Latest news with #MiddleEastRegion
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC's BAFTA-Winning Doc Series ‘Once Upon A Time In…' Turns Eye To Middle East
The BBC will trace the history of conflict in the Middle East in a documentary series that extends its BAFTA-winning Once Upon A Time In… brand. Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (working title) has been greenlit by BBC Two following the success of Once Upon A Time In Iraq and Once Upon a Time In Northern Ireland. More from Deadline BBC Drafts In Consultant To Examine 'Breakfast' Bullying Allegations After Deadline Investigation 'Twenty Twenty Six': BBC Satire Series Officially Heading Stateside With Hugh Bonneville Reprising Role And Stephen Kunken, Paulo Costanzo & Chelsey Crisp Joining Cast 'Doctor Who' Showrunner Casts More Doubt Over Series' Future As UK Ratings Plummet: "We Don't Know What's Happening" Produced by Keo Films, the five-part documentary will take a long-term view of the war in Gaza, examining the roots of a conflict that has affected both Israelis and Palestinians. It will interview ordinary people from all sides of the war, as well as screen rare and unseen archive and user-generated footage to tell human stories. Director James Bluemel said: 'Our Once Upon a Time documentary strand gives regular people the space to share their experience of historical events without judgement and seeks empathy and understanding from all sides.' Announced at the Sheffield DocFest, BBC docs chief Clare Sillery added: 'His [Bluemel] ability to draw out and connect intimate unheard stories, combined with unseen archive is truly remarkable, helping us experience events through the eyes of others, even those with whom we may profoundly disagree.' Once Upon a Time in the Middle East is executive produced by Will Anderson and Andrew Palmer. The BBC commissioning editor is Fran Baker. The next iteration of the Once Upon A Time In… will take viewers to space. Once Upon A Time In Iraq won a BAFTA in 2021 for Best Factual Series. Sillery announced a number of other projects, including a two-part series fronted by Mobeen Azhar, which attempts to uncover what's going on inside the UK prison system. Titled Coerced or Corrupted: Inside Prisons, it is produced by Forest. Best of Deadline 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series 'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Meet General ‘Gorilla': Iran hawk has become Hegseth's go-to adviser as US involvement in Middle East crisis intensifies
The chief of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Erik Kurilla, has emerged as an influential voice on the Middle East who is said to have the ear of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as the administration considers significant U.S. intervention in Iran. Officials have noted that almost all of his requests have received the green light, such as more aircraft carriers and fighter planes in the area, according to Politico. Kurilla is said to have played a large role in giving advice on what the U.S. response to the rising tensions between Iran and Israel should be. Known as 'The Gorilla,' Kurilla has overruled top Pentagon officials and has been a decisive voice on the next actions on Iran, people familiar with the dynamic tell the outlet. Hegseth has reportedly deferred to Kurilla even as the secretary has attempted to project an image as a tough leader who has pushed to reduce the influence of four-star generals and increase civilian control. A former official told Politico that 'If the senior military guys come across as tough and warfighters, Hegseth is easily persuaded to their point of view.' The official added that the general 'has been very good at getting what he wants.' Former Trump Pentagon official Dan Caldwell appeared on the Breaking Points program on Monday, when he said Kurilla 'takes a fundamentally different view of the importance of the Middle East than a lot of other people in the administration. And he also, I think, believes that a military campaign against Iran will not be as costly as others.' 'I don't think it's a coincidence you see a lot of the pressure ramping up to do something prior to his retirement time,' said Caldwell. People familiar with the general told HuffPost that he's particularly close to Israel, more so than other U.S. officials. 'He had better information about what they were up to and what they were seeing in their intelligence before we got it than anyone else in our government,' a former official told the outlet. One of the people who spoke to Politico said the military official, who's close to former National Security Adviser and U.N. ambassador nominee Mike Waltz, has met with President Donald Trump more than most other generals. Kurilla is coming to the end of his time heading U.S. Central Command, and as such, some believe he may be less concerned about any consequences from advocating for his views. Four people told the outlet that Kurilla's argument for sending more weapons to the region came up against the opposing views of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby. They have argued for caution against overcommitting to the region. U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, is the Pentagon's top military command in the Middle East. 