Iran issues stark warning to Trump 'the gambler' as Israel keeps up attacks
TEHRAN: Tehran threatened on Monday (Jun 23) to inflict "serious" damage in retaliation for US strikes on the Islamic republic's nuclear facilities, as the Iran-Israel war entered its 11th day despite calls for de-escalation.
Aerial assaults meanwhile raged on, with air raid sirens sounding across Israel and AFP journalists reporting that several blasts were heard over Jerusalem.
The Israeli military said it had struck missile sites in western Iran as well as "six Iranian regime airports" across the country, destroying fighter jets and helicopters.
President Donald Trump said US warplanes used "bunker buster" bombs to target sites in Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz, boasting the strikes had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Other officials said it was too soon to assess the true impact on Iran's nuclear programme, which Israel and some Western states consider an existential threat.
Iranian armed forces spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari said on state television that the US' "hostile act", following more than a week of Israeli bombardments, would "pave the way for the extension of war in the region".
"The fighters of Islam will inflict serious, unpredictable consequences on you with powerful and targeted (military) operations," he warned.
"Mr Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it."
Global markets reacted nervously, with oil prices jumping more than 4 per cent early on Monday. China urged both Iran and Israel to prevent the conflict from spilling over, warning of potential economic fallout.
Oman, a key mediator in the stalled Iran-US nuclear talks, condemned the US strikes and called for calm.
Iran's foreign ministry accused Washington of betraying diplomacy.
"Future generations will not forget that the Iranians were in the middle of a diplomatic process with a country that is now at war with us," said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.
Britain, France and Germany called on Iran "not to take any further action that could destabilise the region".
As the world awaited Iran's response, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the bombing campaign Israel launched on Jun 13 "a big mistake".
"REGIME CHANGE"
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on China to help deter Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for one-fifth of the world's oil supply.
With Iran threatening US bases in the region, the State Department issued a worldwide alert cautioning Americans abroad.
In central Tehran on Sunday, protesters waved flags and chanted slogans against US and Israeli attacks.
In the province of Semnan east of the capital, 46-year-old housewife Samireh said she was "truly shocked" by the strikes.
"Semnan province is very far from the nuclear facilities targeted, but I'm very concerned for the people who live near," she told AFP.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US strikes revealed Washington was "behind" Israel's campaign against the Islamic republic and vowed a response.
After the Pentagon stressed the goal of American intervention was not to topple the Iranian government, Trump openly toyed with the idea.
"It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "But if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???"
Hours later he doubled down on emphasising the success of his strikes.
"Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term!" Trump wrote, without sharing the images he was referencing.
At a Pentagon press briefing earlier in the day, top US general Dan Caine said "initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, said his country's bombardments would "finish" once the stated objectives of destroying Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities have been achieved.
"We are very, very close to completing them," he said.
"BLOW UP"
Israeli strikes on Iran have killed more than 400 people, Iran's health ministry said. Iran's attacks on Israel have killed 24 people, according to official figures.
Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that craters were visible at the Fordo facility, but it had not been possible to assess the underground damage.
"Armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place," he added.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was due to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, had accused the United States of deciding to "blow up" nuclear diplomacy with its intervention in the war.
While Russia condemned the Israeli and US strikes, it has not offered military help and has downplayed its obligations under a sweeping strategic partnership agreement signed with Tehran just months ago.
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CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
CNA Explains: What could Iran's next move be after US strikes on its nuclear sites?
Iran said on Monday (Jun 23) that air strikes by the United States on its nuclear sites have paved the way for a wider war in the region. It comes a day after US President Donald Trump boasted that the air strikes had 'completely and totally obliterated' Iran's main nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. Experts warned that the conflict may be far from over, and hinges largely on Tehran's next move. Was Trump's 2-week deadline for US action a ruse? The latest conflict started when Israel on Jun 13 launched attacks on Iranian nuclear and military facilities. The two sides have been engaged in retaliatory strikes since. The White House said last Thursday that Trump would take two weeks to decide US involvement in the escalating conflict. Yet Washington's decision to strike Iran came much sooner. Saturday's top-secret mission, referred to as Operation Midnight Hammer, involved seven B-2 stealth bombers flying 18 hours from the US to Iran to drop 14 bunker-buster bombs. More than 125 aircraft participated in the mission, including refueling tankers and fighter escorts. Stephen Zunes, professor of politics at the University of San Francisco, believes the two-week deadline was a ruse, adding that 'it does appear that they were in cahoots (with Israel) from the very beginning'. The US has insisted that the strikes on Iran were intended as a one-off effort. 'Iran has repeatedly maintained their right to retaliate if attacked,' said Zunes. 