- 3 hours ago
The West Asia crisis has escalated following Iranian retaliatory strikes on Israel and multiple US military bases across the Gulf.
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00:18Good evening, you're watching India Today. I'm Preeti Chaudhary. Our focus continues to be the escalating war crisis in West
00:25Asia.
00:25You just heard the U.S. Defense Secretary State, but this is not an endless war. It's not Iraq.
00:30We're going to break it all down over the course of the next one hour. Allow me to take you
00:34through the headlines.
00:37West Asia's war theater expands. Iran doubles down, attacks Israel and multiple U.S. bases in Gulf countries.
00:44U.K., France, Germany ready to join war. U.K. base in Cyprus also hit by Iranian drones.
00:55Three U.S. F-15 fighter jets crash in Kuwait. U.S. forces say jets downed in friendly fire by
01:03Kuwait.
01:04Six pilots on board, three F-15 fighter jets ejected safely.
01:10Police? Yes. One minute.
01:13One minute.
01:17Following overnight strikes by Hezbollah, Israel strikes back, takes out Hezbollah's intel chief in Beirut.
01:25Lebanese government bans military activities by Hezbollah.
01:32And it's the on-sowing war in West Asia.
01:35Prime Minister Modi calls the situation a matter of concern and stresses on diplomacy.
01:39Also condemns attack on Gulf nations during a telephonic conversation with the King of Bahrain and Crown Prince of Saudi.
01:55Aviation Ministry monitors West Asia war. Aviation Ministry says helplines and portals open for flyers.
02:02Helpline of Indian embassies shared after Air India, Akasa suspends flights to West Asia.
02:13Jammu and Kashmir police use tear gas shells to disperse crowds protesting against the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Khamenei.
02:21Restrictions imposed in all districts of Kashmir as precautionary measures.
02:46All right, let's cut across to the latest news break that is coming in.
02:49America has come and clarified. U.S. Secretary of War made it very clear we will end this war on
02:56our terms.
02:57This is not Iraq. This is not an endless war.
03:00Operation is destroy Iranian nuclear weapons.
03:04He further went on to state that former regime had a chance to make a deal, but Tehran was stalling
03:11it.
03:12Listen in to the latest that's coming.
03:24To the media outlets and political left screaming endless wars.
03:28Stop.
03:29This is not Iraq.
03:31This is not endless.
03:32I was there for both.
03:35Our generation knows better and so does this president.
03:39He called the last 20 years of nation building wars dumb.
03:43And he's right.
03:44This is the opposite.
03:47This operation is a clear, devastating, decisive mission.
03:52Destroy the missile threat.
03:53Destroy the Navy.
03:54No nukes.
03:56Israel has clear missions as well for which we are grateful.
04:01Capable partners, as we've said since the beginning, capable partners are good partners.
04:10All right.
04:10You just heard the U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hexard, make it very clear this is not an endless
04:16war.
04:17As per the Secretary of War, he made it clear that this wasn't started by the United States.
04:24The regime had a chance to make a deal, but Tehran was stalling it, so practically forcing the hand of
04:30America with Israel in a joint operation.
04:33The operation is eventually to destroy Iranian nuclear weapons.
04:42All right, so that's the latest coming in.
04:45I want to quickly bring in our senior journalist, someone who's been tracking the crisis very closely in West Asia,
04:51Sandeep Unathan, who's in the studio with me.
04:54Sandeep, you have now America coming in.
04:57And I would think the big-ticket announcement is where he also said that this is not an endless war,
05:02this is not Iraq.
05:04And practically, as per America, their hand was forced.
05:08Absolutely, Prithia.
05:09And you know, it's very interesting he would make the comparison with the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.
05:15That was a long, costly deployment of the United States.
05:2020 years is what they spent, several trillion dollars.
05:23Thousands of U.S. soldiers died in that operation.
05:26Here, it was meant to be a regime change operation.
05:29Now, the big question is that could they change the regime through just airstrikes?
05:33And, you know, in that statement, Pete Hexed seems to indicate that they've already achieved some of their objectives by
05:39saying that the former regime, for instance.
05:41He says that, he uses that word to imply that they've already achieved some of their objectives by, you know,
05:48changing the regime, going into this war.
05:50He says that we didn't start this war, but we are finishing it.
05:52And this is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change.
05:58Those are his words there.
05:59So, it's very interesting that the U.S. already seems to be looking for an off-ramp to say, look,
06:04we've already done what we had to do.
06:05We've destroyed their nuclear facilities.
06:07We've changed the regime in a sense.
06:10Do you see a bit of backpedaling there, Sandeep?
06:14Because that's what it seems to suggest.
06:16Because, you know, when the military action started in the form of airstrikes, it was made very clear that this
06:22was to change and flip the regime in Iran.
06:25Absolutely.
06:26And now they seem to indicate, from Pete Hexer's statement, it seems to indicate that they've already achieved that regime
06:32change that they wanted to, which is to assassinate Ayatollah Khamenei.
06:35And it's interesting that a lot of what happened in the last three days, Preeti, is something that they didn't
06:43plan for.
06:45The fact that they never assumed that Iran would retaliate the way it did after Ayatollah Khamenei's assassination.
06:52That they would expand the theater of conflict into so many other Gulf nations to attack commercial interests over there.
