Latest news with #InstituteforNationalSecurityStudies
New Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Iranian missile strikes Israel's 'crown jewel of science'
Iranian scientists were a prime target in a long shadow war During years of a shadow war between Israel and Iran that preceded the current conflict, Israel repeatedly targeted Iranian nuclear scientists with the aim of setting back Iran's nuclear program. Israel continued that tactic with its initial blow against Iran days ago, killing multiple nuclear scientists, along with top generals, as well as striking nuclear facilities and ballistic missile infrastructure. For its part, Iran has been accused of targeting at least one Weizmann scientist before. Last year, Israeli authorities said they busted an Iranian spy ring that devised a plot to follow and assassinate an Israeli nuclear scientist who worked and lived at the institute. Citing an indictment, Israeli media said the suspects, Palestinians from east Jerusalem, gathered information about the scientist and photographed the exterior of the Weizmann Institute but were arrested before they could proceed. With Iran's intelligence penetration into Israel far less successful than Israel's, those plots have not been seen through, making this week's strike on Weizmann that much more jarring. 'The Weizmann Institute has been in Iran's sights,' said Yoel Guzansky, an Iran expert and senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank. He stressed that he did not know for certain whether Iran intended to strike the institute but believed it did. While it is a multidisciplinary research institute, Weizmann, like other Israeli universities, has ties to Israel's defense establishment, including collaborations with industry leaders like Elbit Systems, which is why it may have been targeted. But Guzansky said the institute primarily symbolizes 'Israeli scientific progress' and the strike against it shows Iran's thinking: 'You harm our scientists, so we are also harming (your) scientific cadre.'
Mint
19 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Israel's war on Iran is costing hundreds of millions of dollars a day
Israel faces steep costs to repair hundreds of buildings damaged in Iranian missile strikes, including in Tel Aviv. Israel's conflict with Iran is costing the country hundreds of millions of dollars a day, according to early estimates, a price tag that could constrain Israel's ability to conduct a lengthy war. The biggest single cost are the interceptors needed to blow up incoming Iranian missiles, which alone can amount to between tens of millions to $200 million a day, experts say. Ammunition and aircraft also add to the price tag of the war, as does the unprecedented damage to buildings. Some estimates so far say that rebuilding or repairing damage could cost Israel at least $400 million. The mounting costs add up to pressure on Israel to wrap up the war quickly. Israeli officials have said the new offensive could last for two weeks, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown no indication of stopping before Israel achieves all of its goals, which include the elimination of Iran's nuclear program and its ballistic-missile production and arsenal. But the war is expensive. 'The main factor which will really determine the cost of the war will be the duration," said Karnit Flug, a former governor of the Bank of Israel and now a senior fellow at the Jerusalem-based think tank Israel Democracy Institute. Flug said she thought Israel's economy could sustain a short campaign. 'If it is a week it is one thing," she said. 'If it is two weeks or a month it is a very different story." An interceptor responds to an incoming missile this week in the skies above Tel Aviv. Over the last few days, Iran has launched more than 400 missiles at Israel, according to the Israeli government, which require sophisticated air-defense systems to stop. More missiles usually means more interceptors. The David's Sling system, developed jointly by Israel and the U.S., can shoot down short-to-long range missiles, drones and aircraft. It costs around $700,000 each time it is activated, assuming it uses two interceptors, normally the minimum launched, according to Yehoshua Kalisky, a senior researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies. Arrow 3, another system being used, shields against long-range ballistic missiles that leave the earth's atmosphere, at a cost of around $4 million per interception, Kalisky said. An older version of the Arrow, known as Arrow 2, costs around $3 million per interceptor. Other military expenditures include the cost of keeping dozens of warplanes, such as F-35 jets, in the air for hours at a time some 1,000 miles away from Israeli territory. Each costs around $10,000 per hour of flight time, according to Kalisky. The cost of refueling jets, and ammunition including bombs such as JDAMs and MK84s, also must be factored in. 