Daily Prelims MCQs – International Relations – 20th June 2025
- TPP
- Jun 20
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 22
Welcome to today’s handpicked set of Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) from the International Relations — crafted specially for the UPSC Prelims! These questions aren’t just a quiz — they’re a smart way to see how current affairs connect with core concepts, just like UPSC asks in the exam.
Each question is based on recent news and backed by clear explanations to help you build strong links between dynamic events and static knowledge.
Today’s topics include: Lithium triangle, Haifa, Kirya, Tel Aviv were in the news, G7 summit, coastal nations of the Red Sea, Starlink services, Air Exercise GARUDA, Rule 18 of UNSC and more
Use this as your daily revision boost to sharpen your understanding, stay exam-ready, and master how UPSC turns news into questions.
Click Here to read the Current Affairs Pointers (CAP) for January 2025- April 2025.
QUESTION 1
Consider the following countries:
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Peru
Colombia
Which of the above countries forms the Lithium triangle?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 6
(c) 1, 2 and 4
(d) 4, 5 and 6
Answer (c)
Explanation:
Because lithium-ion batteries are constructed of rare and expensive materials like cobalt, nickel, copper, and lithium, technological companies throughout the world have been exploring alternatives. Sodium has numerous advantages: it is far more abundant than lithium and can be extracted from seawater at relatively lower costs, unlike lithium, where availability is concentrated in a few countries and mining includes hard-rock excavations in regions other than the Li-triangle comprising Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile; and sodium is more environmentally friendly and can be transported at zero volt, making it safer, unlike lithium, which is less environmentally friendly.
QUESTION 2
The places Haifa, Kirya, Tel Aviv were in the news. They are located in:
(a) Syria
(b) Iran
(c) Israel
(d) Lebanon
Answer (c)
Explanation:
As Israel and Iran swapped missiles as their war escalated, a CNN-verified video captured the moment an Iranian missile landed near a vital military base in Tel Aviv.
Iran unleashed a volley of missiles at Israel, with sirens heard throughout the country as Tehran targeted Israel’s port city Haifa. Five people were reportedly killed in the assault.
The footage, captured by a witness from an adjacent structure, shows many interceptor projectiles being launched into the night sky. Seconds later, a missile strikes the ground near Kirya, causing a tremendous explosion and sending plumes of smoke upward.
QUESTION 3
Consider the following statements:
It is an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
It is situated near Turkey and Syria.
It is a member of the European Union (EU) despite being geographically in Asia.
The island nation gained independence from the British in 1960.
The above-mentioned statements refer to:
(a) Cyprus
(b) Greece
(c) Lebanon
(d) Israel
Answer (a)
Explanation:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Cyprus on June 15 for the first leg of his three-nation tour, which will also see him visit Canada for the G7 summit and then Croatia.
About Cyprus
Cyprus is an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, near Turkey and Syria. It is a member of the European Union (EU), despite its geographical location in Asia.
The island nation gained independence from the British in 1960. Its two largest groups, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, shared an uneasy power dynamic that erupted into violence three years later, necessitating the deployment of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force.
You might like this: PM Modi's Historic Visit to Cyprus
You might like this: India and Cyprus agree to deepen cooperation in key sectors
QUESTION 4
Which of the following countries are coastal nations of the Red Sea?
Egypt
Eritrea
Oman
Jordan
Turkey
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1, 4 and 5
(b) 1, 2 and 4
(c) 2, 3, 4 and 5
(d) 1, 4 and 6
Answer (b)
Explanation:
Just as global shipping lines and traders were beginning to breathe a sigh of relief from high freight rates, with vessels returning to the critical Red Sea route from the longer Cape of Good Hope passage, a direct conflict between two major West Asian powers reignited fears of rising oil prices and further trade disruptions.
The Red Sea borders the following coastal nations: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Sudan, Israel, Yemen and Jordan.
QUESTION 5
Which of the following countries is struggling with poor internet connectivity and has denied the Starlink services?
