Latest news with #THAAD
Roya News
a day ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Netanyahu: "No one in Iran has immunity"
'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Thursday that regime change in Iran is not a goal in itself but could be a natural consequence of strikes targeting key figures within the Iranian leadership. In press remarks, Netanyahu said, 'The issue of regime change or collapse in Iran is an internal matter for the Iranian people alone, and there is no alternative to that.' However, he stressed that targeting Iranian leadership has a clear impact on the structure of the system. When asked whether Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei could be a target, Netanyahu responded, 'My instructions are clear: no one in Iran has immunity.' He also noted that the United States is providing defensive support to Israel through the THAAD missile defense system, adding that American pilots are helping intercept drones coming from Iran.
India.com
a day ago
- Politics
- India.com
Can missile air defense systems stop nuclear weapons? India's S-400 defence system can...
Iron Dome vs S-400 Triumf. (File) Global Air Defence systems vs Nuclear attack: In the recent few decades, India and other nations have been continuously developing missile defense systems aimed at intercepting most powerful weapons including nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. However, we all know that these systems face significant limitations like the recent terrible failure of China's HQ9 Air Defence System seen during India's ant-terror operation against Pakistan. One more question that arises is that can missile air defense systems stop nuclear weapons? Scroll down to get all your answers. Air Defence systems vs Nuclear attack! We all know that world's most powerful countries like the U.S., Russia, Israel, and India possess advanced defenses such as the THAAD, Israel's Arrow-3 and Iron Dome, and India's Akash Missile system and S-400 missile defence system receptively but can they defend a nuclear attack? As per media reports, intercepting nuclear warheads is technically challenging and expensive and even a high-performing system like the US THAAD or S-400 missile defence system has had several failures, pointing to inherent vulnerabilities and they may not succeed in stopping nuclear weapons. Iran strikes Israeli intelligence sites in Tel Aviv In a significant development in the Iran-Israel war, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) carried out strikes on 'key Israeli intelligence sites' in Tel Aviv, including military intelligence and Mossad facilities, while the Israeli Air Force said it launched a new wave of airstrikes in western Iran, as per a report by IANS news agency. The IRGC said its Aerospace Force conducted an 'effective operation' in the early hours, penetrating Israel's 'highly advanced air defence systems', according to Iranian state media. The elite force claimed the strikes specifically targeted the Israeli army's Aman headquarters and a facility used for planning 'assassination operations attributed to the Mossad'. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iran killed 'a significant number' of officers and commanders in its strikes on Mossad and military intelligence centres. (With inputs from agencies)
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
‘서해피격' 유족 면담 의향 묻자 이종석 '검토하겠다'
이종석 국가정보원장 후보자는 19일 '서해 공무원 피격 사건' 유가족이 요청할 경우 면담을 검토해보겠다는 입장을 밝혔다. 이 후보자는 이날 오후 진행된 비공개 인사청문회 이후 '서해 피격' 피해자 유가족과 면담 의향을 묻는 기자들의 질의에 "필요하면 뵈어야겠다. 검토를 해보겠다"고 답했다. 2020년 9월 서해에서 북한군의 총격에 숨진 해양수산부 공무원 이대준 씨의 친형인 이래진 씨는 이 후보자의 인사청문회를 앞두고 "이종석 국정원장이 취임하면, 비공개도 좋으니 한번 뵙고 싶다"고 코리아헤럴드에 전한 바 있다. 이 후보자는 취임 후 서해 피살 공무원과 동해 귀순 어민 강제 북송 사건과 관련해 2022년 진행된 국정원 내부 감찰이 적절한지 점검하겠다는 의사도 밝혔다. 이 후보자는 당시 국정원 내부 감찰은 "전직 국정원장들에 대해 형사 문제나 권력 남용 문제가 아닌, 정책적 판단에 의해 이뤄진 것이기 때문에 굉장히 불행한 사건"이라면서, "복귀하고 천천히 정리를 해야되지 않을까 생각한다"고 했다. 이 후보자는 12.3 비상계엄 사태에 국정원이 얽힌 부분에 대해서도 들여다보겠다고 했다. 이 후보자는 "특검 과정에서 국정원에도 일부 조사가 들어올텐데, 국정원이 걸려있는 것들에 대해 당연히 살펴볼 생각이다"고 말했다. 그러면서 "다만 그것이 감찰이 될지, 어떤 성격이 될지는 예단하기 어렵다"고 덧붙였다. 앞서 같은 날 오전에 열린 공개 인사청문회에서 이기헌 더불어민주당 의원은 문재인 정부 당시 박지원·서훈 국정원장에 대한 형사 고발로 이어진 국정원 내부 감찰이 "있을 수 없는 일"이라고 목소리를 높이며, 경위를 밝힐 필요성에 대한 이 후보자의 입장을 물었다. 이에 이 후보자는 "국정원 내부 조직과 관련 돼 있고 전직 원장과 관련 돼 있는 사건이라 상당히 깊이 살펴보겠단 의사 표시를 했고, 앞으로 그렇게 하겠다"고 답했다. 이성권 국민의힘 정보위원회 간사는 이 후보자가 서해 공무원 피격 사건에 대한 입장 표명을 회피했다고 지적했다. 이 간사는 "이 후보자에게 서해 공무원 피격 관련해 물으니 '모른다'고 답했다"면서 "대북전문가인데 그 일을 하지 않아서 답변을 못 한다는 것은 말이 안 된다"고 꼬집었다. 18일 국회에 낸 인사청문 자료에서 이 후보자는 서해 피격·강제 북송 사건에 대한 입장을 묻는 질의에 "세종연구소 연구원으로 재직하던 시기에 발생한 사건으로 정확한 사실관계를 알지 못한다"면서, "국정원장으로 취임하게 된다면 관련 내용을 살펴보겠다"고 답했다. 이 후보자의 인사청문회 보고서 채택을 위한 국회 정보위 전체회의는 20일 열린다. (arin@ Spy chief nominee grilled over his perceptions of North Korea Lee Jong-seok, the nominee to be the director of the National Intelligence Service, faced scrutiny over his past acquaintance with a former deputy governor convicted over illegal cash transfers to North Korea at his confirmation hearing Thursday. At the hearing, Lee was asked about his past ties to former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Gov. Lee Hwa-young, who served when President Lee Jae Myung was governor of the province. The former deputy gov. was sentenced to 7 years and 8 months in prison for a 2019-20 scheme to transfer funds to the North. Prosecutors allege that the president, when he was governor, used the undergarment maker Ssangbangwool to send $8 million to North Korea. Lee has consistently denied any wrongdoing or involvement in the case. The NIS director nominee and the former deputy governor had worked together at the inter-Korean peace committee at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office since 2018. The nominee said he knew the former deputy governor strictly in a professional capacity and that he had no knowledge of the scheme at all. When asked about his past public remarks opposing the introduction of THAAD, the US antiballistic