As ties with the U.S. worsen, China asks: Who’s the new Kissinger?

Chinese leader Mao Zedong, left, meets with U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
in Beijing in 1973. (Bettmann/Bettmann Archive)

As ties with the U.S. worsen, China asks: 

Who’s the new Kissinger?

Influential voices in China are openly discussing who could act as a trusted bridge between Beijing and Washington, regardless of who wins the presidency.

By Christian Shepherd

 and 

Katrina Northrop

October 28, 2024

As the U.S. election approaches, China is on the hunt for the “new Henry Kissinger” — someone who is a friend of Beijing but has the ear of the incoming president. Someone who Chinese officials hope can cut through the bipartisan hostility toward China and encourage Washington to engage — as Kissinger did for five decades.

In Beijing’s foreign policy circles, the race for the White House is often cast as lose-lose, with former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris both signaling they will take a tough line on China, despite differing on policy details.

Chinese experts fear Trump’s return would mean a full-blown trade war with blanket tariffs on Chinese goods.

Harris, meanwhile, would probably continue the Biden administration’s fragile stabilization of ties — but also the efforts to counter China’s technological and military rise, an approach Chinese leader Xi Jinping has labeled “containment.”

That’s why a new Kissinger is needed, Chinese experts say, following http://Xi’s calls for Americans “of foresight” to step forward and improve ties. (There is no suggestion from the Trump or Harris campaigns that they are looking for a Kissinger-style envoy.)

Influential voices in China are openly discussing who could match Kissinger’s gravitas as a statesman, his unwavering advocacy for engagement, and his ability to act as a back channel in times of crisis — regardless of who wins the presidency.

The Paper, a state-run media outlet, recently ran an eight-part series called “Looking for Kissinger,” identifying American business leaders, academics and former officials who could help keep relations stable.

The list included Stephen A. Schwarzman, the CEO of private equity firm Blackstone who launched an elite graduate program at Beijing’s Tsinghua University; John F. Kerry, the former U.S. special climate envoy who has advocated for close cooperation with Beijing to stem global warming; retired American diplomat Susan Thornton, who openly criticized the confrontational China policy adopted by Trump; and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), whose visit to Beijing last year fueled Chinese efforts to court local American politicians.

None of the four responded to requests for comment on their inclusion in the list.

Wang Huiyao, a prominent Chinese foreign policy thinker, says Graham Allison, an assistant defense secretary in the Clinton administration and esteemed political scientist at Harvard’s Kennedy School, would be a good Kissinger-style bridge.

“We hope that you will carry on Kissinger’s spirit and be a great supporter and promoter, and of course, great contributor to the America-China relations,” Wang told Allison earlier this year.

Allison’s warnings about a “Thucydides trap” — a theory that rising powers almost always end up at war with incumbent great powers — have been adopted by Xi to urge Western powers to accept China’s rise.

Allison, who met with Xi in Beijing in March, said the Chinese leader was eager to continue discussions he had with Kissinger about lessons from the Cold War.

Allison is a strong advocate for engagement, which he says is in America’s best interest and needed to avert conflict. “China hysteria infects too many Americans,” he said in an interview.

On Chinese social media, people have suggested that Elon Musk could be another candidate, considering the Tesla CEO’s close business ties with China and Chinese officials, as well as his growing alliance with Trump. Musk often makes arguments favored by Beijing: Last year, for example, he called Taiwan an “integral part of China.”

Almost everyone, whether in the United States or China, agrees that Kissinger’s role in the relationship was unique. But many in Beijing advocate for preserving and, to whatever extent possible, replicating his legacy to avoid competition veering into conflict.

“The search for a new Kissinger is not just about locating Kissinger number two. It’s about Chinese passion and Chinese enthusiasm to search for reasonable, forward-looking views on relations,” said Zhu Feng, dean of international studies at Nanjing University.

But it’s also a prescription for how to manage a hostile White House. “Even when Kissinger was getting older, and China grew bigger and stronger, Kissinger’s mentality remained quite accommodating,” Zhu said.

There is great nostalgia in Beijing for the Kissinger years. Leading scholars write op-eds lamenting the difficulties of reestablishing “Kissinger-style engagement” and blaming American politicians for “spoiling the atmosphere” by attacking China for political gain. They still invoke Kissinger as an example of best diplomatic practices.

