JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
IRAN AT 5PM-7PM SHOOTS 25 MISSLES IN 2 SEPARATE BARRAGES. DAMAGE BUT NO INJURIES TO ISRAELIS.
ISAIAH 41:11
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee (ISRAEL) shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing;(DESTROYED) and they that strive with thee shall perish.(ISRAEL HATERS WILL BE TOTALLY DESTROYED)
Turban complications-The turban represents the Shi'ite clergy that, ever since its creation in Iran almost four centuries ago, has had an ambivalent attitude towards the exercise of political power. Broadly speaking, turbans come in two contrasting colors. A white turban means that the man who wears it is not a descendant of the Prophet, and thus is of non-Arab origin. In contrast, the wearer of the black turban is marked as a descendant of the Prophet through one of the twelve imams of Twelver Shi'ism.The semiology of turbans is still more complicated. Students of theology are allowed to wear very thin turbans, denoting their position as novices. A hujjat al-Islam, or mid-ranking mullah, can wear a slightly fatter turban. The very fat turbans that require several yards of cloth are reserved for the grand ayatollahs. Rafsanjani’s white turban marked him as someone of non-Arab origin. Khatami and Khamenei both wear black turbans, as did Khomeini, denoting their Arab descent on the paternal side.The experience of the past three decades shows that many of the most senior clerics are not eager to enter the realm of politics. Once in power, however, a man with a thin turban could quickly thicken his headgear and grow a longer beard to bolster the religious aspect of his image. When first elected president, Ayatollah Khamenei was not a particularly senior cleric, but was promoted so that he could succeed Ayatollah Khomeini.
THE CITIZENS OF IRAN (ELAM IN THE BIBLE) MIGRATE TO ALL NATIONS ON EARTH.
JEREMIAH 49:34-39
34 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam (IRAN) in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRAN) the chief of their might.(IRAN SUPLIES ARABS WITH WEAPONS AGAINST ISRAEL)
36 And upon Elam (IRAN) will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam (IRAN) shall not come.(WORLD MIGRATION)
37 For I will cause Elam (IRAN) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(REG BOMBS) saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:(GROUND TROOPS)
38 And I will set my throne in Elam,(IRAN) and will destroy from thence the king (KHEMEINI )and the princes,(IRANIAN GUARDS) saith the LORD.
39 But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam,(IRAN) saith the LORD.
B61-13 gravity bomb reaches first production milestone ahead of projected timeline-by Clarence Oxford.
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 17, 2025-Sandia National Laboratories has completed the first production unit (FPU) of the B61-13 gravity bomb nearly a year ahead of schedule, marking a significant achievement in U.S. nuclear modernization efforts. The unit was assembled in May at the Pantex Plant, just over a year after Congress authorized program funding.As the lead systems integrator and design agency for the bomb's nonnuclear components, Sandia capitalized on the structural and design similarities between the B61-13 and its predecessor, the B61-12. "The reason it was possible to move so quickly is the similitude between the two bombs," said Sandia manager Lysle Serna. "We were able to leverage a lot of B61-12 qualification data as well as the Pantex assembly and disassembly processes and procedures."Arthur Gariety, weapon systems lead for the B61-13, echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the reuse of design and safety data from the B61-12 enabled rapid progress. "Had those similarities not been there, we wouldn't have been able to achieve the first production unit as quickly as we did," he said.The effort drew on years of technical experience from staff who transitioned from the B61-12 program, supported by early studies dating back to 2022 and formal engineering efforts initiated under Phase 6.4 in 2024. Serna praised the team's dedication: "This team has been working at double speed since 2018 to solve technical challenges. They always find a way to succeed."External contributions were also vital. Early component deliveries from the Y-12 National Security Complex and Kansas City National Security Campus ensured timely assembly. "It was a highly collaborative process across the nuclear security enterprise," Gariety said. "When everyone gets on the same page, we can do great things to support the mission."In May, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright presided over the diamond stamping ceremony for the first completed unit. "The remarkable speed of the B61-13's production is a testament to the ingenuity of our scientists and engineers and the urgency we face to fortify deterrence in a volatile new age," Wright said.The B61-13 offers a higher yield than the B61-12, while maintaining its predecessor's enhanced safety, security, and precision features. It does not add to the total stockpile size, as production plans for the B61-12 were scaled back proportionally.Program efforts now transition to Design Review and Acceptance Group evaluations and preparation for full-rate production.
Air raid sirens in northern Israel due to Iranian missiles: military.
Jerusalem, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2025-Air raid sirens were activated briefly across a large swath of northern Israel on Tuesday warning of an incoming barrage of Iranian missiles, the military said."A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel," the military said in the seventh such warning since midnight (2100 GMT on Monday).Israeli authorities issued a statement around 15 minutes later saying residents could leave their shelters, with no reports of strikes published by officials.Israeli media is subject to strict restrictions from the military censor.The latest warning of the day came hours after a previous barrage from Iran targeted the coastal hub of Tel Aviv and the north.Israel's sophisticated air defence systems have been largely successful in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones.At least 24 people have been killed and 592 wounded in Iran's attacks on Israel, according to the prime minister's office.As of Sunday, Israeli attacks had killed at least 224 people and wounded more than 1,200 in Iran, the health ministry there said.The deaths include top military commanders and nuclear scientists.
Israel, Iran exchange more deadly airstrikes on fifth day of conflict-by Sheri Walsh.
Washington DC (UPI) Jun 16, 2025-Israel and Iran intensified their deadly airstrikes Monday on the fifth day after Israel launched its first attack to dismantle Iran's nuclear capability.Hundreds of people have been killed, including 224 in Iran and 24 in Israel, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the strikes a significant setback to Iran's nuclear program."I estimate we are sending them back a very, very long time," Netanyahu told reporters.Iranian missiles struck Tel Aviv late Monday, the central Israeli city of Bat Yam and the Palestinian-Israeli town of Tamra as Israel Defense Forces told residents to rush to bomb shelters."Israel's defense systems are currently working to intercept the threat," the IDF said in a statement, before allowing Northern Israel residents to leave.Iran said its ninth wave of attacks will continue through Tuesday morning, according to Iranian media.Israel said three workers at the country's Bazan Group oil company were killed earlier in the day. The power plant, which was significantly damaged, is responsible for steam and electricity production.Iran also warned Israel to evacuate two Israeli television headquarters after an Iranian state television station in Tehran was struck and one of its workers was killed.President Donald Trump announced Monday he would leave the Group of Seven summit in Canada to monitor the situation in the Middle East, as he warned Iranians to "immediately evacuate Tehran.""Iran should have signed the 'deal' I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social before leaving the summit. "Simply stated, Iran can not have a nuclear weapon. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!"As Trump returned to Washington, D.C., U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered "the deployment of additional capabilities.""Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region," Hegseth wrote in a post on X.The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier group was moving toward the Middle East to join the USS Carl Vinson. The Defense Department also announced it would move aircraft to the European and Central Command theaters to support U.S. bases in the region, according to the Navy Times.While attending the G7 summit, Trump had been in contact throughout the day with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. Trump and Rubio returned to Washington, D.C., on Monday night, according to a State Department spokesperson.Over the weekend, Israel's strikes killed top Iranian military commanders and scientists and targeted nuclear infrastructure. While Trump has rejected any plan to kill Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Netanyahu was not ruling it out Monday, according to ABC News.Thousands of Israel's residents have evacuated in response to Iran's strikes, according to Israel's finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich."Our teams have handled, as of Saturday, 14,583 claims for direct damage from the attacks from Iran," Smotrich said Monday."We are assisting 2,775 residents who were evacuated from their homes, most of whom were accommodated in hotels through local authorities in a model we determined in advance," he added.So far, we have identified 24 structures, buildings that are designated for demolition."
