Trump applauds Israeli strikes, says Iran now has ‘second chance' to make a deal
Washington: US President Donald Trump says Iran has a second chance to negotiate a nuclear deal and stave off 'even more brutal' attacks being planned by Israel in coming days, as Tehran began its retaliation by firing ballistic missiles at Israeli cities.
Trump was conducting a meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room on Friday, Washington time, following Israel's 'pre-emptive' strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and top government personnel the night before.
In a series of short phone interviews with US media, Trump indicated he was fully aware of Israel's operations in advance, and said Iran must make a deal that forbids it from developing a nuclear weapon 'before there is nothing left'.
'We knew everything,' Trump told Reuters of Israel's attack plans. '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. They can still work out a deal, however. It's not too late.'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said the US had been informed about the strikes in advance. He and Trump have spoken and were expected to remain in regular contact, according to the White House.
Loading
On his TruthSocial account, Trump said he gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum two months ago to 'make a deal' that would restrict them from developing a nuclear weapon.
'They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn't get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!' he wrote.
The president's comments indicated greater support for Israel's actions than a terse initial statement from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the immediate aftermath of the strikes on Thursday night, US time – which expressed neither support for nor condemnation of Israel and stressed that the US was not involved.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
18 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Aussie forces might be requested in Iran-Israel fight
Australia's military could be asked to play a role in the Middle East as regional tensions escalate. Iran and Israel have targeted each other with missile and air strikes after the latter launched its biggest-ever air offensive against its long-time foe. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government was continuing to monitor the situation and urged Australians in the region to leave. Australia has not been drawn into the conflict, but Mr Albanese said the nation could be asked to participate in the future. "It's obviously a very volatile situation," he told reporters in Seattle on Saturday, local time. "We expect there could be a request for Australia to play a military role." The US was notified about the Israeli strikes in advance but Washington officials have been quick to point out it played no part in the attacks, warning Iran not to target its personnel or interests. Mr Albanese landed in the US on his way to the G7 summit in Canada on Sunday. He is expected to meet with a range of global leaders, including US president Donald Trump, who has been working with Iran on a nuclear deal. Tariff discussions are expected to take the spotlight but defence talks could also feature after the US urged Australia to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Australia is already forecast to grow military spending to 2.3 per cent of GDP and Mr Albanese insisted his government would give "whatever capability Australia needs to defend our national interest". Australia's military could be asked to play a role in the Middle East as regional tensions escalate. Iran and Israel have targeted each other with missile and air strikes after the latter launched its biggest-ever air offensive against its long-time foe. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government was continuing to monitor the situation and urged Australians in the region to leave. Australia has not been drawn into the conflict, but Mr Albanese said the nation could be asked to participate in the future. "It's obviously a very volatile situation," he told reporters in Seattle on Saturday, local time. "We expect there could be a request for Australia to play a military role." The US was notified about the Israeli strikes in advance but Washington officials have been quick to point out it played no part in the attacks, warning Iran not to target its personnel or interests. Mr Albanese landed in the US on his way to the G7 summit in Canada on Sunday. He is expected to meet with a range of global leaders, including US president Donald Trump, who has been working with Iran on a nuclear deal. Tariff discussions are expected to take the spotlight but defence talks could also feature after the US urged Australia to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Australia is already forecast to grow military spending to 2.3 per cent of GDP and Mr Albanese insisted his government would give "whatever capability Australia needs to defend our national interest". Australia's military could be asked to play a role in the Middle East as regional tensions escalate. Iran and Israel have targeted each other with missile and air strikes after the latter launched its biggest-ever air offensive against its long-time foe. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government was continuing to monitor the situation and urged Australians in the region to leave. Australia has not been drawn into the conflict, but Mr Albanese said the nation could be asked to participate in the future. "It's obviously a very volatile situation," he told reporters in Seattle on Saturday, local time. "We expect there could be a request for Australia to play a military role." The US was notified about the Israeli strikes in advance but Washington officials have been quick to point out it played no part in the attacks, warning Iran not to target its personnel or interests. Mr Albanese landed in the US on his way to the G7 summit in Canada on Sunday. He is expected to meet with a range of global leaders, including US president Donald Trump, who has been working with Iran on a nuclear deal. Tariff discussions are expected to take the spotlight but defence talks could also feature after the US urged Australia to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Australia is already forecast to grow military spending to 2.3 per cent of GDP and Mr Albanese insisted his government would give "whatever capability Australia needs to defend our national interest". Australia's military could be asked to play a role in the Middle East as regional tensions escalate. Iran and Israel have targeted each other with missile and air strikes after the latter launched its biggest-ever air offensive against its long-time foe. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government was continuing to monitor the situation and urged Australians in the region to leave. Australia has not been drawn into the conflict, but Mr Albanese said the nation could be asked to participate in the future. "It's obviously a very volatile situation," he told reporters in Seattle on Saturday, local time. "We expect there could be a request for Australia to play a military role." The US was notified about the Israeli strikes in advance but Washington officials have been quick to point out it played no part in the attacks, warning Iran not to target its personnel or interests. Mr Albanese landed in the US on his way to the G7 summit in Canada on Sunday. He is expected to meet with a range of global leaders, including US president Donald Trump, who has been working with Iran on a nuclear deal. Tariff discussions are expected to take the spotlight but defence talks could also feature after the US urged Australia to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Australia is already forecast to grow military spending to 2.3 per cent of GDP and Mr Albanese insisted his government would give "whatever capability Australia needs to defend our national interest".
The Advertiser
18 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Zelenskiy says Russian troop advance in Sumy halted
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Ukrainian forces have recaptured Andriivka village in northeastern Sumy region as part of a drive to expel Russian forces from the area. Zelenskiy has in the past week focused on what he describes as a drive to push out Russian forces from the Sumy region, with border areas gripped by heavy fighting. He says Russia has amassed 53,000 troops in the area. "Based on recent developments, our special thanks go to the soldiers of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment - for offensive operations in the Sumy region and the liberation, in particular, of Andriivka," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on Saturday. Zelenskiy also noted "successful actions" near Pokrovsk, for months a focus of Russian attacks in their slow advance on the eastern front, and "strong results" near Kupiansk, an area in northeastern Ukraine that has come under heavy Russian pressure. In remarks released for publication earlier on Saturday, Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces had stopped Russian troops advancing in Sumy region and were battling to regain control along the border. "We are levelling the position. The fighting there is along the border. You should understand that the enemy has been stopped there. And the maximum depth at which the fighting takes place is 7km from the border," Zelenskiy said. Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports. Russia's troops have been focusing their assaults in the eastern Donetsk region, with Pokrovsk a particular target. But since the start of the month, they have intensified their attacks in the northeast, announcing plans to create a so-called 'buffer zone' in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday that its forces had seized the village of Zelenyi Kut, southwest of Pokrovsk. The Russian war in Ukraine is in its fourth year, but it has intensified in recent weeks. Ukraine conducted an audacious drone attack this month that took out multiple aircraft inside Russia and also hit the bridge connecting Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula using underwater explosives. Moscow ramped up its air assaults after the attack. Zelenskiy said Ukrainian troops had maintained defensive lines along more than 1000 km of the frontline. He also dismissed Moscow's claims that Russian troops had crossed into the central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk. Dnipropetrovsk borders three regions that are partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Russia now controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Zelenskiy acknowledged that Ukraine was unable to regain all of its territory by military force and reiterated his pleas for stronger sanctions to force Moscow into talks to end the war. Two rounds of peace talks in Istanbul produced few results that could lead to a ceasefire and a broader peace deal. The two sides agreed only to exchange prisoners of war. In separate remarks made on communications platform Telegram on Saturday, he said that a new group of Ukrainian prisoners of war had come home as part of another swap with Russia. "We continue to take our people out of Russian captivity. This is the fourth exchange in a week," Zelenskiy wrote. Ukrainian officials responsible for exchanging prisoners said the vast majority of the soldiers released in the exchange had been held captive since 2022 with many captured during the more than 80-day siege of the Sea of Azov port