'Per day it is much more expensive than the war in Gaza or with Hezbollah. And it all comes from the ammunition. That's the big expense," said Zvi Eckstein, who heads the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy at Reichman University in Israel, referring to both defensive and offensive munitions. According to an estimate by the institute, a war with Iran that lasts one month will amount to around $12 billion. The arrivals hall at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv was largely empty on June 13 after Israel closed its airspace to takeoffs and landings. Israeli military spending has gone up since the war began yet economists don't foresee a recession at this point, Eckstein said. Much of Israel's economy has shut down in recent days as a result of the Iranian strikes. Only workers in essential industries were called to work, and many businesses such as restaurants were closed. The country's main international airport was closed for several days and has now opened for limited flights back to Israel for those stuck abroad. On June 16, S&P released a risk assessment for the Israel-Iran escalation but didn't change its credit outlook. Israeli markets rose to record highs Wednesday, continuing to outperform U.S. benchmarks despite the conflict with Iran, betting that the war will end in Israel's favor. Some economists say that the markets appear to think that Israel's economy will prove resilient as it has demonstrated over the past 20 months of war in Gaza. Still, the damage inflicted by Iranian missile attacks will add up. Engineers say that the destruction caused by the large ballistic missiles is unlike anything they have seen in recent decades of war in Israel. Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed or heavily damaged, and they will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild or repair, said Eyal Shalev, a structural engineer who has been called to assess the damage to civilian infrastructure. Shalev estimated it would cost at least tens of millions of dollars to repair a single newly-built skyscraper in central Tel Aviv, which was affected by the strikes. More than 5,000 people have been evacuated from their homes because of missile damage, and some are being housed in hotels paid for by the state, according to Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate. Targeting of critical infrastructure has been a top concern in Israel. Two strikes on Israel's largest oil refinery in northern Israel led to its shutdown and killed three of the refinery's employees. Some employees who work in sensitive or critical infrastructure industries have been told in recent days not to come to work, according to Dror Litvak, CEO of ManpowerGroup Israel, which supplies over 12,000 employees in Israel to different sectors. On Wednesday, Israel's home front command said it would partially lift a ban on gatherings—allowing up to 30 people in total to meet—and that workplaces in much of the country could reopen as long as there is a nearby shelter. But with schools still closed, many parents are struggling to juggle working from home and entertaining their children amid yet another military campaign. Ariel Markose, 38 years old, a chief strategy officer for an Israeli nonprofit, now holds her morning work calls from a park in Jerusalem where she spends several hours with her four young children. She heads home at around 4 p.m. and continues to work while her husband takes over with the children. 'There are families that are completely collapsing under this," she said. Iranian missiles have hit critical Israeli infrastructure, and some homes have been damaged, as in Ramat Gan. Write to Anat Peled at
Euronews
2 days ago
- Science
- Euronews
SpaceX rocket explodes into giant fireball, but no injuries reported
A SpaceX rocket being tested in Texas exploded Wednesday night, sending a dramatic fireball high into the sky. The company said the Starship 'experienced a major anomaly' at about 11 pm local time while on the test stand preparing for the tenth flight test at Starbase, SpaceX's launch site at the southern tip of Texas. 'A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,' SpaceX said in a statement on the social platform X. Elon Musk's company SpaceX said there were no hazards to nearby communities. It asked people not to try to approach the site. The company said it is working with local officials to respond to the explosion. Israel stunned and hobbled Iran last week when it pulled off an intelligence and military operation years in the making that struck high-level targets with precision. Guided by spies and artificial intelligence (AI), the Israeli military unleashed a nighttime fusillade of warplanes and armed drones that it smuggled into Iran to quickly incapacitate many of its air defences and missile systems. With greater freedom to fly over Iran, Israel bombarded key nuclear sites and killed top generals and scientists. By the time Iran mustered a response hours later, its ability to retaliate — already weakened by past Israeli strikes — was greatly diminished. This account is based on conversations with 10 current and former Israeli intelligence and military officials, some of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss clandestine operations. It was not possible to independently verify some of their claims. But the former head of research at Israel's spy agency, the Mossad, confirmed the basic contours of the attack, saying she had inside knowledge of how it was planned and executed. 