₦airaland Forum

Ballistic missiles launched in response to US aerial activities in a 'no-fly zone' area during a Chinese naval drill.

China has fired two missiles, including one dubbed an "aircraft-carrier killer", into the South China Sea, according to a news report, in a pointed warning to the United States as tensions in the disputed sea lane rise to new levels.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on Thursday that Beijing fired one intermediate-range ballistic missile, DF-26B, from Qinghai Province and another medium-range ballistic missile, DF-21D, from Zhejiang Province on Wednesday in response to US aerial activities in a "no-fly zone" area.

In response, Mark Esper, the US defence chief, said China has repeatedly fallen short of promises to abide by international laws, noting that China seems to be flexing its muscles the most in Southeast Asia.

The two missiles were reportedly fired in the direction of the area between Hainan province and the disputed Paracel Islands, the Hong Kong-based publication added, quoting an unnamed source.

According to the paper, a US U-2 spy plane had reportedly entered a Chinese-designated "no-fly zone" on Tuesday without permission during a live-fire naval drill conducted by China in the Bohai Sea off its north coast.

In a social media post, Liu Xiaoming, China's ambassador to the United Kingdom, said that the US move "severely disrupted" China's normal exercises and "training activities."

Zhao Lijian, China's foreign ministry spokesman, described the spy plane overflight as "provocative actions" and urged the US to stop.

The DF-26B missile, which was formally launched earlier this month, is capable of hitting moving targets at sea, making it an "aircraft-carrier killer", according to the state-owned Global Times.

Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, was previously quoted as saying that the missile can carry conventional or nuclear warheads and is capable of launching precision strikes on land and sea targets.

With its range of 4,500km (2,796 miles), DF-26 can reach the West Pacific and the Indian Ocean, as well as American facilities in Guam, the British island of Diego Garcia and even the Australian city of Darwin

'Within accepted rules'

Meanwhile, the DF-21, has been described as an anti-ship ballistic missile system, also meant for attacking moving ships at sea.

In July, two US aircraft conducted freedom of navigation exercises and military drills with its allies in the South China Sea, prompting an angry response from Beijing.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity to Reuters, a US official confirmed the firing of the two missiles on Wednesday adding that an assessment was under way to determine the type of missile launched.

The Pentagon, meanwhile, confirmed the U-2 overflight, adding that the activity in the Indo-Pacific region was "within the accepted international rules and regulations governing aircraft flights".

News of the missile launches come as the US announced that it was blacklisting 24 Chinese companies and targeting individuals it said are part of construction and military actions in the South China Sea, its first such sanctions move against Beijing over the disputed seas

The US Commerce Department said the two dozen companies played a "role in helping the Chinese military construct and militarize the internationally condemned artificial islands in the South China Sea."

Separately, the State Department said it would impose visa restrictions on Chinese individuals "responsible for, or complicit in", such actions and those linked to China's "use of coercion against Southeast Asian claimants to inhibit their access to offshore resources".

In July, Washington said it could sanction Chinese officials and enterprises involved in coercion in the South China Sea after it announced a tougher stance rejecting Beijing's claims to offshore resources there as "completely unlawful".

China claims virtually all of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea, but Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also lay claim to parts of an area, through which more than $3 trillion of trade passes each year.

The US accuses China of militarising the South China Sea and trying to intimidate Asian neighbours who might want to exploit its extensive oil and gas reserves.

US warships have gone through the area to assert the freedom of access to international waterways, raising fears of confrontation.

A spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington condemned the US sanctions as "completely unreasonable," and urged the US to reverse them.

"(South China Sea Islands) is an integral part of China's territory, and it is fully justified for us to build facilities and deploy necessary defence equipment there," the spokesperson said.

