Iran not complying with nuclear obligations for first time in almost 20 years, says UN watchdog
The UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors has found that Iran is not complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years.
It comes as sources have told US media that Israel is considering taking military action against Iran in the coming days - without American support.
The reports come as US President Donald Trump is said to be in advanced discussions with Iran about a diplomatic deal to curtail the Middle Eastern country's nuclear programme.
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Telegraph
25 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Iran's supreme leader facing fury from within
Iran's supreme leader is facing growing anger from within the regime's ruling inner circle following Israel's attacks on the country's nuclear infrastructure. Israel launched a wave of air strikes on Friday, killing top commanders and nuclear scientists, and bombing sites in an effort to stop Tehran building an atomic weapon. In response Tehran fired a salvo of missiles at Israel, which were largely intercepted. As hardliners continue to threaten vengeance against Israel and its allies in the wake of the strikes, there are signs of a deepening rift between Iran's extreme and moderate voices. It has mainly been left to the hardliners to articulate Iran's official response. The country's state-owned Fars News Agency, closely affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, quoted a senior military official warning that, apart from attacking Israel, 'the war will spread to all parts of Israel and American bases in the region in the coming days, and the aggressors will be targeted with a decisive and widespread response'. In an attempt to silence criticism of the regime's handling of the crisis, Mohseni Ejeie, Iran's chief judge cleric, issued a warning on Saturday that any Iranian citizen who posted comments on social media supporting Israel's attack would face sentences of up to six years in jail. Even so, as criticism of the regime's handling of the crisis begins to surface, it is likely to find itself under pressure to explain its inability to defend the nation from Israel's assault, despite the vast sums it claims to have spent upgrading the Iranian military. Private text messages shared with The New York Times reveal that some Iranian officials are questioning why Iran's air defences have not been more effective in repelling Israel's attacks, which hit its arsenal of ballistic missiles and assassinated senior figures in Tehran's military chain of command. 'Where is our air defence?' texted one official, while another asked: 'How can Israel come and attack anything it wants, kill our top commanders, and we are incapable of stopping it?' Hamid Hosseini, a member of Iran's Chamber of Commerce's energy committee, said: 'Israel's attack completely caught the leadership by surprise, especially the killing of the top military figures and nuclear scientists. It also exposed our lack of proper air defence and their ability to bombard our critical sites and military bases with no resistance.' Mr Hosseini also raised concerns about Israel's apparent infiltration of Iran's military and security forces, enabling it to conduct covert operations in Iran's armed forces and nuclear targets. In its response to Israel's attack, Iran was also only able to muster 200 missiles, despite an order from Ayatollah Khamenei to launch a barrage of 1,000 and reports that Iran was planning a response in the event of an Israeli attack for over a week. From the start of Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, the battle between the regime's moderate faction, which seeks to adopt a less confrontational stance towards the West, and the ideological hardliners has been one of the regime's defining characteristics. While Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme leader, remains the hardliners' undisputed head, Masoud Pezeshkian, the country's recently elected president, is viewed as representing the regime's more moderate wing. To date, Mr Pezeshkian has kept a relatively low profile, condemning the Israeli attacks and calling for unity among the Iranian people, stating: 'Today, more than ever, the Iranian nation needs togetherness, trust, empathy, unity and consensus.' Mr Pezeshkian's electoral victory over conservative hardliner Saeed Jalil last was seen as indicative of Tehran's desire to adopt a more constructive approach with the West, especially in terms of alleviating the sanctions that have hit the Iranian economy hard. The regime's handling of the economy – where funds have been diverted to support military and terrorist operations instead of concentrating on domestic issues – has provoked mounting dissent throughout the country, and seen Khamenei under pressure to adopt a more conciliatory tone. During the election campaign, Mr Pezeshkian, a 71-year-old heart surgeon and member of the Iranian parliament, was highly critical of Iran's repressive morality police. He directly challenged the hardliners' approach by calling for 'unity and cohesion' in Iran, as well as calling for an end to Iran's 'isolation' from the outside world. Mr Pezeshkian also campaigned in favour of engaging in 'constructive negotiations' with Western powers to agree a new deal over the country's nuclear programme, which Iran agreed to kerb in return for an easing of Western sanctions. But while Mr Pezeshkian has tried hard to pursue a more moderate social and foreign policy since taking office, he has had to contend with the institutional resistance of the hardline faction, which regard any deal with the West concerning Iran's nuclear ambitions as tantamount to a sell-out. One indication of the ideological struggle at the heart of the Iranian regime came in March when Mohammad Javad Zarif, the country's moderate former foreign minister, was forced to resign from his position as vice-president. A close ally of Mr Pezeshkian, Mr Zarif's dismissal was said to be related to his opposition to Tehran's deepening alliance with Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia, which he regarded as being counterproductive to Iran's diplomatic efforts to improve relations with the West. While Israel's military assault against Iran means there is little prospect of Tehran improving relations with the West in the near future, the eruption of hostilities will nevertheless focus attention on the regime's internal wrangling, which could ultimately result in the regime's collapse. For the moment, Iran's hardliners have taken charge of the country's military response to Israel's continuing offensive. But the longer Israel continues to attack key Iranian targets with impunity, the more pressure the hardliners will come under pressure to explain their abject failure to defend the country, a failing that ultimately could lead to their demise.