06:58So, this is clearly the U.S. attempting some amount of damage control, looking for an off-ramp to try
07:06and mission accomplished.
07:06So, number one, Sandeep, prepare to break it down.
07:08Because this is also, you know, with what President Trump has been saying in the last 48 hours, there's been
07:13mixed messaging.
07:14Yes.
07:14But this is very clear because there seems to be a fair amount of backpedaling in the, you know, A,
07:19saying it's a limited war.
07:20We're not looking at it in Iraq because there is criticism back home as well.
07:23Right.
07:23This will have economic implications already, you know, that can be seen in markets across the world and with oil,
07:29you know, will have a bearing.
07:31Number three, where he says, and I want to reflect back onto the statement that, where he says that the
07:37regime has been changed in itself by taking out the top supreme leader.
07:42America and Israel seem to read it as their objective achieved.
07:46Right, absolutely. And they're just looking for a, you know, chance here to put in a mission accomplished signboard somewhere,
07:53hang that somewhere.
07:54Just as George Bush did.
07:56So, are we now looking at, yeah, are we now looking at days?
07:58We're looking at possibly even hours, I would think.
08:01That the U.S. certainly didn't bargain for this level of Iranian retaliation.
08:06So, they would possibly at some point, this is purely looking at Pete Hexits' statement, that they're looking for an
08:12off-ramp here.
08:14They are saying that, look, we achieved a lot of what we planned to do, which is to change the
08:18regime to, you know.
08:19Is it charting out an exit course?
08:21It is looking for an exit course very clearly.
08:23And that's, you know, based on what Pete Hexits has just said.
08:26One has to wait and see what President Donald Trump now weighs in.
08:30How is he going to react to what's been going on in West Asia over the last couple of hours?
08:36Sandeep, before we cut across to the next bit of breaking news, I want you to maybe, how much of,
08:40you know, impact on what we just heard by America could be generated from as a pressure point of other
08:47Gulf countries that continue to be under sustained attack by Iran?
08:51I'm sure the Gulf countries, they must be furious at this moment.
08:56Have we seen a little, you know, sense of that coming out on social media platforms?
09:00But the fact is that a lot of the Gulf nations over there, the Arab monarchies, are deeply vulnerable.
09:06They've been caught in the line of fire.
09:07This is not a war that they started out to, you know, push the United States into, right?
09:13This is a war that they were dragged into.
09:15They have no choice.
09:15And the very reason that America had bases in these countries, the, you know, the official explanation was to protect
09:21these nations.
09:21Absolutely.
09:22And it's counterproductive right now.
09:24Today, those bases, these Gulf nations are under attack because of those very same bases.
09:29Now, they're asking the United States, look, you were meant to protect us.
09:32Where is your umbrella?
09:33You have cruise missiles, drones, you know, easily penetrating all of these so-called missile defenses.
09:40And, you know, we are vulnerable.
09:42So, at this juncture, you know, Sandeep, when we shift into our next, you know, news break that is coming
09:47in,
09:47one can read this, backpedaling, and possibly that America bit off more than it could chew.
09:53Yes.
09:53And looking for an opportunity to say, mission accomplished.
09:57To exit, mission accomplished, and coming up, speaking of it as a win.
10:00And you could also already hear it in the statement there, which was delivered.
10:04But, of course, viewers, all of this will need to be taken in when President Trump speaks.
10:10And a lot will also depend on that.
10:12Is he going to take a contrarian line?
10:14Or this is a well-thought-out strategy by America, we know, in a couple of hours.
10:20Let's quickly cut across to the next set of news breaks that are coming in.
10:23And that is how India is reacting to all that is going on in West Asia.
10:28So much coming in, in terms of, has India really picked a side in this conflict and in this war?
10:34Prime Minister has had two important telephonic conversations today.
10:38Let's break that news right away.
10:40Prime Minister Modi has had two important telephonic conversations today.
10:45He spoke with the King of Bahrain, King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa.
10:49He also spoke with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad bin Salman.
10:55Prime Minister condemned the attacks on both these countries
10:57and discussed the well-being of Indian community in both these countries.
11:01Prime Minister Modi has just tweeted at a productive telephonic conversation with the King of Bahrain.
11:07Mind you viewers, Bahrain has come under constant attack.
11:10Civilian installations, residential areas have come under attack by Iran.
11:15Prime Minister further goes on to say,
11:17His Majesty King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa, he has spoken to him.
11:22India condemns the attack on Bahrain and stands in solidarity with its people in this very difficult hour.
11:27Well, I thank him for the steadfast support extended to the Indian community in Bahrain.
11:33The Prime Minister had already spoken to, of course, the head of state where UAE is concerned.
11:40Many are looking at this development as a possible taking aside or picking aside.
11:46Is it that? Because twice over in the last, you know, 48 to 72 hours,
11:51the Prime Minister has also said that he wants de-escalation on both counts,
11:56that India is looking at peace.
11:58But that's the latest bit of news that is coming in.
12:01Two important conversations that were had by the Indian Prime Minister, Prime Minister Modi,
12:05one, of course, with His Majesty King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa of Bahrain,
12:11the King of Bahrain, where India spoke to him, condemned the attacks on Bahrain
12:15and also thanked him for standing by a sizable Indian community that lives in Bahrain.
