Vance says Iran has a renewed chance to pursue ‘the path of peace' after US attack
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that America 'does not seek war' with Iran in the aftermath of a surprise attack overnight on three of that country's nuclear sites while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran a renewed chance of negotiating with Washington.
The mission, 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.
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The Province
an hour ago
- The Province
Pete Hegseth says U.S. bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites not meant to start a war
U.S. Secretary of Defence says Operation Midnight Hammer 'was not and has not been about regime change' in Iran Published Jun 22, 2025 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 5 minute read The day after the U.S. attack Iranian nuclear sites, Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, said the attack was not about regime change or meant to start a war with Iran. Photo by Alex Brandon / AP The Trump administration on Sunday signalled a willingness to renew talks with Iran and avoid a prolonged war in the aftermath of a surprise attack on three of the country's nuclear sites as U.S. officials assessed Tehran's nuclear ambitions and the threat of retaliation against American interests. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors President Donald Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night, allowed his national security team to speak for him the next morning, staying quiet on social media and scheduling no public appearances. The coordinated messaging by his vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout from the attack would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a news conference that America 'does not seek war' with Iran, while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Operation Midnight Hammer, involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance,' according to Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Hegseth added. Caine said the goal of the operation — destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — had been achieved. 'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' Caine said. An operational timeline of Operation Midnight Hammer, a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. Photo by Andrew Harnik / Getty Images Vance said in a television interview that while he would not discuss 'sensitive intelligence about what we've seen on the ground,' he felt 'very confident that we've substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Pressed further, he told NBC's 'Meet the Press' that 'I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time. I think that it's going to be many, many years before the Iranians are able to develop a nuclear weapon.' The vice president said the U.S. had 'negotiated aggressively' with Iran to try to find a peaceful settlement and that Trump made his decision after assessing the Iranians were not acting 'in good faith.' 'I actually think it provides an opportunity to reset this relationship, reset these negotiations and get us in a place where Iran can decide not to be a threat to its neighbors, not to a threat to the United States and if they're willing to do that, the United States is all ears,' Vance said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 🚨 JD VANCE: 'We DO NOT want war with Iran.' 'We actually want peace, but we want peace in the context of them not having a nuclear weapons program — and that's exactly what the President accomplished last night.' — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 22, 2025 Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on CBS's 'Face the Nation' that 'there are no planned military operations right now against Iran, unless, unless they mess around and they attack' U.S. interests. Trump has previously threatened other countries, but often backed down or failed to follow through, given his promises to his coalition of voters not to entangle the United States in an extended war. It was not immediately clear whether Iran saw the avoidance of a wider conflict as in its best interests. Much of the world is absorbing the consequences of the strikes and the risk that they could lead to more fighting across the Middle East after the U.S. inserted itself into the war between Israel and Iran. Airstrikes starting on June 12 by Israel that targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and generals prompted retaliation from Iran, creating a series of events that contributed to the U.S. attack. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While U.S. officials urged for caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticized the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Washington was 'fully responsible' for whatever actions Tehran may take in response. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,' he said at a news conference in Turkey. 'I don't know how much room is left for diplomacy.' China and Russia, where Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the U.S. military action. The attacks were 'a gross violation of international law,' said Russia's Foreign Ministry, which also advocated 'returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course.' A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to 'a global level.