Iran Israel attack: Israel military vows response as Western nations urge restraint - The Independent

Israel Defense Forces releases statement amidst Iranian attack

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The Israeli war cabinet will meet for the third time in three days to consider its response to Iran’s attack on Israel over the weekend.

Military chief of staff Herzi Halevi had promised that Saturday night’s launch of more than 300 missiles, cruise missiles and drones from Iran into Israeli territory “will be met with a response“, but gave no details.

Iran launched the attack in retaliation for an airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on 1 April attributed to Israel, but signalled that it did not seek further escalation.

It comes as Western leaders are urging Israel to show restraint, with US President Joe Biden telling Mr Netanyahu that his armed forces would not participate in an Israeli counter-strike.

Rishi Sunak is also set to urge Mr Netanyahu to show restraint. In a Commons statement, Mr Sunak said he would “express our solidarity with Israel in the face of this attack” and “discuss how we can prevent further escalation”.

Due to the fragile situation in the Middle East, budget airline EasyJet has suspended flights to Israel until 27 October. The company had only recently restarted flights to Tel Aviv following the 7 October attacks.

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UK to discuss Iran sanctions with French, says Lord Cameron

The UK foreign secretary will discuss further steps on sanctioning Iran with his French counterpart to “discourage” its leaders.

Lord Cameron told the House of Lords that he would be speaking to french counterparts and others about “further steps we can take in order to discourage Iran” which would include possible “further sanctions” as well as “work we do together at the international energy authority”.

He said: “We have sanctioned hundreds of people in Iran, we’ve sanctioned the IRGC in its entirety, and will be discussing with the french and others further steps we can take in order to discourage Iran from this behaviour ... We do need to have clear resolutions when Iran is in breach of promises its made”

Alexander Butler16 April 2024 16:30

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Israeli war cabinet to meet for third time in three days

The Israeli war cabinet will meet for the third time in three days to consider its response to Iran’s attack on Israel over the weekend.

Military chief of staff Herzi Halevi had promised that Saturday night’s launch of more than 300 missiles, cruise missiles and drones from Iran into Israeli territory “will be met with a response“, but gave no details.

Iran launched the attack in retaliation for an airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on 1 April attributed to Israel, but signalled that it did not seek further escalation.

Alexander Butler16 April 2024 16:09

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If Israel retaliates, will we step in to protect innocent Iranians?

Alexander Butler16 April 2024 16:00

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How US policy affects the conflict between Iran and Israel

Alexander Butler16 April 2024 15:30

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Iran told Putin that Tehran is not interested in escalating, Kremlin claims

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told Vladimir Putin by telephone that Tehran’s strikes on Israel were limited and that the Islamic Republic was not interested in escalating, the Kremlin claimed.

President Putin expressed hope that all sides would show reasonable restraint and so prevent a fall towards a confrontation that could have “catastrophic consequences for the entire region.”

Iran told Putin it was not interested in escalating the conflict, the Kremlin claimed (AP)

Alexander Butler16 April 2024 15:00

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US will use sanctions to disrupt Iran's 'malign' activity, Yellen says

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Iran’s attack on Israel last weekend and its financing of militant groups in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq threatened stability in the Middle East and could cause economic spillovers.

Yellen began remarks prepared for a news conference by addressing what she called an unprecedented attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies, saying Treasury would use its sanctions authority and work with allies to “continue disrupting the Iranian regime’s malign and destabilizing activity.”

The United States is using financial sanctions to isolate Iran and disrupt its ability to fund proxy groups and support Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Treasury Department said.

Treasury has targeted more than 500 individuals and entities connected to terrorism and terrorist financing by the Iranian regime and its proxies since the start of the Biden administration in January 2021, Yellen said.

A Houthi supporter holds a poster of Yahya Sinwar, head of the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas (AP)

Alexander Butler16 April 2024 14:45

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Israel must not fall into a trap of retaliation and risk disaster, warns ex top diplomat Alon Pinkas

Alexander Butler16 April 2024 14:30

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Downing Street denies being taken for granted by Israel

Asked if the UK was being taken for granted, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “No, I don’t think so. Obviously the PM has spoken multiple times to the Israeli prime minister.

“It’s understandable, well-documented that he is the Israeli prime minister whose country faced a significant attack over the weekend. He has obviously been in discussions with his war cabinet.

