Dubai-says-debris-from-an-intercepted-missile-struck-Oracles-local.jpeg

Dubai says debris from an intercepted missile struck Oracle’s local offices

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Falling debris from an intercepted missile has damaged the Dubai office of American tech giant Oracle, city officials said on Saturday.

“Authorities confirm that they responded to a minor incident caused by debris from an aerial interception that fell on the facade of the Oracle building in Dubai Internet City. No injuries were reported,” the Dubai Media Office said on X.

Iran has threatened to strike US-owned companies in the Middle East in retaliation for the US-led war that has now dragged on for six weeks. In a statement published on Tuesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps advised US workers to avoid their offices.

In response, Dell told employees not to travel to the Middle East for work until mid-April, and advised staff based in the region to work from home. In an internal note, the company said it was prioritizing team member safety.

Amazon said in March that several of its cloud computing facilities had been struck since the war began.

The US has urged its citizens to reconsider travel to much of the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, “due to the threat of armed conflict and terrorism.”

The war, which began after the US and Israel launched strikes on Tehran on February 28, has upended the global economy as fuel prices skyrocket and travel through parts of the Middle East is rerouted.

President Donald Trump has said the war is intended to weaken what he has called the “imminent threat” of Iran’s ballistic missiles, alleged nuclear weapons program, and its proxies in the Middle East.

Trump on Saturday doubled down on his earlier demand that Iran open the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes, by April 6 or face consequences. The US, meanwhile, has moved thousands of troops into the region in recent weeks.




Source link

Headshot of Chris Panella.

Top American admiral in the Middle East says the US struck an Iranian drone carrier. He said ‘it’s on fire.’

by with No Comment Xpandfy

The US struck an Iranian drone carrier, and the vessel is currently on fire, the top American admiral in the Middle East said.

Iran’s drone carriers are specialized crewed combat vessels capable of launching a mix of one-way attack drones and uncrewed reconnaissance and strike platforms. Destroying Iran’s naval forces, including warships, has been named a priority by US President Donald Trump and other officials in Operation Epic Fury.

On Thursday afternoon, Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command overseeing the Middle East, said, “In just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship, roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier, and as we speak, it’s on fire.”

Cooper didn’t elaborate on where the carrier was located or what it kind of munition hit it. He said that US forces have sunk over 30 Iranian vessels since the start of Operation Epic Fury last weekend.

Tehran has multiple vessels capable of serving as launch platforms for drones, including a former tanker converted into a forward base ship that was seen smoking at its home port in recent satellite images, but Iran’s dedicated, purpose-built drone carrier is the IRIS Shahid Bagheri.

Cooper didn’t identify the targeted Iranian vessel.

The Shahid Bagheri, formerly a container ship before it was reworked and commissioned into the navy last year.

The Iranian vessel features a ski jump-style ramp, one similar in some respects to those on Soviet-built carriers like the Russian Admiral Kuznetsov or Chinese derivatives, that are used to launch aircraft. The vessel can launch a mix of different drones.

During Thursday’s briefing, Cooper also offered several other updates on the US war in Iran. He said that within the last 72 hours, US bombers had struck nearly 200 targets “deep inside of Iran, including around Tehran.” In the last hour, he said at the 5 pm EST event, US Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers dropped “dozens” of 2,000-pound penetrative bombs on buried ballistic missile launchers.

The last day of operations, compared to the start of the conflict, has seen dramatic decreases in Iranian attacks beyond its borders, Cooper said. Ballistic missile attacks are down by 90% and the drone attacks are down by 83%. Reductions in these attacks reduces the strain on air defenders and interceptor stockpiles.

US forces have also targeted Iran’s equivalent of US Space Command, Cooper said, “which degrades their ability to threaten Americans.”




Source link

Israel-struck-Iran-with-F-35I-Adir-stealth-fighter-jets-that.jpeg

Israel struck Iran with F-35I Adir stealth fighter jets that cost $44,000 per hour to fly

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Updated

  • Israeli Air Force F-35I planes struck Iranian missile systems and military leaders on Saturday.
  • The Israeli F-35 variant is known as “Adir,” meaning “Mighty One” in Hebrew.
  • The planes also struck Iran in June and aided defenses against Iranian missiles in 2023 and 2024.

Israel launched what it called “the most extensive aerial operation ever conducted by the Israeli Air Force” on Saturday, targeting Iranian missile systems and military leaders in tandem with US forces. Israel’s F-35I stealth fighter jets were on the front lines.

The Israeli variant of the US-made Lockheed Martin Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter plane is known as “Adir,” meaning “Mighty One” in Hebrew. With advanced stealth capabilities and a customized electronic warfare system, the F-35I is one of the most powerful tools in Israel’s air defense arsenal.

