Iranian elite grows supportive of nuclear talks as economic fears spike
DUBAI — Iranian media coverage of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran has been largely positive, reflecting a growing willingness among the Iranian elite to engage with the United States, with even conservative outlets spinning the negotiations as evidence of their country's influence on the world stage.
'The balance of power has shifted in favor of the Islamic Republic,' said a recent article in the hard-line newspaper Javan, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Another conservative daily, Hamshahri, said Iran had broadcast 'a message of authority' in recent talks with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
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American Military News
an hour ago
- American Military News
Videos/Pics: Iran's ‘terrorist tyrants' strike Israeli hospital, Israel vows revenge
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a major warning to Iran on Thursday after Iran's 'terrorist tyrants' launched missiles and struck a hospital in Israel amid the increased conflict between the two countries following Israel's preemptive strikes against Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs last week. In a translated post on X, formerly Twitter, Netanyahu wrote, 'This morning, Iran's terrorist tyrants launched missiles at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba and at a civilian population in the center of the country. We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran.' Trey Yingst, chief foreign correspondent for Fox News, reported that Israel's Soroka Hospital, which he confirmed was the largest hospital in the southern region of Israel, sustained 'significant damage' after taking a 'direct hit from an Iranian ballistic missile.' A video shared by the Israeli government shows people running in the aftermath of the Iranian missile strike against the Soroka Hospital. The Israeli government noted that the ballistic missile hit a 'major medical center,' adding, 'We will not stand by. We will continue doing what must be done to defend our people.' The Iranian regime targeted Soroka Hospital in Beersheba with a ballistic missile—hitting a major medical center. We will not stand by. We will continue doing what must be done to defend our people. — Israel ישראל (@Israel) June 19, 2025 In a post on social media, Israeli President Isaac Herzog shared pictures of the remains of the Soroka Hospital. The Israeli president explained that he visited the hospital on Thursday morning and was met by doctors, nurses, and patients. READ MORE: Videos: 60 Israeli jets target Iran's ballistic missiles 'We stood together and looked at the destruction and devastation caused by an Iranian missile fired indiscriminately with the sole intention to take innocent lives in a hospital,' Herzog stated. 'This is a war crime!' I arrived at Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva this morning, to be greeted by Director of the hospital, Prof. Shlomi Kodesh, along with doctors, nurses, and patients, Jews and Muslims, from all walks of life from across the beautiful Negev. We stood together and looked at the… — יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) June 19, 2025 The Israeli Ministry of Health confirmed that 271 people were hospitalized following Iran's overnight attacks. The Israeli Ministry of Health also confirmed that at least 71 people were hospitalized due to the missile strike against the Soroka Hospital. Speaking from the site of the hospital attack on Thursday, Netanyahu said, 'We accurately hit nuclear targets and missile targets, and they hit a hospital, where people can't even get up and run away. They are harming not far from here – there is a children's and infants' ward here. That's the whole difference in a democracy that acts according to the law to save itself from these murderers and against these murderers who want to destroy each and every one of us. Every single one of us. Down to the last one of us. I think that says it all.' אני כאן בבית החולים סורוקה בבאר שבע יחד עם שר הבריאות וסגן השר אלמוג כהן, איש הדרום, ולא בפעם הראשונה עם מנהל בית החולים סורוקה. אנחנו רואים כאן את כל ההבדל. אנחנו פוגעים במדויק במטרות גרעין ומטרות טילים, והם פוגעים בבית חולים, שאנשים לא יכולים לקום ולברוח אפילו. הם פוגעים לא… — Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 19, 2025
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Israel hits Iranian nuclear research facility as war continues into second week
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel's military said Saturday it struck an Iranian nuclear research facility overnight and killed three senior Iranian commanders in targeted attacks as the war between the two nations continued into a second week. Early Saturday, smoke could be seen rising from an area near a mountain in Isfahan, where a local official said Israel had attacked the nuclear research facility in two waves. The target was two centrifuge production sites, and the attacks came on top of strikes on other centrifuge production sites elsewhere in recent days, according to an Israeli military official speaking on condition of anonymity under army guidelines to brief reporters. It was the second attack on Isfahan, which was hit in the first 24 hours of the war as part of Israel's goal to destroy the Iranian nuclear program. Akbar Salehi, Isfahan province's deputy governor for security affairs, confirmed the Israeli strikes had caused damage to the facility but said there had been no human casualties. Iran launched a new wave of drones and missiles at Israel but there were no immediate reports of significant damage, and the Israeli official called it a 'small barrage' that was largely intercepted by Israel's defenses. The official said part of the reason that Iran's overnight attack had been relatively small was that the military had been targeting its launchers, and estimates it has now taken out more than 50% of them. 'We've been able to take out a large amount of their launchers, creating a bottleneck — we're making it harder for them to fire toward Israel,' he said. 'Having said all that, I want to say the Iranian regime obviously still has capabilities.' Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said Saturday an Iranian drone hit a two-story building in northern Israel, but there were no casualties. Talks in Switzerland fail to produce diplomatic breakthrough The ongoing fighting comes after talks in Geneva on Friday failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough. European officials expressed hope for future discussions, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasizing that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the U.S. while Israel continued attacking. 'Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes,' he told reporters. No date was set for the next round of talks. Iran warns against U.S. becoming militarily involved U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing active U.S. military involvement in the conflict, which Araghchi said Saturday 'would be very unfortunate.' 'I think that it would be very, very dangerous for everyone,' he said in Istanbul, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13 , with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Iran has retaliated by firing more than 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's multitiered air defenses , but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue 'for as long as it takes' to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without U.S. help. Barring a commando raid or even a nuclear strike, Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered to be out of reach to all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs . Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks . Israel continues targeted attacks on Iranian military commanders In Israel's opening attack, it killed three of Iran's top military leaders: one who oversaw the entire armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri; one who led the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard , Gen. Hossein Salami; and the head of the Guard's ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh. The targeted killings of senior commanders continued, with Israel's defense minister saying Saturday that the military had killed a commander in Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the Iranian Quds Force, an elite arm of the Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran, and that he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. Iranian officials did not immediately confirm the death, but the Qom governor's office did say there had been an attack on a four-story apartment building and local media reported two people had been killed. Israel also said it had killed the commander of the Quds Force's weapons transfer unit, who it said was responsible for providing weapons to Hezbollah and Hamas. Behnam Shahriyari was killed in his car while traveling in western Iran, the military said. A commander of Iran's drone force was also killed overnight, the Israeli official who briefed reporters said. Iran threatens head of U.N. nuclear watchdog On Friday, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog warned at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council against attacks on Iran's nuclear reactors, particularly its only commercial nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr. 'I want to make it absolutely and completely clear: In case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment,' said Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency . 'This is the nuclear site in Iran where the consequences could be most serious.' Israel has not targeted Iran's nuclear reactors, instead focusing its strikes on the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, laboratories in Isfahan and the country's Arak heavy water reactor southwest of the capital. Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% — and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60%. Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with a nuclear weapons program but has never acknowledged it. Leaders in Iran have blamed Grossi's statements about the status of Iran's nuclear program for prompting Israel's attack. On Saturday, a senior adviser for Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei, Ali Larijani, said in a brief social media post without elaboration that Iran would make Grossi 'pay' once the war with Israel is over. _____ Rising reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Mehmet Guzel in Istanbul and Farnoush Amiri in Dubai contributed to this report. Error! 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an hour ago
Family of ex-FBI agent presumed dead in Iran hopes talks with US can lead to return of his remains
WASHINGTON -- The family of a retired FBI agent presumed dead after vanishing in Iran 18 years ago is calling for any deal between the United States and Iran to include the return of his remains. Robert Levinson disappeared on March 9, 2007, when he was scheduled to meet a source on the Iranian island of Kish. For years, U.S. officials would say only that Levinson was working independently on a private investigation. But a 2013 Associated Press investigation revealed that Levinson had been sent on a mission by CIA analysts who had no authority to run such an operation. The U.S. government in 2020 said that it had concluded that Levinson had died while in the custody of Iran. The family at the time said that it did not know when or if Levinson's body would be returned for burial but vowed that those responsible for his death would ultimately face justice. "We want to make sure that our dad is not forgotten,' Daniel Levinson, one of Levinson's sons, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Friday. The younger Levinson said that as President Donald Trump signals an interest in diplomacy over Tehran's nuclear program that could avert direct U.S. military involvement in Iran's war with Israel, now is the time for Washington to use its 'leverage to hold them responsible.' The family, he said, still has no answers but believes the Iranian government does. 'We fully believe that they know exactly where his remains would be and what exactly happened to him,' he said. 'We want justice for him. We want to get answers. We have no answers and the Iranian government has lied about it for 18 years.' On Thursday, an account on the social media platform X created to draw attention to Levinson's case posted a message that said: 'Our dad, Bob Levinson, was left behind too many times. This may be the last chance to get answers. Any deal with Iran must finally bring him home to rest on US soil.'
