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Kuwait Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Kuwaiti officers graduate from Jordan college
Kuwait's Ambassador to Jordan Hamad Al-Marri and Kuwaiti Military Attaché Brig Gen Mohammed Al-Eyada with the graduates. AMMAN: Kuwait's Ministry of Defense participated on Wednesday in the graduation ceremony of the 22nd National Defense Course and the 8th Master's Program in Strategies to Combat Extremism and Terrorism at the Royal Jordanian National Defense College, which included officers from Arab and foreign countries. The graduation ceremony was held under the patronage of Jordan's King Abdullah II, who was represented by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj Gen Yousef Al-Huneiti. The event was attended by Kuwait's Ambassador to Jordan Hamad Al-Marri and Kuwait's Military Attaché Brig Gen Pilot Mohammed Al-Eyada. AMMAN: Jordanian Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj Gen Yousef Al-Huneiti with graduates of the Royal Jordanian National Defense College. Ambassador Al-Marri told KUNA that the bilateral relations between Kuwait and Jordan serve as a model of joint cooperation between countries and represent a close and intertwined relationship across various fields, especially in education and military affairs. He stressed Kuwait's keenness to strengthen efforts and cooperation with Jordan to achieve the shared goals of both brotherly countries in enhancing cooperation between military institutions and serving their mutual interests. Al-Marri praised the dedication and perseverance of the Kuwaiti officers throughout the course in their pursuit of military knowledge, wishing them success in their various roles in serving the honor of military duty in the Kuwaiti army. Officers from various branches of the Jordanian Armed Forces and security agencies participated in both programs, alongside officers from Arab and foreign countries. – KUNA
12 hours ago
- Politics
Iran has what it needs to produce a nuclear weapon in 'a couple of weeks,' White House says
The White House on Thursday stated definitively that Iran has all it needs to produce a nuclear weapon in "a couple of weeks" once given the go-ahead from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Let's be very clear, Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at her briefing. "All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that." "And it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon, which would, of course, pose an existential threat not just to Israel but to the United States and to the entire world," she continued. How close Iran is to developing a usable nuclear weapon has been at the center of the Israel-Iran conflict, with continuing debate over potential "breakout time" once the nation has stockpiled enough weapons-grade enriched uranium. The last time the U.S. officially publicly gave a breakout timeline was in July 2024 when then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it would take Iran one to two weeks to enrich enough uranium of 90% purity to get the fissile material needed for a nuclear weapon. "Once you're at 60 [percent enrichment], you're 90% of the way there. You are, in essence, a threshold nuclear weapons state, which is what Iran basically has become," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview last month. But if were to produce enough weapons-grade uranium, most experts estimate it would take Iran between several months to two years to actually make a deliverable nuclear warhead. Decision on attacking within two weeks, Trump says All eyes are on what Trump will do next as Israel and Iran continue to trade strikes, which Israel said it will intensify after Iranian missile hit a hospital in Beersheba. The White House said on Thursday he would make a choice on whether to take military action against Tehran within the next two weeks. "'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.' That's a quote directly from the president for all of you today," Leavitt said. Trump's met with advisers in the Situation Room three times this week after departing the G7 summit early due to tensions in the Middle East. He approved attack plans presented to him but was waiting to see if Iran would be willing to negotiate and hasn't made a final decision, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. He's set for another Situation Room meeting on Friday before attending a private fundraiser that night in Bedminster, New Jersey, before returning to the White House Saturday afternoon where he will get more intelligence briefings that evening and Sunday evening. A source familiar with the intelligence said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said not to take action until U.S. assets are in a better position in the region. The U.S. is in the process of moving the USS Ford aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean. The source also said Trump wanted to know whether a 30,000-pound bomb made by the U.S. would be successful in destroying Iran's nuclear capabilities. Leavitt said that Trump's decision would be partly based on his "instincts" as he faces different pressures from all sides, including a split in his Republican base between isolationists and Israel hawks. "Look, the president hears all voices across the country, and he makes decisions based on his instincts," Leavitt said. "And he has always said diplomacy is his first option." ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce asked Leavitt what made Trump believe there's a substantial chance for negotiation, but Leavitt declined to lay out his thinking. "I'm not going to get into the reasoning and the rationale," she said. "The president believes that, but that's his position and he will make a decision within the next two weeks." The White House said correspondence has continued between the United States and the Iranians, though it wasn't tracking whether U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff would attend talks in Geneva between European leaders and the Iranians. Meanwhile, Israel on Thursday made strong statements saying Iran's supreme leader cannot continue to "exist" -- prompting questions of whether Israel now wants regime change in the Iran. Leavitt was asked on Thursday whether the U.S. would get involved in such a scenario. "The president's top priority right now is ensuring that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon and providing peace and stability in the Middle East," Leavitt said.