Kissinger’s reputation as a visionary diplomat began with his clandestine trip to Beijing in 1971 as national security adviser to Republican President Richard M. Nixon, a trip that paved the way for the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1979.

He continued traveling to Beijing through July last year, soon after his 100th birthday, when Kissinger sealed his legacy as a tireless advocate for improved ties. “We never forget our old friends,” Xi told him in the same building where Kissinger met Premier Zhou Enlai 52 years earlier.

In Chinese state media, that visit was heralded as a turning point in a tentative warming of ties that would lead to Xi meeting with President Joe Biden in San Francisco in November, even as the State Department said Kissinger was traveling as a private citizen and not acting on behalf of the United States.

Kissinger’s death in November led to an outpouring of condolences from Chinese officials as well as a flurry of speeches and essays lamenting the Kissinger-size hole in bilateral diplomacy.

The 10-year anniversary edition of Kissinger’s book “On China,” released in April last year, has over 1.45 million reviews on Chinese online book seller Dangdang.com. Only 338 of those are negative.

Beijing prefers to deal directly with the executive branch, but tensions have made that channel more difficult, creating a need for someone like Kissinger who can act as a “direct channel to the captain of the ship,” said Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University. “Captains sometimes cannot talk to each other with trust, so you need to find someone in between that both sides can trust.”

Da acknowledged that no one person could replace Kissinger, but there could instead be “smaller Kissingers” — several people with connections to the leadership and policy circles that can help stabilize relations, he said.

Stephen Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, a New York-based nonprofit that advocates for more engagement with Beijing, agreed that China’s search reflects concern that “government-to-government channels are no longer working out.”

“Whether it will be Harris or whether it’s Trump, they are going to need nongovernment channels to communicate the way Henry did for decades and decades,” Orlins said.

But Isaac Stone Fish, founder of Strategy Risks, a consulting firm that analyzes companies’ exposure to China, described Beijing’s search for a new Kissinger as one for a “new top useful idiot.”

Chinese leaders “seem to understand how advantageous it is for them to have this be something that only happens on the American side,” Stone Fish said, arguing that it makes the United States more responsible for improving the diplomatic relationship.

“Where’s the Chinese Kissinger?” he asked⍐.

Beyond ‘not easy’: the strategic significance of China-India détente

 

Beyond ‘not easy’: the strategic significance of China-India détente

By Global TimesPublished: Oct 28, 2024 According to the Indian Express on Sunday, India's Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar responded to a question from students by stating that it is still early for the normalization of relations between India and China. He added that rebuilding of trust and willingness to work together will naturally take time. His words came after China and India reached resolutions on issues concerning the border area on October 23.
This once again reminds us that the process of China and India promoting mutual trust is not easy, and both countries need to move forward step by step. But it is precisely because it is not easy that the significance of the resolutions is revealed.
Officials and media outlets from both sides have consistently characterized the recent breakthrough in China-India border talks as "not easy." This refers not only to the difficulty of reaching the resolutions, but also to the challenges ahead in moving forward, as building mutual trust between both sides won't be easy and will require more effort from both sides. However, from the evaluations and analyses of the resolutions in the context of China and India, as well as broader global opinions, we see that "not easy" has profound implications for Asian geopolitics and the emerging multipolar world order.
The resolutions represent more than just a border management protocol. They signal a significant shift in regional dynamics, particularly as developing nations increasingly seek strategic autonomy in a changing global landscape.
The rift in China-India relations is multifaceted, with border patrol issues illustrating each side's perceptions, emotions, land disputes and national security concerns. This complexity extends beyond border disputes to the core of Asia's geopolitical future. 

The timing and venue of this détente are telling. 
The BRICS summit, where President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held their first comprehensive bilateral dialogue in five years, provided a platform that symbolizes the growing influence of developing nations in shaping global affairs. This development challenges the simplified narrative of a US-led containment strategy in the Indo-Pacific. 
The "not easy" path forward involves balancing multiple imperatives. This means maintaining strategic autonomy for India while addressing economic necessities. It demonstrates a willingness to engage in dialogue for joint development with China. 
This consensus was reached against the backdrop of the US and the West's continued use of China-India relations to inflame regional tensions, which underscores the growing confidence of China and India, as emerging powers, in independently managing their own affairs and pursuing common development in the region.
Looking ahead, the "not easy" journey of normalizing China-India relations will require a sustained diplomatic effort. However, its significance extends beyond bilateral relations. This recalibration reflects a broader trend in which more developing countries seek to maintain their independence while trying to find a balance amid Washington's fragmentation and division efforts that force nations to take sides. 
In this context, "not easy" becomes not just a description of diplomatic challenges, but also a recognition of the complex path nations must navigate in an increasingly multipolar world. The China-India détente may be remembered as a pivotal moment in which the architecture of Asian geopolitics shifted toward a more balanced and autonomous future⍐.

