Latest news with #Israeli-origin
DW
12 hours ago
- Business
- DW
Iran-Israel war: Will India need to pick a side? – DW – 06/20/2025
The escalating conflict in the Middle East presents India with tough choices — balancing energy security, economic stability and its delicate diplomacy between Israel and Iran. India maintains amicable relations with both Israel and Iran, which is the result of a delicate balancing act stretching back many years. Now, New Delhi finds itself in a precarious position as the Israel-Iran conflict seems to be escalating into a broader confrontation with mounting death tolls and rising uncertainty. India's diplomatic tightrope Over the last decade, India has strengthened ties with Israel, particularly in defense and technology. India has acquired advanced weaponry, including Barak 8 defense missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), loitering munitions and sophisticated radar systems. In last month's short-lived conflict between India and Pakistan, New Delhi reportedly utilized various Israeli-origin weapons, underscoring the importance of the strategic defense partnership. At the same time, India values its historical and cultural connections with Iran, as well as its strategic role in regional connectivity, energy security, and geopolitical balance. Tehran is also New Delhi's second-largest supplier of crude oil. Israeli civilian sites hit by barrage of Iranian missiles To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Importantly, Iran acts as India's gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia. The Chabahar Port project on the Gulf of Oman, developed jointly by India and Iran, is central to this strategy, providing India with direct access to this region while bypassing Pakistan. Shanthie Mariet D'Souza, a regional expert monitoring current events, said that "India needs to maintain its balancing act to protect its security ties with Israel and protect its strategic interests and economic commitment to the Chabahar Port." "With such contrasting objectives, strategic ambiguity serves the purpose of India being dragged into the conflict, which is bound to widen if the war drags on," D'Souza, founder of the Mantraya Institute for Strategic Studies, told DW. Safeguarding New Delhi's interests Last week, India's Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement expressing deep concern at the recent developments between Iran and Israel. "India urges both sides to avoid any escalatory steps. Existing channels of dialogue and diplomacy should be utilised to work towards a de-escalation of the situation and resolving underlying issues," said the statement. "India enjoys close and friendly relations with both countries and stands ready to extend all possible support," it added. Sticking to its policy of strategic ambiguity and nonalignment, India distanced itself from a recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) statement denouncing Israel's attacks on Iran. The SCO is a 10-member bloc created by China and Russia to counter the Western-led global is also a SCO member, despite its regional rivalry with China. Responding to the escalation between Israel and Iran, the SCO expressed "serious concern" and strongly condemned the Israeli military strikes. Indians seek jobs in Israel amid high unemployment To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video P R Kumaraswamy, a professor of Middle Eastern studies specializing in Israeli politics at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, told DW that India's strategic silence on the Israel-Iran conflict, mirrored by its decisive refusal to endorse the SCO, reflects a "calculated, nuanced and matured approach" rooted in its national interests and geopolitical balancing. "This approach, akin to its neutrality during the Ukraine-Russia war, also recognizes the sentiments in several Arab capitals as they are caught between Israeli actions and a nuclear Iran as their neighbor," said Kumaraswamy. "Strategic autonomy can also be pursued through calculated and minimalist responses without any rhetorical declarations." D'Souza, however, said such a policy will be useful as long as the conflict between Israel and Iran is short. "If it drags on, every move of India will be analyzed and assessed, and its impartiality will be tested, which will be a test case for India's diplomacy," she said. "It will come under pressure if the conflict prolongs. However, being a votary of diplomacy and dialogue is a prudent policy that will maintain India's principle of non-alignment," she added. Will India's hand be forced? Earlier this week, India launched "Operation Sindhu" to evacuate Indian nationals, starting with 110 Indian students from northern Iran. These students were assisted in crossing into Armenia by road under the supervision of Indian diplomats. Iranians protest Israeli strikes To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Following the successful evacuation from Iran, India extended the operation to include its nationals in Israel. Indian citizens who wish to leave Israel are being evacuated through land borders and then brought to India by air, according to India's Foreign Ministry. Former diplomat Anil Wadhwa said India would resist the pressure to take a clear side in the conflict unless New Delhi's vital interests like energy, connectivity, or security, are directly threatened. "Strategic autonomy has been prioritized by India. In the Middle East itself, opinions are divided over Iranian nuclear activities. India, therefore, works on a bilateral basis with its Middle East partners to develop trust and enhance its interests," Wadhwa told DW. "India will not want to be drawn into bloc-based confrontations. It is building trust through tailored partnerships," he added. Edited by: Keith Walker