of Mariupol. The officials said Kyiv had, meanwhile, received the bodies of 1200 of its soldiers killed in the war with Russia. The bodies were handed over to Ukraine on Friday. Russian state media, citing sources, reported that Moscow had not received any of its war dead back from Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Ukrainian forces have recaptured Andriivka village in northeastern Sumy region as part of a drive to expel Russian forces from the area. Zelenskiy has in the past week focused on what he describes as a drive to push out Russian forces from the Sumy region, with border areas gripped by heavy fighting. He says Russia has amassed 53,000 troops in the area. "Based on recent developments, our special thanks go to the soldiers of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment - for offensive operations in the Sumy region and the liberation, in particular, of Andriivka," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on Saturday. Zelenskiy also noted "successful actions" near Pokrovsk, for months a focus of Russian attacks in their slow advance on the eastern front, and "strong results" near Kupiansk, an area in northeastern Ukraine that has come under heavy Russian pressure. In remarks released for publication earlier on Saturday, Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces had stopped Russian troops advancing in Sumy region and were battling to regain control along the border. "We are levelling the position. The fighting there is along the border. You should understand that the enemy has been stopped there. And the maximum depth at which the fighting takes place is 7km from the border," Zelenskiy said. Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports. Russia's troops have been focusing their assaults in the eastern Donetsk region, with Pokrovsk a particular target. But since the start of the month, they have intensified their attacks in the northeast, announcing plans to create a so-called 'buffer zone' in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday that its forces had seized the village of Zelenyi Kut, southwest of Pokrovsk. The Russian war in Ukraine is in its fourth year, but it has intensified in recent weeks. Ukraine conducted an audacious drone attack this month that took out multiple aircraft inside Russia and also hit the bridge connecting Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula using underwater explosives. Moscow ramped up its air assaults after the attack. Zelenskiy said Ukrainian troops had maintained defensive lines along more than 1000 km of the frontline. He also dismissed Moscow's claims that Russian troops had crossed into the central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk. Dnipropetrovsk borders three regions that are partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Russia now controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Zelenskiy acknowledged that Ukraine was unable to regain all of its territory by military force and reiterated his pleas for stronger sanctions to force Moscow into talks to end the war. Two rounds of peace talks in Istanbul produced few results that could lead to a ceasefire and a broader peace deal. The two sides agreed only to exchange prisoners of war. In separate remarks made on communications platform Telegram on Saturday, he said that a new group of Ukrainian prisoners of war had come home as part of another swap with Russia. "We continue to take our people out of Russian captivity. This is the fourth exchange in a week," Zelenskiy wrote. Ukrainian officials responsible for exchanging prisoners said the vast majority of the soldiers released in the exchange had been held captive since 2022 with many captured during the more than 80-day siege of the Sea of Azov port of Mariupol. The officials said Kyiv had, meanwhile, received the bodies of 1200 of its soldiers killed in the war with Russia. The bodies were handed over to Ukraine on Friday. Russian state media, citing sources, reported that Moscow had not received any of its war dead back from Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Ukrainian forces have recaptured Andriivka village in northeastern Sumy region as part of a drive to expel Russian forces from the area. Zelenskiy has in the past week focused on what he describes as a drive to push out Russian forces from the Sumy region, with border areas gripped by heavy fighting. He says Russia has amassed 53,000 troops in the area. "Based on recent developments, our special thanks go to the soldiers of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment - for offensive operations in the Sumy region and the liberation, in particular, of Andriivka," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on Saturday. Zelenskiy also noted "successful actions" near Pokrovsk, for months a focus of Russian attacks in their slow advance on the eastern front, and "strong results" near Kupiansk, an area in northeastern Ukraine that has come under heavy Russian pressure. In remarks released for publication earlier on Saturday, Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces had stopped Russian troops advancing in Sumy region and were battling to regain control along the border. "We are levelling the position. The fighting there is along the border. You should understand that the enemy has been stopped there. And the maximum depth at which the fighting takes place is 7km from the border," Zelenskiy said. Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports. Russia's troops have been focusing their assaults in the eastern Donetsk region, with Pokrovsk a particular target. But since the start of the month, they have intensified their attacks in the northeast, announcing plans to create a so-called 'buffer zone' in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday that its forces had seized the village of Zelenyi Kut, southwest of Pokrovsk. The Russian war in Ukraine is in its fourth year, but it has intensified in recent weeks. Ukraine conducted an audacious drone attack this month that took out multiple aircraft inside Russia and also hit the bridge connecting Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula using underwater explosives. Moscow ramped up its air assaults after the attack. Zelenskiy said Ukrainian troops had maintained defensive lines along more than 1000 km of the frontline. He also dismissed Moscow's claims that Russian troops had crossed into the central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk. Dnipropetrovsk borders three regions that are partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Russia now controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Zelenskiy acknowledged that Ukraine was unable to regain all of its territory by military force and reiterated his pleas for stronger sanctions to force Moscow into talks to end the war. Two rounds of peace talks in Istanbul produced few results that could lead to a ceasefire and a broader peace deal. The two sides agreed only to exchange prisoners of war. In separate remarks made on communications platform Telegram on Saturday, he said that a new group of Ukrainian prisoners of war had come home as part of another swap with Russia. "We continue to take our people out of Russian captivity. This is the fourth exchange in a week," Zelenskiy wrote. Ukrainian officials responsible for exchanging prisoners said the vast majority of the soldiers released in the exchange had been held captive since 2022 with many captured during the more than 80-day siege of the Sea of Azov port of Mariupol. The officials said Kyiv had, meanwhile, received the bodies of 1200 of its soldiers killed in the war with Russia. The bodies were handed over to Ukraine on Friday. Russian state media, citing sources, reported that Moscow had not received any of its war dead back from Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Ukrainian forces have recaptured Andriivka village in northeastern Sumy region as part of a drive to expel Russian forces from the area. Zelenskiy has in the past week focused on what he describes as a drive to push out Russian forces from the Sumy region, with border areas gripped by heavy fighting. He says Russia has amassed 53,000 troops in the area. "Based on recent developments, our special thanks go to the soldiers of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment - for offensive operations in the Sumy region and the liberation, in particular, of Andriivka," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on Saturday. Zelenskiy also noted "successful actions" near Pokrovsk, for months a focus of Russian attacks in their slow advance on the eastern front, and "strong results" near Kupiansk, an area in northeastern Ukraine that has come under heavy Russian pressure. In remarks released for publication earlier on Saturday, Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces had stopped Russian troops advancing in Sumy region and were battling to regain control along the border. "We are levelling the position. The fighting there is along the border. You should understand that the enemy has been stopped there. And the maximum depth at which the fighting takes place is 7km from the border," Zelenskiy said. Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports. Russia's troops have been focusing their assaults in the eastern Donetsk region, with Pokrovsk a particular target. But since the start of the month, they have intensified their attacks in the northeast, announcing plans to create a so-called 'buffer zone' in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday that its forces had seized the village of Zelenyi Kut, southwest of Pokrovsk. The Russian war in Ukraine is in its fourth year, but it has intensified in recent weeks. Ukraine conducted an audacious drone attack this month that took out multiple aircraft inside Russia and also hit the bridge connecting Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula using underwater explosives. Moscow ramped up its air assaults after the attack. Zelenskiy said Ukrainian troops had maintained defensive lines along more than 1000 km of the frontline. He also dismissed Moscow's claims that Russian troops had crossed into the central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk. Dnipropetrovsk borders three regions that are partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Russia now controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Zelenskiy acknowledged that Ukraine was unable to regain all of its territory by military force and reiterated his pleas for stronger sanctions to force Moscow into talks to end the war. Two rounds of peace talks in Istanbul produced few results that could lead to a ceasefire and a broader peace deal. The two sides agreed only to exchange prisoners of war. In separate remarks made on communications platform Telegram on Saturday, he said that a new group of Ukrainian prisoners of war had come home as part of another swap with Russia. "We continue to take our people out of Russian captivity. This is the fourth exchange in a week," Zelenskiy wrote. Ukrainian officials responsible for exchanging prisoners said the vast majority of the soldiers released in the exchange had been held captive since 2022 with many captured during the more than 80-day siege of the Sea of Azov port of Mariupol. The officials said Kyiv had, meanwhile, received the bodies of 1200 of its soldiers killed in the war with Russia. The bodies were handed over to Ukraine on Friday. Russian state media, citing sources, reported that Moscow had not received any of its war dead back from Kyiv.
