‘Australia is delulu': Washington shooting causes concern for Jewish Australians
Former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy says the reaction from the 'anti-Israel far left' to the news of the assassination of two Israeli diplomats outside a Jewish museum in Washington, DC is 'horrific'.
'It's the result of a persistent campaign of dehumanisation against Israelis, against Jews,' Mr levy said.
'Anyone who thinks that this couldn't happen in Australia too is completely delulu.
'The hatred of Israel is exporting political violence to Australia.
'These violent attacks are already happening.
'If the hatred against Israel isn't stamped out, it could cause deaths.'
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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Iran says 'gates of hell will open' after Israeli attack as Trump pushes for deal
US President Donald Trump says it is unclear if Iran still has a nuclear program after Israel's strikes on the country. He told the Reuters news agency he was not concerned about a regional war breaking out as a result of Friday's wave of attacks, and that he was fully aware of Israel's plans beforehand. "We knew everything, and I tried to save Iran humiliation and death," he said. "I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out. "They can still work out a deal however, it's not too late." US special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet an Iranian delegation for talks in Oman on Sunday. It would be the sixth round of negotiations over a possible deal to halt Iran's progress towards building a possible nuclear weapon. But Mr Trump told Reuters he was now unsure if they would take place. Israel's strikes blasted Iran's huge underground nuclear site, wiped out its entire top echelon of military commanders and killed nuclear scientists in the biggest ever direct attack between the foes. Iran said "the gates of hell will open" in retaliation, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes were only the start of its campaign. "Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival," Mr Netanyahu said early on Friday in a televised address that invoked the failure of the world to prevent the Holocaust in World War Two. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat," he said. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel had "unleashed its wicked and bloody" hand and would suffer "a bitter fate". Shortly after the strikes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel acted alone, without US involvement. "Israel took unilateral action against Iran," Mr Rubio said. Mr Trump had earlier said such strikes were likely, but they he did not want Israel to take military action while the US was trying to negotiate a deal with Iran. Such a deal would likely involve Iran agreeing not to build nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. The strikes followed a UN watchdog finding that Iran was not complying with its "non-proliferation" obligations, designed to prevent it building nuclear weaponry. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed. That would be a stunning decapitation of the military, reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia last year. Among the generals killed on Friday were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami. Major General Mohammad Pakpour, who was swiftly promoted as Guards commander, vowed retaliation in a letter to the Supreme Leader read out on state television: "The gates of hell will open to the child-killing regime." Twenty people Reuters spoke to inside Iran described an atmosphere of fear and anger, with some people rushing to change money and others seeking a way out of the country to safety. "People on my street rushed out of their homes in panic, we were all terrified," said Marziyeh, 39, who was awakened by a huge blast in Natanz, a city that houses the huge underground facility where Iran purifies the uranium that Israel said could be used to make a nuclear bomb. While some Iranians quietly hoped the attack would lead to changes in Iran's hardline clerical leadership, others vowed to rally behind the authorities. "I will fight and die for our right to a nuclear program. Israel and its ally America cannot take it away from us with these attacks," said Ali, a member of the pro-government Basij militia in Qom. Iranian media showed images of destroyed apartment blocks, and said nearly 80 civilians were killed in attacks that targeted nuclear scientists in their beds and wounded more than 300 people. Israel said that Iran had launched around 100 drones towards Israeli territory in retaliation on Friday. But Iran denied this and there were no reports of any drones reaching Israeli targets. The United Nations Security Council was due to meet on Friday at Tehran's request. Iran said in a letter to the council that it would respond decisively and proportionally to Israel's "unlawful" and "cowardly" acts. Australia has called on "all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that would further exacerbate tensions". "We all understand … the threat of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said shortly after the strikes. "It represents a threat to international peace and security and we urge the parties to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy." Iran's ability to retaliate with weapons fired by its regional proxies has been degraded over the past year, with the downfall of its ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the decimation of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Reuters/ABC
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Not too late for Iran to halt Israeli attacks: Trump
Israel has launched a huge wave of air strikes across Iran, blasting Iran's huge underground nuclear site, wiping out its entire top echelon of military commanders and killing nuclear scientists in the biggest ever direct attack between the foes. Iran said "the gates of hell will open" in retaliation while Israel said the strikes were only the start of its campaign. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Iran to halt the Israeli attacks by reaching a deal to curb its nuclear program. As evening fell on Friday, Iranian media reported a number of explosions in what appeared to be a second wave of strikes. "Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early on Friday in a televised address that invoked the failure of the world to prevent the Holocaust in World War II. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat," he said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning:"We are after a very successful opening strike. With G-d's help, we are going to have many more achievements." Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) June 13, 2025 "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel had "unleashed its wicked and bloody" hand, and would suffer "a bitter fate". In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said it was not clear if Iran's nuclear program had survived but it was not too late for Iran to make a deal to halt the Israeli assault. He said nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda although he was not sure if they would take place. "I tried to save Iran humiliation and death," Trump said. Earlier, he posted on Truth Social: "Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left." 