DW
13 hours ago
- Business
- DW
Iran-Israel conflict: Will India need to pick a side? – DW – 06/20/2025
The escalating conflict in the Middle East presents India with tough choices — balancing energy security, economic stability and its delicate diplomacy between Israel and Iran. India maintains amicable relations with both Israel and Iran, which is the result of a delicate balancing act stretching back many years. Now, New Delhi finds itself in a precarious position as the Israel-Iran conflictseems to be escalating into a broader confrontation with mounting death tolls and rising uncertainty. India's diplomatic tightrope Over the last decade, India has strengthened ties with Israel, particularly in defense and technology. India has acquired advanced weaponry, including Barak 8 defense missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), loitering munitions and sophisticated radar systems. In last month's short-lived conflict between India and Pakistan, New Delhi reportedly utilized various Israeli-origin weapons, underscoring the importance of the strategic defense partnership. At the same time, India values its historical and cultural connections with Iran, as well as its strategic role in regional connectivity, energy security, and geopolitical balance. Tehran is also New Delhi's second-largest supplier of crude oil. Israeli civilian sites hit by barrage of Iranian missiles To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Importantly, Iran acts as India's gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia. The Chabahar Port project on the Gulf of Oman, developed jointly by India and Iran, is central to this strategy, providing India with direct access to this region while bypassing Pakistan. Shanthie Mariet D'Souza, a regional expert monitoring current events, said that "India needs to maintain its balancing act to protect its security ties with Israel and protect its strategic interests and economic commitment to the Chabahar Port." "With such contrasting objectives, strategic ambiguity serves the purpose of India being dragged into the conflict, which is bound to widen if the war drags on," D'Souza, founder of the Mantraya Institute for Strategic Studies, told DW. Safeguarding New Delhi's interests Last week, India's Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement expressing deep concern at the recent developments between Iran and Israel. "India urges both sides to avoid any escalatory steps. Existing channels of dialogue and diplomacy should be utilised to work towards a de-escalation of the situation and resolving underlying issues," said the statement. "India enjoys close and friendly relations with both countries and stands ready to extend all possible support," it added. Sticking to its policy of strategic ambiguity and nonalignment, India distanced itself from a recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) statement denouncing Israel's attacks on Iran. The SCO is a 10-member bloc created by China and Russia to counter the Western-led global is also a SCO member, despite its regional rivalry with China. Responding to escalation between Israel and Iran, the SCO expressed "serious concern" and strongly condemned the Israeli military strikes. Indians seek jobs in Israel amid high unemployment To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video P R Kumaraswamy, a professor of Middle Eastern studies specializing in Israeli politics at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, told DW that India's strategic silence on the Israel-Iran conflict, mirrored by its decisive refusal to endorse the SCO, reflects a "calculated, nuanced and matured approach" rooted in its national interests and geopolitical balancing. "This approach, akin to its neutrality during the Ukraine-Russia war, also recognizes the sentiments in several Arab capitals as they are caught between Israeli actions and a nuclear Iran as their neighbor," said Kumaraswamy. "Strategic autonomy can also be pursued through calculated and minimalist responses without any rhetorical declarations." D'Souza, however, said such a policy will be useful as long as the conflict between Israel and Iran is short. "If it drags on, every move of India will be analyzed and assessed, and its impartiality will be tested which will be a test case for India's diplomacy," she said. "It will come under pressure if the conflict prolongs. However, being a votary of diplomacy and dialogue is a prudent policy that will maintain India's principle of non-alignment," she added. Will India's hand be forced? Earlier this week, India launched "Operation Sindhu" to evacuate Indian nationals, starting with 110 Indian students from northern Iran. These students were assisted in crossing into Armenia by road under the supervision of Indian diplomats. Iranians protest Israeli strikes To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Following the successful evacuation from Iran, India extended the operation to include its nationals in Israel. Indian citizens who wish to leave Israel are being evacuated through land borders and then brought to India by air, according to India's Foreign Ministry. Former diplomat Anil Wadhwa said India would resist the pressure to take a clear side in the conflict unless New Delhi vital interests like energy, connectivity or security are directly threatened. "Strategic autonomy has been prioritized by India. In the Middle East itself, opinions are divided over Iranian nuclear activities. India, therefore, works on a bilateral basis with its Middle East partners to develop trust and enhance its interests," Wadhwa told DW. "India will not want to be drawn into bloc-based confrontations. It is building trust through tailored partnerships," he added. Edited by: Keith Walker
