JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said it had intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” on Friday off the northern port city of Haifa amid high tension along its frontier with Lebanon.
The seaports of Haifa and Ashdod are crucial gateways for Israel’s trade.
An Israeli military spokesperson said the target had not caused any damage or injuries.
“I cannot confirm exactly how close it was to the port, but the fact that, according to protocol, no sirens were sounded means that it was far enough,” the spokesperson said, declining to say whether the target or its source had been identified.
In December, the Israeli military said it had intercepted a drone that had crossed from Lebanon, triggering sirens in Haifa’s suburbs.
The military said the target had been intercepted within Haifa’s maritime zone, which extends 25 nautical miles from the shore, according to a maritime security source.
Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah have engaged in their deadliest cross-border hostilities in over 17 years, prompted by an attack on Israel from Gaza by the Palestinian militant group Hamas that triggered a major Israeli offensive on the coastal strip.
Having evacuated tens of thousands of residents from areas near the Lebanese border, Israel has threatened to escalate fighting there unless Hezbollah stops cross-border attacks.
While officials have said Israel’s ports are protected by air defense systems, there are growing industry concerns over the impact on Haifa of any major escalation with Hezbollah.
Israel intercepts ‘suspicious target’ off Haifa
https://arab.news/459d5
Israel intercepts ‘suspicious target’ off Haifa
- An Israeli military spokesperson said the target had not caused any damage or injuries
- The military said the target had been intercepted within Haifa’s maritime zone
Trump claims Iran working on missiles that could hit US
- Trump says his preference is diplomacy, but would never allow Tehran to have a nuclear weapon
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed Iran is seeking to develop missiles that can strike the United States and accused Tehran of working to rebuild a nuclear program that was targeted by American strikes last year.
The United States and Iran are engaged in high-stakes negotiations over Iran’s atomic program and other issues including missiles, with Trump saying he prefers diplomacy but is willing to use force if talks fail.
“They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America,” Trump said during his State of the Union address.
In 2025, the US Defense Intelligence Agency said Iran could potentially develop a militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 “should Tehran decide to pursue the capability,” but did not say if it had made such a decision.
Tehran currently possesses short- and medium-range ballistic missiles with ranges that top out at about 1,850 miles (3,000 kilometers), according to the US Congressional Research Service.
The continental United States is more than 6,000 miles from Iran’s western tip.
Washington and Tehran have concluded two rounds of talks aimed at reaching a deal on Iran’s nuclear program to replace the agreement that Trump tore up during his first term in office.
‘Preference’ is diplomacy
The United States has repeatedly called for zero uranium enrichment by Iran but has also sought to address its ballistic missile program and support for armed groups in the region — demands Iran has rejected.
Iran has also repeatedly rejected that it is pursuing nuclear weapons.
Trump ordered strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites last year, claiming afterward that Tehran’s atomic program was obliterated.
On Tuesday, he said Iran wants “to start all over again,” and that it is “at this moment again pursuing their sinister nuclear ambitions.”
Trump has sent a massive US military force to the Middle East, deploying two aircraft carriers as well as more than a dozen other ships, a large number of warplanes and other assets to the region.
He has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran if negotiations fail to reach a new agreement. Talks with Tehran are currently set to continue on Thursday.
“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy but one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
The US president’s speech primarily focused on domestic issues, making no mention at all of China — Washington’s primary military and economic rival — and only briefly referring to Russia.
Trump said he was working to end the bloody conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and repeated his inaccurate claim that he had brought eight other wars to an end since returning to office in January 2025.
He also hailed NATO’s decision to spend five percent of gross domestic product on defense — a move made under heavy pressure from Trump and his administration.
