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Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been laid to rest in Mashhad after a week-long funeral procession.
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00:05hello and welcome you're watching statecraft with me gita mohan now can one partnership quietly
00:10reshape the indo-pacific while another alliance begins to crack under pressure and as india builds
00:15for the future is nato being forced to confront its biggest internal divide tonight two stories
00:22that reveal two very different approaches to global power prime minister narendra modi's
00:26australia visit has delivered major agreements on defense trade critical minerals and civilian
00:32nuclear cooperation meanwhile at nato summit in ankara turkey donald trump has openly challenged
00:38america's closest allies questioning their loyalty and warning that u.s protection cannot be taken
00:44for granted one story is about strengthening partnerships the other about testing alliances
00:50all this and more but first up the headlines prime minister narendra modi on his australia
00:56visit has sealed a landmark uranium supply deal as indian australia expanded cooperation in defense
01:01maritime security and energy as fuel prices hike amid renewed attacks by us and iran russia introduced
01:08a ban on diesel exports as part of a raft of measures to support the domestic fuel market after
01:14systematic ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries triggered shortages and price spikes in some regions
01:20democratic senate senate candidate graham plattner of maine suspended his campaign following a string
01:26of controversies including an accusation of sexual assault that have plunged one of the most competitive
01:31races in the 2026 midterm elections into turmoil organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons
01:37reinstated serious voting rights at the global chemical weapons watchdog five years after it was
01:43stripped of such rights under ousted president bashar al-assad ayatollah ali khamenei is finally laid to rest
01:50a leader who strongly opposed american intervention was part of the iranian revolution of 1979 and guided
01:57iran through multiple u.s sanctions and oppositions since 1989 till his assassination in the u.s israel
02:04strike on february 28th of this year amid u.s strikes against iran the former ayatollah was laid to rest
02:10in mashad the week-long funeral procession began with global leaders and allies of iran paying their
02:16last respects at iran's grand musallah in tehran it passed through tehran where the crowd gathered in
02:22unexpected numbers to catch a glimpse of their beloved leader for the last time from tehran to qom and then
02:29the coffin was brought to iraq's religious cities of najaf and karbala the coffin was brought to the
02:35shrines of imam ali najaf and imam hussein in karbala though iran and iraq fought a war for eight
02:41years the body of the former leader was brought to iraq at the holy shrines because these two are
02:47the holiest shrines in shia faith the procession taken out in tehran and then on the streets of iraq
02:53also sends across a message to the world showcasing the unity against the united states of america and
02:59its threats and attempts at dividing the nation and its people mashad in iran is the birth city of
03:04ali khamenei he was born in 1939 and spent his childhood and received his early religious
03:10education in the city according to iranian state media khamenei had personally expressed his wish
03:16to be buried in mashad the city is also where the imam reza shrine is situated a sacred site for
03:22shia
03:22muslims besides ali khamenei former president ibrahim reisi was also buried at the imam reza shrine
03:29reisi died in a helicopter crash in the year 2024 amid the funeral tensions between iran and u.s have
03:37escalated iran and the u.s traded strikes on the second day after president trump said the islamabad
03:43mou was over earlier trump while speaking to reporters in ankara on the sidelines of the
03:48nato summit called iranian government scum and cancer which needs to be cut off he also threatened to hit
03:56iran harder on the second consecutive day blasts were heard in iranian cities along the strait of
04:02homos including bushair chabahar bandir abbas and sirik the u.s military says these strikes were in
04:10retaliation to the attack on three commercial vessels in the strait of homos several explosions
04:15were heard in bushair where iran's nuclear power plant is located bushair facility which is the only
04:22functioning nuclear plant of iran has repeatedly been attacked in the u.s israeli strikes the u.s
04:28military launched fresh attacks on the second day on iran shahar airport in which a firefighter was
04:35killed a video showed smoke rising from the direction of the airport another video showed an explosion in
04:43iran's chabahar where a maritime control tower was struck remember this is the very same place where india
04:49has stakes this is the power in the city was knocked out but was later restored in most of the
04:55areas meanwhile two railway bridges were also destroyed in the strike iranian foreign ministry