The Advertiser
18 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Military parade kicks off in Washington amid protests
The grand military parade that US President Donald Trump has long been wanting has kicked off with tanks, troops and a 21-gun salute, while protesters around the country decried the leader as a dictator and would-be king. The Republican president, on his 79th birthday, sat on a special viewing stand south of the White House to watch the display of American military might, which began early as light rain fell and dark clouds loomed. It's a procession Trump tried to make happen in his first term after seeing such an event in Paris in 2017, but the plans never came together until this year, when it was added to an event recognising the Army's 250th anniversary. Hours before the parade was set to start, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators turned out in streets and parks around the nation to denounce the Republican president as a dictator or would-be king. They criticised Trump for using the military to respond to those protesting his deportation efforts and for sending tanks, thousands of marching troops and military aircraft out for a show in the US capital. In Washington, anti-war protesters unfurled signs that said "Homes not drones" not far from a display of armoured vehicles, helicopters and military-grade equipment on the National Mall. The military procession was set to step off from the Lincoln Memorial later on Saturday, under the threat of stormy weather and to the accompaniment of protests elsewhere in the city. Trump brushed off the possibility of both disruptions, with a social media post Saturday morning that said the "great military parade" would be on "rain or shine." The protests, he said earlier, "will be met with very big force." Hours ahead of the parade, crowds of protesters with anti-Trump signs marched toward the White House, escorted by police vehicles and officers on bicycles. Some held a giant banner that read: "TRUMP MUST GO NOW." The parade has also drawn criticism for its price tag of up to $45 million and the possibility that the lumbering tanks could tear up city streets. The Army has taken a variety of steps to protect the streets, including laying metal plates along the route. The daylong display of the US Army comes as Trump has shown his willingness to use the nation's military might in ways other US presidents have typically avoided. In the last week, he has activated the California National Guard without the governor's permission and dispatched the US Marines to provide security during Los Angeles protests related to immigration raids, prompting a state lawsuit to stop the deployments. Saturday's pageantry was designed to fulfill Trump's expressed desire for a big parade after seeing one in Paris on Bastille Day in 2017. The event is expected to include about 6,600 soldiers, 50 helicopters and 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks, as well as possibly 200,000 attendees and heightened security to match. "No Kings" rallies — organisers picked the name to support democracy and speak out against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration — unfolding in hundreds of cities — were meant to counter what organisers say are Trump's plans to feed his ego on his 79th birthday and Flag Day. The Army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend the festival and parade. Timed down to the minute, the march will be divided into sections by history — with equipment and troops in full dress from each period. At the end of the parade, Trump will swear in 250 new or reenlisting troops, and the Army's Golden Knights parachute team will jump onto the Mall. That will be followed by a concert and fireworks. The grand military parade that US President Donald Trump has long been wanting has kicked off with tanks, troops and a 21-gun salute, while protesters around the country decried the leader as a dictator and would-be king. The Republican president, on his 79th birthday, sat on a special viewing stand south of the White House to watch the display of American military might, which began early as light rain fell and dark clouds loomed. It's a procession Trump tried to make happen in his first term after seeing such an event in Paris in 2017, but the plans never came together until this year, when it was added to an event recognising the Army's 250th anniversary. Hours before the parade was set to start, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators turned out in streets and parks around the nation to denounce the Republican president as a dictator or would-be king. They criticised Trump for using the military to respond to those protesting his deportation efforts and for sending tanks, thousands of marching troops and military aircraft out for a show in the US capital. In Washington, anti-war protesters