Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on March 5, sparking new controversy surrounding her tenure. Trump announced that Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin will succeed Noem at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Kristi Noem was fired as Homeland Security Secretary by Trump and replaced as Special Envoy for the American Shield (Photo by Jim Watson/AFP) (AFP)
Trump announced on Truth Social that Mullin will take over as Secretary of Homeland Security on March 31.
He further said that Noem will serve in the newly created “Envoy to the Americas Shield” role related to the new regional security plan that his administration intends to present in Florida this weekend.
Possible reasons for Kristi Noem’s firing
Scandals have mounted during Noem’s tenure, eroding support inside and outside the government. The Department of Homeland Security has been under heavy criticism in the months since two U.S. citizens were shot to death by federal agents during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis earlier this year. The incident sparked protests and calls for an investigation into the agency’s methods.
One of the immediate triggers for Noem’s firing was the controversy in Congress over funding for the department. Earlier this week, senators also asked Noem about her leadership of the department over the past 12 months.
President of the United States Donald Trump Nominate Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin to be the next director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Kristi Noem from the post. The White House said Mullin is expected to take over the post on March 31, one of the biggest cabinet changes of Trump’s term.Mullin is currently a Republican senator representing Oklahoma. He enters the Senate in 2023 after winning a special election to complete former Sen. Jim Inhofe’s term. Prior to that, Mullin spent ten years in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District from 2013 to 2023.Mullin was born July 26, 1977 in Tulsa. He grew up in Westerville, a small town in eastern Oklahoma. He was a member of the Cherokee Nation and became one of the few Native Americans to serve in the U.S. Senate. His election in 2022 would make him the first Native American senator in nearly two decades and only the second Cherokee Nation citizen to serve in the House.Mullin began his career as a businessman before entering politics. At age 20, he took over the family’s plumbing company after his father became ill. Over time, he expanded the family business into several companies related to construction and property services. In 2021, he sold his plumbing business to a larger home services company, significantly increasing his personal wealth.Mullin also briefly worked as a professional mixed martial arts fighter. Between 2006 and 2007, he participated in three professional matches and won them all, creating an unbeaten record.In Congress, Mullin generally supported conservative policies, including strict restrictions on abortion and opposed former President Joe Biden’s proposed student loan forgiveness plan. Many of his views are consistent with those of the MAGA base. Trump fired Noem amid controversy surrounding her leadership and recent congressional scrutiny and later announced Mullin’s appointment to the DHS job. The president said Mullin will succeed her at the Department of Homeland Security, while Noem will take on a new executive role related to regional security initiatives.If confirmed and sworn in, Mullin would lead federal agencies responsible for border security, immigration enforcement, disaster relief and domestic security operations across the United States.
File photo: Amit Malviya of the Bharatiya Janata Party
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said blaming India for the US attack on Iranian naval vessel IRIS Dena is illogical and misleading, as Congress lashed out at the government over the attack on a warship returning after participating in an Indian naval exercise.The Bharatiya Janata Party pointed out that the attack occurred about 250 nautical miles from the Indian coastline, far beyond the country’s territorial waters and maritime jurisdiction. Holding India responsible for incidents involving the United States and Iran in international waters is not only factually incorrect but also diplomatically untenable, the report said.Amit Malviya of the Bharatiya Janata Party said: “Under international maritime law, a country’s responsibility does not extend to all incidents that occur in the wider maritime area simply because of geographical proximity. India has maritime proximity to many countries along the Indian Ocean coast, but proximity cannot be confused with control or responsibility.”Incidents in international waters, especially involving third countries, do not fall within India’s legal or operational ambit, he said.“Attempts to drag India into this incident ignore the basic principles of maritime jurisdiction and appear to be based more on speculation and political narrative than facts. India neither controls activities in international waters nor is it a party to actions taken there by other sovereign states. In short, geography does not equal responsibility,” he said.BJP sources expressed dismay at the criticism from the Congress. “Those who call themselves the ‘natural ruling party’ cannot be expected to be so ignorant of the basics of international law,” said a senior party official.
U.S. President Donald Trump insisted on Thursday that he would have a say in picking Iran’s next supreme leader, as U.S.-Israeli actions triggered by the war that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reverberated across the Middle East and beyond.
As Middle East war escalates, Trump demands input on Iran’s next leader
Earlier, Israel issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for the entire southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah, causing residents to flee the area in panic and hundreds of thousands of people.
The warning comes after a new wave of Israeli attacks on Iran, which has once again launched a fierce attack on Gulf states.