“As I said yesterday, the Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary have been speaking to their counterparts.”

The spokesman added: “Our position has been made very clearly. We are now working with allies in the region, including Israel, to de-escalate the situation.”

Downing Street has denied the UK is being “taken for granted” by Israel as time has still not been found for a call between Rishi Sunak and Benjamin Netanyahu.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would be speaking to Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday (PA Wire)

Alexander Butler16 April 2024 14:21

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Israel faces a Shakespearean dilemma – to retaliate or not to retaliate, that is the question

Israel faces a Shakespearean dilemma – to retaliate or not to retaliate

After Iran’s unprecedented missile attack on Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu must consider his next move dispassionately, says Israel’s leading foreign affairs adviser Alon Pinkas. To return fire would lead almost inevitably to a region-wide conflict – but the shocks would also be felt around the world, from the US to China

Alexander Butler16 April 2024 13:58

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Sunak talks with Netanyahu

We’re expecting Rishi Sunak to hold talks with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as world leaders urge the country to de-escalate after Iran’s attack on Saturday.

At lunchtime today, Mr Sunak was still waiting to speak to Mr Netanyahu, according to a spokesman for the UK prime minister.

It comes on the same day Israel’s war cabinet is set to meet to discuss its response to the Iranian attack. Israel’s military leaders have already vowed a response, but no more detail has been given at this stage.

Alex Ross16 April 2024 13:12

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Historic Copenhagen stock exchange in Denmark goes up in flames - BBC

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By Paul Kirby

BBC News

Denmark's historic old stock exchange building in the centre of Copenhagen has been engulfed by fire.

The 17th Century Børsen is one of the city's oldest buildings and onlookers gasped as its iconic dragon spire collapsed in the flames.

Everyone inside the building was able to leave and people rushed to rescue some of its historic paintings.

Culture minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said 400 years of Danish cultural heritage had gone up in flames.

The building, dating back to 1625, is a stone's throw from Denmark's parliament, the Folketing, housed in the old royal palace of Christiansborg castle. Danish media said the nearby square was being evacuated and the main entrance to Christiansborg was closed because of smoke.

The old stock exchange was being renovated and had been shrouded in scaffolding and protective plastic covering. It currently houses the Danish chamber of commerce, which described the scenes on Tuesday morning as a terrible sight.

Local craftsman Henrik Grage told Danish TV that it was a tragic day. "This is our Notre-Dame," he said, comparing it with the fire that engulfed the roof and spire of the cathedral in the centre of Paris almost exactly five years ago.

The Paris fire broke out under the eaves of Notre-Dame on 15 April 2019 when it was also shrouded in scaffolding as part of extensive renovations. Investigators have blamed either a short circuit in the electrics or a worker's cigarette butt that was not properly put out.

The cause of the fire in Copenhagen is also for the moment unknown but emergency services said the scaffolding made their operation more difficult. Much of the building is thought to have been badly damaged by the fire, which officials say was most intense around its tower.

One of the craftsmen replacing brickwork on the building saw the fire break out on the roof while he was on the scaffolding. Ole Hansen said he shouted to his colleagues they needed to get down and that he left the door unlocked for firemen to get in.

AFP

Fire department chief Jakob Vedsted Andersen said firefighters faced an almost impossible task accessing the area under the old copper roof.

"I'm completely speechless - this is an unparalleled tragedy," one onlooker told Danish media.

Members of the public joined emergency services, as well as chamber of commerce director Brian Mikkelsen, in rushing into the building to save the Børsen building's substantial art collection.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen spoke of "terrible images" and of a piece of Danish history going up in flames.

Local museum inspector Benjamin Asmussen told Denmark's TV2 that the fire was difficult to watch, as the old stock exchange was filled with paintings of Danes who had played important roles since the 17th Century.

Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard

The fire department chief said all the paintings and other things of value that were possible to save had been brought out. Among the prized works rescued was an 1895 portrait by PS Krøyer of 50 Danish men of commerce standing inside the building in their top hats.

King Frederik X said the fire was a "sad sight" for such an important part of Denmark's cultural heritage: its characteristic dragon spire had helped define Copenhagen. He succeeded Queen Margrethe II in January and events for her 84th birthday planned on Tuesday were being toned down because of the fire.

The Dutch Renaissance-style building on the city's Slotsholmen, or palace island, was commissioned by Denmark's King Christian IV with the aim of turning Copenhagen into a major trading centre.

