Alert: Iran confirms 2 additional high-ranking generals were killed in Israeli strikes on the country
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran confirms 2 additional high-ranking generals were killed in Israeli strikes on the country.
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San Francisco Chronicle
22 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Israel's attack on Iran marks moment of truth for Netanyahu
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the mission of his lifetime. For years, the veteran leader has made the destruction of Iran's nuclear program his top priority, raising the issue in speech after speech in apocalyptic terms. Now Netanyahu's moment of truth has arrived. After battling Iran's allies across the region following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Netanyahu has turned his attention to what he describes as the 'head of the octopus,' with an unprecedented and open-ended military offensive against Iran and its nuclear program. It is an aggressive gamble made possible by a confluence of factors, including the weakening of Iranian-backed militant groups in Gaza and Lebanon, and the reelection and support of U.S. President Donald Trump. But success is not guaranteed, and the outcome of the escalating conflict could determine the fate of Netanyahu's government and shape his legacy. Here's a closer look: Netanyahu's history of warnings on Iran Netanyahu began warning about the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran in the 1990s — even before his first term as prime minister at the end of the decade. He returned to office in 2009 and has served as prime minister almost continuously since then, rarely missing an opportunity to portray the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to Israel's existence and menace to the world. In 2012, he famously displayed a crude cartoon illustrating what he said was Iran's march toward the bomb during a speech to the U.N. assembly. Three years later, he delivered a controversial speech to the U.S. Congress arguing against then-President Barack Obama's emerging nuclear deal with Iran. The speech infuriated the White House and failed to block the deal. But it delighted Republicans and laid the groundwork for Trump to pull out of the agreement three years later. Netanyahu has frequently compared Iran's theocratic leadership to the Nazis, at times drawing the ire of Holocaust scholars and survivor groups. He turned to that familiar playbook this week as he announced the latest attacks on Iran. 'Eighty years ago, the Jewish people were the victims of a Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazi regime,' he said. 'Today, the Jewish state refuses to be a victim of a nuclear Holocaust perpetrated by the Iranian regime.' Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. But its enrichment of uranium to near-weapons grade levels and failure to cooperate with international inspectors have raised doubts about those claims. The head of the U.N. nuclear agency has warned that Iran has enough enriched uranium to make several bombs. The agency censured Iran this week for failing to comply with nonproliferation obligations, one day before the Israeli strikes began. Why attack Iran now? Netanyahu for years has threatened to strike Iran, repeatedly saying that all options were 'on the table.' But never before has he pulled the trigger due to opposition by domestic rivals and security chiefs, questions about the feasibility of such a risky operation and the opposition of a string of U.S. presidents. But things have changed over the past two years, and Netanyahu now believes he has a chance to shape the region in his own image. Since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, Israel has systematically degraded a network of Iranian allies across the region. The war in Gaza has decimated the Palestinian militant group Hamas, but at a devastating price for the territory's civilian population. Last year, Israel also inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, severely weakening the group and contributing to the downfall of Syrian President Bashar Assad, another key Iranian ally. And during a brief round of fighting with Iran last year, Israel knocked out much of its enemies' air-defense systems. With Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' in tatters and Iran unable to defend itself against Israel's air force, there was little to deter Israel from taking action this week. Trump provided the final piece of the puzzle. After surprising Israel earlier this year with his resumption of nuclear talks with Iran, Trump grew frustrated with the lack of progress in those talks. Notified about the Israeli plans, the U.S. president appears to have put up little resistance, creating a rare window of opportunity for Israel. Will Netanyahu succeed? It is too early to say. The Israeli operation appears to have gotten off to a smooth start – with Israel striking dozens of targets and killing senior Iranian military figures. But it remains unclear how much damage Israel has inflicted on Iran's nuclear program. For now, the divisive and embattled Netanyahu appears to be riding a wave of support at home. Even the political opposition, which tried to topple Netanyahu in a parliamentary vote earlier in the week, has come out in support of the Iran operation. But things could change quickly. After an initial wave of support for Israel's war against Hamas, the country is now deeply divided. With the fighting now over 20 months old, many believe Netanyahu has unnecessarily dragged out the conflict in a self-serving campaign to remain in office. Likewise, public support for the Iranian operation could quickly turn if Iran's missile attacks on Israel cause heavy casualties or continue to disrupt life in Israel for an extended period. A debacle on the battlefield – such as the capture of an Israeli fighter pilot by Iran – could also reverse Netanyahu's fortunes. Netanyahu's hints that he is seeking regime change in Iran — a difficult and complicated task — could further hurt his standing. Why is success so important for Netanyahu? After a record-setting tenure in office, Netanyahu has a complicated legacy. He is the object of affection and adoration among his supporters who see him as a wily politician and distinguished statesman. But he is intensely disdained by his many detractors, who see him as a divisive and populist cynic. Few on either side would disagree that his legacy has been permanently tarnished by the Oct. 7 attacks, the deadliest day in Israel's history. Netanyahu now sees an opportunity to reshape that legacy once again and go down in history as the man who saved his country from nuclear annihilation, not the prime minister who presided over its darkest moment.
Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Putin Calls Trump to Wish Him A Happy Birthday, Discuss Iran
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Amid celebrate his birthday celebrations, President Donald Trump took a call from Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the two mostly discussed the current situation in 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 his post. "Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week," Trump explained, adding, "He is doing the planned prisoner swaps - large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides." Trump continued to say he believes both wars should end, saying "The call lasted approximately 1 hour. He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end." The call comes as Trump celebrated his 79th birthday during his second term in office, and hours before the president is set to attend the Military Parade in Washington D.C., which starts at 6:30 p.m. ET. It also comes following two days of intense military operations between Israel and Iran that saw at least 78 people killed, and more than 320 injured in Iran by Israeli forces, and two dead, 44 injured in Israel. Among those killed dead are Iranian Armed Forces chief of staff Major General Mohammed Bagheri, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Major General Hossein Salami and IRGC Aerospace Forces commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, as well as several nuclear scientists, Newsweek previously reported. Israel's sudden large-scale campaign prompted Iran to cancel a sixth round of nuclear talks set to be held Sunday in Oman, as announced by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday. The Omani Foreign Ministry confirmed Saturday that the negotiations would not be held. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
34 minutes ago
Israelis are uneasy as they prepare for more Iranian missiles
TEL AVIV, Israel -- A palpable tension settled over an eerily quiet Tel Aviv on Saturday as residents anticipated another round of missiles to be fired from Iran, which is under intense attack from the Israeli military. Iran's retaliatory strikes late Friday — a barrage of drones and missiles mostly shot down by Israel's defenses — killed at least three people in the greater Tel Aviv area, and wounded dozens. Most stores and restaurants were closed the next day across the Mediterranean city, though some ice cream shops remained open. A smattering of people gathered with friends in parks, while staying close to public bomb shelters. Tel Aviv's beaches, normally packed, had fewer sunbathers. Uneasy Israelis huddled over their phones for updates about the escalating conflict with Iran, while still trying to go about their lives and enjoy a bit of sunshine. 'It just feels very unknown,' said Lindsay Schragen, an architect in Tel Aviv. After more than 20 months of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon and the conflict with Houthi rebels in Yemen — all with ties to Iran — Israelis are used to government requests for them to go to bomb shelters when sirens are activated. But those episodes usually last about 10 minutes, whereas conflict with the much more powerful Iranian army means attacks last significantly longer, requiring families to spend hours in bomb shelters. Still, many people expressed gratitude for Israel's early warning systems, including cellphone notifications, and the robust shelter infrastructure in the city. Schragen, who moved to Israel from New Jersey eight years ago, said it was difficult for her family and friends in the U.S. to understand how she spent the night dashing for a bomb shelter and then the next afternoon hanging with friends in the park. 'My mom keeps calling me and asking if I'm in the shelter, but no, I'm here, outside,' she said. 'Somehow we're able to preserve some normalcy.' Over the decades, Israel has developed a sophisticated air defense system capable of detecting incoming fire and deploying only if the projectile is headed toward a population center or sensitive military or civilian infrastructure. Israeli leaders say the system isn't 100% guaranteed, but credit it with preventing serious damage and countless casualties. Israel's attack on Iran was much more intense and caused significantly more damage. Israel said its hundreds of strikes on Iran over the past two days killed a number of top generals, nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran's nuclear program. Iran's U.N. ambassador said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded. Israel said the surprise attack was necessary before Iran got any closer to building an atomic weapon. The Israeli attack threw into disarray talks between the United States and Iran over Tehran's rapidly developing nuclear program. As the Iranian attack ensued, hospitals across Israel moved intensive-care patients into underground parking lots converted for such emergencies. Sheba Medical Center, in Ramat Gan, has room for hundreds of patients in its underground facility east of Tel Aviv. Over the past 48 hours, the hospital has moved dozens of patients, including premature babies, into the protected underground area. 'I told my wife I never want my child to be born into such a reality,' said Eliran Bar, the father of a three-week-old premature baby in the intensive care unit. 'I really hope it will end soon.' Saturday was mostly quiet in Israel, though many people were preparing for another night of missiles. Shaun Katz, a 32-year-old lawyer from Tel Aviv, packed a bag with camping mattresses, water bottles, and bananagrams, his favorite game, to pass the time. 'We don't know how this goes on or how it plays out, but this may have been the best chance to neutralize the Iranian threat,' Katz said. 'I usually would take the option to de-escalate, but I don't know if that option is on the table, and this may be the best chance we've got to stop them from getting a nuclear weapon.' Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, though its uranium enrichment has reached near weapons-grade levels, according to the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency. Others in the Tel Aviv area, where several buildings were destroyed, were more worried about what comes next. 'My wife, she is Israeli, she's very, very anxious and she wants to leave as soon as possible,' said Howard Alansteen, an American living in Israel. 'She's talking about going over the bridge to Jordan. She was talking about getting on a ferry to Cyprus. She's taking about going to Eliat. She is really upset.' Zhenya Kuperman, a 20-year-old chef from Givatayim, a suburb east of Tel Aviv, said she had many friends who were too scared to leave their homes all day, but it helped her to come out and see people.