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First Post
18-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
Operation Sindoor on 'strategic pause', govt gives military power for emergency buying
India has given emergency powers to its armed forces to buy weapons worth up to ₹40,000 crore, following a strong warning to Pakistan that the current pause in Operation Sindoor is only temporary unless it stops cross-border terrorism. read more A Pakistan Army soldier stands in front of damaged building after it was hit by an Indian strike in Muzaffarabad, in PoK on May 7. Reuters With New Delhi issuing a stern warning to Islamabad that the current pause in Operation Sindoor is only temporary unless Pakistan stops supporting cross-border terrorism, the government has granted emergency procurement (EP) powers to the armed forces, allowing purchases of up to ₹40,000 crore, The Times of India reported. Officials told TOI on Saturday that the Defence Acquisitions Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, recently approved the sixth round of emergency purchases (EP-6) for the Army, Air Force and Navy to boost and replenish their weapons stockpiles. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The first four rounds of EP were approved during the military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, while the fifth focused on counter-terrorism operations. Under EP-6, the armed forces can fast-track multiple contracts – each worth up to ₹300 crore – covering both capital and revenue expenditure, bypassing the usual lengthy procurement procedures. 'The contracts must be finalised within 40 days, with deliveries completed within a year. These powers will be exercised by the three Service vice chiefs,' an official said. This will allow the armed forces to quickly strengthen their stockpiles of missiles, long-range weapons, loitering and precision-guided munitions, kamikaze drones, counter-drone systems, and other arms and ammunition. There is a 15% cap on both capital and revenue procurements from the total defence budget allocated for the current financial year. 'All EP-6 purchases must be carried out with the concurrence of financial advisers, and special permission is required for imports,' the official added. 'While actual expenditure is likely to remain below the 15% ceiling, the provision gives the Services the necessary flexibility to address urgent operational gaps and replenish ammunition stocks depleted during the four days of intense hostilities from 7 to 10 May,' officials further said. For instance, the IAF used a range of advanced weapons during its precision strikes, including BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles (jointly developed with Russia), Israeli-origin Crystal Maze-2 and Rampage missiles, Spice-2000 precision-guided bombs, as well as French-origin Scalp cruise missiles and Hammer air-to-ground munitions. The IAF also deployed Israeli-made Harop and Harpy kamikaze drones, as reported earlier by TOI. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
With Operation Sindoor still on, military gets emergency purchase powers
NEW DELHI: With India making it clear that the cessation of hostilities under Operation Sindoor is only a 'strategic pause' if Pakistan does not mend its ways in fuelling cross-border terrorism , govt has granted emergency procurement (EP) powers to the armed forces with an overall outer limit of around Rs 40,000 crore. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The EP-6 approval for Army, IAF and Navy to further boost as well as replenish their arms stockpiles was granted by the Rajnath Singh-led Defence Acquisitions Council just a few days ago, officials told TOI on Saturday. The first four EPs were granted during the military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh, while the fifth was for counter-terror operations. Under EP-6, the armed forces can fast-track multiple contracts, each worth Rs 300 crore, under both capital and revenue heads instead of following the normal long-winded procurement procedure. 'The contracts have to be finalised within 40 days, with deliveries to be completed in one year. The powers will be exercised by the three Service vice chiefs,' an official said. This will allow the armed forces to quickly build their arsenals of missiles and other long-range weapons, loiter and precision-guided munitions, kamikaze drones and counter-drone systems, among other weapons and ammunition. There is a 15% cap each on the total capital and revenue procurements of the overall defence outlay earmarked for the ongoing fiscal. 'All EP-6 purchases have to take place with the concurrence of the financial advisors, while special permission is needed for imports,' the official said. 'While the actual expenditure is likely to be less than the overall 15% outer limit, it gives the Services the requisite flexibility to meet urgent operational gaps and replenish their ammunition stocks depleted in the four days of intense hostilities from May 7 to 10,' he added. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now IAF jets, for instance, used BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, which are jointly produced in India with Russia, the Israeli-origin air-to-ground Crystal Maze-2 and Rampage missiles and Spice- 2000 precision-guided bombs, and French-origin Scalp cruise missiles and Hammer air-to-ground precision-guided munitions, for their precision strikes, as earlier reported by TOI. IAF also used Israeli Harop and Harpy kamikaze drones. Similarly, Army units launched loitering munitions like SkyStriker as well as fired 'smart' extended range artillery shells like Excalibur to hammer specific targets. The armed forces also used a wide array of weapons as part of the multi-layered air defence network. They included the Barak-8 medium range surface-to-air missiles, jointly developed with Israel, and the indigenous Akash missiles.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Two airports targeted In 24 hours: First Jammu, then Srinagar
NEW DELHI: India on Thursday night repelled 300 to 400 drones launched by Pakistan across the entire western front to target military and civilian establishments and then undertook a swift counter-strike against four air defence sites, even as deadly artillery duels led to soldiers being killed on both sides. The Pakistani attack resumed on Friday night, with drones once again being spotted in 26 locations in a wide arc, ranging from Srinagar, Baramulla and Awantipora in the north to Bhuj in the south, along both the international border and the Line of Control with Pakistan. Operation Sindoor PM Modi meets NSA, chiefs of armed forces amid spike in tensions with Pak India's air defence systems shoot down Pak drones in J&K, Punjab & Rajasthan Several airports in India to be closed till May 15 - check list The locations targeted included Srinagar airport , Avantipora air base, Baramulla, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozpur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala. "These included armed drones posing potential threats to civilian and military targets," an officer said. The attack on Srinagar airport followed one on Jammu the previous night. While the armed forces neutralised the bulk of the drones with a variety of air defence weapons, an armed drone targeted a civilian area in Ferozpur, resulting in severe injuries to members of a family. On Thursday, the intrusion by drones, mainly Turkish but some also from China, came in three waves at 36 locations across the LoC and IB, stretching from Leh to Sir Creek, between 8pm and midnight. Pakistan also used an armed UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) to target Bathinda military station, headquarters of the Army's 10 'Chetak Corps'. The UAV was swiftly detected and neutralised by Indian air defence systems. "These provocative and escalatory actions taken by Pakistan last night were targeted at Indian cities and civilian infrastructure, in addition to some military targets. The Indian armed forces responded proportionately, adequately and responsibly," foreign secretary Vikram Misri said at a briefing. The counter-strike saw four Israeli-origin Harop and Harpy armed drones being launched once again by the IAF against four air defence sites in Pakistan. "One of our drones was able to destroy an air defence radar," Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said. Indian air defence units, which are plugged into the IAF's fully-automated integrated air command and control system (IACCS) network, destroyed 50 of the Pakistani drones using L-70 anti-aircraft guns, ZU-23 twin-barrel guns and other weapons. Another 20 drones were brought down after being jammed by a variety of devices, while the rest flew back across the border. With some of the drones being unarmed, Wing Commander Singh said, "The possible purpose of these large-scale aerial intrusions was to test our air defence systems and gather intelligence." Pak used Turkiye-built armed drones in strikes across LoC Preliminary forensic analysis of some drone debris showed they were Asisguard Songar drones of Turkey, she said. Equipped with both daylight and infrared cameras, the Turkish drones have an operational range of 10 km and can be configured for various missions ranging from area surveillance to target detection and destruction. Turkiye has deep ties with Pakistan and has repeatedly endorsed Islamabad's position on Kashmir. Along the 778-km LoC, Pakistan also carried out heavy artillery shelling and used armed drones in Tangdhar, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, Rajouri, Akhnoor and Udhampur areas in Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday night. Around 20 ceasefire violations were recorded, 13 south of the Pir Panjal range and seven north of it. In the heavy exchange of fire, at least one Indian soldier was killed and another 10 injured. Two civilian deaths were also reported from the Uri sector. "Pakistan army also suffered major losses in Indian retaliatory fire," Colonel Sofia Qureshi said. The shadowboxing between the rival navies also continued in the northern Arabian Sea, with both issuing 'NavArea' warnings for ships to stay away from specified coordinates due to firing exercises by their warships. India's drills will take place till May 13, while Pakistan's will finish a day earlier.
