Trump's B-52s will flatten Mullahs' terror regime if Iran doesn't stop race to nuclear armageddon, ex-Mossad chief warns
It comes amid growing fears Tehran's furious regime leaders could rush to develop a nuke bomb after vowing bloody revenge on Israel.
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A US B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber drops bombs. Stock picture
Credit: Getty
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The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept Iranian missiles over Tel Aviv
Credit: AP
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Smoke rises from an oil refinery, northwest of Tehran, Iran
Credit: Getty
Iran was pummeled with an unprecedented blitz on its nuclear bases on Friday by Israel - which wiped out top commanders.
Israel has so far acted alone in its mission to severely deplete Iran's nuclear ambitions after the US stepped back from plans to blitz the rogue state.
The arch-enemy nations have continued to trade blows as the
But a former top staffer of Mossad - Israel's intelligence agency - said the US will no doubt join Israel's campaign should Iran succeed in its bid to develop a nuclear bomb.
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The insider warned Donald Trump could even deploy America's nuclear-capable
He insisted "no US president will allow Iran to have a nuclear bomb while he's serving in the White House" and that Tehran would "pay the price".
It comes after the US military stationed several B-2 Spirit stealth bombers on the highly strategic island of Diego Garcia.
Meanwhile today the $4.5billion US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is heading towards the
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Data from ship tracking website Marine Traffic shows the 1,092ft long carrier left the South China Sea this morning and is heading west towards the war-torn region.
A formal reception in Danang City later this week has been called off due to "an emergent operational requirement", a source told Reuters.
Spiralling tensions in the region come as Trump issued a stark warning to Iran's bloodthirsty leaders - avoid striking US targets or face the 'full strength and might' of America's military.
Iran-Israel conflict could spiral into 'forever war' | Major General Chip Chapman
The US president wrote on Truth Social: "If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before.
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"However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict."
Trump has insisted Iran thrash out a deal aimed at downgrading its nuke programme - but talks, that were supposed to resume on June 15, have so far stalled.
But the Middle East risks exploding into all-out war as Israel and Iran pummel each other with missiles.
The ex-Mossad top brass, however, urged European nations to 'seize the moment' to draw a red line under Iran's nuke programme.
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Sun's trip onboard USS Nimitz
by Ryan Parry, Senior Reporter
AS America sends the flagship USS Nimitz supercarrier to the Middle East amid rising tensions, the Sun reveals what life is like onboard.
The Sun spent two days on board the Nimitz, nicknamed Old Salt, a $4.5billion nuclear-powered supercarrier weighing almost 100,000 tons.
The warship is 1,092ft long and 252ft wide and has a four and a half acre flight deck.
The massive 117,000 sq ft warship boasts four aircraft catapults and jets are brought up to the deck using four giant elevators from the hangar deep below the 4.5 acre flight deck.
The supercarrier, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 11, holds F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers and F-35C stealth strike fighters.
Inside the ten floor, 3,000 room hull underneath the flight deck life is one slick operation.
There are several cafeterias, gyms, a Starbucks coffee shop and 'luxury' state rooms for 'Distinguished Visitors'.
Since it is nuclear-powered, the Nimitz – call sign NMTZ - can operate for up to 20 years without refueling.
The Nimitz is the world's second largest supercarrier, only behind the Gerald R Ford.
Fears have been growing internationally that Iran is on the verge of creating a nuclear bomb, despite the regime's insistence its scheme is for civilian purposes to generate energy.
Last week, the UN's watchdog confirmed Iran is not complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in two decades.
The former intelligence agent has appealed for Western countries to take advantage of the situation for fundamental change while Iran is "completely exposed".
They said: "I think that the Europeans should stand with the Americans and tell Iran enough is enough.
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"Tell the Iranian guys, knock it off.
'Let's do it. Let's take it. Let's seize this moment to do something positive.
'It seems to me that this is an opportunity to have a red line to the Iranians."
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At least eight people were killed when Iranian missiles blitzed Tel Aviv and port city Haifa this morning.
Israel's military meanwhile said it had killed four senior intelligence officials -including the head of the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence unit.
A military spokesman also claimed Israel had achieved aerial superiority over Iran and had destroyed more than a third of Iran's surface-to-surface missile launchers.
At least 100 people were wounded in Israel in the overnight blitz, part of a wave of attacks by Tehran in retaliation for Israel's strikes.