'This attack is the culmination of years of work by the Mossad to target Iran's nuclear programme,' said Sima Shine, the former Mossad research director who is now an analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies. Israel's element of surprise was enhanced by Iranian officials' apparent assumption that Israel wouldn't attack while talks over its rapidly advancing nuclear programme were ongoing with the United States. A sixth round of talks had been planned for last Sunday in Oman, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu activated 'Operation Rising Lion' on Friday – after his country first notified US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu has for years said neutralising Iran's nuclear programme was vital for Israel's security, and Israel had previously taken steps to set back Iran's ability to enrich uranium to weapons grade. But Netanyahu said a more aggressive attack proved necessary, as Iran kept advancing its enrichment programme despite US diplomatic efforts and warnings from UN watchdogs. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly called for Israel's destruction. Iran's political leaders say their nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, though it was the only country without the bomb to enrich uranium close to weapons-grade levels. The Mossad and the military worked together for at least three years to lay the operational groundwork, according to a former intelligence officer who said he had knowledge of the attack. This person spoke on condition of anonymity, given the sensitivity of the subject. The attack built on knowledge Israel gained during a wave of airstrikes last October, which 'highlighted the weakness of Iranian air defences,' said Naysan Rafati, an Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group. To further diminish Iranian air defences and missile systems at the start of last week's attack, Mossad agents had smuggled precision weapons into Iran that were prepositioned to strike from close range, according to two current security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the missions. Those weapons included small, armed drones, which agents snuck into the country in vehicles, according to the former intelligence officer. Mossad agents stationed weapons close to Iranian surface-to-air missile sites, Shine said. The agency works with a mix of people, both locals and Israelis, she said. To analyse information it gathered, Israel used the latest AI, said an intelligence officer involved with selecting individuals and sites to target. He said AI was used to help Israelis quickly sift through troves of data they had obtained. That effort began last October, according to the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media. It was one month before Netanyahu said he had ordered the attack plans. An investigation by The Associated Press earlier this year uncovered that the Israeli military uses US-made AI models in war to sift through intelligence and intercept communications to learn the movements of its enemies. It's been used in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The intelligence officer involved in identifying potential targets said that options were first grouped into various categories, including leadership, military, civilian and infrastructure. Targets were chosen if they were determined to be a threat to Israel, such as being deeply associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard — a paramilitary force that controls Iran's ballistic missiles. The officer was tasked with putting together a list of Iranian generals, including details on where they worked and spent their free time. Among the high-level military officials killed since Friday's attack were General Hossein Salami, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and General Mohammed Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces. In addition to AI, the Mossad relied on spies to identify top nuclear scientists and members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, according to one security official. At least eight members of the Guard, including the head of its missile programme, were killed in a single Israeli strike on an underground bunker. Another facet of the attack was to strike Iranian vehicles used to transport and launch missiles. Shine said the strategy was similar to a Ukrainian operation earlier this month in Russia. In that operation, nearly a third of Moscow's strategic bomber fleet was destroyed or damaged with cheaply made drones sneaked into Russian territory, according to Ukrainian officials. In an interview with Iranian state-run television, the country's police chief, General Ahmadreza Radan, said 'several vehicles carrying mini-drones and some tactical drones have been discovered.' He added: 'a number of traitors are trying to engage the country's air defence by flying some mini-drones.' The Mossad is believed to have carried out numerous covert attacks on the Iranian nuclear programme over the years, including cyberattacks and the killing of Iranian nuclear scientists. But it rarely acknowledges such operations. In the 2000s, Iranian centrifuges used for enriching uranium were destroyed by the so-called Stuxnet computer virus, believed to be an Israeli and American creation. In 2018, Israel stole an archive of Iranian nuclear research that included tens of thousands of pages of records, said Yossi Kuperwasser, a retired general and former military intelligence researcher who now directs the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. In July 2024, Israel killed a senior leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, with a bomb in a bedroom of a government guesthouse in Tehran. Israel's blistering attack last week on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure didn't come out of nowhere, said retired Israeli Brigadier General Amir Avivi, who heads the Israel Defence and Security Forum think tank. It was the result of 'Israeli intelligence working extensively for years in Iran and establishing a very strong robust presence,' he said.