Israel ‘fully ready' to strike Iran as Trump warns Middle East about to get ‘dangerous' & US withdraws embassy staff
ISRAEL is reportedly "fully ready" to launch a military strike against Iran within days - and without the backing of the United States.
It comes amid the Trump administration's efforts to secure a deal with Tehran aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear programme.
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Iranian troops firing a missile in the Makran sea, south of Iran
Credit: Rex
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is reportedly ready to blitz Iran
Credit: Reuters
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Israeli soldiers on the frontline of ground operation in northern Gaza Strip
Credit: Rex
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Donald Trump is said to be in advanced talks with Iran over a preliminary agreement that could include provisions on uranium enrichment - terms Israel finds unacceptable.
A Capitol Hill aide and other insiders told NBC News that Benjamin Netanyahu's government is "fully ready" to act unilaterally as hopes of influencing the US-Iran negotiations diminish.
Such a strike would represent a serious rupture in US-Israel coordination and carries the risk of igniting a broader conflict in the already volatile region.
One senior diplomat in the Middle East told
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"We think it's more serious than any other time in the past."
In anticipation of potential retaliation by Iran, the US has moved to scale back its presence in the Middle East.
The State Department has ordered the departure of non-essential staff from its embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, and authorised voluntary departures of personnel and military dependents from Bahrain and Kuwait.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said: "The State Department regularly reviews American personnel abroad, and this decision was made as a result of a recent review."
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President Trump, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, confirmed the move: "They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place and we'll see what happens."
How Iran's Trump assassination plot would trigger full-scale invasion by the US and topple Ayatollah's evil regime
He reiterated the administration's red line: "They can't have a nuclear weapon, very simple, they can't have a nuclear weapon, we're not going to allow that."
Trump also told the New York Post's podcast
"It would be nice to do it without warfare or people dying. Time will tell."
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Posting a video of US military in action, the President wrote on
"You will summon inexhaustible courage. You will protect every inch of U.S. soil—and you will defend America to the ends of the earth!"
The heightened alert stems not just from fears of Iranian retaliation, but also from growing intelligence assessments that Israel may be preparing for a direct strike on Iran's nuclear facilities - bypassing Washington's diplomat track.
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Israel's reported military strike on Tehran would be done without the backing of its closest ally, the United States
Credit: Reuters
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President Trump told reporters the US are removing staff form its Baghdad embassy as he attended the opening night of 'Les Misérables' in Washington DC
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Iran, meanwhile, has warned of severe consequences if it is attacked.
Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said Iran would respond by targeting American bases in the region.
Iran's mission to the UN added: "Threats of 'overwhelming force' won't change facts: Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon and U.S. militarism only fuels instability."
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US negotiator Steve Witkoff is still set to meet Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Muscat, Oman on Sunday for what would be the sixth round of nuclear talks.
But sources caution that the meeting may not go ahead if the situation worsens.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters: "Any military action against Iran, whether by the US or Israel, will have serious consequences."
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Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran
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The evacuation of US personnel has sent ripples through global markets.
Oil prices jumped more than 4% following reports of the drawdown in Baghdad.
Britain's maritime agency has also warned of rising risk in the Gulf, urging vessels to proceed with caution through key shipping lanes near Iran.
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While Iraq has not reported any immediate security threat, its strategic position as host to both US troops and Iran-backed militias makes it a potential flashpoint should conflict erupt.
The US still maintains 2,500 troops in the country.
The backdrop to these latest tensions includes a faltering attempt to revive a nuclear agreement with Iran, first signed in 2015 and abandoned by Trump in 2018.
Since then, Iran has ramped up its uranium enrichment and accumulated stockpiles of near-weapons-grade material, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
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In Vienna this week, the IAEA's board of governors heard that Iran now possesses around 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium - well above the limits set by the 2015 deal.
Iran claims its programme is for peaceful purposes, but Western powers, including the US, are increasingly sceptical.
On Wednesday, President Trump acknowledged his confidence in a diplomatic solution was waning.
He told Pod Force One: "I'm less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago.
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"Something happened to them, but I am much less confident of a deal being made."
Netanyahu will obliterate Iran's nuke empire on his own terms
by
BENJAMIN Netanyahu is plotting to bomb Iran as it is his "main goal for his legacy" to destroy its nuclear scheme, his ex-advisor said.
But government insiders in
Nadav Shtrauchler, a former adviser to Netanyahu, told The Sun how the PM could give the green light to bomb
The strategic adviser said: "In his eyes, two things are highly important. One of them is Iran. The second is Saudi Arabia and the following of the Abraham Accords.
"Number one is Iran before everything else.
"He sees that as a threat as an immediate threat to the state and after the last two big strikes from Iran, people understood that next time it could be different material on those weapons.
"His main goal is to stop Iran and he needs to put every pressure he can.
"Of course, you want to do it with Trump and with the American administration - but I think he would not avoid attacking there.
"This is his main number one goal in this war."
