US signals a willingness to renew talks with Iran and avoid a prolonged war
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Sunday signaled a willingness to renew talks with Iran and avoid a prolonged war in the aftermath of a surprise attack on three of the country's nuclear sites as U.S. officials assessed Tehran's nuclear ambitions and the threat of retaliation against American interests.
President Donald Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night, allowed his national security team to speak for him the next morning, staying quiet on social media and scheduling no public appearances. The coordinated messaging by his vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout from the attack would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table.
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The Province
an hour ago
- The Province
Pete Hegseth says U.S. bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites not meant to start a war
U.S. Secretary of Defence says Operation Midnight Hammer 'was not and has not been about regime change' in Iran Published Jun 22, 2025 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 5 minute read The day after the U.S. attack Iranian nuclear sites, Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, said the attack was not about regime change or meant to start a war with Iran. Photo by Alex Brandon / AP The Trump administration on Sunday signalled a willingness to renew talks with Iran and avoid a prolonged war in the aftermath of a surprise attack on three of the country's nuclear sites as U.S. officials assessed Tehran's nuclear ambitions and the threat of retaliation against American interests. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors President Donald Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night, allowed his national security team to speak for him the next morning, staying quiet on social media and scheduling no public appearances. The coordinated messaging by his vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout from the attack would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a news conference that America 'does not seek war' with Iran, while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Operation Midnight Hammer, involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance,' according to Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Hegseth added. 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. An operational timeline of Operation Midnight Hammer, a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. Photo by Andrew Harnik / Getty Images 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.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 🚨 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.' — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 22, 2025 Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on CBS's 'Face the Nation' that 'there are no planned military operations right now against Iran, unless, unless they mess around and they attack' U.S. interests. Trump has previously threatened other countries, but often backed down or failed to follow through, given his promises to his coalition of voters not to entangle the United States in an extended war. It was not immediately clear whether Iran saw the avoidance of a wider conflict as in its best interests. Much of the world is absorbing the consequences of the strikes and the risk that they could lead to more fighting across the Middle East after the U.S. inserted itself into the war between Israel and Iran. Airstrikes starting on June 12 by Israel that targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and generals prompted retaliation from Iran, creating a series of events that contributed to the U.S. attack. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While U.S. officials urged for caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticized the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Washington was 'fully responsible' for whatever actions Tehran may take in response. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,' he said at a news conference in Turkey. 'I don't know how much room is left for diplomacy.' China and Russia, where Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the U.S. military action. The attacks were 'a gross violation of international law,' said Russia's Foreign Ministry, which also advocated 'returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course.' A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to 'a global level.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies, but that he was focused on finding a solution. The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need 'a rapid resumption of negotiations.' France's Emmanuel Macron held talks with the Saudi crown prince and sultan of Oman. Iran could try to stop oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, which could create the same kind of inflationary shocks that the world felt after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Oil prices have increased in the financial markets as the war between Israel and Iran had intensified, climbing by 21% over the past month. The Pentagon briefing did not provide any new details about Iran's nuclear capabilities. Hegseth said the timeline for the strikes was the result of a schedule set by Trump for talks with Iran about its nuclear ambitions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. '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. Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks News Hockey
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
As airstrikes intensify, Iranians are flocking to the borders