Amid Israel-Iran war, Nimitz aircraft carrier to join Vinson in Middle East-by Allen Cone.
Washington DC (UPI) Jun 16, 2025-The Nimitz aircraft carrier group was rerouted from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East, joining the USS Carl Vinson. The move comes amid airstrikes between Israel and Iran.Also, the Defense Department is moving aircraft to the European and Central Command theaters if needed to support U.S. bases in the region, the Navy Times reported.And other ships, including Navy destroyers, are also headed to the region, a U.S. official told NBC News. Those ships, which are now based in U.S. European Command, include ballistic missile defense, or BMD, capabilities. Some destroyers are now stationed off Israel's coast in the Mediterranean."Over the weekend, I directed the deployment of additional capabilities to the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted Monday on X. "Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region."The Nimitz was scheduled to go to the Middle East but officials canceled a stop in Vietnam, NBC News reported. The George Washington carrier group is operating in the Philippine Sea.The Nimitz strike group could reach the Middle East later this week, an official told Politico. The exact location hasn't been disclosed.The carrier was sailing in the South China Sea and has made its way through the Strait of Malacca, which connects the Andaman Sea and the South China Sea and is about 1,200 miles from Iran.The Vinson has sailed in the Arabian Sea, and it has partnered with the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group to hit Houthi targets in Yemen, as well. Its home port is San Diego.President Donald Trump hasn't said whether the United States will join Israel against Iran."We're not involved in it," Trump said during an interview with ABC News. "It's possible we could get involved. But we are not at this moment involved."Israel's aircraft have mainly been targeting nuclear facilities, including the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant built into a mountain and buried deep underground.The Nimitz carrier group has about 5,000 sailors and Marines, including aircraft crews. Assigned destroyers are Wilbur, Gridle, Meyer and HigbeeThe aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1975 and the home port is in Bremerton, Wash.All but three of the 11 active U.S. aircraft carriers are in homeports now.The Vinson and Nimitz are among the 10 in an older carrier class. The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier is only one commissioned in the new class.
How much damage has Israel inflicted on Iran's nuclear programme?
Vienna, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2025-Israel's strikes on Iran have targeted several of its nuclear facilities as it claims the country is seeking to develop nuclear weapons -- an accusation Tehran denies.Experts told AFP that while the attacks had caused some damage to Iran's nuclear programme, they are unlikely to have delivered a fatal blow.Here is an update on Iran's nuclear sites as of Tuesday.- What is the extent of the damage? -Israel's operation included strikes on Iran's underground uranium enrichment sites at Natanz and Fordow, and on its Isfahan nuclear site, the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, citing Iranian officials.A key, above-ground component of Iran's Natanz nuclear site has been destroyed, including its power infrastructure, the IAEA reported Monday.The UN watchdog added Tuesday that satellite images indicated possible "direct impacts" on the underground section of the plant, where thousands of centrifuges are operating to enrich uranium.At the underground Fordow enrichment plant, Iran's second uranium enrichment facility, the IAEA said it observed "no damage" following the attacks.At the Isfahan nuclear site, however, "four buildings were damaged" -- the central chemical laboratory, a uranium conversion plant, the Tehran reactor fuel manufacturing plant, and a metal processing facility under construction, the IAEA said.Significant uranium stockpiles are believed to be stored around the Isfahan site.Ali Vaez, the International Crisis Group's Iran project director, told AFP that if Iran managed to transfer significant quantities to "secret facilities," then "the game is lost for Israel".Iran's only nuclear power plant, the Bushehr plant, was not targeted, nor was the Tehran research reactor.- Can the programme be destroyed? -While "Israel can damage Iran's nuclear programme... it is unlikely to be able to destroy it," Vaez said, saying that Israel did not have the massively powerful bombs needed "to destroy the fortified, bunkered facilities in Natanz and Fordow".Destroying those would require US military assistance, added Kelsey Davenport, an expert with the Arms Control Association.She also noted that Israel's unprecedented attack would not erase the expertise Iran had built up on nuclear weapons, despite killing nine Iranian nuclear scientists.- What are the risks to the Iranian population? -The IAEA has not detected any increase in radiation levels at the affected sites."There is very little risk that attacks on Iran's uranium enrichment facilities would result in a harmful radiation release," Davenport said.But an attack on the Bushehr plant could "have a serious impact on health and the environment", she said.After Israel launched its strikes, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that nuclear facilities "must never be attacked" and that targeting Iranian sites could have "grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond".- Is Iran close to developing a nuclear bomb? -After the United States under President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from a landmark deal that sought to curb Tehran's nuclear activities, Iran has gradually retreated from some of its obligations, particularly on uranium enrichment.As of mid-May, the country had an estimated 408.6 kilogrammes (900 pounds) enriched to up to 60 percent -- just a short step from the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead.Iran theoretically has enough near-weapons-grade material, if further refined, for about 10 nuclear bombs, according to the definition by the Vienna-based IAEA.Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed state producing uranium to this level of enrichment, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.- How much damage has Israel inflicted on Iran's nuclear programme? -While the IAEA has been critical of Iran's lack of cooperation with the UN body, it says there are "no credible indications of an ongoing, undeclared structured nuclear programme".Tehran has consistently denied ambitions to develop nuclear warheads.But Davenport warned that the strikes could strengthen factions in Iran advocating for an atomic arsenal."Israel's strikes set Iran back technically, but politically the strikes are pushing Iran closer to nuclear weapons," she said.