05:01has condemned u.s strikes iran retaliated by striking u.s bases in bahrain and egypt bahrain's
05:07interior ministry said warning signs were activated and urged people to calm down and take shelter in
05:13safe locations kuwait said its air defense system intercepted three ballistic missiles one cruise
05:19missile and ten suicide drones however kuwait's defense ministry said one person was injured during
05:25attacks by iran iran kuwait has also condemned the attack as heinous and said the attacks on its
05:31territory constitute a dangerous escalation that will exacerbate the state of tension in the region
05:37qatari prime minister condemned the attacks on commercial vessels in the strait of homos
05:42in a phone call with iranian foreign minister abbas arahchi for more on this we are now joined by
05:48west asia expert and a very senior journalist dr wail awa dr wail thank you so much for joining us
05:53let's just begin with the final journey itself it's uh finally been done and the mortal remains of
06:00the supreme leader has been laid to rest the ceasefire violations and tensions between iran and u.s
06:06however have begun what's your reading on what's really happening on the ground
06:09well thank you for having me i believe the united states president himself felt the the heat and the
06:16sympathy waves that have been generating this funeral of the late ayatollah khameini and especially more
06:22than 20 million participated in his funeral in iraq or in in iran and now to his final journey it's
06:29a
06:29clear indication that the united states of the verbal understanding with the iranian that they will not
06:34make any sort of an attack till his body is buried it's a clear indication that president trump could
06:40not wait so he has done it and he has already violated the uh mou he signed the framework with
06:47iran
06:47and he's back into his own rhetoric of abusing of using uncivilized language against the iranian
06:53which is at this moment as you know you have come back from there the sympathy wave for the late
06:58leader
06:58is so strong that even the iranian will not uh tolerate such kind of language used by an american
07:04president dr what let's talk about what's happening on the ground in terms of the strait of hormuz the
07:09fact that uh we're looking at ships that are trying to cross the strait of hormuz and even as that
07:15is
07:15happening why do you think according to you is the reason uh for the ships to try uh moving to
07:22the
07:22strait of hormuz when there's there are uh very clear instructions that they need to clear it with
07:28iranian authorities why are the ships with various flags uh carrying various flags actually trying to
07:34cross the strait of hormuz absolutely and i think article 5 of the memorandum of understanding signed
07:40between the two sides stated there very clearly that it will be iran who will monitor the movement
07:45from there and it also iran have given the assurances that after the 60 days a truce that they have
07:52signed with the united states things will come normal as it was previously there was no question
07:56of at all or any question of loyalty to be paid it was only iran which was trying to regularize
08:02regularize this passage because it's a time of war and the united states instead of honoring its own
08:08word uh gita it that they have gone all the way robrio go to the arab countries try to use
08:14muscat passage
08:15try to get escorting the american uh the the wanted to escort the ships from there it's a clear
08:21indication of the violation iran said any ship can pass and remember when iran opened the strait of
08:26hormuz there was 72 ship in one day have passed which means 50 percent of the oil which usually been
08:33passed has been carried out and now after the american first attack and the american skirmish with
08:38the iranian it reduced to 42 and then it went down to 30 now it is completely blocked so this
08:44is a clear
08:45indication that the united states president after the visit to turkey after a meeting with nato forces
08:50and getting the green signal from the turkish government that he will be part of the nato
08:55attack on iran to control the strait of hormuz i think they wanted to pull out the only bargaining
09:00chips in the iranian hand at the moment is the strait of foremost because it will become more important
09:06for the united states than the nuclear issue of iran dr wailabad thank you so much for joining us here
09:12prime minister narendra modhi arrived in australia for the second leg of his three-nation tour but this
09:18visit is about far more than just diplomacy at a time when the indo-pacific is becoming the center
09:24of global competition india and australia are taking their partnership to an entirely new level
09:29from defense and maritime security to critical minerals trade and clean energy the two countries
09:35have unveiled a sweeping road map for the future and at the heart of it lies one agreement that could
09:41transform india's energy security for decades to come australian uranium so what exactly is on the
