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NDTV
an hour ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Netanyahu's Other Battle: Swinging Trump And US Behind Iran War
Since launching air strikes on Iran last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been working to pull President Donald Trump into the war and sway a sceptical American public. In his daily calls and public statements, Israel's longest-serving prime minister has mixed praise and deference for the US leader, while also arguing that the strikes on Iran benefit Americans. "Do you want these people to have nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to you?" he asked during an interview on Fox News last Sunday. "Today, it's Tel Aviv. Tomorrow, it's New York," he told ABC News a day later, arguing that Iran was working on longer-range missiles that would be able to reach US shores in the future. His media blitz came after intensive and not always harmonious exchanges between Netanyahu and Trump this year, with the Israeli leader welcomed twice to the White House since the Republicans' return to power in January. The New York Times, citing unnamed US administration sources, reported Tuesday that Netanyahu had asked Trump for US-made bunker-busting bombs capable of reaching Iran's underground Iranian nuclear facilities in an April meeting -- but had been refused. Having been elected in opposition to US entanglements overseas and supposed "war-mongers" in the Democratic party, Trump was seen as reluctant to commit Washington to another unpopular war in the Middle East. Much of his right-wing Make America Great Again (MAGA) coalition is staunchly anti-interventionist, including Vice President JD Vance, his head of national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, and influential media figures such as Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson. But speaking Wednesday, the former tycoon stated clearly that he was considering joining the Israeli campaign directly, raising the possibility of the bunker-busting GBU-57 bombs being deployed against Iran's main underground uranium stockpile facility in Fordo. "I may do it, I may not do it," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he had decided on US air strikes. His final decision will come "within the next two weeks", he said Thursday. Influence Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at the London-based Chatham House think-tank, said Netanyahu had been clever in his dealings with Trump, appealing to his "vanity" with charm as well "using his weaknesses". Once he had received an "amber light" in private from the US leader to launch the attacks last Friday, "he knew Trump's personality and knew that Trump might come on board if there was a chance of claiming glory in some way or claiming some sort of credit," he told AFP. Trump has openly praised the success of the Israeli military campaign which has combined targeted assassinations of key military personnel, destruction of Iran's air defences and repeated strikes on nuclear sites. Eliot A. Cohen, a veteran former US State Department advisor and international relations expert at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, cautioned against overstating Netanyahu's personal influence, however. "I suspect this is much less about Netanyahu's influence than Trump's own view of the Iranian nuclear programme, his memory of the assassination plot against him in 2024 by Iranian agents and the success of the initial Israeli operations," he told AFP. An Iranian man has been charged in connection with an alleged plot to kill Trump before his election last November. Cohen said Netanyahu's lobbying could succeed for several reasons. "They are not asking for anything other than the bombing of Fordo," he said, referring to the deeply buried underground uranium enrichment facility. "Nobody is talking about an invasion or anything like that." "Many if not most Americans understand that a nuclear Iran is particularly dangerous, and that the regime is deeply hostile to the US," he added. Public Opinion A poll by the survey group YouGov for The Economist magazine conducted last weekend found half of Americans viewed Iran as an "enemy" and another quarter said it was "unfriendly." But it found that only 16 percent of Americans "think the US military should get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran". It found that majorities of Democrats (65 percent), independents (61 percent) and Republicans (53 percent) opposed military intervention. Speaking on his War Room podcast Wednesday, former Trump strategist Bannon seethed that Netanyahu had "lectured" America and started a war he couldn't end on his own. "Quit coming to us to finish it," he said.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Netanyahu's other battle: Swinging Trump and US behind Iran war
Mr Benjamin Netanyahu's lobbying for US President Donald Trump's support against Iran could succeed. PHOTO: REUTERS Netanyahu's other battle: Swinging Trump and US behind Iran war JERUSALEM - Since launching air strikes on Iran last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been working to pull US President Donald Trump into the war, and sway a skeptical American public. In his daily calls and public statements, Israel's longest-serving prime minister has mixed praise and deference for the US leader, while also arguing that the strikes on Iran benefit Americans. 'Do you want these people to have nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to you?' he asked during an interview on Fox News on June 15. 