12:23Lots of political interpretation of how India has reacted in the last 72 hours, Sandeep.
12:29Can we say India has picked a side in this conflict,
12:34even though twice over, Prime Minister has made it very clear
12:37that there needs to be de-escalation on either sides of the divide
12:41and, you know, peace needs to pervade.
12:44Well, Preeti, in this case, India is friends with all the countries of the region.
12:48We have no enemies here, right?
12:50All the Gulf monarchies, particularly Saudi Arabia and UAE,
12:53are very close friends of India, almost allies, partners.
12:57And so is Iran.
12:57And so is Iran.
12:58So it's clearly a thing about a fight between friends
13:02and India wants everyone to come out to the same side
13:05and possibly, you know, look for peace, look for a way out
13:08because we are fully aware of the fact
13:10that there are Indian nationals in the line of fire as well.
13:14And the Gulf is a place where a lot of India's oil imports come from.
13:19Some of our top oil importers are there.
13:22We source oil from Saudi Arabia, from Kuwait, from Iraq.
13:27These are three top oil suppliers to us.
13:29Nearly 50% of our oil comes from these GCC countries,
13:33the Gulf Cooperative Council countries, the six Arab monarchies.
13:36But, Sandeep, it is a tightrope walk diplomatically for India.
13:40While there was a fair amount of pressure politically,
13:43you know, where many are reading this as possibly taking sides,
13:46you know, one also has to reflect on the fact
13:48that the Prime Minister was in Israel.
13:50And, you know, as Air India won touchdown in Delhi,
13:55there was already a full-blown conflict that had started
13:57where West Asia was concerned with Israel.
14:00But having said that, till now, there is no clear side
14:02that India seemingly has taken.
14:05Yes, he has spoken, the Prime Minister has spoken to UAE,
14:08has spoken to Bahrain.
14:10Not just that, that these countries are friends,
14:12but also, sizable India, Indian population
14:15resides in countries like Bahrain and the UAE.
14:18The remittances that we get back from UAE are astronomical.
14:22And to safeguard the interests of Indian citizens is also paramount.
14:26Just stay with me, Sandeep.
14:27We're going to cut across to Mayan Hoffman,
14:29who's been reporting from outside public shelters in Tel Aviv, Israel.
14:34Ms. Hoffman, Mayan, if you can quickly take us through
14:36what's the latest that is coming in in terms of reaction.
14:39We just heard the Defence Secretary, you know, of America,
14:43make it very clear that this is a limited war.
14:46We are not looking like an Iraq-like situation.
14:48And he also seems to suggest that most of the targets
14:52of this joint operation between Israel and America have been met.
14:57What's the sense that you're picking up?
14:59Is there now de-escalation somewhere?
15:01Or do you think that is what the grounds are being laid for?
15:03Well, I actually think it's very interesting to hear,
15:06you know, Secretary Hicks' comments,
15:08especially given that what we're hearing from Defence Minister Israel
15:11Cass is exactly the opposite.
15:13Just about an hour or so ago, he sent out a bulletin
15:16letting people know that we are getting more weapons,
15:18preparing to strike harder in Iran.
15:21And as we're speaking, we're seeing IDF reports
15:23of new rounds of attacks happening in Iran.
15:25I do think that your journalist is correct in the fact
15:28that America does want to make sure that they have the ability
15:31to stop and take it out when the time comes.
15:34Without question, there's pressure from the Gulf states.
15:36Israel is hearing that too.
15:38These Gulf states are not used to the kind of attacks
15:40that Israel has received from Iran.
15:42And I will also say that Iran has been stepping up the attacks,
15:45making it harder for the Israeli population.
15:47We're then putting pressure to get the war to end.
15:50You know, tonight starts the Jewish holiday forum,
15:52which is supposed to be a very festive holiday.
15:54Kids dressed up in costumes.
15:56People used to have fun.
15:57Parties.
15:58I know that that's going to be happening
15:59because the country is effectively locked down.
16:02Just about a few hours ago,
16:04we had a direct hit from an Iranian missile in Be'er Sheva,
16:07which is in southern Israel.
16:08That was a direct hit of five residential homes.
16:12More than 30 people were injured in that attack,
16:14most of them moderately.
16:15So there's quite a bit of tension going on here in the country.
16:18So the tension you're saying is escalating
16:21while the kind of commentary coming in,
16:24especially from America by the Defense Secretary,
16:27looks at de-escalation.
16:28But Mayim, just take us through the very latest there
16:31in terms of the retaliation that is coming in from Iran,
16:36how IDF is also hitting back.
16:38What are you picking up?
16:39Are we looking at a heightened retaliation from Iran now?
16:44Yeah, I mean, in the last 24 hours,
16:46we've seen an extremely high retaliation from Iran.
16:50They were on a remote meeting yesterday,
16:52Beit Shenej, which is an area of central Israel,
16:55right outside Jerusalem.
16:57There was a direct strike out of a religious institution
17:00on this synagogue, and nine people were killed.
17:02Those nine names just released today
17:04and burials have started.
17:05In addition, dozens of there were injured as well.
17:08Some of them remain in critical condition.
17:10Our health ministry put out numbers this morning
17:12showing that around 700 people
17:14have gone to the hospital for treatment
17:16since the start of this war just a few days ago.
