Latest news with #StimsonCenter
France 24
3 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
'Trump did not have the desire, the courage, or the will to tell Israelis not to start this war'
Iran's supreme leader on Wednesday rejected U.S. calls for surrender in the face of blistering Israeli strikes and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause 'irreparable damage' to them, in a recorded video aired by state TV. It was the second public appearance by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei since the strikes began, and came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump demanded 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER' in a social media post and warned Khamenei that the U.S. knows where he is but has no plans to kill him, 'at least not for now.' Trump initially distanced himself from Israel's surprise attack on Friday that triggered the conflict, but in recent days has hinted at greater American involvement, saying he wants something 'much bigger' than a ceasefire. The U.S. has also sent more military aircraft and warships to the region. Khamenei dismissed the 'threatening and absurd statements' by Trump. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Erin Ogunkeye is pleased to welcome Barbara Slavin, Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington and Lecturer in International Affairs at George Washington University. Video by: Erin Ogunkeye
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Only the US can get Israel to 'stop the attacks' on Iran
Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center, analyses Israel's stated goal of destroying Iran's nuclear programme and says it won't be possible without US help.
Mint
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
North Korea Restores Damaged Warship, Plans Two More Next Year
North Korea said it successfully refloated a 5,000-ton destroyer that suffered damage in a botched launch attempt last month that left it foundering in shallow water, with leader Kim Jong Un vowing to build two more vessels of the same class next year as part of his efforts to boost the country's naval capabilities. A second launch ceremony for the Choe Hyon-class destroyer Kang Kon took place at the northeastern port of Rajin on Thursday, state media Korean Central News Agency said, less than a month after reporting a 'serious accident' during the first attempted launch of the ship in May. 'Despite the difficulties and obstacles, our massive shipbuilding plans aimed at building advanced naval power are being pushed forward at the fastest pace possible,' Kim said in a speech at the ceremony. The warship will be delivered to the navy for operations by mid-2026, and the ruling party has approved a plan to build two more 5,000-ton class destroyers next year, Kim said. 'Soon enough the enemies will learn themselves how provocative and unpleasant it is to see enemy ships running through the periphery of their sovereign waters,' Kim said. The North Korean leader slammed the approach of US strategic assets into the region as raising the risk of a nuclear war and said his forces will take 'overwhelming military action' against any aggressive move. The remarks were made just as the White House said President Donald Trump is open to communications with Kim. South Korea said it's closely communicating with the US on their North Korea policy. Analysts said the relatively fast restoration of the damaged warship signals North Korea's capability to pursue a quick naval build-up. The exact extent of the damage done to the ship in last month's accident was not disclosed. It's also unclear whether the destroyer has been fully repaired. 'Experts are generally skeptical about North Korea's naval capabilities, but time and again, including the country's recent floating of the capsized ship, the country has demonstrated that it can make impressive progress when it is prepared to devote priority, resources, and time,' the 38 North program at the Stimson Center said in a report. The country's navy mainly consists of smaller vessels for coastal defense. The new destroyers were designed to extend the nation's firepower in the Yellow Sea to the west and in eastern waters in the direction of Japan. The new vessels can launch guided missiles and boast an air defense system that include the Russian Pantsir-M, 'manifesting the growing cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow,' according to an analysis by Beyond Parallel, which focuses on North Korea. 'While North Korea's two Choe Hyon-class destroyers may not yet match the sophistication of their South Korean or US counterparts, the pace with which they were built suggests North Korean shipyards are gaining the expertise needed to produce more advanced warships in the near future,' the 38 North report said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
India.com
10-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Putin Strikes Back – But Has Ukraine Already Broken The Kremlin's Spine?