"The Chinese government has firm determination to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

kemicalreact:
LMFAO, this can only be used against ragtag armies like Taliban. A moderately organized army will easily shoot this one down

jesusjnr2020:
I've been good thanks.
I a bet lol! So I had to keep my word.
But i'm back and better.

jesusjnr2020:
For how long would the church keep hardening her heart against the Truth?

Daddysidhan:
Bwahaha lols dermmy the terrorist has come out of his shell to defend his terrorist brothers once more, tell me where you get this history from, hope not from the same western media that you always attack. You are debating with hammed not Stephen or Moses so I know the truth not your taqiyya

Daddysidhan:
what about your jihadist prophet? The war and killings that happens under the guidance of prophet Muhammad was a film trick or what? You people are the most hypocritical idiot on planet earth, that is why an Arab or Islamic country will ever be a world power. The madness of killing people in the name of religion started under your self acclaimed prophet but you guys called it holy war and when the crusaders put a stop to the jihadist advancement and stand their ground from the ravaging murderous Islamist propagators Una dey Yan rubbish. Are you saying the crusaders should not not defend themselves abi they should wait to be killed and maimed like what your boko haram brothers are doing in the north to the defenceless Christians

The incident occurred the same day the UAE coastguard killed two Iranian fishermen.

Iran on Thursday said it seized a United Arab Emirates-registered ship violating its territorial waters this week after the UAE coastguard killed two Iranian fishermen on the same day.

The foreign ministry said the boat was seized on Monday after UAE coastguard vessels "opened fire on several Iranian fishing boats ... leading to the deaths of two fishermen".

"On Monday, an Emirati ship was seized by the border guards of Iran and its crew were detained due to illegal traffic in our country's waters," state-run TV quoted a ministry statement as saying.

"On the same day, UAE guards shot dead two Iranian fishermen and seized a boat ... The UAE has expressed regret for the incident and in a letter on Wednesday announced its readiness to pay compensation."

Iran summoned the UAE charge d'affaires in Tehran over the incident.



The UAE foreign ministry declined to comment when contacted by the Reuters news agency.

Although incidents regarding fishing boats are frequent between Iran and its Gulf Arab neighbours, Iran warned of "any aggression against its interests and citizens", saying in the statement: "Tehran will take all necessary measures to protect its vessels and citizens in the Persian Gulf."

'Big mistake'

UAE official news agency WAM reported on Monday the Gulf state's coastguard tried to stop eight fishing boats that violated its territorial waters northwest of Sir Bu Nu'Ayr island, without reporting any casualties.

The incident comes amid high tensions between the two countries following last week's surprise announcement that the UAE has agreed to normalise ties with Israel under a US-brokered deal.

Iran has condemned the agreement, with President Hassan Rouhani calling it a "big mistake" and warning "against opening the path of Israel to the region", without elaborating on what that would mean.

Rouhani's remarks were seen as "threats" by the UAE which on Sunday summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires in Abu Dhabi to protest "unacceptable and inflammatory" rhetoric.

The UAE, which downgraded its relations with Iran in 2016 amid fierce rivalry between Tehran and Emirati ally Saudi Arabia, said the remarks "had serious implications for security and stability in the Gulf region".

Establishing diplomatic ties between Israel and Washington's Middle East allies, including the oil-rich Gulf states, has been central to US President Donald Trump's regional strategy to contain Iran.

'We will go after them'

Anwar Gargash, the Emirati minister of state for foreign affairs, has repeatedly said the UAE's decision to open diplomatic ties with Israel had nothing to do with Iran.

However, the UAE's government long has considered Iran its top regional threat and recent tensions between Tehran and Washington have seen a series of incidents near it.

Deployed Patriot missile batteries visible from one major Dubai highway remain pointed north towards Iran.

Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who serves as the UAE's day-to-day ruler, long has warned Israel may strike first to destroy Iran's nuclear programme if it is not contained. That would start a regional war that would see Tehran target the Emirates, he has repeatedly told US officials.