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
How Israel used AI and smuggled-in drones to prepare attack on Iran
Israel stunned and hobbled Iran last week when it pulled off an intelligence and military operation years in the making that struck high-level targets with precision. Guided by spies and artificial intelligence (AI), the Israeli military unleashed a nighttime fusillade of warplanes and armed drones that it smuggled into Iran to quickly incapacitate many of its air defences and missile systems. With greater freedom to fly over Iran, Israel bombarded key nuclear sites and killed top generals and scientists. By the time Iran mustered a response hours later, its ability to retaliate — already weakened by past Israeli strikes — was greatly diminished. This account is based on conversations with 10 current and former Israeli intelligence and military officials, some of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss clandestine operations. It was not possible to independently verify some of their claims. But the former head of research at Israel's spy agency, the Mossad, confirmed the basic contours of the attack, saying she had inside knowledge of how it was planned and executed. 'This attack is the culmination of years of work by the Mossad to target Iran's nuclear programme,' said Sima Shine, the former Mossad research director who is now an analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies. Israel's element of surprise was enhanced by Iranian officials' apparent assumption that Israel wouldn't attack while talks over its rapidly advancing nuclear programme were ongoing with the United States. A sixth round of talks had been planned for last Sunday in Oman, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu activated 'Operation Rising Lion' on Friday – after his country first notified US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu has for years said neutralising Iran's nuclear programme was vital for Israel's security, and Israel had previously taken steps to set back Iran's ability to enrich uranium to weapons grade. But Netanyahu said a more aggressive attack proved necessary, as Iran kept advancing its enrichment programme despite US diplomatic efforts and warnings from UN watchdogs. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly called for Israel's destruction. Iran's political leaders say their nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, though it was the only country without the bomb to enrich uranium close to weapons-grade levels. The Mossad and the military worked together for at least three years to lay the operational groundwork, according to a former intelligence officer who said he had knowledge of the attack. This person spoke on condition of anonymity, given the sensitivity of the subject. The attack built off knowledge Israel gained during a wave of airstrikes last October, which 'highlighted the weakness of Iranian air defences,' said Naysan Rafati, an Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group. To further diminish Iranian air defences and missile systems at the start of last week's attack, Mossad agents had smuggled precision weapons into Iran that were prepositioned to strike from close range, according to two current security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the missions. Those weapons included small, armed drones, which agents snuck into the country in vehicles, according to the former intelligence officer. Mossad agents stationed weapons close to Iranian surface-to-air missile sites, Shine said. The agency works with a mix of people, both locals and Israelis, she said. To analyse information it gathered, Israel used the latest AI, said an intelligence officer involved with selecting individuals and sites to target. He said AI was used to help Israelis quickly sift through troves of data they had obtained. That effort began last October, according to the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media. It was one month before Netanyahu said he had ordered the attack plans. An investigation by The Associated Press earlier this year uncovered that the Israeli military uses US-made AI models in war to sift through intelligence and intercept communications to learn the movements of its enemies. It's been used in the wars with Hamas in Gaza and with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The intelligence officer involved in identifying the possible targets said options were first put into various groups, such as