Trump calls strikes on Iran severe despite "inconclusive" intelligence
US President Donald Trump is doubling down on claims of "total obliteration" to Iranian nuclear sites as he meets with leaders of the NATO bloc. The defence alliance is wrapping up two days of talks on boosting defence spending, centred on Mr Trump's demand for the bloc to do more. Ross Cullen reports from The Hague.
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CNA
23 minutes ago
- CNA
Trump teases Iran talks next week, says nuclear programme set back 'decades'
JERUSALEM: President Donald Trump said Wednesday (Jun 25) that the United States would hold nuclear talks with Iran next week, teasing the possibility of a deal even after boasting that recent US strikes had crippled the Islamic republic's atomic programme. Trump credited the unprecedented US attacks with the "total obliteration" of Iran's nuclear capabilities, and said they had set the country's programme back "decades". But leaked US intelligence cast doubt on that assessment, saying the strikes had likely delayed Tehran by just a few months. Before the agreement of a ceasefire on Tuesday, Israel had pounded Iranian nuclear and military sites over the course of 12 days of war, while Iran launched waves of missiles at its regional arch foe in their deadliest-ever confrontation. The United States joined the fray in support of its ally, hitting two nuclear facilities with massive bunker-buster bombs over the weekend, while a guided missile from a submarine struck a third. "They're not going to be building bombs for a long time," said Trump, adding the strikes had set back the programme by "decades" and that the ceasefire that he declared was going "very well". He later told reporters that Israel and Iran were "both tired, exhausted", going on to say that talks were planned with Iran "next week". "We may sign an agreement. I don't know," he added. "I mean, they had a war, they fought, now they're going back to their world. I don't care if I have an agreement or not." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had said on Tuesday his country was willing to return to negotiations over its nuclear programme, but that it would continue to "assert its legitimate rights" to the peaceful use of atomic energy. "STILL EARLY" Israel's military said Wednesday it was "still early" to assess the damage the war caused to Iran's nuclear programme. "I believe we have delivered a significant hit to the nuclear programme, and I can also say that we have delayed it by several years," said Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei acknowledged to Al Jazeera that its "nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that's for sure". But US media on Tuesday cited people familiar with a Defense Intelligence Agency report as saying the American strikes did not fully eliminate Iran's centrifuges or enriched uranium stockpiles. The strikes sealed off entrances to some facilities without destroying underground buildings, according to the report. Israel had said its bombing campaign, which began on June 13, was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran has consistently denied. "THE SAME INTENSITY" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an address to the nation after the ceasefire, announced that "we have thwarted Iran's nuclear project". "And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity, to foil any attempt," he said. Iranian lawmakers on Wednesday voted in favour of suspending cooperation with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, state TV reported. "The International Atomic Energy Agency, which refused to even marginally condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, put its international credibility up for auction," parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, according to the broadcaster. The decision to suspend cooperation with the IAEA still requires the approval of the Guardian Council, a body empowered to vet legislation. In an interview with the Al Araby Al Jadeed news outlet, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities would have "serious and profound repercussions" on the country's future. He said Iran remained committed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty but that it had failed to "protect us or our nuclear programme", adding without elaborating that Iran's approach towards the non-proliferation regime "will undergo changes". "FINALLY, WE CAN SLEEP" While Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war for decades, their 12-day conflict was by far the most destructive confrontation between them. Israeli strikes hit nuclear and military targets - killing scientists and senior military figures - as well as residential areas, prompting waves of Iranian missile fire on Israel. Tehran remained relatively quiet on Wednesday, with many shops still shuttered and only some restaurants open, though there was more life on the streets than during the peak of the war. "Thank God, the situation has improved, the ceasefire has been reached, and people have returned to work and their lives," said one resident, a 39-year-old salesman who gave his name as Saeed. Others, however, were uncertain whether the peace would hold. "I really don't know ... about the ceasefire but honestly, I don't think things will return to normal," 28-year-old Amir, who fled Tehran for the Caspian Sea coast, told AFP by phone. Some Israelis, meanwhile, welcomed the truce. "Finally, we can sleep peacefully. We feel better, less worried, for the kids, for the family. And I hope it stays that way," said Yossi Bin, a 45-year-old engineer in Tel Aviv. Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 627 civilians and wounded more than 4,800, according to the health ministry.
