US politics live: ‘Fallen out of favour': Trump rift deepens
Welcome to our coverage of US politics.
Rifts continue to emerge in Donald Trump's inner circle regarding the possibility of striking Iran.
The US President has already chided National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard who stated that Tehran wasn't actually that close to getting a nuclear bomb,
Now, despite her critical role, Ms Gabbard has reportedly 'fallen out of favour' with Mr Trump.
On Thursday, US time, Mr Trump took his intelligence briefing in the White House Situation Room. This is from where he has been co-ordinating the US' position on Iran.
A new poll has suggested that a majority of 'MAGA Republicans' would support a US strike on Tehran. That would fly in the face of other reporting which has suggested Trump followers are far more keen on his no new wars message.
Former US president Bill Clinton has made an intervention on Iran with a direct message to Mr Trump.
And Vice President JD Vance has been kicked off a competitor to Elon Musk's X just minutes after joining.
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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Its defences are smashed, its allies are quiet. No-one is going to help Iran
Iran's skies are open, its missile launchers are destroyed, and its allies are silent. Meanwhile, in Israel, restrictions are being relaxed, and citizens are returning to work and public spaces – although Iranian strikes have continued, with some hitting multi-storey buildings and a major hospital. Israel had been expecting a longer campaign and more intense retaliation from the Iranians, but Israeli intelligence operations and a series of strikes last year appear to have successfully weakened Iran's defences. Israeli jets and drones have needed only a few days to do the rest. Iran's "Axis of Resistance", a key tenet of its strategy of "forward defence", has proven impotent. The Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah, which Israel previously considered a more immediate danger than Iran, has done nothing. The group's guided missiles were thought to be Iran's insurance policy against an Israeli or United States attack. But Hezbollah's missile arsenal and weapons factories were badly damaged by a crushing Israeli air campaign last year, and the group felt abandoned by its Iranian sponsors during its hour of need. Now, Hezbollah knows any intervention in this conflict would see the group lose any chance of recovering, most likely dying out as both a political and military force with a whimper rather than a roar. The Shia militias in Iraq — supposedly powerful, heavily armed and aggressive — have also not acted. Only the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who were already firing ballistic missiles at Israel and attacking shipping in the Red Sea before Israel's attack, have maintained some form of token action, with the occasional missile or drone launch. Another ally, the Assad regime in Syria, collapsed late last year, in part because of Israel's success against Hezbollah. Iran's most powerful allies, China and Russia, have not intervened either. Iran has been supplying Russia with drones to use against Ukraine, but Russia has not helped defend against Israeli attacks. "Throughout the history between Iran and Russia, Russia has never been a reliable ally for Iran," Iran researcher Mahnaz Shirali told the ABC. "It has always been more of a dangerous neighbour, constantly eager to seize Iranian territories. It's the ayatollahs' foolishness that made them believe they could count on Russia. "Russia has never truly helped Iran. On the contrary, the Islamic Republic has helped Russia a great deal — providing them with missiles and drones." Yet, Russia refuses to build Iran an air defence system. "As for China, which supposedly supports Iran, it hasn't lifted a finger to help. And that's understandable," Dr Shirali said. "China does $US600 billion in trade with the United States every year. They're never going to sacrifice those $600 billion for the sake of the ayatollahs." While Israel has clearly been planning diligently to attack Iran, the Iranian government and military have proven unprepared and incapable of responding. As Israel did with its devastatingly accurate intelligence against Hezbollah — including booby-trapping pagers and walkie-talkies — Israeli operatives had extensively penetrated Iran, allowing Israel to quickly weaken defences and dominate the skies. Iran, struggling under sanctions and repressing its citizens for years, has repeatedly proven ripe for recruitment and infiltration. The country's advantages — a large, mountainous landmass, a big population and a standing army — have all been nullified by a swift, intense Israeli air campaign. "They thought they could go to war against Israel with their soldiers on the ground. They had absolutely no idea that war in 2025 is fought against an invisible enemy," Dr Shirali said. "They were completely unprepared for this modern form of warfare." None of this is to say Israel's attacks — particularly on scientists and residential areas — are legal under international law, or that Israel had a casus belli (legal justification) for attacking while Iran, which had previously signed a nuclear control deal, was in the middle of negotiating a new agreement with the US. Israel also cannot claim victory. It hasn't managed to disable Iran's secondary uranium enrichment site at Fordow, which is buried deep under a mountain, and Iran maintains a decentralised and extensive network of nuclear scientists and facilities. Iran — and regional neighbours who are watching Israel's attack with great unease — could well decide that it now has no choice but to build a nuclear weapon as soon as possible, as its other forms of deterrence have proven so ineffective. Israel is now switching to attacking elements of the Iranian government, hoping to weaken it enough that Iranians could overthrow it with a popular uprising. So far, that doesn't seem to be materialising, not least because powerful elements of Iran's theocratic regime remain. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which reports directly to the supreme leader, is almost a state within a state, with its own army, air force, navy and cyber directorate that sit outside the Iranian military. It also has lucrative commercial interests and political connections, as well as the infamous "Basij" paramilitary force, which claims it can mobilise up to 600,000 volunteers. The IRGC has violently suppressed previous attempts at democratic revolutions in Iran and could well do so again, despite Israeli attacks. Iran is a multi-ethnic society, and its opposition groups are not all aligned in their aims and interests. Previous western intervention for regime change in the Middle East and South Asia has had disastrous results — the civil war in Libya, the sectarian nightmare of Iraq that gave rise to the Islamic State terror group, and the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan are all in very recent history. Attempts to sow chaos have rewarded the worst actors in recent conflicts, with the most extreme and best-armed being the first to fill the power vacuum. The other powers in the Middle East will also be alarmed at Israel — the region's only nuclear-armed state and a non-signatory to the non-proliferation treaty — using massive force to dictate who can do what. Iran's government could also weather the Israeli — and potential US — assault and seek other ways to retaliate, such as asymmetric attacks, terrorism, or blocking shipping. "These are empty threats, but they're still dangerous," Dr Shirali said. "They have a capacity to cause harm." As Israel has found in Gaza, it is dangerous to begin a campaign without a clear exit strategy. Israel's goals are now unclear, and that's a recipe for further chaos in the region.