'Today, it's Tel Aviv. Tomorrow, it's New York,' he told ABC News a day later, arguing that Iran was working on longer-range missiles that would be able to reach US shores in the future. His media blitz came after intensive and not always harmonious exchanges between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump this year, with the Israeli leader welcomed twice to the White House since the Republican's return to power in January. The New York Times, citing unnamed US administration sources, reported on June 17 that Mr Netanyahu had asked Mr Trump for US-made bunker-busting bombs capable of reaching Iran's underground Iranian nuclear facilities in an April meeting – but had been refused. Having been elected in opposition to US entanglements overseas and supposed 'war-mongers' in the Democratic party, Mr Trump was seen as reluctant to commit Washington to another unpopular war in the Middle East. Much of his right-wing Make America Great Again (MAGA) coalition is staunchly anti-interventionist, including Vice-President JD Vance, his head of national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, and influential media figures such as Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson. But speaking on June 18, the former tycoon stated clearly that he was considering joining the Israeli campaign directly, raising the possibility of the bunker-busting GBU-57 bombs being deployed against Iran's main underground uranium stockpile facility in Fordo. 'I may do it, I may not do it,' Mr Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he had decided on US air strikes. His final decision will come 'within the next two weeks', he said on June 19. Professor Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at the London-based Chatham House think-tank, said Mr Netanyahu had been clever in his dealings with Mr Trump, appealing to his 'vanity' with charm as well 'using his weaknesses'. Once he had received an 'amber light' in private from the US leader to launch the attacks on June 13, 'he knew Trump's personality and knew that Trump might come on board if there was a chance of claiming glory in some way or claiming some sort of credit,' he told AFP. Mr Trump has openly praised the success of the Israeli military campaign which has combined targeted assassinations of key military personnel, destruction of Iran's air defences and repeated strikes on nuclear sites. Professor Eliot A. Cohen, a veteran former US State Department advisor and international relations expert at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, cautioned against overstating Netanyahu's personal influence, however. 'I suspect this is much less about Netanyahu's influence than Trump's own view of the Iranian nuclear programme, his memory of the assassination plot against him in 2024 by Iranian agents and the success of the initial Israeli operations,' he told AFP. An Iranian man has been charged in connection with an alleged plot to kill Mr Trump before his election last November. Prof Cohen said Mr Netanyahu's lobbying could succeed for several reasons. 'They are not asking for anything other than the bombing of Fordo,' he said, referring to the deeply buried underground uranium enrichment facility. 'Nobody is talking about an invasion or anything like that.' 'Many if not most Americans understand that a nuclear Iran is particularly dangerous, and that the regime is deeply hostile to the US,' he added. A poll by the survey group YouGov for The Economist magazine conducted last weekend found half of Americans viewed Iran as an 'enemy' and another quarter said it was 'unfriendly.' But it found that only 16 per cent of Americans 'think the US military should get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran'. It found that majorities of Democrats (65 per cent), independents (61 per cent) and Republicans (53 per cent) opposed military intervention. Speaking on his War Room podcast Wednesday, former Trump strategist Bannon seethed that Mr Netanyahu had 'lectured' America and started a war he couldn't end on his own. 'Quit coming to us to finish it,' he said. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
France 24
an hour ago
- Politics
- France 24
Netanyahu's other battle: swinging Trump and US behind Iran war
In his daily calls and public statements, Israel's longest-serving prime minister has mixed praise and deference for the US leader, while also arguing that the strikes on Iran benefit Americans. "Do you want these people to have nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to you?" he asked during an interview on Fox News last Sunday. "Today, it's Tel Aviv. Tomorrow, it's New York," he told ABC News a day later, arguing that Iran was working on longer-range missiles that would be able to reach US shores in the future. His media blitz came after intensive and not always harmonious exchanges between Netanyahu and Trump this year, with the Israeli leader welcomed twice to the White House since the Republican's return to power in January. The New York Times, citing unnamed US administration sources, reported Tuesday that Netanyahu had asked Trump for US-made bunker-busting bombs capable of reaching Iran's underground Iranian nuclear facilities in an April meeting -- but had been refused. Having been elected in opposition to US entanglements overseas and supposed "war-mongers" in the Democratic party, Trump was seen as reluctant to commit Washington to another unpopular war in the Middle East. Much of his right-wing Make America Great Again (MAGA) coalition is staunchly anti-interventionist, including Vice President JD Vance, his head of national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, and influential media figures such as Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson. But speaking Wednesday, the former tycoon stated clearly that he was considering joining the Israeli campaign directly, raising the possibility of the bunker-busting GBU-57 bombs being deployed against Iran's main underground uranium stockpile facility in Fordo. "I may do it, I may not do it," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he had decided on US air