The war has attracted global powers, disrupted the shipping industry and disrupted energy markets. The impact was felt as far away as the coast of Sri Lanka, where a U.S. submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship, and in Azerbaijan, which threatened retaliation after a drone hit an airport.
Trump on Thursday rejected the possibility of Khamenei’s son Moitaba Khamenei succeeding his slain father as supreme leader, calling the young man a “lightweight.”
“I have to be a part of this appointment, just like I was with Delcy,” Trump told Axios in an interview with Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who he said was working with Venezuela under threat of violence after the United States ousted its boss Nicolás Maduro.
The report quoted Trump as saying: “A Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone who can bring harmony and peace to Iran.” He threatened that if a better alternative is not found, more wars will break out in the future.
The comments suggest that, despite Trump’s repeated exhortations to Iranians to rise up and take back their country, he is willing to work with those within the Islamic Republic rather than overthrow the government entirely.
– Beirut warning –
Lebanon was drawn into the widening conflict on Monday after the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in revenge for the killing of Khamenei.
Israel responded with airstrikes and sent ground troops to some Lebanese border villages. It asked residents of a large swath of southern Lebanon to leave because of the possibility of military action there.
“Save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” an Israeli military spokesman said in a message to residents of Dahiyeh, a suburb south of Beirut, on Thursday.
Such warnings often herald large-scale attacks, with massive traffic jams on suburban outskirts and shots fired into the air urging locals to leave as quickly as possible.
On Beirut’s beaches, hundreds of families scurried away with nowhere to go, many of them milling around in fear and anger.
“We fled the suburbs, we were humiliated,” one man, who declined to give his name, told AFP.
“We will sleep on the road tonight and only God knows what will happen to us.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asked French President Emmanuel Macron to intercede with Israel to prevent the bombing of southern Beirut.
Macron said after the conversation: “At this moment of great danger, I call on the Israeli Prime Minister not to expand the war to Lebanon.”
Earlier in the day, Israel said its forces attacked “several command centers of the Hezbollah terrorist group” south of Beirut.
Lebanese authorities said at least 102 people have been killed, 638 injured and at least 90,000 displaced since Monday.
– From Sri Lanka to Azerbaijan –
On Iran’s border, neighboring Azerbaijan warned that drone attacks on airports “will not go unanswered,” raising concerns about another country joining the war.
Iran denied being behind the attack and blamed Israel, but that did not stop Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev from accusing Tehran of “terrorism”.
Australia deployed two military aircraft to the war zone, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he could not rule out the involvement of its armed forces.
The war also embroiled NATO member Turkey after a NATO air defense system destroyed a missile launched from Iran into Turkish airspace.
A Turkish official said the missile appeared to be targeting a British base in Cyprus, but Türkiye summoned the Iranian ambassador over the incident.
AFP images showed blackened vehicles and destroyed buildings, some with thick smoke billowing from them, after a new wave of attacks hit the Iranian capital.
“We are going through a very important page in history and I am not afraid,” a 30-year-old Tehran resident told AFP.
“Hope is the only thing we have right now.”
An Iranian state-run foundation said the death toll from U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran had risen to 1,230, but AFP could not independently verify the figure.
The country is effectively isolated from the rest of the world, with an internet operating capacity of around 1%, according to Netblocks monitoring data.
Meanwhile, AFP reporters in Jerusalem heard explosions after receiving warnings of an Iranian missile attack.
-“We will not surrender”-
The conflict has not spared wealthy Gulf monarchies, which are often seen as safe havens in the restive region, as Iran has launched a barrage of attacks on cities and energy infrastructure.
Thirteen people have been killed in countries surrounding the Gulf since the war began, seven of them civilians, including an 11-year-old girl in Kuwait.
Qatar said on Thursday it was intercepting an incoming missile attack, which an AFP reporter said was the strongest explosion yet, echoing over Doha and sending thick black smoke billowing on the horizon.
Debris from an intercepted drone also injured six people in the United Arab Emirates’ capital Abu Dhabi, officials said.
In Bahrain, an Iranian missile attack sparked a fire at the main state-owned oil refinery, but the fire was later brought under control, the Gulf States Communications Center said.
