Latest news with #assassination
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Targeting Iran's supreme leader is madness
The idea resurfaced last week that Israel may try to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as if he were just another easy military target in the fierce war between Israel and Iran, which may soon involve the US. President Donald Trump made it clear he opposed Israel's move and did not support it. This issue is far more serious than just another military objective: it could become a matter of ideology and trigger deeply dangerous cycles of revenge. There have been times in history when warring parties refrained from targeting leaders and symbolic figures for reasons beyond direct military calculation. For example, Emperor Hirohito of Japan was a ruler and a sacred symbol. Documents confirm that he authorized his military leaders to go to war, invade Manchuria, and carry out the attack on Pearl Harbor, which led to America's entry into the Second World War. But during the war, and on the recommendation of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the US government decided not to target him. He was also excluded from the list of Japanese leaders prosecuted after the allied victory and the occupation of Tokyo. That decision paved the way for reconciliation between the US and Japan, and helped the Japanese people accept the Americans. Hirohito remained emperor and respected until his death, living for another 45 years. There have been times in history when warring parties refrained from targeting leaders and symbolic figures for reasons beyond direct military calculation. Abdulrahman Al-Rashed Ayatollah Khamenei is a spiritual leader, and any harm inflicted on him would cause wounds that may never heal — regardless of how decisive the Israeli or American victories are on the battlefield. The supreme leader is a lifelong authority, not a president. He would play a vital role in bringing about peace, just as Ayatollah Khomeini did in 1988, when he unilaterally announced an end to the war with Iraq — a war we thought would end only with the complete destruction of one or both countries. We remember that no one in the Iranian regime at that time dared to call for a ceasefire with Iraq — except the supreme leader. Some people get carried away by the intoxication of war, blinded by overwhelming military power and temporary victories, only to create hatred that could last for decades or even centuries when they could have achieved victory without doing so. There is no doubt that the Israelis possess superior intelligence capabilities and overwhelming destructive power, which allow them to penetrate deep into Iran and reach its leadership's hideouts, as they have done in Lebanon and Gaza. But Iran's supreme leader cannot be equated with Hezbollah's secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated last year. The difference in symbolic weight is enormous, and the consequences of a miscalculation are grave. Ayatollah Khamenei is a spiritual leader, and any harm inflicted on him would cause wounds that may never heal. Abdulrahman Al-Rashed And even if the comparison isn't entirely accurate, the execution of Saddam Hussein on Eid Al-Adha in 2006 — though he was a Baathist and not a religious or tribal leader — came at a heavy price. US generals later attempted to reconcile with Sunni forces, but failed. Washington still suffers the consequences of that event, especially with half the Iraqi population. That grave mistake could have been avoided, and the resulting rift healed, after their military victory. Israelis are capable of stunning military victories, as they achieved in 1967 and again last year — but that doesn't mean they win the larger war. We are truly on the brink of a new and critical chapter of history that will reshape what we've known and lived through over the past half century. What's needed now is the threat of force without reaching for its maximum limits — to bring about change through consensus, as much as possible. That would benefit everyone, including Israel, the US, Iran, and all the nations in the region. Both winners and losers share an interest in reducing tensions and achieving a collective peace. • Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is a Saudi journalist and intellectual. He is the former general manager of Al-Arabiya news channel and former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, where this article was originally published. X: @aalrashed
LBCI
5 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Israeli drone assassinated nuclear scientist in Tehran: Israeli Army Radio
An Israeli drone carried out an assassination targeting a nuclear scientist in Tehran, according to a military source cited by Israeli Army Radio on Friday.