"This is the Middle East and we will do what we need to do," Sheikh Mohammed was quoted as saying in a February 2009 US diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks. "When the Iranians fire their missiles we will go after them and kill them."

Thursday's announcement by Tehran of the incident comes a day after Trump said the United States will activate a controversial mechanism aimed at reimposing UN sanctions on Iran.

tolexy007:
[s][/s]




non of ur biz, u have been having a bad day since the Establishment of the ties btw the 2 nation

tolexy007:
[s][/s]




non of ur biz, u have been having a bad day since the Establishment of the ties btw the 2 nation

Openbusiness:
No Arab country will EVER side with Israel against Palestine. No Arab country will ever be an ally of Israel. NO Arab country has ever been an ally of Israel. No amount of peace treaty, or trade deals, or US negotiations can change that.

poiunt:
Not true, isreal is normalising relations with arab countries because of Iran.

Iran influences is growing in the middle east, they want to cut it down.

Righteousness89:
Wisdom is Profitable to Direct!

euromilion:
Seriously?how is that?

Don’t you every advanced country has a special unit in their security agency that specialised in killing people whom ever they considered a threat to the national security and these units has advanced technologies which can be used to kill anyone they please?they can even use a technologically engineered flies that looks like a normal fly but it’s being controlled from the control room like a drone.if you doubt me then go and ask a top KGB or CIA agent’s.

If he doesn’t drink tea in a restaurant,he can be sleeping in his house when a bug will come through the window to bite him,once anyone is on their hit list forget it.

euromilion:
Seriously?

kemicalreact:
Abeg, shey I fit ship from aliexpress this COVID-19 period and the Nipost Wahala


Cc Dermmy

odigbosky:
Go and ask people in Eastern Europe and former Soviet blocks what it means to be under Russia's influence. You guys don't seem to understand what the US has done. The US raised the economies of many European nations after the world war. From Greece to Germany and even the French. Were where the French when Hitler over ran them. France is not even suppose to be on the Security council as a permanent member. The French always want to behave like ungrateful people. Two times the US and UK came to save them from annihilation. Winston Churchill was happy when Hitler attacked the Americans and he knew the war would change.

Ordinary Chinese who are above 50 years will tell you that it was America who saved them from the Japanese. When the Japanese built an empire for themselves in South east Asia, it was America who came to liberate these nations. From the jungles of Indonesia to Manchuria, the US bled for countries that are ingrates.

People always say it's about resources or oil
Tell me what resources did South Korea have that the US fought for her. Ordinary small Liberia and Sierra Leone where Nigeria troops died in their numbers, do you know how we influence their policies.

When a nation bleeds for you
Fights to ensure liberty is not destroyed, the best you can do is appreciate her. You people don't know what the US has done for the world.

Today China is dealing with smaller nations around her and they are all crying for the US. Take it or leave it, the US will always remain the balance on the scale of Justice in the world.

Don't let your hate spoil things
Appreciate the greatest Nation the world has ever seen.

osamz007:
INCONSEQUENTIAL

ISRAEL AND USA UP TO THE TASK

Crisis looms as UNSC overwhelmingly rejects US resolution to indefinitely extend an arms embargo on Iran.

The United Nations Security Council has resoundingly rejected a US bid to extend a global arms embargo on Iran, with Russian President Vladimir Putin proposing a summit of world leaders to avoid "confrontation" over a threat by Washington to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Tehran.

In the Security Council vote on Friday, Washington got support only from the Dominican Republic for its resolution to indefinitely extend the arms embargo on Iran, leaving it far short of the minimum nine "yes" votes required for adoption.

Eleven members on the 15-member body, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, abstained.

Russia and China strongly opposed extending the 13-year ban, which was due to expire on October 18 under a 2015 nuclear deal signed between Iran and six world powers.

Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, announced the defeat of the resolution ahead of a very brief virtual council meeting to reveal the vote.

"The Security Council's failure to act decisively in defense of international peace and security is inexcusable," he said in a statement.