Meanwhile, some Western diplomats in the Saudi capital Riyadh said they were told to shelter in place on Thursday, while a witness said the city’s diplomatic district had been closed.
burs-smw/jsa
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
Indian passengers stranded during Iran conflict arrive at Delhi airport
NEW DELHI: Nearly 7,000 Indians stranded in Dubai since February 28 have been flown back home in the past three days, with more flights scheduled from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Fujairah in the next 48 hours. Indian Ambassador to the UAE Deepak Mittal and Indian Consul General in Dubai Satish Sivan held a meeting with representatives of Indian and Emirates airlines on Thursday “to review efforts to address the concerns of Indians stranded in the UAE.”“Standard Indian nationals can rebook or book these flights directly with the airlines or through local agents… Airlines are working towards resuming limited non-scheduled flight operations. The travel of nearly 7,000 stranded Indians, especially those on transit and short-term visits, have been facilitated and returned to India in the past three days. The focus of airlines is to gradually increase these non-scheduled flights from different airports in the UAE in line with airspace security and operating permissions from the UAE,” the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi said on Thursday.
What started as a routine Senate hearing quickly turned into a political conundrum for the White House. President Donald Trump reportedly furious after closed-door meeting with Homeland Security secretaries Kristi Noem Under oath, it was suggested he had signed up for a massive $220 million advertising campaign in which her face was prominently displayed. According to National Review, Trump is not thrilled about being thrust into the spotlight for an expensive publicity campaign.“The president gave you early approval to spend $220 million on a nationwide television ad featuring you?” Republican Sen. John Kennedy asked Noem during Tuesday’s hearing.“Yes, sir, we have gone through the legal process—” Noem said.“Did the president know you were going to do this?” Kennedy interjected.Norm answered in the affirmative again many times. “I’m not saying you’re not telling the truth. It’s just hard for me to believe, because I know the president, that you said, ‘President, here are some ads that I cut out and I’m going to spend $220 million to run them,’ and he would agree to that,” Kennedy said. He added, “I don’t think Russ Voight of the Office of Management and Budget” would agree with that.That frustration prompted the president to privately express his willingness to succeed her, National Review reported. One name starting to emerge this week as a potential replacement for him is Oklahoma’s junior U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin.The White House did not respond to National Review’s inquiries late Wednesday. Punchbowl News reported Thursday morning that Trump is asking congressional Republicans whether Noem should be fired.It’s unclear whether Trump, known for publicly floating personnel changes in private conversations with allies, will proceed with his ouster. In addition to demoting former national security adviser Michael Walz to U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Trump has so far resisted any high-profile Cabinet reshuffles in his second term, insisting in early February that he had no plans to remove Noem from office after her handling of a deadly shooting in Minneapolis involving federal officers earlier this year.“I haven’t spoken to the president,” Mullin said during a brief interview in a U.S. Capitol hallway Wednesday if he heard the president was frustrated by Noem’s Senate Judiciary testimony and if he knew he was being considered as a potential successor.The Oklahoma Republican insisted he had not spoken to the White House at all this week. “I haven’t talked to him about the hearing at all, I can’t help you, I’m sorry,” he added before walking onto the Senate floor to vote.For Noem and the department she oversees, the secretary of state’s testimony before Congress is closely watched. The Department of Homeland Security is in a partial shutdown, with congressional Democrats refusing to fund the department over concerns about the administration’s immigration enforcement strategy.The administration sent border czar Tom Homan to negotiate with local Democratic officials to try to ease tensions surrounding immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota. After gaining local cooperation, Homan was able to withdraw federal immigration officials from the state.Noem’s political vulnerabilities came into focus this week, as Republicans and Democrats on the House and Senate Judiciary Committees raised pointed questions about how the agency monitors contract allocations, officer training, FEMA reimbursements, special government employees and more.Noem faced a series of questions about Trump’s 2016 campaign manager Corey Lewandowski at two hearings this week. Lewandowski is a close ally of Noem and served as a special government employee as her top aide at the Department of Homeland Security. She denied that Levandowski played a role in approving the contract, a claim that DHS officials privately refuted.After news reports suggested Noem and Lewandowski were romantically involved, multiple House Democrats asked Noem directly during a House Judiciary hearing on Wednesday whether she had ever had sex with him, an allegation she called “complete garbage.”In hearings this week, lawmakers pressed Noem on the contract approval process for the $220 million advertising campaign. The $77 million contract was awarded to People Who Think LLC, owned by Jay Connaughton, who previously worked with Lewandowski on Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s gubernatorial campaign, ProPublica reported. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., questioned Noem about a $143 million no-bid contract awarded to Safe America Media, an entity that was formed just days before the contract was awarded. The group then subcontracted a small portion of the $143 million to a strategy firm owned by Ben Yoho, the husband of former Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.“Strategic Group has never had a contract with the Department of Homeland Security,” the political firm wrote in a statement posted on social media after the hearing. “We entered into a subcontract with Safe America for limited production services. Safe America was paid a total of $226,137.17 to shoot five films, produce 45 video commercials and produce six radio commercials. If you want to question our integrity, show us actual evidence – we did.“Asked to comment for this story, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson reiterated that the “relevant, highly targeted international advertising campaign” was “running across eight countries” and “reached more than 46 million people” and played an important role in helping secure the southern border.“The domestic advertising campaign was the most successful in American history. The results speak for themselves: 2.2 million illegal immigrants have been self-deported. ICE arrests and deportations cost American taxpayers an average of $18,000. Even accounting for advertising costs (CBP’s $2,600 exit bonus), self-deportations are 70 percent cheaper than ICE-enforced deportations. The advertising campaign saved U.S. taxpayers more than $39 billion. “Among Noem’s critics during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday was retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who blasted the Homeland Security secretary’s management of the agency.“Why am I disappointed in Secretary Noem? Because we are not going after enough of the people who are causing this damage at the expense of the number of people Stephen Miller wants out of the White House,” he shouted at one point during the hearing. “We just want quantity. We want 1,000 a day, 6,000 a day, 9,000 a day, because quantities matter, right? No, they don’t. Quality matters, not quantity, quality.”“What we are seeing is a disaster under your leadership,” he added.
BENGALURU: State-owned defense electronics major Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has signed an MoU with space technology startup Bellatrix Aerospace to jointly design, develop and manufacture satellite systems and payloads with a focus on the emerging Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) regime.“The agreement aims to combine BEL’s experience in mission-critical electronics and defense payloads with Bellatrix’s expertise in satellite propulsion and subsystems to develop next-generation satellite platforms suitable for VLEO operations,” BEL said on Thursday.VLEO refers to an orbital altitude lower than traditional low Earth orbit, usually between about 150 kilometers and 450 kilometers above the Earth. Satellites operating in the region could provide higher-resolution imaging, lower communications latency and lower launch costs, but would require advanced propulsion systems to combat atmospheric drag.Under the partnership, the two companies plan to develop integrated satellite solutions that can support strategic and civilian space missions. The collaboration is expected to strengthen indigenous capabilities in satellite platforms designed for VLEO operations.BEL said the collaboration reflects a broader effort to combine the manufacturing depth of established public sector companies with the agility and innovation of emerging deep-tech startups in the aerospace sector.“BEL has decades of experience in developing advanced electronics, radar and communication systems for defense and strategic programmes. Headquartered in Bengaluru, Bellatrix Aerospace specializes in electric and green propulsion systems for satellites,” BEL said.The memorandum was exchanged between BEL Managing Director Rashmi Kathuria and Bellatrix Aerospace CEO and Chief Technology Officer Rohan M Ganapathy.Representatives of both organizations said the partnership is expected to accelerate innovation and support the development of indigenous satellite systems tailored for next-generation space missions.
Six Flags Entertainment announced the sale of seven of its amusement parks to EPR Properties of Kansas City, Missouri. The transaction is six flags amusement park The plan is to focus more on the strongest performing campuses and improve their financial health.
Six Flags is selling seven of its parks, including Great Escape to EPR Properties. (Representative Image/Pexels)
according to Wide RGBthese parks will be sold for $331 million in cash, with specific prices subject to standard adjustments. Six Flags said the sale will help strengthen the company’s financial position and reduce debt.
“We understand how meaningful these parks are to the communities they serve and to the guests who grew up visiting these parks. Our teams at these locations have created countless memories and are an important part of the Six Flags family.” six flags amusement park written in a statement on its website.
“We are confident in the future of these parks under the management of EPR and its operating partners, who have extensive experience managing parks of this size. At the same time, this decision allows Six Flags to invest more deeply in parks with the greatest opportunities for growth and innovation.”
In total, the parks will receive approximately 4.5 million visitors in 2025, generating approximately $260 million in revenue and $45 million in Adjusted EBITDA.
Six Flags will use the proceeds from the sale, after taxes and costs, primarily to pay down debt, Business Wire reported. The company said this is expected to slightly improve its financial stability.
President and CEO John Reilly said the sale is part of the company’s plan to focus on parks with the greatest growth potential,
“Since joining the company, it has been clear to me that Six Flags’ profitability has not been fully realized. This transaction will simplify our portfolio, strengthen our balance sheet and allow us to execute with greater clarity and discipline.”
