Israel-Iran conflict: Trump approves strike plans against Tehran but no final order yet; report claims Fordow nuclear facility is prime target
US President Donald Trump has privately approved military attack plans against Iran but has withheld issuing a final order to proceed, pending Tehran's response regarding its nuclear programme, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Trump reportedly informed senior advisors on Wednesday that he had approved attack plans targeting Iran's nuclear facilities but stopped short of giving a final order to launch strikes.
Trump has emphasised his demand for Iran's unconditional surrender regarding nuclear development, stating he is looking for "total and complete victory" rather than a ceasefire.
What is the attack plan?
When asked about the decision to strike, Trump said, "I may do it, I may not do it," highlighting the fluidity of the situation and his preference to make final decisions "one second before it's due" because "things change, especially with war".
He, however, addded: "The next week is going to be very big, maybe less than a week."
The approved plans reportedly include strikes on critical nuclear sites such as the Fordow enrichment facility, which is built deep underground and is considered difficult to destroy. Experts note that only the most powerful bombs could effectively target such fortified locations.
The military buildup and the approval of attack plans indicate that the US is prepared for a significant escalation if Iran does not comply with demands to halt its nuclear program.
Tensions high as Trump mulls intervention
The development comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets.
The situation intensified after Israel launched a series of airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, including locations in Tehran and the deeply fortified Fordow and Nantaz uranium enrichment facilities.
Iran has long maintained its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, but the international community, including the US and Israel, fears it could be used to develop nuclear weapons.
The strikes have resulted in significant casualties, with reports indicating over 450 dead in Iran and 24 in Israel.
Trump's administration has been closely monitoring the conflict.
While publicly the US has stated it is not participating directly in Israel's offensive, intelligence and defense sources reveal that the US has helped Israel intercept retaliatory missile strikes from Iran.
The US military has also increased its presence in the region, with additional naval forces deployed to the eastern Mediterranean and Arabian Sea, a move described as defensive but also positioning the US for potential direct involvement.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has rejected Trump's demands and warned of 'irreparable consequences" should the US proceed with military action.
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Predatory Sparrow: The pro-Israel group that stole $90 million from Iran's biggest crypto exchange
A shadowy hacking group calling itself Predatory Sparrow has claimed responsibility for a devastating cyberattack on Iran's top crypto exchange, Nobitex, wiping out over $90 million. Allegedly linked to Israel, the group's actions come amid mounting regional tensions and follow earlier attacks on Iranian banks and steel plants read more A hooded man holds a laptop computer as blue screen with an exclamation mark is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. Representational Image/Reuters A hacking group calling itself Predatory Sparrow — or Gonjeshke Darande in Persian — has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Nobitex, Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange. The attack, which reportedly took place on Wednesday (June 18, 2025), led to the removal or irreversible 'burning' of roughly $90 million in digital assets. The incident marks yet another high-profile operation by the shadowy group, believed to be connected to Israeli interests, as part of a sustained digital offensive against Iranian financial and infrastructure systems. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This targeted strike on Iran's cryptocurrency backbone follows an attack a day earlier on Iran's state-run Bank Sepah, also claimed by the same group, and comes How Nobitex was compromised In the early morning hours of Wednesday, cryptocurrency holdings amounting to nearly $90 million were siphoned from Nobitex's systems and moved into wallets controlled by the hackers. TRM Labs, a blockchain forensics firm, confirmed the movement of funds and reported that the wallets used to receive the stolen cryptocurrency contained messages denouncing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 12 hours ago 8 burn addresses burned $90M from the wallets of the regime's favorite sanctions violation tool, Nobitex. 12 hours from now The source-code of Nobitex will be open to the public, and Nobitex's walled garden will be without walls. Where do you want your assets to be?… — Gonjeshke Darande (@GonjeshkeDarand) June 18, 2025 Soon after, the Nobitex website went offline. The company acknowledged 'unauthorised access' and stated via X that it had deactivated both its website and mobile application while investigating the breach. Attempts to reach Nobitex through its Telegram support channel yielded no response, and the hacker group also remained silent to media queries. An analysis from blockchain security firm Elliptic later revealed a unique twist in the operation. The group reportedly transferred the stolen crypto into wallets that they themselves would be unable to access, essentially making the funds irretrievable. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Elliptic concluded: 'The hackers effectively burned the funds in order to send Nobitex a political message.' While the exact method of the breach remains undisclosed, this act of irreversible crypto 'burning' has highlighted the symbolic rather than monetary intention behind the attack. The goal, analysts say, appears to be damage to Iran's ability to use crypto infrastructure to circumvent sanctions, rather than personal enrichment. What we know about Predatory Sparrow Predatory Sparrow has developed a reputation for bold and destructive cyberattacks targeting the Iranian regime and its critical infrastructure. The group operates under a pseudonym that is widely interpreted as a linguistic counterpoint to 'Charming Kitten,' a well-known Iranian cyber-espionage unit. The choice of name is believed to indicate a direct adversarial stance against Iranian cyber operations. Though no nation has publicly claimed association with Predatory Sparrow, several Israeli media reports have characterised the group as being aligned with Israeli strategic interests. The Israeli government has officially maintained ambiguity regarding the group's ties to the state, though in 2022, media leaks following a major cyberattack on Iranian steel infrastructure prompted then-Defence Minister Benny Gantz to order an internal probe into potential breaches of Israel's covert operations policy. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The group has left a long trail of notable digital attacks: June 2022 steel factory incident: Predatory Sparrow claimed responsibility for a cyber operation that disrupted three Iranian steel plants. The group released video footage purportedly showing the moment molten steel spewed from a machine, causing a fire. CCTV footage captured factory workers evacuating the site, followed by scenes of the blaze being doused with hoses. The hackers stated on Telegram: 'These companies are subject to international sanctions and continue their operations despite the restrictions. These cyber-attacks, being carried out carefully to protect innocent individuals.' October 2021 fuel system hack: The group claimed responsibility for taking down Iran's national fuel payment infrastructure. They also hacked into roadside digital billboards to display the message: 'Khamenei, where is our fuel?' — a direct reference to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian emergency services were reportedly warned in advance to mitigate chaos. Railway system disruption: In another public operation, hackers caused significant delays and confusion by tampering with Iran's national train station displays. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Information boards were hijacked to inform passengers of delays and cancellations and suggested they contact Khamenei directly. Code similarities with Indra: Cybersecurity firm Check Point found that some of the malware used by Predatory Sparrow contained code resembling that of another anti-Iranian group, Indra, which conducted a July 2021 attack on Iranian train systems. These incidents suggest that Predatory Sparrow may be a tightly regulated and disciplined team of military-grade hackers. Their actions appear to involve careful planning, timing and in some cases, even forewarning of emergency services to avoid civilian casualties — characteristics often associated with state-sponsored operations. Why Nobitex was targeted The crypto platform has been under scrutiny for its alleged role in helping the Iranian government and IRGC-affiliated actors launder funds and evade international sanctions. Nobitex's reported financial transactions have shown linkages to cryptocurrency wallets operated by organisations such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Yemen's Houthis — all entities hostile to Israel. A 2022 investigative report by Reuters highlighted Nobitex's links to these groups and its use as a platform for Iran's illicit financial operations. Representations of cryptocurrency Binance are seen in front of displayed Nobitex logo and Iran flag in this illustration taken November 3, 2022. Representational Image/Reuters In May 2024, US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Angus King raised concerns in a letter addressed to the Biden administration, calling for scrutiny over the platform's role in helping Iran bypass sanctions. The senators cited the Reuters report as supporting evidence. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Andrew Fierman, who heads national security intelligence at Chainalysis, confirmed in an email to Reuters that 'the value of the attack was roughly $90 million and that it was likely geopolitically motivated, given that the money was burned.' He added that Chainalysis had 'previously seen IRGC-affiliated ransomware actors leveraging Nobitex to cash out proceeds, and other IRGC proxy groups leveraging the platform.' This growing body of financial and technical evidence suggests that the recent cyberattack on Nobitex was not an isolated incident but part of a long-standing effort to disable or expose the digital infrastructure underpinning Iran's shadow economy. What we know about the Bank Sepah attack Just a day prior to the Nobitex breach, Predatory Sparrow also claimed responsibility for another major operation — this time targeting Iran's Bank Sepah. The group claimed to have erased key data from the bank's systems. They posted on X: 'This is what happens to institutions dedicated to maintaining the dictator's terrorist fantasies.' Destruction of the infrastructure of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 'Bank Sepah' We, 'Gonjeshke Darande', conducted cyberattacks which destroyed the data of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' 'Bank Sepah'. 'Bank Sepah' was an institution that circumvented… — Gonjeshke Darande (@GonjeshkeDarand) June 17, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Customers in Iran reportedly faced serious disruptions in accessing accounts, withdrawing funds, and using bank cards. Iranian media outlets warned that these problems could ripple out to the country's fuel distribution systems, which depend on Bank Sepah for processing transactions. This assault marked a rare instance of a cyberattack affecting core financial infrastructure in the middle of a regional conflict, raising concerns about the cyber front of the ongoing Israel-Iran standoff. Bank Sepah was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2018 for aiding Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics. Experts have noted that while hackers often exaggerate their impact, the consequences of the attack on Bank Sepah appear to be both real and widespread. Former NSA official Rob Joyce commented on X: 'Disrupting the availability of this bank's funds, or triggering a broader collapse of trust in Iranian banks, could have major impacts there.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Watch: With inputs from agencies
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First Post
16 minutes ago
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Did Modi's fact-check force Trump to make U-turn on India-Pakistan ceasefire credit?