The famous spire featured four dragons whose tails were twisted into a spear and three crowns, symbolising close ties with neighbours Norway and Sweden.

Roberto Fortuna, Nationalmuseet

Ida Marie Odgaard/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

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• Denmark

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Israeli war cabinet weighs response to Iranian attack - Financial Times

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1. Israeli war cabinet weighs response to Iranian attack  Financial Times
2. Yousaf calls for 'cool heads' to prevent escalation in Middle East  The Independent
3. IDF chief of staff says Israel will respond to Iran missile attack  The Guardian
4. Iran-Israel attack latest: Israel plans 'painful' strike on Iran without casualties  The Telegraph
5. IDF: Contrary to report, no cargo plane was damaged in Iranian attack on Nevatim Airbase  The Times of Israel

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Sydney church stabbing was a 'terrorist' attack, police say - BBC

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By Tiffanie Turnbull & Simon Atkinson

BBC News, Sydney

Australian police have declared Monday's stabbing at a Sydney church a religiously motivated "terrorist act".

A 16-year-old boy was arrested after a bishop, a priest and churchgoers were attacked during mass at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church.

At least four people suffered "non-life-threatening" injuries, police say. The attacker was also hurt.

The incident was captured on a church livestream and quickly triggered unrest in the suburb of Wakeley.

Australian police define terror offences as being ideologically motivated. Investigations are still under way, but they say they are satisfied this is a case of religious extremism.

Authorities have repeatedly declined to state the religion of the alleged attacker.

The church has named the priest as Father Isaac Royel and the bishop as Mar Mari Emmanuel. Ordained in 2011, Bishop Emmanuel is seen as a popular and controversial figure, and his sermons receive millions of views on social media.

When graphic videos of the attack - and the aftermath - spread like wildfire online on Monday night, they drew an angry crowd to the Assyrian Orthodox Church, which is about 35km south-west of the city centre.

There the crowd - hundreds of people reportedly seeking revenge - violently clashed with police, who were guarding the church where the attacker was being treated by paramedics.

Two officers were injured, one with a broken jaw after he was hit with a brick and fence palings, and 10 police cars destroyed. The violence similarly left paramedics fearing for their safety and "holed up" inside the church for more than three hours.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened an emergency meeting of national security agencies, calling the attack "disturbing".

"We're a peace-loving nation... There's no place for violent extremism." Trying to quell further violence, he urged that people "not take the law into their own hands".

Speaking to media on Tuesday morning, New South Wales (NSW) Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the bishop and priest were undergoing surgery and were "lucky to be alive".

Reuters

Ms Webb said the teenager allegedly made comments to the bishop as he approached, which were "centred around religion", and police believe staging the attack during a livestreamed service was intended to be "intimidating not only [to] the parishioners in attendance, but those parishioners who were watching online".

She said the suspect was acting alone, and while "known to police", he was not on any terror watch list.

State premier Chris Minns later confirmed reports that the teenager had previous knife crime charges and had been found with a blade at school in 2020, during an interview with 2GB radio.

The alleged offender has been in surgery after his fingers were injured, police said, adding it is unclear if he was hurt with his own weapon or when he was apprehended by the congregation.

The incident came only days after the nation was shocked by a separate and unrelated stabbing at a popular Sydney shopping centre, which left seven people dead.

"NSW is on edge and there's understandable community anxiety at the moment," said Mr Minns. He appealed for calm, echoing calls from religious and community leaders.

• Sydney stabbings: Who were the victims?
• 'Obvious' Sydney killer targeted women - police

"Their message to their communities was universal and identical, and that is that they deplore violence in all forms, [and] that they have faith in the NSW Police to undertake their investigation," Mr Minns said.

Any attempt for "tit-for-tat" violence would by "met by the full force of the law", he added.

A strike force has also been assembled to find those involved in the riot, Ms Webb said: "We will find you and we will come and arrest you."

The head of the NSW Ambulance also called the behaviour from crowds "outrageous".

"Our people, that do nothing but go to care and help every single day, need to know that they've got the support of the community," Dominic Morgan said.

The Wakeley neighbourhood is a hub for Sydney's small Christian Assyrian community, many of whom have fled persecution and war in Iraq and Syria.

Bishop Emmanuel is a prominent leader in that community, and is one of the "kindest, [most] authentic, genuine human beings", local MP Dai Le said.