“We know how much these parks mean to our guests and the incredible teams that bring them to life every day… We are confident these parks will be well managed by EPR and its partners…” Reilly added.
Who won the US-Iraq war? This is the question currently fronting the internet, television debates and social media around the world.Six days ago, the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran, attacking military bases, missile sites and critical infrastructure across the country. Iran used its remaining arsenal to strike back against Israel, the world’s leading superpower and the most battle-hardened in the Middle East.Both sides have used missiles, drones and precision-guided bombs. However, one particular weapon has attracted global attention: Iran’s Shahd series of drones, which cost a fraction of the cost of interceptor missiles.These relatively simple drones cost an estimated $20,000 to $50,000 each, forcing the United States and its regional partners to respond with Patriot air defense missiles, which cost about $4 million per interceptor. The resulting cost imbalance turns the conflict into a war of attrition, the outcome of which may depend less on technology and more on which side runs out of weapons first.
Cheap drones, expensive defense
Just three days into the conflict, analysts began describing the war as a war of attrition, with both sides using vast amounts of ammunition.The wave of Iranian drone strikes has targeted U.S. bases, oil infrastructure and civilian buildings across West Asia, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, according to defense data compiled by regional governments and analysts.Many of these attacks involved Shahed-136 unidirectional attack drones, which are loitering munitions designed to attack targets and explode on impact.
The United States and its allies rely heavily on the Patriot air defense system to intercept these threats. According to the UAE Ministry of Defense, the interception rate has exceeded 90%, proving the effectiveness of the American-made system.However, the cost per interception has become a growing concern for military planners.Destroying a drone worth about $20,000 with a missile worth about $4 million would create a serious economic imbalance. Even if most drones are intercepted, defenders will have to expend more resources to do so.
.
The problem has already arisen in the Russia-Ukraine war, where large numbers of cheap drones forced defenders to use expensive anti-aircraft interceptors.Military analysts say Iran appears to be employing similar tactics in the current conflict.
.
Iran’s strategy of attrition
Security experts say Iran’s approach relies on overwhelming air defenses with legions of cheap drones, forcing defenders to expend precious interceptor missiles.Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, said such a strategy could make operational sense from Tehran’s perspective.
.
“From an Iranian perspective, the attrition strategy makes operational sense,” Grieco told Bloomberg. “They believe that the defenders will exhaust their interceptors and that political will in the Gulf states will collapse and put pressure on the United States and Israel to cease operations before they run out of missiles and drones.”Analysts say Iran still maintains a large number of drones despite parts of its missile infrastructure being damaged in earlier conflicts.Becca Wasser, head of defense at Bloomberg Economics, said Iran is estimated to have about 2,000 ballistic missiles after last year’s confrontation with Israel.However, the number of Shahd drones in Iran’s arsenal is believed to be much higher. Russia, which also produces similar drones, has demonstrated the ability to produce hundreds of drones per day, according to an open-source defense assessment cited by Wasser.Tehran is estimated to have fired more than 1,200 projectiles since the current conflict began, many of them Shahd drones.Analysts said this could be a sign that Iran is reserving ballistic missiles for later in a conflict while relying on cheaper drones to maintain pressure on U.S. and allied defenses.
Shahed drone: simple but effective
The Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drones are among the most widely used loitering munitions developed by Iran.The name “Shahed” means “witness” in Persian, and the drones were originally developed by Iranian aerospace company Shahed Aviation Industries.Open source defense assessments show the drones are about 2.5 to 3 meters long and weigh about 200 kilograms when launched.They have a delta-wing design and are powered by a small propeller-driven engine. The engine sacrifices speed but allows the drone to fly long distances while consuming relatively little fuel.The Shahed-136 variant is believed to have a range of 2,000 to 2,500 kilometers, allowing it to reach targets across much of the Middle East.Once launched using a rocket booster, the drone switches to a piston engine and uses satellite guidance to navigate to pre-programmed coordinates.It carries an explosive warhead weighing 40 to 60 kilograms, but some versions are reported to have payloads of up to 90 kilograms, but at a reduced range.Due to their small size and relatively low radar signature, these drones are difficult to detect before flying.Their engines produce a distinctive humming sound that earned them the nickname “Sky Mopeds” in previous conflicts.
launch swarm
One of the main advantages of Shahed drones is the ability to launch them in large numbers from a simple platform.Unlike advanced fighter jets or ballistic missiles that require complex launch infrastructure, Shahed drones can be launched from trucks, mobile launchers or simple platforms.This makes it difficult for enemy forces to find and destroy the launch site before deploying the drone.The tactic typically involves launching multiple drones simultaneously, forming a swarm designed to overwhelm radar and air defense systems.This strategy remains effective even if most drones are intercepted.From Iran’s perspective, each drone destroyed forces defenders to spend more money on interception.
