Russia Issues Nuclear Warning on Israel-Iran Conflict-'Extremely Dangerous'
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabko issued a warning on Monday related to potential issues at the Bushehr nuclear power plant due to Israel's ongoing strikes targeting Iran, saying the situation is "extremely dangerous."
"Naturally, the situation is extremely dangerous. So far, no serious damage has been done-according to our sources and information obtained from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-but this is just a happy coincidence. The risks remain far too high," Ryabko said, according to Russia's Tass News Agency.
He said "the military standoff needs to stop in order to stabilize the situation."
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional information.
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Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
The Latest: US joins Israeli air campaign and strikes 3 nuclear sites in Iran
The U.S. military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel 's effort to decapitating the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran's threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict. The decision to directly involve the U.S. comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-lb. bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground. President Donald Trump was the first to disclose the strikes. There was no immediate acknowledgment from the Iranian government. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that attacks targeted the country's Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. The agency did not elaborate. Here is the latest: Flames see at Fordo nuclear site in Iran after US strike, report says Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency has published an account by one of its reporters, saying flames could be seen after the bombs hit the Fordo facility. Fars, which is believed close to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said its reporter heard anti-aircraft fire around 2:05 a.m. local time and explosions two minutes later. 'When I reached the vicinity ... the air defense system was operating intensely, and its activity was clearly visible in the sky,' the reporter said. Later on, the reporter said, 'flames suddenly erupted from the direction of Fordo.' Simultaneously with the flames, a faint trail of smoke and a significant amount of dust rose in the area, Fars quoted the reporter. It offered no photos or video showing the attack Israeli officials lauded the strikes Israeli officials lauded the strikes in sweeping and dramatic language. Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, thanked Trump and said the strikes marked a 'decisive moment between the axis of terror and evil and the axis of hope.' Israel's defense minister congratulated Trump on what he described as a 'historic decision.' US steps up efforts to evacuate citizens from Israel The U.S. is stepping up evacuation flights for American citizens from Israel to Europe and continuing to draw down its staff at diplomatic missions in Iraq as fears of Iranian retaliation again U.S. interests in the Middle East grow. Even before those airstrikes were announced by President Donald Trump on Saturday evening in Washington, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem announced the start of evacuation flights for American civilians from Israel. Sixty-seven American citizens left Israel on two government flights bound for Athens, Greece on Saturday and four more evacuation flights to Athens were planned for Sunday, according to an internal State Department document seen by The Associated Press. In addition to the flights, a cruise ship carrying more than 1,000 American citizens, including several hundred Jewish youngsters who had been visiting Israel on an organized tour, arrived in Cyprus, according to the document. — Matthew Lee Israel closes airspace in wake of US attacks Israel's Airport Authority announced it was closing the country's airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. The agency said it was shutting down air traffic 'due to recent developments' and did not say for how long. Iran says 'no signs of contamination' after US strikes nuclear facilities Iran said early Sunday there were 'no signs of contamination' at its nuclear sites at Isfahan, Fordo and Natanz after U.S. airstrikes targeted the facilities. Iranian state media quoted the country's National Nuclear Safety System Center, which published a statement saying its radiation detectors had recorded no radioactive release after the strikes. 'There is no danger to the residents living around the aforementioned sites,' the statement added. Earlier Israeli airstrikes on nuclear sites similarly have caused no recorded release of radioactive material into the environment around the facilities, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said. Strikes used 'bunker buster' bombs and cruise missiles The U.S. military used 'bunker-buster' bombs in its attack on Iran's Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, which is built deep into a mountain, a U.S. official said. That official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. The 30,000-pound bunker-busting American bomb known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to penetrate underground and then explode. Saturday's strikes were the first time it has been used in combat. U.S. submarines also participated in the attacks in Iran, launching about 30 Tomahawk land attack missiles, according to another U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. It was not clear what those missiles were aimed at. Two Iranian nuclear sites besides Fordo were attacked, Isfahan and Natanz. — Lolita C. Baldor Trump called Netanyahu after strikes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video that Trump called him after the strikes. 'It was a very warm conversation, very emotional,' Netanyahu said. Speaking in Hebrew, he called Trump a friend of Israel like no one before him. 'In my name, and on behalf of all citizens of Israel and on behalf of the entire Jewish world, I thank him from the bottom of my heart.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Atlantic
