Middle East
A missile is launched in an annual drill in the coastal area of the Gulf of Oman and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Dec. 30, 2022. DUBAI, United Arab…
Protesters call on the United Nations to take action against the treatment of women in Iran during a demonstration in New York on Nov. 19. VIA GETTY IMAGES As the regime’s…
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reacts to President Biden’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit and weighs in on foreign policy issues including China and…
Iran claims of developing hypersonic missile that can breach all defense systems
A Russian drone, which local authorities consider to be Iranian made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) Shahed-136, is seen during a Russian drone strike, , in Kyiv, Ukraine Oct. 17, 2022…
Former Israeli Prime Minister and the head of Likud party, Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara gesture after first exit poll results for the Israeli Parliamentary election at his party’s…
A view of drones during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on August 24, 2022. Iranian Army/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via…
A man reacts near the body of his cousin, killed in a Russian rocket attack in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/LIBKOS) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces…
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said today that he will not accept “chaos”. Will the warning from Raisi intensify protests against the Iranian state? Priyanka Sharma tells you more.
Anti-government protests in Iran, initially sparked by the death of a young woman while she was in police custody for wearing an “improper” head covering, have now grown to include…
A supporter of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr carries bullet casings and a spent shotgun shell in the capital Baghdad, on Aug. 29, 2022. BAGHDAD — Armed supporters of a powerful…
President Biden speaks during a signing ceremony for the Inflation Reduction Act at the White House. The U.S. military conducted precision airstrikes in Syria against Iran-backed groups at President Biden’s…
German chancellor condemns remarks morning after joint press conference with Palestinian leader The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has accused Israel of committing “50 Holocausts”, at a joint press conference with Germany’s…
A ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants is holding, after three days of violence in which at least 44 people have died. The ceasefire was mediated by Egypt – which…
The Biden administration approved two massive arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to help them defend against Iran. Package includes $3 billion in Patriot missiles for…
Isolated internationally over his unprovoked war on Ukraine, Russian president needs allies who are happy with more conflict Vladimir Putin meets Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi to deepen ties amid Ukrainian war…
Sparks from an explosion caused by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, Saturday, July 16, 2022. (AP) The Israeli military says it has attacked a Hamas military site in the Gaza…
Iran on Thursday issued a warning to the United States as president Joe Biden and the Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid signed a joint pledge to deny Iran any kind…
Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, discusses Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia as oil prices rise, the Iran Nuclear Deal and Sen. Joe Manchin’s response to the Democrats’ spending bill. … REP.…
Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesU.S. won’t ‘wait forever’ for Iran to return to nuclear deal, Biden says President Joe Biden said Thursday the U.S. won’t wait indefinitely for Iran to rejoin a…
U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid attend the first virtual meeting of the “I2U2” group with leaders of India and the United Arab Emirates, in Jerusalem,…
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Monday, July 11, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo) WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House…
Picture shows interception by the Israeli army of a drone launched by Lebanon’s Hezbollah that was headed towards an offshore gas field in the Mediterranean. 3 unmanned aircraft were heading…
U.S. President Joe Biden, center, attends a working lunch with other G7 leaders to discuss shaping the global economy. The Group of Seven leading economic powers are meeting in Germany…
FILE – Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid poses for a photo at his office in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, May 21, 2020. Following the government’s decision to dissolve parliament, Lapid,…
FILE – An inspector of the International Atomic Energy Agency sets up surveillance equipment, at the Uranium Conversion Facility of Iran, just outside the city of Isfahan, Iran, Aug. 8,…
The Liberian-flagged oil tanker Ice Energy transfers crude oil from the Iranian-flagged oil tanker Lana (former Pegas), off the shore of Karystos, on the Island of Evia, Greece. (Reuters) DUBAI,…
A Syrian S-300 (Missile Threat). TV says incident came last week as IAF fighters departed area after alleged strike and they were not in danger; move could signal a significant…
Israeli police moved in on a crowd of mourners at the funeral of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, beating demonstrators with batons and causing pallbearers to briefly drop the…
Journalists and medics wheel the body of Shireen Abu Akleh, a journalist for Al Jazeera network, into the morgue inside the Hospital in the West Bank town of Jenin, Wednesday,…
Police made decision after ongoing clashes with Arab protesters at site The organization that coordinates visits by Jews to the Temple Mount said on Saturday night that the Israel Police…
Israeli police forensics experts work at the scene of the attack in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv. Photograph: Reuters Reports say suspected Arab gunman killed at least five people in Bnei…
Israeli Zaka Rescue and Recovery team carry the body of a victim at the scene of shooting attack In Hadera, Israel, Sunday, March 27, 2022. A pair of gunmen killed…
The Florida congresswoman says a nuclear-capable Iran could lead to world war and makes predictions ahead of Biden’s meeting with Xi Jinping.
