Iran could recover some uranium after US strike
In a briefing for reporters in Washington, the senior Israeli official - who declined to be named - said that intelligence indicates that much of Iran's enriched uranium is buried at Isfahan, which was struck by submarine-launched cruise missiles during "Operation Midnight Hammer" on 22 June. The official, however, did not express concern about the assessment, noting that any Iranian attempt to recover the material would probably be detected. According to the official, Israel's assessment is that Iran's nuclear programme was set back two years. Trump and members of his administration have been adamant that the Iranian nuclear facilities were completely destroyed. "As President Trump has said many times, Operation Midnight Hammer totally obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement sent to US media outlets. "The entire world is safer thanks to his decisive leadership." What we know about US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sitesThe BBC has contacted the White House for further comment. US intelligence assessments have been more cautious, with a leaked preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency report concluding that while all three sites - at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan - were heavily damaged, they were not completely destroyed.In late June, CIA Director John Ratcliffe told US lawmakers that the destruction of Iran's only facility for producing metallic uranium effectively took away Iran's ability to build a nuclear weapon. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi told CBS, the BBC's US partner, that while the three targeted Iranian sites were "destroyed to an important degree", parts are "still standing"."Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared, and there is nothing there," Mr Grossi said. In an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson published earlier this week, Iranian President Mahmoud Pezeshkian said that the facilities were "severely damaged". "Therefore we don't have any access to them," he said, adding that a full assessment is impossible for now.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Moment flustered Putin winces as he's bombarded with questions from the free press asking him if he will 'stop killing civilians'
This is the moment a flustered Putin winced as he was bombarded with questions from the free press who asked whether he would 'stop killing civilians' in Ukraine. Sat alongside Donald Trump ahead of their meeting in Alaska on Friday, Vladimir Putin looked visibly uncomfortable as he was queried about a possible ceasefire. As members of the free press were ushered out of the room, Putin found himself surrounded by US journalists that were seeking accountability for the Russian leader. While President Trump appeared to be appreciative of the press' questions, remarking: ' Thank you very much, thank you', Putin, however, seemed somewhat out of his depth. Indeed, his slight smile quickly fell as one reporter shouted out: 'Mr Putin, will you break ceasefire?', before another journalist asked: 'Will you commit to not killing any more civilians?' In response, he then appeared to put his hands to his mouth and say something inaudible before making another face of confusion as another journalist queried: 'President Putin, why should President Trump trust your word now?' However, before Mr Putin had an opportunity to respond further, the press were ushered out of the room. Following Mr Putin's run-in with the crowd of passionate reporters, both him and Mr Trump began their historic crunch talks. During their two-and-a-half-hour summit, the two were understood to have failed to reach an agreed deal on Ukraine, with President Trump declaring in a press conference afterwards: 'there's no deal until there's a deal'. Despite failing to yield an immediate result, the US President appeared upbeat, saying that there were 'many, many points' that the pair 'agreed on' but that there was one issue - 'the most significant' - that they had not cracked. 'We didn't get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,' he added, without divulging any specifics. Referring to the Ukrainians, he said that 'ultimately, it's up to them' who have to 'agree with' what his administration think. He finished it off by thanking Putin once more and saying: 'We'll speak to you very soon, and probably see you again very soon. Thank you very much, Vladimir.' Putin then seemed to catch the President by surprise as he responded in English by asking, 'Next time in Moscow? ' A visibly stunned Mr Trump said: 'Oh, that's an interesting one... Prior to the near three-hour meeting, Putin had praised Mr Trump as his 'dear neighbour', thanking his administration for his 'strive to get to the crux of the matter' as the two nations 'pave the path towards peace' 'I'll get a little heat on that one, but I can see it possibly happening. Thank you very much. Thank you all.' There was no mention of a ceasefire during the 12-minute press conference, with zero questions taken before both presidents shook hands, briefly posed for pictures and then sauntered out of the room. Prior to the near three-hour meeting, Putin had praised Mr Trump as his 'dear neighbour', thanking his administration for his 'strive to get to the crux of the matter' as the two nations 'pave the path towards peace'. Mr Putin also revealed that he had greeted Mr Trump by telling him: 'Good afternoon, dear neighbour. Very good to see you in good health and to see you alive.' Making reference to Mr Trump's frequent blaming of the war on Biden, Putin said: When President Trump said that if he was the president back then, there would have been no war, I'm quite sure that it would indeed be. So I can confirm that.' He also added that he has 'always considered the Ukrainian nation… a brotherly nation'. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev told Interfax news agency that the Trump-Putin meeting had gone 'incredibly well'. However, Ukrainian politician Oleksandr Merezhko slammed the summit as a 'failure'. He said: 'I think it's a failure because Putin was again talking about security concerns and used his usual rhetoric,' he told The New York Times. 'I don't see any changes.' On Sunday morning, the US President hit back at his critics, posting on his social media platform Truth Social On Sunday morning, the US President hit back at his critics, posting on his social media platform Truth Social: 'It's incredible how the Fake News violently distorts the TRUTH when it comes to me. 'There is NOTHING I can say or do that would lead them to write or report honestly about me. I had a great meeting in Alaska on Biden's stupid War, a war that should have never happened!!!' Only minutes later, he posted: 'If I got Russia to give up Moscow as part of the Deal, the Fake News, and their PARTNER, the Radical Left Democrats, would say I made a terrible mistake and a very bad deal. 'That's why they are the FAKE NEWS! Also, they should talk about the 6 WARS, etc., I JUST STOPPED!!! MAGA.' It comes as Volodymyr Zelensky has said that giving up land for peace in a future agreement with Russia could be 'impossible'. Speaking in Brussels today, the Ukrainian president insisted that his country's constitution made it 'impossible to give up territory or trade land'. He added: 'Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at a trilateral meeting.' 'We need real negotiations, which means we can start where the front line is now.' Pictured: President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed to Melsbroek Air Base near Brussels today. Zelensky was speaking ahead of a virtual meeting with European leaders and before he travels to Washington to meet with Donald Trump Zelensky was speaking ahead of a virtual meeting with European leaders and before he travels to Washington to meet with Donald Trump. The Ukranian leader will be accompanied by several European allies, including Sir Keir Starmer, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and France's Emmanuel Macron. Other European leaders confirming they will go tomorrow included Finnish president Alexander Stubb, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte. Zelensky reiterated his position that it was necessary to establish a ceasefire in order to then negotiate a final deal. He also said that Ukraine did not yet know all the demands made by Putin at the meeting with Trump on Friday, adding that it would take a long time to go over them - and that this was not possible under 'the pressure of weapons'. Downing Street has insisted that Sir Keir and other allies stand ready to support the next phase of talks to end the war. A statement from No 10 said: 'At the meeting that will take place at the White House tomorrow, the Prime Minister, with other European partners, stands ready to support this next phase of further talks and will reaffirm that his backing for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes.' Yesterday, Sir Keir commended Mr Trump for bringing the conflict 'closer than ever' to an end.
