Israel Could Strike Iran As Soon As Sunday: Report
Washington:
Israel is prepared to attack Iran in the coming days if Tehran rejects a U.S. proposal to limit its nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing U.S. and Israeli officials.
The newspaper cited a senior Israeli official as saying a strike could come as soon as Sunday unless Iran agrees to halt production of fissile material, which can be used to make an atomic bomb.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the possibility of strikes in a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, WSJ reported, citing two U.S. officials.
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India Gazette
17 minutes ago
- India Gazette
Amid tensions with Iran, Israeli PM speaks to PM Modi, German Chancellor Merz, French President Macron
Tel Aviv [Israel], June 13 (ANI): Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held talks with world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron. During the talks, the leaders showed understanding for Israel's defence needs in the face of the 'Iranian threat of annihilation', Israel Prime Minister's Office stated. Netanyahu said that he would continue to be in touch with them in the coming days. He is due to speak with US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and UK PM Keir Starmer. In a statement shared on X, Israel Prime Minister's Office stated, 'Prime Minister Netanyahu, beginning last night, has held conversations with world leaders, including the German Chancellor, the Indian Prime Minister and the French President. He is due to speak with US President Trump, Russian President Putin and the British Prime Minister.' 'The leaders showed understanding for Israel's defense needs in the face of the Iranian threat of annihilation; the Prime Minister said that he would continue to be in contact with them in the coming days,' it added. Netanyahu's talks with leaders of France, Germany, and India come amid the tensions between Israel and Iran. Earlier in the day, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) said Israel has launched a 'precise, preemptive strike' in Iran. The spokesperson BG Effie Defrin said the strikes aimed at damaging Iran's nuclear program and in response to the Iranian regime's ongoing aggression against Israel. 'For years, the Iranian regime has called for the destruction of the State of Israel, planning and advancing concrete military plans to do so. Over the past few months, intelligence has shown that Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. This morning, the IDF began pre-emptive and precise strikes targeting the Iranian nuclear program in order to prevent the Iranian regime's ability to build a nuclear bomb in the immediate timeframe,' he said. He said the airstrikes were aimed at protecting Israel's right to exist and for their future. 'We have no choice. We are operating against an imminent and existential threat. We cannot allow the Iranian regime to obtain a nuclear weapon that would be a danger to Israel and the entire world. This operation is for our right to exist here, for our future and for our children's future. The State of Israel has the right and the obligation to operate in order to protect its people and will continue to do so,' he said. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of a large-scale military campaign, Operation Rising Lion, aimed at dismantling what he described as an existential threat posed by Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Netanyahu said Israel had struck multiple high-value Iranian targets in a decisive first strike. 'Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival,' he said, adding that the mission would continue 'for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.' The Israeli leader accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapons programme in defiance of global warnings, pointing to enriched uranium stockpiles capable of producing multiple nuclear bombs. 'In recent years, Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs. Nine,' he noted, warning that Tehran had taken 'steps to weaponise this enriched uranium' and could develop a nuclear weapon within months. Netanyahu likened the current moment to the prelude to World War II, referencing the Holocaust and past global inaction in the face of rising threats. 'Eighty years ago, the Jewish people were the victims of a holocaust perpetrated by the Nazi regime. Today, the Jewish state refuses to be a victim of a nuclear holocaust perpetrated by the Iranian regime,' he said. Reaffirming Israel's red lines, Netanyahu declared: 'Now, as Prime Minister, I've made it clear time and again. Israel will never allow those who call for our annihilation to develop the means to achieve that goal. Tonight, Israel backs those words with action.' He elaborated on the targets, stating, 'We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme. We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear weaponization programme. We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile programme.' He cited growing threats from Iran's missile development as a catalyst for action. 'Last year, Iran fired 300 ballistic missiles at Israel. 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I believe that the day of your liberation is near. And when that happens, the great friendship between our two ancient peoples will flourish once again.' (ANI)
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- Hindustan Times
US Marines deployed to Los Angeles after Trump wins court battle