New Delhi: Three years of war. Endless airstrikes. Then came June 1. Dozens of drones, hidden in trucks, deep inside Russia. Then, all at once, they moved. Airbases targeted. Bombers hit. At least 12 wiped out. Ukraine called it Operation 'Spiderweb'. A win for Kyiv. A message to Moscow. The game had changed. Then came the warning. Putin told US President Donald Trump, 'We will have to respond.' On June 5 night, missiles and drones rained down on Kyiv. It was brutal. It was loud. But not new. After three years of war, Ukraine had seen this before. Olha, 67, stayed up all night. Kyiv resident. No stranger to explosions. She told CNN, 'If this is retaliation, we will see more like it. Monthly. Maybe more.' But many now wonder – is this all Putin can do? Experts say he is boxed in. The bigger response means admitting the strike hurt. That Ukraine outmaneuvered him. That is not how the Kremlin plays. Even in public meetings, Putin's ministers talked about bridge collapses. Not a word on 'Spiderweb'. Foreign Minister Lavrov mentioned 'criminal provocations'. Nothing else. No spotlight on Ukraine's drone operation. No sign of bombers lost. Just silence. Russia watchers call it a strategy. 'Putin wants this to disappear. A major response would expose the damage. That is not the image the Kremlin wants,' CNN quotes Kateryna Stepanenko from the Institute for the Study of War as saying. But what if Putin wanted to retaliate? He is already firing more drones than ever. On May 31, Russia launched 472 drones. A record. Then 479 on June 1. Another record. 'How would we even know if Putin escalated? They are already hitting malls and apartments. What is left?' ' asked William Alberque from the Stimson Center. Some pro-war bloggers had ideas. Nuclear threats. New missiles. One suggested the Oreshnik – rarely used. But experts doubt it would work. According to Mark Galeotti, a Russia analyst, 'It is not a precision weapon. It will not reach deep bunkers. If Putin uses it, it has to count.' Galeotti thinks Ukraine's spy agency, the SBU, could be a target. But it will not be easy. 'He is burned through most of his escalation tools. That limits what he can do next,' Galeotti said. Still, the strikes may not be over. Russia's Ministry of Defense said it hit an airfield in Rivne on Sunday. Ukraine's air force confirmed the attack and called it 'one of the biggest ever'. Air defenses held up. But not enough. 'You cannot shoot down everything,' said air force rep Yuriy Ihnat. So what now? On the headlines, Ukraine's winning. On the ground, it is tougher. Russia's pushing north. Near Sumy. Just 12 miles from the city. Now claiming moves into central Ukraine, too. 'Putin may accept pain at home. All for a slow, steady push forward,' Galeotti told CNN. Is 'Spiderweb' a one-off? Or the first of many? It took 18 months to plan. What else is cooking? Alberque asks the same thing – 'How many other drone ops are halfway there?' Two days after the bombing raid, Ukraine tried again, targeting the Kerch bridge. It was not destroyed. But the message was clear. Ukraine can hit back. And that may force Putin's hand. 'If these strikes keep humiliating the Kremlin. Putin will feel pressure to hit harder, not just more often, but differently,' said Alberque. Strongman politics. That's Putin's brand. 'He needs to look like a wartime leader. Not someone getting outplayed by drones,' Alberque told the channel.
The Star
07-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Experts: Major web outage came from within
The North's Internet was hit by a major outage that lasted several hours, knocking off connection to government websites and official news services online and severing the reclusive country from cyberspace. It was not clear what caused the outage but it may have been internal rather than a cyberattack, as connections via China and Russia were affected, said researchers who monitor North Korea's Internet and technology infrastructure. North Korea's main official news services, its Foreign Ministry, and the Air Koryo national airline were among websites inaccessible yesterday, before they started coming back slowly around midday. North Korea's entire Internet infrastructure was not showing up on systems that can monitor Internet activities, and email services were also affected, Junade Ali, a UK-based researcher who monitors the North Korean Internet, said earlier. 'Hard to say if this is intentional or accidental – but seems like this is internal rather than an attack.' Officials at South Korea's cyberterror response centre, a police division that monitors North Korea's cyberactivities, could not be reached for comment. Martyn Williams, who specialises in North Korea's technology and infrastructure at the Washington-based Stimson Center, also said the cause appeared to be internal as the Chinese and Russian connections were not working. — Reuters
