Iran defies warnings to 'surrender' as US gears up for war again
United States war machine gears up to join Israeli air attacks on Iran's nuclear programme and military sites as region hurtles towards all-out war and Iran defies White House command to 'surrender'
Iran has defied US warnings it must accept 'unconditional surrender' as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened 'irreparable damage' to America. The war of words came as Israel continued blistering attacks on Iran's nuclear research bases and many military sites with waves of strikes across the country.
America's war machine is building up a huge presence in the Middle East, with squadrons of warplanes touching down in Saudi Arabia and other locations. US President Donald Trump said he had not yet decided whether the US military should join Israel's ongoing attacks on Iran, believing it was not too late to reach a nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic.
He said: "I may do it, I may not do it, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said when he was asked about America taking part in the strikes on Tehran's nuclear a nd military facilities. Asked if he believed it was too late to negotiate a new deal to halt Iran's nuclear program, which he has made clear he wants the Iranian government to abandon completely, Trump said: "Nothing's too late."
He then claimed Iran had sought talks, and said they had even suggested sending a delegation for discussions at the White House. But sources also suggested Iran's regime is looking increasingly unstable with covert operations by Israel-backed dissidents trying to trigger regime change.
One intelligence source told the Mirror exclusively: 'Covert political developments suggest mounting regime instability within Iran with external actors posturing for a potential post Islamic Republic transition.' Among the US warplane arrivals is the deadly heavy B-2 Stealth Bomber, the only craft capable of carrying the 13 ton GBU-57 bomb which could smash Iran's Fordow enrichment plant.
Destroying Fordow is now at the top of Israel's priorities and only the GBU-57 could penetrate up to 80 metres underground to destroy it. Khamenei's TV outburst came a day after President Donald Trump demanded surrender and warned the U.S. knows where he is but has no plans to kill him, "at least not for now."
Trump is considering major strikes on Iran after initially distancing himself from Israel's surprise attack on Friday but has hinted at greater American involvement. The U.S. has sent a huge number of warplanes, destroyers and even a second carrier strike force to the region creating a large-scale war machine.
It is believed they are there in case of all-out war and to protect US bases throughout the Middle East and beyond. The threat of terrorism was struck home after Baghdad security officials in neighbouring Iraq warned the German Embassy of an Iran-backed terror threat to its building.
Security in and around the embassy's building in Baghdad's leafy Mansour district has been stepped up along with all other western diplomatic HQs. Khamenei dismissed the "threatening and absurd statements" by Trump.
He added: "Wise individuals who know Iran, its people, and its history never speak to this nation with the language of threats, because the Iranian nation is not one to surrender.
"Americans should know that any military involvement by the U.S. will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage to them." An Iranian diplomat had earlier Wednesday warned that U.S. intervention would risk "all-out war."
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei did not elaborate, but thousands of American troops are based in nearby countries within range of Iran's weapons.
The U.S. has threatened a massive response to any attack. Israeli strikes hit one facility used to make uranium centrifuges and another that made missile components, the Israeli military said. It said it had intercepted ten missiles overnight as Iran's retaliatory barrages diminish.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog said Israel struck two centrifuge production facilities in and near Tehran. The Israeli military said it also carried out strikes in western Iran, hitting missile storage sites and a loaded missile launcher. Israeli strikes have hit several nuclear and military sites, killing top generals and nuclear scientists.
Iran has fired some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones in retaliatory strikes, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds. The Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said it had identified 239 of those killed in Israeli strikes as civilians and 126 as security personnel.
Shops have been closed across Tehran, including in its famed Grand Bazaar, as people wait in gas lines and pack roads leading out of the city to escape the onslaught. A major explosion could be heard around 5 a.m. in Tehran Wednesday morning, following other explosions earlier in the predawn darkness.
Iran's ambassador to Geneva, Ali Bahreini, told reporters that Iran "will continue to produce the enriched uranium as far as we need for peaceful purposes." He rejected any talk of a setback to Iran's nuclear research and development from the Israeli strikes, saying, "Our scientists will continue their work."
In a stark ultimatum, senior White House officials confirmed that the coming day would be decisive in determining whether they can avert a new conflict in the Middle East. Insiders say Trump has grown increasingly frustrated by Iran's 'measured' but 'provocative' response to Israel's offensive, and fears looking indecisive as regional tensions spiral.
One source told the Mirror/ Express/ Star: 'He doesn't want to appear like he's bluffing.' Israel, meanwhile, has vowed a 'surprise' move tonight (Thurs), fuelling speculation of a strike akin to the 2019 targeted killing of Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon.
Pentagon sources confirmed a significant US naval and air buildup across the region, though the White House insists American forces remain in a 'defensive posture'. Behind the scenes, the administration is actively preparing strike options should Iran fail to respond to the ultimatum.
The potential for a wider war has triggered alarm among global powers, with fears the crisis could spark a conflagration stretching far beyond Israel and Iran.
Trump had initially kept the US at arm's length from Israel's sudden strikes last week, but now appears to be pushing for deeper involvement, telling aides he wants 'something much bigger' than a ceasefire.
Iran has vowed to continue enriching uranium, appearing to dismiss Trump's key demand that it halt its nuclear programme. Israel, which had closed its airspace at the start of the conflict, reopened it for the first time on Wednesday.
Two flights from Cyprus arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, bringing stranded Israelis home. Shops across Tehran remain shuttered and traffic jams stretch for miles as residents flee the capital.
Fuel queues snake through neighbourhoods and many are believed to be sheltering underground. Despite the chaos, Iran has offered no signs of backing down. In his defiant message, Khamenei vowed the Iranian people would not bow to US threats: 'The Iranian nation is not one to surrender.'
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And they've slowly been redeploying these systems from Asia to the Middle East for months amid mounting tensions between its ally Israel and Iran, and its Islamist proxies. Its bases in Iraq - Erbil & Ain al‑Asad Air Base - have Patriot batteries positioned at them, which have been previously used to fend off militant attacks. American commanders also ordered for Patriots to be removed from South Korea to be placed at Isa Air Base, Bahrain, and Al Udeid Air Base in recent months. Capacity Of course, mass barrages of ballistic missiles can confuse and overwhelm these systems, as witnessed in both Israel and Ukraine. US servicemen and women will, however, be quietly confident that the Israel Defense Force has significantly reduced Iran's capacity to launch hundreds of missiles at once. Iranian salvos have drastically shrunk in size in recent days. What started as 100-projectile blitzes aimed at Israel has been reduced to just dozens of missiles being fired off at any one time. 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Abqaiq, which processes seven million barrels of crude a day – more than two-thirds of Saudi Arabia's production capacity – would almost certainly be a prime target if Iran followed through on its threats. Other potential targets include oil and LNG terminals in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as oil tankers moving through the region's waters. In May 2019, limpet mines damaged three tankers and a bunkering ship off the coast of Fujairah in the UAE. No one claimed responsibility, but Western officials suspected Iranian frogmen were behind the attacks. Cyber Over the years, Iran and its regional proxies have claimed responsibility for numerous cyber attacks against Israel. They include destroying data, phishing campaigns and information operations. Given the threat poses a danger to both civilian and military worlds, the US government has been appealing for information on Iranian hackers responsible for targeting critical infrastructure. A $10 million reward was posted for details on a group, known as CyberAv3ngers, who US officials have linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp. Experts, however, say Iran may struggle to properly deploy cyber attacks at a time when its regime is under threat. 'The regime is under existential threat. Iranian cyber is a toy,' Mr Alperovitch said, adding that it was unlikely Tehran would lean on this as a serious offensive tool against the Americans.
