Once again, the skies of the Middle East bore witness to a familiar doctrine: Israel’s decades-long strategy of pre-emptive attacks designed to cripple its regional foes’ nuclear ambitions, which it sees as existential threats.
What came to be known as the “Begin Doctrine” was established in 1981 when Israeli warplanes pierced Iraqi air space and flattened the unfinished Osirak nuclear reactor south-east of Baghdad. Then in 2007, Israel hit a suspected nuclear reactor in Syria.
At dawn on Friday, Israeli fighter jets stunned the world again in a provocative cross-border raid on Iran, unleashing a wave of strikes against dozens of targets, including nuclear facilities and military command centres. These strikes also killed senior figures, among them the armed forces chief and top nuclear scientists.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel it faced a “bitter and painful” fate over the attacks, while the Iranian military said there were “no limits” to its response. Israel's military later said Iran launched around 100 drones in retaliation, which air defences intercepted outside Israeli territory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel struck at the “heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme”, taking aim at the atomic facility in Natanz and nuclear scientists.
Mr Netanyahu said the strikes would “continue as many days as it takes”, while the military said intelligence showed Iran was approaching the “point of no return” on its nuclear programme.
The previous attacks in Iraq and Syria were executed with surgical precision. Dubbed Operation Opera, the raid in Iraq was a watershed moment. Saddam Hussein's power was increasing and Israel feared his nuclear ambition would shift the balance of power in the region. Similarly, Israel launched Operation Orchard against the nuclear facility in Syria in 2007, which was far more secretive.
At that time of the Israeli strikes both Iraq and Syria were isolated and relatively weaker states. Syria never rebuilt its sites, while Iraq attempted to develop its atomic programme but was crippled after the 1991 Gulf War and UN-imposed sanctions.
Today’s wave of attacks on Iran present a far more complex and dangerous scenario. Unlike Iraq and Syria, Iran’s nuclear programme is more advanced with a military capabilities enough to respond, triggering a broader confrontation in the region. From Lebanon to Yemen and Iraq, Tehran runs a network of proxies capable of responding in multiple arenas.
The exact impact of these strikes on the nuclear sites is still unclear. However, the UN nuclear watchdog said there was no radiation leak at the targeted Natanz site and it was working with Iran to monitor radiation levels.
“Iranian authorities have informed the [International Atomic Energy Agency] that the Bushehr nuclear power plant has not been targeted and that no increase in radiation levels has been observed at the Natanz site,” it said, describing the situation as “deeply concerning.”
The IAEA’s general director Rafeal Grossi condemned the attacks. “I have repeatedly stated that nuclear facilities must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstances,” Mr Grossi said on Friday.
He warned that “such attacks have serious implications for nuclear safety, security and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security”.
The strikes killed Iran's highest-ranking military officers. Maj Gen Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed, along with another senior IRGC commander, Maj Gen Gholam Ali Rashid and his son. The chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, Gen Mohammad Bagheri, was also killed state television reported.
“The precise targeting of senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian military, and nuclear scientists – all of whom were involved in advancing the plan to destroy Israel – sends a strong and clear message: those who work toward Israel's destruction will be eliminated,” Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
The US insisted that it was not involved in the Israeli action and warned Iran not to attack its personnel or interests. US President Donald Trump told Fox News he had prior knowledge of the Israeli strikes, which Israel said involved 200 fighter jets. Mr Trump also stressed that Tehran “cannot have a nuclear bomb”.
But Tehran said Washington would be “responsible for consequences” as Israel's operation “cannot have been carried out without the co-ordination and permission of the United States”.
Red Joan
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Tereza Srbova
Rating: 3/5 stars
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Ballon d’Or shortlists
Men
Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Sergio Aguero (Aregentina/Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Netherlans/Barcelona), Hugo Lloris (France/Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (Serbia/Ajax), Kylian Mbappe (France/PSG), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands/Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus), Alisson (Brazil/Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands/Juventus), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Portugal/Manchester City), Son Heung-min (South Korea/Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Brazil/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (France/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Brazil/Paris-SG), Raheem Sterling (Eengland/Manchester City), Joao Félix(Portugal/Atletico Madrid)
Women
Sam Kerr (Austria/Chelsea), Ellen White (England/Manchester City), Nilla Fischer (Sweden/Linkopings), Amandine Henry (France/Lyon), Lucy Bronze(England/Lyon), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands/Arsenal), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany/Lyon), Pernille Harder (Denmark/Wolfsburg), Sarah Bouhaddi (France/Lyon), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC), Lieke Martens (Netherlands/Barcelona), Sari van Veenendal (Netherlands/Atletico Madrid), Wendie Renard (France/Lyon), Rose Lavelle(USA/Washington Spirit), Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride), Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Lyon), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden/CD Tacon), Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden/CD Tacon), Tobin Heath (USA/Portland Thorns)
