Monday, July 7, 2025
Newsletter
Support Kaniva
Home Blog Page 67

Possibility for Dr ‘Aisake Eke to become next PM is ‘strong and deep’: sources 

By
Kalino Latu
-

Dr ‘Aisake Valu Eke, who took the initiative to propose the vote of no confidence motion against former Prime Minister Hon Hu’akavameiliku, is reportedly emerging as a strong candidate for the position of Tonga’s next Prime Minister.

Dr ‘Aisake Eke

All 26 MPs will meet on Christmas Eve to select the Kingdom’s new prime minister. 

It follows Hon Hu’akavameiliku’s recent resignation ahead of a second vote of no confidence motion against him. 

The constitution stipulates that the Lord Speaker will issue letters to MPs calling for their nominations for leader. 

The nominations must be submitted by December 23, and the election of the prime minister will be conducted by secret ballot on Christmas Eve. 

However, people close to the MPs claimed that Dr Eke had strong support from the nine nobles and all the MPs who signed the vote of confidence motion against former Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku. 

A source said Dr Eke “is doing very well and his support is strong and deep”.  

The people’s elected MPs had been approached by Kaniva News about their preferred candidates.  

Their liaison officer, MP Dr Taniela Fusimālohi, responded in Tongan that “it is left for the Speaker to make it public when the time is right, which is December 24”.  

The numbers

Other sources said Cabinet ministers from Hu‘akavameiliku’s government, who were apparently unhappy with the vote of no confidence motion, could likely nominate a candidate.

However, the sources said they did not have the number, the same situation that led to Hu‘akavameiliku choosing to resign ahead of his vote of no confidence instead of facing the potential loss.  

Before Hu’akavameiliku quit, he had nine MPs who could support him after his Minister for Lands and Survey, Lord Tu’i’afitu, resigned last month. Of the nine remaining members, four were People’s Members of Parliament (PMPs), including the Prime Minister, two were Nobles’ Members of Parliament (NMPs), and three were Non-Elected Members of Parliament who could not vote on the VONC, according to the constitution. The two remaining nobles resigned after Hu’akavameiliku’s resignation, reducing the number of supporters for Hu’akavameiliku to only four.

This means a new PM candidate from Hu’akavameiliku’s supporters needed 10 more MPs to win. He could count on five MPs who supported Hu’akavameiliku – Tevita Puloka, Dulcie Tei, Sione Taione, Veivosa Taka and Mo’ale ‘Otunuku – and possibly two NRs who have often sided with Hu’akavameiliku, Lord Tuiha’angana and Lord Fakafanua.

On the other hand, Dr Eke reportedly said he was confident he had the number after submitting the vote of no confidence last month.  

He had the seven PMP signatories, who were Dr Langi Fasi, Mateni Tapueleuelu, Dr ‘Aisake Eke, Piveni Piukala, Kapeli Lanumata, Mo’ale Finau and Vatau Hui. They were also guaranteed the vote of Dr Tanieta Fusmalohi, who was still returning from overseas. So they secured eight guaranteed votes in addition to the seven members of nobility MPs, totalling 15 votes—sufficient to ensure a clear victory.

Background 

Dr Eke received his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Southern Queensland in Australia after conducting his research on, “An exploratory study on the quality of service in the public sector in Tonga”, completed in 2013. 

He was a former Secretary and Minister for Finance.  

As Kaniva News previously reported, Dr Eke, who was one of the witnesses for the convicted Lavulavu couple, has pledged to fight to clear his name after the Supreme Court judge said he was not telling the truth. 

Dr Eke had given evidence that non-government schools were allowed to set their own fee system and that it was acceptable to write a cash receipt of the value of the barter item tendered. 

Justice Nicholas Cooper said Dr Eke provided no proof for his claims and that all his credibility was gone. 

Dr Eke said what he provided to the Court was true and he stood by those statements. 

“Non-government educational establishments in Tonga are free to formulate their operations and policies and how school fees are paid”. 

Lulutai airlines silent over crashed SAAB aircraft insurance questions

By
Kalino Latu
-

Growing concerns emerged one year following the crash of the Lulutai SAAB 340 aircraft, which resulted in the plane being no longer operational.  

Poasi Tei, Lulutai CEO

The aircraft slid off the runway at Tonga’s Fua’amotu airport in December 2023 and hit a concrete block. 

As Kaniva News reported previously, a preliminary report from the investigation into the crash organised by the Ministry for Infrastructure’s civil aviation department detailed damages, including hydraulic fuel loss and other safety problems.  