Reporter's notebookNight in the heart of Israel’s most densely populated region-Echoes of the Blitz in Ramat Gan’s underground Bialik Station, an unlikely wartime refuge-As Iranian missiles hit central Israel, many residents without adequate bomb shelters have found safety in the Tel Aviv-adjacent city’s well-maintained light rail station By Ariela Karmel-18 June 2025, 1:57 am
Lit by neon signs, pulsing with foot traffic, packed with bars, falafel joints and cafés that spill out onto the sidewalk, Bialik Street is usually one of the liveliest arteries in Ramat Gan. On a normal weeknight, you’d hear music from open windows, laughter from street corners, delivery scooters weaving through the crowd.But on the fourth night in a row of Iranian missile strikes, the street is eerily silent, following a Home Front Command alerting residents to remain close to protected spaces.The restaurants are dark. The windows are shuttered. There are no strollers, no couples walking home, no late-night smokers leaning against the curb. Just empty pavement, and the low hum of the light rail beneath your feet.Then, suddenly, signs of life appear.At the entrance to the Bialik light rail station, a small crowd has gathered. Some smoke quietly by the door. Others sit on benches, scrolling through their phones or chatting in low voices. Several signs mark the station not as a transit hub, but as a protected space — a public shelter with a new, urgent purpose.Those descending the escalator are greeted by a surreal scene: rows of mattresses line the floors of the train platforms, each claimed by someone who has nowhere safer to sleep. Families unpack meals, children burrow into sleeping bags, friends chat quietly in corners.This is what night looks like now in the heart of Israel’s most densely populated region — not in the bars and boulevards, but 92 feet deep underground, where a subterranean ecosystem has formed over the last four days.Since Friday, when Iran began launching its missile salvos toward central Israel, some 1,000 people have taken shelter in Bialik Station each night. Most begin arriving around 9 or 10 p.m., though a few come as early as 4 p.m.Many return every evening, even when the Home Front Command says it’s no longer necessary. For them, the risk above ground feels too great and the alternative too uncertain.Tatiana, 27, stands beside a mattress on the lower level, keeping watch while her partner Ilia, 26, searches upstairs for a new spot; there was no more room below. It was their first night at the station, after spending previous nights at public shelters. Though their building has a shelter, she explained, it’s small, overcrowded and poorly maintained — much like the other public shelters they’ve tried.A former English teacher from Russia who is now working at H&M, Tatiana looked calm but visibly frustrated.“We were at a public shelter before,” she said. “It didn’t feel protected. It doesn’t feel safe at home, either.”Around her, the station pulsed with the quiet rhythm of people settling in for the night. It’s a strange and sobering sight: families wrapped in blankets on thin mattresses, workers eating dinner from plastic containers, children sprawled on mattresses watching YouTube on a phone. A few played cards. Others lay silently with earbuds in. All were waiting — for morning, for quiet, for safety.The scene feels dystopian, evoking a different place and era: Londoners huddled in the Underground during the Blitz; Ukrainians riding out airstrikes in the Kyiv metro. And now, in the heart of central Israel, a similar reality has taken hold.There’s a palpable heaviness and frustration that hangs in the air. Many are here because their homes lack adequate shelters — or any shelters at all.Complete with clean bathrooms-Bialik Station is neat, organized and not overcrowded, in contrast to many public shelters and other shelters in most residential buildings. It boasts clean bathrooms, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and coordinated management, offering a safer, more humane alternative for many residents.Station employees patrol the space throughout the night, not as train staff but as temporary wardens: distributing mattresses and supplies, mediating disputes and ensuring the tightly packed floor stays clean and usable. When one man set up a tent for privacy, they gently asked him to take it down. Tents take up too much space — a scarce and precious resource.The result is an underground space that functions better than many of the public shelters purpose-built for emergencies.On the upper level, Sura, 42, and Naveen, 39, sat side by side on a pair of mattresses, sharing a pizza they brought with them. The two friends, originally from India, came to Israel in the past two years as foreign workers to send money back to their families.They work together at a nearby supermarket and have come here every night since the strikes began.“There’s no miklat in our building,” Sura said, using the Hebrew term for shelter. “This place isn’t far. It’s clean and there’s space.” They stay until 5 a.m., then head home to change and go to work.A large number of those sleeping in the station each night are foreign workers like Sura and Naveen, or immigrants from Russia and Ukraine. Many have no family nearby, few community ties and limited resources. For them, the station offers not just protection, but a rare sense of stability.This is a miserable situation to be sure, but this isn’t a miserable place. Even laughter can ring out. The normalcy of it all is almost disarming.Photographer Avishai Finkelstein, who lives nearby, came to document the light rail station turned bomb shelter.“We never thought we’d have a functioning light rail here and it finally happened. Then we didn’t expect it to work,” he said. “And it works.”He said it with a kind of sad irony: The long-awaited, long-delayed Tel Aviv-area light rail, whose first line was only opened in August 2023, is now functioning as a bomb shelter.Yet, it has become one of the few things in this moment that’s functioning. Not as it was intended, but as it must.
Sources close to Khamenei warn of growing risk he could miscalculate-One source describes the danger to Iran’s security and internal stability as ‘extremely dangerous’; insiders say supreme leader still has influential aides who haven’t been targeted.By Reuters and ToI Staff 18 June 2025, 12:39 am
Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cuts an increasingly lonely figure.Khamenei has seen his main military and security advisers killed by Israeli airstrikes, leaving major holes in his inner circle and raising the risk of strategic errors, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process.One of those sources, who regularly attends meetings with Khamenei, described the risk of miscalculation to Iran on issues of defense and internal stability as “extremely dangerous.”Several senior military commanders have been killed since Friday, including Khamenei’s main advisers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s elite military force: the IRGC’s overall commander Hossein Salami, its aerospace chief Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who headed Iran’s ballistic missile program, and spymaster Mohammad Kazemi.These men were part of the supreme leader’s inner circle of roughly 15-20 advisers comprising IRGC commanders, clerics, and politicians, according to the sources, who include three people who attend or have attended meetings with the leader on major issues and two close to officials who regularly attend.The loose group meets on an ad-hoc basis, when Khamenei’s office reaches out to relevant advisers to gather at his compound in Tehran to discuss an important decision, all the people said. Members are characterized by unwavering loyalty to him and the ideology of the Islamic Republic, they added.Khamenei, who was imprisoned before the 1979 revolution and maimed by a bomb attack before becoming leader in 1989, is profoundly committed to maintaining Iran’s Islamic system of government, is deeply mistrustful of the West, and is committed to the destruction of Israel.Under Iran’s system of government, he has supreme command of the armed forces, the power to declare war, and can appoint or dismiss senior figures, including military commanders and judges.Khamenei makes the final decision on important matters, though he values advice, listens attentively to diverse viewpoints, and often seeks additional information from his counsellors, according to one source who attends meetings.