 

Ivalmir Silva searches for water on Puraquequara Lake, which has been affected by drought, in Manaus Brazil,
October 6, 2023. REUTERS/Bruno Kelly/File photo

Current climate pledges still fall way short on Paris goals, UN body says

By David Stanway October 28, 2024 Reuters

UN says national pledges will cut emissions 2.6% by 2030

Cut of 43% required to keep temperature goals in reach

Atmospheric CO2 sees record rise in last two decades

SINGAPORE, Oct 28 (Reuters) - National pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions still fall far short of what is needed to limit catastrophic global warming, the United Nations said on Monday as countries prepare for the next round of climate change negotiations in November.

The "nationally determined contributions" (NDCs) already submitted by countries to the U.N. are enough to cut global emissions by 2.6% from 2019 to 2030, up from 2% last year, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said in its annual assessment.

But they are far from sufficient to achieve the 43% cut that scientists say is required to stay within reach of a Paris Agreement target to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit), it warned.

As part of their Paris obligations, nations must deliver new and stronger NDCs before a deadline in February next year, and the report's findings should mark a "turning point", said Simon Stiell, UNFCCC secretary general.

"Current national climate plans fall miles short of what's needed to stop global heating from crippling every economy and wrecking billions of lives and livelihoods across every country," he said.

"The last generation of NDCs set the signal for unstoppable change," said Stiell. "New NDCs next year must outline a clear path to make it happen."

Persuading nations to set and implement more ambitious pledges could depend on the success of COP29 climate talks beginning in two weeks in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.

Nearly 200 countries will thrash out the details of a new global emissions trading system as well as a hefty $100 billion annual financial package to help developing countries meet their climate goals.

"What we are seeing is that in some cases, (the NDC process) might be used as a negotiating mechanism - more money for more ambition," said Pablo Vieira, global director of the NDC Partnership, a non-government group that is helping around 60 countries draw up updated pledges.

"They also want to make sure that the new NDCs are investable, that they have the necessary elements that will attract not just public finance, but also private," he said.

ATMOSPHERIC CO2 AT NEW RECORD

In a separate report, the U.N.'s weather monitoring body said on Monday that greenhouse gases have been accumulating in the atmosphere "faster than any time experienced during human existence" over the last two decades.

Carbon dioxide concentrations hit a new high of 420 parts per million (ppm) last year, up 2.3 ppm from a year earlier, and they have risen by 11.4% in just 20 years, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in its annual greenhouse gas bulletin.

There are already signs that rising temperatures are driving dangerous "feedbacks" that will further increase atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, the report warned.

Last year's increase in CO2 concentrations, the second largest annual rise of the last decade, could have been driven by a surge in forest fires, with the carbon released from Canada's worst ever wildfire season exceeding the annual emissions of most major countries.

CO2 concentrations are now 51% higher than pre-industrial levels, while methane - another potent greenhouse gas - is 165% higher than in 1750, WMO said.

"This should set alarm bells ringing among decision makers," said WMO Secretary General Celeste Saulo.

"These are more than just statistics. Every part per million and every fraction of a degree temperature increase has a real impact on our lives and our planet.⍐"

The BRICS organization refuses to grant membership to Sri Lanka

 The BRICS organization refuses to grant membership to Sri Lanka

October 27, 2024 

 

Editor S L Newslk

Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath said that Sri Lanka’s application to join BRICS as a full member was rejected by the organization.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the BRICS organization has decided to reject Sri Lanka’s application considering the decision taken to keep the number of members of that organization at nine.

However, Vijitha Herath also stated that the BRICS organization has given permission to Sri Lanka to join as a partnership member country.