The report also said there were signs that the aircraft’s record may have been deliberately disabled. 

With technical assistance from the Australian Safety Transport Bureau (ATSB), the Chief Investigator is expected to submit a final report at the completion of the investigation.

Insurance concerns

Some members of the public who asked not to be identified told Kaniva News they wanted to know whether the SAAB 340 was insured, and if not, they wanted to know why.  

Some said Lulutai was a government-owned asset, and it is responsible for ensuring effective management practices that minimize potential losses that may adversely affect taxpayers. 

We have contacted Lulutai chief executive Poasi Tei for comment.  

The Opposition mentioned in its recent vote of no confidence motion, which led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku, their ongoing concerns about Lulutai’s financial status. 

It said there were concerns about mishaps with Lulutai flights and the failure of the government to submit to Parliament a specific statement on these incidents or any plans to prevent air accidents and ensure air safety in the future.   

Chatham aircraft leasing

The concerned citizens believed that had Lulutai properly managed the maintenance of the SAAB 340 and insured it, it would not have been necessary to hire Chatham Airlines from New Zealand to provide services during peak seasons. 

They believed it costs a lot of money for Lulutai, which one expert previously claimed operated at millions of loss, to hire the Chatham Airlines aircraft.  

The latest was last week when Lulutai Airlines said a chartered Chatham ATR 72 aircraft would make 12 scheduled flights a week from Tongatapu to Vava’u and return. 

Government funded

The vote of no confidence motion claimed the government had invested $21 million in Lulutai Airlines as its shareholding and an additional $2 million in its current financial budget. Still, it failed to submit any financial statement to the Parliament.  

Hu’akavameiliku, in his response to his latest vote of no confidence motion, said that Lulutai Airlines was a government-owned company. He also referred to what his government announced last month, saying it finally approved Lulutai Airlines Limited to become a public enterprise.

He also claimed that budget statements had been submitted to the House. 

As Kaniva News reported previously, the Hu’akavameiliku government was accused in the House of hiding behind the Companies Act to allow Cabinet Ministers to continue as members of Lulutai’s Board of Directors, although the law says they can only retrain members within 12 months.

Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku insisted that it was up to the government to consider when it was fit to cease its membership.  

The government has fully funded Lulutai Airlines since its inception in 2020.

Man jailed for 12 years after two knifepoint carjackings including mother and daughter on Tongatapu 

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A man has been jailed for 12 years and 10 months after admitting to stealing two cars at knifepoint in two separate incidents on Tongatapu. 

Justice Nicholas Cooper, in sentencing, said Taniela Vaka, 42, had been indicted at the Magistrate Court, and the details of his offences and charges were not available to him.  

In the first incident, Police apprehended the prisoner and interviewed but, “Extraordinarily, it appears he was then released on bail. For a man who had just admitted an armed robbery that appears to raise some serious questions,” said Mr Cooper. 

The court heard that on 20 November 2023, the victim was walking to his car at approximately 11.30pm, having bought groceries from a store in Kolofo’ou. He got into his vehicle.

Mr Vaka got into the front passenger seat, produced a knife and instructed the victim to drive. 

Mr Vaka directed him to drive to Ananā. As he drove, at knifepoint, he took an opportunity to flee and jumped out of the car. 

The victim went to the police and reported the loss of his car, worth approximately $20,000.00 and the groceries and cash therein, worth about $5,782.00. Albeit that only $50.00 was made up in cash. 

Mr Vaka was arrested that same day. He was interviewed on 4 December 2023 and admitted his involvement in the offence.  

Mother and daughter

In the second incident, a mother and 27-year-old daughter were in their car at their gate on 23 January 2024. They were waiting for the husband and father of their family to lock the front gate and get in their car to join them. 

Instead, Mr Vaka, armed with a knife, got into the rear seat and, at knifepoint, commanded the two women to drive. 

He took a handbag belonging to one of the victims and stole cash from it, TOP $1,000.00 and NZ$ 200.00. 

Mr Vaka then got out of the vehicle, but not before threatening both ladies that he would return to find them at their home if they reported this offence to the police. 

A member of the public who knows Mr Vaka saw the women being threatened in their car with a knife and raised the alarm.  

“The police chased him, but he hid. He evaded them initially”, the court heard. 

The Police attended to the victims and recovered the knife from the car. 

Mr Cooper said: “I note that no details as to this weapon have been provided, either for this offence or the last”. 