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies, but that he was focused on finding a solution. The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need 'a rapid resumption of negotiations.' France's Emmanuel Macron held talks with the Saudi crown prince and sultan of Oman. Iran could try to stop oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, which could create the same kind of inflationary shocks that the world felt after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Oil prices have increased in the financial markets as the war between Israel and Iran had intensified, climbing by 21% over the past month. The Pentagon briefing did not provide any new details about Iran's nuclear capabilities. Hegseth said the timeline for the strikes was the result of a schedule set by Trump for talks with Iran about its nuclear ambitions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Iran found out' that when Trump 'says 60 days that he seeks peace and negotiation, he means 60 days of peace and negotiation,' Hegseth said. 'Otherwise, that nuclear program, that new nuclear capability will not exist. He meant it.' That statement was complicated as the White House had suggested last Thursday that Trump could take as much as two weeks to determine whether to strike Iran or continue to pursue negotiations. But the U.S. benefited from Iran's weakened air defences as it was able to conduct the attacks without resistance from Iran. 'Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface-to-air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission,' Caine said. Hegseth said that a choice to move a number of B-2 bombers from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday was meant to be a decoy to throw off Iranians. He added that the U.S. used other methods of deception as well, deploying fighters to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped 14 bunker-buster bombs on Iran's site at Fordo. The strikes occurred Saturday between 6:40 pm and 7:05 pm in Washington, or roughly 2:10 am on Sunday in Iran. Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks News Hockey
Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
Canadians say Carney government failed them as Iranian missiles landed in Israel
The Carney government largely failed to help Canadian citizens safely and quickly exit Israel as Iran began its deadly bombardment of civilian areas late last week, according to two evacuees. Two Canadians who spent several days sheltering intermittently in bomb shelters say they found safe passage via Birthright, an organization that brings members of the Jewish diaspora to Israel on a 10-day sponsored trip to learn more about the country. 'The messaging has been all over the place,' Pe'er Krut told National Post. 'What I can tell you for sure is that Birthright took it in their own hands completely to help Canadian students get out of Israel.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Iran started lobbing rockets and missiles into Israel's civilian areas on June 13, in response to Israel's targeting of the Islamic regime's military infrastructure. Ottawa finally announced an evacuation plan on June 20 as Krut and others fled the Iranian bombs with Birthright's help. Hi @AnitaAnandMP As you know, most countries operating diplomatic missions in Israel have been getting their citizens out for days now. As you also know it's really not that complicated to mount an overland evacuation operation to Jordan. And as you should know, there are other… Krut, a Torontonian in Jerusalem doing a legal internship over the summer, said she got word on June 16 from her program organizers, Onward — which falls under the umbrella of Birthright — that plans were in motion to evacuate her and others from Israel. Over the intervening days while the logistics were ironed out, Krut recalls spending hours running back and forth to a bomb shelter as Iranian missiles struck Israel. 'We were going up and down every few hours for a few days, it felt like I started to get to know every face, their personalities. People would bring food for the community. The same person would hold the door open for all the people in wheelchairs, the same baby would always be crying in the corner, comforted by some random other neighbour who would help out.' On June 20, Krut boarded a cruise ship in Ashdod, a town just south of Tel Aviv, with hundreds of Birthright participants from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom bound for Cyprus . 'We all signed waivers and they bussed us to the boat,' she said. 'This is like a Mission Impossible escape plan, what they pulled off.' The same day Krut left Israel, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand released a public statement explaining that the federal government had coordinated exit plans for Canadians wishing to leave the region. A step in the right direction — but this should have happened immediately. Waiting a week during an active war is unacceptable. We need a protocol that ensures an urgent, proactive plan of action the moment airspace closes and Canadians are at risk. The embassy's job is to… 'I n the coming hours, Canadians in Israel and the West Bank who have registered will receive details of land transportation options to a safe third country where commercial air transportation is available,' Anand wrote on X. 'All those who requested assistance will receive the information directly.' Global Affairs Canada acknowledged receipt of the Post's request for comment on Sunday morning but had not provided a statement at the time of publication. Krut called Anand's handling of the situation 'far too late' and was disheartened by the federal government for what she sees as its failure to actively assist Canadians trapped in the region. She compared it to American political leaders such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who chartered passenger flights and personally greeted evacuees at Tampa Bay's airport on Friday. 