However the bishop has had a turbulent relationship with the Assyrian Church, reportedly being suspended for disobeying canons and forming a breakaway church.

In 2021 he became a vocal opponent of Covid-19 restrictions, describing lockdowns in Australia as slavery and arguing that vaccines were futile.

Related Topics

• Sydney
• Australia

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Trump supporters gather outside courthouse and ask: Who among us hasn't paid for sex? - The Independent

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You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep, but what about the people who come out to protest at their criminal trial?

Had Donald Trump glanced out of a window on his way to the Manhattan Supreme Court for the opening day of his historic trial, he would have seen that his supporters had dwindled since his arraignment a little over a year ago.

Back then, there was palpable shock and outrage among the gathered protesters that a former president could be arrested and charged with a crime. Although that was no great mass either, that day in March last year seemed to attract not just hardcore followers, but a smattering of relatively middle-of-the-road folks concerned about the implications of such an event.

Today, however, the crowd had thinned to a handful of true believers and true characters — those who don’t leave their house without a giant flag, a bullhorn, and an offensive T-shirt they made themselves.

It’s not only that the crowds are getting smaller, it’s that they are getting significantly weirder.

Supporters and protesters rally outside Trump's criminal trial

Of the people willing to step up to a microphone outside the courthouse and defend Mr Trump for allegedly paying off a porn star to hide his alleged affair from prospective voters, two offered something of a wild defence: that they opposed the charges because they too had paid for sex on more than one occasion, and assumed most men had done the same.

It didn’t matter to them that Mr Trump is not being accused of paying for sex, but rather accused of having embarked on several extra-marital affairs and falsifying business records over payments made to hide those affairs from the voting public in 2016.

A protester holds a banner against Donald Trump outside the courthouse (REUTERS)

A man holds a protest sign outside of court as former president Donald Trump’s trial begins (Natalie Chinn / The The Independent )

One of the supporters offered, unprompted, that he had spent a lot of time in the Far East in the pursuit of such earthly pleasures.

“What do you think I do in Thailand, just sit in a chair?” he asked, incredulously. “That’s what we do as men, you know?”

It wasn’t just men who were inexplicably linking Mr Trump’s trial to prostitution, either.

It was hard to move outside the court without bumping into people proudly declaring they had stormed the US Capitol on January 6 2021, and at least one person baselessly blamed child-trafficking Democrats for a politically motivated prosecution — a pet theory of the QAnon movement.

Another supporter, who identified himself as “Gary from Staten Island,” delivered an animated and updated interpretation of Dwight D Eisenhower’s speech on the military-industrial complex to a confused reporter from German television news, expertly connecting the dots between the war in Ukraine, the British establishment and Stormy Daniels.

Former US President Donald Trump appears at a court hearing in New York (REUTERS)

Trump rallies, and his protests, have never been a cross-section of America, but these court spectacles have become a media event, rather than a participation sport. They are attended by people who crave a camera in their faces and know this is the one place it can be assured — even if it is just German television.

For a man who views his crowds as a sign of his strength, the former president might have been worried by his showing today.

No senior Republican politicians turned up to show their support. Laura Loomer, a far-right and anti-Muslim agitator was perhaps the most famous face to show up outside. (Last year, Marjorie Taylor Greene and the as-of-then unindicted George Santos came out in person to defend Mr Trump).

Mr Trump had warned of “death and destruction” if he was ever charged for the alleged payment to Ms Daniels, which he is accused of handling with campaign funds and falsifying the records to cover his tracks. As his trial begins, however, the case mustered barely a whimper.

Trump at the first day of his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court (AFP/Getty)

Interest had dwindled on the other side of the Manhattan park, too, where a year ago dozens of anti-Trump protesters gathered to cheer his arrest. Only a handful came this time. Joel Anderson, a cop from Washington state, held a sign that read “Trump’s lies got cops killed”.

“It’s disheartening and sad for me as a police officer to know I’m the outlier who’s standing up and saying, we’re police officers, we’re supposed to have people like this held accountable,” he said.

“To make excuses for him just because he’s their preferred candidate, it’s not what being a police officer is about.”

Granted, this is New York, a liberal city that holds no love for Mr Trump. And there could be an element of trial fatigue, with Mr Trump currently involved in several criminal proceedings — most of them related to his efforts to steal or overturn the 2020 election. And not everyone can take every Monday off to shout at the judicial system.