'CENTCOM is trying to grab every asset they can from every other theater,' a person familiar with the situation told Politico. 'That's what CENTCOM always does.' Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told the outlet that Hegseth makes use of officials' knowledge and then decides what to recommend to Trump. 'Secretary Hegseth empowers all of his combatant commanders the same way, by decentralizing command and harnessing their real-world expertise,' said Parnell. 'Our senior leaders are in lockstep and will continue to work in unison to deliver on President Trump's national security agenda.' One defense official rejected the notion that Caine and Kurilla disagree on significant issues. The official said there's 'Absolutely no daylight between Kurilla and Caine. It's a hand-in-glove relationship.' They added that the two commanders present options to the president together. Kurilla reportedly has more influence than has been commonplace during other administrations. Generals tend to be restricted in their influence by Pentagon chiefs, who at times reject requests to achieve a balance in U.S. troops stationed around the world. However, one person familiar told Politico that they had never seen Hegseth reject a request from Kurilla. Two defense officials noted that the Pentagon directed a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East this week, in addition to new deployments of fighter planes, including F-22s, F-35s, and F-16s. This means that the U.S. has had two aircraft carriers in the area on two separate occasions this year. It removes such assets from the Pacific even as Pentagon leaders have attempted to shift focus to China. Kurilla appeared on Capitol Hill last week to testify before Congress, saying that he had prepared a 'wide range of options' for Hegseth and Trump to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons. However, former officials told the outlet that Kurilla's expansive influence is due to the nature of his post as the top military leader of the command overseeing the Middle East. Bilal Saab served in the Pentagon during Trump's first stint in the White House, telling Politico that 'This has little to do with Kurilla himself.' 'There's no resistance in the Pentagon or the NSC to moving assets to protect troops and personnel in the region,' said Saab. Dan Shapiro served as the top Middle East policy official at the Pentagon until January. He told Politico that Kurilla is 'extremely strategic and persuasive about what CENTCOM can do given adequate resources.' 'That was certainly true in the Biden administration. It may be more true now,' he added. 'He's got the look of the general that both Hegseth and Trump are looking for,' a former official told the outlet. 'He's a big dude, he's jacked, he's exactly this 'lethality' look they're going for.' From Elk River, Minnesota, Kurilla attended West Point and was commissioned into the infantry in 1988. He has led deployments in Panama, Iraq, Haiti, Kosovo, and Afghanistan, according to Central Command, which he has led since April 2022. He has two daughters with his wife, Mary Paige. Kurilla was the subject of an Army investigation after he allegedly shoved a military crew member, but his courage has also impressed top officials. He was awarded a Bronze Star after leading U.S. troops in a 2005 firefight during the Iraq War, even after being shot three times.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Exclusive: US moving fighter jets to Middle East as Israel-Iran war rages
WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. military is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, bolstering U.S. military forces in the region as the war between Israel and Iran rages, three U.S. officials said. One of the officials said the deployments include F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter aircraft. Two of the officials stressed the defensive nature of the deployment of fighter aircraft, which have been used to shoot down drones and projectiles.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Inside Trump's $4.5bn flagship supercarrier USS Nimitz rushing to flashpoint Middle East armed to the teeth with F-35s
AMERICA is sending the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates. The hulking $4.5billion nuclear-powered supercarrier, nicknamed Old Salt, is the flagship of the deadly Carrier Strike Group 11. 