Trump to play deterrent role in foreseeable conflict between Israel and Iran
Liberal Senator Dave Sharma says the US was aware of the recent Israeli strikes and will play an important role in deterring Tehran from widening the conflict into other nations.
'They [the US] weren't part of these strikes, but it was clear they had advanced notification because they began moving nonessential personnel out of the region,' Mr Sharma told Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus.
'There's still a significant US military presence in the region.
'Clearly, they will be using those to defend US personnel and installations in the region, but also allies, and seeking to deter Iran from widening this conflict.'
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The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
US helps Israel shoot down barrage of Iranian missiles
American air defence systems and navy assets in the Middle East helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles that Tehran launched in response to Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and top military leaders, US officials say. The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems in the region capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, which Iran fired in multiple barrages in retaliation for Israel's initial attack. Naval assets also were involved in assisting Israel on Friday as Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, one official said. The United States also is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to the strikes. The navy had directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean and had directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward so it could be available if requested by the White House, US officials said. American fighter jets also are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, and air bases in the region are taking additional security precautions, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. President Donald Trump met his National Security Council principals on Friday to discuss options. The forces in the region have been taking precautionary measures for days, including having military dependents voluntarily depart regional bases, in anticipation of the strikes and to protect personnel in case of a large-scale response from Tehran. Typically, about 30,000 troops are based in the Middle East, and about 40,000 troops are in the region now, according to a US official. That number surged as high as 43,000 last October amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran as well as continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The navy has additional assets that it could send to the Middle East if needed, particularly its aircraft carriers and the warships that sail with them. USS Carl Vinson is in the Arabian Sea - the only aircraft carrier in the region. The carrier USS Nimitz is in the Indo-Pacific and could be directed towards the Middle East if needed, and USS George Washington just left its port in Japan and could also be directed to the region, one official said. American air defence systems and navy assets in the Middle East helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles that Tehran launched in response to Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and top military leaders, US officials say. The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems in the region capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, which Iran fired in multiple barrages in retaliation for Israel's initial attack. Naval assets also were involved in assisting Israel on Friday as Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, one official said. The United States also is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to the strikes. The navy had directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean and had directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward so it could be available if requested by the White House, US officials said. American fighter jets also are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, and air bases in the region are taking additional security precautions, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. President Donald Trump met his National Security Council principals on Friday to discuss options. The forces in the region have been taking precautionary measures for days, including having military dependents voluntarily depart regional bases, in anticipation of the strikes and to protect personnel in case of a large-scale response from Tehran. Typically, about 30,000 troops are based in the Middle East, and about 40,000 troops are in the region now, according to a US official. That number surged as high as 43,000 last October amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran as well as continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The navy has additional assets that it could send to the Middle East if needed, particularly its aircraft carriers and the warships that sail with them. USS Carl Vinson is in the Arabian Sea - the only aircraft carrier in the region. The carrier USS Nimitz is in the Indo-Pacific and could be directed towards the Middle East if needed, and USS George Washington just left its port in Japan and could also be directed to the region, one official said. American air defence systems and navy assets in the Middle East helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles that Tehran launched in response to Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and top military leaders, US officials say. The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems in the region capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, which Iran fired in multiple barrages in retaliation for Israel's initial attack. Naval assets also were involved in assisting Israel on Friday as Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, one official said. The United States also is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to the strikes. The navy had directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean and had directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward so it could be available if requested by the White House, US officials said. American fighter jets also are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, and air bases in the region are taking additional security precautions, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. President Donald Trump met his National Security Council principals on Friday to discuss options. The forces in the region have been taking precautionary measures for days, including having military dependents voluntarily depart regional bases, in anticipation of the strikes and to protect personnel in case of a large-scale response from Tehran. Typically, about 30,000 troops are based in the Middle East, and about 40,000 troops are in the region now, according to a US official. That number surged as high as 43,000 last October amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran as well as continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The navy has additional assets that it could send to the Middle East if needed, particularly its aircraft carriers and the warships that sail with them. USS Carl Vinson is in the Arabian Sea - the only aircraft carrier in the region. The carrier USS Nimitz is in the Indo-Pacific and could be directed towards the Middle East if needed, and USS George Washington just left its port in Japan and could also be directed to the region, one official said. American air defence systems and navy assets in the Middle East helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles that Tehran launched in response to Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and top military leaders, US officials say. The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems in the region capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, which Iran fired in multiple barrages in retaliation for Israel's initial attack. Naval assets also were involved in assisting Israel on Friday as Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, one official said. The United States also is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to the strikes. The navy had directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean and had directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward so it could be available if requested by the White House, US officials said. American fighter