missile defense system and GSOMIA, the intelligence-sharing framework with Japan, the nominee said he believes that those were "things that are already agreed upon and should be complied with." Lee said that the foundation of South Korea's security is its alliance with the US. "That is the stance of the Lee Jae Myung administration, and I believe the same," he said. In response to The Korea Herald's question after the confirmation hearing, Lee said that he would be open to meeting with the bereaved family of a South Korean fisheries official who was shot dead by North Korean troops at sea in September 2020. "I have not yet looked into the matter, but I would consider it," the nominee said. In Wednesday's prehearing brief, seen exclusively by The Korea Herald, Lee said if he is appointed as the director, he would "look into" the shooting murder of the South Korean official. He was responding to a lawmaker's question about his stance on the case. In 2022, the NIS filed a criminal complaint against its former director Park Jie-won, who is now a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, for allegedly destroying the spy agency's confidential materials related to the South Korean official's death. Park denies all allegations. The criminal trial for Park and other high-level officials at the time is ongoing. In the prehearing brief, Lee also denied the accusations that he was lenient toward North Korea. "I absolutely cannot agree with the claims that I am pro-North Korea only because I have studied North Korea and the Korean Peninsula in depth," he said. Lee served as minister of inter-Korean affairs under the late former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun in 2006.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Spy chief nominee grilled over his perceptions of North Korea
Lee Jong-seok, the nominee to be the director of the National Intelligence Service, faced scrutiny over his past acquaintance with a former deputy governor convicted over illegal cash transfers to North Korea at his confirmation hearing Thursday. At the hearing, Lee was asked about his past ties to former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Gov. Lee Hwa-young, who served when President Lee Jae Myung was governor of the province, and was sentenced to 9 1/2 years in prison for a 2019-20 scheme to transfer funds to the North. The scheme took place during the president's tenure as governor, a role in which he has denied any wrongdoing. Prosecutors allege that the president, when he was governor, used undergarment maker Ssangbangwool to send $8 million to North Korea. The NIS director nominee and the former deputy governor had worked together at the inter-Korean peace committee at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office from 2018. The nominee said he knew the former deputy governor strictly in a professional capacity and that he had no knowledge of the scheme at all. When asked about his past public remarks opposing the introduction of THAAD, the US anti-ballistic missile defense system, and GSOMIA, the intelligence-sharing framework with Japan, the nominee said he believes that those were "things that are already agreed upon and should be complied with." Lee said that the foundation of South Korea's security is its alliance with the US. "That is the stance of the Lee Jae Myung administration, and I believe the same," he said. In a written response submitted to the National Assembly on Thursday, a day ahead of his hearing, Lee denied the accusations that he was lenient toward North Korea. "I absolutely cannot agree with the claims that I am pro-North Korea only because I have studied North Korea and the Korean Peninsula in depth," he said. Lee served as minister of inter-Korean affairs under the late former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun in 2006.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Israel running low on missile interceptors
Israel is running low on its supply of Arrow interceptors as Iran has increased its fire toward the country with two hypersonic missile barrages on Tuesday night. The shortage, reported by The Wall Street Journal, raises concern about Israel's ability to defend itself from such long-range missiles from Tehran should the conflict stretch on. Citing a senior U.S. official, the report said Washington for months has been aware of the interceptor shortfall and has been supplementing Israel with the American-made THAAD missile defense system as well as warships that can shoot down incoming armaments. The Pentagon has also sent more missile defense assets into the Middle East since Israel began its largest ever conflict with Iran last week, causing worries about the U.S. too quickly using up its own interceptors, according to the Journal. The issue comes as Iran late Tuesday announced that it fired Fattah-1 hypersonic missiles at Israel. The missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound, creating a significant challenge for Israel's missile defense systems. Israel's Arrow system, jointly developed by the country and the U.S., is meant to intercept such long-range missile threats. But a shortage of Arrrow interceptors in the nearly week-long conflict could mean major population centers such as Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa are left more vulnerable. The issue also raises the prospect of the U.S. joining the increasingly volatile conflict between Israel and Iran, with President Trump weighing direct American involvement in the Middle East war. Trump has not yet committed to such a scenario, but has reiterated his support for Israel while signaling growing impatience with Tehran. Washington also has sent the USS Nimitz carrier strike group to the region as well as more than 30 military refueling tankers to the nearby European theater. Trump on Tuesday huddled with his National Security Council to review possible options to respond to Iran.