“No circumstances have been provided to explain Mr Vaka’s arrest”. 

Calculating his jail term, Mr Cooper said: “That gives a sentence of 12 years and 10 months’ imprisonment”. 

“Regrettably Mr. Vaka has committed offences of this kind time and again.  

Drug Addiction

“He indulged in drug use and, I have no doubt, then robbed and stole to fund that habit.  

“He did not care about the harm and fear he caused. 

Mr Cooper also said he refused to suspend any part of Mr Vaka’s sentence since he “ clearly is a high risk of re-offending and to society at large” 

“He must serve his full term and no part can be suspended. His sentence will be back dated to his first remand, 21 May 2024”. 

Man sailing alone across Pacific Ocean ‘almost dies’ after being hit unconscious in harrowing update

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By Anders Anglesey, https://www.mirror.co.uk/

A man sailing alone across the Pacific Ocean shared a harrowing update of how he “almost died” after he suffered a blow to the head that knocked him unconscious.

Luke said the incident left him in shock and needing to make a mayday call ( Image: sailing_songbird/Instagram)

American solo sailor Luke Hartley, who goes by sailing_songbird on Instagram, shared the concerning update in a post uploaded to the platform on December 12. In the video, Luke said he was hit in the face by his sailboat boom, which extends out from the mast, at “an incredibly high speed” while he was about a mile out from the nation of Tonga.

The impact swept former music teacher Luke off his feet and left him draped unconscious for a time over the lifelines of his 27ft-long sailboat Songbird. The clip, which Luke said was very difficult for him to watch and can be viewed on his Instagram.

The clip, showed him calling for help as part of a mayday where he expressed concerns he was about to pass out. Fearing he would not be able to complete an anchorage alone, he requested assistance from nearby sailors.

Luke said the incident left him in shock and “in no way capable” of completing the sail to get into the Vava’u island group in Tonga without an engine. He believed he was haemorrhaging “since all I could see was green”.

Thankfully, after an hour, Luke managed to get the support of sailors who helped him get to Tonga. Luke praised the “boundless” support he received and despite in hindsight viewing his mayday call as unnecessary, the sailors told him he did the right thing “given the severity of my head trauma,” although thankfully it did not have a long-term impact.

Since being shared online, the video has received more than 39,380 likes. The incident happened as Luke continues his journey across the world’s largest ocean.

Luke said he typically uses a boom preventer, which takes force out of an accidental gybe – a changing of course by swinging the sail across a following wind.

“I always sail with a preventer but in this case, [I] had released it moments before my accident to perform a controlled gybe,” Luke told The Mirror. “My blunder was when I looked behind me to watch the whales flanking Songbird and in that moment, I lost concentration and didn’t notice the boat go into a crash gybe.”

“In some ways, this accident has made me totally rethink safety on the water, and in other ways, nothing has changed,” Luke continued to tell The Mirror. “As far as procedure goes, there isn’t anything I need to adjust to ensure my safety on the water, other than my continued concentration. Maintaining one’s concentration sounds easy but at the end of a two week passage alone, you are feeling pretty run down and drained.

“Every time someone steps into a car, they take on the responsibility that an accident could happen, the same goes with sailing. At the end of the day, what happened was simply an accident and I am incredibly lucky to be able to walk away from it without any long term damage.”

Luke set out for the open sea and started documenting his journey on social media after feeling out of step with his teaching career and what he said was a poorly supported school in the US.

Since setting out in from Seattle in October last year, Luke has documented his journey on social media and has accumulated an impressive 922,000 followers on Instagram alone. He previously told People he intended to circumnavigate the world in a journey that could take as long as five years.

A balding drug used by millions of Americans has been blamed for a spate of cases of ‘werewolf syndrome’ in babies.  

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By MAIYA FOCHT HEALTH REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

A balding drug used by millions of Americans has been blamed for a spate of cases of ‘werewolf syndrome’ in babies.  

Minoxidil – an over-the-counter foam applied to the scalp – caused the infants to develop uncontrollable hair growth across their bodies. 

Researchers in Spain who discovered the cases believe it could be caused when parents’ touched their kids soon after using the drug. From there, it may have entered their kids’ mouths or permeated through their delicate skin. 

Lalit Patidar was born with hypertrichosis. The young man was born in INdia and was called ‘monkey boy’ by classmates. There are cases of this condition all over the world. 

These case studies have caused the European Medicines Agency to suggest additional warnings to their labels about Minoxidil, warning about the risk of hair growth on infants.  

