Trump thanks Iran for 'early notice' and says 'they've gotten it out of their system'
US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has 'thanked' Iran for giving 'early notice' on its missile attack at US military bases in Qatar this evening.
He added that Iran has now 'gotten it all out of their system and expressed hope that there will 'be no further hate'.
Trump also described Iran's attack as a 'very weak response' which was 'expected' and 'effectively countered'.
He said 13 of the 14 missiles were 'knocked down', while one was 'set free' because it was 'headed in a non-threatening direction'.
Trump added that no Americans were injured and 'hardly any damage was done'.
He also said: 'Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same.'
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In a post to his Truth social platform, Trump added: 'Congratulations world, it's time for peace!'
In an escalation of the conflict raging in the region, Iran launched missiles this evening on the US's Al Udeid base, which is the largest US military facility in the Middle East.
It followed US strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities.
Qatar said it successfully intercepted the Iranian attack on the US's Al Udeid base, which is the largest US military facility in the Middle East.
The US base had been evacuated as a precaution ahead of the attack.
'The Ministry of Defense announced that Qatari air defenses successfully intercepted a missile attack targeting Al Udeid Air Base,' a statement said, adding that 'the incident did not result in any deaths or injuries'.
Qatar's foreign ministry condemned the Iranian attack, calling it a 'flagrant violation' of Qatar's sovereignty.
'We express the State of Qatar's strong condemnation of the attack on Al Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and consider it a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar's sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law,' foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said.
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'We affirm that the State of Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner proportional to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression,' the spokesperson said.
However, Iran's security council maintained that its 'action does not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar'.
After more than a week of Israeli strikes on nuclear and military targets across Iran, the US backed Israel militarily by attacking three of Iran's key nuclear facilities, including on an underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordo using massive bunker-busting bombs.
As Iran retaliated this evening, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the 'spiral of chaos must end'.
Earlier in the day, Israel reported carrying out what it said were its most powerful strikes yet on Tehran. Iran, in turn, fired missile barrages at Israel.
Additional reporting by Lauren Boland and AFP
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Irish Independent
19 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
The Irish Independent's View: Cessation of US-Iran hostilities will need diplomatic steps
All that changed after World War II, when the US emerged as the dominant superpower in global affairs. The Cold War saw US interest in Iran turn from cordial to hostile. The CIA-backed overthrow of the democratically-elected government of Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953 was carried out under the cloud of communist fears. In reality, it was about the control of oil supplies for the Western powers. The autocratic rule of the US and British-backed Shah disrupted the structures in the country, heightening social, religious and tribal tensions. The seeds of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 were sown in the 1953 coup. The subsequent Iran hostage crisis, when 66 American diplomats and civil staff were taken hostage at the US embassy in Tehran, ended diplomatic relations between the two countries, which have never been restored since. The only high point was a thaw during Barack Obama's time in office The US and Iran have engaged in proxy wars ever since in the Middle East and beyond, from the arming of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, to the funding of terrorism. The only high point was a thaw during Barack Obama's time in office, resulting in a nuclear agreement in 2015, but this was short-lived. Now nuclear armament is the premise for the latest outbreak of hostilities, with the US joining Israel in targeting Iran's nuclear facilities. US bombers targeted three sites in an effort to curtail Tehran's nuclear programme. But Donald Trump has echoed the sentiments of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in raising the possibility of a regime change in Iran. The US and Israel have speculated about assassinating Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has now gone into hiding as his foes boast they know how to get at him. But the killing of Iran's leader could further destabilise the Middle East. Iran has now followed through on threats to strike back against the US and Israel, targeting military bases in Qatar. Shipping in the region, key for the flow of oil to the rest of the world, is a potential further target. Iran's military capabilities, however, have been severely limited by Israeli airstrikes on long-range ballistic missile launchers. Iran still has a formidable arsenal of shorter-range missiles and drones. But the capacity of its proxies, Hamas in Palestine, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen, has been dramatically reduced over the past 18 months. The US has also taken precautions over the past few weeks, dispersing its naval presence in the region and beefing up air defences, to try to ensure it presents as hard a target as possible. Diplomatic efforts have so far been fruitless as the conflict between Israel and Iran has escalated with the direct intervention of the US.