09:48agenda and why does this visit matter so much for india the centerpiece of the visit is the third
09:55australia india annual summit in melbourne where prime minister modi and australian prime minister
10:00anthony albanese announced 18 major outcomes across defense technology trade education and energy the
10:08biggest strategic development is now a new joint declaration on defense and security cooperation
10:14replacing the 2009 framework the agreement expands military interoperability joint exercises cyber
10:21cooperation defense manufacturing counter-terrorism and maritime security alongside this both countries
10:29also adopted a maritime security collaboration roadmap to strengthen coordination across the indo-pacific
10:35where china's growing naval presence continues to reshape regional security you see india and australia
10:43are no longer just friendly democracies they're becoming long-term strategic partners both countries
10:49support a free open and inclusive indo-pacific both want resilient supply chains stronger maritime
10:55security and closer cooperation in regional forums neither country mentioned china directly but the
11:02strategic context is impossible to ignore as beijing expands its military footprint across the indo-pacific
11:08new delhi and canberra steadily increasing coordination to preserve the regional balance that
11:15cooperation now extends well beyond defense india and australia launched a new partnership for cyber
11:21critical technologies and supply chains aimed at reducing dependence on vulnerable global networks the two
11:27leaders also pushed for an early conclusion of the comprehensive economic cooperation agreement which will
11:33build on the success of the existing trade pact australia also committed fresh investments through the ceo forum
11:40while both governments highlighted opportunities in manufacturing mining green hydrogen solar equipment and
11:47critical minerals but perhaps the most consequential announcement came in the energy sector india and australia have
11:53finally operationalized their civil nuclear agreement clearing the way for australian uranium exports to india
12:00for peaceful civilian use it may sound like a technical agreement in reality it could become one of the
12:06most important pillars of india's long-term clean energy strategy the numbers explain why australia holds nearly 28
12:14percent of the world's known uranium reserves the largest on the planet india meanwhile wants to expand its
12:20nuclear power capacity 200 gigawatts by 2047 as electricity demand continues to soar yet nuclear energy
12:28currently contributes only around three percent of india's electricity generation largely because securing
12:34reliable uranium supplies has remained a major challenge although the two countries signed a civil nuclear agreement back in
12:422014 administrative hurdles delayed implementation that obstacle has now been removed uranium exports will
12:50take place under international atomic energy agency safeguards and will be used exclusively for peaceful
12:57civilian purposes for india this is about much more than important fuel nuclear power provides reliable
13:04electricity around the clock unlike solar and wind which depends on weather conditions as india targets 500
13:11gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2070 nuclear energy will play a crucial
13:19supporting role australian uranium can therefore strengthen india's energy security reduce dependence on
13:26fossil fuels and accelerate the country's transition towards cleaner electricity the visit also produced
13:33agreements on mining technology rooftop solar training higher education scientific research and critical minerals
13:40australia returned three priceless indian antiquities while both countries expanded cooperation in skills
13:47development and innovation as well together these agreements reflect a relationship that is becoming
13:52broader deeper and increasingly future focused this visit is therefore about much more than signing
13:59documents it is about shaping the next phase of india's rise strong defense cooperation greater economic
14:06economic integration secure supply chains and cleaner energy powered by one of the world's largest uranium
14:13producers as geopolitical competition intensifies across the indo-pacific india and australia making one message
14:20unmistakably clear their partnership is no longer defined by potential it is now being built on concrete strategic
14:27outcomes that could shape the region for decades to come for years chabahar has been india's strategic gateway to
14:35afghanistan and central asia and a counterweight to china's presence at ghadir now u.s strikes have brought the
14:41iranian port into the spotlight once again what does this mean for india's long-term regional strategy here's a report
14:48by jodi shukla
15:01chabahar iran's only deep water port on the open ocean for two decades this was india's answer to
15:09pakistan's ghadir now it's under attack according to iranian media u.s strikes hit a maritime traffic
15:17control tower in the iranian port city of chabahar the attack came after u.s president donald trump