17:19A couple of hundred of them still remain in hospital.
17:22So again, again, the retaliation, all right,
17:25it's escalating right now.
17:26Take care, Mayan.
17:28We're going to come back to you,
17:28get yourself to a safe spot.
17:31You know, Sandeep, I want to come back to you.
17:32I also want to quickly introduce in this conversation,
17:34Geeta Mohan, our foreign affairs editor.
17:36You know, Geeta, with what we are looking at
17:38in terms of the kind of statements
17:39that are coming in from the Secretary of War of America,
17:43there seems to be an exit strategy now being planned
17:46is what Sandeep and I were discussing.
17:47But Sandeep, with what Mayan also added,
17:49that while the talks could, you know,
17:52suggest de-escalation soon,
17:54but usually, you know,
17:55for someone who's followed war in crisis such as this,
17:58it's that final last hours are always way more intense
18:02than what it usually, you know, is earlier.
18:05So it corroborates with what also Mayan says
18:07that it's getting really hot right now.
18:09Right, absolutely.
18:09And, you know, what Iran is doing
18:11is that it wants to negotiate from a position of strength.
18:13And they have expanded the theater of conflict,
18:16you know, across West Asia.
18:192,500 kilometers sweep of territory
18:21from Cyprus to Oman is what they have targeted.
18:24It's unprecedented.
18:25It's never happened in the history of warfare
18:27that one country has targeted
18:2810 other countries near simultaneously
18:31with waves of drones and missiles.
18:34Right, and Iran has made a very big point there
18:36that they're not going to be cowed down
18:37by the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
18:42And now they are ready for talks,
18:43but they will talk from a position of strength.
18:46And they are not going to cowed down, bend, or bow
18:48in a way that the United States would have wanted them
18:52to surrender some of their, you know, missile capabilities
18:54of the kind that you're seeing on the screen now.
18:57Those Shahid-136s, the ballistic missiles,
19:00all of these programs,
19:01Iran has created this triad of weapon systems,
19:05drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.
19:08It's something that Iran has created
19:09because it has no air force, it has no navy.
19:12So now the talks, I believe,
19:14you know, given this wave of attacks,
19:16the fact is that Iran has proved its point.
19:18It has the capability to inflict punishment
19:21across a very large swath of territory.
19:23And Iran's not backing down
19:25because if you remember, twice over,
19:26you've had President Trump
19:28who's tried to insinuate that
19:30the Iranian leadership is trying to seek dialogue
19:33and Iran has refuted that both times over.
19:37I want to quickly introduce Geeta Mohan
19:38before we cut across to the latest that's coming in.
19:41Geeta, you just heard the secretary of war,
19:43you know, where America is concerned.
19:45The kind of statements he's made,
19:47he's made it very clear
19:48that this is not an endless war,
19:49we're not looking like an Iraq
19:50because there's a fair amount of pressure back home as well.
19:53There are economic compulsions to this
19:55and also seeming to suggest
19:57that most of their targets, you know, have been met
20:00and to say that there is, you know, a regime change.
20:03So by taking out the supreme leader,
20:05that there have effected a regime change,
20:07which wasn't what they started with.
20:08Is it an exit route strategy now?
20:10Well, I do think it's an exit route
20:12because I do not think they anticipated
20:15what's happening in West Asia,
20:16what they call the Middle East,
20:18and the kind of attacks that Iran has managed
20:20to succeed in, despite the defense systems
20:24that most of the countries have,
20:26which are all provided by the United States of America,
20:29the breaches are massive, they're severe,
20:32and they really have taken on what,
20:36Iran has taken on what is unprecedented,
20:40like Sandeep and I were talking about it earlier,
20:42and we were talking about it earlier
20:44in our edit meet as well,
20:45that one single country opening up
20:48of 12th front war, unimaginable,
20:52but also the fact that there's immense pressure
20:54on Donald Trump right now,
20:56with assessment that there are Americans
20:58in the Middle East who are stuck and stranded,
21:01the civilians, a loss of life
21:03when it comes to forces and personnel is one thing,
21:06but if he loses civilians in the war,
21:10then it'll cost him the midterm elections.
21:12But, Angita, all of this is also bolstered.
21:15Yes, and all of this is also bolstered
21:16by the sheer fact that other Gulf countries now
21:19are a pressure point on President Trump to pull back,
21:23because the kind of sustained attack
21:24they are coming under.
21:25Absolutely, Preeti.
21:26I don't think any of these Arab states
21:28were ready for this.
21:30Forget about Arab states, the people.
21:32This has always been known as the peace zone,
21:35or a very peaceful place,
21:36prosperous, money, you want to go have fun,
21:39have a holiday, that's the place you'd go to,
21:42and suddenly they just don't know what's hitting them.
21:45So, basically, with what Sandeep just added
21:47and Geetha are two in-house experts,
21:49it seems that America and Israel,
21:52at least with how things are panning out right now,
21:54has bitten off possibly a little more than it could chew.
21:57And I was looking at,
21:58and they're just going by the statement
21:59of the Secretary of War,
22:01that we just heard a possible exit strategy
22:03in all of this,
22:04suggesting that we have attained,
22:06you know, our target,
22:08and this is not an endless war,
22:10while Iran continues to retaliate.
