Air defences activated in Tehran to intercept Israeli projectiles, IRNA says

DUBAI, June 14 (Reuters) - Air defences in Iran's capital Tehran were activated early on Saturday to intercept fresh Israeli strikes, state media IRNA reported a day after Israel initiated a number of attacks on Iran's nuclear programme and military command.

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The Independent

8 minutes ago

• The Independent

Erdogan vows to boost Turkey's missile production as Israel-Iran war escalates

As the war between Israel and Iran escalates, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he plans to strengthen the country's deterrence capabilities so that no country would dare attack it. Erdogan announced plans this week to step up Turkey's production of medium- and long-range missiles. Erdogan discussed the Iran-Israel war with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a telephone call on Friday. He told Merz that the Iranian nuclear issue can only be resolved through negotiations, according to Erdogan's office. Despite Turkey's tense relations with Israel, analysts and officials don't see an immediate threat of the conflict spreading into NATO-member Turkey. Still, some see the move by Erdogan as a sign that the Israel-Iran war could trigger a new arms race in the region, with countries not directly involved in the fray ramping up their military efforts to preempt future conflicts. Ahmet Kasim Han, a professor of international relations at Istanbul's Beykoz University, said that Turkey was reacting to what he described as an unraveling world order. 'The Turkish government is drifting toward what is the name of the game in the Middle East right now: an escalation of an arms race,' he said. Israel and the U.S. have set a high standard in aerial warfare, creating a technological gap that Turkey and others are eager to close, Han said. Erdogan said following a Cabinet meeting on Monday that 'we are making production plans to bring our medium- and long-range missile stockpiles to a level that ensures deterrence, in light of recent developments." 'God willing, in the not-too-distant future, we will reach a defense capacity that is so strong that no one will even dare to act tough toward us," Erdogan said. In an separate address days later, the Turkish leader highlighted Turkey's progress in its domestically developed defense industry, that includes drones, fighter jets, armored vehicles and navy vessels, but stressed that continued effort was needed to ensure full deterrence. 'Although Turkey has a very large army — the second largest in NATO — its air power, its air defense is relatively weaker,' said Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, a Turkey analyst at the German Marshall Fund think tank. The ongoing conflict has reinforced the importance of air superiority, including missiles and missile defense systems, prompting 'countries in the region, including Turkey to strengthen its air power,' he said. Since the start of the conflict, Erdogan has been scrambling to end the hostilities. He has held a flurry of phone calls with leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, offering to act as a 'facilitator' for the resumption of negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. There are deep concerns in Turkey that a prolonged conflict will cause energy disruptions and lead to refugee movement from Iran, with which it shares a 560 kilometer-long (348 mile) border. Turkey relies heavily on energy imports, including from Iran, and rising oil prices due to the conflict could aggravate inflation and further strain its troubled economy. Turkey has strongly criticized Israel's actions, saying Iran has the legitimate right to defend itself against Israel's attacks, which came as nuclear negotiations were ongoing. Once close allies, Turkey and Israel have grown deeply estranged, especially after the start of the war in Gaza in 2023, with Erdogan becoming one of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fiercest critics. Relations further deteriorated following the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, as Israel grew increasingly wary of expanding Turkish influence in Syria. Earlier this year, Turkey and Israel however, established a 'de-escalation mechanism' aimed at preventing conflict between their troops in Syria. The move came after Syria's Foreign Ministry said that Israeli jets had struck a Syrian air base that Turkey reportedly hoped to use. Israel hasn't commented on Turkey's announcement that it plans to ramp up missile production, but Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded to Erdogan's criticisms of Israel over its attack on Iran in an X post on Wednesday. He accused Erdogan of having 'imperialist ambitions' and of having 'set a record in suppressing the freedoms and rights of his citizens, as well as his country's opposition.' Erdogan's nationalist ally, Devlet Bahceli, suggested that Turkey was a potential target for Israel, accusing the country of strategically 'encircling' Turkey with its military actions. He didn't elaborate. Analysts say, however, that such statements were for 'domestic consumption' to garner support amid growing anti-Israel sentiment in Turkey. 'I don't think that Israel has any interest in attacking Turkey, or Turkey has any interest in a conflict with Israel,' Han said.

Telegraph

39 minutes ago

• Telegraph

Protesters attacked outside Iranian Embassy

Police have arrested six men after protesters were attacked outside the Iranian Embassy in London. Two men have been treated for injuries at the scene and have been taken to hospital, the Metropolitan Police said. The attack comes amid the ongoing Israel-Iran war. Donald Trump, the US president, said that he would decide in the next fortnight whether or not his country would intervene in the conflict. The Iranian flag and posters are in the background outside the embassy, where an earlier protest took place. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'At 09:53hrs on Friday, 20 June, officers responded to reports of an altercation in Prince's Gate, SW1. 'Six men have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm – they remain in police custody. 'Two men were treated for injuries at the scene and have been taken to hospital for further treatment by the London Ambulance Service. 'Police have cordoned off the area while initial investigations take place.'

BreakingNews.ie

an hour ago

• BreakingNews.ie

Europe's Trade Commissioner has ‘productive engagements' over US deal

Europe's Trade Commissioner says he has had a series of productive engagements throughout the week with his US counterpart. On social media, Maroš Šefčovič says no time or effort spared - their focus is on securing a forward looking deal. Advertisement Both sides are under pressure to reach a deal before July 9th, when a series of reciprocal tariffs are due to come into force. A series of productive engagements throughout this week with @USTradeRep Ambassador @jamiesongreer and Secretary @howardlutnick . No time or effort spared - our focus and priority remain clear: securing a forward-looking deal. — Maroš Šefčovič🇪🇺 (@MarosSefcovic) June 20, 2025 It comes as European shares rose on Friday after declining for three straight sessions, as a stall in the United States' involvement in the Middle East conflict helped soothe investor concerns. The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.6 per cent at 538.85 points. The benchmark is set to log a second consecutive weekly fall. Israel and Iran's air war entered a second week and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table. Advertisement The White House said President Donald Trump will decide within the next two weeks about whether to join Israel in the war. That helped improve market sentiment, spurring some interest in risk assets that were sold off earlier in the week on uncertainty around how long the conflict would go on. "The investors are taking a little bit more risk on their shoulders... it is perhaps because the U.S. is now giving itself two weeks and maybe some diplomatic opening window there to resolve the situation in Iran," said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior market analyst at Swissquote Bank. Banks rose 1.3 per cent, leading broader gains. Travel and leisure stocks SXTP were also up 1.3 per cent, led by a 4.8 per cent gain in Europe's largest travel operator TUI after Barclays upgraded the stock to "overweight" from "underweight". Advertisement Conversely, energy shares SXEP were at the bottom of the index with a 0.3 per cent decline but were headed for a weekly gain. Ireland Tariffs and gender-based violence on agenda for No... Read More Investors also remain wary of the approaching July 8th tariff-pause deadline, with little progress on trade deals with Washington. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is still aiming to reach a deal by July 9th. "Geopolitical tensions are kind of hiding the other worries in the market, which are trade negotiations being delayed with the U.S. occupied with what to do with the Middle East," said Ozkardeskaya. Trump's tariffs have been a source of turmoil and volatility in the last few months, and have already begun to upend global supply chains and threatened economic growth. Additional reporting Reuters