15:23declared the iran ceasefire is over triggering a fresh wave of strikes across southern iran
15:30and near the strait of hormuz but this isn't just another strike on an iranian port for india
15:37chabahar has always been much more than that it was india's only route to afghanistan and central
15:43asia that bypasses pakistan entirely a 10-year 120 million dollar bet signed in 2024 which is
15:53exactly why new delhi saw the sanctions squeeze coming back in april with a u.s waiver expiring
16:00india moved to temporarily transfer its stake in the chabahar free zone to a local iranian entity
16:06the arrangement came with the guarantee iran would hand the stake back once sanctions lift
16:11modern diplomacy called it a tactical recalibration not an exit so today when american missiles hit
16:20chabahar they're not hitting an active indian operation they're hitting a port india has already
16:26carefully stepped back from which raises the real question if india isn't running the port anymore
16:33why do these strikes still matter start with godhar two ports just 170 kilometers apart
16:41two competing visions for the region guadal was developed by china under the china pakistan economic
16:48corridor it gives beijing access to the arabian sea chabahar was built as india's answer to china's
16:55growing footprint in the same stretch of water then there's hormuz chabahar sits outside the strait of
17:02hormuz that's precisely what gives its strategic value ships using the port don't need to pass through the
17:08narrow choke point carrying much of the world's oil if conflict spreads beyond hormuz even that
17:15advantage begins to disappear and then there's the corridor chabahar was also the cornerstone of the
17:21international north south transport corridor a trade network linking india to iran the caucasus
17:28russia and europe promising shorter transit times and lower shipping costs than the traditional route
17:35through the suez canal that's why chabahar has survived changes in governments sanctions and
17:41regional tensions successive indian administrations viewed it not as a commercial project but as a
17:48long-term strategic investment which brings us to india's real dilemma it has deep strategic ties with
17:55iran through chabahar at the same time it's rapidly expanding defense technology and economic ties with the
18:02united states walking away from chabahar altogether would weaken india's entire eurasian strategy
18:09pushing already too aggressively risk sanctions or friction with washington in trying to preserve
18:15both its strategic partnership with washington and its long-term investment in iran india is
18:21walking an increasingly narrow geopolitical tightrope chabahar has survived sanctions diplomatic pressure
18:28years of delays now it faces another challenge war india may have stepped back from running chabahar
18:35but it cannot step back from what chabahar represents with jyoti shukla bureau report india today global
18:44nato's biggest meeting hijacked by its biggest member donald trump didn't come to ankara to reassure
18:51allies he came to put them on trial france germany italy spain one by one he called them out his
19:00charge
19:01america fought iran europe disappeared then came the threat no support maybe no american protection either
19:09european leaders didn't panic most didn't even fight back georgia maloney though fired back emmanuel
19:16macraw kept his cool and then came the moment nobody expected a journalist looked straight at
19:23nato chief mark wrote and asked if he had any self-respect left after standing silently beside trump
19:30that's not an awkward press conference that's an alliance under the spotlight today we answer did
19:38donald trump just exposed nato's biggest crack or create one himself trump's anger had one clear
19:45trigger iran he argued that europe enjoyed american protection for decades but disappeared when the
19:51u.s needed support during the conflict according to trump allies refused military access avoided deeper
19:58involvement and left washington to shoulder the burden alone that frustration quickly turned into a much
20:04bigger attack he called nato a paper tiger argued europe should secure its own oil and warned that america
20:12might not keep paying europe's security bill if allies refused to stand with the u.s when it mattered
20:19then came nato 2026 standing beside turkish president reset type erdogan trump declared he felt very
20:28disappointed with nato and even suggested he might have skipped the summit if it had not taken place in
20:34turkey turkey well we're going to see i was very disappointed with nato and frankly if it weren't
20:41held in turkey where my friend happens to be a very strong leader a very strong uh person i it's
20:49possible
20:50that i wouldn't have attended i felt i had to attend because of the fact that you know i know
20:56he's gone all
20:56out it was a big thing to have nato come to turkey or any place else it's a big thing
21:01but we weren't treated
21:03well because we did something in iran we don't need anybody's help i didn't even want their help
21:10but before i asked they said they wouldn't be there and we've invested trillions of dollars in nato