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Israel's defence minister Israel Katz warned that Iran would "pay the price and soon".
He said: "The arrogant dictator of Tehran has become a cowardly murderer who targets the civilian home front in Israel to deter the IDF from continuing the attack that is collapsing his capabilities."
What is the B-52 bomber?
The B-52 Stratofortress is a US Air Force's heavy bomber which has been in use since the mid-1950s.
One of the reasons why the plane - which has a 150ft wingspan - is still in use is its staggering flying range of 9,000 miles.
And then there's the awe inspiring payload capability.
In fact its enormous size means they can carry more than 30 tonnes of bombs.
The hulking bomber can also be fitted with large numbers of nuclear-able cruise missiles and precision air-to-surface rockets.
B-52s were synonymous with the bombing of North Vietnam and Cambodia in the 1960s and 1970s during the Cold War.
Its destructive capability was also demonstrated in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars where they were used to demolish caves and underground facilities.
The majority of the 76-strong fleet are based at Barksdale in Louisiana and Minot in North Dakota.
The planes also fly missions from bases outside the US, including the UK and Spain.
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The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Lip reader reveals Putin's pledge to Trump and Don's advice after leaders landed in Alaska for showdown
A LIP reader has revealed Vladimir Putin's pledge to Donald Trump as the two leaders met in Alaska. The US President greeted his Russian counterpart on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Air Base on Friday. 7 Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet on the tarmac in Alaska 7 Trump and Putin spoke as they walked, which microphones couldn't hear 7 The pair were polite to each other and said they wanted to end the war, according to one expert The pair went on to address the world in a brief press conference and negotiate with their teams in private, but they also shared words in front of cameras that couldn't be heard. That hidden speech can tell us a lot about their pair's relationship and hint at what could be happening behind closed doors. Forensic lipreader Nicola Hickling has now revealed what the powerful men said when they greeted each other airport. The world's eyes were on the moment when Putin walked towards Trump to shake hands. Putin looked relaxed as he walked down a red carpet towards Trump - giving the US leader a thumbs-up before greeting him with a warm handshake. Trump begins clapping as Putin approaches and the American says: 'Finally,' according to Hickling. Hickling then said that as the pair shook hands Trump added: 'You made it, fantastic to see you and appreciated." The pair then appear to begin talking about Ukraine and the bringing the fighting to an end with a ceasefire. Putin responds in English, saying: 'Thank you — and you." He also makes a pledge to Trump: "I am here to help you.' Trump Putin meeting erupts into CHAOS as press bombard Putin with questions Trump replies: 'I'll help you.' Pointing towards Trump, Putin says: 'All they need is to ask.' Trump answers simply: 'Okay.' Putin continues: 'I will bring it to a rest.' 7 Microphones couldn't listen into the pair as they spoke at the airport 7 Putin told Trump Trump responds: 'I hope it does.' Turning towards the vehicle, Hickling said Trump smiles and says: 'Come on, let's get straight into the vehicle. We need to move forward, both giving it attention. I know this is serious, it's quite long. What a journey it is.' Trump salutes and says: 'Thank you.' On the podium, Trump says: 'Thank you. Let's shake hands — it gives a good impression.' Putin nods in agreement, shakes his hand, and says: 'Thank you.' The pair then shared a moment alone in Trump's presidential limo - known as The Beast - which drove them to the summit venue. They were then next seen when they posed for photos in front of the press to record the historic moment. 7 Putin shouted at the press when the photocall descended into chaos 7 Vlad said to a reporter that they were 'ignorant', according to Hickling But the photocall descended into chaos when the journalists started shouting at Trump and the tyrant - who doesn't face that sort of opposition in Russia. Hickling said that Trump noticed Putin wasn't happy with a question or remark made. The American leans in to his aide, according to the lipreader, and whispers: 'I'm uncomfortable, we need to move them quickly.' Putin then makes a face after being on the receiving end of the aggressive questioning. Hickling said the Russian tells a reporter: 'You is ignorant.' Then, as he cups his hands to his mouth to shout above the chaos, he says again: 'You are ignorant.' After nearly three hours of talks in Alaska, the US president said the pair "agreed on some big points" they said in a brief press conferece. There was a lot of flattery between the pair as they spoke in front of the world. Hickling's analysis of the chumminess between the pair out of range of the microphones suggests that there could possibly be a real relationship between the pair, despite the geopolitical differences.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Barry Malone: When Israel decides to silence the 'voice' of Palestinians
