MONDAY 23 JUNE 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR KALESHWARAM AN ATM FOR KCR’S FAMILY, SAYS BANDI SANJAY RAIPUR: AMIT SHAH REVIEWS ANTI-MAOIST STRATEGY P4 P5 WEATHER Generally Cloudy sky. One or two spells of rain/ thundershower very likely to occur. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 29 °C and 26 °C respectively. AKHILESH PROMISES POOR WOMEN `3,000 MONTHLY DONE P8 Spiralling crisis: USA hits Iran nuclear sites Iran’s security council mulls closure of Straits of Hormuz in retaliation RAINFALL: 2.6 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY AGENCIES Max. 94 % Min. 83 % DUBAI, 22 JUNE Max: 30.2˚C (-2.8) SUN RISES 04:53 hrs MOON RISES 02:21 hrs Min: 28.2˚C (+1.4) SUN SETS 18:24 hrs MOON SETS 17:32 hrs T TEMPERATURE New Moon on 25 June THUMBNAILS A worker covered in a plastic sheet rides a cart amid heavy rain, in Ranchi on Sunday. n ANI Air India flight diverted after bomb threat: An Air India flight from the UK's Birmingham to Delhi was diverted to Riyadh on Saturday night after a bomb threat was reported on board, the Tata Group-owned airline said on Sunday. The airline confirmed that flight AI114 landed safely in Riyadh, where security checks were carried out. The aircraft took off from Birmingham at 8.26 p.m. and was en route to Delhi when it had to make the emergency diversion. Air India later issued a statement saying that all passengers were safe and efforts were underway to arrange their travel to their final destinations. he United States inserted itself into Israel’s war against Iran early Sunday by dropping 30,000-pound bombs on an uranium enrichment site buried under a mountain, a risky gambit that aimed to destroy the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme after months of failed diplomacy. The attack prompted fears of a wider regional conflict as Iran lashed out at the USA for crossing “a very big red line.” The USA also fired dozens of missiles, and President Donald Trump said in a televised address from the White House that the combination of strikes “completely and fully obliterated” three nuclear sites. However, US defence officials said an assessment of the damage wrought by the attack still was ongoing. Hours later, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the time for diplomacy had passed and that his country had the right to defend itself. Araghchi said he would immediate fly to Moscow to coordinate positions with its ally, Russia. “The warmongering and Satellite picture provided by Planet Labs PBC shows Iran's underground nuclear enrichment site at Fordo following US airstrikes targeting the facility on Sunday. n AGENCIES lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression,” he told reporters in Turkey. “They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities.” Countries around the globe are calling for diplomacy and no further escalation. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US does not “seek war” and that the operation would not be “open-ended,” though Mr Trump earlier warned there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against US forces. Hours after the US BUMRAH PICKS UP 5-83 AS INDIA TAKE SLIM LEAD strikes, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it launched a barrage of 40 missiles at Israel, including its Khorramshahr-4, which can carry multiple warheads. Israeli authorities reported that more than 80 people suffered mostly minor injuries, though one multistorey building in Tel Aviv was significantly damaged. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, meanwhile, is said to be weighing a decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy chokepoint, in response to the US military strikes after the country’s parliament approved the measure. The move, if approved, would escalate tensions in the region and risk disrupting nearly 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas shipments. The US strikes, called “Operation Midnight Hammer,” involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance, Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon news conference. Fourteen of the US’s bunker-buster bombs were used on two nuclear sites, including Fordo, according to Gen. Caine. In all he said, 75 precision-guided weapons were used, including missiles fired from a submarine. (More reports on Page 9) P12 New Delhi urges de-escalation as Iran President calls up PM Modi SHAHID K ABBAS 1,428 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran so far: MEA NEW DELHI, 22 JUNE Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep concern over the recent escalations tensions in West Asia, reiterating India’s call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy to restore regional peace, security, and stability. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday received a telephone call from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who briefed him on the current situation in the region, particularly the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. “We discussed in detail about the current situation. Expressed deep concern at the recent escalations. Reiterated our call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability,” PM Modi stated in a post on social media platform X. President Pezeshkian emphasised the role India could play in de-escalating the conflict, given its good relations with all parties involved. The conversation between the two leaders comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with India advocating for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. NEW DELHI, 22 JUNE US forces earlier today launched airstrikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities, which US President Donald Trump described as a “spectacular military success” and warned Iran to make peace or face further attacks. During their conversation, Mr Modi thanked