Iran Dismisses US Criticism of Missile Program as 'Nonsense'https://english.aawsat.com/world/5187319-iran-dismisses-us-criticism-missile-program-nonsense
Iran Dismisses US Criticism of Missile Program as 'Nonsense'
A woman walks along the side of a street in Tehran on September 15, 2025, a day ahead of the anniversary of the protest movement sparked by the death in custody of 22-year-old Iranian Mahsa Amini who was arrested for allegedly violating the dress code for women. (AFP)
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Iran Dismisses US Criticism of Missile Program as 'Nonsense'
A woman walks along the side of a street in Tehran on September 15, 2025, a day ahead of the anniversary of the protest movement sparked by the death in custody of 22-year-old Iranian Mahsa Amini who was arrested for allegedly violating the dress code for women. (AFP)
Iran on Wednesday dismissed as "nonsense" US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's criticism this week of the Islamic republic's missile program as an "unacceptable risk".
"He was speaking nonsense," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told journalists, adding the United States was "not supposed to comment on the defensive capabilities of a nation that has decided to preserve its independence at any cost."
The missile program was Iran's means "to stand against the greed, aggression and assaults of foreigners -- including the US and the Zionist regime", he said, referring to Israel.
During a Monday visit to Israel, Rubio vowed to maintain the "maximum pressure" policy of sanctions against Tehran which was imposed during US President Donald Trump's first term in office.
That policy saw Washington unilaterally withdraw from the landmark 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers.
"A nuclear Iran governed by a radical Shiite cleric that possesses not just nuclear weapons potentially but the missiles that could deliver those weapons far away is an unacceptable risk, not just for Israel, not just for the United States, but for the world," Rubio said at a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The United States would press ahead with pressure on Iran until "they change course", he added.
In mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, triggering a war during which Iran responded with deadly missile and drone strikes.
The conflict -- which derailed high-level nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington -- saw the US striking key nuclear facilities in Iran.
In September Iran's security chief, Ali Larijani, said Tehran remained open to nuclear talks with Washington but ruled out any limits on its missile program.
The USS Gerald R. Ford in the waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, Oct. 11, 2023. (Jacob Mattingly/US Department of Defense/AFP)
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USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier Leaves Middle East
The USS Gerald R. Ford in the waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, Oct. 11, 2023. (Jacob Mattingly/US Department of Defense/AFP)
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has left the Middle East after taking part in operations against Iran, a US official said Friday, leaving two of the massive American warships in the region.
The Ford is currently in the US European Command area of responsibility, according to the official, who put the number of remaining US Navy ships in the Middle East at 20, including the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carriers.
The Ford has been at sea for more than 10 months -- a deployment that has already seen it take part in US operations in the Caribbean, where Washington's forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, interdicted sanctioned tankers and seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
A fire broke out in a laundry room aboard the carrier on March 12, injuring two sailors and causing major damage to some 100 beds, according to the US military.
The carrier has also reportedly suffered significant problems with its toilet system while at sea, with US media reporting clogs and long lines for restrooms on the ship.
The United States and Iran are currently in an open-ended ceasefire, but the conflict remains unresolved, with Tehran blocking the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway and Washington's forces blockading Iranian ports.
US Treasury Warns Shippers Not to Pay Hormuz Tolls, Even in Form of Charityhttps://english.aawsat.com/world/5268588-us-treasury-warns-shippers-not-pay-hormuz-tolls-even-form-charity
An Emirati patrol boat, left, is near a tanker anchored in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from a coastal road near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP)
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US Treasury Warns Shippers Not to Pay Hormuz Tolls, Even in Form of Charity
An Emirati patrol boat, left, is near a tanker anchored in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from a coastal road near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP)
Any shippers paying tolls to Iran for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, including charitable donations to organizations such as the Iranian Red Crescent Society, are at risk of punitive sanctions, the US Treasury warned on Friday.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime routes, with about 20% of the world’s seaborne crude oil and liquefied natural gas flows passing through it.
