. But, perhaps in an effort to avert all-out war with the United States, it had yet to target US bases or choke off a quarter of the world's oil shipments that pass through its waters by closing the Strait of Hormuz. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

CNA

an hour ago

• CNA

Syria president vows those involved in church attack will face justice

DAMASCUS, Syria: Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed Monday (Jun 23) that those involved in a "heinous" suicide attack on a Damascus church a day earlier would face justice, calling for unity in the country. The shooting and suicide bombing on Sunday at the church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and wounded 63, the health ministry said, raising an earlier toll of 22 killed. The authorities said the attacker was affiliated with the Islamic State group. "We promise ... that we will work night and day, mobilising all our specialised security agencies, to capture all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and to bring them to justice," Sharaa said in a statement. The attack "reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity of the government and the people in facing all that threatens our nation's security and stability", he added. Condemnation has continued to pour in from the international community after the attack - the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. It was also the first inside a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to a monitor, in a country where security remains one of the new authorities' greatest challenges. Since the new authorities took power, the international community has repeatedly urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after sectarian violence in recent months.

CNA

an hour ago

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World leaders to meet for NATO Summit as tensions between allies upend military bloc's cohesion

NATO is pledging to ramp up defence spending, in line with demands by US President Donald Trump. The military alliance will meet in The Hague this week at a time of intense conflict in Europe and the Middle East. CNA's Genevieve Woo finds out how tension between Washington and its European allies could impact the relevance, or even the survival, of NATO.