The Minister said that Sri Lanka has also been allowed to join the BRICS New Development Bank, which provides financial support to the member countries, but the cabinet approval is required for that.

The President of Sri Lanka has not agreed to the request to participate in the BRICS Summit, which consists of the world’s leading emerging market economies.

Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates are currently members of BRICS⍐.

One dead, 32 wounded in suspected terror ramming at bus stop north of Tel Aviv

Police say driver ‘neutralized,’ launch probe into his motive; medics say 8 people were trapped under truck that plowed into crowd at Glilot, near IDF intelligence base

By Emanuel Fabian Follow and ToI Staff Today 26-10-2024, 4:06 pm

A man was killed and 32 people were wounded in a suspected terror ramming attack at a bus stop near Herzliya on Sunday morning — five in serious condition, seven moderately wounded, and 20 lightly hurt.

Police said that the driver who rammed his truck into people at a bus stop outside the IDF’s Glilot base in central Israel, north of Tel Aviv, was shot and “neutralized” by armed civilians in the area.

According to the police’s initial probe, a bus had stopped at the station outside the base to drop off passengers, and then a truck rammed into the stop, hitting the people there.

Hamas put out a statement a short while after the incident, praising the “heroic ramming attack” that was carried out near “Mossad headquarters.”

The Glilot area near Herzliya is home to the Mossad headquarters along with several IDF intelligence units, including the high-profile signals intelligence Unit 8200.

Without taking responsibility for the apparent attack, the terror group said that it was “a natural response to the crimes of the Zionist occupation against our Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem, and its ongoing brutal massacres, especially in the northern Gaza Strip.”

The Magen David Adom emergency service said eight people were trapped under the truck when medics arrived at the bus stop, and other were lying or walking nearby.

Officers and ambulances rushed to the scene, where police cordoned off the area as medics helped the injured and a helicopter hovered above.

Following the attack, Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital said one of the victims of the suspected terror attack was in critical condition. A short while later, the hospital released a statement saying that  doctors had pronounced one victim dead. It was unclear whether he was the same victim who was critically injured.

Many of the injured were senior citizens who had disembarked from a bus ahead of a visit to a nearby museum to mark the national memorial day for those killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre and subsequent war.

Police were probing further details, including the motive of the attack.

In a separate incident in the West Bank on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces said a Palestinian motorist who tried to carry out a ramming and stabbing attack against IDF troops near the West Bank town of Hizma was shot dead.

According to the IDF, the assailant accelerated his car toward troops of the Binyamin Regional Brigade’s 43rd Battalion, as they were operating near Hizma.

“The terrorist drew a knife… and tried to carry out a stabbing attack,” the IDF said, adding that the soldiers opened fire at the assailant, killing him.

There were no other injuries in the incident.

Police said the Route 437 highway in the area was blocked to traffic following the incident.

The attacks on Sunday came as Israel marked the first anniversary on the Hebrew calendar of Hamas’s October 7 mass onslaught against southern Israel, the worst terror attack in Israel’s history, when 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage to Gaza.

Since then, 41 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in a string of additional terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another six members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.

In mid-October, a policeman was killed and four people wounded when a terrorist opened fire along the Route 4 highway north of the coastal city of Ashdod, and a man was killed in a terror-stabbing rampage in Hadera the previous week. Seven people were killed and at least eight wounded in a shooting and stabbing attack in Jaffa on October 1, just minutes before Iran launched a massive ballistic missile attack on Israel.

Agencies contributed to this report.

Plot to attack Israelis backed by a foreign power

 

Plot to attack Israelis backed by a foreign power

Sunday Times, October 27, 2024

The Police have averted what would otherwise have turned out to be a massacre of Israelis in a synagogue in Arugam Bay on the southeast coast.

The attacks had been planned for a day between October 19 and 24 during a largely attended religious event that was taking place, according to intelligence sources. They said investigations were underway to ascertain to what extent a foreign power was backing the plot to carry out the attack, including money spent, any possible training and other support they may have given.

The reason behind the planned attack was to protest Israeli Defence Forces military offensives in Gaza and Lebanon where thousands of civilians including children are being slaughtered. The war began after Hamas militants carried out an attack inside Israel where 1,200, mostly civilians were killed and 250 more were taken hostage on October 7, last year.

