Iran enters near total internet blackout as Trump remains cryptic over potential US strikes
Iran
entered a near total internet blackout on Wednesday as it and
Israel
continued attacking each other, and questions swirled about whether the US will directly enter the war.
US
president
Donald Trump
has been vague about whether he is planning to launch strikes on Iran, something analysts say Israel is very keen for. On Wednesday, Mr Trump was cryptic, telling journalists: 'I may do it, I may not do it, nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this: that Iran's got a lot of trouble.'
On his official X account, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, seemingly responded to Mr Trump's social media posts which included a call for 'unconditional surrender' and a threat to assassinate him. He called the US president's rhetoric 'absurd,' and said 'the Iranian nation isn't frightened'.
Mr Khamenei said the US would suffer 'irreparable harm' if it entered the war and that Israel made a 'grave mistake' by attacking in the first place.
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While Mr Trump said Iran reached out to him, suggesting representatives come to the White House, Iran's mission to the United Nations dismissed this as 'lies', saying 'no Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House'.
In a video released by his office on Wednesday evening, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Israel is 'progressing step by step'.
'We control the skies over Tehran ... We are hitting the nuclear sites, the missiles, the headquarters, the symbols of the regime,' Mr Netanyahu said.
Death tolls continue to mount. Though Iran's official toll of 224 has not been updated since Monday, Washington-based organisation Human Rights Activists – which has a wide range of sources in the country – said at least 585 people had been killed by Tuesday night. These
included
239 civilians, 123 military-related figures and 220 'unidentified' people.
Israel said 24 people had been killed by Wednesday and more than 804 injured, eight of whom were in a serious condition.
Israel and Iran say their actions are taken to protect national security.
Iran's communications ministry said it will impose restrictions on internet access to stop Israel from misusing it, though this also makes it difficult for Iranians to contact loved ones or receive information about attacks.
Data from internet monitor NetBlocks reported a 'near-total national internet blackout' by Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Israel's military censor warned that anyone who publishes information 'regarding the location of a strike', including on social media, blogs and in 'chats', must 'submit it for advance inspection' or be 'charged'. Violations risk state security, said censor head Brig Gen Kobi Mandelblit.
Aid workers and others calling for a ceasefire in
Gaza
continue to worry that the direct confrontation between Israel and Iran is forcing attention from what is happening there. On Wednesday, Gaza's health ministry said hospitals had received 144 dead bodies in the past 24 hours. This puts the recorded death toll at 55,637.
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Dorcha Lee: Benjamin Netanyahu still stalling on US-brokered ceasefire deal in Gaza
Without a ceasefire in Gaza, the killings continue. A new feature in the carnage is the large number of men being gunned down while converging on humanitarian aid sites. Poorly-trained Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reservists feel threatened and open fire, often in panic. It is not necessarily indiscriminate, but crowd control should follow the minimum force rule. Last weekend, on one day alone, 51 died at, or approaching, aid centres. In the meantime, the main IDF units are halfway through their two-month operation to occupy 75% of Gaza. Yesterday, the IDF's 162nd division entered the Jabalia area of northern Gaza. Only a ceasefire will stop this operation. For the third time, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has frustrated a US-brokered ceasefire deal in Gaza. The first US-brokered agreement, in conjunction with Egypt and Qatar, was presented by the Biden administration in May of last year. It collapsed in August when Netanyahu added five pre-conditions. The second proposed agreement was worked on by officials of both the Biden and Trump administrations. It was more successful. It came into effect on January 18, but ended when Israel refused to move to phase two, on March 1, as agreed. The third US-brokered agreement, presented by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, was pre-approved by Netanyahu four weeks ago. Hamas proposed changes, all of which could be considered as negotiable. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, right, steps out from his plane as he arrives at Muscat, Oman, prior to negotiations with US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. Picture: Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP The central difference between the Israeli and Hamas positions, in all three agreements, revolves around the duration of the ceasefire. Hamas wants Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire. Israel wants a time limit, leaving open the door to resuming hostilities should Hamas renege on the deal. Only with a cast-iron commitment to a permanent ceasefire can Hamas feel secure that the Israelis won't wipe it out. Agreeing to a permanent ceasefire in advance heavily compromises the Israeli objective of destroying Hamas. The 13-point Witkoff proposal is entitled Framework for negotiating an Agreement to a Permanent Ceasefire. It proposes a 60-day ceasefire, with Israel's adherence guaranteed by US president Donald Trump. Hamas's latest proposal is that the ceasefire would last seven years. This is a non-runner. However, it is a concession, in principle, from their previous position on a permanent ceasefire. The second point of the framework was that 10 live Israeli hostages and 18 deceased hostages would be released in two batches, half on day one of the ceasefire and the other half on day seven. The Hamas-proposed change is that the release of the hostages would be phased over