In addition to Israel’s newest assault on Iran, the Israeli planes also conducted preemptive strikes against Iran’s nuclear program in June, intercepted hundreds of drones, missiles, and rockets fired by Iran in a retaliatory attack in 2024, and took down a missile fired by an Iran-backed group in Yemen in 2023, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Here’s a closer look at the “Mighty One” military aircraft.

F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets, produced by Lockheed Martin, are some of the most advanced military aircraft in the world.

An Israeli F-35I lands at Ovda airbase near Eilat, southern Israel.

Tsafrir Abayov/AP

The F-35 stores its weapons and fuel internally, and its aligned edges and radar-absorbent coating also help the aircraft evade detection. The planes cost $44,000 per hour to fly, The National Interest reported.

They feature advanced stealth and information-processing capabilities and can reach supersonic speeds of Mach 1.6, or 548.8 meters per second.


An Israeli Air Force F-35I Adir multirole fighter aircraft

An Israeli Air Force F-35I Adir fighter aircraft flies over the Negev Desert.

YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn A. Hewson said in 2018 that the planes “can fly in what we call ‘beast mode,‘ carrying up to 18,000 pounds of internal and external ordnance, in a mix that can include 5,000-pound-class weapons.”

In 2016, Israel became the first country other than the US to acquire F-35 fighter jets.


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands next to a F-35 fighter jet just after it landed in Israel at Nevatim air base in 2016

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands next to an F-35 fighter jet just after it landed in Israel at Nevatim air base.

Amir Cohen/Reuters

Israel was the first country to select the model through the US Foreign Military Sales process and bought 50 planes, according to Lockheed Martin.

Israel has made significant modifications to the jets.


A new production line for F-35 wings is seen in Israel Aerospace Industries' (IAI) campus, near Tel Aviv

A production line for F-35 wings in Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) campus near Tel Aviv.

Amir Cohen/Reuters

Israel manufactures its own wings and electronic warfare system for the F-35I. It also developed its own version of the high-tech helmet that displays the plane’s airspeed, altitude, targeting information, and other crucial stats directly on the pilot’s visor.

The Israeli Air Force named its F-35I variant “Adir,” meaning “Mighty One” in Hebrew.


Israeli Air Force technicians customize an F-35I plane with a Star of David symbol.

Israeli Air Force technicians customize an F-35I plane with a Star of David symbol.

Israeli Air Force

The Israeli Air Force also added a six-pointed Star of David to the design, a Jewish symbol that also appears on the Israeli flag.

In 2018, Israel became the first country to use the F-35I in combat, its air force chief said.


An Israeli Air Force F-35 flies during an aerial demonstration

Israeli Air Force F-35 flies during an aerial demonstration.

Amir Cohen/Reuters

“We are flying the F-35 all over the Middle East and have already attacked twice on two different fronts,” then-Israeli Air Force chief Major-General Amikam Norkin said in a speech at a gathering of foreign air force leaders, Reuters reported.

In July 2023, Israel acquired an additional 25 Adir planes in a $3 billion deal.


Israeli F-35I planes at Nevatim airbase in Israel.

Israeli F-35I planes.

Israeli Air Force

The deal was financed through the military aid Israel receives from the US, Reuters reported.

In November 2023, Israel’s F-35I Adir fighter jets took down a missile fired by an Iran-backed group in Yemen, according to the IDF.


An Israeli F-35 fighter jet

A F-35I fighter jet flies during a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots in southern Israel.

Amir Cohen/Reuters

It was the first known intercept of a cruise missile by an F-35 plane.

The Israeli Air Force released footage of the encounter on X, writing in Hebrew that its personnel are “preoccupied at every moment with planning and managing the defense response and are prepared for any threat in any area.”

Iran appeared to target the Nevatim air base, which houses Israel’s fleet of F-35I jets, during an attack in April 2024.


An Israeli F-35 combat aircraft is seen in the skies over Israel's border with Lebanon

An Israeli F-35 combat aircraft in the skies over Israel’s border with Lebanon.

Ammar Awad/Reuters

Out of the over 350 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles, launched at Israel by Iran and its proxies in Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon, around 99% were intercepted by Israel and its allies. The IDF released photos showing minor damage near a runway at the Nevatim Airbase and to a road in Hermon caused by the few projectiles that landed.

The missiles appeared to target Israel’s Nevatim Airbase in the Negev desert, which houses its fleet of F-35I stealth fighter jets. The base remained operational throughout the attack, according to the IDF, with the Adir fighter jets aiding the defensive mission.

“Iran thought it would be able to paralyze the base and thus damage our air capabilities, but it failed,” IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a statement.