strikes. His final decision will come "within the next two weeks", he said Thursday. Influence Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at the London-based Chatham House think-tank, said Netanyahu had been clever in his dealings with Trump, appealing to his "vanity" with charm as well "using his weaknesses". Once he had received an "amber light" in private from the US leader to launch the attacks last Friday, "he knew Trump's personality and knew that Trump might come on board if there was a chance of claiming glory in some way or claiming some sort of credit," he told AFP. Trump has openly praised the success of the Israeli military campaign which has combined targeted assassinations of key military personnel, destruction of Iran's air defences and repeated strikes on nuclear sites. Eliot A. Cohen, a veteran former US State Department advisor and international relations expert at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, cautioned against overstating Netanyahu's personal influence, however. "I suspect this is much less about Netanyahu's influence than Trump's own view of the Iranian nuclear programme, his memory of the assassination plot against him in 2024 by Iranian agents and the success of the initial Israeli operations," he told AFP. An Iranian man has been charged in connection with an alleged plot to kill Trump before his election last November. Cohen said Netanyahu's lobbying could succeed for several reasons. "They are not asking for anything other than the bombing of Fordo," he said, referring to the deeply buried underground uranium enrichment facility. "Nobody is talking about an invasion or anything like that." "Many if not most Americans understand that a nuclear Iran is particularly dangerous, and that the regime is deeply hostile to the US," he added. Public opinion A poll by the survey group YouGov for The Economist magazine conducted last weekend found half of Americans viewed Iran as an "enemy" and another quarter said it was "unfriendly." But it found that only 16 percent of Americans "think the US military should get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran". It found that majorities of Democrats (65 percent), independents (61 percent) and Republicans (53 percent) opposed military intervention. Speaking on his War Room podcast Wednesday, former Trump strategist Bannon seethed that Netanyahu had "lectured" America and started a war he couldn't end on his own.
Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Netanyahu's Other Battle: Swinging Trump And US Behind Iran War
Since launching air strikes on Iran last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been working to pull President Donald Trump into the war, and sway a sceptical American public. In his daily calls and public statements, Israel's longest-serving prime minister has mixed praise and deference for the US leader, while also arguing that the strikes on Iran benefit Americans. "Do you want these people to have nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to you?" he asked during an interview on Fox News last Sunday. "Today, it's Tel Aviv. Tomorrow, it's New York," he told ABC News a day later, arguing that Iran was working on longer-range missiles that would be able to reach US shores in the future. His media blitz came after intensive and not always harmonious exchanges between Netanyahu and Trump this year, with the Israeli leader welcomed twice to the White House since the Republican's return to power in January. The New York Times, citing unnamed US administration sources, reported Tuesday that Netanyahu had asked Trump for US-made bunker-busting bombs capable of reaching Iran's underground Iranian nuclear facilities in an April meeting -- but had been refused. Having been elected in opposition to US entanglements overseas and supposed "war-mongers" in the Democratic party, Trump was seen as reluctant to commit Washington to another unpopular war in the Middle East. Much of his right-wing Make America Great Again (MAGA) coalition is staunchly anti-interventionist, including Vice President JD Vance, his head of national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, and influential media figures such as Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson. But speaking Wednesday, the former tycoon stated clearly that he was considering joining the Israeli campaign directly, raising the possibility of the bunker-busting GBU-57 bombs being deployed against Iran's main underground uranium stockpile facility in Fordo. "I may do it, I may not do it," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he had decided on US air strikes. His final decision will come "within the next two weeks", he said Thursday. Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at the London-based Chatham House think-tank, said Netanyahu had been clever in his dealings with Trump, appealing to his "vanity" with charm as well "using his weaknesses". Once he had received an "amber light" in private from the US leader to launch the attacks last Friday, "he knew Trump's personality and knew that Trump might come on board if there was a chance of claiming glory in some way or claiming some sort of credit," he told AFP. Trump has openly praised the success of the Israeli military campaign which has combined targeted assassinations of key military personnel, destruction of Iran's air defences and repeated strikes on nuclear sites. Eliot A. Cohen, a veteran former US State Department advisor and international relations expert at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, cautioned against overstating Netanyahu's personal influence, however. "I suspect this is much less about Netanyahu's influence than Trump's own view of the Iranian nuclear programme, his memory of the assassination plot against him in 2024 by Iranian agents and the success of the initial