Israel and the six Arab Gulf nations who supported the extension "know Iran will spread even greater chaos and destruction if the embargo expires", Pompeo said, "but the Security Council chose to ignore them".

Zhang Jun, China's ambassador to the UN, said in a statement that the result "once again shows that unilateralism receives no support and bullying will fail".

Washington could now follow through on a threat to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran using a provision in the nuclear deal, known as snapback, even though US President Donald Trump had unilaterally abandoned the accord in 2018. On Thursday, the US had circulated to council members a six-page memo outlining why Washington remains a participant in the nuclear accord and still has the right to use the snapback provision.

In a statement after the vote, US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft said Washington has "every right to initiate" the snapback mechanism, and added: "In the coming days, the United States will follow through on that promise to stop at nothing to extend the arms embargo."

'Diplomatic catastrophe'

Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey, reporting from New York, said the US's defeat on Friday was not a surprise.

"But it's a surprise that the US bid failed so miserably," she said.

"Any party to the nuclear accord could trigger the 'snapback' provision if Iran is seen to be in violation of the accord. But Russia and China say the US's withdrawal from the deal two years ago means it has forfeited its right to do that. Other members of the council would seem to agree," she said.

"The Europeans have expressed some misgivings about conventional weapons going into Iran. But at the end of the day, they say their concern about a nuclear weapon is paramount."

Under the deal, Iran agreed to limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief and other benefits. Following the US withdrawal and imposition of unilateral sanctions, Tehran has already scaled back compliance with parts of the accord. Diplomats have said triggering the "snapback" provision would put the fragile agreement further at risk because Iran would lose a major incentive for limiting its nuclear activities.

Iran's UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi warned Washington against trying to trigger a return of sanctions.

"Imposition of any sanctions or restrictions on Iran by the Security Council will be met severely by Iran and our options are not limited. And the United States and any entity which may assist it or acquiesce in its illegal behavior will bear the full responsibility," he said in a statement.

Iran fires missile at mock US aircraft carrier during exercise (2:00)
Jarret Blanc, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Al Jazeera the US's failed bid amounted to a "diplomatic catastrophe".

"It demonstrates that President Donald Trump and his team are not only bad at the strategy of approaching Iran, they are bad at the day to day tactics of diplomacy. It is unconscionable that the US couldn't round up more than one vote for a resolution like this."

But some analysts said they suspect that Washington put forward a hardline draft purposefully, knowing that council members would not be able to accept it.

"The fact is that everybody at the UN believes this [resolution] is just a prelude to a US effort to trigger snapback and sink the Iranian nuclear deal," Richard Gowan, a UN expert at the International Crisis Group, told AFP news agency.

While voting on the US draft resolution was under way, Russia said Putin called for a meeting of leaders of the five permanent members of the Security Council along with Germany and Iran to avoid escalation over US attempts to extend the Iranian arms embargo.

In statement released by the Kremlin, Putin said "the question is urgent", adding that the goal of the videoconference would be "to outline steps to avoid confrontation and exacerbation of the situation in the UN Security Council".

"If the leaders are fundamentally ready for a conversation, we propose to promptly coordinate the agenda," Putin said. "The alternative is to further build up tension, to increase the risk of conflict. This development must be avoided."

Asked if he would take part, Trump told reporters: "I hear there's something, but I haven't been told of it yet."

French President Emmanuel Macron's office confirmed France's "availability in principle" to Putin's proposal. "We have in the past deployed initiatives in the same spirit," it said.

Jarret Blanc, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, called the US’s failed bid a “diplomatic catastrophe”.
“It demonstrates that President Donald Trump and his team are not only bad at the strategy of approaching Iran, they are bad at the day to day tactics of diplomacy. It is unconscionable that it couldn’t round up more than one vote for a resolution like this.”

Coldfeets:
E still dey with IPPIS.