the two-month period. The third point of the framework dealt with humanitarian assistance, which would begin immediately and would be distributed through agreed channels such as the UN and the Red Crescent. The fourth and fifth points cover IDF military activities and redeployment. The Hamas-proposed changes included these three framework points, plus US guarantees. It appears that Trump expected immediate agreement to the framework and was impatiently waiting to announce the agreement in Washington. Hamas's proposed changes were in the context that the framework was still negotiable. Two days later, Witkoff belatedly confirmed that he had intended the framework to be just the starting point of the next round of discussion. In the remaining eight points, there are safeguards built in to facilitate movement towards a permanent ceasefire. These safeguards are sufficiently nuanced to facilitate discussion. Since then, a wall of silence encircled the talks in Doha. Then, the week before last, the leak came — this time from Washington — when sources close to the US administration revealed Trump's frustration with Netanyahu. White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and US president Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Picture: Evan Vucci/AP Netanyahu now insisted that Israel would not agree to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, thus back tracking on his prior acceptance of proposal's text. However, it has long been clear that the IDF military strategy of mainly using air power to take out Hamas targets has failed. Standard military doctrine — fighting in built up areas — would require a sustained ground offensive to engage with the enemy including, in this case, close quarter combat in the tunnels. Ground once captured must to be held, or at least denied to the enemy. The IDF offensive in Gaza is moving forward slowly. This time, the tunnels are being destroyed systematically. Hamas is striking back with improvised explosives devices (IEDs) and booby traps. The IDF lost six soldiers killed in one booby-trapped building that collapsed, and several vehicles have been hit by IEDs. The source of the explosives is apparently the numerous unexploded shells scattered around the bombed-out building sites. From the very beginning, the Israeli political leadership did not clarify which objective was the priority objective: The destruction of Hamas or the freeing of the hostages. Only last month did the government confirm that the priority was the destruction of Hamas. This means, at face value, that the IDF can now proceed to destroy Hamas without undue consideration for the lives of the remaining hostages. However, this may have been a ploy to persuade Hamas that holding hostages no longer offers the same protection, as before, to their fighters in the tunnels. But time is no longer on Netanyahu's side. Time is no longer on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyah's side. Picture: Abir Sultan/AP There are two indicators that morale is slipping in the IDF. First, the IDF chief of staff, Lieutenant general Eyal Zamir, admitted that the number of IDF casualties is much greater than previously stated. In particular, the number of wounded IDF personnel since the ground operation began on October 27, 2023, is reportedly 12,600 and not 5,500 as previously stated. Each month, 1,000 serving soldiers are currently being referred to the Israeli ministry of defence's rehabilitation department. Secondly, retired Israeli air force personnel have gathered 15,000 signatures from veterans calling for an end to the war. As most of the more than 54,000 Gazans confirmed killed to date died in airstrikes, there must be a lot of IDF air crews psychologically affected by having to kill so many innocent and unarmed men, women, and children. US and Israel want to move the remaining (estimated) 2.14m Gazans out of the area, so that the US can build a tourist resort. The latest proposed destinations for the Gazan population includes Libya, where the US is reportedly planning to resettle 1m Gazans. Libya has denied the report. Egypt has produced a more realistic plan which would allow the resident population to be temporarily housed in Gaza, while reconstruction takes place. It has backing from Arab and some European countries, but has not yet been accepted by Israel and the US. In the past, temporary relocations of displaced Palestinians have proved to be permanent. Promises that, if they leave Gaza, they will be allowed to return after the reconstruction, will not be believed. They heard it all before in 1948, in 1956, in 1967, and in 1973. Gazans well know that if they leave, they may never return. The Witkoff proposal still offers the best chance, so far, of achieving a long-lasting ceasefire in Gaza. Dorcha Lee is a retired army colonel and defence analyst Read More Read the Gaza poem by a Cork writer that featured on the Irish Examiner's front page
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Trump ‘has APPROVED Iran attack plans and is waiting to give orders' but Starmer warned UK involvement could be ILLEGAL
DONALD Trump has reportedly approved US airstrikes on Iran and is now waiting to give the final order to attack. The US president has declared he will now only accept a "total and complete victory" against Iran and is no longer interested in a ceasefire. 