'This idea that the US should just go boom, boom, boom and then have peace… seems highly unrealistic.' Can Iran afford to hold back after US strikes? Iran has since vowed retaliation. It could resort to various moves, including targeting US bases in the Middle East, hitting Israel harder, and blocking the vital Strait of Hormuz which handles about a quarter of the world's seaborne oil trade, said experts. Choosing to take military action against Tehran's enemies 'is extremely risky', stressed Amin Saikal, distinguished visiting fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies. 'It will invite massive American retaliation … President Trump has made that very clear in his speech about bombing the nuclear sites.' Iran could also downplay the damages to its nuclear sites and not directly engage the US, he told CNA's Asia Now. Saikal, who is also emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian studies at the Australia National University, said Iran could block the Strait of Hormuz as a last resort. 'Iran is capable of doing that by sinking a number of ships in the strait and that will be enough to deter many ships from going through,' he added. 'My hunch at this point is that probably they will be focusing very much on hitting Israel as hard as they can, but of course, Israel is also hitting them very hard. 'But how long this can really continue and both sides can have the necessary resources to do so, that remains to be seen.' If Tehran blocks the Strait of Hormuz or targets ships traversing the waterway, that would disrupt global supply chains and upheaval markets. Such a move could create enough political backlash to force Trump to pull the plug on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ability to escalate the conflict, said political analyst Ali Vaez. 'Unfortunately, this is a very perilous game of chicken that could really result in a disastrous regional conflagration, which I think would not have any winners,' he added. If Iran chooses not to take any action, it 'would signal to the US that these kinds of attacks are fair game', he told CNA's Asia First. 'So the Iranians will have to impose some kind of cost on the US for its intervention, as they have retaliated in the past 10 days against Israel,' added Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, an independent conflict resolution organisation. Have the strikes crippled Iran's nuclear capabilities? The University of San Francisco's Zunes said while Iran's missile stockpile has been depleted by over a week of Israeli attacks, Iranian authorities 'would have at least enough in their arsenal to inflict some damage if they chose to do so'. 'Given what's at stake here, I really would expect that there's going to be some kind of response, and then very likely a further escalation by the US,' he told CNA's Asia First. Trump has threatened to go after more targets if Iran did not make peace quickly. Zunes said: 'There may be some calculation as to whether the principle of fighting back is worth the enormous damage that could be done to the country, (to) both its military and civilian infrastructure.' While Trump has said Saturday's air strikes had "totally obliterated" key Iranian nuclear sites, experts have cautioned that the extent of damage was still unclear. 'I do not believe that a very accurate battle damage assessment is actually possible because there are no boots on the ground,' said International Crisis Group's Vaez. 'But the Trump administration could think, especially if there is no imminent Iranian retaliation, that because it can get away with conducting these kinds of strikes, it is possible that it would do a second round or a third round,' he added. 'This is precisely the kind of mission creep that the US has experienced in that part of the world. Quite often it goes in thinking that it can conduct a clean and contained operation, but it actually turns into a long nightmare, a quagmire that is not easy to get out of.' Even if the key nuclear sites are destroyed, observers believe the strikes would only delay – not eliminate – Iran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon. Zunes said Iran still has the knowledge to build these facilities, adding: 'It will set them back a few years, but they could just start all over again. And indeed, they may redouble their efforts.' Analysts have said Iran would likely have secretly taken its highly enriched uranium stockpile to hidden locations before the US strikes. 'Because (United Nations) nuclear inspectors are no longer able to access these sites, which are now war zones, we are not sure where the materials and the machineries are,' said Vaez. Will Iran return to the negotiating table? The US has called for Iran to return to the negotiating table, highlighting the risk posed by Iran's nuclear programme to international security. But observers are doubtful that diplomacy can break the deadlock. 'I don't see the odds of a deal very high right now, because the Iranians have concluded that Trump is not a reliable negotiating partner,' said Vaez, adding that the US president previously withdrew from a nuclear deal that the Iranians were complying with in 2018. 'It is very hard to imagine that the Iranians would come back to the negotiating table anytime soon.' In 2015, Iran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The nuclear agreement was signed between Iran and six world powers, including the US. However, Trump withdrew the US from the accord in 2018, claiming it failed to curtail Iran's missile programme. Iran stopped honoring the deal's limits a year later. Meanwhile, Iran's key global allies, Russia and China, have condemned the US military action. But observers believe they are unlikely to risk too much by being directly involved. 'I think both would be very concerned about the unilateral nature of the Israeli and US attacks, and the idea that the US can get away with this,' said Zunes. 'Since Trump did not get the approval of Congress or anything, there may be a fear that he could take this as a blank check for further unilateral military action elsewhere.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday (Jun 23), when they are likely to discuss the latest developments. But Vaez believes Moscow will tread carefully and not get pulled into the conflict, adding: 'The Iranians don't really have a lot of friends or the kind of strategic allies that they can count on.'