Since May 10 — when India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire in hostilities — Donald Trump has on 14 different occasions claimed that he helped broker peace between the two nuclear-armed nations. However, in a press interaction on Wednesday, the US president changed his tune, crediting the countries' leaders for showing restraint. The reversal comes a day after PM Narendra Modi fact-checked the American president, saying India 'has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it' read more Trump for the first time in weeks, didn't take the credit for stopping the military conflict between India and Pakistan. File image/Reuters It's not often one witnesses Donald Trump making a U-turn on his statements. But on Wednesday (June 18), the US president shifted his tone and admitted that it was India and Pakistan that decided to end hostilities in May. On Wednesday, Trump speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after hosting a lunch for Pakistan's Army chief General Asim Munir said he was 'so happy that two smart people… decided not to keep going with that war. That could have been a nuclear war. Those are two nuclear powers, big ones, big, big nuclear powers, and they decided that'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is quite a reversal from the past where the US president has taken credit for the de-escalation between India and Pakistan — Trump has boasted at least 14 times that he had brokered the peace. In some instances, he claimed that he had used trade with the US as a tool to get the two countries to hold fire. But how did we get there? Was it PM Modi's fact-check that led to Trump's change in stance or was it Munir's lunch? Trump's change of heart After weeks of loudly boasting of brokering peace between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan , Trump did a 180, crediting the two countries' leaders directly for ending the hostilities. In remarks to the media following his lunch with Pakistan's Army Chief General Asim Munir, Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and General Munir as 'very smart people', adding that they chose not to turn the conflict into a 'nuclear war'. 'They were both here, but I was with Modi a few weeks ago. He was here actually, but now we speak to him. And I'm so happy that two smart people, plus you know, people on their staff too, but two smart people, two very smart people decided not to keep going with that war. That could have been a nuclear war. Those are two nuclear powers, big ones, big, big nuclear powers, and they decided that,' Trump was quoted as saying. This is the first time in weeks when Trump did not take credit for stopping the military conflict between India and Pakistan. In fact, since May 10 — the day India and Pakistan stopped firing at each other — the US president has claimed at least 14 times that he had brokered the peace. On multiple occasions, Trump has said that he 'helped settle' the tension between the two neighbouring countries and claimed America would do a 'lot of trade' with them if they stopped the conflict. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Earlier, speaking at the White House's Oval Office during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump had said, 'If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India. We settled that whole, and I think I settled it through trade.' Settled India, Pakistan issue with 'trade', says US President Donald Trump, pointing out that 'we are doing a big deal with India, Pakistan'; points,' Pakistan has great leader, & Modi is my friend' — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 21, 2025 Prior to this, while on his way back from his Saudi Arabia visit, Trump had said on board Air Force One, 'I didn't like what was happening. And you know, they're two very strongly nuclear countries, with very, very powerful amounts of nuclear, too, serious stuff… STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'And I did a good job. (Secretary of State) Marco (Rubio) did a good job, and (Vice President) JD (Vance) did a good job. We sort of were a team. And we, I think, convinced them to let's have peace and let's go and make trade deals. If we can make trade deals, we like that much better than nuclear weapons. And that was a great thing.' He also told a crowd of US military personnel in Qatar, 'I don't wanna say I did but I sure as hell helped settle the problem between Pakistan and India last week, which was getting more and more hostile and all of a sudden you'll start seeing missiles of a different type and we got it settled. I hope I don't walk out of here and two days later find out that it is not settled, but I think it is settled.' While addressing a crowd of U.S. military personnel in Qatar, US President Donald Trump reiterated his mediation efforts between India and Pakistan. He said: "I don't wanna say I did but I sure as hell helped settle the problem between Pakistan and India last week, which was… — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 15, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Modi disputes Trump's version of events Interestingly, Trump's reversal comes hours after he asserted that he 'stopped the war' between India and Pakistan. This claim came despite the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with the US president and told him that India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never do so in the future. India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri revealing details about the phone call, which was held on Tuesday night, said that Modi clarified India's position to Trump. 'PM Modi clearly told President Trump that during this entire incident, at no time, at any level, were there any talks on issues like India-US trade deal or mediation between India and Pakistan through America,' said Misri. 'PM Modi stressed that India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it.' POTUS @realDonaldTrump called PM @narendramodi. 