A dangerous outcome of such an attack would have been the adverse impact on Muslim villages that are near Arugam Bay. The closest town is Pottuvil where half the population are Muslims.  It is five kilometres or 3.8 miles from this popular coastal resort. The blame would have been placed on the Muslims there and the perpetrators or their masterminds going unnoticed, at least for some time. Similarly, there were fears that attacks were possible in the southern towns of Ahangama, Ahungalla and other coastal areas frequented by Israelis.

Sri Lankan agencies uncovered information on a plot to attack the Arugam Bay synagogue (the house of worship and communal centre for Jewish congregation), in early October. However, the information they had at that time was very sketchy and they were not clear on the details of the plot. Hence, a group of suspected persons had been placed under surveillance. Thereafter two Sri Lankans, one from a Colombo suburb, another from the north, and a Maldivian were arrested. The latter is the son of a Maldivian father and Sri Lankan mother. They are now being held on detention orders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The Maldivian national, a Sinhala speaker, is said to have possessed two mobile phones and held several addresses. Police are on the lookout for two more people who are known to be abroad. They have travelled on many occasions to Sri Lanka. All these people are said to have been serving prison sentences in a local jail for varied offences. Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, this week had a meeting with Maldivian High Commissioner Masood Imad on matters related to the suspect from his country. No details were immediately available. A resident of Mawanella has been arrested separately after he was found loitering around the house of the Israeli Consul General at Nedimale, Dehiwala. He is being questioned.

Arugam Bay has remained a popular destination for tourists who are attracted by the seas known to be the best for surfing. More than half the tourists are said to be Israelis. In recent years, synagogues have sprung up in the area and restaurants serving kosher food (or food fit or proper as it relates to Jewish dietary law) are not only serving their needs, but some are also receiving payment in foreign currency. One synagogue is now ending construction not far away from a Muslim Mosque. Television footage screened by local channels this week showed Arugam Bay scenes which were reminiscent of the separatist war days with a heavy presence of Police Special Task Force commandos and their armoured patrol vehicles. In other areas where attacks were feared, heavy military security has also been placed in addition to the presence of armed police.

The arrests by the Police on October 7 and the investigations thereafter had remained secret. The reason was the absence of a full picture of the plot by the relevant authorities. Resultantly, the parties concerned, particularly Israel and the United States, have not been apprised of the development. Rather unfortunately, with a new government in office only for a month, there had been an unprecedented element of amateurism that had crept in. Otherwise, an early appraisal would have resulted in a twofold benefit—One: valuable intelligence inputs from those countries, known to be the best in the world, would have been immensely useful. Two: A joint investigation below the radar until the plot was completely unravelled. That would not only have saved much embarrassment for Sri Lanka worldwide but most importantly avoided a bad fallout on the tourism industry. Now, they are all fully geared to receive tourists for the winter season.

The United States Embassy in Colombo posted on its website the threats faced by their nationals visiting Sri Lanka. It said, “The Embassy received credible information warning of an attack targeting popular tourist locations in the Arugam Bay area. Due to the serious risk posed by this threat, the Embassy imposed a travel restriction on Embassy personnel for Arugam Bay effective immediately and until further notice.

“U.S. citizens are strongly urged to avoid the Arugam Bay area until further notice.

“Actions to Take:

• Report all suspicious activity and emergencies to local authorities (119).
• Always maintain vigilance and be aware of your surroundings. Trust your gut, if a situation doesn’t feel right, get out of it.
• Always have some form of communication on you (i.e. cell phone).
• Monitor local media for news and updates.“

• 
  

The US Embassy warning received worldwide publicity. This was followed immediately by other members of the so-called Five Eyes, besides the US – the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Even their adversary Russia joined in the task. Immediately thereafter, the Reuters news agency reported: “JERUSALEM/COLOMBO, Oct 23 (Reuters) – Israel’s national security council called on Israelis on Wednesday to immediately leave some tourist areas in southern Sri Lanka over the threat of a possible terrorist attack. The agency said the warning pertained to the area of Arugam Bay and beaches in the south and west of Sri Lanka, and stemmed from “current information about a terrorist threat focused on tourist areas and beaches.

“The security council did not specify the exact nature of the threat and called on Israelis in the rest of Sri Lanka to be cautious and refrain from holding large gatherings in public areas.