The new warning explicitly warns parents that they and their children should not ingest the foam.  

The FDA has not publicly commented on these Spanish cases, nor does it appear to be issuing additional warnings about Minoxidil usage.  

In all eleven cases, the children’s hair growth ceased and reversed after their parents stopped exposing them to the drug.  

Minoxidil isn’t known to be dangerous, but in one case study from France in 2014, an anonymous child who swallowed a teaspoon of the product was sent to the hospital with a dangerously high heart rate and low blood pressure.  

Dr. Isabelle Claudet, the head of the pediatric emergency department at Children’s Hospital in Toulouse who authored the 2014 report told Reuters: ‘At therapeutic dosage, there is usually no serious adverse effect, but for a child, some milliliters or a teaspoon can lead to long-lasting hypotension.’  

This is because the drug relaxes blood vessels, stimulating blood flow to the hair follicles, and in turn, promoting hair growth.  

Beginning in 2023, sets of parents in Spain saw excessive amounts of hair bloom on their young child’s back, legs and thighs over a few months – in a condition known as hypertrichosis.  

Officials at the Pharmacovigilance Center of Navarre traced the unexplained hair growth in 11 children back to minoxidil.  

Minoxidil is an FDA approved formulation available at a range of concentrations, including 1 percent, 2 percent, 5 percent, 7 percent and 15 percent.   

The foams and other topical treatments are generally available over the counter, though it’s more rare to see the higher concentrations, according to the telehealth provider Hims.  

There are also pill forms that people can take, but these require a prescription.  

It’s unclear how many Americans use some form of the drug, since users can purchase it without a prescription. 

But 80million Americans struggle with some form of hair loss as they age, and Minoxidil is one of the most common treatments, according to Cleveland Clinic.  

Usually, when the drug is applied to the scalp, it’s affects are isolated to that region.  

But in the pill form, the FDA label on the drug notes that it can cause hypertrichosis in the: ‘eyebrows, between the hairline and the eyebrows, or in the sideburn area of the upper lateral cheek, later extending to the back, arms, legs, and scalp.’ 

The label also notes that the drug has not been used in infants, but does not note that there is any danger in being exposed to the drug.  

In the case of the Spanish children, according to Newsweek, authorities report that the children may have ingested the drug from their caregivers scalp or hands, since children often put their mouths on things.  

It could also be that skin to skin contact with a person who has Minoxidil on their body could permeate into the skin of the child, since their skin is more delicate than adults and substances can pass more easily into it.  

In all 11 cases reported, the children’s excess hair growth began waning once Minoxidil exposure was removed. 

These new cases in part prompted the EMA to add new warnings to their minoxidil labels.  

In the EU the Product Information must now include: ‘Cases of hypertrichosis have been reported in infants following skin contact with minoxidil application sites of patients (caregivers) using topical minoxidil.  

Hypertrichosis was reversible, within months, when infants were no longer exposed to Minoxidil. Contact between children and Minoxidil application sites should therefore be avoided.’  

They also added: ‘Do not ingest’.  

Older case studies have linked Minoxidil solution to unwanted hair growth.  

In 2015, an anonymous 42 year old Spanish woman went in to see dermatologists after mats of thin, soft dark hair began growing like a beard across her face and lower back.  

Doctors had prescribed her 5 percent topical Minoxidil to try to treat alopecia – or hair loss- and she had been taking it for two weeks. She said she was careful to avoid letting the solution sit anywhere but her scalp, yet she still saw the hair growth.  

Six months after stopping the topical, she began to improve, with the hair thinning on her beard and torso, doctors reported in the journal Academia Espanola De Dermatologia Y Venerologia.  

A similar outbreak occurred, again in Spain, in 2019 after a container of Minoxidil pills were mislabeled as acid-reflux medication. 17 children developed werewolf syndrome as a result, but their symptoms seized after they stopped taking the drugs. 

Hypertrichosis can be a condition that someone is born with or one that someone develops, according to Medscape. In some cases, the hair grows in isolated areas – like on the tips of the elbows or on the face – in others, the hair grows all over the body.   

Each of these scenarios is slightly different than the other, making it difficult for doctors to diagnose or determine a cause for the condition. Doctors aren’t even sure how common it is, but some estimates put it around one in a billion. 

It affects people from every country and doesn’t seem to be more common in boys or girls.  

Some children who are born with the condition see their excess hair start to thin during adolescence, others live with it for life. Aside from the hair growth, people with the condition lead a normal, healthy life.  