RTÉ News
19 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Israel reports waves of Iranian missiles, soon after Trump announced ceasefire
Israel's military said Iran launched waves of missiles, with emergency services reporting three people killed, hours after US President Donald Trump announced a complete ceasefire between Israel and Iran to end a 12-day war. Witnesses said they heard explosions near Tel Aviv and Beersheba in southern Israel. Israel's military said six waves of missiles were launched by Iran and Israel's national ambulance service said three people were killed in Beersheba, the first reported deaths in Israel since Trump announced the ceasefire late last night. A senior White House official said Mr Trump had brokered a ceasefire deal in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel had agreed so long as Iran did not launch further attacks. "On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, 'THE 12 DAY WAR'," Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. An Iranian official earlier confirmed that Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire, but the country's foreign minister said there would be no cessation of hostilities unless Israel stopped its attacks. Abbas Araqchi said overnight that if Israel stopped its "illegal aggression" against the Iranian people no later than 4am Tehran time (1.30am Irish time), Iran had no intention of continuing its response afterwards. There have been no reported Israeli attacks on Iran since that time. "The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later," Mr Araqchi added in a post on X. Mr Trump appeared to suggest that Israel and Iran would have some time to complete any missions that are underway, at which point the ceasefire would begin in a staged process. Iran's semi-official SNN news agency reported today that Tehran fired its last round of missiles before the ceasefire came into effect. Israel, joined by the United States on the weekend, has carried out attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, after alleging Tehran was getting close to obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran denies ever having a nuclear weapons program but Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said that if it wanted to, world leaders "wouldn't be able to stop us". Israel, which is not a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman AL Thani secured Tehran's agreement during a call with Iranian officials, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters today. US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff were in direct and indirect contact with the Iranians, a White House official said. Neither Iran's UN mission nor the Israeli embassy in Washington responded to separate requests for comment from Reuters. Hours earlier, three Israeli officials had signaled Israel was looking to wrap up its campaign in Iran soon and had passed the message on to the United States. Mr Netanyahu had told government ministers whose discussions ended early this morning not to speak publicly, Israel's Channel12 television reported. Markets reacted favourably to the news. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% late last night, suggesting traders expect the U.S. stock market to open with gains today. US crude futures fell in early Asian trading hours to their lowest level in more than a week after Mr Trump said a ceasefire had been agreed, relieving worries of supply disruption in the region. End of fighting? There did not appear to be calm yet in the region. The Israeli military issued two evacuation warnings in less than two hours to residents of areas in the Iranian capital Tehran, one late last night and one early this morning. Israeli Army radio reported early today that alarms were activated in the southern Golan Heights area due to fears of hostile aircraft intrusion. Earlier yesterday, Mr Trump said he would encourage Israel to proceed towards peace after dismissing Iran's attack on an American air base that caused no injuries and thanking Tehran for the early notice of the strikes. He said Iran fired 14 missiles at the US air base, calling it "a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered". Iran's handling of the attack recalled earlier clashes with the United States and Israel, with Tehran seeking a balance between saving face with a military response but without provoking a cycle of escalation it can't afford. Tehran appears to have achieved that goal. Iran's attack came after US bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel's air war. Much of Tehran's population of 10 million has fled after days of bombing. The Trump administration maintains that its aim was solely to destroy Iran's nuclear program, not to open a wider war. "Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon," Vice-President JD Vance said in an interview on Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier". "Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it," Mr Vance said. Mr Trump has cited intelligence reports that Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon, without elaborating. However, US intelligence agencies said earlier this year they assessed that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and a source with access to US intelligence reports told Reuters last week that that assessment had not changed. But in a social media post on Sunday, Mr Trump spoke of toppling the hardline clerical rulers who have been Washington's principal foes in the Middle East since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel, however, had made clear that its strikes on Evin prison - a notorious jail for housing political prisoners - and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power. Iran's attack came after US bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel's air war against Iran in a conflict that has entered its 12th day. "We did not assault anyone, and we will never accept being assaulted by anyone," Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement. "We will not submit to anyone's aggression - this is the logic of the Iranian nation." Iran gave advance notice to the US via diplomatic channels hours ahead of