Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just

$149.99
 
$74.99/Year

Try GOLD - Free

Opportunity and threat for Tehran

The Statesman Bhubaneswar

|

April 06, 2025

Iran is at its weakest moment externally since the Iran-Iraq war.

- TOUQIR HUSSAIN

Iran is at its weakest moment externally since the Iran-Iraq war. Israel's aggression in Lebanon and Gaza has critically wounded Iran's allies Hezbollah and Hamas, while Yemen's Houthis are under intense pressure from massive US air strikes. And Bashar al-Assad's Syria, the linchpin of Iran's strategy of surrounding Israel with a 'ring of fire', has gone. Tehran's Axis of Resistance is virtually no more.

Israel's air strike on Iran on Oct 26 last year had damaged its missile production capabilities and knocked out the S-300 air defence systems. Prior to that, Iran's two drone and missile attacks on Israel had been largely ineffective, exposing the weakness of the former country's much-vaunted deterrence capabilities.

As Paul Salem wrote for the Middle East Institute recently, "For many years, Israel and Iran maintained an uneasy equilibrium of mutual deterrence and limited hostility", but that is over. US President Donald Trump is being pressured by Israel to target Iranian nuclear facilities at Tehran's moment of 'maximum vulnerability', or face the prospect of unilateral action.

MORE STORIES FROM The Statesman Bhubaneswar

The Statesman Bhubaneswar

Chhath festival begins in UP

The four-day-long Chhath festival begins today in Uttar Pradesh with Nahay-Khaay, celebrated with great religious fervor.

time to read

1 mins

October 26, 2025

The Statesman Bhubaneswar

El Clásico showdown: Real Madrid and Barcelona clash at the Bernabéu in a title-defining battle of pride and revenge

Sunday's encounter between Real Madrid and Barcelona is far more than a routine league fixture ~ it’s the iconic ElClasico, and the stakes could hardly be higher.

time to read

2 mins

October 26, 2025

The Statesman Bhubaneswar

Bengal SIR: CEO’s office to introduce two-tier electoral administration

The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, will introduce a two-tier daily electoral administration system in the state immediately after the notification for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state is issued.

time to read

1 min

October 26, 2025

The Statesman Bhubaneswar

Illegal commercial complex razed in Meerut on SC orders

A 35-year-old commercial complex, built illegally on a plot originally allotted for residential purposes, has been demolished here on the directive of the Supreme Court.

time to read

1 min

October 26, 2025

The Statesman Bhubaneswar

SIT recovers gold from Sabarimala heist

In a major breakthrough in the Sabarimala gold theft case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has recovered a substantial quantity of the stolen gold from a jewellery outlet in Bellari, Karnataka.

time to read

1 mins

October 26, 2025

The Statesman Bhubaneswar

RIVERS AND THE VESSELS OF THE PEOPLE

India has a history of traversing the sea for over five millennia. The earliest records can be found in the Harappan (Indus Valley) civilization. Terracotta models and engravings from Lothal and Mohen-jo-Daro depict ships with high prows, pointed sterns, central cabins, and sails, suggesting vessels capable of coastal and open-sea navigation.

time to read

3 mins

October 26, 2025

The Statesman Bhubaneswar

Centre to set up 10 new IICTs to boost media, digital sectors

In a move to strengthen India's creative, entertainment, and digital industries, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has announced plans to establish 10 new Indian Institutes of Creative Technologies (IICTs) across the country over the next decade, offering specialised, industry-oriented courses in these sectors.

time to read

1 min

October 26, 2025

The Statesman Bhubaneswar

Malda traders seek extension for Income Tax return filing

The Malda Merchants' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MMCCI) has urged Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to extend the deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (Audit) for the Assessment Year 2025-26.

time to read

1 min

October 26, 2025

The Statesman Bhubaneswar

LIC rejects Washington Post allegations, Cong demands JPC probe

The Life Insurance Corporation of India on Saturday strongly refuted recent reports published by The Washington Post alleging irregularities in its investment practices even as the Opposition Congress demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation into the matter

time to read

1 min

October 26, 2025

The Statesman Bhubaneswar

Naval commanders’ meet focuses on readiness, security

Naval Commanders deliberated on issues of operational preparedness, maritime security, capability development, and Tri-Service integration during the second edition of the biannual Naval Commanders' Conference 2025 which concluded at the Nausena Bhawan, here on Friday.

time to read

1 min

October 26, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size