“Two things you can say about Khamenei: he is extremely stubborn but also extremely cautious. He is very cautious. That is why he has been in power for as long as he has,” said Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute think-tank in Washington.“Khamenei is pretty well placed to do the basic cost-benefit analysis, which really fundamentally gets to one issue more important than anything else: regime survival.”Khamenei’s son at the fore-The focus on survival has repeatedly been put to the test. Khamenei has deployed the IRGC and its affiliated Basij militia to quell national protests in 1999, 2009, and 2022.While the security forces have always been able to outlast demonstrators and restore state rule, years of Western sanctions have caused widespread economic misery that analysts say could ultimately threaten internal unrest.The stakes could barely be higher for Khamenei, who faces an escalating war with Israel, which has targeted nuclear and military sites and personnel with air attacks, drawing retaliatory Iranian missile fire.The five people familiar with Khamenei’s decision-making process stressed that other insiders who have not been targeted by Israel’s strikes remain important and influential, including top advisers on political, economic, and diplomatic issues.Khamenei designates such advisers to handle issues as they arise, extending his reach directly into a wide array of institutions spanning military, security, cultural, political, and economic domains, two of the sources said.Operating this way, including in bodies nominally under the elected president, means Khamenei’s office is often involved not only in the biggest questions of state but in executing even minor initiatives, according to the people with knowledge.His son Mojtaba has grown ever more central to this process over the past 20 years, the sources said, building a role that cuts between the personalities, factions, and organizations involved to coordinate on specific issues, the sources said.A mid-ranking cleric seen by some insiders as a potential successor to his aging father, Mojtaba has built close ties with the IRGC, giving him added leverage across Iran’s political and security apparatus, the people added.Ali Asghar Hejazi, the deputy of political security affairs at Khamenei’s office, has been involved in sensitive security decisions and is often described as the most powerful intelligence official in Iran, according to the sources.Meanwhile, the head of Khamenei’s office, Mohammad Golpayegani, as well as former foreign ministers Ali Akbar Velayati and Kamal Kharazi, and ex-parliament speaker Ali Larijani, remain trusted confidants on diplomatic and domestic policy issues such as the nuclear dispute, the people said.The loss of the IRGC commanders nonetheless decimates the top ranks of a military organization that Khamenei has put at the center of power since becoming supreme leader in 1989, relying on it for both internal security and regional strategy.While the regular army chain of command runs through the Iranian defense ministry under the elected president, the IRGC’s answer personally to Khamenei, securing the best military equipment for their land, air, and sea branches and giving their commanders a major state role.As he faces one of the most dangerous moments in the Islamic Republic’s history, Khamenei finds himself further isolated by the recent losses of other key advisers in the region as Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” coalition has been hammered by Israel, since the Hamas terror group carried out its October 7, 2023, onslaught on southern communities, murdering 1,200 people taking 251 hostages to Gaza.Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was personally close to the Iranian leader, was killed by an airstrike in September last year, less than a year after the terror group began launching cross-border attacks on Israel, a day after Hamas’s massacre.Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebels in December, one month after a ceasefire was reached with Hezbollah, which had been severely weakened in its war with Israel.
IDF general says strikes to continue until threat eliminated-Israel will achieve goals in Iran within a week or two, including in Fordo, IDF says-Air force striking ballistic missiles launchers and stores, air defense systems and radar sites; IDF believes smaller salvos now being launched at Israel due to successful strikes By Emanuel Fabian-17 June 2025, 10:23 pm
The Israeli military estimates it will achieve its objectives against Iran’s nuclear program within a week or two, Israel Defense Forces officials told reporters on Tuesday.The estimation came as Israel continued to operate against the Islamic Republic’s forces and nuclear program, with the Israeli Air Force conducting a wave of airstrikes against Iranian ballistic missile launchers in western Iran, the IDF said.The military said fighter jets hit dozens of launchers and other facilities.IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Tuesday evening that 60 Israeli Air Force jets set out for an “extensive wave of strikes in the heart of Iran” several hours earlier, targeting launchers aimed at Israel.He said that because of Israel’s strikes in recent days, Iran’s forces have withdrawn to central Iran. “Now, they are putting efforts into launching [missiles] from Isfahan.”“They withdrew from western Iran, but we are coming after them,” he said.Additionally, since Tuesday morning, the IDF said it struck Iranian air defense systems and radar sites in western Iran, publishing footage of some of the strikes.Since the beginning of the operation, the IAF has destroyed 70 Iranian air defense batteries in Iran, according to the military as of Tuesday.In the first 24 hours of the operation, which started early Friday, over 40 Iranian air defense systems were struck, according to the IDF, giving the IAF air supremacy over western Iran and Tehran.But the IDF has said flying over Iran is still not risk-free.Since then, another 30 systems have been targeted in waves of strikes, opening up a path for IAF fighter jets and drones to operate deeper within Iran, the military said.IAF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar said Tuesday that the strikes on the Iranian air defense systems are “a historic mission that could change the entire course of the campaign.”The military also said IAF drones were continuing to hunt down surface-to-air missile launchers and radars across the country.The military published footage showing the identification of Iranian preparations to launch ballistic missiles at Israel, and a subsequent strike against them on Tuesday, while another video showed a strike on an Iranian air defense system at one of the sites.The IDF has said that some 40 percent of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, or some 200, have been destroyed or neutralized so far amid the operation. This has apparently played a role in limiting Iran’s missile fire on Israel in the past two days.Iran has been launching smaller salvos of missiles at Israel over the past day because its capabilities have been degraded by Israeli strikes, the IDF believes.According to IDF assessments, Iran is not trying to conserve missiles for a longer war, but rather, is struggling to coordinate larger attacks.On Tuesday evening, loud blasts were heard across the Iranian capital, AFP journalists reported. The blasts were heard in north, west and central Tehran, according to the journalists. It was not immediately clear whether the blasts were the result of incoming Israeli strikes or Iranian air defense fire.Israel set out on the operation in Iran on Friday with the objective of removing the “existential threat” of the Iranian nuclear program and ballistic missile capabilities.The IDF has so far bombed two Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities, Natanz and Isfahan, causing significant damage to both. It has also killed at least nine key nuclear scientists who were allegedly working on a bomb, and struck several other facilities supporting Iran’s nuclear program, including offices and command centers.The IDF said it has so far caused significant damage to Tehran’s ability to build a bomb, but the efforts are not over yet. It said it will detail the damage it has done to Iran’s nuclear program when the operation is over.The military has so far denied striking the underground Fordo nuclear facility, but said it is in its “bank of targets.” Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier that Fordo is “an issue that will certainly be addressed.”In terms of Iran’s military, the IDF said it has killed dozens of commanders, including the vast majority of the top leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian Armed Forces. Military officials said Israeli forces had killed three times more Iranian commanders than they had initially anticipated when planning the operation.IDF Operations Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk asserted Tuesday that Israel’s operation against Iran will not end until the IDF has removed the threat of its nuclear program and ballistic missiles, but refused to provide a timeline.“We continue to strike nuclear targets to deepen the achievement, according to a plan and at a timing that suits us,” he said in a call with reporters.“We are striking the terror regime, not the people, who deserve a better future. Those who endanger us are the leadership in Tehran, not the people walking the streets of Shiraz,” Basiuk said. “We will remain prepared on defense. I assess that the Iranians will continue to try to harm Israel.”Basiuk said the IDF “will not allow a nuclear Iran to turn the Middle East into a graveyard.”Israel says its sweeping assault is necessary to prevent its longtime adversary from getting any closer to building an atomic weapon. At the beginning of the campaign on Friday, it said the situation had become an immediate existential threat to the Jewish state.Iran, which regularly calls for Israel’s destruction, insists that its nuclear program is peaceful; however, it has been enriching uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, has obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and has greatly expanded its ballistic missile capabilities.IDF chief: ‘Civilian resilience is critical for us’IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Tuesday visited the scene of an Iranian ballistic missile impact in Bat Yam, saying, “Civilian resilience is critical for us. It’s a central component of our ability to continue functioning.”Nine people were killed in Sunday’s attack.“We are fighting a war here that leaves us no choice, and it is being conducted across all dimensions. We are determined to complete our missions, and everything we were tasked with, we will achieve,” Zamir told Home Front Command officers in a video published by the IDF.“We are in an extraordinary moment. Right now, we are hunting ballistic missiles, there are UAVs out there, our fighter jets are involved, it’s something crazy: 1,500 kilometers from Israel, we’re tracking and destroying those ballistic missiles,” he said.“Now your layer comes in, and it’s a very significant layer in the sense that when something hits, forces are on the ground, and people draw strength from seeing you,” he told the Home Front Command officers. “You arrive quickly, rescue people safely, treat the wounded, and sadly, there are also fatalities in these events.”“Civilian resilience is critical for us. It’s a central component of our ability to continue functioning. You said it yourselves: We’re not stopping now. Why aren’t we stopping? Because the home front’s resilience is strong. When the resilience of the home front is strong, we have the confidence to keep operating,” Zamir said.So far, 24 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in Iran’s ballistic missile attacks, launched in response to the surprise campaign against the Islamic Republic.Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 224 people, according to Iranian officials.Agencies contributed to this report.
Israeli airlines set to launch repatriation flights Wednesday to bring citizens home-El Al, Arkia and Israir scheduled to operate a limited number of flights to pick up stranded Israelis from nearby Cyprus and Greece, and some European destinations By Sharon Wrobel-17 June 2025, 10:09 pm
Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia and Israir have been given the green light to prepare for operating repatriation flights on Wednesday to start bringing back the more than 100,000 Israelis stranded abroad.Following the approval of the Transportation Ministry and aviation authorities, El Al will pick up Israelis from Larnaca in Cyprus, Athens in Greece, Rome and Milan in Italy, and Paris in France.Passengers for these flights have already been assigned and were to receive notification Tuesday. Those who hold a valid El Al or Sun Dor flight ticket to Israel, and whose flights were canceled after the country’s airspace was closed early on Friday, are eligible for an emergency flight at no additional cost, El Al said.The airline emphasized that priority for flight assignment will be based on the original flight cancellation date and urgent medical humanitarian cases. On Monday, the flagship carrier opened registration for stranded customers to map repatriation flights.“All our crews and aircraft are on standby, awaiting further instructions from the authorities to operate flights at maximum capacity and as soon as possible,” El Al said in a statement. “Flights will be operated gradually, subject to government approvals, and we recommend arranging accommodation as needed.”El Al also recommended that customers keep receipts of expenses, adding that “eligibility for reimbursement will be reviewed in accordance with legal guidelines.”Israel’s airspace has been closed for departures and arrivals since the Israel Defense Forces launched a surprise attack on Iran early Friday, leaving those abroad with no way to get back and those stranded in the country with few options to leave.Smaller carriers Arkia and Israir have not yet announced ticket prices for repatriation flights and are expected to inform passengers once they receive official slot allocations and departure times.Arkia said that starting Wednesday, it will launch flights to bring back Israelis from nearby destinations Larnaca, Karpathos in Greece and Tivat in Montenegro, for now. Wednesday’s flights will focus solely on bringing back organized tour groups that were booked with Arkia, the airline said.All of tomorrow’s flights are already full, and passengers have been assigned in advance, Arkia said. The airline said it was also working on a schedule of flights from other destinations, including Paris and New York.Arkia emphasized that it is prepared to operate in any time window that security officials approve — including Shabbat — and continues to examine with the authorities the possibility of expanding the operation. Flights are carried out only subject to approvals from security officials and the Civil Aviation Authority.Local carrier Israir said it is preparing to operate three repatriation flights on Wednesday to bring back stranded Israelis from Larnaca, Athens and Varna in Bulgaria, following the approval from relevant local authorities.Under the proposed government-led repatriation plan, no more than two flights per hour will be allowed and probably only during daylight hours, in light of the repeated nighttime missile barrages directed at Israel by Iran. Shmuel Zakai, the head of the Civil Aviation Authority, estimated that it would take weeks before all Israelis stranded abroad could fly home.For now, no passengers will be allowed on the planes that leave Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport and are designated for the repatriation of Israelis abroad to prevent crowding at the terminal and to reduce risks.Meanwhile, the Tourism Ministry opened a digital registration procedure to assist the 38,000 tourists currently stuck in Israel to sign up for specially coordinated departure flights from Israel once they are available.The ministry said the online registration form is being distributed through various digital platforms to incoming tourism organizers, hotels, tour guides and other industry stakeholders.The ministry confirmed that it will consolidate and transfer the list, only as needed, to the National Security Council and the Transportation Ministry, so that coordination with airlines can be arranged to facilitate tourists’ departure from the country.
