US helping Israel intercept Iranian missiles, Axios reports
WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The United States is helping Israel intercept Iranian missiles, Axios reported on Friday, citing a senior U.S. official.
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The Herald Scotland
30 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Trump says Putin called to wish him a happy birthday and talk Iran
"President Putin called this morning to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well. We talked at length," Trump said in the post. More: 'They didn't die of the flu': Trump says Iran nuke deal 'hardliners' killed in strikes Trump said Putin "feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end." Nevertheless, Trump said he and Putin spent "much less time" talking about Russia's war in Ukraine during the approximately one-hour call. He said that topic "will be for next week." Trump has embraced a friendly relationship with Putin, a stark departure from former President Joe Biden who helped rally much of the world to condemn the Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Trump has blamed both Putin, long considered a U.S. adversary, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for their countries' war. More: Iran launches missile counterattack on Israel after punishing airstrikes In response to Israel's June 13 airstrikes on Iran targeting nuclear sites, Iran launched three retaliatory waves of missiles at targets in Israel as Israelis rode out the attacks in bomb shelters and world leaders discussed the deepening conflict. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed the call between the world leaders, telling reporters, "Vladimir Putin condemned Israel's military operation against Iran and expressed serious concern about a possible escalation of the conflict, which would have unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East." According to Ushakov, Trump described events in the Middle East as "very alarming." The two leaders also said they do not rule out a return to the negotiating track on Iran's nuclear program, Ushakov said. Trump told Reuters on June 13 his administration knew about Israel's plans to attack Iran beforehand. He said he gave Iran a 60-day deadline to agree to a revised nuclear deal with the U.S. After a deal was not reached, Israel attacked on the 61st day. "We knew everything, and I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. "They can still work out a deal, however, it's not too late." Contributing: Reuters Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
Sky News
32 minutes ago
- Sky News
Washington parade celebrates US Army's 250th anniversary on Donald Trump's 79th birthday
Sunday 15 June 2025 07:24, UK Why you can trust Sky News A rare military parade marking the US Army's 250th anniversary has taken place in Washington DC - on Donald Trump's 79th birthday. The event coincided with hundreds of so-called "No Kings" protests against the Trump administration in towns and cities across the US. Mr Trump said the patriotic spectacle in the capital was going to be a "big day" and admitted: "We want to show off a little bit." It was the first time tanks had rolled through the streets of Washington in more than 30 years. 3:12 Officials estimated 200,000 people could turn out to see around 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft and numerous artillery pieces. However, far fewer people appeared to be there - possibly due to the poor weather. The event was also criticised by some as expensive and not in the American tradition. Mr Trump watched alongside the first lady and defence secretary as troops and military hardware filed past, accompanied at times by up-tempo rock music. The event started half an hour early due to forecasted heavy rain, with cloud forcing the cancellation of a flypast by fighter jets. Helicopters such as Apaches, Chinooks and Black Hawks still took part however. Mr Trump had warned that any protesters who interfered would "be met with very big force". Military parachutists from the Golden Knights swooped in at the start of the programme, and some soldiers paraded in historic uniforms, complete with horses and wagons. Vehicles from the Second World War and Vietnam War also took part. Washington fireworks as missiles fall in Israel and Iran Mark Stone US correspondent @Stone_SkyNews It was the marking of a birthday that has riled so many across this country. All-American or un-American? Jingoistic or patriotic? Among the crowd in the heart of Washington it felt like a celebration, and it was certainly a show. The United States was born 249 years ago this year. The Continental Army was born a year earlier to deliver a new country from British rule. This is the 250th year of the US Army. There was a salute to the president, of course, but as commander-in-chief, not a nod to his birthday. From General Washington's soldiers, the show was a journey through the centuries – the War of Independence, World Wars and America's wars: Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. And there was a somewhat unsettling glimpse into the future - drones and robo-dogs passing down Constitution Avenue. For all the talk of this being a political stunt by Donald Trump to celebrate his birthday, it didn't