'The Canadian government did not offer that same sort of support,' Krut told the Post by phone while sitting on the floor of the Frankfurt airport in Germany. 'Birthright took on all of us Canadians simply out of goodwill.' Lola O'Regan, a friend of Krut's participating in the same internship program in Israel, also heard little about the Canadian government's involvement in the evacuation plan and credited Birthright for its leadership during this precarious moment. 'As far as I'm aware, I don't know how much the Canadian government was involved. I know there was a huge effort from Birthright to evacuate all of the people that were in Israel doing trips under the Birthright umbrella,' she said. O'Regan also referenced the American efforts, specifically those of Governor DeSantis, helping bring Americans back stateside. 'I am personally not aware of the Canadian government really stepping up to that same extent, but I definitely felt quite well taken care of by Birthright, and I've never doubted that they would get me home,' she said. Their concerns were echoed on social media by prominent Canadians inside Israel, including former Peterborough Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri who is visiting Israel and said on X that 'there has been absolutely no communication about an evacuation plan' as of June 19. Another Conservative Party-connected critic, former Canadian ambassador to Israel Vivian Bercovici, said on X she'd been inundated with calls from Canadians looking for information and help because current Canadian officials weren't providing them. 'Why are you leaving all these logistics to individuals … you are doing absolutely NOTHING to assist Canadians,' Bercovici, who is now a National Post columnist and lives in southern Israel, told Anand in an X post. David Cooper, the vice president of government relations for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), told the Post in a written statement that the organization was working 'on behalf of our Jewish Federation partners from across the country, has been in constant communication with Global Affairs Canada concerning the safe evacuation of Canadians from Israel.' 'Following our advocacy efforts to ensure safe transportation between Israel and Jordan, the Government of Canada has announced plans to assist with these efforts.' O'Regan said that based on her conversations with others in Israel, most people were not interested in travelling across the country's land border to either Egypt or Jordan for safety reasons and far preferred Cyprus. She said she had not been in touch with the Canadian government or embassy. 'I think now more than ever, it would be really comforting to feel as though Canadians have the back of Jewish people and Canadian citizens in Israel.' Both O'Regan and Krut, who plan to be in Toronto for the summer, are looking for work after their internships fell through. While O'Regan was able to get a direct flight back to Canada, Krut is headed first to Iceland before ultimately arriving in Toronto late Sunday night 'Even though we ended up leaving, I'm really grateful for the experience,' Krut said. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Calgary Herald
an hour ago
- Calgary Herald
Canadians say Carney government failed them as Iranian missiles landed in Israel
The Carney government largely failed to help Canadian citizens safely and quickly exit Israel as Iran began its deadly bombardment of civilian areas late last week, according to two evacuees. Article content Two Canadians who spent several days sheltering intermittently in bomb shelters say they found safe passage via Birthright, an organization that brings members of the Jewish diaspora to Israel on a 10-day sponsored trip to learn more about the country. Article content Article content Article content Ottawa finally announced an evacuation plan on June 20 as Krut and others fled the Iranian bombs with Birthright's help. Article content Hi @AnitaAnandMP As you know, most countries operating diplomatic missions in Israel have been getting their citizens out for days now. As you also know it's really not that complicated to mount an overland evacuation operation to Jordan. And as you should know, there are other… — Vivian Bercovici (@VivianBercovici) June 21, 2025 Article content Article content Krut, a Torontonian in Jerusalem doing a legal internship over the summer, said she got word on June 16 from her program organizers, Onward — which falls under the umbrella of Birthright — that plans were in motion to evacuate her and others from Israel. Over the intervening days while the logistics were ironed out, Krut recalls spending hours running back and forth to a bomb shelter as Iranian missiles struck Israel. Article content Article content 'We were going up and down every few hours for a few days, it felt like I started to get to know every face, their personalities. People would bring food for the community. The same person would hold the door open for all the people in wheelchairs, the same baby would always be crying in the corner, comforted by some random other neighbour who would help out.' Article content On June 20, Krut boarded a cruise ship in Ashdod, a town just south of Tel Aviv, with hundreds of Birthright participants from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom bound for Cyprus. 'We all signed waivers and they bussed us to the boat,' she said. 'This is like a Mission Impossible escape plan, what they pulled off.'
