All posts tagged: buildup

China urges further build-up on islands amid territorial disputes

China urges further build-up on islands amid territorial disputes

Published by Sam Flores

BEIJING: China said on Wednesday (Apr 23) it will further build up more than 11,000 islands it calls its own, so as to better govern them, in a long-term campaign to strengthen maritime power, secure more natural resources, and reinforce territorial claims. China has built artificial islands, airstrips, and military facilities during extensive land reclamation efforts over the years in disputed waters in the South China Sea. Islands are a strategic frontier and key to unlocking the development of deep-ocean resources, the People’s Daily, owned by the party, said in an article attributed to the party leadership at China’s natural resources ministry. “Major countries around the world are vying to shift their development focus to the ocean,” it added, without identifying any countries. It urged greater efforts to protect the islands China claims, by upgrading infrastructure and boosting connectivity and access. China is spending billions of dollars on its navy, from nuclear-powered submarines to aircraft carriers as it pursues a goal of becoming a “great maritime power” dating from 2012, when Xi Jinping became leader …

U.S. and Iran hold nuclear talks as Trump raises pressure with military buildup

U.S. and Iran hold nuclear talks as Trump raises pressure with military buildup

Published by Sam Flores

The United States and Iran met in Geneva on Thursday for high-stakes nuclear talks as President Donald Trump pressures Tehran with the threat of military action. The talks — a third round of indirect negotiations — come after Trump made his clearest case yet for a possible attack as he oversees a sweeping military buildup in the region. Two people familiar with the talks told NBC News that from the Trump administration’s perspective, the discussions were “positive.” The sources declined to share details of the negotiations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also had a positive view of the talks, which he said were indirect and lasted about six hours. “Overall, during these long and very intensive hours, good progress was achieved, and we entered a serious review of the elements of an agreement, both in the nuclear field and on sanctions,” Araghchi said in an interview with Iranian state media after the talks. He added, “Of course, there are still disagreements, which is natural, but compared with the past, both sides are showing greater seriousness …

US ramps up military buildup in Middle East amid talks with Iran

US ramps up military buildup in Middle East amid talks with Iran

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump said on Friday that limited strikes against Iran are possible even as the country’s top diplomat said Tehran expects to have a proposed deal ready in the next few days following nuclear talks with the United States. Trump’s warning came as the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean Sea after being sent by Trump from the Caribbean, according to images of the ship by maritime photographers posted to social media. Keywords for this article Source link

Analysis-US and Iran Slide Towards Conflict as Military Buildup Eclipses Talks

Analysis-US and Iran Slide Towards Conflict as Military Buildup Eclipses Talks

Published by Sam Flores

By Samia Nakhoul, Parisa Hafezi and John Irish DUBAI, Feb 20 (Reuters) – Iran and the United States are sliding rapidly towards military conflict as hopes ⁠fade for ⁠a diplomatic solution to their standoff over Tehran’s nuclear programme, officials on both ⁠sides and diplomats across the Gulf and Europe say. Iran’s Gulf neighbours and its enemy Israel now consider a conflict to be more likely than a settlement, these sources say, with Washington building ​up one of its biggest military deployments in the region since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Israel’s government believes Tehran and Washington are at an impasse and is making preparations for possible joint military action with the United States, though no decision has been made yet on whether to carry ‌out such an operation, said a source familiar with the planning. It ‌would be the second time the U.S. and Israel have attacked Iran in less than a year, following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against military and nuclear facilities last June. Regional officials say oil-producing Gulf countries are preparing for …

Ford Carrier Group Enters Mediterranean To Join Biggest US Build-Up Since 2003 Iraq War

Ford Carrier Group Enters Mediterranean To Join Biggest US Build-Up Since 2003 Iraq War

Published by Jenni Sidey

Open source monitors as well as US and Middle East media have confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has entered the Mediterranean Sea, having sailed passed the Strait of Gibraltar on Friday. This is the second carrier strike group expected to soon operate directly in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, amid the massive military build-up and pressure campaign against Iran. It was sent from the Caribbean earlier this month, extending its planned deployment. USS Ford entering the Mediterranean. Via @dparody The USS Mahan Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, which is accompanying the USS Gerald R. Ford, is also now crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, maritime tracking analysis shows. The aircraft carrier will likely take several more days to reach the Middle East and be poised to operate against Iran – so it looks to be in place by start of next week. According to Bloomberg and other outlets, the US has now amassed the biggest force in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. There is administration talk of “limited strikes” …

Iran says US military build-up ‘unnecessary and unhelpful’, deal achievable | Politics News

Iran says US military build-up ‘unnecessary and unhelpful’, deal achievable | Politics News

Published by Sam Flores

Listen to this article | 4 mins info Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Iran is “prepared for peace” and diplomacy with the United States, suggesting that a possible deal between the two countries remains close despite the threats from Washington. Speaking to the US television network MS NOW on Friday, Araghchi stressed that Iran’s nuclear programme has no military solution. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “A diplomatic solution is at our reach; we can easily achieve [it],” Araghchi said. He hit out at the enormous US military build-up in the Middle East, which includes two aircraft carriers and dozens of fighter jets, calling it “unnecessary and unhelpful”. “I have been in this business in the past 20 years and negotiated with different parties. I know that a deal is achievable, but it should be fair and based on a win-win solution,” the top Iranian diplomat said. “[The] military option would only complicate this, would only bring about disastrous consequences – not only for us, perhaps for the whole region and for …

US naval buildup in Middle East heightens tensions

US naval buildup in Middle East heightens tensions

Published by Sam Flores

Iran, Houthi rebels, and Hezbollah are reacting to the increased U.S. military presence in the Middle East. The arrival of a US aircraft carrier comes amid violent protests in Iran and threats of U.S. strikes. According to FRANCE 24’s Philip Turle, Trump is pressuring Iran but does not want a war; he sees this as a chance to push for a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, especially during an election year. Keywords for this article Source link