22:12Geetha was in Iran a few days ago,
22:15and actually just touched down
22:17when the entire crisis started to unfold.
22:19But what now?
22:20And Sandeep and Geetha,
22:21both of you can quickly come in on this,
22:23because it seemed to,
22:26the taking out of a supreme leader,
22:27a very simplistic, brutal answer
22:29to a very, very complex problem.
22:31And by taking out the supreme leader,
22:34it didn't quite mean
22:34that you effected a regime change.
22:36There is already somebody in place.
22:38So who next after Khamenei?
22:41Well, 88-member panel assembly of experts
22:44are already in place
22:45to choose a supreme leader.
22:47We're going to play out
22:47all those graphics there,
22:48and you can, you know,
22:50read it out,
22:51while I'm going to get Geetha to come in
22:53and explain for our viewers, Geetha,
22:55who next?
22:56Because you have someone
22:57who has already taken over,
22:59who is, you know,
23:01can say more conservative,
23:02more fanatical
23:04than Ali Khamenei himself.
23:07And then you have his son,
23:08who possibly is being bloodied
23:10into taking over.
23:11Well, one for one,
23:14Mojtaba Khamenei
23:15might not be the supreme leader.
23:17There's an entire council,
23:19and that council will look at
23:20who the next leader is going to be,
23:22because we do know
23:24that the supreme leader
23:25is the prime target of Israel,
23:27no matter who that person
23:29is going to be.
23:30So if Mojtaba is made
23:32the supreme leader,
23:34he will be the next target
23:36for Israel.
23:37I suppose after Khamenei's family,
23:39the daughter, son-in-law,
23:41grandchild, all being killed,
23:43doesn't seem like, you know,
23:44Mojtaba Khamenei
23:45would be put to risk,
23:47his life would be put to risk.
23:49But then you have, yeah,
23:51Arafi.
23:52Arafi is a very important person.
23:54He is part of the three-member council
23:56that has been created.
23:59And he, in all probability,
24:02could stay on.
24:03We'll have to wait and see,
24:04because if this war
24:06turns out to be one
24:07where they go back
24:08to the negotiating table
24:10in peace talks,
24:11then they might look
24:12at Mojtaba yet again.
24:13But if not,
24:14then it's a different scenario altogether.
24:17Lack of time.
24:17So I just wanted you to,
24:20I wanted to say one thing,
24:21that after Khamenei's death,
24:23there are throngs of people
24:25in the streets of Iran.
24:27Did America factor that in?
24:30Because now they're looking
24:31at a strike
24:32and they don't want
24:33to kill people
24:34because then people will turn
24:35against America and Israel.
24:37They have no option.
24:39And also to then suggest
24:40that the onus lies
24:42on the streets,
24:43you know,
24:44for a resistance to throw over.
24:45Yeah, they just can't take over.
24:46Yeah, it doesn't quite
24:47happen like that
24:48because we did see
24:48after the Supreme Leader
24:50was taken out,
24:51there might have been celebrations,
24:53but there was also
24:53deep mourning
24:54and people did come out,
24:55you know,
24:56in support as well.
24:57So we're giving you
24:58the options there.
24:59Geeta spoke about too.
25:00Let me quickly take you
25:00through the others.
25:02Ayatollah Ghulam Hussein Mohseni,
25:04head of Iran's
25:05judicial long-standing
25:07hardline cleric,
25:08enjoys strong
25:09institutional support,
25:10could be an option.
25:12Muhammad Mehdi,
25:12ultra-hardline clerical voice,
25:15member of assembly
25:16of experts,
25:17known for his world view,
25:19critical of the West,
25:20heads Islamic Sciences
25:21Academy of Qom.
25:23Hassan Khomeini,
25:24grandson of
25:25Ruhullah Khomeini,
25:27seen as more moderate
25:29acceptance is uncertain though.
25:31So Geeta,
25:32whatever the scenario,
25:33there are multifaceted
25:35layers for somebody
25:36to easily come
25:37and take over
25:38that position.
25:39So what we're looking at
25:39is definitely not a real flip.
25:41Priti, they said
25:42the end goal
25:42is regime change.
25:44Sandeep and I
25:45have been discussing
25:46this for the past
25:4748 hours.
25:48This is not regime change,
25:50taking one Khomeini out
25:51because they have
25:52four rungs ready.
25:54Ready, prepared
25:56to take over.
25:57One gets killed,
25:57the other comes.
25:58And we've been seeing it
25:59for some time now
26:00that Israelis
26:01have been assassinating
26:02and they've just been
26:03replacing and replacing.
26:04And they're not replacing them
26:05with some young officer.
26:08They still have the older lot.
26:10There is a clear line
26:11very strong older.
26:12Wahidi, who's taken over
26:14as the IRGC chief,
26:15is a very, very old hand
26:18and has been a part
26:20of the intelligence agency,
26:21the army,
26:22for the longest.
26:23Geeta, would you stay
26:24with that thought?
26:25I want to quickly cut across
26:26to the next news break
26:27that's coming in
26:28because it seems
26:29Iranian media is confirming
26:30Ayatollah Khomeini's wife
26:32has succumbed to injuries.
26:34That's the latest
26:35that is coming in.