21:18why to protect european countries he named france germany and italy one by one accusing them of
21:25turning america down after the iran strikes then came perhaps his most dramatic line he claimed he
21:32never actually needed the help we didn't need any help at all and in a way i was testing people
21:38i was
21:38testing to see whether or not they'd be there because i've long said that we helped them but i'm not
21:43sure that they'd be there for us and italy turned us down and germany turned us down and france turned
21:49us down and it's okay but you know why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars
21:57and they're not there for us we've always been there for them he simply wanted to see whether they
22:03would stand beside america the way america had stood beside them according to trump they failed the
22:09loyalty test he also floated the idea of pulling every american soldier out of europe europe's
22:16response looked very different georgia maloney did not fold trump claimed she had begged him for a
22:21photo at the g7 maloney fired back call the remark completely fabricated and delivered one line
22:27that hit like a hammer italy and i never beg even after trump mocked her online before the summit she
22:34refused a public shouting match and stuck to one message italy's natural interest came first look
22:41regarding the post i said i wouldn't return to this issue and i won't return to it as for the
22:48political investment i don't regret anything i've done i made a political investment out of conviction
22:53in let's say the unity of the west i have stood by this wholeheartedly it is not a strategy i
23:00adopted
23:01with the arrival of donald trump and you can confirm this i have done so with every interlocutor
23:07i have faced clearly there were similarities with donald trump there are similarities on certain
23:13political issues from immigration to woke culture so i clearly thought it might be easier things are
23:19turning out as we have seen but i am not changing my mind about what is in italy's interest emmanuel
23:26macron chose another route he avoided a public brawl projected alliance unity but still rejected
23:31trump's territorial demands and doubled down on europe's push for greater strategic independence
23:37different styles same message europe refused to dance to trump's tune then the summit produced one
23:44final jaw dropper nato secretary general mark root faced a blunt challenge from a journalist
23:51uh mark you sit next to donald trump in moments where he talks about conquering greenland talks about
23:57lashing out at allies like spain starting trade wars things that it doesn't seem like the the old
24:03mark would approve of does this have any effect on your self-respect when you uh sit next to him
24:08like
24:08that and say nothing you know um what i always do is is acknowledge when praise is due and i
24:17think we
24:17should praise donald trump for the fact that nato is so much stronger of course it has to do with
24:22the
24:22russian threat it has to do with the war in ukraine but it very much also has to do with
24:27president trump
24:28when the secretary general of the world's most powerful military alliance has to answer whether
24:33he has any self-respect left the story is no longer about iran it's no longer about one summit it's
24:39about
24:39an alliance that suddenly looks divided in public for nato this isn't just about bruised egos it's about
24:44survival the alliance has always depended on one country more than any other the united states of
24:50america and donald trump knows it every time he hints at pulling american troops out of europe or
24:56questions why washington should keep defending allies who don't stand with it alarm bells ring across the
25:02alliance because if the us ever walks away nato doesn't just become weaker it risks becoming irrelevant
25:10an alliance is only as strong as its biggest military power without america nato loses much of
25:16the muscle that gives its promises real weight that's why despite the public smiles and careful
25:21diplomacy europe's biggest fear isn't trump's criticism it's that one day he might actually
25:27follow through trump didn't just throw punches at europe he forced nato to confront a far bigger problem
25:33what happens when the biggest member stops acting like a teammate and starts acting like the boss this
25:40wasn't just another nato summit it was a loyalty test president trump put europe's biggest capitals
25:46on the witness stand and declared them guilty that's all in this edition of statecraft before we go
25:53powerful images are emerging from gaza that capture the human cost of a conflict far beyond the battlefield
25:59mohammed al-wahidi a palestinian aid worker who brought moments of hope by organizing world cup
26:05screenings for families and children was killed in an israeli strike while on his way to another screening
26:12israel says he was not the intended target and that the strike was aimed at a hamas operative take a
26:19look
26:19at the visuals of these children enjoying the world cup football goodbye and take care
26:56of the
27:11Oh
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