LOS ANGELES -U.S. Marines were deployed to Los Angeles on Friday, the military said, a rare domestic use of its forces as protests over President Donald Trump's immigration raids spread nationwide. On Thursday, a court ruled in favor of Trump's bid to retain the National Guard in L.A. in reaction to the growing backlash against his immigration policy since his return to power in January. About 200 Marines will be protecting a federal building in Los Angeles, Army Major General Scott Sherman, said on Friday. The administration has authorized a total of 700 Marines to be deployed in the city. Neither the Marines nor the National Guard troops in the city had temporarily detained anyone, he added. "I would like to emphasize that the soldiers will not participate in law enforcement activities," he said during a briefing. It is uncommon for active duty troops to be used domestically during civil disturbances. The last time the military was used for direct police action under the Insurrection Act was in 1992, when the California governor at the time asked then President George H.W. Bush to help respond to Los Angeles riots over the acquittal of police officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King. A court ruled on Thursday that Trump can keep his deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision temporarily paused a lower court ruling that blocked the mobilization, although it does not mean that the court will ultimately agree to side with him. "We saved L.A. Thank you for the Decision!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Cities across the U.S. were bracing for demonstrations on Saturday, when those also opposed to a weekend military parade in Washington are expected to take to the streets. "They've defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services," the group No Kings, which is behind the day of action, wrote on its website. SOLDIERS ON THE STREETS In Los Angeles, troops have stood guard at a federal detention center in the city's downtown where many of the protests have taken place in a show of solidarity for immigrants detained inside. The Guard had accompanied Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on operations to detain immigrants. City officials in Los Angeles and state officials in California have opposed the ramping up of federal immigration enforcement since it began last Friday. "Peace begins with ICE leaving Los Angeles," Mayor Karen Bass, who has imposed a nighttime curfew over one square mile of downtown Los Angeles, said on Thursday. Protests so far have been mostly peaceful, punctuated by incidents of violence, and restricted to a few city blocks. Demonstrations have also taken place in other U.S. cities this week including New York and Chicago, and there have been some disturbances. Four men escaped from a privately run immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, on Thursday amid unrest from inmates over conditions inside the facility, the New York Times reported, citing a law enforcement official and a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security. Spokespeople for DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to inquiries about the incident at the center or the escapes. Video posted to social media by the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, an advocacy group, showed protesters outside the facility attempting to block law enforcement vehicles from entering. Trump is carrying out a campaign promise to deport immigrants, employing forceful tactics consistent with the norm-breaking political style that got him elected twice. Democrats including California Governor Gavin Newsom have said the use of military force was unnecessary and an example of Trump's authoritarianism. Americans are divided over Trump's decision to activate the military. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday showed 48% of respondents agreed with a statement that the president should "deploy the military to bring order to the streets" when protests turned violent, while 41% disagreed.
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
West Asia again on boil: How Israel's Operation Rising Lion unfolded
Israel has been threatening to strike Iran's nuclear facilities for years. It finally did on Friday morning, also hitting ballistic missile sites and taking out Iran's top military brass and several nuclear scientists. Dubbed 'Operation Rising Lion,' the attack reportedly came in waves, involved over 200 Israeli Air Force aircraft that dropped over 330 munitions on around 100 targets across Iran. Here's the lowdown on how the unprecedented strikes unfolded. Timing: The strikes came just after the IAEA published a resolution that declared Iran wasn't complying with its nuclear non proliferation obligations. Israel has long advocated a military solution for what it says is Iran's determination to acquire a nuclear bomb – something Tehran denies vehemently. The strikes were also preceded by US pulling out some personnel from the region. Therefore, everyone, including Tehran, knew something was coming. But the scope and nature were unknown. The feint: There were some doubts whether the strikes would happen this week, thanks to some misdirection. First, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Israel won't attack Iran without a US greenlight. And since Washington was negotiating with Tehran over the latter's nuclear programme, this was taken to mean that the possibility of a strike was remote. Second, Trump himself played along and indicated that he was against Israeli strikes at this point. However, all of this was a feint as Trump, after the strikes, threatened Iran with further Israeli attacks – with American weapons – should Tehran refuse a fresh deal over its nuclear programme. The sucker punch: What seems to have caught Iranian authorities by surprise is that Israel's Mossad appeared to have struck the first blow in the strikes by launching attacks from within Iran on Tehran's air defence and ballistic missile launchers. Mossad reportedly set up a covert drone base inside Iranian territory for the purpose and smuggled in equipment. The tactic appears to be similar to what the Ukrainians recently did with their Operation Spiderweb where drones were smuggled deep into Russia and used to wreak havoc on Moscow's strategic bomber fleet at four different airbases. Once Iran's air defence and ballistic launchers were crippled from within, it allowed the Israeli Air Force to easily establish aerial dominance. It came in waves: The strikes were unprecedented in scale. IRGC commander-in-chief Major General Hossein Salami was killed alongside armed forces chief General Mohammad Bagheri. Strikes took place on Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, Parchin military complex and the Khorramabad ballistic missile base. Six Iranian nuclear scientists have also been killed in the attacks. Iranian response: Iran has vowed a harsh response and said that the attack on its nuclear facilities is a declaration of war. Hitherto, Iran launched around 100 drones against Israel in retaliation for the strikes. But there is little indication of any damage to Israel. However, this is likely to be just the opening salvo. A stronger response from Iran is expected, which in turn could lead to escalatory military exchanges, putting the entire region on edge. Both Tel Aviv and Tehran have been signalling this round of conflict is unlikely to wind up quickly. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
