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Time of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Iran news: Israel faces massive air defense crunch as Arrow interceptors run low and US stockpiles dwindle
The Iran-Israel conflict continues to intensify with each passing day. Now, Israel's air defense reportedly is under unprecedented strain as Iranian missile attacks escalate. Military officials may soon have to make difficult decisions about what they can protect. Israel faces massive air defense crunch The country's Arrow interceptor supply is reportedly running low, and the United States, which has been helping to shore up defenses, is also depleting its own reserves. Israel is reportedly running low on defensive "Arrow" missile interceptors, according to an unnamed US official quoted in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. Israel may need to begin rationing its air defenses by later this week because "the system is already overwhelmed,' as per a report. The scarcity has sparked worries about the nation's capacity to continue fending off Iran's long-range ballistic missiles. Live Events ALSO READ: Iran threatens U.S: Analysts warn of potential sneak attack by Tehran on America as tensions soar The Islamic Republic has launched more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel in retaliation since Israel began its shock operation on Friday to eliminate the "existential threat" posed by Iran's nuclear program and ballistic missile capabilities. What's the role of the U.S. in this crisis? The Journal report claims that the US has been trying to strengthen Israel's air defenses in response to the Arrow interceptor shortage, which it has been aware of for months. However, those stocks are also limited. There is now concern that the US is depleting its stock of interceptors after sending many to Israel. How long can Israel's defenses hold up? According to "some assessments," Israel can sustain its air defense for 10–12 days at the current rate of Iranian attacks, which have decreased since the fighting began last week, before the US will need to resupply its supplies or become more involved in the conflict, according to a report in The Washington Post on Tuesday that quoted a person briefed on US and Israeli intelligence. What happens if interceptors run out? Officials warn that Israel may soon have to reduce its missile defenses in order to remain in the fight. Israel "will need to select what they want to intercept" by the end of this week. Israel has already decided to let some missiles fall even though it is aware that they will land in open spaces. It hasn't been able to destroy every missile aimed at major cities or vital infrastructure, though, when confronted with intense bombardments. Has Israel openly accepted that it's running low on Arrow interceptors? However, Israel did not respond to the reports. Although it was unable to comment on munitions-related issues, the Israel Defense Forces told the Journal that it is "prepared and ready to handle any scenario." Israel has not indicated that there is a lack of interceptors, as quoted in a report by The Times of Israel. According to the IDF, the majority of Iranian missiles launched at Israel in recent days have been intercepted at rates comparable to those observed during Iran's attacks in April and October of 2024. The IDF claims to have precise intelligence on Tehran's missile arsenal and has prearranged its operation. FAQs Is Israel actually running out of missile interceptors? Yes, US officials say Arrow interceptor stocks are running low, and Israel may have to begin rationing them by the end of the week if the attacks continue. Can the US continue to support Israel's defense efforts? For the time being, yes, but U.S. stockpiles are also dwindling, raising concerns about long-term support in the absence of deeper involvement or emergency production.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump administration reverses pause on immigration ICE raids on farms, hotels, restaurants
Trump administration reverses pause on immigration ICE raids on farms, hotels, restaurants Show Caption Hide Caption National Anthem sang in Spanish before Dodgers game Singer and social media star Nezza opted to sing the National Anthem in Spanish over the weekend amid ongoing protests and immigration raids in L.A. Fox - LA The Trump administration has reversed an order to pause immigration raids targeting farms, hotels, restaurants and meat-packing plants, The Washington Post reports. The reversal came just days after officials were instructed to refrain from conducting immigration operations in these locations. The Washington Post reports that officials with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, including members of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations division, told agency leaders that they must continue immigration raids targeting these locations. The order comes as President Donald Trump's top aide, Stephen Miller, has demanded that ICE carry out 3,000 arrests each day. More: The U.S. has 'No Kings' say hundreds of El Pasoans who joined anti-Trump protest The Trump