In June 2025, the Israeli Air Force launched around 200 fighter jets, including F-35Is, in a preemptive strike targeting Iran’s nuclear program.


An F-35I Israeli fighter jet used in strikes against Iran.

An F-35I Israeli fighter jet used in strikes against Iran.

Israel Defense Forces

An IDF spokesperson said that Israeli fighter jets struck over 100 sites across Iran to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon, including military targets and its largest uranium enrichment site in Natanz.

The IDF said that Iran’s nuclear program had “accelerated significantly” in recent months and called it “clear evidence that the Iranian regime is operating to obtain a nuclear weapon.” Iran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes.

“This is a critical operation to prevent an existential threat by an enemy who is intent on destroying us,” Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the IDF’s Chief of the General Staff, said in a statement.

The IDF released photos showing planes used in the large-scale operation, including F-35I jets.

F-35Is struck Iran over the weekend in what the IDF called “the largest military flyover in Israeli Air Force history.”


US and Israeli F-35s flying together during a training exercise.

US and Israeli F-35s flew together during a training exercise. The two countries launched new strikes against Iran using land, air, and sea assets.

U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Duncan C. Bevan

As part of Operation Roaring Lion, Israel’s moniker for Operation Epic Fury, around 200 Israeli fighter jets, including F-35Is, struck 500 Iranian missile launchers and aerial defense systems on Saturday. IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani characterized the operation as “the most extensive aerial operation ever conducted by the Israeli Air Force.”

The strikes “significantly degraded” Iran’s offensive capabilities, the IDF said. The strikes also killed Iranian military leaders, including Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the IRGC.

The war in Gaza prompted new scrutiny of US military aid to Israel.


An Israeli soldier sits inside a F-35 fighter jet

An Israeli soldier sits inside an F-35I fighter jet after it landed in Israel at Nevatim Airbase.

Amir Cohen/Reuters

The October 7 terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas killed around 1,200 Israelis and captured over 240.

Israel’s counteroffensive airstrikes and military actions in Gaza resulted in over 72,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to figures provided to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza. The IDF reports that at least 17,000 of these fatalities were Hamas militants. A ceasefire agreement was reached in October.

According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, over 1.9 million Gazans, around 90% of the population, have been displaced by the war.

The devastating human toll of the war in Gaza with US-funded planes like the F-35I has prompted new scrutiny of US aid to Israel, with some lawmakers in Congress raising the possibility of conditioning military and economic aid.




Source link

Israel-says-200-fighters-struck-Iran-in-the-largest-air.jpeg

Israel says 200 fighters struck Iran in the largest air operation in its history

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Roughly 200 fighter jets participated in Israel’s widespread airstrikes against Iran on Saturday, the Israeli military said, calling the attack the largest air operation in its history.

The Israeli fighter jets dropped hundreds of bombs on 500 targets in western and central Iran, including air defense systems and missile launchers, the military said in a statement. The government earlier announced it had carried out a “preemptive” strike.

Attacks on the defensive systems — a tactic known as suppression of enemy air defenses, or SEAD — allowed Israel to expand its aerial superiority over Iranian territory, the military added.

“This is the largest military flyover in the history of the Israeli Air Force,” it said, adding that the operation was based on extensive planning and “high-quality intelligence.”

The strikes involved Israeli F-35 stealth fighters and F-15 jets. The full extent of the aircraft that participated is unclear.

Israeli warplanes attacked Iran alongside the US military. President Donald Trump described the American involvement as the start of “major combat operations” after nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington broke down.

A US official told Business Insider that American air, land, and naval forces were involved in the strikes against Iran and launched drones, rocket artillery, and cruise missiles, among other weapons.


An Israeli F-15C Buzz launches for a sortie in support of exercise Juniper Falcon, May 7, at Uvda Air Base, Israel.

Israeli F-15 fighter jets were involved in the strikes.

US Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew



US fighter aircraft also participated in the attacks, which targeted Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, air defenses, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields, the American military said.

Hundreds of Iranians have been killed and wounded in strikes so far, according to multiple reports.

Iran retaliated by launching waves of missiles against Israel and US bases across the Middle East, sending the region into an air defense frenzy.

US Central Command, which oversees Middle East operations, said its forces “successfully defended against hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks.”

Several Middle Eastern countries confirmed shooting down Iranian missiles as well, though some projectiles managed to slip past air defenses. CENTCOM said there are no reports of US casualties, nor has there been significant damage to American facilities.

Saturday’s strikes mark the second time in less than a year that the US has attacked Iran. American forces bombed the country’s nuclear facilities in June 2025 as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.

They also follow a steady buildup of US military forces in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, including more than a dozen warships and hundreds of aircraft.




Source link