WEBVTT - Why Iran is attacking its Gulf neighbours - and when they’ll fire back

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<v Speaker 1>Today's biggest News From The Australian. I'm Claire Harvey with

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<v Speaker 1>the Front's afternoon headlines. The Iran War is widening, with

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<v Speaker 1>the British, French and German governments saying they're mobilizing military

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<v Speaker 1>assets to defend their people in the Middle East as

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<v Speaker 1>the crumbling Iranian regime fires on Western allies and partners

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<v Speaker 1>in the region. A Royal Air Force fighter jet shot

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<v Speaker 1>down an Iranian drone heading towards Katar As France and

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<v Speaker 1>Germany both say they're working with the American and Israeli

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<v Speaker 1>governments to halt Iran's attacks. Now it seems increasingly likely

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<v Speaker 1>the Gulf States, separated from Iran by a few hundred kilometers,

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<v Speaker 1>will respond militarily to Iran's weekend volley of assaults on

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<v Speaker 1>its own neighborhood. In the lead up to the American

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<v Speaker 1>and Israeli attack that took out Iran's Ayatola and its

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<v Speaker 1>senior military and civilian leadership, it was not just Benjamin Netanyahu,

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<v Speaker 1>but also reportedly Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Sulman,

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<v Speaker 1>who was urging Donald Trump to attack Iran. Increasingly concerned

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<v Speaker 1>by the growth in Iran's nuclear program and its repression

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<v Speaker 1>of its own people. Directly across the Gulf from Iran

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<v Speaker 1>are Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan,

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<v Speaker 1>and Oman, all of which have been targeted by Iranian

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<v Speaker 1>ballistic missiles and drones since Operation Epic Fury began over

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<v Speaker 1>the weekend. That includes some of the world's busiest airports

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<v Speaker 1>and expatriate cities, including Dubai, Doha, Kuwait City, and Riad,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's meant an almost complete freeze on aviation traffic

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<v Speaker 1>through the region and the closure of Dubai Airport. There

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<v Speaker 1>are hundreds of thousands of foreigners in the region at

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<v Speaker 1>any time, with estimates of one hundred and fifty thousand

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<v Speaker 1>Australians presently in the Middle East. All the countries under

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<v Speaker 1>attack by Iran have deep relationships with the Trump administration

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<v Speaker 1>and the American military, including hosting American personnel and assets.

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<v Speaker 1>The Iranians say they're not attacking these countries, only the

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<v Speaker 1>American assets, but the Gulf states aren't buying it, expressing

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<v Speaker 1>their outrage that Iran is endangering their people and economies.

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<v Speaker 1>In Bahrain, there was a spectacular explosion at the US

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<v Speaker 1>Navy's Fifth Fleet's base in Qatar, which hosts US Central

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<v Speaker 1>Commands Forward headquarters at the Al Udaid base. The Defense

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<v Speaker 1>Ministry says it's been able to intercept all Iran's incoming missiles.

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<v Speaker 1>Just south of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates,

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<v Speaker 1>the giant Al Dafra Airbase hosts the US Air Force

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<v Speaker 1>and the port of jabel Ali is a critical staging

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<v Speaker 1>post for American warships in the Gulf. At least one

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<v Speaker 1>person's been killed in the attacks on the UAE, and

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<v Speaker 1>the government has joined its neighbors in condemning the Iranian attacks. Iraq,

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<v Speaker 1>a Shiaite nation just like Iran, has also been targeted,

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<v Speaker 1>including around them busy northern city of air Bill, where

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<v Speaker 1>American air assets and troops have been operating with the

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<v Speaker 1>cooperation of this semi autonomous Kurdistan Regional government. America's base

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<v Speaker 1>in the region has been attacked by Iran and also

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<v Speaker 1>by an Iraqi based arm of Hebala, the Iranian backed

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<v Speaker 1>militia that's centered in Lebanon. On Monday morning, Donald Trump

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<v Speaker 1>released a video that's a powerful indication of his strategy.

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<v Speaker 1>He wants Iranians to rise up and take over their

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<v Speaker 1>own government rather than inserting an American administration.

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<v Speaker 2>Last night, all over around the voices of the Iranian

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<v Speaker 2>people could be heard cheering and celebrating in the streets

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<v Speaker 2>when his death was announced. The entire military command is

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<v Speaker 2>gone as well, and many of them want to surrender

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<v Speaker 2>into saving their lives. They want immunity, They're calling by

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<v Speaker 2>the thousands.

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<v Speaker 1>Trump is now back at the White House after spending

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<v Speaker 1>the weekend in Florida. This marks a change in the

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<v Speaker 1>way American presidents conduct war. We're used to the photographs

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<v Speaker 1>from the White House's Situation Room, an underground bunker where

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<v Speaker 1>wars have been conducted for decades. But Trump monitored the

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<v Speaker 1>strikes on Iran from his Mara A Lago resort in Florida,

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<v Speaker 1>along with his Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Secretary

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<v Speaker 1>of State Marco Rubio. Back at the White House in Washington,

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<v Speaker 1>DC was Vice President J. D. Vance, along with Director

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<v Speaker 1>of National Intelligence Telsey Gabbard and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant.

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<v Speaker 1>Vance and Rubio are rivals for the Republican crown, and

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<v Speaker 1>the setup has led to speculation about how those men

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<v Speaker 1>are positioned in proximity to the throne. We've got a

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<v Speaker 1>close look at that story live now at the Australian

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<v Speaker 1>dot com dot Au.

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<v Speaker 2>I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom

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<v Speaker 2>to seize this moment to be brave, be bold, be

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<v Speaker 2>heroic and take back your country. America is with you.

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<v Speaker 2>I made a promise to you, and I fulfilled that promise.

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<v Speaker 2>The rest will be up to you, but we'll be

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<v Speaker 2>there to help.

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<v Speaker 1>The Australian is the only website in the world covering

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<v Speaker 1>this story from abroad and right here, tailored for Australians

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<v Speaker 1>who need to know what's going on, from what happens

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<v Speaker 1>to your canceled flights to what it all means for

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<v Speaker 1>Australia's own security outlook. Come and check us out at

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<v Speaker 1>the Australian dot com dot Au