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
An adviser to an ex-Ukrainian president is killed near an American school in Spain, officials say
An adviser to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was shot to death Wednesday outside the American School of Madrid where at least one of his children was enrolled, Spanish authorities and witnesses said. Andrii Portnov, 51, was shot at 9:15 a.m. (0715 GMT) as students were arriving, Spain's Interior Ministry said. Portnov was a former politician tied closely to Yanukovych, the pro-Moscow president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was ousted in a popular uprising in 2014 after shelving plans to bring the country closer to the European Union and instead deepen ties with President Vladimir Putin's Russia. Yanukovych's ouster in February 2014 followed a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters, with dozens of people killed, many by police snipers. Portnov was deputy head of the presidential office in that period and was involved in drafting legislation aimed at punishing participants of the uprising. Ukrainian authorities opened a treason case against him, which was later closed, and he also was the subject of US sanctions involving corruption in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on Portnov's killing. Witnesses said Portnov was shot several times in the head and body by more than one gunman when he was getting into a Mercedes Benz registered to him, police said. The unidentified assailants then fled on foot, and local media reported police helicopters later flew over a nearby park. Portnov died in the parking lot with at least three shots to his body, Madrid's emergency services said. He had one child enrolled at the school, according to a parent and an uncle of students there who spoke with The Associated Press. The school declined to comment. After fleeing Ukraine in 2014, Portnov reportedly lived in Russia in 2015 before relocating to Austria. It wasn't immediately clear when he moved to Spain. In 2018, when pro-Western Petro Poroshenko was president of Ukraine, the country's Security Service, or SBU, opened an investigation against Portnov on suspicion of state treason, alleging his involvement in Russia's illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. The criminal case was closed in 2019, three months after Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to power. The United States imposed personal sanctions on Portnov in 2021, designating him as someone 'responsible for or complicit in, or (who) has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.' Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, there have been a number of killings of high-profile figures linked to Moscow and Kyiv. The killings have included Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist; military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky; and several high-ranking Russian military officers. In those instances, Ukraine denied involvement. One exception was former Ukrainian lawmaker Illia Kyva, who fled to Russia before the invasion and was killed there in 2023. The SBU said in a statement that its chief, Vasyl Maliuk, has said 'the enemies of Ukraine will definitely be held accountable for their crimes.' One killing that prompted speculation of retaliation by Moscow was the shooting death in Spain last year of Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov, who defected to Ukraine in 2023, although there was no independent confirmation of Russia's involvement. Police cordoned off a crime scene in a parking lot outside the gate of the American School of Madrid, located in the upscale town of Pozuelo de Alarcón, north of Madrid. Luis Rayo, 19, who lives in a neighboring building, said he was sleeping when he heard gunfire and went to see what happened. One student who is in 11th grade said he was 20 minutes into his first class when he and his classmates heard of the shooting. School administrators told students that a man had been shot and pronounced dead outside. 'I thought it was a drill,' he said. 'I was worried because at first I thought it might be a parent of someone I know.' His mother, who is originally from Azerbaijan, said she knew someone through the emigré community with the same first name as the victim but did not know him well. 'I didn't know there were Ukrainian politicians there,' she said, adding that the man she knew had a son in the fourth grade. 'I was in shock. Like how is it possible that this happens here?'
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Wife of ‘Minnesota assassin' in hiding after police say she knew nothing of plot despite fleeing toward border with $10,000 and two handguns
Vance Boelter's spooked wife has remained in hiding - as the accused assassin's defiant family were tight-lipped concerning her whereabouts, telling a reporter to 'piss off.' Shaken mom-of-five Jenny, 51, rang pals only to say she was in a 'safe' location but wouldn't reveal where she was. She fled the family's bucolic farmhouse home in Green Isle, Minnesota, last Saturday morning after Boelter hinted that he had done something monstrous in a 6.18am text. 'Dad went to war last night,' wrote her 57-year-old husband. 