26:36We don't quite know
26:37when the funeral
26:37is going to take place
26:39of Ayatollah Khomeini,
26:41but the latest
26:41that we are breaking
26:43right now is
26:43Ayatollah Ali Khomeini's
26:46wife is also dead
26:47and has succumbed
26:49to injuries
26:50from the U.S.-Israel attack.
26:52This is being confirmed
26:53as I speak
26:54by the Iranian media.
26:56It's not just
26:57Ayatollah Ali Khomeini.
26:58Many members
26:59of his family
27:00were also killed,
27:01assassinated
27:01alongside Ayatollah Khomeini.
27:04Sandeep,
27:05all of this
27:06will also create
27:07a sense of deep sympathy
27:09and empathy
27:10where Iran is concerned.
27:11Right, absolutely, Preethi.
27:12And the fact is that,
27:13you know,
27:14I think the U.S.
27:15miscalculated gravely
27:16in this case.
27:17As Geeta was mentioning,
27:19they spoke about
27:19regime change,
27:20but everything
27:21that we have seen
27:21over the last 48 hours
27:23seems to suggest
27:24anything but.
27:25This is regime continuity.
27:26And the two big factors
27:28that I've always been
27:29saying that would play
27:30a very crucial role
27:31in whether Iran
27:31could survive this
27:32is magazine depth.
27:34That is,
27:35how much of ordinance
27:36do you have?
27:37Do you have enough missiles?
27:38Do you have enough,
27:39you know,
27:40ballistic missiles,
27:41cruise missiles,
27:42drones,
27:42all of that?
27:43And the other is
27:44leadership depth.
27:45Now, Iran has come out
27:47by having depth
27:48in both,
27:49both leadership
27:49and in,
27:50you know,
27:51the arsenal
27:52that they've had,
27:53the missile and drone arsenal.
27:54So,
27:55in a sense,
27:56it has actually helped them
27:58overcome
27:59this wave of
28:00unprecedented strikes
28:02by the United States
28:03and Israel.
28:04And they have,
28:05in a sense,
28:05turned the sympathy
28:07on the Arab street,
28:09on the Muslim street
28:09in favor of Iran.
28:11This is exactly what
28:12the United States
28:13hadn't banked on.
28:14The fact that
28:15if they went into strike
28:16at Iran,
28:17they did not
28:19anticipate the conflict
28:20to expand like this,
28:21become a global issue,
28:22a kind of a rallying cry
28:23for the Muslim world.
28:25And Iran has seemed
28:26to have come out
28:26on tops in this,
28:27even after attacking
28:29the Gulf countries.
28:30You know,
28:31I'm going to just
28:31quickly take our viewers
28:32through what has been
28:32the human cost of this.
28:34Of course,
28:34there's an economic cost to it.
28:35But what has been
28:36the human cost of this?
28:37Let's quickly cut across
28:40to that.
28:41In terms of
28:42how West Asia
28:44has bled
28:44over the course
28:45of the last 72 hours.
28:47In Israel alone,
28:49nine have been killed,
28:50121 injured,
28:51is what is being confirmed
28:52and reported.
28:53Iraq,
28:54there have been
28:54two killed,
28:55five injured.
28:56Bahrain has confirmed
28:57that there have been
28:58four previous injuries.
29:00Kuwait,
29:00one killed,
29:0132 injured.
29:02UAE,
29:03three killed,
29:0358 injured.
29:05Oman,
29:05five injured.
29:06Iran,
29:07and that's a number
29:08that is astounding,
29:09viewers.
29:09Look at that.
29:11555 civilians
29:12have been killed
29:13and out of that
29:13is a heartbreaking number
29:15of over 120 young girls
29:17when a school,
29:19a girl's school,
29:20was bombed
29:20and over 700 injured.
29:22What we're just putting
29:23out right there
29:24is just the human cost of it.
29:25There is an impact
29:27and I want to draw
29:27our viewers
29:28who've been even looking
29:29at the economic impact of it.
29:31Look how the Indian markets
29:33have bled as well.
29:34Well,
29:35closed in deep red
29:36on Monday,
29:37the Sensex Nifty
29:38sunk over 1.2%.
29:39Each Sensex settles
29:411,048 points lower,
29:44Nifty below 24,900.
29:46Sharp decline,
29:47wiped off
29:48over 6.5 lakh crore
29:50from total markets
29:51and that possibly
29:52is also the economic cost
29:55of it.
29:55Let's look at the U.S. stock market
29:57because there is economic pressure
29:58on President Trump as well
30:00on multiple accounts.
30:01U.S. stock futures
30:03plunged on Monday.
30:04Dow Jones industrial average
30:05future tumbled
30:061.6%.
30:07Contracts on S&P 500
30:09sank 1.7%.
30:11Gita,
30:12also with the closure
30:13of the Strait of Hormuz,
30:14there is a clear
30:16economic implication
30:17that there is
30:18and of course
30:19one can't forget
30:20the human cost.
30:21Well,
30:21absolutely.
30:22The fact that
30:23there have been
30:24loss of lives,
30:25not just some of the
30:29members of the forces,
30:31certain people
30:32in West Asia,
30:33but look at the school attack.
30:35They can keep saying
30:35that it was a mistake,
30:37but over 80 kids,
30:39young girls
30:40being killed
30:41is absolutely horrific
30:43and America
30:45will have to answer.
30:46There should be an inquiry.
30:47They should tell us
30:47exactly what really happened
30:49over there in Iran.
30:51Having said that,
30:52it's the economic pain point.
30:53Why do you think
30:54Iran has hit out
30:55at the Arab world
30:57and hit at places
30:59beyond the air bases
31:02for everybody
31:03to feel the economic
31:05cost of war?
31:07Shutting down
31:07Strait of Hormuz,
31:09economic cost of war.
31:11The fact that
31:12Aramco facility
31:13has been shut down,
31:14operations have shut,
31:15it's huge.
31:16So no production,
31:18increase in crude rent,
31:20increase in oil prices,
31:24everybody's life
31:25is going to go
31:25topsy-turvy
31:26if they do not
31:28come to the negotiating table.
31:29And so,
31:30right now,
31:31we're looking at an off-ramp.
31:33Let's see whether...
31:33It does seem so,
31:34at least with the kind
31:35of commentary
31:35that is coming in
31:36from the United States
31:37of America.
31:37They are looking
31:38for an exit strategy
31:39in all of this.
31:40I'm going to go
31:41into a break,
31:41but before I go
31:42into a break,
31:43this is very important
31:43because at times
31:45like this,
31:46there is a heavy pole
31:47which we call
31:48the fog of war
31:49and lots of misinformation
31:50flies about in that
31:52which is taken
31:53as the gospel truth.
31:54We want to dispel
31:55a little bit
31:56of that information.
31:57We fact-checked it.
31:58Number one,
31:59there was word,
32:00there was news earlier
32:01which many have taken
32:02that it has really happened.
32:04No, it's not happened.
32:05We're going to bust that.
32:05U.S. base in Turkey
32:07attacked by Iran.
32:09It's fake news.
32:10So if somebody's saying this,
32:12it's fake,
32:12don't buy it.
32:13The second,
32:14you know,
32:16fake news
32:16that we'd like to flag
32:18is there was a huge explosion
32:19near the U.S. base
32:21in Iraq.
32:22Fake.
32:23So, you know,
32:24if you've read
32:24that piece of news,
32:25it's fake news
32:26somewhere down the line
32:27peddled in this fog of war.
32:29Number three,
32:30Iran has claimed
32:31560 U.S. military
32:32personnel killed.
32:34Fake.
32:34Till now,
32:35we do not have,
32:36you know,
32:37any confirmation
32:38in terms of
32:40what are the casualties
32:41that U.S. military
32:42personnel have faced
32:44even though
32:44you heard
32:45the Secretary of War
32:46a short while ago
32:47where he said,
32:48yes,
32:48there were casualties,
32:49they need to be confirmed
32:50but it's nowhere near
32:51that figure
32:51that at least
32:53is being peddled
32:54in the form of
32:54what Iran is suggesting.
33:19the latest news break
33:21coming in from Dubai
33:23International Airport.
33:24Well, good news
33:26coming in.
33:26Dubai Airport
33:27has now announced
33:28limited resumption
33:29of flights from Dubai
33:30and other airports
33:32starting from Monday evening
33:35which is this evening.
33:36Emirates will begin
33:37operating a limited
33:38number of flights
33:39commencing on the evening
33:40of the 2nd March.
33:41All other flights
33:43remain suspended
33:44until further notice.
33:45So, limited operations
33:47are now all set
33:48to begin
33:49from the Dubai
33:50International Airport.
33:52However,
33:53the only limited
33:55number of flights
33:56where yet to get
33:56the details
33:57of what these flights are
33:58will start taking off
34:00from this evening
34:01while all other operations
34:03remain indefinitely suspended.
34:11All right, let's quickly
34:13move on, viewers
34:13because there is a fair amount
34:14of political commentary
34:15back home
34:16where it comes down
34:17to the escalating crisis
34:19we see in West Asia
34:20as India
34:20diplomatically picked
34:22a side in this conflict.
34:24We are friends
34:25with both Iran,
34:27America
34:27as well as Iran.
34:29There seems to be
34:30political commentary
34:30that suggests
34:31we could have picked
34:32a side.
34:33As the war broke out
34:34in West Asia,
34:35India was quick, though,
34:36to strike a cautionary note.
34:38The Ministry of External Affairs
34:40said it was deeply concerned
34:41by developments
34:42urging all sides
34:43to exercise restraint,
34:44prioritize civilian safety,
34:46respect sovereignty
34:47and return to dialogue.
34:49Prime Minister Modi
34:50followed up
34:50with a direct outreach
34:51dialing Mohammed bin Zayed
34:53al-Nayan
34:54to condemn
34:55the attack on UAE,
34:57condole the lives lost
34:58and convey India's solidarity.
35:00He thanked
35:00the UAE leadership
35:01for ensuring
35:02the safety of Indians
35:03and reiterated
35:04India's support
35:05for de-escalation
35:06and peace.
35:07Today, again,
35:08the Prime Minister
35:09described the West Asia
35:10situation as concerning,
35:12stressed that India
35:13favors dialogue
35:14and peace.
35:15Has India, though,
35:17chosen a side?
35:18Well,
35:18the opposition
35:20does feel to,
35:22does seem to think so,
35:23especially with the kind
35:25of political commentary
35:26that is coming in.
35:54Thank you very much.
36:42Thank you very much.
36:50You have just played on television what Honorable Prime Minister said about the conflict, about the attacks that have happened
37:01and about the conflict between U.S.-Israel on one side and Iran on the other side.
37:08And you have seen how India is seeking restraint on both sides, some kind of dialogue, diplomacy and a solution
37:18to the problems and an end to the conflict.
38:20Along with the U.S., Russia and many other countries against Iran's nuclear program.
38:29So, therefore, I see this as a continuity of the policy.
38:32India has its own interests.
38:34India has to protect its interests and we have a role to play as far as the world peace and
38:40stability are concerned.
38:41Well, you know, thank you, GVL Narsimara, for clarifying on that there isn't a shift in policy, but many because
38:49we haven't outrightly criticized the taking down of a leader, you know, an international leader like Ayatollah Khamenei.
38:58And we haven't criticized that reading as possibly picking a side and speaking to Bahrain and speaking to you, A
39:05.E., sir.
39:06So, I think, you see, as I mentioned, for us, our policy is governed by our own interests and India
39:15has made its position.
39:17It's saying anything more is possibly not required at this stage.
39:21India has called for a restraint.
39:23We have not supported in the action.
39:25We have certainly called for diplomacy and dialogue to settle the conflict.
39:31An end to this conflict is in global interest, is in world interest, is in India's interest.
39:38And that is what we have called for.
39:40Fair point, sir.
39:40And thank you for coming on air and clarifying that for our viewers.
39:44Appreciate it.
39:44I want to join, you know, I want to cut across now to Mr. Agha Syed Ruhula Mehendi.
39:50He's the MP from Jammu and Kashmir National Conference.
39:53He's been very vocal, especially with the kind of protests that are taking place across India, not just in Jammu
39:58and Kashmir,
39:59where it comes down to, you know, members of the Shia community coming out and protesting against the joint operation
40:05of Israel and America,
40:07of taking out not just the supreme leader of Iran, but someone who was viewed as a spiritual, religious Shia
40:14Muslim leader.
40:15Thank you, Mr. Mehendi, for joining us.
40:17Your quick comments.
40:18There have been protests across India as well in support of Iran.
40:24And they ought to be.
40:25They are very, pretty much natural reaction to the aggression and the murder of a spiritual leader, as you said,
40:32a religious leader, not only a political figure who happened to be a head of a sovereign nation.
40:41One needs to understand people's draw spiritual, I mean, teachings and followed him spiritually.
40:50And he was widely followed throughout the world.
40:53And not only, it's not about the Shia sect of the Muslim community.
40:57He was loved and regarded by the Muslim community throughout.
41:01And people who love freedom and liberty, those who believe in human dignity across religious denominations.
41:10I have had, I came across the commentary or the expressions of people who belong to the Hindu community as
41:18well,
41:19who condemned this act of aggression, act of terrorism outrightly.
41:23And this reaction is pretty much natural.
41:26And one fails to understand why our state, that is the Union of India, has clamped down on the protests,
41:34peaceful protests,
41:37which has no security, no law and order situation in our country.
41:44One fails to understand.
41:46Or is it that the regime that is governing this country, our country at the moment,
41:52wants to please the masters that it has bowed to, unfortunately, internationally as well,
41:57which is the imperialistic powers of America and Israel?
42:01Mr. Mehendi, you know, I want to ask you one quick question before I let you go.
42:03These are troubling times globally, geopolitically.
42:07And India needs to walk a very tightrope walk diplomatically.
42:12You know, Iran has been a friend of India, but then so has Israel been.
42:15And to speak of de-escalation and for peace is that either sides of the divide de-escalate.
42:24It's not a question of tightrope.
42:26It's the question of clarity.
42:28It's the question of principles.
42:29We believed in the principles of a world which is ruled by law,
42:36which is governed by law, in which the liberty is respected,
42:39the sovereignty of nations is respected.
42:43The nation of India and the nation of Iran has many commonalities, even in the modern history.
42:51See, we were not friends with the imperialistic Iran until 1979, India.
42:58We always forget this fact.
43:01We became friends with a republic of Iran.
43:04We challenged the imperialistic powers post-1979 because India and Iran has this in common that we draw our inspiration
43:13in fighting the imperialistic powers.
43:15That's why we share commonalities.
43:17And that's what we respected.
43:18And that was seen in the relationship between Iran and India.
43:24But unfortunately, for the last 10, 11 years, this regime in India, this BJP government,
43:30for its hate for Muslims, has not only affected the domestic politics,
43:35it has affected the foreign policy of the nation as well.
43:39We have now slowly started to become close to imperialistic powers, those who challenge the status quo,
43:45those who challenge the order of the world, those who challenge the liberty of the sovereign nations.
43:50And we have drawn ourselves away from the friends, those who believe in freedom and liberty of the nations
43:55and the dignity of the nations.
43:57And this is very unfortunate for us.
43:59I appreciate, sir, taking the time out and joining us.
44:02We wanted to put out both sides of the argument in front of our viewers where it came down to
44:07how India has reacted to this crisis
44:11which is continuing to unfold in Western Asia.
44:13You heard the point of view of the government and you've now heard the point of view of the opposition,
44:19at least,
44:19where it came down to how India has reacted.
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