Business Times
an hour ago
- Business Times
Global airlines halt Middle East flights as war disruptions reach Dubai
[DUBAI] Major global airlines extended flight cancellations to the Persian Gulf, disrupting air traffic to critical hubs such as Dubai after the US struck nuclear sites in Iran and Teheran vowed to retaliate. Singapore Airlines said it would suspend service to Dubai until Wednesday (Jun 25) night and warned more flights could be scrapped due to the fluidity of the situation. British Airways added cancellations to Dubai and Doha, while Air France-KLM reportedly will scrap flights to Dubai and Riyadh. The airlines' decisions highlight the potential for a widening of the war between Israel and Iran after US President Donald Trump joined the fight by attacking Iran's nuclear sites. The dramatic escalation risks retaliation, potentially disrupting economies that had previously been shielded from the fallout of regional hostilities. Dubai, home to Emirates, and Doha, the capital of Qatar and its namesake airline, are major travel hubs that handle much of the traffic within the Middle East and form a crossroads for long-haul travel between Asia, Europe and North America. They had avoided previous suspensions that were contained to countries surrounding Israel and the skies over nations where Iran's missiles pass. Prior to the US strikes on Sunday, Teheran threatened to hit US bases in the Persian Gulf should Washington get involved, and close down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil trade waterway it borders with the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Qatar hosts the largest US base in the region, while Bahrain is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. 'A widening conflict around the Strait of Hormuz could threaten to disrupt global airline traffic, particularly if flight restrictions to key transfer hubs in Qatar and the UAE were to occur,' Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Eric Zhu and George Ferguson wrote in a note. Excluding local carriers, Indian airlines including IndiGo, Turkish Airlines and British Airways are among the most exposed, they wrote. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Shares of the major network carriers fell, including Air France-KLM, Deutsche Lufthansa and BA parent IAG in Europe. United Airlines Holdings and Delta Air Lines declined in premarket US trading. Singapore Airlines has halted flights to Dubai from the city-state since Sunday over security concerns. British Airways diverted a Dubai-bound flight to Zurich after it reached Saudi Arabia's airspace in the early hours of Sunday, according to data from Flightradar24. Another jet returned to Heathrow after going as far as Egypt. The London-based carrier earlier halted routes to Bahrain through the end of the month due to operational constraints and airspace restrictions. AFP and other outlets reported on the Air France suspensions. With no clear view on next steps, some companies began to take precautions. Japan's biggest banks are considering evacuating employees, with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group beginning to pull out the families of staff. Japan's biggest bank has also halted unnecessary travel in and out of the region. Asian airlines have also taken steps to safeguard passengers and crews. Japan Airlines plans to have flights between Tokyo's Haneda airport and Doha avoid airspace above the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, adding about 20 minutes to journeys. Air India will progressively avoid the use of certain airspace over the Persian Gulf in the coming days. The actions follow President Donald Trump's decision to undertake the US' first direct military action against Iran after decades of hostility, pushing the Middle East into uncharted territory. The possibility of further disruption will depend on how forcefully Iran retaliates. Trump has threatened more attacks if Teheran doesn't capitulate. Even before the US strikes, several American and European airlines had paused flights to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar after Israel started bombarding Iran. The skies over large swaths of the Middle East have been restricted at several times during the past 20 months, making flying through Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran difficult. The closures have forced airlines to cancel flights on profitable routes, spend more on jet fuel and pass through countries they usually avoid like Afghanistan, as they avoid dangerous skies. It has also meant hundreds of disrupted flights and thousands of stranded passengers. Israel has started to allow outbound flights after halting them since its launched latest attacks on Iran starting Jun 13. Tel Aviv is expected to let about 1,000 passengers per day leave the country from Ben Gurion Airport and Haifa. The flights, which have a strict limit of 50 passengers per plane to prevent too many people from congregating and presenting a major target at the airport. The government will prioritise foreigners, diplomats, and nationals needing to evacuate for life-saving or humanitarian reasons. The UK is organising a chartered flight for British nationals who want to leave Israel, while Germany sent a military transport plane to extract citizens and France said it also plans repatriation flights. BLOOMBERG
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Putin tells Iranian foreign minister there was no justification for US attack
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin told Iran's foreign minister on Monday (Jun 23) there was no justification for the US bombing of his country and that Moscow was trying to help the Iranian people. Putin hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Moscow two days after US President Donald Trump sent US bomber planes to strike Iran's three main nuclear sites. "The absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran has no basis and no justification," Putin told Araqchi in televised comments. "For our part, we are making efforts to assist the Iranian people," he added. "I am very glad that you are in Moscow today, this will give us the opportunity to discuss all these pressing issues and think together about how we could get out of today's situation." Araqchi told Putin that Iran was conducting legitimate self-defence, and thanked Russia for condemning the US actions. He conveyed best wishes to Putin from Iran's supreme leader and president. "Russia is today on the right side of history and international law," said Araqchi. It was unclear, however, what Russia might do to support Iran, an important ally with which Putin signed a strategic cooperation treaty in January. That agreement did not include a mutual defence clause. Before Saturday's US strikes, Moscow had warned that US military intervention could destabilise the entire region and plunge it into the "abyss". Asked what Russia was ready to do to help Tehran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "It all depends on what Iran needs." He said the fact that Moscow had offered to mediate in the crisis was itself a form of support. Peskov condemned the US attacks. "An increase in the number of participants in this conflict is happening - or rather, has happened. A new spiral of escalation of tension in the region," Peskov told reporters. "And, of course, we condemn this and express regret in this regard, deep regret. In addition, of course, it remains to be seen what happened to (Iran's) nuclear facilities, whether there is a radiation hazard." Peskov said Trump had not told Putin in detail about the planned strikes in advance.