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Starmer hails Zelensky's desire for ‘just peace' amid fears of Russian land grab
Sir Keir Starmer has hailed Volodymyr Zelensky's desire for a 'just and lasting peace' in Ukraine, amid worries a Russian land grab could result from negotiations to end the war. The Prime Minister and French President Emmanuel Macron chaired a meeting of the coalition of the willing on Sunday afternoon, where European leaders prepared for a meeting with Donald Trump alongside Mr Zelensky in Washington on Monday. European leaders appear poised to join Mr Zelensky in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian president, after his last encounter with his American counterpart in the Oval Office resulted in a diplomatic crisis. Giving a readout of the video call between coalition allies, a Downing Street spokesman said: 'The leaders reaffirmed their continued support to Ukraine, and praised President Zelensky's desire for a just and lasting peace as he prepares for further consultations with President Trump in Washington DC. 'The leaders also commended President Trump's commitment to providing security guarantees to Ukraine, in which the coalition of the willing will play a vital role through the Multinational Force Ukraine, among other measures. 'They re-emphasised the readiness to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased, and to help secure Ukraine's skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine's armed forces.'
The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on the Alaska summit: there must be no more gifts to Vladimir Putin
Hours after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin departed from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska on Friday, Moscow officials reported that two more villages in Ukraine's east had been seized by Russian forces. It was a grimly apt postscript to a 'peace summit' that allowed a pariah leader to posture on the world stage, but signally failed to achieve the outcome that its host claimed to desire. Mr Trump had suggested that he would be 'unhappy' if a ceasefire were not agreed during discussions with Mr Putin. There would, he warned, be 'severe consequences' if his guest proved unwilling to end the war. Predictably, no ceasefire announcement was forthcoming, and the sanctions Mr Trump has repeatedly threatened, but never imposed, have been kicked into the long grass. Instead, the US president offered a crucial concession to Mr Putin, concurring that a cessation of hostilities should come only after a 'comprehensive' peace agreement. This was a betrayal of hollow assurances given to Kyiv and European allies by Mr Trump before the summit, and a gift to the Kremlin. As Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, prepares to meet the US president in Washington on Monday, he consequently finds himself in a deeply invidious position. According to reports, Mr Putin's core demand is that Ukraine surrenders all unoccupied territory in the Donbas region, in exchange for a supposedly permanent ceasefire. There are, of course, no good grounds to take the Russian president at his word. His references in Alaska to the 'root causes' of the war indicate that he remains determined to force Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit, and restrict its capacity to act as an independent state. A 'deal' on anything like those terms would amount to precisely the carve-up feared by Kyiv. Mr Zelenskyy cannot, should not and will not acquiesce. But having retreated from his threats to make life tougher for Mr Putin, the US president is returning to his default bullying stance towards Mr Zelenskyy. Asked what advice he would offer the Ukrainian leader, Mr Trump responded: 'Make a deal. Gotta make a deal.' The peremptory tone is worryingly reminiscent of February's notorious Oval Office meeting, when Mr Zelenskyy was told: 'You don't have the cards.' In vague terms, Mr Trump has alluded to a future US role in security guarantees following a deal. But as Ukraine fights for a viable future, he appears impatient to move on to doing lucrative future business with Moscow, and angling for a Nobel peace prize. Given that ominous backdrop, the presence of Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders in Washington on Monday will represent a crucial counterweight. Mr Putin will attempt to force Ukraine's negotiating hand by taking more territory in the east, where Russian forces have been advancing at the fastest rate for months. Europe must ensure that, as Kyiv battles for a just peace, Mr Zelenskyy does have enough cards to play. As well as displaying solidarity in the White House, that means upping the economic pressure and military support, and urging Mr Trump to do the same. Ukraine must remain in control of the future of its own territory, and the use of force must not be rewarded by the summary redrawing of borders. With enormous bravery and skill, and at immense cost, Ukraine has resisted an illegal invasion for more than three years. There must be no sellout.