CNA
39 minutes ago
- CNA
US Congress battle over state AI regulations heats up ahead of Senate vote
WASHINGTON :The fight over a proposed 10-year federal moratorium on state regulation of artificial intelligence heated up on Wednesday, with Republican and Democratic Senate leaders differing on whether such a measure would be tied to billions of dollars in funding to give rural communities access to broadband. The proposed moratorium, part of President Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill, faces mounting pressure from critics ahead of crucial votes by the U.S. Senate expected this week. A previous version would have blocked states that regulate AI from the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, known as BEAD. Republican Senator Ted Cruz released an updated version on Wednesday, which he said would only restrict states that tap a new $500 million fund to support AI infrastructure. Senator Maria Cantwell, senior Democrat on the Commerce committee, however, said the measure "continues to hold $42 billion in BEAD funding hostage, forcing states to choose between protecting consumers and expanding critical broadband infrastructure to rural communities." Proponents say the measure is necessary to lift the burden on companies of complying with laws that differ from state to state and boost U.S. dominance in AI. Critics say the measure erodes states' rights and would erase state protections for creative workers and children online. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick voiced his support for the measure in a post on social media site X, saying it would end "the chaos of 50 different state laws and makes sure American companies can develop cutting-edge tech for our military, infrastructure, and critical industries-without interference from anti-innovation politicians." A Commerce Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier on Wednesday, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters had called the measure "a disaster for communities and working people." Teamsters President Sean O'Brien, who spoke at the Republican National Convention last year, said in a letter posted on social media site X that the measure "denies citizens the ability to make choices at the local or state level." "Pure and simple, it is a giveaway to Big Tech companies who reap economic value by continuing to operate in an unregulated void where their decisions and behavior are accountable to no one," he said. The letter from the head of the Teamsters, a union representing more than 1.3 million workers, many of them in blue-collar jobs such as trucking, was the latest instance of criticism. Unions, state lawmakers and attorneys general, faith leaders and the conservative Heritage Foundation have all opposed the measure, as have at least three Senate Republicans.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Turkey's Erdogan calls for permanent Iran-Israel ceasefire, Gaza truce
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025. REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw ANKARA - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told leaders at a NATO summit on Wednesday that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran needed to be made permanent, his office said, and called for a ceasefire in Gaza to alleviate the humanitarian crisis there. NATO member Turkey has been fiercely critical of Israel and its assault against Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza, which has been reduced to rubble after two years of war and had its population displaced. Ankara has also said Israel's "state terrorism" against Iran - with which it shares a 560-kilometer border - heightened the risks of a wider conflict, and welcomed the ceasefire between the two. At the NATO summit in The Hague, Erdogan held talks with the leaders of France, Germany and Britain on regional tensions, bilateral ties and relations with the EU, and defence industry cooperation. Erdogan met U.S. President Donald Trump late on Tuesday. "Our President said he welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, that the de facto situation needs to turn into lasting calm as soon as possible, that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is increasingly continuing, and that a lasting ceasefire is also needed there urgently," Erdogan's office said after his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. He repeated that call to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, adding that a solution needed to be found to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Erdogan also told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that "these tensions must not leave the humanitarian crisis in Gaza - which has reached a disastrous level - forgotten". Erdogan said the problems between Tehran and Washington could only be solved through diplomacy, adding that everyone must contribute to achieving lasting peace in the Middle East. "We welcome the ceasefire achieved through the efforts of U.S. President Trump," he told a press conference following the summit. "We expect the parties to unconditionally abide by the call of my friend Trump." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