unfurled signs that said "Homes not drones" not far from a display of armoured vehicles, helicopters and military-grade equipment on the National Mall. The military procession was set to step off from the Lincoln Memorial later on Saturday, under the threat of stormy weather and to the accompaniment of protests elsewhere in the city. Trump brushed off the possibility of both disruptions, with a social media post Saturday morning that said the "great military parade" would be on "rain or shine." The protests, he said earlier, "will be met with very big force." Hours ahead of the parade, crowds of protesters with anti-Trump signs marched toward the White House, escorted by police vehicles and officers on bicycles. Some held a giant banner that read: "TRUMP MUST GO NOW." The parade has also drawn criticism for its price tag of up to $45 million and the possibility that the lumbering tanks could tear up city streets. The Army has taken a variety of steps to protect the streets, including laying metal plates along the route. The daylong display of the US Army comes as Trump has shown his willingness to use the nation's military might in ways other US presidents have typically avoided. In the last week, he has activated the California National Guard without the governor's permission and dispatched the US Marines to provide security during Los Angeles protests related to immigration raids, prompting a state lawsuit to stop the deployments. Saturday's pageantry was designed to fulfill Trump's expressed desire for a big parade after seeing one in Paris on Bastille Day in 2017. The event is expected to include about 6,600 soldiers, 50 helicopters and 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks, as well as possibly 200,000 attendees and heightened security to match. "No Kings" rallies — organisers picked the name to support democracy and speak out against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration — unfolding in hundreds of cities — were meant to counter what organisers say are Trump's plans to feed his ego on his 79th birthday and Flag Day. The Army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend the festival and parade. Timed down to the minute, the march will be divided into sections by history — with equipment and troops in full dress from each period. At the end of the parade, Trump will swear in 250 new or reenlisting troops, and the Army's Golden Knights parachute team will jump onto the Mall. That will be followed by a concert and fireworks. The grand military parade that US President Donald Trump has long been wanting has kicked off with tanks, troops and a 21-gun salute, while protesters around the country decried the leader as a dictator and would-be king. The Republican president, on his 79th birthday, sat on a special viewing stand south of the White House to watch the display of American military might, which began early as light rain fell and dark clouds loomed. It's a procession Trump tried to make happen in his first term after seeing such an event in Paris in 2017, but the plans never came together until this year, when it was added to an event recognising the Army's 250th anniversary. Hours before the parade was set to start, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators turned out in streets and parks around the nation to denounce the Republican president as a dictator or would-be king. They criticised Trump for using the military to respond to those protesting his deportation efforts and for sending tanks, thousands of marching troops and military aircraft out for a show in the US capital. In Washington, anti-war protesters unfurled signs that said "Homes not drones" not far from a display of armoured vehicles, helicopters and military-grade equipment on the National Mall. The military procession was set to step off from the Lincoln Memorial later on Saturday, under the threat of stormy weather and to the accompaniment of protests elsewhere in the city. Trump brushed off the possibility of both disruptions, with a social media post Saturday morning that said the "great military parade" would be on "rain or shine." The protests, he said earlier, "will be met with very big force." Hours ahead of the parade, crowds of protesters with anti-Trump signs marched toward the White House, escorted by police vehicles and officers on bicycles. Some held a giant banner that read: "TRUMP MUST GO NOW." The parade has also drawn criticism for its price tag of up to $45 million and the possibility that the lumbering tanks could tear up city streets. The Army has taken a variety of steps to protect the streets, including laying metal plates along the route. The daylong display of the US Army comes as Trump has shown his willingness to use the nation's military might in ways other US presidents have typically avoided. In the last week, he has activated the California National Guard