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
What to know about Trump's military parade
It was supposed to be a celebration - but it's also teasing America's military might. President Donald Trump 's massive parade marking the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army is expected to go ahead as planned Saturday evening, amid ongoing strikes between Israel and Iran - and looming fears of an escalation into World War III. What could stop it is the weather, as lightning in the area would push the Pentagon to delay the planned march down Constitution Avenue, which includes flyovers and parachute jumps. Saturday morning Trump insisted it was happening, despite thunderstorm concerns. 'OUR GREAT MILITARY PARADE IS ON, RAIN OR SHINE. REMEMBER, A RAINY DAY PERADE BRINGS GOOD LUCK. I'LL SEE YOU ALL IN D.C.' he wrote on Truth Social. He fixed the spelling of 'perade' in a second post. It will be the first time the streets of the capital have been swamped with soldiers in since a celebration of the end of the Gulf War in 1991. The celebration falls on Trump's 79th birthday, but he has denied accusations the event is to mark his own milestone. He will still be front-and-center. The president is expected to deliver remarks, receive a folded flag from a parachutist and perform an enlistment and reenlistment ceremony. Overall, the U.S. Army is bringing 6,700 troops to Washington, D.C. for the occasion, along with 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft, according to the Associated Press. During the daytime the Army is holding a festival on the National Mall that includes a fitness competition and appearances by NFL players and astronauts, among others The parade, which is expected to kick off at 6:30 p.m., will showcase the evolution of the Army, using period uniforms and vintage equipment, including a World War Two-era B-25 bomber. Bradley Fighting Vehicles, M1A2/Abrams tanks - which weigh approximately 68 tons - and Strykers are among those being showcased in the parade. Last week the Army Corps of Engineers started putting down metal plating on the street in the areas where the large vehicles would need to turn in order to preserve the District's streets. One special moment that's expected is when the 1st Cavalry Division walks in the parade. The Texas-based group brings along with them 14 horses, two mules and a two-year-old Blue Heeler named Private Doc Holliday. At its conclusion, the Army's Golden Knight parachutists will jump down to the Ellipse and hand to Trump the folded American flag. After that, MAGA crooner Lee Greenwood and others will perform onstage at the Ellipse - and to end the night, there will be a fireworks show over the National Mall. The Army says as many as 200,000 people could attend. The inspiration for the military parade dates back to the beginning of Trump's first term - when he was invited by French President Emmanuel Macron to the July 2017 Bastille Day celebrations, which also marked the U.S.'s 100th anniversary of entering World War I, which Allied forces won. The president pushed for a military parade during his first term, but was unsuccessful due to cost concerns - the federal government would be on the hook for repairing D.C.'s roadways from any damages the tanks would incur. He did the next best thing - he moved the annual Fourth of July celebration from the White House's South Lawn to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Tanks were used to decorate Trump's 2019 'Salute to America.' The Blue Angels, Air Force One and other military aircraft flew over the National Mall - which is usually restricted airspace. On the campaign trail leading up to the 2024 election, Trump promised supporters that he would plan a grand celebration for the country's 250th birthday - July 4, 2026. Saturday's parade marks the start of that celebration, as the U.S. Army was formed more than a year before the Declaration of Independence was signed. Ahead of the gathering, a Pentagon source confirmed that if there is lightning in the area the parade could be postponed of canceled. Sources wouldn't elaborate on contingency plans just yet. A White House spokesperson pressed that some show would go on. 'Any changes to the Army Birthday Parade will be announced by the Department of Defense of America 250 Commission. No matter what, a historic celebration of our military servicemembers will take place!' deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told the Daily Mail. Overall the cost of the parade is estimated to be between $25 and $45 million. Polling released Thursday from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Americans believe the parade is 'not a good use' of taxpayer dollars, however more U.S. adults approve than disapprove of Trump's decision to hold the festivities. The poll found that about 4 in 10 adults 'somewhat' or strongly' approved of the parade, while closer to 3 in 10 'somewhat' or 'strongly' disapproved. Days ahead of the parade, additional fencing was erected around the White House and the U.S. Capitol and along some of D.C.'s streets, with major road closures expected. Due to the military flyovers, Reagan Washington National Airport will shut down Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. D.C.'s roadways are expected to be back to normal by Monday. In January a shocking crash occurred over the Potomac involving a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines commuter jet trying to land at DCA - killing all 67 people on board both aircrafts. Protests are also a concern as a number of 'No Kings' demonstrations are planned for Saturday. Organizers, however, have pushed potential protesters to take part in other cities including Philadelphia and at events in the D.C. suburbs of Virginia and Maryland, due to the heavy security footprint surrounding the parade.
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
PETER HITCHENS: To those bomb-happy fools rejoicing at war I ask you this: Do you really want to see the Middle East become a radioactive wasteland?
Should I have bothered to go to Israel so many times, or to the West Bank or to Iraq or or Jordan or ? Should I have tried so hard to get into , when they so very plainly did not want me there? Perhaps not. What good has all this education done me? Because I actually know something about that part of the world, I am at a terrible disadvantage in what passes for debate on the new war in the Middle East. As streams of militant bilge shoot from the mouths of bomb-happy commentators and politicians, I shout pointlessly at the radio and the TV, on which I no longer appear because I made the same mistake over the Ukraine war.