Tehran has proposed fees or tolls on vessels passing through the Strait, as part of proposals to end the war with Israel and the United States.
The advisory, from Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, said the US is aware of Iranian threats to shipping and demands for payments to receive safe passage through the Strait.
The warning came as Iran sent its latest proposal for negotiations with the US to Pakistani mediators, a move that could improve prospects for breaking an impasse in efforts to end the Iran war.
OFAC said demands may include several payment options, including fiat currency, digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments, such as nominally charitable donations made to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Bonyad Mostazafan, or Iranian embassy accounts.
"OFAC is issuing this alert to warn US and non-US persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage," it said. "These risks exist regardless of payment method."
NATO and China: A Slow Alliance Confronts a Fast-Rising Rivalhttps://english.aawsat.com/world/5268537-nato-and-china-slow-alliance-confronts-fast-rising-rival
NATO and China: A Slow Alliance Confronts a Fast-Rising Rival
People visit the BYD booth at the Beijing Auto Show in Beijing on April 30, 2026. (Photo by Adek BERRY / AFP)
NATO was established in 1949 to provide collective defense against the Soviet Union, based on the principle that an attack on one member is an attack on all. At the time, US President Harry Truman also sought to anchor an American presence in war-ravaged Europe to ensure security and prevent a strategic vacuum.
The collapse of the Soviet Union, along with the socialist bloc, brought the Cold War to an end and forced NATO to adapt. The alliance expanded its operations beyond Europe, intervening in the Balkans during the Bosnia and Kosovo wars, then in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. It also undertook maritime missions to combat piracy, including off the Horn of Africa, alongside intelligence-sharing and counterterrorism cooperation.
NATO has since built partnerships with countries beyond its traditional scope and broadened its definition of threats to include cybersecurity, hybrid warfare, and energy security, as well as, more recently, the challenge posed by China.
In sum, NATO has evolved from a purely European defensive alliance into a broader global security actor, largely driven by the United States, while still maintaining a central focus on deterring threats within Europe.
In recent years, the Brussels-based alliance has expanded its attention toward the Indo-Pacific region for strategic reasons that extend beyond Europe. Chief among these are the interconnected nature of global security, particularly in cyberspace, the need to ensure resilient and unobstructed supply chains, and the rapid spread of advanced technologies that increasingly diminish the importance of geographic boundaries.
FILED - 03 April 2025, Belgium, Brussels: A NATO flag flies in the wind in front of the NATO headquarters in Brussels. Photo: Anna Ross/dpa
China’s Rise
Another key factor is the view of China’s rise as a strategic challenge reshaping the global balance of power. For NATO’s 32 member states, up from 12 at its founding, safeguarding trade routes is a priority, especially maritime corridors in the Indo-Pacific that are critical to the global economy.
These include the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia, the world’s most important shipping lane, linking the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and carrying roughly 25 percent of global trade annually. It is also a vital artery for oil and energy flows to major Asian economies such as China, Japan, and South Korea.
NATO member states express “strategic concern” over China for several core reasons. First, China is rapidly modernizing its military, particularly in areas such as missile systems, space capabilities, and cyber operations, developments that are shifting the global balance of power.
Second, and closely linked, is China’s economic rise, reflected in initiatives such as the Belt and Road, which provide Beijing with avenues to expand its economic and political influence across Asia, Africa, and Europe. This expansion risks creating dependencies among countries in or near NATO’s strategic periphery.
Concerns are also fueled by growing ties between China and Russia, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which could signal coordination between two major powers against the West.
At the same time, an indirect competition is underway over leadership in fields such as artificial intelligence, telecommunications networks, and semiconductors. NATO sees technological superiority as a core component of security.
The alliance has concluded partnership and cooperation agreements with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, encompassing joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, and political coordination. However, NATO does not appear to be planning an expansion of membership into the Indo-Pacific, instead favoring flexible partnerships over a permanent military presence.
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