the attack, as well as to Qatari authorities. Mr Trump seized on that as a positive sign. "I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured," he wrote on his Truth Social media site. "Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same." He said Iran fired 14 missiles at the air base, calling it "a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered." "I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed and hardly any damage was done," Mr Trump wrote. "Most importantly, they've gotten it all out of their 'system,' and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE," he added. Iran's handling of the attack recalled earlier clashes with the United States and Israel, with Tehran seeking a balance between saving face with a military response but without provoking a cycle of escalation it can't afford. The country's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran was ready to respond again in case of further action by the United States, according to a statement posted by the ministry's account on Telegram. The attack strained Iran's relationship with its Arab neighbors: Qatar condemned it, as did Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. "There are deep ties between the two states (Iran and Qatar) and the two nations, but the attack undoubtedly calls for a genuine meeting and a clear stance," Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said at a press conference. Meanwhile, Israel said it has carried out its most extensive wave of attacks on Tehran ever. Targets included a Tehran prison where Iran's leadership holds political opponents, in a renewed demonstration of its willingness to strike beyond its previously stated military and nuclear targets and attack key pillars of Iran's ruling system. Despite Iran's threats to challenge oil shipments from the Gulf, oil prices fell 7% in volatile trading LCOc1, suggesting traders doubted the Islamic Republic would follow through on any action that would disrupt global supplies. Qatar, situated just across the Gulf from Iran, reopened its airspace after a brief suspension, its civil aviation authority said early on Tuesday. Iran's foreign minister met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Tehran sought backing from one of its last major power friends for its next steps. Striking regime targets Israel made clear that its strikes on Evin prison and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power. Iran's IRIB state broadcaster released video showing rescue workers combing the flattened wreckage of a building at the prison, carrying a wounded man on a stretcher. The Mizan news outlet of Iran's judiciary said urgent action was being taken to protect the health and safety of inmates there. Evin has long been Iran's primary prison for political detainees and people accused of espionage, as well as the site of executions that remain strong memories for the opposition. Several high-profile foreign prisoners are also held there. Israel's military said it had also struck Revolutionary Guard command centres responsible for internal security in the Tehran area. 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Irish Independent
20 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Move by Iran to close key trading route for oil could send petrol and diesel prices soaring here
Iran's parliament has endorsed a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global transit chokepoint, in response to US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Iranian state media reported on Sunday. UCC energy expert Dr Paul Deane said even a temporary closure of the vital trade route would send pump prices up. 'Iran has the capability to close the Strait of Hormuz through military action,' he said. 'If this were to happen, even temporarily, it would have a major impact on global oil markets, causing prices to rise both in Ireland and around the world.' Brent crude oil prices rose in the wake of the US bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran, and was trading at around $77 (€67) yesterday, having hit €81 over the weekend. Motorists here have already seen the cost of diesel and petrol rise at the pumps over the past few weeks, after a few months of falling prices. Home-heating oil prices have shot up in recent days, with the cost of 1,000 litres of the fuel now approaching €1,000, according to comparison site Dr Deane said a key factor in where fuel prices would go was what would happen to the Strait of Hormuz and whether the United States would become further involved in the conflict, he wrote on the RTÉ website. The Strait of Hormuz, located in southern Iran, is a narrow corridor of water about 160km long. It serves as the main transit route from the Gulf for around 25pc of the world's oil supply, including exports from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq and Iran. It is considered the world's most important oil gateway. Dr Deane said other important oil transit routes can be circumvented, but there was no meaningful alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for large-scale oil shipments. ADVERTISEMENT He said even a limited escalation in the conflict would 'cause a sharp spike in prices'. But it is unlikely to persist for a long period because the broader global oil landscape is relatively robust. Supply of crude oil is outstripping demand globally, with the move to electric vehicles a factor. Meanwhile, the fuel industry here has defended the surge in prices at the pumps in recent days even though prices were slow to fall earlier in the year when crude prices fell sharply. Kevin McPartlan, of Fuels for Ireland, which represents the major petrol retailers, denied his members were 'ripping off the public' by quickly increasing prices, and failing to drop them when crude had fallen earlier this year. He said profit margins were thin on the sale of petrol and diesel, and what he described as dynamic pricing meant wholesale prices were reflected quickly in what would be charged by retailers. Prices charged by forecourt operators tracked the wholesale price when the ship containing the refined petrol and diesel leaves port, with most fuel coming to Ireland from Wales.
