biggest braking news

Is Israel preparing to target Iran's nuclear facilities?

Is Israel preparing to target Iran's nuclear facilities? I asked that question because the Israel Iran Shadow war is taking a dangerous turn with each passing day. After allegedly bombing Iran's diplomatic mission in Syria, Israel seems is planning something bigger. 

According to a report cited by The Times of Israel, the country has been conducting Air Force drills recently and what are they in preparation of exactly? Well, the report says Israel is preparing to target Iran's nuclear facilities and other key infrastructure. Regional tensions escalated when suspected Israeli warplanes bombed Iran's Consulate in Damascus last week, killing seven people including Iran's top Commander. Though Israel neither confirmed nor denied involvement, both Tehran and Damascus blamed Israel. In fact, Iran also swore revenge for the killing of its military generals.

 Since then, Israel has been in a state of high alert, bracing itself for any retaliatory strike from its arch nemesis. They say that if Iran attacks Israel directly, Israel will retaliate by striking targets. But by the looks of it, Israel is not taking any chances. Over the weekend, Israel relocated troops from Gaza's Khan unit, in fact cancelled leaves for its combat units, and mobilized more troops for air defense units.

 And if the latest report about Israel preparing to attack Iranian nuclear plants is accurate, then the world may be staring at a big escalation in West Asia, bigger than the ones previously imagined. It raises the specter of a wider war.

 Could Israel attack Iran's nuclear facilities?

 Experts say Israel could. In fact, let me tell you about what happened in the year 1981. In June of that year, the Israeli Air Force bombed an unfinished nuclear reactor in Iraq. It was Israel's most daring air strike. In the 1970s, Iraq's dictator Saddam Hussein had started work on building a nuclear reactor. Israel, considering it as a big threat, bombed the under-construction nuclear reactor. 

It was the longest-range air strike by Israel in a single day. But realistically speaking,

 what happens when you attack a nuclear facility?

 Radioactive leak that would result in deaths and destruction. Simply put, it would be catastrophic. The question is, 

will Israel go that far?

Will the tensions between Israel and Iran take a nuclear turn?

 Also, what do the numbers look like? 

Although there is no official data on this, multiple reports suggest that Israel's nuclear stockpile ranges between 80 to 400 nuclear warheads. These warheads reportedly can be delivered in multiple ways: by aircraft, submarines, missiles—you name it. We are not saying Israel will use them, but in times of rising tensions, of course, it's worth factoring in the capabilities of the countries.

 And remember, since the Gaza War erupted, a number of Israeli officials have not only publicly talked about Israel's possession of nuclear weapons but have suggested how such weapons of mass destruction could be used to target Gaza. So then, in case there is a full-scale regional war with Iran, could things take a nuclear turn? That remains to be seen. Now Pakistan's all-weather friend China has become a nuisance for most of its neighbors. Take Japan, for example.

 Today, 92% of the Japanese consider China a security threat. So much so that a majority of the population supports an increased expenditure on security. Our next report tells you more. A recent survey found that 92% of Japanese consider China a security threat. But are you really surprised? It's China we're talking about—an aggressor in chief. 

The annual survey was carried out by a newspaper. A year ago, 86% respondents said China was a security threat to Japan. It was 81% in the previous year. The graph is steadily rising, as is Chinese aggression. Add to that Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It changed a lot in Asia. It made it sit up and take notice. It also made people realize that China could be walking down the same road.

 It could be taking a cue from Russia and invading Taiwan. What happens then? It is the start of another war, one that is almost certain to draw in the United States. Japan is just a few hundred kilometers away from Taiwan. To top that, it is a US defense ally. Tokyo is bound to get drawn into this war, which is why pacifist Japan has decided to start spending more on national security. Tokyo plans to increase defense-related spending to 43 trillion yen by 2027. That is about $283 billion US.

 And guess what? 71% of Japanese are actually in favor of improving the country's military capacity. Then there's also the question of economic security. 90% of Japan's fuel and gas comes in via sea. What happens when the sea lanes are on fire? China has pledged to take Taiwan by diplomacy or by force. China views Taiwan as part of its territory, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping wants to achieve what his predecessors have not been able to, which is to bring Taiwan under China's control.

 It's not just a flare-up in the Taiwan Strait that Japan is concerned about. There are other flashpoints in the waters around Japan. A few hundred kilometers away is the Philippines. A face-off between the Filipino Coast Guard and the Chinese Coast Guard has become the new normal. Chinese boats have been harassing, bullying, water cannoning Filipino Coast Guard and resupply boats. It's all happening near the Second Thomas Shoal. This is where the reef is, 200 km from the island of Palawan. China claims the shoal, and it totally disregards the fact that the reef falls actually within the Filipino EEZ, which is the exclusive economic zone. In fact, it is the threat of China that has driven Japan to work much more closely with the US and the Philippines. 

The three countries recently held their first joint naval exercise in the South China Sea. All eyes are now on Washington, D.C. Later this week, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will be meeting US President Joe Biden and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House. No points for guessing, China will be on their mind. Another student from India has been found dead in the United States.

 Another one. Who was it this time? And what really happened? And how many such cases have emerged this year itself? Let's break it all down for you. His name was Muhammad Abdul Arfat. He was all of 25. He hailed from India's Hyderabad. His father, Muhammad Sim, works at construction sites. And just last year, Arfat moved to the US to fulfill his big dreams. He was pursuing a master's degree at Cleveland State University. But about a month ago, something went wrong. Arfat's father last heard from him on the 7th of March, that too only for a few seconds. Arfat told his father that he was missing his family and friends and that he wanted to come home.

 His father had reassured him that he could come during his vacation and if needed, he would send the airfare as well. But Arfat could not come back home. He never will. After that day, whenever Arfat's father tried to contact his son, the phone was always switched off. His only son had gone missing. Some say he was last seen at Walmart on the 8th of March. That is, according to CCTV footage at the store. Imagine the plight of Arfat's family. Their son had gone missing on foreign soil. They had no means to