Latest news with #IranianRedCrescent
New York Post
8 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Iran's internet blackout leaves its citizens in the dark about war with Israel
As the war between Israel and Iran hits the one-week mark, Iranians have spent nearly half of the conflict in a near-communication blackout, unable to connect not only with the outside world but also with their neighbors and loved ones across the country. Civilians are left unaware of when and where Israel will strike next, despite Israeli forces issuing warnings through their Persian-language online channels. When the missiles land, disconnected phone and web services mean not knowing for hours or days if their family or friends are among the victims. 5 Iranians have spent almost half of the Israel-Iran conflict in an internet blackout, unable to connect with the outside world, as well as their neighbors and loved ones. Iranian Red Crescent/AFP via Getty Images 5 Flames from an oil storage facility after it was hit by an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran. AP That's left many scrambling on various social media apps to see what's happening — again, only a glimpse of life able to reach the internet in a nation of over 80 million people. Activists see it as a form of psychological warfare for a nation all-too familiar with state information controls and targeted internet shutdowns during protests and unrest. 'The Iranian regime controls the information sphere really, really tightly,' Marwa Fatafta, the Berlin-based policy and advocacy director for digital rights group Access Now, said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'We know why the Iranian regime shuts down. It wants to control information. So their goal is quite clear.' War with Israel tightens information space But this time, it's happening during a deadly conflict that erupted on June 13 with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based group called Human Rights Activists. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli military estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's multitiered air defenses, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds others wounded. Guidance from Israeli authorities, as well as round-the-clock news broadcasts, flows freely and consistently to Israeli citizens, creating in the last seven days an uneven picture of the death and destruction brought by the war. The Iranian government contended Friday that it was Israel who was 'waging a war on truth and human conscience.' 5 A heavily damaged building of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting after it was hit by an Israeli strike. AFP via Getty Images In a post on X, a social media platform blocked for many of its citizens, Iran's Foreign Ministry asserted Israel banned foreign media from covering missile strikes. The statement added that Iran would organize 'global press tours to expose Israel's war crimes' in the country. Iran is one of the world's top jailer of journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and in the best of times, reporters face strict restrictions. Internet-access advocacy group reported on Friday that Iran had been disconnected from the global internet for 36 hours, with its live metrics showing that national connectivity remained at only a few percentage points of normal levels. 5 A baby is evacuated from the site of a direct hit from an Iranian missile strike in Ramat Gan, Israel, in response to Israel's airstrikes. AP The group said a handful of users have been able to maintain connectivity through virtual private networks. Few avenues exist to get information Those lucky few have become lifelines for Iranians left in the dark. In recent days, those who have gained access to mobile internet for a limited time describe using that fleeting opportunity to make calls on behalf of others, checking in on elderly parents and grandparents, and locating those who have fled Tehran. Read the latest on the conflict between Israel and Iran The only access to information Iranians do have is limited to websites in the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, Iran's state-run television and radio stations offer irregular updates on what's happening inside the country, instead focusing their time on the damage wrought by their strikes on Israel. The lack of information going in or out of Iran is stunning, considering that the advancement of technology in recent decades has only brought far-flung conflicts in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and elsewhere directly to a person's phone anywhere in the world. That direct line has been seen by experts as a powerful tool to shift public opinion about any ongoing conflict and potentially force the international community to take a side. 5 An injured man is assisted in the street after an explosion in downtown Tehran. AP It has also turned into real action from world leaders under public and online pressure to act or use their power to bring an end to the fighting. But Mehdi Yahyanejad, a key figure in promoting internet freedom in Iran, said that the Islamic Republic is seeking to 'purport an image' of strength, one that depicts only the narrative that Israel is being destroyed by sophisticated Iranian weapons that include ballistic missiles with multiple warheads. 'I think most likely they're just afraid of the internet getting used to cause mass unrest in the next phase of whatever is happening,' Yahayanejad said. 'I mean, some of it could be, of course, planned by the Israelis through their agents on the ground, and some of this could be just a spontaneous unrest by the population once they figure out that the Iranian government is badly weakened.