feel like that among the crowds. From those we spoke to, all were there to celebrate the birthday of the army, not the president. Sure, many - maybe most - there love him, but they were there for the Army. But it's the timing, the context beyond the parade, which had shifted the framing of this day. It generated a stark real time split screen, because as the soldiers were marching in Washington, volleys of tear gas were being fired at protesters in Los Angeles. The juxtaposition came at the end of a week when the president deployed the military on America's streets against protesters. It was the only major clash despite over a thousand protests with tens of thousands in towns and cities across the country. "No Kings" was the tag for the biggest nationwide movement of people against what they see as the growing authoritarianism of Donald Trump since he became president again. Back at the parade, it wasn't the moment to mention the division. The president's speech was uncharacteristically free of politics. He focused on what was in front of him. "Every other country celebrates their victories. It's about time America did too. That's what we're doing tonight," he said. Nor did he make any mention of the other stark split-screen. As the Washington show went on, Israel's largest city, Tel Aviv, was under attack. The cameras in Washington caught Trump's Middle East envoy with his eyes on his phone not the parade. And Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, looked like his mind was elsewhere. The night in Washington ended with fireworks. In Israeli and Iranian towns and cities the bangs were from missiles. Mr Trump stood and saluted many of the passing soldiers - and even personally swore in some troops. The US leader is said to have got the idea after being impressed with France's Bastille Day celebrations during a visit in 2017. Metal plates were put down on some of Washington's streets to protect them against the heaviest tanks - especially the 60-ton M1 Abrams. Even so, the US Army set aside several million dollars in case of any damage. The last time such a major display took place in the US was 1991, when tanks and troops paraded to celebrate the ousting of Saddam Hussein's army from Kuwait. Read more from Sky News: Why parade is so controversial Manhunt after US politician and husband shot dead Mr Trump paid tribute to the soldiers, saying they "made all Americans very proud" and it was "about time" America publicly celebrated its military. He was joined on the podium by the first lady and presented with the US flag by one of the Golden Knights parachutists. Fireworks then lit up the sky behind the iconic Washington Monument to bring things to a close. Critics had hit out at the event and said it was something more associated with dictatorial regimes such as Russia or North Korea. An estimated cost as high as $45m (£33.33m) also raised eyebrows given Mr Trump's efforts to slash the budget of many federal departments. Among the critics was California governor Gavin Newsom, who has been trading barbs with the president since the outbreak of riots in LA. He accused the president of forcing troops "to put on a vulgar display to celebrate his birthday, just as other failed dictators have done in the past". The show of military might came as more than 1,500 protests against the Trump administration, organised under the slogan "No Kings", were scheduled to take place across the US on Saturday. Los Angeles was the scene of one demonstration, with police firing tear gas to disperse people after the formal protest ended. Tension is high in America's second-biggest city after recent raids by immigration officers sparked unrest this week. Other large demos happened on Saturday in San Diego, Atlanta, Denver, Portland and Chicago - where police estimated a crowd of about 15,000 people with just one arrest "No Kings" organisers claimed 200,000 had turned out in New York alone and millions across the country. The name of the protests comes from the accusation that Mr Trump acts more like an authoritarian monarch than a democratically elected head of state. Related Topics Donald Trump
The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Israel and Iran trade strikes for a third day as nuclear talks are called off
Israel unleashed airstrikes across Iran for a third day on Sunday and threatened even greater force as some Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defenses to strike buildings in the heart of the country. Planned talks on Iran's nuclear program, which could provide an off-ramp, were called off. The region braced for a protracted conflict after Israel's surprise bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites on Friday killed several top generals and nuclear scientists, and neither side showed any sign of backing down. Israel reportedly targeted a gas installation, raising the prospect of a broader assault on Iran's heavily sanctioned energy industry that could affect global markets. U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed full support for Israel's actions while warning Iran that it can only avoid further destruction by agreeing to a new nuclear deal. New explosions echoed across Tehran and were reported elsewhere in the country early Sunday, but there was no update to a death toll