Still, there can be psychological consequences of living with the condition, since some people with it are teased for their appearance. 

Addiction to meth behind brother stealing sister’s belongings worth nearly $46,800 

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A man has been jailed for stealing belongings worth TOP$46,783.00 from his sister’s home. 

A glass pipe used for smoking methamphetamine with shards inside.

Siaosi Halaholo Vete, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of serious housebreaking and two counts of theft.  

Vete was sentenced to a term of two years imprisonment with the last six months suspended for six months on the following conditions:  

a. He must not commit any further offence punishable by imprisonment  

b. He must be placed under probation during the term of your suspended sentence  

c. He must report to the Probation Office within 24 hours of your release from custody.  

d. He must live where directed by the Probation Officer 

For the avoidance of doubt, Vete will serve 18 months of imprisonment and then six months of a suspended sentence on the conditions mentioned above. 

Vete broke into the house twice. In the first instance, he stole goods for the value of $16,000 and, in the second, for the value of $30,798.  

Much of the goods has not been recovered. 

The court heard Vete was offending to fund his methamphetamine addiction and had similar previous convictions, but none for theft.

The offence was committed while his sister and her husband were abroad.  

The court was told his sister and her husband had forgiven him for what he did.

“That is to their credit, and I bear it in mind in determining whether to suspend
part of the custodial sentence, which in your case I consider inevitable”, Mr Bishop said.

Repeated offender jailed after fingerprints found at Vaiola hospital facility where his wife works as a nurse 

By
Kalino Latu
-

A man who had breached his suspension sentence from a previous conviction was imprisoned for two years and three months for serious housebreaking and theft of property, including electrical goods, worth TOP$15,200.  

Shreds of evidence presented in court showed Siosaia Vatikani, 40, left a clear trail of fingerprints at the Nursing School at Vaiola Hospital in Nuku’alofa.

He pleaded guilty to one count of serious housebreaking and one count of theft.  

He had previous convictions, which nailed his fate as the judge, Lord Chief Justice Malcolm Bishop, refused to consider whether or not to suspend the whole or part of his sentence. 

“In your case it does not apply because you are not young, you have previous convictions and, in my view, have very little prospects to benefit from rehabilitation should I take that course” Mr Bishop said. 

The prisoner breached a suspension from a previous sentence, which he almost completed before he left.   

Mr Bishop said: “I order that the suspended sentence be activated which is a period of 3 months is be served consecutively to the 2 years remaining for this current matter”. 

Vatikani “ is to serve a total of 2 years and 3 months imprisonment at Hu’atolitoli Prison”. 

Mr Bishop also held the view that the prisoner’s spouse was adversely impacted by his acts of theft.

“What is particularly aggravating about this case is that the school facility in question is related to your wife’s employment as a nurse and therefore must have caused her considerable embarrassment and distress”.

Eight convicted killers await sentencing after Nuku’alofa death 

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Eight men responsible for Toni Langilangi’s tragic death are now facing sentencing as they await the court’s decision on the consequences of their actions. 

Tevita Lisiate, Mesui Finau, Mafua ‘i Vaha Palu, Moana Masima, Lisiate Evirn Vea, Salamani Filikitonga, Siosifa Vatuvei and Viliami Tongamana entered guilty pleas to common assault charges laid over the death of Mr Langilangi in Nuku’alofa.  

The convictions come after a brawl in the centre of Nuku’alofa in the early hours of 17 September 2023.  

The conflict arose between two groups of opposing young men, one from the town of Ha’ateiho and the other from Pahu. 

Most of the accused hail from Ha’ateiho, while Finau is from Fo’ui. Palu comes from Pahu and Filikitonga from ‘Utulangivaka, Vava’u. 

The deceased from Pahu suffered injuries and died shortly afterwards. 

“It is asserted, and not challenged, that the deceased died of a preexisting condition and that the injuries he sustained did not cause or contribute to his death”, the court was told.  

Mr Bishop said: “That strikes me as an extraordinarily surprising conclusion but that is the unchallenged medical evidence, and I must deal with the case as it is presented.  

“It goes without saying that had there been evidence that the blows and kicks which the deceased suffered was a substantial cause of death then far more serious allegations would have been made.”

Onlookers mock firefighter as he wrestles to direct fire hose at raging fire

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A mishap that occurred during an attempt to extinguish a house fire in Tongatapu has become a subject of amusement on social media.