Anas al-Sharif was a born storyteller with an innate sense of the dramatic. I'll never forget watching him live on air from Gaza just after a ceasefire, which wasn't to last, was announced in January 2024 after more than a year of relentless horror. A crowd had gathered as he stood in front of the camera, preparing to talk to tens of millions of Al Jazeera viewers across the Arab world, ready to convey the mixture of happiness, relief, and very cautious optimism people were feeling now that the bombs would stop raining down on Gaza. Another journalist stood weeping to his right. 'There is great joy among these residents, finally, after these hard days,' he said. And then, without missing a beat as he continued speaking to camera, he slowly removed his helmet and flak jacket, people cheering him on. They hoisted him on their shoulders and held their phones up to capture the moment. It was a moment to be recorded because, if Anas felt briefly safe, they all did. That was one of the things that made him a special journalist. People saw themselves reflected in him. He wasn't afraid to show his fellow Palestinians that he was suffering with them, that the terror Israel was unleashing on Gaza affected him too, that he sometimes struggled. That's not to say he didn't convey strength. His backbone was apparent every time he appeared on air, and it was apparent when he refused to bow to threats. On another occasion, just weeks ago, Anas broke down during a broadcast and began to cry after a day of watching Palestinians being brought to hospital, some wounded, some weakened by starvation. As he wept, shouts from the crowd began to ring out. 'Keep going, Anas. Keep going. You are our voice,' they called. And they knew he would keep going. Because he always did. This week, though, a decision was made to silence that voice in the most ruthless manner possible when the Israeli military targeted and killed not only Anas but the entire Al Jazeera team in Gaza City. It was an act of censorship so extreme, so brutal — and so blatant — that it shocked people all over the world and plunged Palestinians into despair. Mourners sit around the grave of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif following his burial at the Sheikh Radwan cemetery in Gaza City on August 11. Picture: AFP via Getty Images But the killing of Anas, alongside his colleagues Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, and Mohammed Noufal, shouldn't have been a shock at all. The UN says that at least 242 journalists and media workers have been killed by Israel since the war on Gaza began. The UN and the Committee to Protect Journalists say that, in many of these cases, journalists were likely deliberately targeted. Israel itself has often admitted to killing journalists, usually accusing them of being Hamas members with either no proof at all or only the flimsiest veneer of it. Such was the case with Anas. He was a member of Hamas, Israel said. Not only a member but a leader of a cell responsible for 'advancing rocket attacks'. Again, as is now standard, no real evidence was offered to back up the accusations. No claims were made against the rest of the Al Jazeera crew. Perhaps Israel felt it only had to justify the killing of such a famous face. Lesser-known Palestinians can be snuffed out with no excuse needed, as they have been daily for 22 months. Where Anas, who seemed to spend every waking moment standing in front of a camera, would have found the time to organise rocket attacks on the side is unclear. Here's the thing: If Anas really was a target because of Hamas activity, the Israeli military could have killed him any time it wanted. They wouldn't have needed any sophisticated intelligence to locate him. All they had to do was switch on the TV. Members of the NUJ and fellow journalists take part in a protest organised by the NUJ at The Spire in O'Connell St, Dublin, to condemn the killing of journalists due to Israeli attacks. Picture: Niall Carson/PA So why now? Many observers believe the answer is clear. Israel's cabinet last week approved prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan for a full military occupation of Gaza City. And just two days later, Anas and the Al Jazeera crew — the most prominent witnesses left in the city, the only people with the ability to broadcast to the entire world what is about to happen — were executed. That theory, though, was smothered by the endless repetition of Israel's version of events in the coverage of almost every prominent Western news organisation. Headlines began with the words, 'Israel says'. TV bulletins were scripted similarly. Israel's