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Iran's attack on Israel causes chaos in world air travelling: details

Category: World
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Iran's attack on Israel causes chaos in world air travelling: details

Oleksiy Hrushevsky

Source: Reuters

At least a dozen airlines have canceled or rerouted flights following Iran's massive missile and drone strike on Israel on April 14.

Collapse of air transportation in the world, similar to the situation on 09/11/2001

International airlines faced disruption after Iran's strikes on Israel further curtailed air travel between Europe and Asia.

Reuters report this.

At least a dozen airlines cancelled or changed routes. Among them are Qantas, Lufthansa, United Airlines, and Air India.

OPSGROUP founder Mark Zee said that the world has not faced such problems in air transportation since the attack on the World Trade Center, which took place on September 11, 2001.

Since then, we haven't had a situation where so many different airspaces have been closed so quickly, and it's creating chaos.

In his opinion, such interruptions will continue for several more days.

It should be noted that the air transportation industry has previously faced restrictions caused by the conflict between Israel and the Hamas group, as well as the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The situation has become almost critical today because Iran's airspace is extremely important for airlines operating between Europe and Asia. They will most likely be forced to choose an alternative path: either through Turkey or through Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Iranian attack on Israel: what is known

The Islamic Republic of Iran attacked Israel on the night of April 14, and hundreds of drones and missiles were launched. The Israel Defense Forces said it had shot down most of the aerial targets.

It was reported that the Nevatim airbase in the Negev desert was slightly damaged during the attack.

The United States, whose voice may be decisive in this situation, took a "cautionary" position. As US President Joe Biden said the day before, he "does not believe" in a significant war scenario.

According to some experts, Iran's attack on Israel showed that the US had lost control of the situation. In particular, it is about Iran's "brazen" disregard of the warnings of the US president.

Pentagon chief Hegseth invites his relatives to closed meetings with foreign military personnel

Olha Pokotylo

Читати українською

Source: The Wall Street Journal

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took his wife, former Fox News producer Jennifer Hegseth, and his brother Philip to several meetings with foreign military colleagues where confidential information was discussed.

Points of attention

Pete Hegseth's decision to include his wife and brother in confidential meetings at the Pentagon and NATO headquarters has raised serious concerns about security protocols being violated.
The presence of relatives at high-level discussions with foreign military colleagues has sparked outrage among employees and questioned the integrity of the information shared.
Jennifer Hegseth's access to classified information during these meetings has come under scrutiny, posing a potential threat to security and trust within the defense community.

Hegset brings relatives to meetings where confidential information is discussed

It is known that Jennifer Hegseth was present at the February meeting of defense ministers at NATO headquarters, during which the Contact Group on Defense Issues for Ukraine also met.

The wife of the US Secretary of Defense was also spotted at a meeting on March 6 at the Pentagon with British Defense Secretary John Healy and British Chief of the General Staff Admiral Tony Radakin.

According to WSJ sources, some foreign participants in the meetings did not know who Jennifer Hegset was; others were surprised by her presence but did not express open objections.

Although Hegset has the authority to grant outsiders a certain level of access to classified information discussed in meetings with foreign colleagues, it is unclear whether he did it for his wife.

Pentagon sources confirmed to the publication that Jennifer Hegseth is not an employee of the US Department of Defense. And Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell responded to the WSJ that "it is quite clear to me that your story will be full of inaccuracies and will not be written in good faith."

Hegseth's younger brother, Philip, who produces conservative podcasts and recently started working for the US Department of Homeland Security, also accompanies the Pentagon chief to some meetings.

The two traveled to Guantanamo together in February and are currently on a tour of US Asian allies.

The WSJ report comes amid heightened attention to Pete Hegseth's role in a Signal messenger chat room that shared intelligence about the US military operation in Yemen — and where The Atlantic journalist was mistakenly added.

Trump's trade wars: the US could run out of toilet paper

Olha Pokotylo

Читати українською

Source: Bloomberg

US President Donald Trump's trade war could lead to shortages of more than just eggs and beef. Promised tariffs on softwood lumber risk leaving Americans without toilet paper.

Points of attention

President Trump's trade war and proposed tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber may lead to a shortage of toilet paper in the US.
Increasing tariffs on softwood pulp, a key component for toilet paper production, could result in higher prices and limited availability of paper products like napkins and paper towels.

Trump will leave the US without toilet paper

The Trump administration plans to nearly double tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber to 27%, and if additional tariffs are imposed, to more than 50%.

The American leader is pushing for the new tariffs in part to support local production, but they could also hit the availability of northern bleached softwood sulfate pulp, or NBSK, a key component for making toilet paper and paper towels.

The agency explained that NBSK makes up about 30% of standard American napkins and half of a regular paper towel.

Brian McClay, chairman of the consulting firm TTOBMA, which tracks the global pulp market, told reporters that NBSK is currently supplied mainly from Canada.

He added that in 2024, the US imported about 2 million tons of this material.

Some of these mills in the US, some of the big brand names, not only want softwood pulp from Canada, but they want pulp from this particular mill — they've been using it for 30 years and they're not going to change. If the Canadian pulp mills close down because of a lack of fiber supply, I can't think of any other option for them — they just can't change the recipe.

The agency warned that this scenario could lead to a shortage of toilet paper in the US, similar to the one experienced during the pandemic. It also could lead to a sharp increase in the price of toilet paper.

Trump has long promoted tariffs as a tool to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., and he has repeatedly stated that his country does not need Canadian lumber.

However, this position does not take into account the unique qualities of Canadian softwood pulp, which industry leaders say cannot be easily replaced by American alternatives. NBSK is valued for its tensile strength, the agency stressed.

Iran's attack on Israel causes chaos in world air travelling: details

Collapse of air transportation in the world, similar to the situation on 09/11/2001

Iranian attack on Israel: what is known

More on the topic

More on the topic

Pentagon chief Hegseth invites his relatives to closed meetings with foreign military personnel

Hegset brings relatives to meetings where confidential information is discussed

More on the topic

Trump's trade wars: the US could run out of toilet paper

Trump will leave the US without toilet paper

More on the topic

Collapse of air transportation in the world, similar to the situation on 09/11/2001

Iranian attack on Israel: what is known

More on the topic

More on the topic

Share

Hegset brings relatives to meetings where confidential information is discussed

More on the topic

Share

Trump will leave the US without toilet paper

More on the topic

Share