Iran willing to ‘expend every Arab life’ in efforts to destroy Israel, former US security adviser says
Iran is willing to “expend every Arab life” in its efforts to end Western influence in the Middle East and destroy Israel, a former US national security adviser has said.
HR McMaster, who held the position between 2017 and 2018 during the Trump presidency, told Sky News that there is still a risk of escalation between Iran and Israel after the two nations carried out attacks on each other in April.
Iran said its attack on Saturday 13 April was a retaliation after two of its generals were killed in a strike Tehran blames on Israel.
Israel responded to the Iranian attack by carrying out a strike on Isfahan – home to both a military base and nuclear site in Iran.
Asked whether there could be further escalation between the two regional rivals, Mr McMaster said: “Iran is pursuing a strategy in which they hope we continue to pretend like we don’t understand what the return address is for all this violence.
“And in a horrible, cynical way, Iran is willing to expend every Arab life, if necessary, to accomplish its objectives of pushing the United States, the United Kingdom and and our allies out of the region as the first step in establishing hegemonic power in the region and destroying Israel.
“That’s really what they want to do. And I think the longer that we act as if we don’t know what the return address is, Iran is going to continue to escalate these horrible actions to create horrible human suffering not only on the part of the Israelis, but on the part of the Palestinians too.”
Israelis hang around the apparent remains of a ballistic missile after Iran’s attack in April. Pic: Reuters
Asked whether the West could be drawn into leading a response to any future Iranian aggression in the region, Mr McMaster said: “Absolutely, I think it’s coming because Iran seems to be emboldened, even though they have all sorts of internal dissent happening now… They seem to be emboldened internationally… I think we to need tell the Iranians we’re going to begin to impose severe costs on you.
“And these don’t have to be military right away.
“I think there’s tonnes of room to enforce the sanctions that are already on the books, the sanctions that the Biden administration chose not to enforce.”
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How damaging was Israel’s strike on Iran?
Mr McMaster also said that the reduction in capacity of the UK’s armed forces “broke my heart” as military sources and Cold War veterans have warned Britain is increasingly vulnerable to the threat of missiles and drones after decades of cost-saving cuts.
He added that it would be “difficult for the UK to sustain operations” for “ample duration to fight and win” in a future conflict.
In apparent reference to some NATO countries not meeting their defence spending targets, Mr McCaster continued: “I think we have to realise that we have been over-optimistic for too long about the geostrategic conditions and the need to demonstrate strength to prevent further conflict.”
His comments come after UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps called for the new NATO target for defence spending to increase from the current 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) to 2.5%.
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Mr Shapps warned the world could be engulfed by wars involving China, Russia, North Korea and Iran in the next five years.
Asked whether the recent $61bn military aid package for Ukraine will have an impact on the war there, Mr McMaster said: “It’s a game-changer… I hope it’s not too late…
“Ukraine is are fighting as best they can with what they’ve got. We’ve got to get them the ammunition now.”
He added that the “halting” and “inconsistent” manner in which the US has provided aid has denied Ukraine the ability to protect its people and stop the Russian offensive.
US
Harrison Butker: NFL distances itself from Kansas City Chiefs kicker’s speech on women as ‘homemakers’
The NFL has distanced itself from Kansas City Chiefs Harrison Butker’s controversial speech which has sparked a backlash after he suggested female graduates were most looking forward to becoming wives and mothers.
During a commencement speech to graduates at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, the Super Bowl-winning kicker railed against abortion, called Pride month a “deadly sin”, and attacked lockdown measures during the COVID pandemic.
His remarks on women in the workplace went viral after he said they were told “the most diabolical lies” and he suggested one of their most important roles in life will be “homemaker”.
“Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world,” he said.
“I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.”
The 28-year-old said his wife embraced “one of the most important titles of all. Homemaker.”
The Chiefs kicker railed against abortion, called Pride month an example of ‘deadly sins’ and attacked COVID lockdown measures. Pic: Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
What has the NFL said in response?
In a statement, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane said the Chiefs kicker was speaking in “his personal capacity”.
He told People magazine: “His views are not those of the NFL as an organisation. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
During the 20-minute-long speech last week, Butker – who’s made his conservative Catholic beliefs well known – also referenced lyrics from Taylor Swift – who is dating his teammate Travis Kelce – and said “familiarity breeds contempt” when discussing how Catholic priests should not become “overly familiar” with their parishioners.
When speaking about faith, he said to have pride – before adding: “Not the deadly sins sort of Pride that has an entire month dedicated to it, but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the Holy Ghost to glorify him.”
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Star also hit out at US president
The kicker then attacked US President Joe Biden’s “delusional” stance on abortion, saying: “He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I’m sure to many people it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice.”
A Change.org petition calling for the Chiefs to dismiss Butker for “discriminatory remarks” has attracted more than 170,000 signatures online.
But his speech was also praised by former NFL wide receiver T.J. Moe, who said on social media: “Not a word Harrison Butker says here should be remotely controversial. He’s 100% correct.
“Those trying to convince women that being assistant VP of lending & intentionally childless at age 40 is more fulfilling than making a family and home are evil.”
US
Massachusetts teenager had cardiac arrest after eating one of spiciest crisps in world in viral challenge
A Massachusetts teenager died from a cardiac arrest after taking part in a challenge where he ate what was believed to be one of the spiciest crisps in the world.
Harris Wolobah, 14, from Worcester, died on 1 September last year after eating a Paqui chip as part of the manufacturer’s One Chip Challenge.
The challenge, popular on social media, involved eating supposedly one of the spiciest tortilla chips in the world, then bearing the heat for as long as possible before eating or drinking something else for relief.
It came individually wrapped and Paqui’s website previously said it is made from two of the hottest chilli peppers in the world – the Carolina Reaper and Scorpion.
An autopsy concluded the teenager died from a cardiopulmonary arrest “in the setting of recent ingestion of food substance with high capsaicin concentration”. Capsaicin is the component that gives chili peppers their heat.
Paqui has discontinued the One Chip Challenge after multiple reports of children being hospitalised. Pic: AP
But the Chief Office of the Medical Examiner also found Harris had an enlarged heart and myocardial bridging, where a major artery runs inside of the heart muscle instead of on its surface.
In a statement after the autopsy was released, Paqui said they were “deeply saddened” by the teen’s death, and “extend our condolences to his family and friends”.
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The Texas-based manufacturer added that because of the incident and others where teenagers were taken to hospital, they had stopped selling the spicy chip.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
“While the product adhered to food safety standards, out of an abundance of caution, we worked with retailers to voluntarily remove the product from shelves in September 2023, and the One Chip Challenge has been discontinued,” they said.
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Harris’s mother Lois Walobah told NBC10 Boston last year she was called to the school by a nurse and her son had told him a classmate gave him the chip, leaving him with a bad stomach ache.
They went home but later that afternoon his brother yelled Harris had passed out, she said.
He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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