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RTÉ News
26 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
What we know so far about the Israeli strikes on Iran
Israel said it had carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, promising to continue its campaign and "achieve much more". . Here is what we know: What was hit? Israel's military said its jets carried out strikes on "dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran". It said 200 jets were involved in the raids, striking about 100 targets. Blasts were reported in the capital, where state television said fire and smoke were seen at a key site for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the city's east. Damage to residential buildings and civilian deaths were also reported. State television said Natanz, in Iran's central Isfahan province and home to a key nuclear site, had been hit "several times", showing footage of heavy smoke billowing from the site. The UN nuclear watchdog confirmed Natanz was among the sites targeted in the attacks and said it was in touch with Iranian authorities and its inspectors in the country "regarding radiation levels". Additional strikes were reported against three military sites in Iran's northwest. Iranian state media confirmed the deaths of Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami and armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri in the attacks. It also reported 50 people, including women and children, had been injured. Why now? Israel sees the cleric-run state in Tehran as an existential threat. It says it took out Iran's air defences in October last year in retaliation for a barrage of about 200 missiles from the Islamic republic. Defence Minister Israel Katz described the Israeli action as a "pre-emptive strike". The army said intelligence showed Iran was approaching a "point of no return" on its nuclear programme. The United States and other western countries, along with Israel, have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, which it has always denied. Israel again called for global action after the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) accused Iran of non-compliance with its obligations on Wednesday. There had been indications a military strike was likely, with US media reporting an imminent Israeli attack that would not be coordinated with the Washington. "I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen," US President Donald Trump told reporters yesterday when asked if an Israeli attack loomed. A sixth round of talks over Tehran's nuclear programme had been scheduled between the United States and Iran on Sunday in Oman. Mr Trump said after the strikes he was "still hoping" for talks. Who was involved? Israel relies on the United States for military and diplomatic support but carried out the strikes alone, top US diplomat Marco Rubio said. "We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region," he said in a statement warning Tehran against targeting US interests. Mr Rubio said Israel had "advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defence," without offering support or criticism of the strikes. Meanwhile, Mr Trump told Fox News that he had advance notice of the strikes, warning Tehran "cannot have a nuclear bomb". Tehran said Washington would be "responsible for the consequences" of Israel's deadly attacks, saying they "cannot have been carried out without the coordination and permission of the United States". What reaction has there been? Oman, due to host nuclear talks this weekend, called the strikes a "dangerous escalation" that threatened negotiations and regional stability. Saudi Arabia condemned the "blatant Israeli aggressions". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes had been "very successful... and with God's help, we will achieve much more". Air traffic was halted at Tehran's main international airport, and neighbouring Iraq closed its airspace entirely. Israel warned Iran could retaliate at any moment, declaring a state of emergency and also shutting its airspace. In Washington, the White House said Mr Trump would convene security chiefs after the strike, which was criticised by a senior Democrat. "Israel's alarming decision to launch airstrikes on Iran is a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence," said Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the US Senate Armed Services Committee.
Irish Times
37 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Stocks fall and oil prices hit three year high after Israel strikes Iran
Stocks fell along with equity-index futures and investors rushed to the safety of haven assets after Israel attacked Iran's nuclear program sites in a major escalation of tensions in the Middle East. Crude oil jumped 9 per cent, the biggest move in more than three years. Contracts for the S&P 500 index retreated 1.6 per cent, and a gauge of Asian stocks dropped 1.1 per cent. Treasuries advanced, with the 10-year yield falling one basis point to 4.34 per cent. Gold rose and cryptocurrencies tumbled. A gauge of the dollar rose 0.4 per cent after initially falling, buoyed by the shift to safer currencies even amid recent doubts about the reliability of dollar. The currency had hit a three-year low on Thursday. The airstrikes against Iran's nuclear program and ballistic-missile sites renewed a standoff between the two adversaries that risks spiralling into a wider conflict. READ MORE While the market reaction was strongest in crude oil, moves in other pockets of the market suggested that investors are watching how long the tensions will last and whether the situation escalates. 'We are seeing classical risk-off moves,' said Matthew Haupt, portfolio manager at Wilson Asset Management. 'What we are watching now for is the speed and scale of the response from Tehran. That will shape the duration of the current moves. Quite often these moves fade after the initial shocks.' Israel said the operation will continue for 'as many days' as it takes to remove the threat and Iran vowed to respond 'harshly.' The move came after repeated warnings by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu about striking Iran and crippling its nuclear program. Iran had previously said it would inaugurate a new uranium-enrichment facility in response to censure by the UN atomic watchdog over its nuclear program. The oil futures curve strengthened on concerns that Israel's latest strike on Iran could have severe and long-lasting repercussions. The most obvious market impact was in oil as Iran is a major exporter of crude to countries such as China and India. Moves in other sectors were more measured as investors braced themselves for the possibility of a steeper selloff. 'This is very serious,' said US-based Kim Forrest, chief investment officer at Bokeh Capital Partners. 'It's surprising the market isn't down more. Do I expect things to get lower in the coming hours? Heck yeah I expect it to be lower by the time I wake up but it'll also depend who's talking and what's happening. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the US is not involved in the air strikes and that Israel took unilateral action against Iran. The attack is coming at a time when global financial markets had recovered from a slump in April caused by Trump's tariffs. An index of global stocks touched a record Thursday, gaining more than 20 per cent from a low hit in April. The attack is 'poised to echo through global markets — not just as a geopolitical flashpoint, but more as a stark wake-up call,' said Hebe Chen, an analyst at Vantage Markets in Melbourne. 'Investors now have to face the mounting threat of multi-front tensions, where potential new hot wars and intensifying trade wars collide, reshaping risk sentiment in real time.' Separately, officials at the Bank of Japan see prices rising a little stronger than they expected earlier in the year, a factor that may open the door to discussions over whether to raise interest rates if global trade tensions ease, according to people familiar with the matter. The officials expect the central bank's benchmark interest rate to be left at 0.5 per cent at the end of a two-day gathering next week as they need to monitor developments in tariff talks globally and their economic implications, the people said. – Bloomberg
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Israel launches attacks on Iran's nuclear programme, in most significant attack on country in decades
Iranian state television reported the leader of the country's Revolutionary Guard was killed in the attacksAttacks raise the potential for an all-out war between the two bitter Middle East adversariesMost significant attack Iran has faced since its 1980s war with Iraq, with multiple sites around the country hit