Sandwiched between the barren mountains straddling the nearly 600-kilometre-long border between Iran and Turkey, families pull suitcases and push strollers through a heavily secured gate toward waiting taxis and vans. Some are fleeing Iran to escape the intensifying airstrikes, while others are trying to enter the country to reunite with families, after days of internet blackouts made it impossible to contact them. With Iranian airspace closed, they have had to resort to remote border crossings. "We got to go [to Iran] and be with our family … but maybe we will leave again," said Ali Sadra Souf, who was trying to cross into Iran at the Kapikoy-Razi border crossing. Souf was vacationing in Turkey when Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on June 13. On Sunday — just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump thrust Washington directly into the war with attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites — he was making his way back home with his mother. Souf was comfortable having his image and full name published, but most of the Iranians CBC News spoke with asked to remain anonymous or only be identified by their first name because they feared possible repercussions for speaking about the government. Iran is ruled by a strict theocratic regime that took power after the revolution in 1979. Inside the country, opposition is met with stiff and violent repression. People have been killed or imprisoned for even the slightest signs of protest. Independent media isn't tolerated and the state has ultimate control over the narrative it projects beyond Iran's borders. The country of around 90 million is politically divided, and those who spoke to CBC News expressed differing opinions about who is ultimately to blame for the escalating tensions and where the conflict might lead. However, they are united by the fact that their lives have been disrupted — and even endangered — by the airstrikes, which the Israeli government says are precisely directed at military sites and targets tied to the Iranian regime. At the same border crossing, a 25-year-old Iranian told CBC News that in the first few days of Israel's air campaign, the situation was terrible in the capital, Tehran. "It was so bad … I heard between 10 to 15 explosions around my home," he said. The man, who was on his way to Toronto after recently receiving a work visa, didn't want his name published because he feared that he could face retribution when he eventually returns to visit his family. When asked about what Iranians thought about the prospect that the conflict could lead to a regime change, he chose his words carefully. "There are different groups in the country, and yes, some of them are now in the streets," he said. "But most people just want to live in peace … without any problems and without any fights." He didn't yet have a plane ticket to Canada because he said some of the Iranian banks weren't working. Iran's government said it imposed a near-universal internet blackout for much of last week as a measure to guard against cyber attacks. 'Just trying to survive this moment' Over the past few days, CBC News reached out to several contacts in Iran. Most couldn't respond because they couldn't connect to the internet. But when service was partially restored on Saturday, people began to reply with voice memos from cities across the country. "[Everyone] is just trying to survive this moment," said a man who only wanted to be identified as Hamed. "We don't really have much trust in the situation that the government is creating … there seems to be a kind of solidarity among the people." Earlier last week, Hamed said, he joined the mass exodus out of Tehran. He described driving along traffic-clogged roadways while the sounds of explosions echoed throughout the night. The journey to the city of Qazvin, which should have taken less than two hours, took nine. "There were so many accidents," he said. "The roads weren't safe. Long queues for petrol stretched along the roadside, making it worse." He said he was particularly angered by the internet blackout because it meant that those outside Iran weren't getting an accurate sense of the impact of the airstrikes. On Saturday, Iran's Health Ministry said some 400 Iranians had been killed and another 3,056 wounded in the Israeli strikes. But on Sunday, a Washington-based group, Human Rights Activists, stated that its figures showed the death toll was higher, with more than 800 killed. Among the dead, the group said it identified 363 civilians and 215 security forces personnel. Growing anger at U.S., Israel Just hours before the U.S. struck Iran's nuclear sites with bombers and cruise missiles, Hamed predicted that if Washington chose to become involved, Iranian society would unite in anger. "Hatred toward Israel and the U.S. is rising sharply here," he said. "This fantasy that a foreign power … could somehow lead us to freedom — we just don't see that as a possibility." Still others believe that the Israeli strikes on Iran's military and security infrastructure are destabilizing the regime, even if there are no outward signs that the government is about to topple. "We hope this war will bring an end to the dictatorship of the Islamic Republic," said a 70-year-old woman who only wanted to be identified by the name Homa. "[Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamanei has been at war with the entire world for decades and has kept the Iranian people in sorrow, grief and misery." Khamenei has maintained his grip on power since 1989 by controlling virtually all facets of society, including the armed forces and Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. In a voice message, Homa said that before she left Tehran, there were checkpoints all over the city and cars were being constantly searched. Alam Saleh, a senior lecturer at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University, was visiting Tehran after he was invited to speak at a conference. He remains in the capital but estimates that in a city of about 10 million, roughly a third have left. Saleh said GPS navigation systems aren't working because Iran is using jamming systems to try to disrupt Israeli air attacks. During one of the voice messages he sent to CBC News, the sounds of explosions could be heard in the background. While he admitted he was concerned for his safety, he said he wasn't ready to head north to a safer area of the country just yet. "I have witnessed the 1979 revolution. I witnessed the Iran-Iraq war," he said.
Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
The US inserts itself into Israel's war against Iran and claims ‘severe damage' at nuclear sites
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States inserted itself into Israel's war against Iran by dropping 30,000-pound bombs on a uranium enrichment site early Sunday, raising urgent questions about what remains of Tehran's nuclear program and how its weakened military might respond. Iran lashed out at the U.S. for crossing 'a very big red line' with its risky decision to launch strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites with missiles and bunker-buster bombs.