Indian Express
21 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
The Munir-Trump tango has risks for both the US and Pakistan
The chief of the Pakistan Army has been an honoured guest of the White House on three occasions. The first was General Yahya Khan in 1970 on the eve of the Bangladesh crisis. The second was Pervez Musharraf in 2001 when Pakistan was needed for the US war in Afghanistan. Both also happened to be the president of Pakistan at the time. However, why Field Marshal Asim Munir was invited to lunch by President Donald Trump on June 18 is a bit of a mystery. He is not the head of the government, and as such, protocol would suggest that the head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff or the Secretary of Defence be his host. Munir was invited to visit the US in early June, and his official five-day visit began on June 15. Why would the great Donald Trump, who, as it is, has an exaggerated notion of his own worth, invite an army chief of a Global South country, whose economy is in shambles, to lunch? The ostensible and somewhat implausible reason was contained in a statement by White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly, who said, 'President Trump will host Field Marshal Munir after he called for the President to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan.' Trump himself said in his remarks during and after the lunch: 'The reason I had him here was I wanted to thank him for not going into the war and ending it… This man was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side. Modi from the Indian side and others. They were going at it, and they are both nuclear countries. I got it stopped.' While there has been no official statement from the White House after the lunch, the Pakistan Army said in a press note that 'President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests.' There is another shady subtext to the meeting. In April, a deal was reached between a Trump family-owned firm and Pakistan's newly created Crypto Council. A high-profile team of executives travelled from Washington to Islamabad to sign the deal. The team was personally welcomed by General Asim Munir, and a closed-door meeting was held with both Shehbaz Sharif and Munir present. Beyond all this, the Trump-Munir meeting can be seen as a high-stakes diplomatic manoeuvre with implications for US-Pakistan relations, the Israel-Iran conflict, and South Asian stability. No doubt, the immediate impulse to invite Munir came from the India-Pakistan conflict. Note that as the India-Pakistan crisis peaked on the evening of May 9, the US Secretary of State had directly called Munir and obtained a commitment from him for pursuing a ceasefire offering as inducement 'US assistance in starting constructive talks in order to avoid future conflicts.' Other factors were at play here, including a heightened US interest in restoring its close ties with Pakistan. This is evident from the somewhat grandiose statement on June 10 by Lt Gen Michael Kurilla, the chief of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), to the US House Armed Services Committee that Pakistan has been 'a phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world'. The Israel-Iran war broke out three days later. In that sense, the visit and the lunch have not been directly connected to the developments in West Asia. But certainly, the lunch would have been an opportunity for the US President to secure Pakistan's neutrality or alignment against Iran. This became an important objective as Israeli strikes have degraded Iran's air defence infrastructure and its nuclear capacity (for now). General Mohsen Rezai, a member of Iran's National Security Council, claimed that Pakistan had promised that it would launch a nuclear strike against Israel if it used such weapons against Iran. This was swiftly denied by Islamabad, though it did express open support for Iran in the confrontation with Israel. Besides this issue, the US is also largely concerned with the fact that Pakistan has a poor record when it comes to its own nuclear proliferation, having set up a clandestine nuclear bazaar in the past. The worries are that rogue scientists (like the late A Q Khan) could be used by Iran to turn the last screw in fabricating their nuclear weapon. The Munir-Trump tango has risks for both the US and Pakistan. Washington cannot be oblivious to the fact that its recent actions in relation to Pakistan will alienate India. From Islamabad's perspective, dalliance with Washington could upset Iran and destabilise its western borders, where there is an ongoing Baloch militancy. Munir was reportedly empowered to discuss Kashmir with Trump, raising concerns in India about US involvement in the dispute. Any US acknowledgement of Pakistan's position will strain US-India ties, though given the situation, the meeting would have focused more on Iran than South Asia. The meeting has taken place against the backdrop of an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, where Trump has shown clear and strong support for Israel and demanded Iran's 'unconditional surrender'. Pakistan has long been seen as a strategic asset by the US for its location and willingness to go along with the US's security agenda in West Asia and South Asia. Now, after a hiatus, the US is seeking to reinforce those ties. The writer is a Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi
Hans India
a day ago
- Politics
- Hans India
North Korea fires 10 multiple rocket launcher shells after trilateral air drills
Seoul: North Korea fired around 10 artillery shells from its multiple rocket launcher system on Thursday, South Korea's military said, a day after the South conducted joint air drills with the United States and Japan. The North fired the shells toward the Yellow Sea at around 10 a.m. from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, the military said, adding that South Korean and US intelligence authorities are conducting an analysis of the latest weapon test. The North's 240mm multiple rocket launcher puts Seoul and its adjacent areas in target range. Last year, the North conducted a test-launch of what it claimed to be a multiple rocket launcher equipped with a new guidance system, Yonhap news agency reported. The weapon test came a day after South Korea, the US and Japan conducted a three-way aerial exercise as part of efforts to strengthen their trilateral security cooperation against North Korean military threats. The exercise, the first to take place under the Lee Jae Myung government, involved the South Korean F-15K, the US F-16 and the Japanese F-2 fighter jets. Last month, North Korea had fired multiple cruise missiles toward the East Sea, South Korea's military said, a day after a "serious" accident occurred during Pyongyang's launch of a new warship. The launches took place as North Korea said earlier in the day that parts of a new naval destroyer were "crushed" during its launch ceremony, with the North's leader Kim Jong-un calling it a "criminal act" that could not be tolerated. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the North's missile launches from the Sondok area in South Hamgyong Province, without providing further details, such as the number of missiles fired. The JCS said it is closely monitoring North Korean activities so that Pyongyang does not "misjudge" the current security situation, adding that it is maintaining the capabilities to "overwhelmingly" respond to any provocation. It marked the North's latest major missile launch this month after it fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on May 8. The South's military usually does not immediately announce North Korean cruise missile launches, compared with ballistic ones, which are banned under UN Security Council resolutions.
UPI
a day ago
- Politics
- UPI
North Korea launches multiple rockets, Seoul says
North Korea fired around 10 rounds from multiple-launcher rocket systems, Seoul's military said Thursday, one day after South Korea held joint air drills with the United States and Japan. File Photo by KCNA/EPA-EFE SEOUL, June 19 (UPI) -- North Korea fired around 10 rounds from multiple-launcher rocket systems, Seoul's military said Thursday, one day after South Korea held joint air drills with the United States and Japan. The rockets were launched around 10 a.m. from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message sent to reporters. "The detailed specifications are being closely analyzed by South Korean-U.S. intelligence authorities," the JCS said. "In the current security situation, our military is closely monitoring various trends in North Korea under a strong South Korea-U.S. military posture." Further details were not immediately provided. News agency Yonhap reported that the weapons appeared to be fired from 240mm multiple rocket launchers in the direction of the Yellow Sea. Last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-firing of an updated 240mm system with new guidance and maneuverability capabilities -- a demonstration that South Korean officials speculated was made in anticipation of sales to Russia. North Korea has deployed troops, artillery and weapons to Russia to aid in Moscow's war against Ukraine. Pyongyang is believed to be receiving much-needed financial support and advanced military technology for its own weapons programs in return. On Tuesday, Moscow's top security official said that North Korea would send 6,000 military workers and combat engineers to help rebuild Russia's war-torn Kursk region. Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu made the announcement while meeting Kim in Pyongyang for the second time this month. His visit came ahead of the one-year anniversary of the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership by Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The North's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper celebrated the June 19 anniversary in an article touting the "absolute solidity" of its alliance with Russia. "The traditional DPRK-Russia friendship has been upgraded to a true alliance and solid strategic partnership," the article said, using the official acronym for North Korea. Thursday's weapons test came one day after South Korea, the United States and Japan conducted a combined military air exercise. The drills, which involved South Korean F-15K, U.S. F-16 and Japanese F-2 fighter jets, marked the first trilateral exercise under the administration of new South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. Lee met with his Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meeting in Canada on Tuesday. The two leaders vowed to strengthen three-way cooperation with the United States to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, Lee's office said.