AnalysisOnly US bombers can take out underground site from the air-Iran’s nuclear program has been hit hard, but won’t be knocked out if Fordo remains-Trump is convening his national security team to decide whether to take out key enrichment facility; but even if he opts against it, Israel still has options By Lazar Berman 17 June 2025, 9:11 pm
Taking the podium at his first press conference since deciding to strike Iran’s nuclear program, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday read out Israel’s achievements in Operation Rising Lion.The list is impressive. Israeli forces have taken out Iran’s military leadership, hit hundreds of ballistic missiles and dozens of launchers, wiped out half of Iran’s UAVs, and established air superiority in western Iran.On the nuclear front, Netanyahu also has much he can point to. Israel has killed 10 senior nuclear scientists, and promises to reach more. It has caused extensive damage to key nuclear sites as well.But – as Israel has learned in Gaza – impressive tactical achievements do not automatically amount to operational success, and damage to some core elements of Iran’s nuclear program does not necessarily mean Israel has set it back very far.“The blow is not yet critical,” said Raz Zimmt, director of the Iran and the Shiite Axis research program at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.By design, at the outset, the campaign had to place a significant emphasis on targets not directly connected with Iran’s nuclear program.What was in effect an aerial breaching operation focused on taking out enemy air defenses in its first stage to allow the air force to operate freely in much of Iran’s skies.“We dismantled the air defense envelope very well, and now we are operating there almost freely,” said Yaakov Amidror, former national security adviser to Netanyahu.Another focus was on ballistic missile stores and launchers, to curtail the damage Iran could inflict on Israel. As of Tuesday, the IDF said, it had destroyed some 40 percent of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers.“We probably haven’t done too badly there,” said Amidror. “They promised to fire six times as much.”While those efforts continue, the operation is, at its core, about Iran’s nuclear program, and Israel has already made strides in its goal of seriously damaging it.It is very likely that all the roughly 15,000 centrifuges operating at Iran’s biggest uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, including those underground, were badly damaged or destroyed, whether directly or indirectly, due to a power cut caused by an Israeli strike, the IAEA has said.Israel bombed Natanz early Friday during the first wave of major strikes that started its shock campaign against Iranian military and nuclear sites, in a move it says was needed to thwart an immediate existential nuclear threat.It also targeted the Isfahan uranium conversion facility, which turns raw mined uranium into uranium hexafluoride (UF6), a feed gas for centrifuges.IAEA chief Rafael Grossi elaborated on the damage to four buildings at Isfahan: “The central chemical laboratory, a uranium conversion plant, the Tehran reactor fuel manufacturing plant and the UF4 [uranium tetrafluoride] to EU [enriched uranium] metal processing facility, which was under construction.”However, the job at Isfahan is far from complete.“What is not as successful is that there just does not appear to be any damage to any of the underground facilities,” Jeffrey Lewis, a nonproliferation scholar at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, told The Times of Israel.And then there is the Fordo plant, built into a mountain near the holy central city of Qom.Initially describing it as an “emergency” facility built underground to protect it from potential air attacks, Iran later indicated Fordo was an enrichment plant capable of housing about 3,000 centrifuges.“There is very limited, if any, damage registered [there],” said Grossi.An Israeli military official speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters that the Israeli Air Force has not targeted the Fordo facility, but said that it still might happen.Israel’s ambassador in Washington was more emphatic. “This entire operation… really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordo,” Yechiel Leiter told Fox News on Friday.“If you leave infrastructure like Fordo in place,” Lewis cautioned, “there’s just really no point.”Delay-Israel’s goal, despite what Netanyahu might say, is not the total, permanent annihilation of Iran’s nuclear program.It’s actually much more modest, and attainable — a tighter nuclear agreement between Iran and Western powers, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel.Israel is aiming to “cause enough damage [to the nuclear program] to revert to diplomacy and get a good agreement,” the official said.If that is not possible, the hope is to push back the program for several years.That has not yet been accomplished, Zimmt cautioned.“For now, it’s half a year or a year, but definitely not more than that,” he said.“It’s still concerning that you have highly enriched uranium stock likely still present at Isfahan underground, as well as the Fordo enrichment facility,” said Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Nonproliferation Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.“As long as Iran retains the ability to make weapons from uranium, there is more work ahead,” she said.The Trump factor-The most straightforward way to knock out a nuclear facility is from the air. But Fordo sits up to 90 meters under a mountain, rendering that task nearly impossible.Israel’s conventional munitions can’t come even close. The BLU-109s it likely used to kill Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah — who was hiding 20 meters underground — can only penetrate 2-3 meters of reinforced concrete. It took dozens of such bombs dropped in rapid succession to reach Nasrallah.The only munition that can reach Fordo’s underground facility is the American 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator. It is believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast.Israel doesn’t have the option of buying it from Washington, as the only plane that can carry it is the US B-2 bomber.So if Fordo is to be attacked from the air, it will take a decision from US President Donald Trump to jump into the fray.The president seems undecided, but increasingly open to the possibility.Trump was slated to convene his national security team on Tuesday to make a decision on US involvement, Axios reported, citing three US officials.He is “seriously considering” launching a US strike, according to the outlet.If Vice President J.D. Vance and the isolationist wing of his coalition win the day, Israel still has options.Israel could theoretically use a small nuclear weapon to destroy Fordo. But the first battlefield use of a nuclear bomb since 1945 would undermine Israel’s legitimacy in its campaign to prevent Iran from attaining such a weapon.It could also carry out a commando raid, similar to the special forces operation that destroyed Syria’s underground missile production facility at Masyaf in September 2024.Leiter seemed to tease that possibility in an interview with ABC News.“We have a number of contingencies… which will enable us to deal with Fordo,” he said. “Not everything is a matter of, you know, taking to the skies and bombing from afar.”The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Germany’s Merz threatens destruction of Iran’s nuclear program if it bucks talks-Chancellor says Israel doing the ‘dirty work for all of us’ by striking ‘mullah regime,’ which has brought death and destruction to world and may never recover-By Agencies and ToI Staff 17 June 2025, 7:31 pm
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday that the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear weapons program could be on the agenda if Tehran does not back down and return to the negotiating table.“The Israeli army is obviously unable to accomplish that. It lacks the necessary weapons. But the Americans have them,” said Merz in an interview with broadcaster ZDF on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada.Israel may need the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to reach deeply buried targets and then explode, to destroy Iran’s Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is deep underground. But Israel does not have the munition or the bomber needed to deliver it — the penetrator is currently delivered by the United States’ B-2 stealth bomber.“This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us. We are also victims of this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world,” Merz said of the ongoing strikes.Speaking to broadcaster Welt, Merz said the leadership in Tehran has been weakened by Israel’s attacks in the past few days.“This regime is very weakened and will probably not return to its former strength, making the future of the country uncertain. We will have to wait and see,” he said.Merz added that the Europeans’ offer of diplomatic assistance, should talks resume, still stands as it did before the attacks.“If a new situation were to arise, Germany, France and the United Kingdom would again be prepared to provide diplomatic assistance, as they were until last Thursday,” he said.Asked whether he thought the United States might get involved in the military campaign against Iran, Merz said he believed there was “no decision yet from the American government.”“It now depends very much on how far the mullah regime is prepared to return to the negotiating table,” he said. “If not, there could be further developments of this kind.”While the leaders of Britain, France and Germany have been sharply critical of Israel for its conduct of the war with the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip, they have expressed varying degrees of support for Israel since it launched its strikes on Iran’s nuclear and weapons systems on Friday.Foreign policy experts attributed the comity on Iran to Europe’s alarm at the recent report by United Nations experts that Tehran is closer than ever to a nuclear weapons breakout. Another factor is Iran’s alliance with Russia in its war against Ukraine.Scheduled nuclear talks on Sunday between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were canceled when the enmity between Israel and Iran escalated into unprecedented open conflict in the early hours of Friday morning, when Israel launched a major offensive against Iran and its nuclear program, hitting nuclear sites, missile bases and top military officials.Israel says its sweeping assault is necessary to prevent its longtime adversary from getting any closer to building an atomic weapon. At the beginning of the campaign last Friday, it said the situation had become an immediate existential threat to the Jewish state.So far, 24 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in Iran’s ballistic missile attacks, launched in response to the surprise campaign against the Islamic Republic.Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 224 people, according to Iranian officials.