jets also are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, and air bases in the region are taking additional security precautions, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. President Donald Trump met his National Security Council principals on Friday to discuss options. The forces in the region have been taking precautionary measures for days, including having military dependents voluntarily depart regional bases, in anticipation of the strikes and to protect personnel in case of a large-scale response from Tehran. Typically, about 30,000 troops are based in the Middle East, and about 40,000 troops are in the region now, according to a US official. That number surged as high as 43,000 last October amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran as well as continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The navy has additional assets that it could send to the Middle East if needed, particularly its aircraft carriers and the warships that sail with them. USS Carl Vinson is in the Arabian Sea - the only aircraft carrier in the region. The carrier USS Nimitz is in the Indo-Pacific and could be directed towards the Middle East if needed, and USS George Washington just left its port in Japan and could also be directed to the region, one official said.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Iran strikes back at Israel with missile barrage
Iran has launched retaliatory air strikes at Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday as authorities urged the public to take shelter. Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles and most were intercepted or fell short. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, two US officials said. Israel's Channel 12 said two people were critically injured, eight moderately and 34 slightly from shrapnel. Several buildings were struck in the attack. The Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium at Natanz to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official warned that revenge would be painful. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the assault to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons - an objective Tehran denies. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. The price of crude leaped on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across the oil-producing region. In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place. "We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans. "I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia in 2024. Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed. Among the generals killed were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami. Iran has launched retaliatory air strikes at Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday as authorities urged the public to take shelter. Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles and most were intercepted or fell short. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, two US officials said. Israel's Channel 12 said two people were critically injured, eight moderately and 34 slightly from shrapnel. Several buildings were struck in the attack. The Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium at Natanz to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official warned that revenge would be painful. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the assault to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons - an objective Tehran denies. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. The price of crude leaped on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across the oil-producing region. In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place. "We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans. "I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia in 2024. Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed. Among the generals killed were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami. Iran has launched retaliatory air strikes at Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday as authorities urged the public to take shelter. Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles and most were intercepted or fell short. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, two US officials said. Israel's Channel 12 said two people were critically injured, eight moderately and 34 slightly from shrapnel. Several buildings were struck in the attack. The Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium at Natanz to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official warned that revenge would be painful. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the assault to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons - an objective Tehran denies. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. The price of crude leaped on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across the oil-producing region. In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place. "We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans. "I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia in 2024. Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed. Among the generals killed were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami. Iran has launched retaliatory air strikes at Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday as authorities urged the public to take shelter. Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles and most were intercepted or fell short. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, two US officials said. Israel's Channel 12 said two people were critically injured, eight moderately and 34 slightly from shrapnel. Several buildings were struck in the attack. The Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium at Natanz to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official warned that revenge would be painful. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the assault to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons - an objective Tehran denies. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. The price of crude leaped on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across the oil-producing region. In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place. "We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans. "I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia in 2024. Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed. Among the generals killed were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami.
West Australian
3 hours ago
- West Australian
Israel and Iran crisis latest: US aids Israel to shoot down Iran's retaliatory missile attack
Scroll down for the latest news and updates. Israel's strikes on Iran have destroyed a major enrichment plant, the UN Security Council has been told, but the damage at two other sites isn't fully known. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Iran's Natanz nuclear site has been destroyed. 'At present, the Iranian authorities are informing us of attacks on two other facilities, namely the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan,' International Atomic Energy Agency's head Rafael Grossi told the UN Security Council on Friday. 'At this moment we do not have enough information beyond indicating that military activity has been taking place around these facilities as well,' he said. Read the story Israel has launched fresh strikes against Iran after an overnight bombardment of retaliatory missile strikes across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Tehran's air defence system is active after another wave of missiles from Israel, Iranian news agencies report, while Israel's military says Iran has launched a new wave of missiles with locals urged to return to shelters. The Israel Defense Forces said sirens were sounding in the area of Negev 'due to the infiltration of hostile aircraft'. Overnight in Israel air raid sirens sounded as authorities urged the public to take shelter after Iran launched air strikes at Israel, following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against the pariah state. At least 22 people are believed to have been injured. Read the story Tehran has been hit in a mjor strike, with smoke seen billowing into the air. Israeli media outlets are reporting Iranian missiles have hit several residential areas in the latest barrage. One hit directly in Tel Aviv, according to Channel 12, and interceptions can be seen in the sky.