administration issued a pause on raids following a post from President Donald Trump on Thursday, June 12, questioning the economic impacts of these raids. In a post on Truth Social, he acknowledged concerns from agricultural and hospitality businesses about losing 'very good, long-time workers' due to broad enforcement actions. Farmworkers' unions across the U.S. stated that the pause on raids was not respected. Leaders of the Border Agricultural Workers project in El Paso stated that raids were carried out in the days following the pause. "We don't trust it," said Rosemary Rojas, who works with the El Paso-based Border Agricultural Workers Project. "It doesn't matter if it is signed, it doesn't matter if it comes out of Trump's mouth, it doesn't matter where it comes from. We are seeing the opposite." More: 'It is a setup': ICE arrests migrants after their hearings at El Paso federal courthouse 'Targeting criminals' during immigration ICE raids Trump entered office promising to carry out a campaign of mass deportation, largely targeting alleged criminals. But the administration has targeted immigrants in legal immigration processes and people who work in the service industry. 'There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE's efforts,' Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for DHS, said Monday, according to the Washington Post. 'Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability.' More: For the first time in decades, the US-Mexico border is silent. Here's why However, the unions that represent farmworkers challenge the narrative that criminals are working in the fields, harvesting produce or packing meat products. "Criminals do not work on the farms, they do not hide on the farms," said Rosemary Rojas, who works with the El Paso-based Border Agricultural Workers Project. "This is such a false lie." Programs exist to enable farm workers to enter the United States legally and remain in the country. While it is estimated that 42% of farm workers are undocumented, many farm workers often come to the U.S. through the H-2A visa program or are already U.S. residents, Rojas said. Trump has promised to expand his immigration enforcement raids into cities like Chicago and New York following the mass raids in Los Angeles, which resulted in the spread of massive protests across the United States. Jeff Abbott covers the border for the El Paso Times and can be reached at:jdabbott@ @palabrasdeabajo on Twitter or @ on Bluesky.
IOL News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
The Spectacle of Innocence: How the Narrative of 'Stolen Children' Became the West's Weapon of War
The portrayal of children in the Ukraine-Russia conflict serves as a potent tool of propaganda, revealing the complexities behind the narratives that shape public perception and policy, writes Gillian Schutte. Image: IOL / Ron AI In war, the image of a suffering child has long been one of the most potent tools of propaganda. A child is the cipher of innocence, the mirror of adult failure, the vessel into which we pour our grief, outrage, and moral certainty. It is no wonder, then, that in the ongoing geopolitical conflict between NATO-backed Ukraine and Russia, children have become a front line in the information war. The Washington Post's tear-soaked profile 'Thousands of Ukraine's children vanished into Russia. This one made it back' follows the return of 12-year-old Illia Matviienko, a child allegedly abducted, reprogrammed, and rescued just in time from the clutches of Russian state adoption. It is a finely crafted narrative. Illia is traumatised but eloquent. His grandmother is tireless and brave. His toys are metaphors. His memories are edited for maximum effect. But behind the Lego blocks and Garfield plush toys lies a darker machinery of manipulation. The story reads like it was written by a Pentagon-funded scriptwriter, with emotional cues planted at every paragraph break, not to report on the tragedy of war, but to mobilise sentiment for war. Let us look past the misty-eyed storytelling and ask the harder questions. What really happened to Ukraine's children? Who is keeping the score? And who benefits from turning their suffering into clickbait diplomacy? The Propaganda Template, From Wag the Dog to Wag the Child The Washington Post, long known for its role in manufacturing consent for U.S. foreign policy, frames Illia's ordeal as evidence of systematic Russian child theft. His story becomes the keystone in a broader claim: that tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been deported, re-educated, and erased by the Russian state. The article even cites figures: 'at least 19,500 children' according to Yale University's Conflict Observatory, whose funding, incidentally, is being cut under Donald Trump's administration. Ukrainian officials inflate the figure still further: 'maybe 50,000, maybe 100,000.' No one knows for sure. No one can prove anything. But certainty is not required in the spectacle of war propaganda, only repetition and righteous tears. The real figures? According to Russia's official delegation at the Istanbul peace talks, led by Vladimir Medinsky, the only list ever presented to Moscow by Ukraine contains 339 names. Russia says it has already returned 101 of these children. Ukraine, for its part, has returned 22 Russian children who ended up in its care. These are verifiable exchanges. And yet the Western press refuses to mention these facts. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Selective Suffering, Why Is Only One Child a Headline? The case of Illia Matviienko is tragic. But why is it the story? Because it performs well. It has all the ingredients of pathos: dead mother, lonely boy, forbidden adoption, grandmother's heroism, poetic justice. It sells. It moves. It inflames. But in Russia's version of events, there are also children traumatised by shelling, evacuated from war zones, not abducted. Many were found alone in buildings or hospitals. Others were taken to safety at great personal risk by Russian soldiers, some of whom died in the effort. And when relatives come forward, parents, aunts, grandmothers, the children are reunited. No obstacle, no cover-up. Just bureaucracy and war. Yet these stories are not told. There are no Washington Post front pages for the Russian soldier who saves a wounded child under fire. There is no Pulitzer bait in the case of a child returned to a reunited family in Donetsk. These children do not cry in English. They are not crying for NATO. Manufactured Numbers, Manufactured Consent Russia has repeatedly demanded evidence: names, documents, statements from parents. None have been forthcoming. The Ukrainian and U.S. positions rely on estimates, projections, and a deep well of emotional speculation. Russia, meanwhile, says: here is the list you gave us, here are the returns we've made. The disparity between accusation and evidence is not accidental. It mirrors the propaganda campaign that preceded the war in Iraq, the intervention in Syria, the bombardment of Libya. Western soft power thrives on emotional shorthand: Saddam's incubator babies, Gaddafi's Viagra-fuelled soldiers, and now Putin's child kidnappers. It is a pattern. The facts are fluid. The imagery is fixed. What Russia Says, and the West Won't Print Medinsky's statement in Istanbul was clear. Russia is open to verification. Russia is returning children. Russia is establishing regular exchanges. It has proposed temporary ceasefires in 'grey zones' so commanders on both sides can collect the corpses of fallen soldiers, a practical and humane suggestion, met with silence. Meanwhile, Western media focuses on Lego toys and bedtime trauma. It does not ask why Ukraine will not publish a full list of the missing children. It does not examine the political utility of these stories in maintaining Western support, arms supplies, and diplomatic cover. Nor does it question why the first move in any peace negotiation is not truth and reconciliation, but a spotlight on Russian war crimes. The narrative must be secured before the facts can catch up. The Illusion of Innocence Yes, Illia's story is heartbreaking. All war stories involving children are. But to isolate it from the broader matrix of wartime reality, to use it as a blunt weapon against the Russian state, to decontextualise and sentimentalise it into a moral fable, is to exploit that child all over again. War is complex. Children are not pawns. But in the battle of narratives, they become precisely that. They are used to distract from inconvenient truths, to derail diplomacy, to justify endless escalation. And while the West cries for Illia, what of Vitalii, the friend left behind in the Donetsk hospital? What if he was never abducted, just never found? What if he was just another casualty of the same propaganda war that made Illia a headline? Beyond the Toy Box The Washington Post piece may be compelling. It is certainly emotive. But it is not journalism. It is spectacle. A carefully staged morality play in which there are only villains and victims, no context, no complexity, no dissenting voice. The weaponisation of children is one of the oldest tricks in imperial warfare. And as long as mainstream media continues to traffic in half-truths and Hollywood storylines, the real victims of this war, on both sides, will remain unheard. We should care for every child affected by war. But we should be suspicious of which children we are told to care about, and why. The portrayal of children in the Ukraine-Russia conflict serves as a potent tool of propaganda, revealing the complexities behind the narratives that shape public perception and policy, writes Gillian Schutte. Image: IOL
Mint
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
‘Dictator approved' sculpture smashing Statue of Liberty in DC baffles internet: ‘Trump should take a selfie with it'