“The Israeli security establishment … is in close contact with the security authorities in Sri Lanka and is following the developments.”

It is against this backdrop that the government went into action. Cabinet spokesperson Vijitha Herath held a special news briefing from the office of the Ministry of Public Security on October 24. He holds that portfolio. He said that on Tuesday, foreign intelligence agencies had warned of a potential threat. The matter was taken up at the National Security Council (NSC) which has been meeting periodically. Security have been strengthened in Arugam Bay and other tourist areas like Bandarawela, Ella, Matara, Weligama and Ahungalla. Warning that people should not use this situation to “intimidate others for political gain,” the Minister said foreign countries were “already satisfied with the measures we have taken.”

He claimed they have gained confidence on their part to send their citizens to Sri Lanka and justified their travel advisories since they were mandatory “by a diplomatic mission in any country.” However, there has been no stoppage of tourists, he said. He asserted that “we have already brought the situation under control. Hence, there is no need for foreign tourists to panic.” He also declared that the picture the government had at the beginning was sketchy. Herath denied media reports that an Indian intelligence agency had provided the government reports warning of an attack. “This is false,” he said. Despite Minister Herath’s assertions, the warnings from the US as well as their four allies remain on their websites. So does the one from Russia.

The threats to the tourism industry from the advisories of the United States and Israel and their allies cannot be taken lightly. Those wanting to avenge Israeli atrocities on civilians will continue to look out for soft targets. It is noteworthy that Minister Herath has set the record right from the government’s position. However, that seems only the tip of the iceberg. No effort has still been made to meet those key players in the local tourism industry to obtain their views on how best the situation could be neutralized. Thus the views of their foreign principals are also not known.  Sri Lanka diplomatic missions overseas have also not known how to react since no instructions have gone out. Nor has there been a formal official government statement. This is particularly in the light of the wide publicity worldwide the travel warnings from the two countries and their allies have received. That an adverse impact on the tourism industry would by extension affect the country’s economy is no secret. It comes at a time when the new government is engaged in an exercise to change Sri Lanka still being classified as “bankrupt.”

One is reminded of the events that played out as results of the presidential election kept coming in during the early hours of September 22. When the news spread that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the National People’s Power (NPP) was on the road to victory, reports circulated that Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe was preparing his letter of resignation. One of those who heard this was a former United National Party (UNP) stalwart. He telephoned two NPP leaders, Vijitha Herath and Bimal Ratnayake. Both responded to him within an hour. They sought his good offices to urge Governor Weerasinghe not to leave. “What about the Treasury Secretary?” asked Weerasinghe. The stalwart said he would phone him as well. There was another round of calls. Both said they were staying behind. Last week, the duo was in the Sri Lanka delegation to Washington DC for talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  Its Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said that they were encouraged by the commitment of Sri Lankan authorities to continue the reforms to safeguard the hard-won gains under the IMF programme. An IMF team is due in Colombo for talks on another tranche of its Extended Fund Facility (EFF)⍐.

“I can now confirm that we have concluded the Israeli response to Iran’s attacks against Israel,”-IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari

In this image taken from video released by the IDF on October 26, 2024, military spokesman
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announces that the IDF is conducting strikes on military targets
in Iran. (Israel Defense Forces via AP)

After strikes, IDF spokesman warns Iran not to ‘make mistake’ of further escalating

By Emanuel Fabian

Following the completion of Israel’s strikes in Iran, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in an English-language statement warns that if Iran was to “make the mistake” of escalating further, Israel would respond.

“I can now confirm that we have concluded the Israeli response to Iran’s attacks against Israel,” he says in a video statement disturbed to foreign media.

“We conducted targeted and precise strikes on military targets in Iran — thwarting immediate threats to the State of Israel. The Israel Defense Forces has fulfilled its mission,” Hagari says.

“If the regime in Iran were to make the mistake of beginning a new round of escalation — we will be obligated to respond,” he continues.

“Our message is clear: All those who threaten the State of Israel and seek to drag the region into a wider escalation — will pay a heavy price. We demonstrated today that we have both the capability and the resolve to act decisively — and we are prepared — on offense and defense — to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel,” Hagari adds.

US official says Austin held phone call with Gallant

By Reuters

WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a call with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, a US defense official says, after Israel announced strikes on targets in Iran.