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 last year. Among the generals killed on Friday were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri and the Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami. Major General Mohammad Pakpour, swiftly promoted to replace Salami as Guards commander, vowed retaliation in a letter to the Supreme Leader read out on state television: "The gates of hell will open to the child-killing regime." Twenty people Reuters spoke to inside Iran described an atmosphere of fear and anger, with some people rushing to change money and others seeking a way out of the country to safety. "People on my street rushed out of their homes in panic, we were all terrified," said Marziyeh, 39, who was awakened by a huge blast in Natanz, a city that houses the huge underground facility where Iran purifies the uranium that Israel said could be used to make a nuclear bomb. Iranian media showed images of destroyed apartment blocks, and said nearly 80 civilians were killed in attacks that targeted nuclear scientists in their beds and wounded more than 300 people. Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz suffered significant damage, Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said. Briefing journalists online, Defrin said 200 Israeli fighter jets took part in the strikes, hitting more than 100 targets, with others to work through, and that the operation might be lengthy. The United Nations Security Council was due to meet on Friday at Iran's request. Iran said in a letter to the Council that it would respond decisively and proportionally to Israel's "unlawful" and "cowardly" acts. An Israeli security source said Mossad commandos had been operating deep inside Iran before the attack, and the Israeli spy agency and military had mounted a series of covert operations against Iran's strategic missile array. Israel also established an attack-drone base near Tehran, the source added. The military said it had bombarded Iran's air defences, destroying "dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers". Israeli officials said it may be some time before the extent is clear of damage to the underground nuclear site at Natanz, where Iran has refined uranium to levels some countries have long said are suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. Israel remained on alert, shutting its embassies around the world and urging citizens via embassy websites to stay vigilant and avoid displaying Jewish or Israeli symbols in public. Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said tens of thousands of soldiers had been called up and "prepared across all borders". Oman, which is mediating in Iran-US nuclear talks, described Israel's attack as reckless and urged the international community to halt the "dangerous course of action".
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Israel strikes Iran: what we know
Israel on Friday carried out dozens of strikes in Iran, hitting nuclear and military sites as well as killing several commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded by launching drones against Israel, and called the Israeli attack "a declaration of war". US President Donald Trump -- insisting his country was not involved -- warned Iran the next already planned attacks will be "even more brutal." International calls for restraint are multiplying, as fears grow the Middle East could be on the threshold of a broader conflict. Here is what we know: - What was hit? - The attacks took place on Friday, a day of rest and prayer in Iran. Israel hit a key underground nuclear site in Natanz several times, Iranian state television said, reporting that most damage was at "surface level". Other key nuclear sites at Fordow and Isfahan were not immediately struck, said the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), citing Iranian authorities. Additional strikes hit sites in Iran's northwest, with eight people being killed in and near the city of Tabriz, the ISNA news agency said. The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, and the chief of staff of its armed forces, Mohammad Bagheri, were killed in Israel's wave of raids, with replacements swiftly named by supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The Revolutionary Guards said that its aerospace commander, Amirali Hajizadeh, was also killed. He was in charge of Iran's ballistic missile forces. Iranian media said several nuclear scientists were killed. State media said senior Khamenei adviser Ali Shamkhani was hurt in one of the strikes, and reported separately that civilians were killed, without providing an exact figure. The Israeli raids will "continue as many days as it takes", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. - Iran's response? - Iran launched some 100 drones in retaliation, according to the Israeli military, which said "most" were intercepted outside Israeli territory. The bigger concern is Iran's sizeable arsenal of ballistic missiles. Khamenei warned Israel faces a "bitter and painful" fate over the attacks. Iran's foreign minister called the Israeli attacks "a declaration of war" and urged UN Security Council action. Iran had previously warned it would hit US military bases in the Middle East if conflict occurred. The United States pulled out non-essential personnel from several sites days ahead of the Israeli attack. Internet restrictions were imposed across Iran, the country's communications ministry said, adding they would be lifted "once normalcy returns". - US involvement? - Trump said Israel informed him of its raids ahead of time, but insisted the United States was not involved. He warned Iran that the "next planned attacks" will be "even more brutal" and said Tehran should cut a deal to roll back its nuclear programme "before there is nothing left". The US leader has repeatedly said he will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran has long denied seeking atomic bombs, but had been enriching uranium to a level very close to being able to make them. The United States and Iran had been holding talks on the issue. The next round, scheduled for Sunday in Oman, now look to be cancelled. Israel, Trump said, has a huge military arsenal thanks to the United States and "they know how to use it". Trump's secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the United States would protect its forces in the Middle East. "Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel," Rubio said. - Reactions - The attack, and likely Iranian response, is fuelling international alarm. Many capitals were urging restraint, fearing the consequences if the Israel-Iran conflict widened and drew in the United States, and if Middle East oil production and shipments were impacted. Oil prices leapt dramatically on Friday, trading sharply up to around $75 a barrel before falling back a little. The leaders of France, Germany and Britain were to hold a call to discuss the Israeli strikes, Berlin said. The UN's atomic energy agency planned an emergency meeting for Monday. Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Syria closed their airspaces. Several airlines cancelled flights servicing the region, including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Air France and Lufthansa. Others flying through the Middle East, such as Air India, had to turn planes back or reroute. In Tehran, lines of motorists formed at service stations for fuel, residents stocked up on supplies, and protests were held against the Israeli airstrikes. In Israel, a state of emergency was declared as the country braced for retaliation. Israel also closed embassies around the world, including in Britain, France Germany, Russia and the United States.
