Trump in shock moves orders attacks on Iran
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. President Donald Trump how bowed to pro-Israel elements in his administration and Congress, announcing that the U.S. military has bombed a number of nuclear sites in Iran.
The attacks come two days after Mr Trump said he would make his decision on whether to join Israel's war on Iran, within two week.
In the shock announcement, Mr Trump said: "The U.S. conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, namely Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan."
The strikes were carried out on Saturday night.
"All planes are now outside of Iran's airspace. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home," the president said.
"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this," he said.
Later in a telephone call to Axios, President Trump said: "Israel is much safer now."
Prior to the strikes, Israel Air Force warplanes struck radar detection system sites used for detection and aerial intelligence gathering,
"President Trump took a bold decision for the United States, for Israel, for all of humanity. The world is now a safer place," former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Saturday night.
Mr Trump later posted another message on Truth Social saying he would address the nation at 10:00pm Saturday night.
"I will be giving an Address to the Nation at 10:00 P.M., at the White House, regarding our very successful military operation in Iran," he posted. "This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!"
In the address to the nation, Mr Trump was flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
"Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's No. 1 state sponsor of terror," he said.
"If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill."
"Iran, the bully of the Mideast, must now make peace," Mr Trump said in his address which last about 4 minutes. He described the operation as "a spectaculat success."
The strikes come despite U.S. intelligence asserting that Iran is not building, nor planning nuclear weapons.
UN Secretary-General "Gravely Alarmed by" U.S. Attack on Iran
"I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security, " Antonio Guterres said in aa statement late Saturday night..
"There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world."
"I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law," the UN secretary-general said.
"At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace."
Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT, undergoes regular inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has slammed attacks on nuclear facilities, pointing to "The numerous General Conference resolutions on the topic of military attacks against nuclear facilities, in particular, GC(XXIX)/RES/444 and GC(XXXIV)/RES/533, which provide, inter alia, that "any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Statute of the Agency,."
"The IAEA has consistently underlined that "armed attacks on nuclear facilities could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in briefing the United Nations Security Council last Friday night.
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Vancouver Sun
34 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Pete Hegseth says U.S. bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites not meant to start a war
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that America 'does not seek war' with Iran in the aftermath of a surprise attack overnight on three of that country's nuclear sites, while Vice-President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran a renewed chance of negotiating with Washington. The mission, called 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance, Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon news conference. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Hegseth added. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Caine said the goal of the operation — destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — had been achieved. 'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' Caine said. Vance said in a television interview that while he would not discuss 'sensitive intelligence about what we've seen on the ground,' he felt 'very confident that we've substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon.' Pressed further, he told NBC's 'Meet the Press' that 'I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time. I think that it's going to be many many years before the Iranians are able to develop a nuclear weapon.' The vice-president said the U.S. had 'negotiated aggressively' with Iran to try to find a peaceful settlement and that Trump made his decision after assessing the Iranians were not acting 'in good faith.' 'I actually think it provides an opportunity to reset this relationship, reset these negotiations and get us in a place where Iran can decide not to be a threat to its neighbors, not to a threat to the United States and if they're willing to do that, the United States is all ears,' Vance said. He said it would make sense for Iran to come to the negotiating table and give up their nuclear weapons program over the long term. 'If they're willing to do that, they're going to find a willing partner in the United States of America,' he said, describing a possible chance of a 'reset' for Tehran. 🚨 JD VANCE: 'We DO NOT want war with Iran.' 'We actually want peace, but we want peace in the context of them not having a nuclear weapons program — and that's exactly what the President accomplished last night.' 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A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading beyond the Middle East to 'a global level.' The Pentagon briefing did not provide any new details about Iran's nuclear capabilities. Hegseth said the timeline was the result of a schedule set by President Donald Trump for talks with Iran about its nuclear ambitions. 'Iran found out' that when Trump 'says 60 days that he seeks peace and negotiation, he means 60 days of peace and negotiation,' Hegseth said. 'Otherwise, that nuclear program, that new nuclear capability will not exist. He meant it.' That statement was complicated as the White House had suggested last Thursday that Trump could take as much as two weeks to determine whether to strike Iran or continue to pursue negotiations. But the U.S. benefited from Iran's weakened air defences as it was able to conduct the attacks without resistance from Iran. 'Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface to air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission,' Caine said. Hegseth said that a choice to move a number of B-2 bombers from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday was meant to be a decoy to throw off Iranians. He added that the U.S. used other methods of deception as well, deploying fighters to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped 14 bunker-buster bombs on Iran's site at Fordo. The strikes occurred Saturday between 6:40 pm and 7:05 pm in Washington, or roughly 2:10 am on Sunday in Iran.