12 12 12 The strike group includes Carrier Air Wing Seventeen and Destroyer Squadron Nine - a potent combination of military hardware that will strike fear into Iran. The Nimitz left the South China Sea Monday morning heading west towards the Middle East, where it will be stationed. The move comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran and question marks over whether the West will become embroiled in the conflict. Donald Trump has warned Iran it would experience the "full force" of the US military if it attacked US interests. And Sir Keir Starmer has sent more RAF jets to the Middle East, including Typhoons and air-to-air refuelers, as tensions mount. The USS Nimitz will provide a major boost to US military presence in the region. And The Sun knows first hand of the true might of this awesome 100,000 ton warship. I spent two days on board the USS Nimitz during a training exercise. The massive vessel is 1,092ft long and 252ft wide and consists of 117,000 sq ft. The flight deck is four and a half acres and boasts four aircraft catapults to propel F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers and F-35C stealth strike fighters into the sky. Iran launches 3rd night of strikes as Netanyahu warns war could lead to 'regime change' in Tehran Four giant elevators bring the aircraft from the hangar in the guts of the carrier. I stood just feet away as F-35 Lightning II fighter jets were catapulted from the deck with an ear-splitting blast, before disappearing off the bow of the ship in a haze of steam. The violent rumble of the jet engines shook my bones to the core. A Seahawk helicopter circled nearby in case of any accidents. The F-35C is designed for long-range stealth strike missions and is built explicitly for US Navy carrier operations. The flight deck of the Nimitz was awash with dedicated crewmen wearing different coloured 'jerseys' whose job is to tow the aircraft into position before the pilots ready the jets for take off. Green jerseys operate the jet blast deflectors (JBD), aircraft handlers wear yellow jerseys, blue jerseys work in the hanger bay and purple jerseys refuel the aircraft, while red jerseys handle aviation ordinance and crash and salvage. The whole manic scene - described by those on board as a choreographed ballet - is watched over by white jerseys. 12 12 12 I stood behind a yellow jacket, also known as a shooter, one of several catapult officers responsible for the safe and efficient launch of the ship's aircraft. She threw a shooting sign to tell the jet to take off. 'Stay behind me,' she screamed as we ducked under the afterburners of a Super Hornet. 'The heat from those engines will take your skin off.' Beneath deck is a massive floating city where 5,000 US Navy personnel carry out their duties like worker bees in a hive. Inside the ten floor, 3,000 room hull, life is one slick operation. There are several cafeterias, gyms, a Starbucks coffee shop and 'luxury' state rooms for 'Distinguished Visitors'. Since it is nuclear-powered, the Nimitz – call sign NMTZ - can operate for up to 20 years without refuelling. Capable of reaching 30 knots (35mph) the ship is one of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the US Fleet. I joined the ship off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, for a routine five-day training mission which saw the F-35C put through its paces. The ship raised its two 60,000lb anchors and set sail from Naval Air Station North Island, in Coronado, San Diego. 12 Walking around the vast warship you're struck by the sheer number of young faces walking the narrow corridors and stairways - the backbone of the US Navy. The average age of sailors on board is 25 and often you'll find a teenager fresh out of high school steering the warship out of port. During my time onboard I was also taken up to the bridge, the heart of the ship's operation, where the Captain sat on a raised chair surrounded by his team of navigators, officers and the rest of the watch team charged with keeping the ship away from hazards. The mission of many of the Nimitz sailors will be to take off and land dozens of fighter jets, helicopters and planes, sometimes within less than 60 seconds of each other. The crew often work 12-hour shifts, six days a week. The busy ship goes through around 500 cans of energy drink Monster a day purchased from the ship's store. The Nimitz entered service in 1975 but has undergone dozens of refurbishments and upgrades since. It is the lead ship of her class, one of the largest warships in the world, second only to the USS Gerald R Ford. The Nimitz's homeport is Naval Base Kitsap in Washington and the vessel is named for legendary fleet admiral Chester W. Nimitz (1885–1966), who helped the US defeat the Japanese Navy in World War II. Its deployment to the Middle East will likely be its last mission as it marks 50 years of service. The ageing warship is set to be replaced by the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) later this year. 12 12
Reuters
4 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US deploying more defensive capabilities to Middle East, defense secretary says
WASHINGTON, June 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday he had ordered the deployment of additional defensive capabilities to the Middle East, as the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran drives regional tensions higher. Hegseth did not disclose what military capabilities he sent to the region. But Reuters was the first to report earlier on Monday a deployment of a large number of U.S. military refueling aircraft and the movement of an aircraft carrier to the Middle East. "Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region," Hegseth said in a post on social media platform X.