Israeli operations," he told AFP. An Iranian man has been charged in connection with an alleged plot to kill Trump before his election last November. Cohen said Netanyahu's lobbying could succeed for several reasons. "They are not asking for anything other than the bombing of Fordo," he said, referring to the deeply buried underground uranium enrichment facility. "Nobody is talking about an invasion or anything like that." "Many if not most Americans understand that a nuclear Iran is particularly dangerous, and that the regime is deeply hostile to the US," he added. A poll by the survey group YouGov for The Economist magazine conducted last weekend found half of Americans viewed Iran as an "enemy" and another quarter said it was "unfriendly." But it found that only 16 percent of Americans "think the US military should get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran". It found that majorities of Democrats (65 percent), independents (61 percent) and Republicans (53 percent) opposed military intervention. Speaking on his War Room podcast Wednesday, former Trump strategist Bannon seethed that Netanyahu had "lectured" America and started a war he couldn't end on his own. "Quit coming to us to finish it," he said.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Explained: What is a cluster bomb? The weapon Iran used in missile strike on Israel
This is an AI-generated image, used for representational purposes only. The ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran took a concerning turn on Thursday when the Israeli military claimed that Iran had fired a missile armed with a cluster munition warhead at a populated area in central Israel, marking the first such reported use in the current conflict. The missile struck Or Yehuda and nearby towns, scattering bomblets across residential zones, as per The New York Times. While there were no reported casualties, the deployment of such a weapon, widely considered dangerous and indiscriminate, triggered immediate international concern. According to Israeli officials, the warhead released multiple submunitions over a wide radius, including areas near a hospital and on residential properties. The Home Front Command warned civilians that unexploded bomblets remain a threat and could still detonate. According to The Times, videos show several impact craters, and unexploded ordnance resembling known submunitions from Iranian ballistic missiles was also found. What are cluster bombs? Cluster bombs, also called cluster munitions, are explosive weapons that disperse smaller bombs, known as submunitions or bomblets, over a wide area before impact. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Experts Urge Seniors With Muscle Loss To Take This Key Nutrient Daily Native Creatine Learn More Undo These bomblets are designed to explode upon hitting the ground or after a delay. However, many fail to detonate, remaining live and lethal for months or even years, posing long-term risks to civilians. As per the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, cluster bombs are either air-dropped or ground-launched and can saturate areas as large as several football fields, making them particularly lethal in densely populated areas. 'They are egregious weapons with their wide-area destruction… especially if used in a civilian populated area,' said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, as quoted by Reuters. The submunitions, often grenade-sized with fins or streamers for stabilisation, are designed to cause damage to both personnel and unarmoured vehicles. Some modern versions, like the US-made DPICM, feature dual-purpose charges for added effect. But the biggest controversy lies in their high 'dud rate', failure to explode on impact, which turns them into de facto landmines. Dud rates can range from 2% to 40%, depending on the manufacturer, according to the American think tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Why are they banned? The 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which entered into force in 2010, bans the use, development, production, acquisition, and transfer of cluster munitions. So far, 111 countries and 12 other entities have signed the treaty. But key nations, including Israel, Iran, the United States, Russia, China, and India, have not joined. As per the United Nations, 99% of declared global stockpiles have been destroyed under the treaty. Human Rights Watch's Bonnie Docherty explained that cluster munitions "cannot distinguish between soldiers and civilians because they spread their submunitions over a wide area and leave behind unexploded submunitions that endanger civilians… like land mines.' Israel has previously used cluster bombs, most notably during the 2006 Lebanon war. More recently, both Russia and Ukraine have employed them in their ongoing war, and the US controversially supplied Ukraine with cluster munitions in 2023, as per CSIS. Iran's alleged use of a cluster-armed missile, likely a Qiam or Khorramshahr, which can carry dozens of submunitions, suggests a shift in military strategy to maximise target area coverage, even at the risk of civilian harm. 'Sometimes you might not need that much destructive force,' said Fabian Hinz of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. 'Just having a geographical spread… could be worth it,' he was quoted as saying by The New York Times. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, without using the term "cluster," confirmed that a 'fragmenting warhead' had been used, describing the submunitions as 'smaller bombs that if you touch them they explode.' As both Iran and Israel escalate military operations, the use of such controversial weapons signals not only increased intensity but raises humanitarian alarms over the long-term dangers to civilians, dangers that may persist well after the last missile falls.