'There's gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger happy and I don't want you guys around.' As news broke that Boelter had allegedly gunned down two lawmakers and their spouses in Minneapolis, Jenny was pulled over driving through Onamia, 90 miles north. She had their youngest children in the car along with their passports, $10,000 in cash and two handguns, according to federal court filings. Jenny, president of the couple's private security firm, consented to a voluntary search of her electronic devices but wasn't arrested in the 10am traffic stop. Vance Boelter, 57, was apprehended by law enforcement on Sunday night after he evaded capture for an entire day. Shortly after going on the run, he sent Jenny a text saying, 'Dad went to war last night' and advised her to get out of the house There's nothing in her husband's charging documents to suggest she had advance knowledge of his alleged plot to slaughter dozens of Democrat lawmakers and pro-abortion activists. Friends told that Jenny was in such a hurry she left the family's three dogs behind. 'Jenny called and asked if we could feed the dogs and that's what we've been doing,' said neighbor Kevin Effertz, 64. 'She said she was in a safe place and that's all she would say. She hasn't said when she's coming back.' Jenny has not commented publicly since Boelter was captured Sunday evening and charged with multiple counts of murder and stalking. Her brother Jason Doskocil, 54, had a blunt message for when we asked about her whereabouts. 'I'm sorry, we are not going to talk to nobody - so piss off,' he replied. The Boelters' four-bed, $520,000 farmhouse, nestling between rolling meadows and dense woodland, was deserted Tuesday. Sheriff's deputies arrived mid-afternoon to check on the property but there was no sign of Jenny or her five kids, Grace, Faith, Hope, David and Joy. Neighbors placed 'keep out' signs at the foot of the 200-yard driveway to keep trespassers away from the 125-year-old home purchased two years ago. A dumpster was overflowing with trash, but the place looked otherwise untouched. A black Ford Explorer SUV similar to the one Boelter drove on the night of the slayings was one of four vehicles parked outside. The Boelter's are believed to have purchased a fleet of such vehicles for their private security firm, Praetorian Guard, which was registered with the state but didn't appear to have any clients. Boelter was captured Sunday evening following the biggest ever manhunt in the state of Minnesota. He had first dressed as a cop and donned a terrifying latex mask to shoot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette shortly before 2am Saturday. The pair were left in critical condition but are expected to survive the shooting on the doorstep of their Champlin, Minnesota home. The 'assassin', who wrote a chilling hit list targeting Democrats and pro-choice activists, first arrived at Senator John Hoffmans' home and gunned down both him (right) and his wife Yvette (center) - both are expected to survive He then arrived at the home of Speaker Melissa Hortman and fatally shot her, and her husband Mark and injured their Golden Retriever which had to be euthanized. Police arrived on the scene shortly after, engaging the 'assassin' in a gun fight before he fled on foot Boelter then headed to a second lawmaker's residence in Brooklyn Park, pumping multiple bullets into former State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, killing both. The lunatic had drawn up a chilling assassination list of 45 targets including Democrat lawmakers, abortion providers and pro-choice activists, it's alleged. But his murder spree was halted in its tracks when police intercepted him leaving the Hortman's' home and engaged him in a firefight. The gunman fled on foot, leaving behind three AK-47 assault rifles and a 9mm handgun, triggering a massive hunt spanning multiple states and law enforcement agencies. The search narrowed Sunday night to woodland and swampy farmland one mile away from the Boelter residence. Officers first found an abandoned Buick that he had bought off a stranger he met in the street in a madcap scheme to escape. When the fugitive was spotted on a trail cam cops set up a square-mile perimeter deploying drones, dogs and helicopters to flush him out. Neighbor Wendy Thomas eventually spotted Boelter ducking down beside a culvert and flagged SWAT teams who took the alleged shooter alive. Boelter appeared in federal court for the first time Monday afternoon where prosecutors revealed he went to the homes of two other legislators on the night of the shootings. One was on vacation and the second had police protection, so he decided to move on to his next target. Boelter cried poverty, claiming he couldn't afford a private lawyer because he only had a part-time job bringing in $540 a week. But the court heard he owned a home, seven cars, and had $20,000 to $30,000 in his bank account. Boelter was held without bail. He could face the death penalty if he's found guilty of first-degree murder.
CBS News
7 hours ago
- CBS News
Man arrested after woman's death in southeastern Minnesota
Hoffman family speaks out after assassination attempt, and more headlines Hoffman family speaks out after assassination attempt, and more headlines Hoffman family speaks out after assassination attempt, and more headlines A woman was "severely injured" and later died in Wabasha County Wednesday, and a man is in custody in connection with her death, authorities said. The county sheriff's office said it got a call for medical attention in West Newton, Minnesota, around 4:45 p.m. Melissa Hunt, the injured 36-year-old woman, later died at a hospital, the sheriff's office said. The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office later arrested the suspect in her death, a 44-year-old Rochester man. The Wabasha County Sheriff's Office said he had a "previous relationship" with the woman. The death remains under investigation. West Newton is about 100 miles southeast of Minneapolis on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. Domestic Violence Resources: For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