A firefighter seen struggling to properly direct the powerful streams of water from their hoses onto the raging fire

Critics attributed the failure of firefighters to control the blaze effectively to the incident.

It is understood that firefighters had been called to a house fire at Tokomololo on Friday afternoon.  

A streamed video showed the moment when a fire hose from one of the fire trucks accidentally redirected water away from the flames instead of dousing them. 

Some of the crowd of onlookers were quick to point out the error, capturing the moment on their phones and sharing them on Facebook.

One video showed that the incident came after a non-uniform firefighter wearing what appeared to be a pair of slippers ascended one of the engines, apparently to turn the hose on. 

The hose appeared to have accidentally sprayed water onto a neighbouring property and the road instead of the fire’s source. This happened briefly before the firefighter gained control.

Laughter erupted and could be overheard over the videos, with many making fun of the situation.  

Authorities could not be reached for comment.

Trump weighing options to stop Iran going nuclear, including preemptive strikes – report

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By Times of Israel

US President-elect Donald Trump is weighing options to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon, including preventative airstrikes, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Donald Trump

The report came as Israel reportedly draws up plans for a potential attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, amid growing concern that the Islamic Republic, poised to build a bomb, could rush to finally do so; Iran and its proxies are weakened right now, after more than a year of war against Israel that began when the Hamas terror group in Gaza attacked the Jewish state on October 7, 2023.

Trump has told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent calls that he wants to avoid an Iranian breakout during his term in office, the report said — though he seeks a means of stopping the Islamic Republic from going nuclear that does not trigger a new war, especially one in which US troops would become involved, according to the report, which cited transition officials.The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboard1/2

The incoming administration is currently working on a “maximum pressure 2.0” plan, the report said, recreating the policy of aggressive sanctions on Iran that Trump pursued during his first term, having pulled out of the Obama-era agreement with the country meant to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Sources familiar with the plan told the Journal that there were several different ways military pressure could be used to deter Tehran.

Firstly, they said, Washington could send more forces, ships, and warplanes to the region while also bolstering Israel’s offensive capabilities through the sale of bunker-busting bombs. If that fails, however, the US could take a more combative stance and threaten to use direct military force, the sources were quoted as saying.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, visits an exhibition of the country’s nuclear achievements, at his office compound in Tehran, Iran, June 11, 2023. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Via AP, File)

In an interview with Time Magazine published Thursday, Trump said of a potential war with Iran, “Anything can happen. It’s a very volatile situation.”

Trump considered preventative strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites during the latter part of his first term but decided against it. This time, according to the WSJ report, his administration may be open to supporting an Israeli strike against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.

Advertisement

Among the reasons Trump may be more open to military action this time cited in the report were Iran’s alleged efforts to kill the president-elect.

Israeli military officials said Thursday that they believe there is now an opportunity to strike Iran’s nuclear sites, and are continuing preparations for a potential attack, following the collapse last weekend of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, a close ally of Iran.

The Israel Defense Forces believes that Iran — isolated after the fall of the Assad regime and the weakening of its main proxy group Hezbollah in Lebanon — may push ahead further with its nuclear program and develop a bomb as it scrambles to replace its deterrence.

Iran has denied seeking nuclear weapons and says both its space program and nuclear activities are for purely civilian purposes. However, US intelligence agencies and the IAEA say Iran had an organized military nuclear program up until 2003 and continued to develop its nuclear program beyond civilian necessity. Israel contends that the Islamic Republic never truly abandoned its nuclear weapons program.

This picture shows a replica of Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant at an exhibition at the International Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology in Isfahan in on May 6, 2024 (Atta Kenare/AFP)

Iran is committed to Israel’s destruction. Over the past year, it has twice fired massive barrages of missiles at Israel, which has vowed to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Israel has struck key Iranian military facilities in retaliation for both attacks, which came in the context of the multifront war opened by Iranian terror proxies on the Jewish state.

The Israeli strikes did not include major attacks on the country’s nuclear sites — though they did target one research facility reportedly connected to efforts to build a nuclear weapon —  but crippled Iranian air defenses, which, together with newly-acquired air superiority over Syria, could pave the way for a future attack.

On Thursday, Netanyahu published a video directed at citizens of Iran, telling them the regime in Tehran is “terrified of you, the people of Iran. And one day, I know that, one day this will change. One day Iran will be free.” It was his third such video in recent months.

1...666768...894Page 67 of 894
© Copyright 2025 Kaniva Tonga News & Entertainment