Hochstein's mission marks a last-ditch attempt by the outgoing US administration to clinch a ceasefire as diplomacy to end the Gaza war appears totally adrift
world3 days ago
Iran unveiled two new air defence systems on Saturday, state media reported, with tensions high in the Middle East amid the war in Gaza.
"The Arman anti-ballistic missile system and the Azarakhsh low-altitude air defence system, built by the ministry of defence, were unveiled this morning," the official IRNA news agency said.
The unveiling of the new weapons comes at a time of heightened regional tensions with the war between Israel and Tehran-backed Hamas raging into a fifth month.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Even before the war, Israel and Iran were implacable foes, with Israel fiercely opposed to Tehran's nuclear programme.
In 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for Iran to face a "credible military threat" to prevent it attaining nuclear weapons.
Tehran has always insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful and denies seeking a nuclear bomb.
The Arman missile system revealed on Saturday "has a medium range and a high altitude that can identify targets at 180 kilometres and engage and destroy them at 120 kilometres," Defence Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani said during the unveiling ceremony, IRNA reported.
The agency said the system could take on "six targets simultaneously" while the Azarakhsh defence system can be mounted on multiple vehicle types and "uses radar, electro-optical system and thermal seekers to detect and track its target."
Iran hailed Hamas's surprise October 7 attack but denied any involvement while Tehran-backed militant groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen have increasingly attacked US and anti-militant coalition troops deployed to Iraq and Syria.
One such attack on January 28 on a base in Jordan killed three US military personnel, leading Washington to launch its own strikes against pro-Iran targets in Syria and Iraq.
The United States, alongside Britain, also launched repeated strikes against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis in response to the group's persistent attacks on commercial shipping.
The Houthis say their attacks in the Red Sea are in solidarity with Palestinians in war-battered Gaza.
Hochstein's mission marks a last-ditch attempt by the outgoing US administration to clinch a ceasefire as diplomacy to end the Gaza war appears totally adrift
world3 days ago
This will be his first visit since the beginning of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia around three years ago
world3 days ago
The changes state that any conventional attack on Russia, aided by a nuclear power, could be considered to be a joint attack
world4 days ago
The country launched a probe in March 2021 into WhatsApp's privacy policy, which allowed data sharing with Facebook and its units, sparking global backlash
world4 days ago
This time around, Trump wants the Senate to give up that gatekeeping role and allow him to make 'recess appointments'
world4 days ago
Police allege the offences took place between 2001 and 2019 against 8 victims; the youngest was 17 at the time of the offence
world5 days ago
The two countries have a mutual defence treaty dating back to 1951, which could be invoked if either side came under attack, including in the South China Sea
world5 days ago
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu conferred the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger on Narendra Modi in Abuja on Sunday
world5 days ago