Pakistan's ambitious Hangor-class submarine programme, a centrepiece of the China-Pakistan naval partnership, is on track for induction in 2026, according to Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of Naval Staff of the Pakistan Navy. According to the Global Times , Ashraf said the project was progressing smoothly, noting that the recent launch of the second and third submarines in China marked "a major milestone for naval collaboration between China and Pakistan." Eight-Submarine Deal Driving Technology Transfer Islamabad first signed the contract with Beijing in 2015 to acquire eight Hangor-class conventional submarines. Four of them are to be built in China, and the remaining four are to be assembled in Pakistan. The arrangement aims to boost local shipbuilding capacity and advance technical self-reliance. Under the current schedule, all eight vessels will be delivered between 2022 and 2028. The first submarine was launched in April 2024, followed by two more this year. Ashr...
- Tehran said that with the strikes, it has sent out a clear message to the White House that "Iran will not leave its territorial integrity, sovereignty and national security unanswered under any circumstances."
- Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the number of missiles used in this operation was equal to the number of bombs the United States used in its assault on Iran's nuclear facilities.
- The US has confirmed the airbase in Qatar was targeted by the missile attack, with a military official telling Reuters that no Iranian attack was detected at any other US military base.
- The targeted base was also located far from urban areas and residential zones in Qatar, ensuring minimal risk to civilians, it insisted.
- Qatar has said that there were no casualties from the attack on the US military base, adding it reserves the right to respond following the Iranian attack. It said its air defences had intercepted missiles directed at the airbase.
- The Qatari Foreign Ministry has condemned the attack as a clear breach of Qatar's sovereignty, airspace, and international law.
- Iran, however, claimed that the operation posed "no threat whatsoever to our friendly and brotherly country Qatar or its people".
- Iran had issued threats to retaliate against the United States after US bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear sites at the weekend, joining Israel's air war against Tehran, and President Donald Trump mooted the possibility of the Iranian government being toppled.
- Shortly before Iran launched missiles at the base, Qatar announced it had closed its airspace temporarily to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. Iran said it coordinated its strikes, prompting the airspace closure, as per reports.
- Al Udeid airbase is the largest US military installation in the Middle East, situated across the Gulf from Iran.
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/HLTDGog
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