The Take: Why did Trump deploy the Marines to Los Angeles?
Los Angeles has become a military zone. As citywide protests erupted following ICE raids on local immigrant communities, United States President Donald Trump sent Marines and National Guard troops into the city for the first time in decades. How is this show of force turning immigration raids into a national flashpoint?
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This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili, Sonia Bhagat, and Tamara Khandaker, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Haleema Shah, Amy Walters, Mariana Navarrete, Kisaa Zehra, and our guest host, Manuel Rapalo. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Alexandra Locke is the Take's executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.
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Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Israel carries out strikes targeting Iranian nuclear, military sites
The Israeli military has carried out several strikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and military sites in and around the country's capital, Tehran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. In a prerecorded video message posted early Friday morning, Netanyahu said the strikes were aimed at hurting Iran's nuclear infrastructure and ballistic missile factories. 'This operation will take as long as is needed to complete the task of fending off the threat of annihilation against us,' Netanyahu said. An unnamed Israeli military official told the Reuters news agency that Israel struck 'dozens' of nuclear and military targets early on Friday. Iranian state-run news agency, Nour News, said several 'loud explosions' have been reported in and around Iran's capital. It added that Iran's air defence system is on full alert, and all flights at Imam Khomeini international airport have been suspended. The Israeli military also confirmed to The Times of Israel newspaper it had 'launched an aerial campaign against Iran's nuclear programme' in an operation dubbed 'Nation of Lions'. The source told the outlet it needed to act against the 'imminent threat' posed by Iran. Iranian state-run media outlet Press TV confirmed that there have been several casualties, without providing a number. An unnamed Israeli defence official said the strikes have likely killed members of Iran's general staff, including the chief of staff and several senior nuclear scientists. In a statement, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the attacks as 'preemptive' and said Israel was preparing for Iran's response. 'A missile and UAV [drone] attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate timeframe,' Katz said. Sirens have sounded across Israel as a warning to people, while the Israeli military announced in a post on X that Israel's civil and public security guidelines had been changed to 'essential activity' as of 3am local time (00:00 GMT). 'The guidelines include: a ban on educational activities, gatherings, and workplaces, except for essential businesses,' it said. Israel's Ministry of Transportation has confirmed that it has also closed the country's airspace for arrivals and departures until further notice. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed late on Thursday that the US was not involved in the strikes, as he urged Iran not to target American interests or personnel in the region. 'Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,' Rubio said in a statement. 'Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,' he added. Al Jazeera's correspondent in Washington, DC, Alan Fisher, said developments over recent days indicated that US President Donald Trump 'was told that there was going to be some sort of strike'. '[Just] 24 hours ago, the United States announced that it was going to start moving nonessential personnel out of the embassy in Baghdad [in Iraq], and also recommended that others in embassies around the region could also leave if they wish,' he said. Fisher said President Trump did not 'want Iran to get a nuclear weapon', but he was 'hoping' that nuclear talks would be able to avert a conflict. 'The big question now, of course, is how the United States reacts to any response from Iran. If they side with Israel, that suggests that the nuclear talks are done,' Fisher said. '[US Special Envoy to the Middle East] Steve Witkoff still intends to hold another meeting with the Iranians at the weekend. Of course, it'll be up to the Iranians to decide whether or not they want to go,' he added. Iran's Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said on Wednesday that his country would target US military bases in the region if nuclear talks break down and the US launches attacks. 'Some officials on the other side threaten conflict if negotiations don't come to fruition. If a conflict is imposed on us … all US bases are within our reach, and we will boldly target them in host countries,' Nasirzadeh told reporters. Washington and Tehran have held five rounds of nuclear talks since April as Trump seeks a deal that would place constraints on Iran's uranium enrichment.