RNZ News
21 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
British foreign secretary says 'window now exists' for diplomacy with Iran
This handout picture provided by the Iranian Red Crescent on June 19, 2025 shows mourners during the funeral of two Iranian Red Crescent members who were killed the previous days during an Israeli strike in Tehran. Photo: AFP PHOTO / HO / IRANIAN RED CRESCENT On the eve of European talks with Iran over its nuclear program, Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Thursday (Friday NZ time) after meeting high-level US officials that there is still time to reach a diplomatic solution with Tehran. Lammy met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House, before talks on Friday (local time) in Geneva with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi alongside his French, German and EU counterparts. The diplomatic flurry came as European countries called for de-escalation in the face of Israel's bombing campaign against Iran's nuclear programme - and as US President Donald Trump weighs up whether or not to join the strikes against Tehran . David Lammy. Photo: PAUL ELLIS "The situation in the Middle East remains perilous," Lammy said in a statement released by the UK embassy in Washington. "We discussed how Iran must make a deal to avoid a deepening conflict. A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," Lammy said. "Tomorrow, I will be heading to Geneva to meet with the Iranian foreign minister alongside my French, German and EU counterparts," the British minister said. "Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one." The State Department said Lammy and Rubio had "agreed Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon". Araghchi earlier confirmed he would "meet with the European delegation in Geneva on Friday," in a statement carried by Iranian state news agency IRNA. The talks are set to include Lammy, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, as well as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Trump has said he is weighing military action against Iran's nuclear facilities as Israel pummels the country and Tehran responds with missile fire. France, Germany, Britain and the European Union were all signatories of the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, which Trump sunk during his first term in office . The EU's Kallas, in coordination with European countries, has insisted that diplomacy remains the best path towards ensuring that Iran does not develop a nuclear bomb. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said European nations were planning to suggest a negotiated solution to end the Iran-Israel conflict. He asked his foreign minister to draw up an initiative with "close partners" to that end. Barrot has been in regular touch with his German and British counterparts since Israel launched massive air strikes against Iran on Friday. "We are ready to take part in negotiations aimed at obtaining from Iran a lasting rollback of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes," Barrot said. Israel says its air campaign is aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons . Iran had been enriching uranium to 60 percent - far above the 3.67 percent limit set by a 2015 deal with international powers, but still short of the 90 percent threshold needed for a nuclear warhead. Iran denies it is building nuclear weapons. - AFP
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Trump demands Iran's unconditional surrender
Members of the Iranian Red Crescent teams search debris inside a buidling in Tehran, targeted by Israeli strikes. Photo: AFP Listen to article President Donald Trump said the United States would not kill Iran's supreme leader "for now" and appeared to demand Tehran's surrender, as US ally Israel traded fire with its arch foe for a fifth day on Tuesday. The comments marked a dramatic escalation in Trump's rhetoric against Iran and its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, fuelling questions as to whether Washington would join Israel's attacks after insisting it had no hand in the warplanes targeted drone and missile sites with at least two waves of strikes in western Iran on Tuesday, the military said. It also said it had killed senior Iranian commander Ali Shadmani in an overnight strike on a "command centre in the heart of Tehran", just four days after his predecessor, Gholam Ali Rashid, was killed in Israel's initial surprise attack. The attacks drew retaliatory fire from the Islamic republic, with explosions heard over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and air raid sirens sounding around Dimona, a southern town home to a nuclear power plant. There were no immediate reports of hits. Days after a senior US official said Trump had told Israel to back down from plans to assassinate Khamenei, the US president appeared to put the option back on the table with a post on his Truth Social platform. "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now," Trump said. "But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin," he added, later posting a message saying: "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" Trump had said earlier in the day that he wanted "a real end" to the conflict. A White House official said Trump was convening a meeting of his National Security Council Tuesday to discuss the conflict. Despite mounting calls to de-escalate, neither side has backed off from the aerial blitz that began Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities. Iranian media reported several explosions Tuesday in the central city of Isfahan, home to nuclear facilities. Blasts were also heard across Tehran. The Iranian armed forces warned residents in the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa to evacuate "for the sake of their lives", warning of "punitive operations" to come. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had launched an attack targeting Israeli air bases. Residential areas in both countries have suffered deadly strikes since the fighting broke out, and foreign governments have scrambled to evacuate their citizens. A cyberattack on Tuesday crippled Sepah Bank, one of Iran's main state-owned banks, the Fars news agency reported. Fearing the violence, many residents have fled Tehran. On Tuesday, long queues stretched outside bakeries and petrol stations as the remaining residents rushed to stock up on fuel and basic supplies. Security checkpoints have been set up across the capital, adding to the atmosphere of tension as authorities monitor movement in and out of key districts. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the United States was deploying "additional capabilities" to the Middle East, with a US aircraft carrier reportedly heading to the region. Even before Trump's remarks about Khamenei, China had accused him of "pouring oil" on the conflict. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu of being "the biggest threat to the security of the region". At a G7 summit in Canada, leaders including Trump had called Monday for "de-escalation", while stressing Israel had the right to defend itself and that "Iran can never have a nuclear weapon". After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel said its surprise air campaign aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons -- an ambition Tehran denies. The UN's nuclear watchdog said there appeared to have been "direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls" at Iran's Natanz facility. Israel has maintained ambiguity regarding its own atomic activities, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says it has 90 nuclear warheads. The conflict derailed a running series of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington in recent weeks, with Iran saying after the start of Israel's campaign that it would not negotiate with the United States while under attack. Since Friday, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to Prime Minister Netanyahu's office. Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then. Netanyahu said Israel's campaign was "changing the face of the Middle East, and that can lead to radical changes inside Iran itself".