accusations were rarely followed up with the context that no real proof had been provided. Anchors asked question after question about the alleged Hamas affiliation. This credulous reporting of Israel's accusations persists despite it being proven to have lied repeatedly throughout the conflict. There is no other source as unreliable as the Israeli government given such a free pass by the world's media. Imagine if Russia killed a Ukrainian journalist, accusing him of being a member of an armed group. Would its claims be treated seriously? Would they lead the headlines? Of course not. None of this is lost on Palestinian journalists, who have felt let down by the way Israel's relentless targeting of their comrades and friends has been reported and by a lack of solidarity from some of the most prominent journalists in the West, many of whom have stayed conspicuously silent as the bodies of brave reporters in Gaza pile up. 'I will not speak to foreign media about the killing of Palestinian journalists. I will not sit on your global channels to be part of a segment you'll forget by tomorrow,' Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary, another fierce journalist who has reported ceaselessly from Gaza throughout the war and continues to, said on X after her colleagues were killed. 'We are being hunted and killed in Gaza while you watch in silence. For two years, your fellow journalists here have been slaughtered. What did you do? Nothing.' Hind added her belief that many Western journalists don't consider Palestinian journalists colleagues at all. She's right and, though that had been apparent even before October 7, the last two years have confirmed it beyond any doubt. It's why Palestinian journalists are not trusted, it's why they are dehumanised, it's why the dirt that Israel throws sticks and, ultimately, it's why they can be killed with impunity. Mask-drop moment There was a mask-drop moment on BBC this week when an anchor seemed confused that Al Jazeera used what she called 'local people' to report from Gaza. 'Are they able to operate truly independently?' she asked her guest. There's an implication there. It's an implication that these 'local people' cannot be trusted, that Palestinians are too close to the story to report it accurately. It's not an implication we ever hear about, say, British journalists reporting on Britain. The fact that Palestinian journalists are reporting on a genocide while also living through it has made their reporting stronger. How can knowledge of every street corner, a wide network of sources, deep subject expertise, and the familiarity that comes with living in a place be a problem? The answer is it's not. Unless the reporters are from Gaza. I worked at Al Jazeera for almost a decade and none of this was unusual to us. The network doesn't employ Palestinian journalists because it is forced to. They work for Al Jazeera and always have because they are excellent at their jobs. They are the most qualified journalists available to cover the story. It's as simple as that. The fact that a prominent and experienced BBC anchor and many other top Western journalists can't get that through their heads is a problem and says more about their own bias than it does about anyone else's. International journalists are now pushing for Israel to give them access to Gaza, having been barred for the duration of the conflict so far. They should be given that access. But the Western press corps, decked out in khaki chic, shouldn't go to Gaza thinking it is their job to verify the devastation. It's already been verified by the best and bravest journalists we have. The foreign correspondents must acknowledge they are standing on those shoulders, and that Palestinians will always be the authors of their own story. A vigil outside the Fox News and NBC News headquarters in Washington, DC, honouring journalists killed in Gaza. Picture: AFP via Getty Images The evening of that ceasefire announcement, after Anas removed his flak jacket and helmet, he paid tribute to colleagues who had already been killed by Israel: Ismail Al-Ghoul, Rami Al-Rifi, Samir Abu Daqqa, and Hamza Dahdouh. Al-Ghoul, he said, would have been standing in his place reporting this historic moment had he lived. Anas didn't want his friend, or his reporting, to be forgotten. As he stood in Ismail's place, someone will soon stand in his, because Palestinian journalists refuse to be broken and giants like Anas, through their bravery and dedication, provide the blueprint for those who come behind them. That new generation of journalists will remember Anas, Ismail, the Al Jazeera Gaza City crew, and the more than 200 other Palestinian journalists killed by Israel. Without them, we would have been blind. Barry Malone is an independent journalist and former Al Jazeera executive producer. He writes 'Proximities', a newsletter focused on under-reported stories.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Mick Clifford: Is it time to cut Bono a little slack over Gaza?
