Israel asked US to join it in attacking Iran
West Jerusalem has asked the White House to take part in its military campaign against Iran in order to eliminate Tehran's nuclear program, according to two Israeli officials cited by Axios.Several above-ground facilities in Iran, including sites in Natanz and Esfahan, were destroyed in recent Israeli strikes, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi.Israel described the operation as a preemptive move to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon – Iran has consistently denied that it has any intention to do so.Grossi said the Iranian government had also informed him that the Fordow enrichment plant near the city of Qom, a heavily fortified site built deep inside a mountain, was targeted, but there are no indications that the site sustained significant damage.According to Axios, Israel lacks the bunker-busting bombs and long-range bomber aircraft required to destroy Fordow. The US, however, possesses both and operates forces within range of Iran.
Israeli officials reportedly believe that if Fordow remains operational after the operation ends, West Jerusalem's mission to eliminate Iran's nuclear program will have failed.An Israeli official told Axios the US might participate in the campaign and said President Donald Trump had indicated during a recent call with Netanyahu that he would consider it 'if necessary.' The White House has denied this claim.A second American official confirmed that Israel had requested US involvement but said the Trump administration is not considering it.
Washington has reportedly distanced itself from the operation, while warning that even a limited strike could draw the US into the war. White House officials have argued that it would be illegitimate for Iran to retaliate against American forces.
A senior US official told the outlet that while the Israeli attacks could not be prevented, a peaceful resolution remains possible. 'We have the ability to negotiate a successful, peaceful resolution to this conflict if Iran is willing,' the source said. 'The fastest way for Iran to accomplish peace is to give up its nuclear weapons program.'Nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington began in April, with Trump warning of military consequences if diplomacy failed.On Saturday, Tehran cancelled a sixth round of negotiations scheduled in Oman. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said talks would not resume until Israeli strikes come to an end.Earlier on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart held a 50-minute phone call to discuss the situation in the Middle East. The two leaders reportedly agreed on the possibility of restarting negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Israel asked US to join Iran attack
West Jerusalem has asked the White House to take part in its military campaign against Iran in order to eliminate Tehran's nuclear program, according to two Israeli officials cited by above-ground facilities in Iran, including sites in Natanz and Esfahan, were destroyed in recent Israeli strikes, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael described the operation as a preemptive move to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon – Iran has consistently denied that it has any intention to do said the Iranian government had also informed him that the Fordow enrichment plant near the city of Qom, a heavily fortified site built deep inside a mountain, was targeted, but there are no indications that the site sustained significant to Axios, Israel lacks the bunker-busting bombs and long-range bomber aircraft required to destroy Fordow. The US, however, possesses both and operates forces within range of Iran. Israeli officials reportedly believe that if Fordow remains operational after the operation ends, West Jerusalem's mission to eliminate Iran's nuclear program will have Israeli official told Axios the US might participate in the campaign and said President Donald Trump had indicated during a recent call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would consider it 'if necessary.' The White House has denied this claim.A second American official confirmed that Israel had requested US involvement but said the Trump administration is not considering it. Washington has reportedly distanced itself from the operation, while warning that even a limited strike could draw the US into the war. White House officials have argued that it would be illegitimate for Iran to retaliate against American forces. A senior US official told the outlet that while the Israeli attacks could not be prevented, a peaceful resolution remains possible. 'We have the ability to negotiate a successful, peaceful resolution to this conflict if Iran is willing,' the source said. 'The fastest way for Iran to accomplish peace is to give up its nuclear weapons program.'Nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington began in April, with Trump warning of military consequences if diplomacy Saturday, Tehran cancelled a sixth round of negotiations scheduled in Oman. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said talks would not resume until Israeli strikes come to an on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart held a 50-minute phone call to discuss the situation in the Middle East. The two leaders reportedly agreed on the possibility of restarting negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Iran accuses Israel of trying to spoil nuclear deal with US
Israel is trying to prevent Tehran from reaching a nuclear deal with the US, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in his first press conference since the escalation between the Islamic Republic and the Jewish state on Friday. The sixth round of talks between Washington and Tehran, which had been scheduled to take place in Oman on June 15, was canceled after Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Friday in what the Islamic Republic has called a declaration of war. Iran responded by launching multiple volleys of ballistic missiles at targets in Israel, including the country's largest city, Tel Aviv. The countries continued to exchange strikes overnight and during the day on Sunday, with Israel attacking Iran's energy infrastructure and what it called sites 'related to the Iranian regime's nuclear weapons project.' Tehran fired more missiles at targets in Israel, including near Haifa and Tel Aviv; at least 10 people were reportedly killed and around 200 wounded in those attacks. In his comments on Saturday, Araghchi reiterated that the Iranian authorities maintain a 'firm conviction not to possess a nuclear weapon.' However, he noted that 'those who are willing to deprive Iran of our right to possess the nuclear program for peaceful purposes, they have no right to do so.' 'This is a crystal-clear matter. The Zionist entity [Israel] is not willing to see us reaching an agreement or a diplomatic solution with the US,' the minister said. According to Araghchi, a breakthrough could have well happened during the canceled talks between Tehran and Washington. 'The previous round of talks, the Americans presented a number of proposals, which were not totally acceptable to us. We presented our response and our viewpoints, and we were supposed to present a counter-proposal. Our proposal could have opened doors for an all-out agreement with the Americans,' he claimed. Earlier on Sunday, US President Donald Trump insisted that Washington 'had nothing to do' with the attack on the Islamic Republic and urged Tehran to return to diplomacy, saying that 'we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict.' The Iranian foreign minister said that Tehran does not believe the US claims that it wasn't involved in the Israeli aggression. 'We have evidence to the contrary,' he stressed.
Russia Today
6 hours ago
- Russia Today
Iraq warns of whopping $300 per barrel oil prices
Escalating tensions in the Middle East and a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz could drive oil prices up to $300 per barrel, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein warned during a phone conversation with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. On Friday morning, Israeli jets bombed military and nuclear sites across Iran, kicking off an ongoing exchange of hostilities between the two countries. According to Hussein, oil prices could surge to between $200 and $300 per barrel 'if military operations were to break out, which would significantly increase inflation rates in European countries and complicate oil exports for producing states such as Iraq.' The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transport route, could 'result in the loss of approximately five million barrels per day from Gulf and Iraqi oil supplies in the global market,' the Iraqi foreign minister was quoted as saying. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime passage through which about 20% of the world's oil supply flows. On Saturday, Iranian MP and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Esmail Kousari stated that Tehran is seriously considering closing the strait to shipping. Analysts have highlighted the potential impact of such a closure on global oil prices. JPMorgan analysts estimate that in a severe scenario, oil could surge to $130 per barrel. Other experts suggest that a complete blockade could push prices even higher, with some forecasts reaching $300 per barrel. Brent crude prices rose 7% on Friday to $74.23 per barrel in response to the first attacks. While Israel has not targeted Iran's main oil export facilities, analysts warn that future strikes could severely impact oil supplies. Conversely, the Islamic Republic could retaliate by disrupting oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, in Russia, the head of the Federation Council's information policy commission, Aleksey Pushkov, has said that the conflict between Israel and Iran could lead to a significant increase in oil prices due to Tehran's possible blocking of the Persian Gulf.