(a) Niger
(b) Sierra Leone
(c) Zimbabwe
(d) Bolivia
Answer (d)
Explanation:
Websites load at a low speed. Video streams glitch and freeze. Outside of Bolivia’s major cities, the nearest internet service is often hours distant via hazardous mountain roads.
Starlink, Musk’s private space company’s satellite internet service, has made remarkable progress in South America, reaching almost every country and providing high-speed internet to the region’s most remote locations, including isolated Indigenous people living deep in the Amazon rainforest.
However, Bolivia has denied Starlink’s development, refusing to grant it an operational licence last year, citing concerns about its unfettered dominance wherever it has set up shop, instead opting to rely on the country’s own ageing Chinese-made satellite.
QUESTION 6
Consider the following statements:
The French Air and Space Force (FASF) and IAF participate in bi-lateral exercise called TARANG SHAKTI.
France was the first country with which India launched its first-ever Strategic Partnership on 26 January 1998 to deepen bilateral relations.
Which of the statements given above is/are true?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer (b)
Explanation:
According to India-France bilateral brief, mea.gov.in:
French Air and Space Force (FASF) and IAF have been participating in bi-lateral Ex GARUDA till last year in 2023. In 2024, the IAF expanded the scope by inviting multiple nations in the form of a new exercise TARANG SHAKTI in lieu of Ex GARUDA. Statement 1 is not true.
France was the first country with which India launched its first-ever Strategic Partnership on 26 January 1998 to deepen bilateral relations.
QUESTION 7
With reference to the Security Council of the United Nations, consider the following statements:
While other organs of the United Nations make recommendations to member states, only the Security Council has the power to make decisions that member states are then obligated to implement under the United Nations Charter.
The presidency of the Security Council shall be held only by one of the Permanent Member States, who are granted a special voting power known as the “right to veto”.
Which of the statements mentioned above is/are true?
(a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer (a)
Explanation:
Rule 18 of the Security Council’s Provisional Rules of Procedure states: “The presidency of the Security Council shall be held in turn by the members of the Security Council in the English alphabetical order of their names. Each President shall hold office for one calendar month.” Statement 2 is not true.
QUESTION 8
Consider the following operations and their corresponding events:
Operation Spider’s Web: Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Operation Desert Sabre: Persian Gulf War
Operation Overlord: Israeli hostage rescue operation
Which of the above given pairs is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer (a)
Explanation:
Ukraine carried out Operation Spider’s Web, one of the most sophisticated drone operations in history, using 100–150 FPV drones, transported clandestinely in trucks deep into Russia. The target: five key Russian airfields. Ukrainian officials claim to have hit more than 40 Russian aircraft, including strategic bombers like the Tu-22 and Tu-95, and inflicted losses of around $7 billion.
World leaders gather on the coast of southern England in 2019 to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the largest seaborne invasion in history and a feat that helped bring World War Two to an end. In the early hours of June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 allied troops set off from Portsmouth and the surrounding area to begin the air, sea and land attack on Normandy that ultimately led to the liberation of western Europe from the Nazi regime. The invasion, codenamed Operation Overlord, remains the largest amphibious assault in history and involved almost 7,000 ships and landing craft along a 50-mile (80-km) stretch of the French coast. Thousands were killed on both sides.
On August 2, 1990, Iraq annexed Kuwait, its south-eastern neighbour 25 times smaller in size. Although Hussain claimed Kuwait to be a part of Iraq, he invaded the region so that Baghdad could cancel a massive debt that it owed Kuwait, as well as acquire Kuwait’s large oil reserves. Hussain also sought to link the annexation with the Palestinian conflict. As Hussain refused to pay heed to the UN’s many warnings, a US-led coalition, consisting of 7 lakh troops from 35 countries assembled in Saudi Arabia — Iraq’s neighbour also threatened by Hussain’s adventures in the region. After the January 15 deadline was flouted by Baghdad, coalition forces first launched Operation Desert Storm, which destroyed Iraq’s air defences, oil refineries, and key infrastructure. This was followed by Operation Desert Sabre, a ground offensive that went on to free Kuwait. The war finally ended on February 28, 1991, when the US declared a ceasefire.
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