Here's a line that will most likely elicit some derision: Maybe Bono is entitled to be cut a little slack. Last week, the singer and his U2 bandmates released individual statements about the genocide in Gaza. An ageing rock band collectively making a pronouncement on such a matter at this point in time is highly questionable. That the four members released their own individual statements borders on the ridiculous. Notwithstanding that, the reaction to Bono in particular has been savagely negative. On social media, comments about the singer's statement were was visceral, vitriolic, and here and there even freighted with a form of hatred. The whole farrago spoke volumes, not just about Bono's image in some quarters of this country, but how comments around the attack on Gaza have evolved A few matters require laying out before cutting the singer some slack. The first is that the only people who matter a whit in any discussion on Gaza are those being murdered and starved from the ruins created by the Israeli Defense Forces. The second matter of note is that it could all stop tomorrow if the US — and not just Donald Trump — ceased providing the means to perpetrate the genocide. In previous decades, at various spots around the world, the US did step in the prevent slaughter of innocents. Here, it is enabling such slaughter. That brings us back to Bono. Skill and status Whatever one thinks of the singer, his music, or his musings, there is one incontrovertible fact about the work he has done on Aids, hunger, and debt relief in the developing world: An unaccountable number of people who would otherwise be dead are alive today because of his efforts. This plaudit also applies to thousands of workers on the ground across the globe, but Bono brings a particular skill and status to his work. Those who have benefitted live in the poorest outposts of Africa and Asia, and are probably so preoccupied in trying to stay alive and provide for families that they haven't an iota who he is. But their lives matter as much as any life in Tel Aviv or Gaza, Ireland or the US. Palestinian and Israeli activists take part in a protest against the killing of journalists in the Gaza Strip as they gather in the West Bank town of Beit Jala on Friday. Picture: Mahmoud Illean/AP There has been criticism of his work, particularly along the lines that he represents a white man interfering in the lives of black people, making them dependent rather than minding his own business. Much of this criticism is informed by an ideology that dictates it is preferable to allow people die today in order to contribute towards some abstract form of justice tomorrow. To suggest in some ways that Bono's work and focus has been flawed is entirely justified. To infer that he should therefore have done nothing at all in this area is wantonly misguided — to put it as its most charitable When the October 7 massacre by Hamas on innocent Israelis occurred, U2 were playing a residency in Las Vegas. The following night, during Pride, the band's song about Martin Luther King, Bono took a moment to pay tribute to 'those beautiful kids at that music festival'. It was an appropriate intervention and in keeping with the band's long-standing ethos. Months later, that clip was circulated on social media. By then, Israel's murderously disproportionate response to Hamas was well under way. The Gaza Strip was being laid to ruin, innocents killed by the thousand. Any initial sympathy for Israelis was being ground down by the relentless bombing of a whole people as if they were collectively culpable for Hamas's crimes. At this time of growing anger against the Israeli government and its defence forces, U2 — and Bono in particular — were cast as viewing the whole thing through the lens of the oppressor. It was, like so much on social media, both a gross distortion and most likely highly effective in its aim. Since then, as the genocide has developed, as the forced starvation has begun to kill, Bono's silence has been used as a stick to beat him. The basest of motives — principally concern for his money and celebrity — have been ascribed to him as if the main thrust of his life's work has been all about material acquisition. Focus on catastrophes Last weekend, the long-awaited statement condemning Israel was released and, in addition, Bono penned an opinion piece for the Atlantic magazine. In both, he referenced the work he has done over the last 30-plus years. 'As a co-founder of the One Campaign, which tackles Aids and extreme poverty in Africa, I felt my experience should be focused on the catastrophes facing that work and that part of the world,' he wrote. 'The haemorrhaging of human life in Sudan or Ethiopia hardly makes the news. The civil war in Sudan alone is beyond comprehension, leaving 150,000 dead and 2m people facing famine.' Surely he has a point. If so, his silence up to this juncture makes perfect sense. Along with Bob Geldof, he has a crucial role in getting the US to intervene in the Aids and debt crises in Africa 20 years ago. That has made a difference to the lives of anonymous Africans who exist far from any media focus. Last January, Trump began dismantling foreign aid to the developing world by closing the national agency, USAid. A study published in The Lancet in June estimated that USAid had saved 90m lives over the last 20 years. Mourners sit around the grave of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, who was killed alongside other journalists in an overnight Israeli strike on their tent in Gaza City. Picture: Omar Al-qatta/AFP The research also concluded that, if the current approach to aid from the Trump administration continues, 14m people will die by 2030. Against such a febrile background, Bono may well have concluded it was best for the sake of the work he has been involved in to keep his own counsel rather than anger Trump's administration. The current US president has a record of lashing out against those who irritate or anger him, and there would be every possibility that he could do so against any of the projects to which Bono has lent his weight. Any high profile intervention on his part would have no effect on the US's enablement of the Gaza genocide, but it may well have had repercussions for the lives of others who are struggling against the ravages of famine and war. On that basis, his silence was not just understandable but morally sound The reality is that the US's moral authority in the world at large has been severely damaged through a combination of Trump's policies and the complete capitulation of the country's power centres to a war criminal such as Benjamin Netanyahu. All sorts of leaders in other countries, in business, in the arts, and in development work are scrambling to come to terms with the current global dispensation. It certainly looks like Bono had some struggles in this regard. For those who revel in casting him as one who is only concerned with his own welfare, such struggles had precious little to do with considerations for the dispossessed. A more nuanced view might concede that his record suggests he has as much social conscience, if not far more, than many of his critics.