without the governor's permission and dispatched the US Marines to provide security during Los Angeles protests related to immigration raids, prompting a state lawsuit to stop the deployments. Saturday's pageantry was designed to fulfill Trump's expressed desire for a big parade after seeing one in Paris on Bastille Day in 2017. The event is expected to include about 6,600 soldiers, 50 helicopters and 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks, as well as possibly 200,000 attendees and heightened security to match. "No Kings" rallies — organisers picked the name to support democracy and speak out against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration — unfolding in hundreds of cities — were meant to counter what organisers say are Trump's plans to feed his ego on his 79th birthday and Flag Day. The Army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend the festival and parade. Timed down to the minute, the march will be divided into sections by history — with equipment and troops in full dress from each period. At the end of the parade, Trump will swear in 250 new or reenlisting troops, and the Army's Golden Knights parachute team will jump onto the Mall. That will be followed by a concert and fireworks. The grand military parade that US President Donald Trump has long been wanting has kicked off with tanks, troops and a 21-gun salute, while protesters around the country decried the leader as a dictator and would-be king. The Republican president, on his 79th birthday, sat on a special viewing stand south of the White House to watch the display of American military might, which began early as light rain fell and dark clouds loomed. It's a procession Trump tried to make happen in his first term after seeing such an event in Paris in 2017, but the plans never came together until this year, when it was added to an event recognising the Army's 250th anniversary. Hours before the parade was set to start, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators turned out in streets and parks around the nation to denounce the Republican president as a dictator or would-be king. They criticised Trump for using the military to respond to those protesting his deportation efforts and for sending tanks, thousands of marching troops and military aircraft out for a show in the US capital. In Washington, anti-war protesters unfurled signs that said "Homes not drones" not far from a display of armoured vehicles, helicopters and military-grade equipment on the National Mall. The military procession was set to step off from the Lincoln Memorial later on Saturday, under the threat of stormy weather and to the accompaniment of protests elsewhere in the city. Trump brushed off the possibility of both disruptions, with a social media post Saturday morning that said the "great military parade" would be on "rain or shine." The protests, he said earlier, "will be met with very big force." Hours ahead of the parade, crowds of protesters with anti-Trump signs marched toward the White House, escorted by police vehicles and officers on bicycles. Some held a giant banner that read: "TRUMP MUST GO NOW." The parade has also drawn criticism for its price tag of up to $45 million and the possibility that the lumbering tanks could tear up city streets. The Army has taken a variety of steps to protect the streets, including laying metal plates along the route. The daylong display of the US Army comes as Trump has shown his willingness to use the nation's military might in ways other US presidents have typically avoided. In the last week, he has activated the California National Guard without the governor's permission and dispatched the US Marines to provide security during Los Angeles protests related to immigration raids, prompting a state lawsuit to stop the deployments. Saturday's pageantry was designed to fulfill Trump's expressed desire for a big parade after seeing one in Paris on Bastille Day in 2017. The event is expected to include about 6,600 soldiers, 50 helicopters and 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks, as well as possibly 200,000 attendees and heightened security to match. "No Kings" rallies — organisers picked the name to support democracy and speak out against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration — unfolding in hundreds of cities — were meant to counter what organisers say are Trump's plans to feed his ego on his 79th birthday and Flag Day. The Army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend the festival and parade. Timed down to the minute, the march will be divided into sections by history — with equipment and troops in full dress from each period. At the end of the parade, Trump will swear in 250 new or reenlisting troops, and the Army's Golden Knights parachute team will jump onto the Mall. That will be followed by a concert and fireworks.