IAEA says Israeli strike directly hit Iran’s Natanz underground enrichment plant-UN nuclear watchdog adjusts earlier assessment after initially reporting that the site had only been hit indirectly; says no changes to report at Isfahan and Fordo facilities-By Agencies and ToI Staff 17 June 2025, 6:57 pm
An Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear complex at Natanz directly hit the underground uranium enrichment plant there, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday, revising its assessment after initially reporting it had been hit only indirectly.Israel bombed the site on Friday during the first wave of major strikes to start its shock campaign against Iranian military and nuclear sites, in a move it says was needed to thwart an immediate existential nuclear threat.The International Atomic Energy Agency had previously said an above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz was destroyed, but assessed that the larger underground plant was not directly hit, although IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday its roughly 15,000 centrifuges had very likely been badly damaged by a strike on the plant’s power supply.However, on Tuesday, the IAEA said on X: “Based on continued analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery collected after Friday’s attacks, the IAEA has identified additional elements that indicate direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz.”Located 135 miles (220 kilometers) southeast of Tehran, the Natanz facility was protected by anti-aircraft batteries, fencing and Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.The underground part of the facility is buried to protect it from airstrikes and contains the bulk of the enrichment facilities at Natanz, with 10,000 centrifuges that enrich uranium up to five percent, experts assess.Although Israel has struck Natanz repeatedly and claims to have inflicted significant damage on its underground facilities, Tuesday’s IAEA statement marked the first time the agency has acknowledged impacts there.At the same time, the IAEA said there was “no change to report” at Iran’s two other major nuclear sites, Isfahan and Fordo.Grossi had said on Monday there was little or no apparent damage at Fordo, where Iran has enriched uranium up to 60%, close to the 90% weapons grade, at a plant dug deep into a mountain.At the Isfahan nuclear complex, several facilities were destroyed, including Iran’s plant that converted uranium into a form that could be fed into centrifuges for enrichment, the IAEA has reported.Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful, but it has enriched uranium to levels far beyond any civilian application. The IAEA has repeatedly warned that the country has enough highly enriched uranium to make several nuclear bombs, should it choose to do so.Years of hostility between Israel and Iran exploded into open conflict early Friday morning when Israel launched a major offensive against Iran and its nuclear program, hitting nuclear sites, missile bases and top military officials.Israel said it had no choice but to attack Iran, and that it had gathered intelligence showing Tehran was approaching “the point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons.Iran has launched some 350 ballistic missiles at Israel since Friday, the vast majority of which were intercepted, according to IDF statistics released Monday.In all, 24 people have been killed in Iran’s ballistic missile attacks, and hundreds more have been wounded.
Four heavy US bombers stationed at key Indian Ocean base: image analysis.
Paris, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2025-Four US Stratofortress bombers are currently stationed at the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean, according to an AFP analysis of satellite imagery, as the conflict between Israel and Iran extended to its fifth straight day.The base, leased to the United States by Britain, is one of its key military facilities in the Asia-Pacific region, and was used as a hub for long-range bombers and ships during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.The four B52H Stratofortresses, which can carry nuclear weapons or other precision-guided munitions, were spotted on a southern tarmac at Diego Garcia on Monday at 0922 GMT.Images provided by Planet Labs indicate they arrived in mid-May.A C-17 Globemaster III troop and cargo transport plane is also at the base, according to the AFP analysis, as well as six jets likely to be KC-135 airborne refuelling tanker.The Pentagon said Monday that it was sending "additional capabilities" to the Middle East amid an escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict, while the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz cancelled a Vietnam visit to head toward the Indian Ocean according to Marine Traffic, a ship-tracking site.Washington has also redeployed around 30 refuelling planes toward bases in Europe.
BlackSky plans new satellite network for large-scale AI-driven Earth observation-by Clarence Oxford.
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 17, 2025-BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) has announced a major expansion of its satellite constellation with the addition of a new class of multispectral, wide-area imaging satellites. The forthcoming system, known as AROS, will complement the company's existing Gen-3 constellation by enabling rapid digital mapping, navigation, maritime surveillance, and 3D digital twin applications at scale.The AROS satellites are being engineered to meet increasing demand for high-frequency, country and region-scale data collection, particularly in support of AI-powered geospatial analytics. Designed to bridge the capability gap left by aging legacy satellites with declining collection capacity, AROS will deliver faster, more affordable imaging services optimized for AI and dynamic analytics."As legacy satellites approach end-of-life, we see a critical opportunity to address market needs-not just in performance and agility-but also in affordability and AI-readiness. As confirmed through active customer and partner engagement, BlackSky is meeting the modern demands of governments and commercial users who need persistent visibility over very large areas, fast," said Brian O'Toole, BlackSky CEO.The new AROS constellation will integrate with BlackSky's Spectra AI platform, delivering near-real-time tasking and analytics. This hybrid system will combine wide-area search with targeted site monitoring, enabling advanced maritime tracking and other high-priority missions such as Golden Dome operations. Optical inter-satellite links will support low-latency data transfer and tasking.Key innovations in AROS build on Gen-3 technologies and include high-resolution multispectral imaging, a proprietary data pipeline for real-time and retrospective analysis, and superior cost efficiency that enables routine broad-area imaging without sacrificing quality or revisit frequency.AROS has been in development for two years and played a key role in BlackSky's acquisition of satellite manufacturer LeoStella. The vertically integrated production capability strengthens BlackSky's ability to rapidly deploy new space assets, continuing a track record proven by the recent rapid launch and commissioning of two Gen-3 satellites.BlackSky expects the first AROS satellites to launch as early as 2027, expanding its capabilities to deliver fast, flexible, and scalable space-based intelligence across a wide range of sectors.
China accuses Trump of 'pouring oil' on Iran, Israel conflict.
