Iran Says US Responsible for Any Israeli Attack against it

A picture released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of a squadron of US and Israeli fighters over Ashdod port.
A picture released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of a squadron of US and Israeli fighters over Ashdod port.
TT

Iran Says US Responsible for Any Israeli Attack against it

A picture released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of a squadron of US and Israeli fighters over Ashdod port.
A picture released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of a squadron of US and Israeli fighters over Ashdod port.

Iran warned it would firmly respond to any move threatening its security, saying the US was responsible for any action taken by its ally Israel.

The Israeli army said its Defense Forces and US Central Command (CENTCOM) launched Juniper Oak, a joint drill Sunday focused on air defense, cyber security, intelligence, and logistics.

Some 6,400 US and over 1,500 Israeli troops, over 140 aircraft, 12 naval vessels, and artillery systems are taking part, making it the nations' largest-ever joint drill.

Juniper Falcon is part of the ongoing strategic cooperation between the Israeli and US armies and is complementary to Juniper Oak.

"The exercise will focus on aerial defense, cyber and spectrum, intelligence and logistical scenarios, and will test joint US-Israeli readiness for potential security events," said the Israeli army.

The new maneuvers come amid renewed Iranian-Israeli tension following a drone attack against a military facility on Jan. 29.

Relations between Iran and the West have been strained over Tehran's nuclear program and ita supplying of Russia with weapons and long-range drones in its war against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Iran would take "decisive and serious" actions against security threats and those behind them.

Kanaani indicated that Iran had responded to Israel's attacks against its security, reiterating Tehran's position against any action by the United States and Israel in the region that would compromise its safety.

Washington is responsible for any move by Tel Aviv because the US is Israel's ally and supporter, he asserted, saying the "Zionist entity should consider its turbulent domestic situation."

Moreover, he said Israel was too weak to make a military move against Iran, remarking that it has “tasted Tehran's firm response.”

On Friday, Iran announced that its security forces arrested the main perpetrators of the attack on Isfahan.

"So far, the involvement of mercenaries of the … Zionist regime [Israel] in that act has been proven," reported the state news agency IRNA.

Furthermore, Kanaani said Tehran prioritizes lifting sanctions during negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

He welcomed the Iraqi mediation to restore diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, hoping it would lead to progress in the negotiations between the two countries.

The spokesman addressed regional countries, saying cooperation is the best solution for maintaining security.

Kanaani criticized French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, saying her statements would not affect the course of resolving the issues and misunderstandings between Iran and European parties.

On Friday, Colonna told her US counterpart, Antony Blinken, there must be a stronger "international response" to the threat posed by Iran's ballistic missiles program.

He stressed that the missile program is defensive and based on legal rights, international norms, and principles.



China Accuses Australia of Deliberate Provocation in South China Sea

Flags of Australia and China are displayed in this illustration picture taken May 11, 2023. (Reuters)
Flags of Australia and China are displayed in this illustration picture taken May 11, 2023. (Reuters)
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China Accuses Australia of Deliberate Provocation in South China Sea

Flags of Australia and China are displayed in this illustration picture taken May 11, 2023. (Reuters)
Flags of Australia and China are displayed in this illustration picture taken May 11, 2023. (Reuters)

China accused Australia on Friday of deliberately provoking it with a maritime patrol in the disputed South China Sea this week, saying the latter was spreading "false narratives", though Australia maintained its action adhered to international law.

The incident, in which Australia's defense minister said a Chinese PLA J-16 jet released flares within 30 m (100 feet) of an RAAF aircraft, comes amid ties strained by navy and air force interactions that Australia has called dangerous.

Friday's comments came a day after Australia flagged "unsafe and unprofessional" actions by the jet towards the patrol which it said was on routine surveillance in international waters on Tuesday, an account Beijing disputes.

"Australia deliberately infringed upon China's rights in the South China Sea and provoked China, yet it was the villain who complained first, spreading false narratives," said Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Chinese defense ministry.

Zhang accused the Australian military aircraft of ignoring the main routes in the busy waterway, saying it "broke into the homes" of others, and adding that China's response was reasonable and a legitimate defense of sovereignty.

"We urge Australia to abandon its illusion of speculation and adventure," Zhang said.

He urged Australia to restrain its frontline naval and air forces, instead of "stirring up trouble" in the South China Sea to the detriment of others and itself.

Before the Chinese comments, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters, "We regard this action as unsafe. We've made that clear."

Defense Minister Richard Marles said the Australian aircraft was in international airspace, adding, "There was no way that the pilot of the Chinese J16 could have been able to control where the flares then go."

The Australian military's exercise of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea comes with increasing risk, Marles said.

"We do it in accordance with international law," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in an earlier interview on Friday.

"We're not the only country that does it. But it is really important that we are asserting the rules of the road, as it were."

China claims vast swathes of the South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

China rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that its sweeping claims were not supported by international law.