Qatar Tribune
7 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Iran doubles down as US signals Israel could strike during nuclear talks
agencies Tehran, Iran Iranian authorities have remained defiant amid concerns that Israel could launch an attack on Iran as the global nuclear watchdog adopts another Western-led censure resolution. Even as Oman confirmed on Thursday that it will host a sixth round of talks on Sunday between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme, reports by outlets such as The New York Times, quoting officials in the US and Europe, warned that Israel is 'ready' to attack Iran, even without military backing from Washington. Israel has long threatened to attack Iran's nuclear sites. The administration of US President Donald Trump also carried out a partial evacuation of embassy staff in Iraq and dependants of US personnel across the Middle East in a sign of escalating tension in the region. 'I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen,' said Trump at a White House event on Thursday, commenting on the likelihood of an Israeli strike. 'We will not give in to America's coercion and bullying,' Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised speech in the western city of Ilam on Thursday, pointing out that Iran resisted eight years of invasion in the 1980s by neighbouring Iraq, which was backed by many foreign powers. Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told state television that if Israel attacks, it would be met with a 'history-making' response that would go far beyond Iran's two rounds of retaliatory strikes on Israel last year. He said Iran is not 'defenceless and encircled' like Gaza, where the Israeli military has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023. Speaking to a crowd in Tehran, IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani said Iran's armed forces have made significant strides in improving their attacking capabilities in the months since the previous missile barrages launched against Israel. 'If they think the axis of resistance and Iran have been weakened and then boast based on that, it is all a dream,' said the commander, who leads the external force of the IRGC, which is tasked with expanding Iran's regional influence. Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, announced on Thursday that he has given the order to launch more military exercises after a series of large-scale drills were held across Iran earlier this year. After days of deliberation, the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday passed a resolution to censure Iran over its advancing nuclear programme and several outstanding cases involving unexplained nuclear materials found at Iranian sites. The resolution was put forward in Vienna by the US along with France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the three European nations who are still party to Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which Trump unilaterally abandoned in 2018.
Qatar Tribune
7 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Markets shaken as Trump threatens new unilateral tariffs
Agencies Investors were rattled on Thursday after Donald Trump said he would impose unilateral tariffs on partners in the next two weeks, reigniting trade war fears soon after reaching a deal with China to dial down tensions between the superpowers. The mood was also shaded by geopolitical concerns after the US president said personnel were being moved from the Middle East as nuclear talks with Iran faltered and fears of a regional conflict grew. The equity losses snapped a recent rally fueled by talks between Beijing and Washington in London that saw them hammer out a framework agreement to move towards a pact to reduce levies. Investors have been on edge since Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariff blitz on April 2 that sent shockwaves through stock and bond markets and stoked global recession fears. Days later he announced a pause in those measures until July 9 to allow for countries to cut deals with the White House, sparking relief rallies that have pushed some markets towards all-time highs. However, he once again shook confidence by saying on Wednesday that he intended to send letters telling governments what levies Washington would be imposing. 'We're going to be sending letters out in about a week-and-a-half, two weeks, to countries, telling them what the deal is,' he told reporters. 'At a certain point, we're just going to send letters out. And I think you understand that, saying this is the deal, you can take it or leave it.' While some analysts indicated that previous threats had been rowed back, the comments added to the ongoing uncertainty about Trump's policies, reviving fears about sky-high levies and the impact on the economy. They also came not long after he had flagged the London agreement, and posted on social media that 'President Xi and I are going to work closely together to open up China to American Trade', referring to his counterpart Xi Jinping. Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management said: 'Whether this is a hardball negotiation tactic or a pressure valve reset ahead of another 90-day extension is anyone's guess—but traders are reading it as another layer of headline risk. 'The market knows the Trump playbook: bark, delay, then deal. But the closer we get to the cliff's edge, the more likely someone slips.' Most Asian markets fell on Thursday, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Wellington, Sydney, Taipei, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta in the red after a broadly healthy run-up this week. London was flat as data showed the UK economy shrank more than expected in April, while Paris and Frankfurt fell. There were gains in Singapore, Seoul and Wellington. Shanghai was barely moved. The weak performance followed losses on Wall Street, where trade worries overshadowed another below-forecast inflation reading that provided fresh speculation the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates. Oil prices slipped more than one percent after Wednesday's surge that came after Trump said US personnel were being moved from the potentially 'dangerous' Middle East as Iran nuclear talks stutter. The move came as Tehran threatened to target US military bases in the region if a regional conflict broke out. The US president said the staff were 'being moved out because it could be a dangerous place'. 'We've given notice to move out and we'll see what happens.' With regard to Iran, he added: 'They can't have a nuclear weapon, very simple. We're not going to allow that.' Trump had until recently expressed optimism about the talks, but said in an interview published on Wednesday that he was 'less confident'.