Beijing, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2025-China on Tuesday accused President Donald Trump of "pouring oil" on the mounting conflict between Iran and Israel, after the US leader warned Tehran residents to "immediately evacuate".Following decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel launched a surprise aerial campaign last week against targets across Iran, saying it aimed to prevent its arch-foe from acquiring atomic weapons -- an ambition Tehran denies.The sudden flare-up in hostilities has sparked fears of a wider conflict, with Trump urging Iran back to the negotiating table after Israel's attacks derailed ongoing nuclear talks.Trump also issued an extraordinary warning on his Truth Social platform: "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!"Asked about Trump's remarks, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said: "Fanning the flames, pouring oil, making threats and mounting pressure will not help to promote the de-escalation of the situation, but will only intensify and widen the conflict."The Chinese side calls on all relevant parties, especially countries with special influence on Israel, to shoulder their responsibilities, take immediate measures to de-escalate tensions, and prevent the conflict from expanding and spreading."China's embassies in Iran and Israel also urged Chinese citizens to leave the countries "as soon as possible", after Israel and Iran traded heavy strikes."The Chinese Embassy in Iran has coordinated with the Iranian side to facilitate outbound travel and reminds Chinese citizens currently in Iran to leave the country... as soon as possible", the embassy in Tehran said in an online statement.It suggested border crossings with Turkey, Armenia, and Turkmenistan as possible routes out.China's embassy in Israel urged citizens to depart "in the direction of Jordan" as it warned that the conflict was "continuing to escalate"."Much civilian infrastructure has been damaged, civilian casualties are on the rise, and the security situation is becoming more serious," it said in a post on WeChat.
China's Xi in Kazakhstan to cement 'eternal' Central Asia ties.
Astana, Kazakhstan, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2025-Xi Jinping celebrated China's "eternal friendship" with Central Asia at a summit in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, as the Chinese leader blasted tariffs and sought to assert Beijing's influence in a region historically dominated by Russia.The summit in Astana brought together Xi with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.Under Russia's orbit until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the five Central Asian states have courted interest from major powers including China, the European Union and the United States since becoming independent.At the summit, the group signed a pact of "eternal" friendship as Xi called for closer ties with the resource-rich region."We should... strengthen cooperation with a more enterprising attitude and more practical measures," said Xi in comments carried by state news agency Xinhua.Central Asia is also seen as a key logistics hub, given its strategic location between China, Russia, the Middle East and Europe.- 'No winners' -Speaking as Western leaders gathered on the other side of the world for the G7 in Canada, Xi refreshed his criticism of US President Donald Trump's trade policies."Tariff wars and trade wars have no winners," Xinhua quoted him as saying.While Central Asian leaders continue to view Russia as a strategic partner, ties with Moscow have loosened since the war in Ukraine.China has also shown willingness to invest in massive infrastructure projects in the region, part of its Belt and Road initiative that uses such financing as a political and diplomatic lever.In a meeting with Kyrgyzstan's president, Xi called for moves to "advance high-quality construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and foster new drivers of growth in clean energy, green minerals and artificial intelligence".The five Central Asian nations are trying to take advantage of the growing interest in their region and are coordinating their foreign policies accordingly.They regularly hold summits with China and Russia to present the region as a unified bloc and attract investment.High-level "5+1" format talks have also been organised with the European Union, the United States, Turkey and other Western countries."The countries of the region are balancing between different centres of power, wanting to protect themselves from excessive dependence on one partner," Kyrgyz political scientist Nargiza Muratalieva told AFP.- Biggest trade partner -Russia says China's growing influence in the region does not pose a threat."There is no reason for such fears. China is our privileged strategic partner, and the countries of Central Asia, naturally, are our natural historical partners," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.But China has now established itself as Central Asia's leading trading partner, far outstripping the EU and Russia.Construction of the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China railway and the China-Tajikistan highway, which runs through the Pamir Mountains to Afghanistan, are among its planned investments.New border crossings and "dry ports" have already been built to process trade, such as Khorgos in Kazakhstan, one of the largest logistics hubs in the world."Neither Russia nor Western institutions are capable of allocating financial resources for infrastructure so quickly and on such a large scale, sometimes bypassing transparent procedures," said Muratalieva.Kazakhstan said last week that Russia would lead the construction of its first nuclear power plant but that it wanted China to build the second."Central Asia is rich in natural resources such as oil, gas, uranium, gold and other minerals that the rapidly developing Chinese economy needs," Muratalieva said."Ensuring uninterrupted supplies of these resources, bypassing unstable sea routes, is an important goal of Beijing," the analyst added.- Human rights -China also positions itself as a supporter of the predominantly authoritarian Central Asian leaderships.At the last Central Asia-China summit, Xi called for "resisting external interference" that might provoke "colour revolutions" that could overthrow the current leaders in the region."Beijing sees the stability of the Central Asian states as a guarantee of the security of its western borders," Muratalieva said.Central Asia border's China's northwestern Xinjiang region, where Beijing is accused of having detained more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslims, part of a campaign the UN has said could constitute crimes against humanity.burs/bk-mmp/jc/rlp
France urged to apologise for Polynesia nuclear tests.
Paris, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2025-Paris should apologise to French Polynesia for the fallout of nuclear tests there over three decades, which led to harmful radiation exposure, a French parliamentary report released on Tuesday said.France conducted 193 nuclear tests in French Polynesia from 1966, especially at the Pacific archipelago's Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls, to help build up its atomic weapon arsenal. These included atmospheric and underground tests which had severe health impacts.Tens of thousands of people in the French overseas territory are estimated to have been exposed to harmful levels of radiation, leading to a significant public health crisis that has been largely ignored.The tests remain a source of deep resentment in French Polynesia, where they are seen as evidence of racist colonial attitudes that disregarded the lives of islanders."The inquiry has strengthened the committee's conviction that a request for forgiveness from France to French Polynesia is necessary," the report said."This request is not merely a symbol, nor a request for repentance. It must be a... fundamental step in the process of reconciliation between French Polynesia and the State," the authors said.The report said the apology must be added to a 2004 law on French Polynesia's semi-autonomous status.Residents in the south Pacific Ocean islands are hoping for compensation for radiation victims.The investigative website Disclose, citing declassified French military documents on the nearly 200 tests, reported in March that the impact from the fallout was far more extensive than authorities let on.Only a few dozen civilians have been compensated for radiation exposure since the tests ended in 1996, Disclose said.
Canada announces new Ukraine military aid, Russia sanctions.
Kananaskis, Canada, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2025-Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday announced Can$2 billion ($1.47bn) of military support including drones and helicopters for Ukraine as he hosted President Volodymyr Zelensky at a G7 summit.Carney vowed "total solidarity with Ukraine" as he also unveiled further sanctions on Russia in an effort to impose "maximum pressure" on President Vladimir Putin over the war.The new sanctions target 77 individuals and 39 entities, including three financial entities, a major oil and gas company and quantum computing researchers, as well as more than 200 vessels in Russia's so-called shadow fleet.Security analysts say the fleet of aging vessels is used by Russia to circumvent international sanctions that ban it from selling oil.Quantum technologies, according to Ottawa, "can have various dual-use military applications and be leveraged by the Kremlin to bolster its military."Canada's foreign ministry called this its "biggest-ever package of vessel- and trade-related sanctions" imposed on Russia.The measures bring the total number of Russian nationals and entities sanctioned by Canada to more than 2,400.