leadership, military, civilian, and infrastructure. Targets were chosen if they were determined to be a threat to Israel, such as being deeply associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard — a paramilitary force that controls Iran's ballistic missiles. The officer was tasked with putting together a list of Iranian generals, including details on where they worked and spent their free time. Among the high-level military officials killed since Friday's attack were Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and Gen. Mohammed Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces. In addition to AI, the Mossad relied on spies to identify top nuclear scientists and members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, according to one security official. At least eight members of the Guard, including the head of its missile programme, were killed in a single Israeli strike on an underground bunker. Another facet of the attack was to strike Iranian vehicles used to transport and launch missiles. Shine said the strategy was similar to a Ukrainian operation earlier this month in Russia. In that operation, nearly a third of Moscow's strategic bomber fleet was destroyed or damaged with cheaply made drones snuck into Russian territory, according to Ukrainian officials. In an interview with Iranian state-run television, the country's police chief, Gen. Ahmadreza Radan, said 'several vehicles carrying mini-drones and some tactical drones have been discovered.' He added: 'a number of traitors are trying to engage the country's air defence by flying some mini-drones.' The Mossad is believed to have carried out numerous covert attacks on the Iranian nuclear programme over the years, including cyberattacks and the killing of Iranian nuclear scientists. But it rarely acknowledges such operations. In the 2000s, Iranian centrifuges used for enriching uranium were destroyed by the so-called Stuxnet computer virus, believed to be an Israeli and American creation. In 2018, Israel stole an archive of Iranian nuclear research that included tens of thousands of pages of records, said Yossi Kuperwasser, a retired general and former military intelligence researcher who now directs the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. In July 2024, Israel killed a senior leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, with a bomb in a bedroom of a government guesthouse in Tehran. Israel's blistering attack last week on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure didn't come out of nowhere, said retired Israeli Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi, who heads the Israel Defence and Security Forum think tank. It was the result of 'Israeli intelligence working extensively for years in Iran and establishing a very strong robust presence,' he said. OpenAI's boss has accused Meta of trying to poach his his best employees with $100 million (€87 million) in signing bonuses. Sam Altman told his brother Jack on his podcast that Meta was offering more than that in 'compensation per year,' but didn't elaborate on any of the benefits or stock options being offered. Meta, the owner of the social and messaging apps Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, just made a $14 billion (€12.18 billion) investment to buy a 49 per cent stake in Scale AI, an artificial intelligence startup, as a way of bolstering the AI side of its business. Scale AI had a preexisting business relationship with OpenAI, where it fine-tuned their more advanced ChatGPT models. Global leaders say winning the AI race is critical to national security and for advancements in health, business, and technology. Meanwhile, companies such as OpenAI, Google and DeepSeek, among many others, are battling it out to build the best AI platforms. Altman said that while he respects Meta's 'aggression' in competing with OpenAI, but that so far, none of his top talent has left him yet. 'I think Meta thinks of us as their biggest competitor and, you know, I think it's rational for them to keep trying [with AI],' Altman said. 'I think the strategy of a ton of upfront guaranteed comp(ensation) and that being the reason you tell someone to join … I don't think that's going to set up a great culture'. Altman added that he respects much about Meta but doesn't think it is 'great at innovation'. Instead, Altman thinks staff are staying at OpenAI because of a 'really special culture' at his company and their mission to create artificial superintelligence, where AI will be smarter than humans. 'I think people look at the two paths [OpenAI vs Meta] and they say OpenAI's got a really good shot, a much better shot on actually delivering on super intelligence and may eventually be the more valuable company,' he said.
CNBC
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNBC
Former Mossad analyst: The ideal outcome of the conflict should be an Iran with no nuclear program
Sima Shine, Institute for National Security Studies head of the Iran program and former Mossad analyst and Israel National Security Council head of the Iran desk, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest developments in the Israel-Iran conflict, what the endgame should be to the conflict, whether a diplomatic solution is achievable with Iran, and more.