🎥 Listen to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's statement on the telephone conversation. — Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 18, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Furthermore, Misri in his remarks said that PM Modi also reiterated the statement, 'Goli ka jawab gole se' to the US president. The official added that US president also invited Modi to stop over in the US. However, due to prior engagements, PM Modi had to decline the offer. Lunch with Pakistan's Munir Some observers also note that Trump's change in stance coincides with his lunch with Munir and believe that meeting with the Pakistani general may also have had something to do with Trump's change in stance. When asked the purpose of meeting with Munir, Trump said, 'Reason I had him here was I wanted to thank him for not going into the war and ending it.' The US president further added that he was honoured to meet Munir and the two had discussed Iran, which he said Pakistan knew better than most. 'They (Pakistani leadership) know Iran very well, better than most. They're not happy about anything. It's not that they're bad with Israel. They know them both actually, but they probably, maybe, they know Iran better, but they see what's going on and he agreed with me,' he told reporters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The White House also confirmed that the meeting was held in recognition of Munir's remarks lauding Trump's role in halting a potential escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Reasons for Trump doubling down on India-Pak claims But why is it that Trump until Wednesday continued to boast of his role in brokering peace between India and Pakistan? Most Trump analysts believe that it's part of a larger pattern with John Bolton, Trump's former national security advisor, telling ANI, 'It's nothing personal to India. This is Donald Trump, who takes credit for everything. 'It's typical of Trump because he would jump in before everyone else could take credit. It may be irritating, probably is irritating to many people, but it's nothing against India, it's just Trump being Trump.' It's also an attempt by the US president to reassert his image of a peacemaker. While campaigning for the US presidential elections in 2024, Trump had vowed to immediately stop the Ukraine and Russia war once he won. However, that promise remains unfulfilled. Furthermore, the Israel-Hamas war still rages on and he hasn't been able to stop it. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Some also note that Trump's claims were his way of expressing his displeasure with India. As the Economic Times wrote that Trump may have view India's rebuttals as a personal affront rather than a routine diplomatic clarification. This may have bruised his ego, propelling him to restate the claim ever more publicly and forcefully. With inputs from agencies
New Indian Express
16 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
'Saw missiles, heard bombs, Tehran in ruins': Indian students recall Iran-Israel conflict horror
NEW DELHI: "We saw missiles in the sky and heard bombs in our neighbourhood... We were petrified", said MBBS student Mir Khalif, his voice still trembling with fear, as he stepped out of the Delhi airport after being evacuated from war-hit Iran under Operation Sindhu. Khalif arrived in the national capital early Thursday in the first evacuation flight carrying 110 Indian students as part of the special operation launched by the Indian government in response to the escalating Iran-Israel conflict. The students, including 90 from Jammu and Kashmir, were moved from Tehran to Armenia earlier this week as explosions and aerial attacks rocked Iranian cities. The rescue was coordinated by the Indian Embassy. Khalif, who hails from Kashmir, described the experience in Iran as a nightmare. "We saw missiles and heard bombings. It was a war zone. Our building shook during the attacks. I hope no student has to face what we did," he said. Varta, another student from Kashmir, recalled the fear she lived through. "The situation was quite critical. We were terrified when our neighbourhood was attacked. When the Indian government reached our doorstep, we felt relieved," she said, thanking the Indian Embassy and Armenian authorities for their swift support. Ali Akbar, a student from Delhi, said the destruction was visible everywhere. "We saw a missile and a drone fall from the sky while travelling in a bus. Tehran is in ruins. The images on the news are real, the situation is very bad," he said. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh reached the Delhi airport to receive the students. Later, in a post on X, he said, "Warmly welcomed home the first group of 110 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu, reaffirming India's steadfast commitment to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad." Singh confirmed that evacuation efforts under Operation Sindhu are ongoing, with more flights scheduled. "Another plane is ready to leave today. We are also evacuating people from Turkmenistan. Our missions are running 24-hour helplines. As the situation unfolds, more flights will follow," he told reporters, thanking the governments of Armenia and Turkmenistan for their cooperation. At the Delhi airport, many parents waited anxiously to reunite with their children. Haider Ali, father of MBBS student Maaz Haider, said, "We are happy and grateful, but our hearts are still heavy knowing that many students are still stuck in Tehran. We urge the government to bring them back too." Parvez Alam from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, whose son studied in Urmia, said, "We were under constant stress. The students were shifted to Armenia and looked after well. We thank the government for this." The Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for the evacuation.