Global News
42 minutes ago
- Global News
Carney calls for de-escalation, ‘diplomatic solution' after U.S. strikes on Iran
In the aftermath of the U.S. airstrikes on Iran Saturday, Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for a de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East and for parties to 'return immediately to the negotiating table.' 'Iran's nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security, and Canada has been consistently clear that Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,' he wrote in a statement shared to X Sunday morning. 'While U.S. military action taken last night was designed to alleviate that threat, the situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile. Stability in the region is a priority. 'As G7 leaders agreed in Kananaskis, the resolution of the Iranian crisis should lead to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza,' he continued, adding, 'Canada calls on parties to return immediately to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.' Story continues below advertisement Iran's nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security, and Canada has been consistently clear that Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. While U.S. military action taken last night was designed to alleviate that threat, the situation in the… — Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) June 22, 2025 Moments after Carney shared his statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand shared a post urging Canadians in the Middle East to register with Global Affairs Canada 'in order to receive country-specific information, including available travel options.' Anand wrote that the Canadian government 'continues to support all efforts aimed at de-escalation, protecting civilian lives, and restoring stability through diplomacy. We urge parties to return to the negotiating table and reach a resolution to this crisis. 'The Prime Minister and I are being regularly briefed on new developments, and are ensuring that all necessary resources are available in support of Canada's work to protect our citizens,' she added. Canada has been consistent and clear that Iran must not possess nuclear weapons as they are a threat to international security. Canada continues to support all efforts aimed at de-escalation, protecting civilian lives, and restoring stability through diplomacy. We urge parties… — Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) June 22, 2025 Story continues below advertisement Several close U.S. allies also noted the threat posed by Tehran's nuclear but urged a return to the negotiating table in the wake of the strikes, which have fuelled fears of a wider conflict. Some countries and groups in the Middle East, including those that support Iran, condemned the move while also urging de-escalation. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy U.S. President Donald Trump had said Thursday that he would decide within two weeks whether to get involved in Israel's war with Tehran. In the end, it took just days. Washington hit three Iranian nuclear sites early Sunday. View image in full screen This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows damage at the Fordo enrichment facility in Iran after U.S. strikes, Sunday, June 22, 2025. Maxar Technologies via AP While the amount of damage remained unclear, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the U.S. had 'crossed a very big red line.' He also said the time for diplomacy was over and that Iran has the right to defend itself. 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There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of… — António Guterres (@antonioguterres) June 22, 2025 Story continues below advertisement British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for Iran to return to the negotiating table to diplomatically end the crisis, saying stability was the priority in the volatile region. The U.K., along with the European Union, France and Germany, tried unsuccessfully to broker a diplomatic solution with Iran in Geneva last week. Starmer said Iran's nuclear program posed a grave threat to global security. 'Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the U.S. has taken action to alleviate that threat,' Starmer said. Iran's nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat. The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. We call… — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 22, 2025 Dmitry Medvedev, who serves as deputy head of President Vladimir Putin's Security Council, said several countries were prepared to supply Tehran with nuclear weapons. Story continues below advertisement He didn't specify which countries, but said the U.S. attack caused minimal damage and would not stop Tehran from pursuing nuclear weapons. Russia's Foreign Ministry said it 'strongly condemned' the airstrikes and called them a 'a gross violation of international law, the U.N. Charter, and U.N. Security Council resolutions.' The Iraqi government condemned the U.S. strikes, saying the military escalation created a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East. It said it poses serious risks to regional stability and called for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis. 'The continuation of such attacks risks dangerous escalation with consequences that extend beyond the borders of any single state, threatening the security of the entire region and the world,' government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi said in the statement. Pope Leo XIV 1:54 U.S. attacks Iran nuclear sites, Israel-Iran conflict intensifies In Rome, Pope Leo XIV made a strong appeal for peace during his Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter's square, calling for international diplomacy to 'silence the weapons.' Story continues below advertisement After an open reference to the 'alarming' situation in Iran, the first American pontiff stressed that 'today more than ever, humanity cries out and invokes peace and it is a cry that demands reason and must not be stifled.' Pope Leo urged every member of the international community to take up their moral responsibility to 'stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss.' 1:20 U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth says Iran's nuclear ambitions 'obliterated' in operation Midnight Hammer — With files from The Associated Press
Toronto Star
43 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Vance says Iran has a renewed chance to pursue ‘the path of peace' after US attack
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that America 'does not seek war' with Iran in the aftermath of a surprise attack overnight on three of that country's nuclear sites while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran a renewed chance of negotiating with Washington. The mission, called 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance, Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon news conference.
