America's main objective is oil, Israel dominance, full control over global trade: West Asia expert

Senior Journalist and West Asia strategist, Dr. Waiel Awwad, on US involvement in the Iran-Israel war and its wider implications to the Middle East region and by extension to India.

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India.com

an hour ago

• India.com

Like US, will China join Iran-Israel war to support Tehran? Is its army capable of...? Will it be a shocker for...

Like US, will China join Iran-Israel war to support Tehran? Is its arm capable of…? Will it be a shocker for… The United States has recently joined the Iran-Israel war and carried out precision attacks on Iran's nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The sudden attacks by America have escalated tensions in the Middle East. The question arising is: Will China, which is the largest trading partner and oil buyer of Iran, support Tehran during this tough time? Does the People's Liberation Army (PLA) have the capability to fight a war 5,000 km away? Let us know how much military power China has: China-Iran Relations China and Iran share a good bilateral relations with each other. Both the countries have a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement (2021), covering energy, trade, infrastructure and military cooperation. Oil trade: Iran supplies about 2 million barrels of oil to China per day. This accounts 15 percent of the Beijing's oil imports. 90 percent of Iran's oil exports go to China via 'dark fleet' tankers to evade Western sanctions. Strategic Partnership: Iran is China's important partner to counter US influence in the Middle East. Military Cooperation: China has supplied missile technology, drone parts, and rocket fuel to Iran. Will China Enters Iran War? China's Military Power- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), a massive force of 2 million active personnel and 1 million reservists equipped with advanced weaponry, presents a significant military power. However, its ability to effectively project power into the Middle East, a region 5,000 kilometers distant, warrants examination of both its capabilities and constraints. Soldiers: 9.7 lakh active soldiers. Weapons: 7,000 tanks, 35,000 armoured vehicles and 12,000 artillery pieces. Navy (PLAN) Warships: 425 ships, including 3 aircraft carriers (Liaoning, Shandong, Fujian), 72 submarines and 150 warships. Missiles: DF-21D and DF-26 'Carrier Killer' ballistic missiles, which has rage of 1800–4000 km, and can destroy naval targets. Capability: The PLAN has an increasing presence in the Indian Ocean. It has only one overseas military base (Djibouti), which is small and surrounded by Western bases. Air Force (PLAAF) Aircraft: 3,200 aircraft, including 600 stealth J-20 fighter jets, 400 J-16s and 250 bombers (H-6K). Missiles: PL-15 air-to-air missile (200 km range) and CJ-20 cruise missile. Rocket Force (PLARF) Missiles: 2000 ballistic and cruise missiles, including the DF-41 ICBM (12000 km range) and the hypersonic DF-17. Cyber and Space Forces China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) possesses sophisticated cyber warfare capabilities, including the ability to disrupt radar and communication systems. Their space-based assets, comprising approximately 400 satellites, offer surveillance and targeting support. While the PLA can provide indirect support, such as intelligence gathering, its direct combat effectiveness remains limited. Limitation: China has restricted itself from supplying advanced weapons like PL-15 missile to Iran as it increases the risk of global sanctions. Logistical Challenge: The People's Liberation Army (PLA) faces significant logistical hurdles in projecting power over long distances. Its current capabilities for maritime and air transport are insufficient to support military operations 5,000 kilometers from its bases. Online commentary suggests the PLA's effectiveness is limited to coastal regions, making it vulnerable in more distant conflicts. Economic Interests: Oil supplies from Iran is a major source of China's energy security. If Israel and US attack Iran's oil refineries, China's economy could be affected. If China joins the Iran war, a military operation 5,000 km away requires massive naval and air support, which Beijing does not have. Its military is inexperienced in foreign warfare and don't have overseas bases. China's foreign policy prioritizes non-intervention, favouring diplomatic engagement and economic assistance over military involvement in international conflicts. While possessing a formidable military, the People's Liberation Army's capabilities are primarily geared towards regional defence, limiting its potential for distant interventions like those in the Middle East. This, combined with China's non-interventionist stance and concerns about US confrontation, further restricts its propensity for direct military action abroad.

Time of India

an hour ago

• Time of India

'It was a ruse': Inside Trump's war room; how 'Operation Midnight Hammer' against Iran was planned