President Pezeshkian for the continued support extended to the Indian community in Iran, facilitating their safe return and repatriation. The two leaders discussed measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, economic cooperation, science and technology, and people-to-people ties. PM Modi emphasised the need for immediate de-escalation to prevent further conflict and promote peace asserting that dialogue and diplomacy were the preferred paths to resolve the conflict. India and Iran are important trade partners, Over 1,400 Indian nationals have been brought back from Iran so far under Operation Sindhu, India’s evacuation initiative launched amid intensifying hostilities in West Asia, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday. In view of the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, India launched Operation Sindhu on 18 June to facilitate the safe return of its citizens stranded in Iran. The latest special flight carrying 311 Indians stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in New Delhi on Sunday, bringing the total number of people evacuated under Operation Sindhu to 1,428. The flight from Mashhad landed in New Delhi at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. SNS (Details on Page 5) with India being among Iran’s five largest trade partners in recent years. AI plane crash: DGCA launches safety audit to identify systemic vulnerabilities STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 22 JUNE In the wake of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad earlier this month, aviation safety watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a comprehensive special audit initiative to proactively identify systemic vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience across India’s aviation sector. An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operating flight AI-171 on the Ahmedabad- London-Gatwick route, crashed in Ahmedabad on 12 June, which claimed the lives of at least 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew members and dozens on the ground. The audit framework will cover the entire range of aviation entities, including scheduled and non-scheduled airlines, maintenance, repair and overhaul organisations (MROs), flying training schools, air navigation service providers, airport operators and ground han- NIA arrests three J-K locals for harbouring Pahalgam attackers STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 22 JUNE In a major breakthrough in the Pahalgam terror attack case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two local Kashmiris on the charges of harbouring the terrorists who had carried out the horrendous attack on 22 April that killed 26 tourists and grievously injured 16 others, an NIA spokesman said on Sunday. The two men - Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote, Pahalgam and Bashir Ahmad Jothar of Hill Park, Pahalgam – have disclosed the identity of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack, and have also confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated to the proscribed terrorist outfit Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT). Parvaiz and Bashir had knowingly harboured the three armed terrorists at a seasonal dhok (hut) at Hill Park before the attack, as per NIA investigations. The two men had provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists, who had, on the fateful afternoon, selectively killed the tourists on the basis of their religious identity, making it one of the most gruesome terrorist attacks ever. The NIA, which has arrested the duo under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, is further investigating the case RC-02/2025/NIA/JMU, registered after the attack that shook the world on 22 April 2025. Further investigations in the case are continuing, the spokesman added. (File photograph) dling agencies. The audit framework will be in addition to the regulatory audits being carried out as per the annual surveillance programme. It will also have more severe penalties for non-compliance that include grounding of airlines. The process will unfold in three stages: a pre-audit phase lasting five to seven days, a three-to-five-day onsite audit, and a post-audit period of ten to fifteen days for analysis and follow-up. Entities audited are required to submit corrective action plans within 15 days of receiving findings. The DGCA will closely monitor the imple- mentation of these plans. The regulator has deployed multidisciplinary audit teams led by senior officials and supported by subject matter experts drawn from various domains within aviation. These teams are conducting rigorous inspections. The primary focus areas included Safety Management Systems (SMS), operational efficiency, adherence to regulatory frameworks, and crew and resource management protocols. According to officials, the audit was triggered by a range of factors, including aviation accidents, serious incidents, recurring non- compliance issues, as well as findings flagged by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The process will unfold in three stages: a pre-audit phase lasting five to seven days, a three-to-five-day on-site audit, and a postaudit period of ten to fifteen days for analysis and follow-up. Findings from these audits will be classified based on Level 1 for immediate safety risks, Level 2 for significant but non-critical issues, and a third category for longterm observations. Entities audited are required to submit Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) within 15 days of receiving findings. The DGCA will closely monitor the implementation of these plans. The DGCA has made it clear that failure to comply with audit recommendations could attract penalties such as suspension of operations or even cancellation of licences in cases of violation of safety norms.