- 4 weeks ago
The United States has test-fired an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile dubbed the Doomsday Missile, and this amidst the escalating tensions in West Asia.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:01Good evening, you're watching India First. I'm Gaurav Saruman. There's breaking news coming in.
00:05We are getting the first reaction of the Indian Navy on the sinking of the Iranian warship,
00:12the frigate Iris Dana, off the coast of Sri Lanka.
00:17The Indian Navy's first reaction is now in, and I want to quote the Indian Navy in a statement,
00:24says a distressed call was received from Iris Dana, and this was received at the MRCC in Colombo
00:33in the early hours of the 4th of March, 2026. As already reported by the Sri Lankan Navy,
00:40the ship was operating 20 nautical miles west of Gaul in the Sri Lankan area,
00:49in the area of Sri Lanka's responsibility. On receipt of this information, the Indian Navy
00:56promptly launched its SAR or search and rescue efforts. It commenced with a long-range maritime
01:04patrol aircraft being launched at 10 hundred hours on the 4th of March, 2026 to augment the search
01:11and rescue efforts being undertaken by the Sri Lankan Navy. Another aircraft with air droppable
01:17rafts was kept on standby for immediate deployment. INS Tarangini, INS Tarangini, which was operating
01:25in the vicinity, was deployed for aiding the relief and rescue operations and arrived in the general
01:31area, the search area, by 1600 hours on 4th of March, 2026. And by this time, SAR or search and
01:39rescue operations had been undertaken by the Sri Lankan Navy and other agencies. INS Ikshak,
01:46now INS Ikshak has also sailed from Kochi to augment the search efforts and continues to remain in the
01:55area to search for missing personnel as a humanitarian measure for the shipwrecked personnel.
02:02Coordination with Sri Lankan side on search and rescue operations is ongoing even now.
02:09At sea, there is a massive escalation. So, so far I've got you the statement of the Indian Navy
02:14and right now, the other big story is this massive escalation that's taking place in the war between
02:22Iran and Israel and the United States on the other side. An Iranian remote-controlled explosive boat.
02:31So, this is virtually like a UAV of the seas, if I may. A remote-controlled explosive boat targeted
02:42a crude oil tanker in Iraqi waters marking the first such attack on a vessel in Iraq's exclusive
02:50economic zone since the beginning of these operations six days ago. There's a massive spike in tensions.
02:56The Israeli army says it's completed the 12th wave. The Israeli armed forces, the Israeli air force,
03:05the army, they've completed the 12th wave of their strikes on Tehran targeting the headquarters
03:11of Iran's special internal security units. This is in the Alborz province along with targeting
03:18the Basij militia, the bases of Basij and internal security units of Iran. Iran has said in the past
03:28six days they've lost 1,200 people, including 175 young school-going girls and their teachers killed in
03:38a massive strike, a missile strike that hit a school in Minab. In Israel, at least 11 people have been
03:45killed in Iranian missile attacks and the United States has confirmed so far six American personnel
03:52are dead in the fighting that started six days ago. The war is also now spilling across the region.
04:00Lebanon has reported 77 lives lost in Israeli strikes and these are missile strikes and air strikes.
04:07Casualties have also been reported now in Bahrain, in Kuwait, in Oman and in the United Arab Emirates
04:15following drone strikes, missile strikes. They've been intercepted but debris falling has claimed some lives.
04:23Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps claims and this is a big claim that's been made by Iran.
04:28word just coming in, Iran claims it has shot down a US Air Force F-16E striking eagle's fighter jet,
04:38a claim that the United States has flatly denied, calling it Iran's propaganda. The conflict is now
04:45threatening to widen further. Azerbaijan has accused Iran of a drone strike in which civilians have been
04:53injured and this is a drone strike in an autonomous region of Azerbaijan at an airport. So this just shows
05:00the wide arc of this battle and I quickly want to bring in my colleague Sandeep Unnithan for more on
05:08the story. Sandeep, the first reaction that comes in from the Indian Navy on the sinking of the Iranian
05:14frigate Iris Dana that was returning after that Milan exercise. Indian navies joined the rescue operations
05:20but finding anyone alive now would, is virtually perhaps next to impossible.
05:25Yes Gaurav and you know that's the nature of submarine warfare, the fact that the ship was
05:29torpedoed late at night, early in the morning actually at 5 a.m. on the, yesterday and the
05:37Sri Lankan Navy was the closest to the scene and they rushed to the rescue and they've rescued the
05:4230 odd crew of the Iris Dana and now it is the Indian Navy that was a little distance away.
05:49Indian coastline
05:50is about 300 kilometers away from this region, from Gaul. So it's clearly the Indian Navy was on standby
05:56because that SOS, that distress signal of the Iris Dana would have been picked up by several navies in
06:03the region and the Navy that was closest would have responded which was the Sri Lankan Navy Gaurav.
06:08Indeed. Was there anything else that India could have done because there are many questions that are now
06:13being raised. The Iranian ship had come for the international fleet review in India. It then stayed
06:20back for an exercise Milan and then was on its way back. The ship was on her way back. It
06:27was in
06:27international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka. Is there anything that India could have done differently?
06:33Not really Gaurav. I mean, this is a full-scale war between Iran and the United States and India is
06:39there. It's a neighbor in the vicinity and you know, if there was, God forbid, another ship to go down,
06:46a United States vessel was targeted by the Iranians. If you look at it the other way around,
06:51India would do exactly the same. It would extend a search and rescue mission to go and locate those
06:56things as we've done in the past. Now, this vessel was in international waters. It was far away from
07:01Indian territorial waters. It was in the jurisdiction of the Sri Lankan waters, EEZ, near the Sri Lankan
07:09EEZ when it was targeted. There's very little that India could have done. Yes, we are the largest
07:13navy in the region and but that does not mean that other navies will take our permission before
07:20launching military operations which they deem in their national interest in the case of the United
07:25States which is waging a full-on war with Iran and they've targeted several such warships across the
07:32Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, Gaurav. I mean, there's something like 20 vessels that have been
07:36down in very similar circumstances. There have been the Soleimani catamaran that was knocked out. All of
07:43these had crew on board and in the vicinity of several other nations. And yes, the point does remain that
07:50India is the main, you know, naval force in the region. It's the largest navy in the region. But when
07:56two countries have decided to shoot at each other, there's a full-scale war going on. There's very
08:00little that the Indian navy could do except render resistance to the sides. Big story coming in and
08:08Sandeep, I want you to stay in with me on this big, big message that the United States of America
08:14America is sending out. The United States has test-fired an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental
08:22ballistic missile dubbed the Doomsday Missile. And this amidst the escalating tensions in West Asia.
08:31So USA and Israel on one side, Iran on the other. Why should the United States suddenly be testing an
08:38intercontinental ballistic missile? And this is a nuclear-capable missile that was launched from the
08:44Vandenberg Space Force base in California. The test designated to validate many aspects. So it was designed
08:53to validate, for example, reliability, accuracy, and readiness of America's land-based forces and land-based
09:01nuclear deterrent. Even though the missile carried no warhead, the Minuteman 3 is capable of delivering
09:07nuclear payloads across continents. It has a gigantic range of over 13,000 kilometers. So what's
09:17America's Doomsday Missile all about? Let me now decode and break this down for you. So the Doomsday 3
09:25or Minuteman 3 is an intercontinental ballistic missile. It has a range of over 13,000 kilometers.
09:35It can travel at the speeds of nearly 24,000 kilometers per hour. It's huge, this speed, and
09:45nothing can counter a missile at this speed. It weighs around 26 tons. The missile can carry multiple
09:52payloads. The current test was two payloads that with pinpoint accuracy on the Marshall Islands, it was
10:00tracked, it delivered the payload too. It's powered by three solid propellant rocket motors, equipped with an
10:07advanced inertial navigation system designed for precision targeting, even in very difficult conditions. And
10:13crucially, the missile is actually built to survive. It's built for survivability. It's capable of withstanding even
10:22nearby nuclear detonations. So this is like a huge second strike capability, or the system actually remains on a
10:3224 by 7 operational readiness, performing a very critical pillar of United States nuclear deterrence. The question is,
10:40why would they test this missile and why now? Though officially there are reports that seem to say this test
10:46was planned a long time ago, long before the war that started six days ago actually started.
10:51Let's now take a look at some of the key details of the doomsday missile test. The Minuteman 3 intercontinental
10:57ballistic missile was launched on the 3rd of March at 11.01 Pacific time.
11:0311 in the night Pacific time. The test took place from the Vandenberg Space Force base in California. The launch
11:09designated GT255 involved an unarmed Minuteman 3 missile.
11:15During the test, the missile carried two test re-entry vehicles designed to assess the performance of the system. The
11:25missile then traveled about 13,000-odd
11:27kilometers across the Pacific Ocean before reaching the target zone at an atoll in the Marshall Islands. And according to
11:36the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command, the launch had been
11:40scheduled a long time in advance. Years in advance, it was planned that this would be the designated test. According
11:48to the United States, it's not linked to any current global tension. The objective
11:52clearly is to test and verify the missile's accuracy and test the reliability of systems on board and systems on
12:00ground. This is one way to ensure readiness of
12:04America's nuclear deterrence. We get you more in this report.
12:11Item 131, missile suspension released. Item 133, first stage ignition, two missiles.
12:18Washington's doomsday missile roared into the sky from the Vandenberg Space Force base in California.
12:26Washington test-fired an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile. A powerful demonstration of
12:36America's long-range nuclear capability, the Minuteman 3 is one of the most critical pillars of the United States' nuclear
12:43deterrence.
12:46Even when unarmed, its capabilities remain staggering. The missile can strike targets over 13,000 kilometers away,
12:56traveling at speeds close to 24,000 kilometers per hour. It weighs around 26 tons and can carry multiple nuclear
13:06payloads.
13:08Powered by three solid propellant rocket motors, it is designed for rapid launch in extreme range. The missile remains on
13:1724-hour
13:17launch readiness, forming the land-based leg of America's nuclear triad. Officials say the latest launch is meant to validate
13:26reliability and accuracy. The destructive potential of this missile is staggering. Modern warheads carried by the Minuteman 3
13:35can be up to 20 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.
13:43With the conflict involving Iran intensifying, the timing of the test is being watched closely across the world.
13:54Bureau Report, India Today.
14:02Who can forget the devastating bomb attack, the nuclear bomb attack that took place, atom bomb attack in Hiroshima and
14:11Nagasaki in 1945?
14:13Let's compare the U.S. Doomsday missile with the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.
14:19First, the weapon type of course is different. The Minuteman 3 is an intercontinental ballistic missile. The Hiroshima bomb was
14:26a
14:26uranium bomb, an atomic bomb. America's modern missile is the LGM-30G Minuteman 3. The Hiroshima bomb was called the
14:35little boy and was dropped from an aircraft. The Minuteman 3 has been in service since the 1970s. The Hiroshima
14:42bomb was actually used on
14:43the 6th of August 1945. The Minuteman 3 was launched from an underground missile silo. The Hiroshima bomb was dropped
14:51from a B-29 bomber
14:54aircraft during the second world war. The Minuteman 3 can travel over 6,000 miles. It traveled over 9,600
15:02kilometers at speeds close to
15:04Mach 23. The Hiroshima bomb was simply a gravity bomb released from the aircraft. The weight, the weight of the
15:15missile is about 36,000 kilograms. The Hiroshima bomb
15:18weighed around 4,400 kilograms. Modern warhead carried by the Minuteman 3 is about 350 kilotons which is
15:30which is perhaps 18 to 20 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb which had a yield of about 15
15:38kilotons. The U.S. currently
15:40maintains around 400, 400 Minuteman 3 missiles in its arsenal while the Hiroshima bomb destroyed an entire city. Hiroshima
15:50and Nagasaki, the little boy bombs were the first nuclear weapons ever used in war. Today the Minuteman 3 remains
15:57a key
15:57pillar of America's nuclear triad. So let's try and make sense of this development and the timing of this. Sudhir
16:06Kumar is
16:06former Director General of the Defense Research and Development Organization and former MD of Brahmos Aerospace.
16:13Sir, welcome Sandeep Arnithan. My colleague stays with me. Mr. Sudhir Kumar, your reading of America testing the Minuteman 3
16:23in the middle of a war with Iran. Would you see this as a routine test or would you see
16:30this as a major signal?
16:32Good evening, Daurav and Sandeep. Actually, there are a few more reasons to it. On the face of it,
16:40let us accept that you see the missile has become more than 56 years old. So certainly it needs to
16:48be tested for
16:49repeatability and accuracy. And if we see the schedule, last year, United States Air Force Strike Command,
16:59they have conducted two tests. The first was in May, the second was in November. So now if we see
17:06the schedule,
17:07it's almost every six months they have been testing it. So six months are over in May, in the March.
17:13So they have conducted
17:15the test in March. It looks, it is as per their schedule. But if we look deeply and, you know,
17:25look in a warped manner,
17:27then I will think that it's a message to North Korea and China both. China to not do any adventure
17:39in Taiwan. And to North Korea,
17:43again the same message. And…
17:45That's a very significant point you make, sir. And let me quickly bring in Sandeep Unithan to elaborate on this.
17:50Sandeep, would you look at this test as routine? Something that was decided earlier? Or the timing? War with Iran?
17:59Some statements coming from China? Is there a very clear message to China? Don't even think of getting involved here?
18:06Well, you know, Gaurav, I tend to go with what Dr. Mishra mentioned, the fact that it was a routine
18:11test.
18:11Yes, but then you have to see, look at the backdrop of, you know, where this routine test comes in.
18:16You know, just a few days back, on the 5th of February, 2026, the New START Treaty limit ended, right?
18:24Which means that for the first time since the 1970s, there is no limit on the United States and Russia
18:31to curtail their nuclear weapons. You know, this is something that they've been doing from the 1970s,
18:36the USSR first and then Russia, that they would maintain a stockpile limit, about 1500-1600 nuclear warheads,
18:46and both would verify each other's stockpiles.
18:48Now, Russia pulled out of that a few years back, but the US refused to ratify it in February when
18:54that expired.
18:55Now, the UN Secretary-General has also said this is a very dangerous time that we are entering,
18:59that the two biggest nuclear powers do not have any mechanism of ratifying each other's stockpiles,
19:05and that there is no limits now on the kind of weapons that they can, you know, stockpile.
19:11Now, the other thing is that, as you mentioned, Gaurav, this is the first time in history
19:15that the United States is being targeted by three nuclear-armed countries, Russia, China and North Korea.
19:22And North Korea.
19:22So, this is the first time, and there is a lot of consternation in the US strategic community as well
19:28about this development, that how this was allowed to happen.
19:31And the fact is that the US replacement for the Minutemen 3.
19:34Now, the Minutemen is a missile system that's been around for ages, almost half a century.
19:39It was introduced in the early 70s.
19:41Yes.
19:41The replacement for the Minutemen 3, which is the Sentinel, is yet to come.
19:45So, they've had to extend the life of these missiles.
19:49They've had to extend the life of the warheads.
19:51Like many other items in the US arsenal, you never thought that you would need them now.
19:56And the world is talking increasingly about nuclear weapons, especially in the last couple of months.
20:00And this is such an uncertain time.
20:01Yes.
20:01You know, Dr. Sudhir Kumar, the uncertain times that we live in, the aggression that we see from the United
20:09States,
20:09and the word of caution that comes from China.
20:12China and Iran are considered very close strategic partners.
20:17The amount of, whether it's Chinese weapons that are provided to Iran,
20:21or the Iranian oil that's given on discount to China.
20:26And more, you know, China looks at Iran and areas around as a strategic foothold.
20:33Is the United States sending a message to North Korea and China, and perhaps obliquely even Russia,
20:39that do not try to interfere in Israel and America targeting Iran right now?
20:46You see, if you see the last, the development in the last two, three weeks, then there were many, you
20:55know, the big aircrafts landed from China and Russia, both to Tehran.
21:02But I will not say it's a nuclear posturing.
21:06Okay.
21:06I would like to say that it's a routine test of the US strike global command.
21:13You see, they have to finish off their inventory also.
21:17They have more than 400 missiles.
21:19And this is the only missile which they can launch from the land, land to land.
21:25So, of course, it's a message.
21:29I'll say it's an indirect message to China and North Korea to not intervene in the ongoing conflict in the
21:35Middle East.
21:36But…
21:37So, Dr. Sridhar Kumar, before we let you go, what is it that we have?
21:42I mean, you know, you've looked at the BrahMos, you've guided the BrahMos project and led it so effectively.
21:48But when we go from a supersonic cruise missile and from intermediate range ballistic missiles to intercontinental missiles, where are
21:58we there, sir?
21:59No.
22:00You see, every country, they develop the weapons based on the threat perception.
22:05And what is our threat perception is within 6,000 kilometers.
22:10So, we don't need to develop, as of now, an intercontinental ballistic missile.
22:15But at the same time, I would like to say that if we can develop for 6,000, we can
22:20certainly develop for 8,000, we can certainly develop for 10,000.
22:24The technology is available, but we really don't need 10,000 kilometer ICBM.
22:31We are a local, a middle power and our strategic requirements are fulfilled by the present arsenal of intercontinental, I
22:42will not say intercontinental, but the ballistic missiles.
22:45The intermediate range ballistic missiles.
22:47For joining me here on this India Today special broadcast, in this part, Dr. Sridhar Kumar, many thanks.
22:53News just coming in.
22:55You saw images of India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at the Iranian embassy signing the condolence book.
23:02India Today now gets you details of what the Foreign Secretary wrote in the condolence book.
23:08He wrote, and I quote,
23:10Sincerest condolences on behalf of the government and the people of India.
23:16We pray for peace for the departed soul.
23:20Unquote.
23:21That's the message that we've been able to get India.
23:26Of course, always in favour of dialogue and diplomacy to address any issue.
23:33And the Prime Minister has said so in the past.
23:36Whether it's the Russia-Ukraine conflict or Israel and Iran or Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah,
23:42it's through dialogue and diplomacy that a solution needs to be found.
23:47I quickly now want to cut across and bring into this conversation Amikai Chikli, Israel's Minister for Diaspora, who joins
23:58me on India Today from Jerusalem.
24:00Minister, welcome.
24:02When we look at the tensions that continue to rise in the region, Israel and the United States, they've carried
24:09out yet another wave of carpet bombing of Tehran, of Qum, of Ishfahan, of Natanz and several other parts of
24:18Iran.
24:19And Iran says 175 children and teachers killed.
24:24An Iranian ship was sunk by the United States in the Indian Ocean region.
24:28Twenty ships have been sunk so far in this battle.
24:30How long will the bombing continue, sir?
24:34When will things settle down?
24:36When will the U.S. and Israel stop?
24:42So first, I think we need to remember that what we're seeing now in Iran, this offensive led by Israel
24:50and the U.S. is part of a wider picture.
24:53It is part of a war that started and initiated by Iran and its proxies on October 7th with the
25:03killing, murdering, raping and kidnapping of Israeli civilians.
25:09We're speaking about 1,200 casualties on October 7th.
25:14The day after October 7th, Hezbollah joined the war with no aggression from Israel, started to fire missiles.
25:23Hezbollah was created by the Revolutionary Guards of Iran.
25:28OK, it's an Iranian proxy.
25:3160,000 people were needed to evacuate their homes.
25:37We have fought for two years and still continuing to fight against Hezbollah.
25:41Then you have the Khutis from Yemen.
25:44We had no conflict with Yemen.
25:47We never had a war with Yemen.
25:49And they started to shoot endless missiles, drones to the heart of our cities.
25:56So what's happening now in Iran is a continuation of this war.
26:04OK, so you say, sir, it's a continuation of this war.
26:07But what are conditions of an off-ramp in your view?
26:12What conditions must be fulfilled for Israel and the US to stop bombing Iran and off-ramp?
26:19What would be an off-ramp scenario that the Israeli cabinet may have discussed?
26:28So first, as I said before, we need to look at the bigger picture.
26:35We are now removing existential threats.
26:39We are seeing the aggression of Iran, not just against the state of Israel, but also against the UAE, against
26:46Kuwait, against Bahrain, against Qatar, against Saudi Arabia.
26:50So what we're doing now is to remove the threat that is coming from the ballistic missiles, remove everything that
26:58is regarding the nuclear plan of Iran.
27:01It might take several weeks. It might take more. I hope it will take less.
27:07But this is the main goal of this mission.
27:11And second, yes, I think it's the best for also for India's interest to have a different regime in Iran,
27:21a democracy that will represent the people of Iran and will be aligned with the values that we share.
27:27We had Modi coming to Israel just a week ago. It was a super strategic and important visit with one
27:34of our strongest allies.
27:36India is one of the strongest and closest allies of Israel.
27:40We share intelligence. We share a lot of military technology.
27:45We know you're facing a very serious threat from the radical terror regime in Pakistan who threaten India.
27:54And we are working together. And take a look. You have Pakistan, you have Afghanistan, and then you have Iran.
27:59We don't want this entire region to be governed by fanatic lunatic Islamists.
28:06We need a different government in Iran. And I think it's in the interest of both Israel and India.
28:13So when you speak of Iran and you speak of Pakistan, what are you implying, sir?
28:19Because Pakistan is a country where a radical Islamist terror state already has a nuclear weapon.
28:28I'm saying that we are well aware of the situation in the region.
28:33We are well aware of the fact that after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Afghanistan is now
28:40led by al-Qaeda.
28:43Pakistan is very hostile to India and also governed by Islamists who also hosted and give a safe place for
28:51Osama bin Laden.
28:52We don't forget that. And we don't forget the attacks on Indian people recently.
28:59We saw the attacks coming from Pakistan. And we stand firm with India.
29:06So therefore, I'm saying that if you have Pakistan and Afghanistan and then you have this Islamist terror regime in
29:14Iran, that's not a good reality.
29:16So we don't have any intention now to go on the offense on Pakistan.
29:21But I'm saying that a different regime in Iran will serve the interests of India itself.
29:28Thank you for joining me here on this India Today special broadcast.
29:33Very thanks, Minister, for dashboard affairs in the government of Israel.
29:38But as tensions spike, this war isn't just restricted now to West Asia.
29:43An Iranian warship was sunk in the Indian Ocean region by a nuclear-powered American attack submarine.
29:51And that's seen as a major escalation. A US submarine torpedoed and sunk an Iranian frigate, Iris Dana, off the
29:59coast of Sri Lanka.
30:00Pentagon actually released images showing the warship in international waters.
30:06And Pete Hexit, US Secretary of War, mentioned the warship was, the Iranian warship was in international waters.
30:12It was being chased by, or tracked by a US nuclear submarine, and suddenly there was a torpedo strike.
30:22And it just sent a lot of water and debris into the sky.
30:26180 sailors were on board.
30:29Sadly, 80 are feared dead.
30:32Sri Lankan teams rescued some of the survivors.
30:35Iran condemned the attack as an atrocity at sea.
30:38The US says its naval campaign has already destroyed more than 20 Iranian vessels, signaling a sharp escalation in this
30:47widening conflict.
30:48US, of course, claims Iran no longer has a navy to speak of.
30:53Commodore Praveen Rajpal is a very well-respected former submariner joining us on this special broadcast.
31:00Commodore Rajpal, welcome.
31:02Sir, your reading of the US strike on an Iranian frigate in international waters.
31:07Thousands of ships, I think 2,000 ships were sunk in the Second World War between 1939 and 1945.
31:13But only this is the fourth in the last 80 years.
31:16Your reading of the strike, sir.
31:19Good evening, Gaurav. Great to be on your show.
31:22Well, from the submarine point of view, it's a perfect hit.
31:27The crew would be very happy they have managed to sink a ship supposedly in a war.
31:34But was it correct legally?
31:36Well, there can be different opinions on that.
31:39The ship was outside the territorial waters of Sri Lanka, about 40 nautical miles.
31:44So Sri Lanka had nothing to do with it.
31:48The main thing to be considered here is the US had backed out of the Milan 26 a few days
31:55before actually giving their ascent to it.
32:00They were probably tracking the ship.
32:02The ship, as per the open sources, had a crew of about 180, while actually it should take about 150.
32:08So 30-odd sailors were extra, probably taking part in the Milan.
32:14And going back without any weapons, they probably could never have tracked the submarine.
32:20They could never listen to the submarine down below.
32:24And for the submarine to attack without any reasons, it remains to be, you know, probably whenever there's a judgment
32:32on this, it'll come out that, did they break the Charter 51 of the United Nations?
32:39Or was it in any self-defense?
32:41The Charter 51 is very clear on this.
32:43First of all, there is no war declared by US on this.
32:46Yes.
32:47On Iran.
32:47They've just called it epic fury.
32:49It's a conflict.
32:50So it's not a war.
32:52Neither has Iran declared a war.
32:54So, in such a scenario, was it correct on part of the submarine to do this?
32:58Would you see this as a major escalation and that too not in those territorial waters, but in the Indian
33:05Ocean region?
33:07Absolutely correct.
33:08Because, I mean, sinking an Iranian ship 2,000 nautical miles, 2,000 miles away from Iran is an escalation.
33:15And there is no doubt in that.
33:17But was it correct on their part?
33:18As I say, it remains to be judged by the historians whenever the question comes up a few years, decade
33:25later.
33:26Was it a correct action on the part of the US submarine to do this or no?
33:30Sir, how difficult is it to be in a nuclear-powered submarine compared to a diesel-electric submarine?
33:38You know, one, for the benefit of our viewers, very quickly, the difference between the two on technicalities, the silence,
33:45the speed, the stealth and life on board a submarine.
33:48How long would the submarine have stayed underwater for a mission like this?
33:54So, you're asking me the difference between the two submarines, the conventional submarine and nuclear submarines?
34:00There's a huge difference. The conventional submarine runs on diesel engines.
34:03It needs to charge its batteries every 12 hours, 14 hours, 15 hours, for which it has to come up
34:10to snot, take in the air, run the diesel engines, charge the batteries and go down again.
34:16It depends on how far it can go away from the coast, because the maximum endurance would be limited to
34:22about, say, 40, 45 days.
34:24But for a nuclear submarine, the endurance is only a human being and the stores that it carries.
34:29So, as I presume, a submarine here in, you know, Indian Ocean, a US submarine, would have been away from
34:33the base port for more than three to four months.
34:35That's how a nuclear submarine operates. It was probably an SSN, a pass-moving submarine with torpedoes, and it did
34:42its job.
34:42As I said, the crew would be very proud of having hit a ship, but was it correct or no?
34:47Remains, I leave that question to the historians.
34:50Commander Rajpal, for joining me here on India Today, many thanks.
34:53Now, moving on, you have Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, who's offered to help countries in the GCC, the Gulf Cooperation
35:04Council countries, counter the threats that come from the Shahid drones of Iran.
35:11But, remember, Ukraine is already in the line of Russian fire.
35:14Now, in an exclusive conversation with India Today, Finland's president, Dr. Alexander Stubb, he outlined what could well be the
35:23endgame in the Russia-Ukraine war.
35:25And that's a big, big story that my colleague Geeta Mohan and I get you on this broadcast.
35:31Finland's president, Dr. Alexander Stubb, in an exclusive conversation with India Today, with Geeta Mohan and I, he said Ukraine
35:39has lost about 20% of its territory since Russia first set foot or seized Crimea in 2014 and then
35:48expanded in the war in 2022.
35:50But he insisted that any peace deal would not legally recognize this Russian annexation.
36:00But there could well be some kind of peace on the borders.
36:04Russia could perhaps retain de facto control of parts of territory under its control, roughly about 20%, but will not
36:12get international recognition for it.
36:14In return, Ukraine could receive European Union's membership, strong security guarantees from the United States and from Europe, and perhaps
36:23the largest post-war reconstruction package in modern history.
36:28So is that the outline for a peace proposal that's currently being considered?
36:34Finland's president said Russia is unlikely to win this war, pointing to massive battlefield losses.
36:40His assessment is 90,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in recent times, in the past couple of months.
36:49In a key remark, he said Ukraine may actually be more willing to consider a peace settlement compared to Russia,
36:54even as negotiations continue on what could well be the final framework.
36:59Let's listen in to Dr. Alexander Stubb, because he's very closely involved in ensuring peace prevails in the region.
37:14Do you think the Russia-Ukraine war, the focus on Russia won't be as much because resources that could have
37:23gone to Ukraine or should have been used in that conflict will now be diverted to West Asia?
37:28Well, I think one of the things that, two of the things that Ukraine has needed from the beginning and
37:33continues to need, one is air defense.
37:35And of course, we're seeing a lot of the air defense now in this part of the world.
37:39And the second one is missiles, both of which, you know, are needed.
37:44But we have to understand that Ukraine is in a much better position than they were a year ago on
37:52the battlefield.
37:53I hate to use these numbers, but over 90,000 Russian soldiers dead in three months.
37:58They're not able to recruit as many as they lose on the battlefield.
38:03Last month, Ukraine gained more territory back than Russia gained.
38:08I was in Kyiv on the anniversary of the war on the 24th of February, showing my strong support for
38:15President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people.
38:18They are in a much better place. And you have to understand that, you know, I come from a country
38:22which understands what's going on because the Soviets attacked us in the winter war and the war of continuation.
38:29So there's a strong affinity. And I'll be very frank with you. Finland would have never joined NATO had Russia
38:34not attacked Ukraine.
38:35So these are big things in our region. And the important thing is that we understand each other and what's
38:41going on.
38:42But you did join the NATO. Yes, definitely. And now we see a very fragmented, disrupted, almost broken NATO in
38:50such...
38:50I disagree fundamentally, but go ahead.
38:54Is NATO really not facing an existential crisis here? No, not at all. We're seeing the birth of NATO 3
39:00.0.
39:01Sans America. Sans America. Without America.
39:04No, I don't think so. I think the United States is now shifting the burden when it comes to conventional
39:08warfare.
39:09And that's what we're doing. That's why we're increasing our defense expenditure to 5%.
39:14That's why Finland joined. That's why Sweden joined. So you have one of the most substantive armies in Europe.
39:20We have one million men and women that have done military service.
39:25We have 280,000 that we can mobilize at wartime. We have over 60 F-18s. We just bought 64
39:31F-35s.
39:33And the list goes on. We have the biggest artillery in Europe together with Poland.
39:37And as I always say, we don't have them because we're worried about Sweden.
39:39We have them because we're worried about Russia.
39:42So what we're seeing is a rejuvenation of NATO and a burden shifting on the conventional side.
39:47But then the nuclear umbrella will still stay with the United States.
39:51So I'm not worried about the future of NATO at all. Quite the contrary.
39:54I think it was a strategic mistake by Russia to attack Ukraine because it strengthened NATO.
40:00But then it's gained more territory. And I mean, let me just give you the other side of the story.
40:06Both Gita and I were in Ukraine when the war started and we covered it both 2022, 2023.
40:13They've lost about 20% of the country. They've lost a large number of people, economies in tailspin.
40:19In all of this, does NATO have the have the stomach to continue supporting Ukraine at a time when America
40:27is engaged here?
40:28And would China be the ultimate gainer in all of this?
40:32Because a lot of resources are being spent either in Ukraine or in West Asia.
40:36Well, if we start from the territory issue, remember that the war actually began 12 years ago in 2014 when
40:43Russia against international law annexed the Crimean Peninsula.
40:49So within the first few days of the war with green men and women, they gained 12%.
40:54In the past 12 years, they have gained 8%. In the past two years, they have gained 1%.
40:59That means that they are only advancing a few meters per day at a cost of human life, which to
41:07me is mind boggling.
41:08And in some days, actually, what is happening is that for one Ukrainian dead soldier, there are 25 dead Russian
41:15soldiers.
41:15And as far as economy is concerned, I'm not worried about Ukraine.
41:19It just got a 90 billion euro loan from Europe.
41:23NATO is not involved, but the member states of NATO, like Finland, like Norway, like Denmark, are supporting Ukraine a
41:33lot.
41:34The economic problem is actually with Russia.
41:36Zero growth, zero reserves, interest rates of 16%, inflation double digits, and on top of that, a potential bank crisis.
41:44So I think the person who is more worried right now is President Putin.
41:49And if I may be very direct, what's going to happen is that Russia is not going to win this
41:55war,
41:55but it's virtually impossible for them to forge a peace because they know that they will look bad.
42:01The governor of West Bengal, CV Ananda Bose, has resigned.
42:05Sources in the governor's house have confirmed his resignation.
42:11The reason for the resignation hasn't been made public yet.
42:14We were told he's left the Lok Nivas and is on his way to Delhi.
42:20Politics is already escalating over his sudden resignation.
42:25And his development, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, she's actually crying foul.
42:29She's taken to social media platform to X to say, and I quote,
42:34I'm shocked and deeply concerned by the sudden news of the resignation of Sri CV Ananda Bose, the governor of
42:41West Bengal.
42:41The reasons behind his resignation are not known to me at this moment.
42:46However, given the prevailing circumstances, I would not be surprised if the governor has been subjected to some pressure from
42:54the union home minister to serve certain political interests on the eve of the forthcoming state assembly elections.
43:01Union home minister just informed me that Sri Aaren Ravi is being appointed as the governor of West Bengal.
43:10He never consulted with me as per established convention in this regard, unquote.
43:16I quickly want to cut across and bring in my colleague Indrajit Kundu for more on the story from Kolkata.
43:23Indrajit, very sudden development. What brought about this and bringing in Aaren Ravi into Bengal just before elections?
43:31What's the signal?
43:37Well, you know, this is a huge, huge political development as far as West Bengal is concerned.
43:43Initially, when the news emerged that CV Anand Bose has resigned, you know, there was a lot of speculation as
43:48to what may have forced him to resign right now.
43:50The fact that Mamata Banerjee has now gone out proactively and to post on social media and she's shared this,
43:57you know, a bit of information that she has had a discussion with the home minister.
44:01And she's accusing the central government of taking a unilateral decision.
44:06And she has also announced that the home minister has already informed him that Aaren Ravi, the Tamil Nadu governor,
44:13will be taking additional charge of West Bengal.
44:15That clearly shows that this is not merely a resignation, but clearly a change of guard that CV Anand Bose
44:22must surely have been asked to, you know, tender his resignation.
44:26And therefore, you know, there was a backup plan and somebody else was en route to take charge.
44:32So tell me a little about the equation between Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the governor CV Anand Bose.
44:39Because earlier, it wasn't very good with former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar when he was the governor of Bengal.
44:46But how was it with Anand Bose and how is it likely to be with Aaren Ravi coming in considering
44:53the tensions we've been seeing between the chief minister and the governor in Tamil Nadu?
45:03Well, very, as I said, very, very crucial. The timing of it is very crucial.
45:07CV Anand Bose, you know, he took over office in November 2022.
45:11So it's been about three years that he has been at Raj Bhavan.
45:15Raj Bhavan, of course, has been at loggerheads with Mamata Banerjee.
45:18Mamata Banerjee government accusing CV Anand Bose of sexual harassment office staff in Raj Bhavan.
45:25That case was registered. So there has been a lot of tug of war.
45:28But of late, what we've seen that Governor Bose has given in to a lot of demands made by this
45:33government.
45:33And there has been some sort of an amicable, you know, resolution of these differences.
45:38But that has triggered the Bengal BJP ever since CV Anand Bose took charge as a governor here in West
45:44Bengal.
45:44The West Bengal State Unit of the BJP and specifically the leader of the opposition, Shubindu Odhikari, has not been
45:50very happy with that appointment.
45:52Often they have been, you know, seen where the BJP has raised certain issues and they always accuse the governor
45:59of not being proactive enough.
46:01Not the kind of, you know, action that we have seen as far as his predecessor, Jagdeep Dhankar is concerned.
46:06So right before the election, CV Anand Bose stepping down and somebody who's coming in has an image of one
46:13who actually is always had a lot of confrontation with the Tamil Nadu government.
46:17So here, Arun Ravi would play a very, very crucial role and one would see the kind of tenure that
46:23he has had in Chennai.
46:25It does give in a template as to what is the kind of role that he might play as far
46:29as West Bengal is concerned.
46:30And that too, just before the elections, you've been speaking to your sources in the Trinamul Congress, Indrajit.
46:37Your sources in the Trinamul Congress, how are they looking at Arun Ravi coming in just before elections?
46:48Well, you know, I've been speaking to the Trinamul top brass and in fact, the Trinamul second in command, Abhishek
46:53Banerjee, just a short while, you know, a short few days back.
46:56In fact, he held a press conference where he had accused the BJP of trying to create a constitutional vacuum
47:02in West Bengal, trying to hit out over the SIR issue and saying that the BJP clearly does not want
47:08elections on time.
47:09And that's why this entire delay, there are 60 lakh cases pending for further adjudication, which the Trinamul believes cannot
47:16be done over the next couple of weeks.
47:18It will take a few months. So therefore, there is a sense within the unease within the Trinamul Congress, whether
47:24the elections would be announced on time, whether they will happen on time, because if it doesn't, there will be
47:29a constitutional crisis.
47:30The Trinamul is accusing the BJP that they are using a section of the judiciary to create a political vacuum
47:35because they believe there has to be a delay because if the BJP fights the elections now, they are sure
47:40to lose.
47:41So that's the charge that the Trinamul Congress has...
47:43Indrajeet, stay with me. India has posted a mammoth total of 253 for 7 against England in the semi-final
47:53at Vankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
47:58So, to defeat England, must be confined to under 252. Not let them get 254. I quickly want to cut
48:07across to my colleague Nikhil Nas, who's been tracking every ball of the Indian inning.
48:13Nikhil, Sanchu Sampson actually began from where he left off in the last game. Brilliant batting from him, but now
48:20it's up to the bowlers and the fielders.
48:23Well, that's right, Gaurav. I mean, first things first, this is a record total that you've ever seen in the
48:29semi-final of a World Cup.
48:31You know, big occasion. Many were talking about the Indian batting not really firing, Indian batting not looking like their
48:39flu itself that we had seen in the bilateral series.
48:42And guess what an occasion they picked to fire on all cylinders. So, 253, it's a massive, massive total.
48:50It would require nothing less than a miracle by the English team to overhaul a total like that.
48:56As I said, it's the highest ever total in a knockout of a T20 World Cup. It will be the
49:00highest ever total chased by any team in a T20 World Cup.
49:06And these are things that don't happen. Yes, it's a good pitch to bat on. But once a team notches
49:11up the kind of total that India have,
49:14you have to say that it's almost game over for the team that will be coming out to bat.
49:18And let's not also forget the kind of crowd support that we are witnessing there in Vankade.
49:23Not only is it a packed stadium, it's also, you know, celebrities galore from MS, Tony to Rohit Sharma to
49:30Bollywood stars like Ranbir Kapoor.
49:32Everyone, the who's who of the country are there to witness this particular encounter.
49:37Can the fans now breathe easy? 253 for seven. Can we all breathe easy?
49:42Or does it promise to be a cracker of a semi-final and England has a fighting chance?
49:49I would say you can breathe easy, Gaurav, because these kind of totals, firstly, are never scored.
49:55And then to chase a total down like this, I don't think you can ever see it in history happening
50:00something like that.
50:01Yes, many will say history is there, you know, to be broken. Records are meant to be broken.
50:06And that's something that the English team would like to hold on to.
50:09But let's not forget, bilateral series, if it was a bilateral series with less pressure,
50:14I would have still said, OK, good batting pitch, England will give it a go.
50:17World Cups, World Cup semi-finals brings with it so much more pressure.
50:21And that's why my admiration for this Indian team goes a couple of notch higher.
50:25Because in big games, to be batting fearless, you know, you can always talk about T20s, about playing fearless cricket.
50:31One thing is to say it, the other is to execute it at a stage like the World Cup semi
50:36-final.
50:36That's done. And a word for Sanju Sampson. He showed us a glimpse with that knock that he played 97
50:41in a virtual quarter-final,
50:43taking India through to the semi-final. And once again, he steps up onto the stage.
50:48And the start that he gave the Indian team, everyone else, of course, chipped in.
50:52But that base was enough for India to notch up this record.
50:55So now it's up to the bowlers and the fielders to ensure that we win.
50:59And of course, for the crowds to ensure the morale is kept high till we win.
51:04And then you and I come back and discuss this tomorrow.
51:07Many thanks, Nikhil, for joining me.
Comments