In another turn of events, the artists behind last year's controversial 'poop statue" are back with another masterpiece. This time, it is called 'Dictator Approved', a mocking nod to US President Donald Trump. The statue stands tall in the same spot on the National Mall near Third Street NW. The 8-foot-tall sculpture of a gold-painted hand gives a thumbs-up while crushing the seafoam green crown of the Statue of Liberty. According to a permit from the National Park Service, the artists created Dictator Approved as a response to the military parade held on June 14. 'Will feature imagery similar to autocratic, oppressive regime, i.e. N. Korea, Russia, and China, marching through DC, " the application penned by the sculpture's architects states. According to the parade, the purpose of this artistic masterpiece is to bring to notice the 'the praising these types of oppressive leaders have given Donald Trump.' An all four sides of the artwork's base, quotes from world leaders are inscribed. One is from Russian President Vladimir Putin that states, 'President Trump is a very bright and talented man.' Another from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban which states, 'The most respected, the most feared person is Donald Trump.' The third side features a quote from former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, 'We do have a great deal of shared values. I admire President Trump.' The fourth quote is from no other than North Korea's Kim Jong Un, ''Your Excellency.' A 'special' relationship. 'The extraordinary courage of President Trump.'' The permit lists Mary Harris as the applicant which allows the artwork to be in place until 5:00 PM of June 22, The Washington Post reported citing permit documents. Its placement was authorised from 7:00 AM of June 16. Social media users were in a frenzy on seeing the 'Dictator Approved' artwork and flooded the internet with hilarious reactions. A user stated, 'This is more beautiful than the statue of liberty itself.' Another user remarked, 'Trump is dictator-approved.' A third user stated, 'This is hilarious!' A fourth user quipped, 'Trump needs to do a selfie next to it.' A fifth user remarked, 'Art as protest—love it. A bold statement against authoritarianism right on the Mall.'
Middle East Eye
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Far more Americans oppose US strikes on Iran than support them: Poll
Fewer than half of Americans surveyed oppose US strikes on Iran, with that figure dwarfing the number of people who do support military action, a new poll published by The Washington Post on Wednesday has found. A random sampling of 1,008 US adults was texted by the paper to respond to several questions on what may be impending US operational involvement in air strikes on Iran, following Israel's attacks, which began on 13 June. Results showed that 45 percent of respondents oppose US strikes "at this time" and only 25 percent said they support them, creating a significant 20-point margin. The remaining 30 percent of respondents said they were "unsure". Among Democrats, two-thirds oppose US military action, while among Republicans, only 24 percent are opposed. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Those who said they do not identify with either political party largely oppose the strikes, at a figure of 44 percent. The results showed that households with links to the US military showed less opposition to US strikes than those with no links. Still, in both cases, the majority of respondents do not want the US to attack Iran. When The Post asked how much news they've heard about Israel's attacks on Iran and Iran's retaliation, 39 percent of respondents said "a good amount", but it was unclear what their sources of news were. Opposing military action However, The Post noted that support for US strikes on Iran was highest among people paying the most attention to the news. The caveat is that even within this particular group, more respondents oppose military action than support it. Nearly equal amounts of US adults - 31 percent and 30 percent, respectively - said they either heard "a great deal" of news or "little to nothing" about Israel and Iran. Only one-fifth of all respondents said Iran's nuclear potential poses "an immediate threat" to the US. Most are Republicans. Nearly half of all respondents, 48 percent, said it is a "somewhat serious threat", while 23 percent said it is a "minor threat". 'No war on Iran': New Yorkers rally against US and Israeli regime change plans Read More » Just seven percent of respondents do not believe Iran's nuclear potential poses any threat to the US at all. Among Republicans, Democrats, and those who identify with neither, between 45 and 50 percent of respondents said the threat is "somewhat serious". The vast majority of those surveyed, 82 percent, expressed concern about US involvement in the conflict, with 39 percent saying they are "very concerned". Democrats looked to be the most concerned, while Republicans were the least concerned, the results showed. The figures come as President Donald Trump reportedly weighs the prospect of dropping a one-of-a-kind 30,000 lb "bunker-buster" bomb on Iran's Fordow nuclear plant. Israel has made it clear it wants the US to join its attacks on Iran, not only to dismantle its nuclear capability, but also to collapse its governing structure. Iran maintains that its nuclear research and enrichment are only for civilian purposes and to meet its energy needs. The UN's nuclear watchdog and US intelligence assessments both indicate that Iran does not yet have the required elements to build a nuclear weapon.