In this photo provided Nov. 5, 2018, by the Iranian Army, a Sayyad 2 missile is fired by the Talash air defense system during drills in an undisclosed location in…
Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks at Expo 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. The UAE intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels early Monday…
Yemen’s seven-year war lurched into its latest crisis Monday with Houthi rebels saying they have seized an Emirati-flagged military ship which the Saudi-led coalition insisted was carrying medical supplies. The…
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s military said early Sunday it launched strikes against militant targets in the Gaza Strip, a day after rockets were fired from the Hamas-ruled territory. Video filmed…
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran launched a rocket with a satellite carrier bearing three devices into space, authorities announced Thursday, without saying whether any of the objects had entered Earth’s…
As nuclear deal talks in Vienna show promising signs, Iranian military leaders are using aggressive rhetoric to deter the U.S. and its allies from strikes on the country’s nuclear infrastructure.…
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A close-up of a heliport under construction in Rutog County.
On volatile border between India and China, a high-altitude military buildup is underway
Construction crews are now scattered around Ladakh as Indian authorities speed up their infrastructure race with China.
An overview of a heliport under construction near Aksai Chin Lake, in a region administered by China but contested by India, on May 28.
An overview of a heliport under construction in Rutog County in the Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, on Nov. 28.
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Runway
China is expanding the construction of its facilities on Fiery Cross Reef. Provided by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), this June 28, 2015 photo reveals Beijing has nearly completed a 3,000 meter (9,800-foot) airstrip, long enough to accommodate most Chinese military aircraft. Two h...
Expansion
Reclamation on Fiery Cross Reef, which lies on the west side of the Spratly Islands, began in August of 2014 and its principal landmass was finished by November. Dredgers have created a land mass that spans the entire existing reef and is approximately 3,000 meters long and 200-300 meters wide.
Facilities
This picture taken last November shows construction work being carried out on Fiery Cross Reef. The reef reportedly already houses a helicopter landing pad, a 300-meter-long wharf, a harbor large enough to dock military tankers, barracks and artillery emplacements.
South Johnson Reef
This reef was one of the first facilities to finish principal land reclamation. This recent picture shows that a radar tower is nearing completion at the north end of the land mass. According to AMTI, a new large multi-level military facility has been built in the center of the island. Up to six sur...
A naval base?
Beginning in early 2015, Mischief Reef - also located in the Spratlys - has undergone extensive reclamation activity. Experts say that the recent widening of the southern entrance to the reef, coupled with sightings of Chinese navy vessels, may suggest a future role for the reclaimed reef as a naval...
From reef to island
Significant construction on Gaven Reef began in 2014, with a total of 114,000 square meters of land already created. Satellite pictures show just how fast construction has progressed on the reef. A new artificial island was created between March (left) and August (right) 2014.
Troop garrison
According to AMTI, China has had a troop garrison on Gaven Reef since 2003, which has included a large supply platform where ships can dock. Experts say a new main square building in the reef appears to be an anti-aircraft tower.
A standardized process
As seen in this image, the basic process of expanding these features involves dredging sand from the seafloor and dumping it onto the reefs. The structure is raised above the high water line, hiding the status of the bank or reef beneath. The sand is then smoothed out and workers surround the island...
'Historic rights'
China claims most of the potentially energy-rich waterway, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The US Pacific Fleet commander recently said China was "creating a great wall of sand" in the South China Sea, causing serious concerns about its territorial intentions. Beijin...
Territorial disputes
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims, which have led to territorial disputes in the area. Last summer, China's deployment of a massive oil rig in waters also claimed by Hanoi escalated tensions in the region, sparking a standoff at sea and violent anti-C...
US concerns
Washington is concerned China's efforts carry a military dimension that could undermine the US' naval and economic power in the Pacific, and has weighed sending warships and surveillance aircraft within 12 nautical miles of the new artificial islands. Washington has repeatedly called on Beijing and ...
Ecological impact
The Philippines filed a formal plea at the UN last year, challenging Beijing's territorial claims. Manila said China's reclamation activities are causing "irreversible and widespread damage to the biodiversity and ecological balance of the South China Sea." It also claimed that the destruction of co...
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