put out the day before by Iran's U.N. ambassador, who said 78 people had been killed and more than 320 wounded. In Israel, at least 10 people were killed in Iranian strikes overnight and into Sunday, according to Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service, bringing the country's total death toll to 13. Israeli strikes targeted Iran's Defense Ministry early Sunday after hitting air defenses, military bases and sites associated with its nuclear program. The killing of several top generals and nuclear scientists in targeted strikes indicated that Israeli intelligence has penetrated Iran at the highest levels. Death toll mounts in Israel In Israel, at least six people, including two children, were killed when a missile hit an apartment building in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv. Daniel Hadad, a local police commander, said 180 people were wounded and seven are still missing. An Associated Press reporter saw streets lined with damaged and destroyed buildings, bombed out cars and shards of glass. Responders used a drone at points to look for survivors. Some people could be seen leaving the area with suitcases. Four people were killed when a missile struck a building in the northern Israeli town of Tamra and another 24 were wounded. A strike on the central city of Rehovot wounded 42 people. The Weizmann Institute of Science, an important center for research in Rehovot, said 'there were a number of hits to buildings on the campus.' It said no one was harmed. Israel has a sophisticated multi-tiered missile defense system that is able to intercept most projectiles fired at it, but officials have always said it is imperfect. Urgent calls to deescalate World leaders made urgent calls to deescalate. The attack on nuclear sites set a 'dangerous precedent,' China's foreign minister said. The region is already on edge as Israel seeks to annihilate Hamas, an Iranian ally, in the Gaza Strip, where the war is still raging after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brushed off such calls, saying Israel's strikes so far are 'nothing compared to what they will feel under the sway of our forces in the coming days.' Israel, the sole though undeclared nuclear-armed state in the Middle East — said it launched the attack to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran has always said its nuclear program was peaceful, and the U.S. and others have assessed it has not pursued a weapon since 2003. But it has enriched ever larger stockpiles of uranium to near weapons-grade levels in recent years and was believed to have been able to develop multiple weapons within months if it chose to do so. The U.N.'s atomic watchdog censured Iran last week for not complying with its obligations. Semiofficial Iranian news agencies meanwhile reported that an Israeli drone strike had caused a 'strong explosion' at an Iranian natural-gas processing plant, in what could be the first Israeli attack on Iran's oil and natural gas industry. Israel's military did not immediately comment. The extent of damage at the South Pars natural gas field was not immediately clear. Such sites have air defense systems around them, which Israel has been targeting. Iran calls nuclear talks 'unjustifiable' The Arab Gulf country of Oman, which has been mediating indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program, said a sixth round planned for Sunday would not take place. 'We remain committed to talks and hope the Iranians will come to the table soon,' a senior U.S. official said on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks. Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, said Saturday that the nuclear talks were 'unjustifiable' after Israel's strikes, which he said were the 'result of the direct support by Washington.' In a post on his Truth Social account early Sunday, Trump reiterated that the U.S. was not involved in the attacks on Iran and warned that any retaliation directed against it would bring an American response 'at levels never seen before.' 'However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!' he wrote. 'More than a few weeks' to repair nuclear facilities In Iran, satellite photos analyzed by AP show extensive damage at Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz. The images shot Saturday by Planet Labs PBC show multiple buildings damaged or destroyed. The structures hit include buildings identified by experts as supplying power to the facility. U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear to have been hit, but the loss of power could have damaged infrastructure there, he said. Israel also struck a nuclear research facility in Isfahan. The International Atomic Energy Agency said four 'critical buildings' were damaged, including its uranium conversion facility. 'As in Natanz, no increase in off-site radiation expected,' it added. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with official procedures, said that according to the army's initial assessment 'it will take much more than a few weeks' for Iran to repair the damage to the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. The official said the army had 'concrete intelligence that production in Isfahan was for military purposes.' ___ Lidman and Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