an hour ago
- Atlantic
Trump's Two-Week Window for Diplomacy Was a Smoke Screen
Well, he did it. He actually did it. President Trump insisted for months that he wanted the ultimate deal with Iran, one that would put a definitive end to the country's ability to produce a nuclear weapon. As late as Thursday, he suggested that Iran's leaders would have up to two more weeks to negotiate. But at that point, he had already made up his mind: the United States was going to bomb Iran. The president privately communicated his decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites after a meeting with national security advisers on Wednesday, two people familiar with his decision told us. His statement Thursday, suggesting a two-week window and 'a substantial chance of negotiation' with Iran, was a feint meant to keep the Iranians off guard, four people familiar with the planning told us. (The White House did not respond to a request for comment Saturday night.) Trump declared from the White House Saturday that the strikes hours earlier had left Iran's nuclear facilities 'completely and totally obliterated,' and demanded that Iran abandon any remaining nuclear capability. The assault was the culmination of a nearly two-decade effort to contain or end Iran's nuclear program. It thrusts the United States more deeply into a high-stakes confrontation with a country where members of parliament chant 'Death to America' and quite possibly increases the potential for counterattacks and economic disruption. 'There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,' he said, standing with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The suggestion of a two-week reprieve Trump announced on Thursday came as the U.S. government prepared for a range of scenarios, flying U.S. citizens out of Israel, moving personnel out of American embassies in the Middle East, and dispersing ships and aircraft from bases in the region to prevent damage in any Iranian attack. The administration must now brace for the possibility of Iranian retaliation, which current and former officials said would most likely be aimed at U.S. bases, personnel or facilities in the Gulf, Iraq, or elsewhere in the region. The attacks could also have commercial repercussions if Tehran moves to attack or block shipping in the waterways off Iran. The operation was closely coordinated with Israel, now a week into its own highly effective bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear and military sites, a person familiar with the planning told us. After the U.S. strikes concluded, Trump spoke with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long pushed the United States to act. Trump chose to initiate his air assault after he was impressed by the success of Israel's offensive, which has further eroded Iran's air defense capability, and came to believe that 'a little push from us would make it incredibly successful,' an ally of the president who spoke to him about the decision told us. U.S. officials said Trump genuinely wanted to strike a nuclear deal with Iran—seven years after he ripped up the agreement reached by former President Barack Obama—but came to an impasse with the Iranians over the issue of the enrichment of uranium. Washington demanded that Tehran give up enrichment entirely, or else submit to strict American and international supervision. Iran refused these conditions. Some officials held out hope that U.S. bombing would change Iran's calculus and force its leaders to negotiate on the full dismantlement of the nuclear program. In the short term, however, they predicted that Iran would resort to asymmetric warfare, deploying cyberattacks and other operations that could potentially draw the United States further into the conflict. Retired General Joseph Votel, who served as CENTCOM commander during the Obama and first Trump administrations, said the United States would now employ aerial surveillance, mapping, and signals intelligence to assess the damage to Iranian nuclear sites. 'It's not as great as putting your own eyeballs on it,' Votel told us, 'but it's pretty good.' Trump's announcement of U.S. strikes on Saturday evening came about 90 minutes after the White House told reporters following the president that there would be no more news for the night, and they could go home. European leaders were meeting with an Iranian delegation as recently as Friday, in an effort to further negotiations. It was not clear that the United States told even its closest allies that, all the while, Trump had already made up his mind to strike. Precisely what persuaded Trump that Iran was close to making a weapon remains mysterious. For years, including when Trump was last in office, the U.S. intelligence community has publicly stated that Iran was not trying to build a nuclear weapon. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard reiterated that bottomline conclusion during congressional testimony in March. But Trump dismissed her statement and the information behind it. 'She's wrong,' Trump told reporters on Friday, days after he had already made the decision to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran had gathered 'a tremendous amount of material,' he continued, apparently referring to the enriched uranium necessary to create a bomb. Earlier in the week, Trump had said he thought Iran was 'very close to having' weapons. The U.S. intelligence community also had said Iran was enriching uranium that could potentially be used in a weapon, and was stockpiling highly enriched uranium far in excess of what would be needed for a civilian energy program. But crucially, U.S. intelligence agencies had long ago determined that Iran's supreme leader had suspended the weapons program in 2003. Enriching nuclear material is just one component of a weapon. A nuclear warhead has to be fitted onto a ballistic missile capable of surviving reentry into earth's atmosphere and landing on its target–not a trivial feat of engineering. In an apparent attempt to make U.S. intelligence analysis adhere more closely to Trump's own judgments, Gabbard on Friday said that her comments before Congress that Iran was not trying to build a weapon had been deliberately misinterpreted by 'dishonest media.' 'America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly,' she said in a post on X. She offered no additional information to explain that conclusion. In a statement after the U.S. strikes, Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, argued that Trump had made his decision 'without regard to the consistent conclusions of the intelligence community.' Trump fervently hoped for a negotiated deal but grew angry at what he perceived was Tehran's reluctance to seriously talk. He was also impressed with the media coverage of Israel's early successes and wanted to be associated with that win, according to two people familiar with the matter. He was convinced that Iran had never been weaker and would not be able to retaliate in a meaningful way, they told us. 'Iran was in trouble,' one said, 'and now was the moment to pounce.'
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
US warplanes bombed Iran's most protected nuclear site. Trump says it was 'totally obliterated.'
President Donald Trump said US military aircraft bombed Iranian nuclear sites. His reveal early Sunday local time comes amid Israeli efforts to degrade Iran's nuclear program. Israeli forces have carried out widespread airstrikes across Iran over the past week. The direct attack on Iran marks a major escalation and takes US involvement in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel to a new level. Trump had been weighing whether to strike Iran for days prior to this attack. "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,"Trump said in a Truth Social post earlier Saturday announcing the strikes. "All planes are now outside of Iran air space," he said. The strikes notably risk Iranian retaliatory attacks that could harm US forces in the region. Tehran has already threatened such a response. The president said a "full payload" of bombs was dropped on Fordow, one of Iran's main nuclear enrichment facilities. Trump described it as "the primary site." Fordow is heavily fortified, with its key facilities deep underground in a mountain. In his address to the nation, Trump called the strikes a "spectacular military success." Though the president didn't go into specifics, Fox News' Sean Hannity said in a live Saturday night broadcast that Trump told him US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped six "huge" bunker-buster bombs on the Fordow site. Bunker-buster bombs are designed to penetrate and destroy hardened facilities and underground bunkers. The 30,000 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, is a bunker-buster that's carried by the B-2 bomber. The weapon, the US military's largest non-nuclear bomb, is believed to be the only weapon suited for striking Iran's deepest nuclear sites. In addition to bunker-busters, Hannity said that Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from US submarines were also used against Iranian sites. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement posted on X, thanked Trump for the "bold decision" to strike Iran, saying " the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history." "His leadership today has created a pivot of history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace," Netanyahu said. Earlier on Saturday, multiple online open-source intelligence accounts were tracking the movement of several B-2s from their base in the US across the Pacific, with speculation that the bombers were fully loaded and potentially heading for Iran. It's unclear if these aircraft were involved. "All planes are safely on their way home," Trump said in his social media post on the strikes. "Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this." He added that "NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter." Trump signaled in his address that additional attacks against Iran could follow if "peace does not come quickly." The bombing runs come after several days of speculation about whether the US would join Israel in striking Iran. Earlier this month, Israeli officials announced the start of a new operation aimed at degrading Iran's nuclear program, which has long been a goal of Netanyahu's. The Trump administration had favorited a diplomatic approach, trying to reach a new nuclear deal with Tehran.