4 Donald Trump has declared he only wants a 'total and complete victory' against Iran and is no longer interested in a ceasefire Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 4 Iranian missiles seen flying towards Israel as the conflict rages on into its six day Credit: Reuters 4 A still image released by Iranian media that shows a missile being fired towards Israel on Wednesday night Credit: Reuters 4 President Trump gave the greenlight to drop bombs on Tehran nuclear sites to his closest aides on Tuesday evening, people familiar with the matter have said. But Trump is yet to go through with any attack as he is holding off to see if the evil regime will agree to abandon its nuke program, the Tehran has already warned the US will only be sparking an "all out war" in the Middle East if they join Israel and attack them. The UK - a close ally of both Israel and the US - are yet to comment on if they will also launch strikes of their own. Sir Keir Starmer has already been warned by Attorney General Lord Hermer that the UK's involvement could be illegal. It comes as Sir Keir held a Cobra crisis meeting on Wednesday with a potential US-led strike reportedly being discussed. Trump has become heavily involved in the conflict over the last 48 hours with him speaking on the potential airstrikes from the White House as he said: "I may do it, I may not do it." It is believed that the US may choose to first attack Iran's Fordow nuclear development area, according to the This would likely be done by a fearsome 15-ton mega bomb known as a Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office Trump did say the US is the only nation capable of blitzing the key nuke site. But he added: "That doesn't mean I'm going to do it - at all." Trump also gave a two-word warning to Iran 's Supreme Leader after he revealed Tehran was trying to run back to the negotiating table since the conflict broke out. When a White House reporter asked Trump about Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's declaration that he will "never surrender", Trump simply responded: "Good luck." Trump even directly threatened Khamenei as he said the US knows where he is hiding but will not kill him 'for now'. Khamenei responded by saying: "The battle begins." 'This nation will never surrender,' he said in a speech read on state television . 'America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage.' US officials indicated the next 24 to 48 hours will be crucial in determining whether diplomacy could ever be achieved with Iran, It comes as warmongering Russia ironically warned the world sits "on the brink of catastrophe" as the raging Stay up to date with the latest on Israel vs Iran with The Sun's live blog below... By Iranian missiles seen flying towards Israel Credit: Reuters Credit: Reuters Credit: Reuters Copy link Copied By Watch Trump address Iran in his latest Oval Office address Trump vows 'no ceasefire' until 'total victory' over Iran & holds crunch war room talks over striking key nuke base Copy link Copied By UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Friday Iran has requested the United Nations Security Council hold another emergency meeting on Friday. The plea has been agreed with it scheduled to take place at 10am (3pm UK time) in New York. The meeting is supported by China, Pakistan and Russia. Part of Iran's request includes having the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi and the UN political affairs chief, Rosemary DiCarlo present. They also say they want them both to deliver a briefing to the council. A first emergency meeting took place last Friday. Copy link Copied By Fears grow as Trump's 'Doomsday Plane' move close to Washington Donald Trump's nuclear-hardened The impervious Eager aviation followers managed to track the huge Boeing as it went on the move and went on a highly irregular flight path from Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana. The craft took off from Bossier City and traveled along the coast before landing at the airbase in Maryland at 10:01pm. The flight lasted for over four hours with never-before-seen call signs also being noticed by online trackers of ORDER01 instead of the typical ORDER6. Its movement has sparked fears that it could be a clear indication of Trump and the US joining the war against Iran. Copy link Copied By Chilling video shows Israeli school bus blown to bits by Iranian missile Chilling vid shows Israeli school bus blown to bits by Iranian missile in madcap Ayatollah's death-throw retaliation Copy link Copied By Trump has approved Iran attack plans – reports President Donald Trump has reportedly told his closest aides that he has approved US air strikes on Iran, people familiar with the matter have said. The decision was said to have been made late on Tuesday. But Trump is yet to go through with any attack as he is holding off to see if Tehran will agree to abandon its nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal reports. Copy link Copied
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Fed holds rates unchanged as Donald Trump calls chairman Jerome Powell ‘stupid'
Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said on Wednesday that Fed policymakers expect inflation in goods prices to go up over the course of the summer as the impact of US president Donald Trump's tariffs work their way to US consumers. 'We've had goods inflation just moving up a bit,' Mr Powell told a news conference after the Fed held rates unchanged. 'We do expect to see more of that over the course of the summer.' Mr Powell said it takes time for tariffs to work through the goods chain of distribution, noting many goods being sold by retailers were imported months before tariffs were imposed. READ MORE 'So we're beginning to see some effects, and we do expect to see more of them over coming months,' he said. 'We do also see price increases in some of the relevant categories, like personal computers and audio visual equipment and things like that attributable to tariff increases.' Mr Trump had earlier called for a huge reduction in US interest rates and asked whether he can 'appoint myself' at the Federal Reserve, just hours before the central bank was due to release its latest policy decision. 'We should be two points lower, it would be nice to be 2½ points lower,' the US president said at the White House on Wednesday morning. Mr Trump added: 'Am I allowed to appoint myself at the Fed? I'd do a much better job than these people.' The latest salvo against the Fed and its chairman, who he on Wednesday called 'stupid', came as policymakers held interest rates steady at the end of their two-day meeting. The Fed cut rates by one percentage point last year, but has held them steady in 2025 as they assess how Mr Trump's tariffs will affect inflation and growth. The US president has said that he will not fire Mr Powell, whose term ends next May. The US supreme court has signalled that it believes the executive branch does not have the legal right to fire Fed governors. e Financial Times Limited 2025