US President Donald Trump in The Situation Room, June 21, 2025 (Pic credit: White House) In a move that marks a dramatic escalation in US-Iran tensions, American President Donald Trump ordered a high-precision military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday, authorising the first major US military action on Iranian soil since the fall of the American-backed Shah in 1979. The operation, carried out by a small fleet of US B-2 stealth bombers, was planned under intense secrecy and executed just hours after Trump returned from his New Jersey golf club to the White House. In classic Trump fashion, he announced the strike minutes after it concluded, "Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!. " Photo: Inside Trump's war room - a secretive, surgical attack The White House later released tightly controlled photos from the classified Situation Room, showing Trump, wearing his signature red MAGA hat, flanked by his war cabinet. CIA director John Ratcliffe, defense secretary Pete Hegseth, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles were present, though national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard was conspicuously missing, amid rumours of internal friction. US President Donald Trump in The Situation Room, June 21, 2025 (Pic credit: White House) Photos blurred key documents on the table, echoing the Obama-era images of the 2011 Bin Laden raid. But where Obama's photos suggested deliberation and calm, Trump's leaned into theatrics— part documentation, part spectacle, all calculated for impact. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What She Did Mid-Air Left Passengers Speechless medalmerit Learn More Undo US President Donald Trump in The Situation Room, June 21, 2025 (Pic credit: White House) A strike months in the making, publicly denied until the last hour Though Trump projected uncertainty all week, publicly musing on whether he might "take two weeks" to decide, the internal gears of war were already in motion. By Thursday, he had approved detailed attack plans. By early Saturday morning, seven B-2s were already airborne. "It was a ruse," a senior administration official admitted, according to The Washington Post. Only a tight circle of aides were read in: VP JD Vance, CIA chief Ratcliffe, defense secretary Hegseth, national security envoy Steve Witkoff, and secretary of state Marco Rubio, among others. Some in the broader White House apparatus were in the dark until the bombs had already fallen. The final decision, it seems, was not so much a moment as a mood. Trump's two-week bluff? Trump's claim that he might take "two weeks" to decide on striking Iran was a calculated deception, designed to throw Tehran off balance. Behind the scenes, however, the decision had already been made, and stealth bombers were preparing for takeoff. A senior administration official later admitted the delayed talk was "our attempt to throw the Iranians off guard," though there was 'some truth' to it, according to The Washington Post. The public indecision masked a fast-moving, tightly held operation that unfolded just 36 hours later. Iran's red line: Nuclear enrichment At the heart of the conflict: Iran's refusal to halt its nuclear fuel enrichment program, an issue that has vexed American presidents for decades. In Geneva last week, European diplomats met with Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, but the talks stalled. Tehran wouldn't budge unless the bombing stopped. Trump, in turn, wouldn't stop unless Iran surrendered its nuclear future. This time, the ultimatum came with an unmistakable threat: Trump warned Tehran to "immediately evacuate" and told Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei that "he could be next." Despite the bombast, Trump never spoke to Iranian officials directly. Instead, Witkoff held backchannel negotiations. Trump's demand: zero enrichment, full dismantlement. Iran's answer: no. Behind the scenes: Friction, fundraisers, and the MAGA war room While B-2s sped across the Atlantic, Trump wasn't in a bunker, he was at a fundraiser. Vice President JD Vance was flying back from California. The air of normalcy masked the imminent shockwave. But inside the Situation Room, the president's loyal cadre assembled. Among them: social media gatekeeper Dan Scavino, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, and even AG Pam Bondi, who hadn't been involved in the planning but was brought in at the eleventh hour. Top US officials in The Situation Room, June 21, 2025 (Pic credit: White House) Outside the government, Trump's populist whisperers, Steve Bannon, Charlie Kirk, and Jack Posobiec, were kept in the loop to shore up political backing. The strike wasn't just a military message, it was a campaign moment in the making. "He was listening to people across the ideological perspective" of his political base, The Washington Post quoted the senior administration official. "Ultimately, the president felt this is a decision the base should support and get behind, because ultimately, he's preventing a conflict that very well could have happened if the supreme leader instructed Iran to create the nuclear weapon," he added. Global fallout and strategic calculations The strike was timed precisely, coming just days after Israel launched its own offensive against Iran on June 13. By midweek, Israeli air dominance helped tilt US military calculations toward optimism. Ret. Lt. Gen. Charlie "Tuna" Moore put it bluntly: "Although we could have executed our operation unilaterally, without a doubt it was beneficial to the United States to have that as the predicate." Even VP Vance, who had privately raised concerns, ultimately signed off. His Iraq War experience made him cautious, but not obstructionist. "He wanted the tires kicked," one official said." Bunker Busters: The bomb that digs to destroy A calculated gamble In the end, Trump's decision marked a sharp pivot from decades of American hesitation. Every president since Carter has baulked at the idea of a full strike on Iranian territory. Trump just did it. Whether it stabilises or further inflames the region remains to be seen. Rubio has begun briefing European allies post-strike. Iran, for now, is unlikely to let this go unanswered. In Sunday interviews, Vance admitted no one truly knew when Trump made the call, not even him. "I don't know that any of us knew exactly when the president made the decision except for the president himself," he said on "Meet the Press."

The Hindu

an hour ago

• The Hindu

Rice exporters stare at major disruptions, payment delays amid escalating Iran-Israel conflict

With the escalation of Iran-Israel conflict, rice exporters in Haryana -- which accounts for 30% of the country's basmati rice shipments to Iran -- are struggling with major disruptions in ship movements and payment delays. While Karnal is the main hub of basmati exports, Kaithal and Sonipat too contribute to the foreign demand. "The ongoing Iran-Israel conflict has impacted the trade," said Sushil Jain, Rice Exporters Association's state unit president. "Nearly 10 lakh metric tonnes of Basmati rice is exported from the country to Iran, of which Haryana's share is about 30-35%," he said, adding that shipments of about 1 lakh metric tonnes of basmati rice for Iran are stuck at ports. Besides, the payments amounting to ₹1,500 crore to ₹2,000 crore for nearly 2 lakh MT of the rice exported to Iran by Indian exporters has also got stuck due to the conflict, Jain said. The escalation in the conflict is going to impact the Indian market which is already witnessing some fall in the prices, he said. "Another issue which the exporters are facing is the lack of insurance cover for the vessels during war which increases the risk for us," he added. Iran is India's second-largest basmati rice market after Saudi Arabia. India exported around 1 million tonnes of the aromatic grain to Iran during the 2024-25 fiscal year. India exported approximately 6 million tonnes of basmati rice during 2024-25, with demand primarily driven by the Middle East and West Asian markets. Other major buyers include Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. The Israel-Iran conflict has escalated significantly in recent weeks, with both sides exchanging heavy strikes and the U.S. becoming directly involved in the hostilities. The shipping disruption adds to challenges facing Indian rice exporters, who have previously dealt with payment delays and currency issues in the Iranian market due to international sanctions. On Sunday (June 22, 2025), Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian India's "deep concern" over Iran's conflict with Israel and called for immediate de-escalation of the situation through "dialogue and diplomacy". The phone conversation initiated by Pezeshkian came hours after the US bombed three major nuclear sites -- Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan -- in Iran.