The US official, who speaks on condition of anonymity, doesn’t immediately provide details on Austin and Gallant’s conversation, including what they discussed, how long the call was or what time it took place. 

A handout photo released by his office on October 26, 2024, shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting
with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF commanders in the bunker below the Kirya military base
in Tel Aviv. (Avi Ohayun/GPO)

Israel launches ‘precise strikes’ on Iran military sites weeks after missile attack

Army says airstrikes a response ‘to months of continuous attacks’; White House supports Israeli ‘self-defense’; report says nuclear facilities and oil fields not being targeted

By Emanuel Fabian, Follow ToI Staff and Agencies Today 26-10-2024, 5:09 am Updated at 5:34 am 

Israel announced early Saturday that it had launched retaliatory airstrikes against Iran weeks after the Islamic Republic’s massive ballistic missile barrage, with the military saying the “precise strikes” targeted Iranian military sites.

After reports of explosions near Tehran began to emerge around 2:15 a.m. local time, the Israel Defense Forces released a statement confirming that it was attacking Iran in response to “months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel.”

A second wave of strikes was reported several hours later, with AFP reporters saying continuous explosions and light trails were visible across the sky in central Tehran following the fresh blasts.

“The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7th – on seven fronts – including direct attacks from Iranian soil,” the IDF said. “Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond.”

The IDF added that its “defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized,” and that it “will do whatever necessary to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel.”

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said there were no current changes to instructions for civilians, as the strikes were being carried out in Iran.

There was no immediate comment from Israeli political leaders, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a picture of him huddled with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and top IDF generals in the bunker below the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv as the strikes were carried out. It later said he held a security assessment with Gallant and the heads of the IDF, Mossad and Shin Bet.

The IDF said Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi was also below the Kirya to command the strikes from the Israeli Air Force’s command center, with the chief of the IAF, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.

The extent of the damage from the strikes was not immediately clear. Iranian state television claimed the blasts heard around Tehran were due to the “activation of the air defense system” against an Israeli attack.

“The loud blasts heard around Tehran were related to the activation of the air defense system against the actions of Zionist regime which attacked three locations outside of Tehran city,” state TV reported, citing officials of the Tehran province air defense.

An Israeli source told the Ynet news that the Iranian claim was “a lie. It was a total failure, [there were] zero interceptions.”

According to an Israeli official quoted by NBC, Israel was not targeting Iranian nuclear facilities or oil fields and was focusing on military targets.

“We’re targeting things that might have threatened us in the past or could do in the future,” the official said.

The Biden Administration has been urging Israel not to strike such targets, while backing Israel’s right to respond to Iran’s October 1 ballistic missile attack.

An American official told Reuters that Israel notified the US ahead of the strikes, stressing the United States was not involved in the operation.

“We understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes against military targets in Iran as an exercise of self-defense and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1st,” said White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett.

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that several military bases in the Tehran area were targeted in Israeli strikes. It specified that several bases in the western and southern areas of the capital were attacked.

Iranian media also said there were no fires or explosions reported at a key refinery south of the capital. “There are no reports of fire or explosions at a Tehran refinery,” Tasnim news agency reported.

Iranian state TV said operations at Tehran’s airports, including Imam Khomeini International airport, were continuing as usual.

Sources quoted by the Tasnim news agency threatened that Iran was prepared to respond to any Israeli “aggression.”

“There is no doubt that Israel will face a proportional reaction for any action it takes,” Tasnim quoted the sources as saying.

The Washington Post reported the Israeli strikes were expected to last several more hours, with a person briefed on Israel’s military plans telling the newspaper that among the military sites being targeted were air defenses and missile production plants.

The attack is expected to be a one-night affair, ABC News reported. ABC also cited a source who said there were no Israeli casualties or damage to warplanes reported thus far.

Iran had braced for an Israeli reprisal after its latest direct attack on Israel, in which it fired 200 ballistic missiles that sent most of Israel to bomb shelters on October 1, killed a Palestinian man in the West Bank, and caused damage in residential areas and at military bases — although the IDF said that the attack had no operational impact.

Iran said that the attack came in response to strikes in Lebanon that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and much of the terror group’s senior leadership last month, as well as the killing of Hamas politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July, which has been widely blamed on Israel despite its silence on the matter⍐.