U.S.-Iran Live: Putin Condemns US Strike As Iran Threatens 'Gambler' Trump
June 23, 6.30 a.m. EDT Russian President condemned the U.S. military's strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, calling it an 'absolutely unprovoked act of aggression against Iran; it has no basis or justification,' after meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Moscow.
The latest remarks from Putin is a shift from the more muted initial response to the strikes on its ally by Moscow, as it remains entangled in its own conflict in Ukraine.
'For our part, we are making efforts to assist the Iranian people,' the Russian president added, although it is unclear what kind of support would Moscow be willing provide Iran.
June 23, 5 a.m. EDT At an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors, the UN agency's chief Rafael Grossi said the US strikes likely caused 'very significant damage' to Iran's underground Fordow nuclear site.
'Given the explosive payload utilized, and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred,' Grossi said.
Grossi said Iran told the IAEA that 'there was no increase off-site radiation levels' at any of the three plants struck by U.S. forces.
4 a.m. EDT Beijing has emerged as one of the more vocal international critics of the U.S. strikes on Iran, with its foreign ministry saying the move 'seriously violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and escalates tensions in the Middle East.'
China's ambassador to the UN, Fu Cong, told state media that 'Iran is harmed, but also harmed is U.S. credibility — as a country and as a party to any international negotiations.'
Fu added: 'China is deeply concerned about the risk of the situation getting out of control...The parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, should immediately cease fire to prevent a spiraling escalation and to resolutely avoid the spillover of the war.'
3 a.m. EDT Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Moscow on Monday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and told reporters that his country has 'shared concerns, worries, and adversaries with Russia.'
Speaking about the strikes Araghchi said, the U.S. and Israeli actions 'have serious consequences and create problems not only for Iran, but also for the region, for the international community, and for international law.'
2 a.m. EDT Iranian military officials warned that the U.S. strikes will be met with a 'decisive response,' as the country's army chief, Major General Amir Hatami, accused America of 'committing crimes' against the Iranian state.
In a separate televised statement, an Iranian military spokesperson addressed the U.S. President directly and said: 'Gambler Trump, you can start this war, but we will be the ones who end it.'
June 22, 11 p.m. EDT The U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center issued an advisory on Sunday, warning that the U.S. strikes on Iran were a 'significant regional development, escalating concerns for the maritime industry operating in the Arabian Gulf and adjacent waters.'
The center said 'the maritime threat level remains ELEVATED' and recent events create 'ongoing uncertainty in the maritime domain,' however, U.S.-associated vessels 'have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz without interruption, which is a positive sign for the immediate future.'
10:30 p.m. EDT According to NBC News, Iran sent a message to President Donald Trump through an intermediary during last week's G7 summit, warning that it would activate sleeper-cells to carry out terror attacks inside the U.S.
10 p.m. EDT In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Donald Trump claimed Iran's nuclear sites sustained 'Monumental Damage' from the U.S. strikes, citing satellite images.
The president added: 'Obliteration is an accurate term...The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!'
9:30 p.m. EDT Earlier on Sunday, the president raised the prospect of regime change in Iran, despite other officials in his administration insisting that the U.S. was not seeking such a thing.
In a post, Trump wrote 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!'
A short while later, Trump wrote that the B-2 bomber pilots who struck Iran 'have just landed, safely, in Missouri.'
12 p.m. EDT Iran launched about 40 missiles at targets in Israel, the Associated Press confirmed, injuring 23 people, while the Israeli Air Force struck targets in four cities across Iran, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed in a statement on X, dropping munitions on targets including command centers and missile launchers.Israel's strikes killed at least seven members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and two conscripts, The New York Times reported, citing Iranian state-affiliated media.
10 a.m. EDT Vice President JD Vance told 'Meet the Press' the U.S. was 'not at war with Iran, we're at war with Iran's nuclear program,' adding the U.S. has 'no interest in boots on the ground.'
'I certainly empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East,' Vance said, adding 'I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents, and now we have a president that actually knows how to accomplish America's national security objectives,' taking an apparent swipe at former President George W. Bush, whom Trump has blasted for years over his handling of the invasion of Iraq.
Vance also responded to criticism from members of Congress who condemned the administration for making the strike without seeking congressional approval, insisting that 'the idea that this was outside of presidential authority, I think any real, serious, legal person would tell you that's not true.'
8 a.m. EDT 'This mission was not, and has not been about regime change,' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a press conference, calling the strike a 'precision operation.'
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine announced the mission's codename was 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' which involved strikes with massive ordnance penetrator bombs, Tomahawk missiles and a decoy operation.
Caine said the military was unaware of any shots fired at the U.S. bombers on the way into Iran or on the way out after dropping their payloads.
June 21, 10 p.m. EDT Trump addressed the nation in a brief speech from the White House, claiming that 'the strikes were a spectacular military success.'
He warned Iran against retaliating, saying the U.S. was prepared to strike more targets should that happen. 'There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,' Trump said.
June 21, 7:50 p.m. EDT Trump in a Truth Social post announced the U.S. struck the 'Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan' nuclear sites in Iran, noting 'A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow.'
The strike was conducted by seven B2 Spirit bombers that took off from an Air Force base in Missouri overnight, Hegseth and Caine said Sunday. One of those bombers dropped two massive ordnance penetrators on a nuclear facility in Fordo at 2:10 a.m. local time, Caine said—the first of 14 bombs dropped across Iran. Additionally, a submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at the nuclear facility in Esfahan around 5 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Caine said. Caine added the operation also involved launching more bombers to the Pacific as a decoy, which he called an 'effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders.'
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the U.S. operation an 'outrageous, grave, and unprecedented violation of the fundamental principles of the charter of the United Nations and international law.' Araghchi condemned Trump for what he called 'abusing our commitment to diplomacy' and 'deceiv[ing] his own voters' after campaigning to end 'forever wars' in the Middle East. The U.N. Security Council scheduled a 3 p.m. EDT emergency meeting at the behest of the Iranian government, the Associated Press reported Sunday morning.
'American deterrence is back,' Hegseth said. 'We will act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners or our interests are threatened.'
The escalation in the Middle East began on June 13 after Israel launched a surprise campaign of airstrikes at key Iranian nuclear facilities, initially killing at least 78 people. Iran responded by launching volleys of missiles at Israeli targets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The two adversaries continued to exchange strikes over the course of the week, but the U.S. initially stayed out of the conflict. On Thursday, Trump abruptly announced he would make a decision about joining Israel's war against the Middle Eastern nation within two weeks, urging Iran to make a deal. The U.S. and Iran had spent weeks attempting to negotiate a new nuclear deal in Oman, but the talks were suspended after the Israeli campaign began.
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