Air defense stocks under pressure
The United States and its regional allies rely heavily on the Patriot air defense system, which is manufactured by Lockheed Martin and operated in several Middle Eastern countries.The system uses PAC-3 interceptor missiles, which cost millions of dollars each.Although the Pentagon has expanded production in recent years, only about 600 PAC-3 missiles will be produced by 2025, according to data cited by defense industry sources.Given the intensity of current combat operations, analysts believe thousands of interceptor missiles may have been fired since the conflict began.
.
If Iran continues its attacks at its current pace, the region’s stockpile of Patriot interceptors could fall to dangerously low levels within days, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
.
In addition to Patriot, several countries operate the THAAD missile defense system, which is designed to intercept high-altitude, high-speed ballistic missiles.However, each THAAD interceptor costs approximately $12 million, which is even more expensive than the Patriot missile.These systems are typically designed to deal with larger threats, such as ballistic missiles, rather than slower drones.
Other defensive measures
To reduce reliance on expensive interceptors, the United States and its allies use other systems to respond to drone attacks.These include fighter jets equipped with Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) missiles, which cost about $20,000 to $30,000 each, although operating costs for the aircraft add to the bill.
.
However, specialized counter-drone systems such as laser weapons, autonomous artillery and electronic warfare systems remain limited in the region.Israel has developed a laser-based defense system called Iron Beam specifically designed to destroy drones and rockets at a much lower cost.However, the Israeli military said earlier this week that the system has not yet been used in the current conflict.
Iran’s air defense force is weak
While Iran is able to launch attacks across the region, its own defense capabilities have suffered significant damage.According to defense analysts, surface-to-air missile systems were one of the top targets early in the war.Some of Iran’s most advanced air defense systems are the Russian-made S-300 systems, designed to intercept aircraft and missiles.Many of these facilities were reportedly hit during the initial attacks.As a result, U.S. and Israeli aircraft have been able to fly within Iranian airspace with relatively little resistance since the conflict began.
Military Operations and Command Structure
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country’s military forces maintained a degree of independence during the conflict.“Our military units are now effectively independent and to some extent isolated, and they act according to the general instructions given to them in advance,” Araghchi told Al Jazeera.He added that the government had instructed the armed forces to exercise caution in selecting targets.
concerns about long war
On the U.S. side, analysts say the Pentagon may not be fielding enough munitions to sustain a long-term campaign.Becca Wasser said U.S. strike planners were unlikely to send enough weapons to the region to support the four-week conflict timeline the U.S. president had previously mentioned Donald Trump.U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also stated that this battle is not intended to become a long-term war.“This is not Iraq, this is not endless,” Hegseth told a news conference.
‘We will meet this demand’: CM Rekha Gupta lays foundation stone for ISBT’s new pedestrian bridge
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday laid the foundation stone of a new pedestrian bridge at Ashram Market at the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT). According to the Chief Minister, a strict construction schedule has been set to ensure that the facility is operational by the end of the year.Speaking to the media, Gupta said, “The people here have made this request hundreds of times to the previous government. Today, even in the short period of our government, we will fulfill this demand of the people here… Very soon, in just 6 months, this bridge will be built and completed.”Earlier, CM Gupta on Monday launched important women-centric initiatives at Sashakt Nari, Samriddh Delhi schemes including free LPG cylinder scheme for ration card holders and Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana.Emphasizing on education, mobility and family empowerment, she announced that 30,000 girls under the Ladli-Ladli scheme have been provided with funds through DBT.In early February, Gupta also launched a modern electric double-decker bus in the capital, aiming to strengthen the city’s tourism industry and provide tourists with a unique travel experience.According to the Chief Minister, the bus will run on fixed tourist routes covering cultural, historical and heritage landmarks in Delhi. The first route starts from Shaheed Smarak and passes through destinations such as Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya.“We are developing a new tourist route so that our tourists can visit places like Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya…the buses will be bookable in advance and tourists will be able to have a wonderful experience,” she said. Gupta congratulated the tourism department and reiterated the government’s commitment to developing the capital city.“The Delhi government brings new gifts and new contributions to Delhi every day. One year has passed, and there is still a lot to do. We will continue to move forward in the direction of developing Delhi,” she added.