But this is also an election year — a close election year — and such elections are won by the ability of candidates to grab voters in the middle. It’s unclear how sex tourists and Capitol rioters becoming the unofficial face of Donald Trump’s legal defence will help him win those votes.

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UK shot down Iran drones to de-escalate conflict, David Cameron says - BBC

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By James Gregory

BBC News

The UK joined Israel's defence against Iran in order to prevent an escalation of the conflict, Lord Cameron has said.

RAF jets intercepted a small number of drones bound for Israel in Iran's first ever direct attack on its territory.

The foreign secretary told the BBC the attack was a "double defeat" for Iran that could have resulted in thousands of casualties and led to greater escalation had it been successful.

He is urging Israel to be "smart" and "tough" as it considers its response.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the former prime minister added that Israel should turn its focus once more to the situation in Gaza and securing a deal to get the hostages home.

"This in many ways has been a double defeat for Iran," he said.

"Not only was the operation almost wholly unsuccessful - almost all the weapons were shot down - but also in a second defeat the whole world can see... they are the malign influence in the region."

• LATEST:Follow Israel-Iran latest news live
• EXPLAINED: Why has Iran attacked Israel?
• CATCH UP: How Iran's attack on Israel unfolded
• ANALYSIS:Can the US and its allies stop the slide into all-out war?

Lord Cameron added that the UK did not support a retaliatory strike, echoing US President Joe Biden's comment that Israel should "take the win".

"Now is the time to be smart as well as tough, a time to think with head as well as heart."

The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock have also called for calm, while French President Emmanuel Macron said France would do everything possible to avoid what he described as a regional conflagration.

It is unclear how Israel plans to respond, but a member of its war cabinet, Benny Gantz, has said it will "exact a price" when the timing is right.

A spokesperson for the UK prime minister said the country and its allies were "clearly not briefed" by Tehran, in response to Iran's assertation that it gave advanced warning of the attack.

Rishi Sunak is expected to give further details about British involvement in repelling Iran in the House of Commons on Monday.

Iran launched about 300 weapons at Israel overnight on Saturday and into Sunday, in a widely-anticipated retaliatory attack.

Lord Cameron said that included 110 ballistic missiles and 36 cruise missiles.

The Israeli military confirmed it had intercepted the majority of the attacks - mostly outside of Israel's airspace - with the help of other countries.

Attack drones were intercepted by the RAF in Syrian and Iraqi airspace, where it was already operating with the US as part of the Operation Shader mission against the Islamic State group.

Lord Cameron confirmed the UK's role was to "backfill" for the US and the RAF had agreed to shoot down Iranian drones if they came through that airspace.

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The Ministry of Defence has not said how many RAF Typhoons were airborne, nor how many weapons it shot down.

Iran's attacks come after Tehran vowed to retaliate over a strike on its consulate in Syria on 1 April, which killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers, including a top commander.

The Iranian government has accused Israel of carrying out that attack, but Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it.

Lord Cameron said the response by Iran was of a "different order" to the consulate strike, adding that the UK acted "entirely in our national interest" by getting involved to avoid further escalation.

Iran and Israel were allies until the Islamic Revolution in 1979, which ushered in an era of tensions between the two nations.

Attacks on Israel up until this point had been conducted through the funding and arming of Iran's proxies - the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

The war in Gaza was triggered after waves of Hamas gunmen stormed across the southern border, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage.

Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas and has launched retaliatory operations in Gaza which have killed more than 33,000 people, including thousands of children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been coming under increasing international pressure over how his government was handling the conflict, including over allowing more access to aid.

Lord Cameron maintained the UK's repeated position of Israel's right to self-defence and said he was focused on bringing about a pause in fighting followed by a sustainable ceasefire.

He said applying an arms embargo, which some have called for, would have looked "ridiculous" in light of the 7 October attacks.

Downing Street said that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was kept updated on the situation throughout Saturday night and that there were "no current plans" to publish any legal advice the government received.

In response to the UK's involvement, shadow defence secretary John Healey told the BBC: "We need to hear the reasons for the military action, the legal basis for it" and what the government is doing to "pursue the path of peace and a ceasefire in Gaza".

Related Topics

• David Cameron
• Israel-Gaza war
• Israel
• Iran
• Joe Biden

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