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Israeli ambassador warns of ‘surprises up our sleeves' in fight against Iran, in line with Trump's ominous warning
The Israeli ambassador to the US has cautioned there are still 'surprises up our sleeves' in the fight against Iran — as President Trump issued his own ominous warning that Israel wouldn't be slowing its attacks anytime soon. 'Expect a surprise later this week,' Yechiel Leiter told Merit TV on Monday. 'Let's just say the world will understand how serious we are about stopping Iran's capabilities — and not just in Gaza or southern Lebanon.' Advertisement 6 Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said that there still 'surprises up our sleeves' in Israel's fight against Iran. AP 6 Members of Israeli security forces gesture as they deploy at the impact site of an Iranian missile at a bus depot in Herzliya near Tel Aviv on June 17, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 6 Smoke billows in the distance from an oil refinery following an Israeli strike on the Iranian capital Tehran on June 17, 2025 AFP via Getty Images The envoy didn't elaborate on the plans but noted it would likely make the Israeli's infamous move to detonate thousands of Hezbollah pagers in Lebanon late last year 'look simple.' Advertisement 'There's still a lot of things we can do,' Leiter said. 'We've pulled off a number of surprises. When the dust settles, you're going to see some surprises on Thursday night and Friday, that will make the beeper operation almost seem simple.' Leiter added that Trump wasn't putting pressure on the Jewish state to curb the fighting. Advertisement 6 Iran State Radio and Television (IRIB) building was hit by an Israeli strike and left one dead and several injured. BERNO/SIPA/Shutterstock 6 This photo released by the Iranian Red Crescent shows members of their rescue teams searching the debris inside a building in Tehran, targeted by Israeli strikes. Iranian Red Crescent/AFP via Getty Images 6 President Trump urged 'everyone' in Tehran to evacuate ahead of more Israeli strikes against Iran. Getty Images It came as Trump echoed the warning and urged ''everyone to evacuate' Tehran late Monday as Israel appeared to expand its air assault. 'You're going to find out over the next two days,' Trump said when asked if Israel would halt its onslaught. 'You're going to find out. Nobody's slowed up so far.'
Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Israeli strikes damage Iran's underground nuclear site, agency says
Donald Trump posted an ominous message warning Tehran residents to evacuate Published Jun 17, 2025 • 6 minute read This handout picture released by the Iranian Red Crescent on June 17, 2025 shows members of their rescue teams searching the debris inside a buidling in Tehran, targeted by Israeli strikes. Photo by Iranian Red Crescent / AFP DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The International Atomic Energy Agency said Tuesday it believes Israeli airstrikes on Iran's Natanz enrichment site have had 'direct impacts' on the facility's underground centrifuge halls. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The strikes are part of an air campaign Israel launched against its longtime foe five days ago, targeting Iran's military and nuclear program. This marks the first time the United Nations' nuclear watchdog has assessed damage from the strikes in the underground parts of Natanz, which is the main enrichment facility of Iran's nuclear program. 'Based on continued analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery collected after Friday's attacks, the IAEA has identified additional elements that indicate direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz,' the agency said. Already, an above-ground enrichment hall had been destroyed, as well as electrical equipment that powered the facility. Israel continued to pound Iran Tuesday, while U.S. President Donald Trump posted an ominous message warning Tehran residents to evacuate. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,' Trump wrote Monday night before returning to Washington early from a Group of Seven summit in Canada. 'Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!' he added. Trump later denied he had rushed back to work on a ceasefire, telling reporters on Air Force One: 'I'm not looking at a ceasefire. We're looking at better than a ceasefire.' Asked why he had urged for the evacuation of Tehran, he said: 'I just want people to be safe.' Earlier, the Israeli military had called for some 330,000 residents of a neighborhood in downtown Tehran to evacuate. Tehran is one of the largest cities in the Middle East, with around 10 million people, roughly equivalent to the entire population of Israel. People have been fleeing since hostilities began. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Israel says its sweeping assault on Iran's top military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites and ballistic missile program is necessary to prevent its adversary from getting any closer to building an atomic weapon. The strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran. Iran has retaliated by launching more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel. The Israeli military said a new barrage of missiles was launched on Tuesday, and explosions could be heard in northern Israel. Shops closed, lines for gas in Iran's capital Downtown Tehran appeared to be emptying out early Tuesday, with many shops closed. The ancient Grand Bazaar was also closed, something that only happened in the past during anti-government demonstrations or at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On the roads out of Tehran to the west, traffic stood bumper to bumper. Many appeared to be heading to the Caspian Sea area. Long lines also could be seen at gas stations in Tehran, with printed placards and boards calling for a 'severe' response to Israel visible across the city. Authorities cancelled leave for doctors and nurses as the attacks continue, but insisted everything was under control and did not offer any guidance for the public on what to do. The Israeli military meanwhile claimed to have killed someone it described as Iran's top general in a strike on Tehran. Iran did not immediately comment on the reported killing of Gen. Ali Shadmani, who had just been named as the head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, part of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Iran has named other generals to replace the top leaders of the Guard and the regular armed forces after they were killed in earlier strikes. Trump leaves G7 early to focus on conflict Before leaving the summit in Canada, Trump joined the other leaders in a joint statement saying Iran 'can never have a nuclear weapon' and calling for a 'de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.' French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters that discussions were underway on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, but Trump appeared to shoot that down in his comments on social media. Macron 'mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a 'cease fire' between Israel and Iran,' Trump wrote. 'Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth headed to the White House Situation Room to meet with the president and his national security team. Hegseth didn't provide details on what prompted the meeting but said on Fox News late Monday that the movements were to 'ensure that our people are safe.' Trump said he wasn't ready to give up on diplomatic talks, and could send Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with the Iranians. 'I may,' he said. 'It depends on what happens when I get back.' Israel says it has 'aerial superiority' over Tehran Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Monday his country's forces had 'achieved full aerial superiority over Tehran's skies.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The military said it destroyed more than 120 surface-to-surface missile launchers in central Iran, a third of Iran's total, including multiple launchers just before they launched ballistic missiles towards Israel. It also destroyed two F-14 fighter planes that Iran used to target Israeli aircraft, the military said. Israeli military officials also said fighter jets had struck 10 command centers in Tehran belonging to Iran's Quds Force, an elite arm of its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran. Israel's military issued an evacuation warning for a part of central Tehran that houses state TV and police headquarters, as well as three large hospitals, including one owned by the Guard. It has issued similar evacuation warnings for parts of the Gaza Strip and Lebanon ahead of strikes. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On Monday, an Israeli strike hit the headquarters of Iran's state-run TV station, sending a television anchor fleeing her studio during a live broadcast. The Israeli military said Tuesday it had hit the station because 'the broadcast channel was used to spread anti-Israel propaganda.' Israel says strikes have set back nuclear program Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli strikes have set Iran's nuclear program back a 'very, very long time,' and told reporters he is in daily touch with Trump. Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, and the U.S. and others have assessed Tehran has not had an organized effort to pursue a nuclear weapon since 2003. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that the country has enough enriched uranium to make several nuclear bombs should it choose to do so. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. So far, Israel has targeted multiple Iranian nuclear program sites but has not been able to destroy Iran's Fordo uranium enrichment facility. The site is buried deep underground — and to eliminate it, Israel may need the 30,000-pound (14,000-kilogram) GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a U.S. bunker-busting bomb that uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to reach deeply buried targets. Israel does not have the munition or the bomber needed to deliver it. The penetrator is currently delivered by the B-2 stealth bomber. No sign of conflict letting up Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, appeared to make a veiled plea Monday for the U.S. to step in and negotiate an end to hostilities. In a post on X, Araghchi wrote that if Trump is 'genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential.' 'It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu,' Iran's top diplomat wrote. 'That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy.' The message to Washington was sent as the latest talks between the U.S. and Iran were canceled over the weekend after Israel's surprise bombardment. On Sunday, Araghchi said Iran will stop its strikes if Israel does the same. Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists Canada Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs
