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This episode of Statecraft covers major geopolitical and national developments, beginning with Canada's historic intelligence shift. After four decades, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service publicly acknowledged that Canada-based Khalistani extremists orchestrated the Air India Flight 182 bombing in 1985, validating India's long-standing security concerns.
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00:05Hello and welcome. You're watching StageCraft with me, Geeta Mohan.
00:08Now, can one country decide who gets to use one of the world's busiest shipping lanes?
00:13And can another finally admit a truth it avoided for more than four decades?
00:18Tonight, two stories that show how power shapes both the present and the past.
00:23Iran says no commercial ship should across the Strait of Hormuz without Tehran's approval,
00:29throwing global shipping into fresh uncertainty.
00:32And then Canada makes a historic shift, publicly acknowledging that Canada-based Khalestani extremists
00:39carried out the Air India Flight 182 bombing.
00:42One story is about controlling global trade. The other is about confronting history.
00:47All this and more. But first up, the headlines.
00:51As US and Spanish military rescuers arrive in Venezuela after the country suffered immeasurable destruction
00:57due to twin earthquakes of immense magnitude, rescue operations continue for several missing people
01:03and thousands still buried under the rubble.
01:06Thousands of fjords still trapped under the debris as global community offers help to Caracas.
01:11India announced Operation Amistad, which means friendship,
01:15under which two Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft took off for Venezuela carrying urgent humanitarian assistance.
01:22Denmark has revived plans for a nationwide ban on Azaan, Islamic call for prayer,
01:28amid growing anxieties over Islamisation in the country.
01:31The plan was announced by the country's hardline immigration minister, Morten Botskov,
01:36who emphasised that parts of the country have come to feel like a suburb of Islamabad.
01:40King Charles has become the first monarch to reveal their tax bill,
01:44disclosing figures that show he paid £12.9 million in tax for the year 2024-2025.
01:53As US and Iran prepare for technical talks likely to take place in the weekend in Switzerland,
01:59tensions simmer in the Strait of Hormuz after an unknown projectile hit a merchant cargo vessel.
02:04The vessel's bridge, which was hit in south-east of Dahit, Oman, suffered damage.
02:09Though no crew members were injured and no pollution or cargo-related incidents were reported.
02:15According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, that's UKMTO,
02:20the vessel was hit by the unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman.
02:26The agency said the vessel remains operational even after being hit.
02:31Maritime authorities said a probe has been launched regarding the attack
02:35and to find out those behind the incident.
02:37No group or organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack
02:41and officials did not confirm whether the projectile was launched from land, sea or air.
02:47Meanwhile, the UN's maritime oversight body has suspended a planned evacuation
02:53of more than 11,000 seafarers trapped in and around the Strait of Hormuz following the attack.
02:58The incident comes days after the Islamabad MOU was signed by US President Donald Trump
03:04and Iranian President Masoud Pazeshkian, resulting in the removal of blockade and opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
03:11The attack also took place hours after the IRGC Navy issued a warning to commercial shipping
03:16to use routes for transit authorised by Tehran.
03:20The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, says no commercial ship should use the Strait of Hormuz
03:27unless Tehran approves the route first.
03:30New shipping corridor? Doesn't matter.
03:32International announcement? Doesn't matter.
03:35Iran's message is simple.
03:37Draw all the maps you want, but if we don't approve the route, it exists only on paper.
03:42The Strait of Hormuz was always open.
03:44It is America's war on Iran that prompted Iran to close the Strait.
03:49That is a massive challenge not just to Oman, which recently announced a new corridor,
03:54but also to the United States of America and every country that talks about freedom of navigation.
03:59This is no longer just about ships crossing a waterway.
04:02It is about who gets the final word over one of the world's most important trade routes.
04:07So why has Iran decided to throw down the gauntlet now?
04:11And what does that mean for global shipping and oil?
04:14The answer begins with Oman.
04:16Oman announced a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz.
04:20The route came with coordination from the International Maritime Organization
04:24and aimed to restore safer navigation after weeks of disruption.
04:28On paper, that looked like a practical solution.
04:31Get ships moving again.
04:33Calm, nervous operators bring trade back to normal.
04:37Iran looked at that plan and simply said, not so fast.
04:40The IRGC wasted no time.
04:42It declared the new route unacceptable because Tehran never received any consultation.
04:48Then came the real warning.
04:50According to the IRGC, the only authorized transit routes are the ones Iran designates.
04:56Every commercial ship must remain in contact with the IRGC Navy.
05:00Sail outside those approved corridors.
05:02And according to Iran, that route becomes prohibited, dangerous, and entirely at the ship's own risk.
05:09That changes everything.
05:11This stops being a debate about reopening shipping lanes.
05:16It becomes a fight over who decides where those lanes actually exist.
05:20Think of it like a shopping mall parking lot.
05:23The parking spaces belong to everyone who visits.
05:26But if one security guard locks half the entrance gates, suddenly everyone follows his directions anyway.
05:33On paper, the parking lot stays public.
05:36In reality, one person controls the flow.
05:39Iran says the Strait of Hormuz works the same way.
05:43So why issue this warning now?
05:45Because timing matters.
05:46Just last week, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
05:52That sounded like a breakthrough.
05:54Confidence improved.
05:55Commercial traffic picked up.
05:57Kepler recorded around 70 crossings on the 24th of June, more than double the previous level.
06:04Marine traffic also showed more vessels returning.
06:06That looked like progress.
06:08But Iran quickly reminded everyone of one very important detail.
06:13Reopening the Strait does not mean giving up control over it.
06:17That is the distinction Tehran wants the world to remember.
06:20Ships have returned.
06:22Normal has not.
06:24Before the conflict, well over 100 vessels crossed the Strait every single day.
06:28Those numbers still remain far below earlier levels.
06:31Some operators use Iranian routes.
06:34Others prefer Omani routes.
06:35Some even change their tracking methods altogether.
06:38Why all the hesitation?
06:40Because uncertainty costs money.
06:42Every captain wants the safest route.
06:45Every shipping company wants the least risky option.
06:48Nobody wants to become tomorrow's headline.
06:51Iran's latest warning only makes that calculation even harder.
06:55Ignore Tehran's instructions and risk confrontation.
06:58Follow them and acknowledge that Iran still holds enormous influence over one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
07:06Two tankers reportedly turned around after the IRGC rejected the alternative evacuation route.
07:12That sends a very loud message.
07:14A shipping lane means almost nothing if commercial operators believe using it creates bigger problems than avoiding it.
07:21Now comes the legal and political tug of war.
07:24The United States rejects Iran's entire argument.
07:27Washington insists international waterways cannot become private highways.
07:31American officials argue that no country can impose unilateral control or decide who gets to pass through international transit routes.
07:38Treasury officials even warned they would aggressively target any attempt by Iran to build such a system.
07:44Iran answers with equal confidence.
07:48Only Iranian-approved routes count.
07:50Not American-approved.
07:51Not Omani-approved.
07:53Not internationally announced.
07:55Iran approved.
07:56That leaves Oman in an uncomfortable position.
07:59Oman says its new corridor follows international law and helps restore safe navigation.
08:04Iran says Oman cannot simply announce routes through a strategically vital waterway without consulting Tehran.
08:12Both claim they support safe navigation.
08:14Both disagree over who gets the final say.
08:18Then another incident raises temperatures.
08:20A cargo ship traveling through a United Nations-backed route suffered damage after a projectile struck it just hours after
08:27Iran issued its warning.
08:29Nobody died, but the timing grabbed everyone's attention.
08:32And that leads to the biggest consequence of all.
08:35What happens if Iran actually enforces this approval system?
08:39The answer is shipping slows.
08:41Trade becomes more expensive.
08:43Oil markets grow nervous.
08:45Every delay disrupts schedules.
08:47Every detour raises costs.
08:49Every layer of uncertainty changes business decisions.
08:53That is leverage.
08:55Military power may dominate television screens, but global commerce runs on predictability.
09:00If shipping companies believe they need Tehran's approval before entering the Strait of Hormuz,
09:05then Iran keeps enormous influence no matter what official statements say.
09:09And that is exactly the message Tehran wanted to deliver.
09:13The Strait of Hormuz was always open.
09:15According to Iran, it was America's war on Iran that pushed Tehran to close the strait in the first place.
09:20Now, Iran argues that reopening it does not erase that reality or hand control to anyone else.
09:27Talk about freedom of navigation, announce new corridors, promise safe passage.
09:32Iran says none of it matters until one box gets ticked first.
09:36It's approval.
09:38And an update from Venezuela.
09:41The twin earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale that hit Venezuela has wreaked havoc
09:47as rescuers race against time to find survivors.
09:50Death toll has reached around 235, whereas at least 4,300 people are injured as we speak.
09:58More than 20 aftershocks have been recorded in Venezuela since the earthquakes hit.
10:02The Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research said the tremors ranging in magnitude from 2.1 to 3.6
10:11had been recorded over the last five hours.
10:14Most of the aftershocks were centred in the northern coastal state of La Guayra.
10:19Acting President Delcey Rodriguez, who had declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes hit,
10:24has appointed a general to oversee the emergency response.
10:28As rescue efforts continue, U.S. Southern Command at South Combs Senior Official Major General Kevin Gerard
10:35arrived in capital Caracas to coordinate American military support for the relief operations.
10:41According to a statement, U.S. forces are deploying aircraft and logistics teams from the region
10:47to assist research, rescue and humanitarian aid efforts at the request of Venezuela's interim government.
10:53The Chinese embassy in Venezuela has mobilized and coordinated local Chinese-invested institutions
10:58and enterprises to engage in rescue operations after two powerful earthquakes rocked the country on Wednesday.
11:06Spain has also sent a military aircraft to Venezuela, carrying 59 rescue personnel
11:11and eight canine units to support the search and rescue operations.
11:15Chilean president has also spoken to Rodriguez to express solidarity
11:19and coordinate the dispatch of specialist rescue workers and humanitarian aid.
11:24Hundreds of people in Venezuela remain trapped under rubble and many more remained unaccounted for.
11:31India's bullet train ambitions are shifting into top care.
11:34With Project B35, the country is aiming to build its fastest ever indigenous high-speed train
11:40while laying the foundation for a nation-wide bullet train network
11:44and a self-reliant rail manufacturing ecosystem.
11:48Harsh Mishra with this report.
11:58India is preparing for its biggest leap in high-speed rail technology.
12:02The country is now moving toward developing its own indigenous bullet train
12:06capable of touching speed of 350 kilometers per hour.
12:09This ambitious initiative is called Project B35
12:12and it could redefine the future of railway transportation in India.
12:16The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited has invited leading rolling stock manufacturers
12:20for capability assessments.
12:23The objective is clear.
12:24Design and manufacture India's next-generation high-speed train entirely within the country.
12:29Project B35 has been designed with a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour.
12:34Its operational speed will be 320 kilometers per hour.
12:38Making it India's fastest indigenous train platform ever planned.
12:42But this project is much bigger than just speed.
12:45It represents India's vision of becoming self-reliant
12:48in one of the world's most advanced transportation technologies.
12:52The train will be developed under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative,
12:55reducing dependence on foreign manufacturers
12:57and creating an indigenous ecosystem for high-speed rail engineering.
13:02Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnov has confirmed
13:04that the design work on the B35 platform will begin within six months.
13:09The train is also being specifically engineered for Indian conditions.
13:13It will be capable of operating efficiently in extreme heat.
13:16Heavy rainfall, dusty environment and coastal humidity,
13:20making it suitable for India's diverse geography.
13:23Project B35 is also the natural evolution of another indigenous project, the B28.
13:29India's first domestically developed bullet train,
13:32the B28 is being jointly developed by BEML Limited and the Integral Coach Factory.
13:37At BAML's Aditya Manufacturing Plant in Bengaluru,
13:41it has a design speed of 280 km per hour
13:43and an operational speed of 250 km per hour.
13:48Commercial trials on the Mumbai-Ehmadabad bullet train corridor
13:51are targeted by August 2027.
13:54That very corridor will become the proving ground
13:56for India's indigenous high-speed rail technology.
14:00The Mumbai-Ehmadabad project itself stretches over 500 km.
14:03It has already achieved more than 56% physical progress.
14:08The first operational section between Surat and Vaapi
14:11is also targeted for August 2027.
14:13Looking beyond this corridor,
14:15India's ambitions are much larger.
14:18The government has already approved
14:19seven additional bullet train corridors,
14:22including Mumbai-Pune, Bengaluru-Chennay,
14:25Delhi-Varanasi and Delhi-Siliguri.
14:27Together, these projects are expected to form
14:30a 4,000 km national high-speed rail network.
14:33Project B35 is expected to power these future routes.
14:37The trains will also use the ETCS Level 2 signaling system,
14:41one of the world's most advanced railway signaling technologies.
14:45The project will strengthen India's manufacturing capabilities,
14:48create domestic expertise in advanced rail engineering,
14:52reduce long-term costs and position India
14:54among the select group of nations capable
14:56of designing and manufacturing world-class high-speed trains.
15:00Project B35 is not just another railway program.
15:04It is India's roadmap toward becoming a global leader
15:07in next-generation high-speed mobility.
15:09With Harsh Mishra, Bureau Report, India Today Global.
15:15For more than four decades, India kept saying one thing.
15:19The Air India Flight 182 bombing was carried out
15:22by Khalistani terrorists operating from Canadian soil.
15:26Ottawa never said it so directly, until now.
15:29In a major shift, Canada's own intelligence agency
15:32has for the first time publicly blamed
15:35Canada-based Khalistani extremists
15:37for planting the bomb that killed all 329 people on board.
15:42So why has Canada changed its position after 41 years?
15:45And why does this acknowledgement matter so much to India?
15:49The bombing of Air India Flight 182 in June 1985
15:52remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history.
15:56The Boeing 747 traveling from Toronto to Bombay, or Mumbai,
16:01exploded over the Atlantic Ocean
16:03after a bomb hidden in the luggage compartment tore the aircraft apart.
16:07The attack killed 329 passengers and crew,
16:11most of them Canadian citizens.
16:13Investigators linked the bombing to members of the banned
16:16Khalistani terror group Babber Khalsa.
16:19Yet for decades, official Canadian statements avoided explicitly
16:23naming Khalistani movement.
16:26That has now changed.
16:28In a public message marking the anniversary of the tragedy,
16:31Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS,
16:35directly stated that the bomb was planted
16:37by Canada-based Khalistani extremists.
16:40The language is significant,
16:42because this is the first time Canada's premier intelligence agency
16:46has publicly attached Khalistani movement
16:48to the country's worst-ever terror attack.
16:51It is a position India has maintained since day one.
16:55The obvious question is this,
16:57why did it take more than four decades?
16:59The answer lies in one of Canada's biggest intelligence failures.
17:03A public inquiry concluded that security agencies
17:06made a cascading series of mistakes.
17:08CSIS had monitored Babber Khalsa leader Talwinder Singh Parmar.
17:13Yet hundreds of hours of crucial wiretap recordings were destroyed.
17:18A bitter rivalry between intelligence officials and police
17:21weakened the investigation.
17:23Witnesses were intimidated.
17:25Some were even murdered.
17:26And when the main suspects were acquitted in 2005 due to lack of evidence,
17:32public outrage forced Canada to confront its failures.
17:35But intelligence failures were only part of the story.
17:39There was also political hesitation.
17:41Although most of the victims were Canadians,
17:43the bombing was often viewed as an overseas Indian issue
17:47rather than a Canadian national tragedy.
17:49Successive governments avoided directly naming Khalistani extremism.
17:54Instead, official documents relied on vague terms such as insurgents
17:58or unnamed extremists.
18:00That ambiguity lasted for years.
18:03Now, Ottawa appears to be changing course.
18:06Earlier this year,
18:07CSIS warned that Canada-based Khalistani extremist groups
18:10continue to pose a national security threat.
18:13The agency said these networks are using Canadian institutions
18:17to spread violent extremist ideology
18:20and raise funds that can be diverted towards violent activities.
18:24The latest statement on the Air India bombing reinforces that assessment
18:29and marks a major shift in Canada's security narrative.
18:32For India, this is far bigger than a historical correction.
18:36New Delhi has repeatedly accused Canada of allowing Khalistani extremists
18:41to organise, raise money and promote separatist activities from Canadian soil.
18:46Those concerns often became the biggest source of tension between the two countries.
18:51Under former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
18:54the relationship deteriorated sharply,
18:56especially after Ottawa accused Indian agents
18:58of involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijer.
19:03India consistently argued that the larger issue
19:06was Canada's reluctance to act against extremist networks
19:09operating within its borders.
19:11Ottawa rejected that criticism for years.
19:14But today's acknowledgement strengthens India's long-standing claim
19:17that violent Khalistani organisations did not disappear.
19:22Instead, many relocated abroad
19:24and continued operating from countries
19:26where they found political space and legal protection.
19:30The timing is equally important.
19:32Under Prime Minister Mark Carney,
19:33Canada's security establishment
19:34appears to be reassessing the Khalistani threat.
19:38Officially acknowledging that Canada-based Khalistani extremists
19:41carried out the Air India bombing
19:43is not merely about correcting history.
19:45It signals a change in how Ottawa views extremism
19:48within its own borders.
19:50The Air India bombing has always been remembered
19:53as one of the darkest chapters in aviation history.
19:55But today, it is also becoming a turning point in diplomacy.
20:00After four decades of denial, hesitation and carefully chosen words,
20:05Canada has finally used the terminology India was waiting to hear.
20:09Whether this leads to deeper cooperation against extremist networks
20:13remains to be seen.
20:14But one thing is now undeniable.
20:16Canada's official narrative has changed.
20:19And with it,
20:20one of India's longest-running security arguments
20:22has gained unprecedented validation.
20:25That's all in this edition of Statecraft.
20:28Before we go,
20:28EU ministers discussing climate policies in Luxembourg
20:31had an unexpected guest at the negotiating table.
20:35A three-month-old baby,
20:36the youngest ever.
20:38Swedish Climate Minister Romina Pormukhtari
20:40brought her son Adam
20:42to highlight Sweden's generous parental leave system
20:45where both mothers and fathers share paid leave.
20:48It was reportedly the first time a baby attended
20:50an EU minister's meeting.
20:52Look at the visuals.
20:54Goodbye and take care.
21:19for sure.
21:20See you later.
21:21You
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