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
Israel-Iran conflict LIVE updates: Trump to decide on US involvement ‘within two weeks'; Iranian missiles hit Israeli hospital
Go to latest Pinned post from 4.00am In brief: The latest on the situation in the Middle East Welcome to our ongoing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East as hostilities between Israel and Iran show no sign of cooling. Loading Here's a quick overview of where we're at this morning: Iran launched several missiles yesterday, penetrating Israeli defences and hitting civilian areas, including a hospital in the south. Other parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, were also targeted. Iran's state media said Iranian missiles were targeting the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) command and intelligence headquarters adjacent to the Soroka Hospital that was struck. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attacks and instructed the IDF to increase its intensity of strikes against Iran US media reported that the Trump administration was preparing for a possible strike on Iran in the coming days, which would be a significant escalation in the crisis. The IDF claimed it had killed two Hezbollah commanders during strikes in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has not confirmed either of the deaths. Israel said it had attacked an Iranian nuclear reactor in Arak and dozens of other military and government targets throughout the country. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported there was no radiation threat from Arak and that the site was not operational. Iran's deputy foreign minister warned against any direct US involvement in the conflict, saying Iran had 'all the necessary options on the table.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will meet his British, French and German counterparts as well as the European Union's top diplomat on Friday in Geneva, Iranian state media reported. Meanwhile, Israel's war in Gaza goes on and the death toll continues to climb. You can catch up with everything we know about the conflict on our regularly updated 'what we know so far' page. 4.01am Europe takes the diplomatic route Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet in Geneva later today (AEST) with counterparts from Germany, France and the UK. Europe's push for diplomacy is in sharp contrast to messages from Washington, with US President Donald Trump openly weighing bombing Iran. The three European countries played an important role in the negotiations over the original 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. It will be a busy day for UK's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who has already been in Washington today to speak with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Lammy was then expected to jump on a plane to Geneva. He may prove pivotal in any negotiations, acting as a 'middle man' between Europe, the US-Israeli alliance, and Iran. He will no doubt have conveyed to Rubio concerns from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over US involvement in the Middle East. Starmer held an emergency meeting 'Cobra' meeting at Downing Street to discuss just that on Wednesday. 4.01am Trump will make decision 'within two weeks' on US action White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt gave one of her regular media briefings a short time ago. She said US President Donald Trump's main priority was ensuring that Iran does not make nuclear weapons. Leavitt claimed that Iran obtaining nuclear weapons would represented 'an existential threat' not just to Israel but to the US and the entire world. She did, however, say that Trump believes there is still a good chance of negotiations with Iran, but she would not offer any further details. Trump would decide on any US action 'within two weeks' – indicating there could be no resolution any time soon, repeating the common Trump political cry of 'peace through strength'. Leavitt also confirmed that Trump would attend a NATO summit later this week. 4.00am In brief: The latest on the situation in the Middle East Welcome to our ongoing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East as hostilities between Israel and Iran show no sign of cooling. Loading Here's a quick overview of where we're at this morning: Iran launched several missiles yesterday, penetrating Israeli defences and hitting civilian areas, including a hospital in the south. Other parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, were also targeted. Iran's state media said Iranian missiles were targeting the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) command and intelligence headquarters adjacent to the Soroka Hospital that was struck. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attacks and instructed the IDF to increase its intensity of strikes against Iran US media reported that the Trump administration was preparing for a possible strike on Iran in the coming days, which would be a significant escalation in the crisis. The IDF claimed it had killed two Hezbollah commanders during strikes in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has not confirmed either of the deaths. Israel said it had attacked an Iranian nuclear reactor in Arak and dozens of other military and government targets throughout the country. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported there was no radiation threat from Arak and that the site was not operational. Iran's deputy foreign minister warned against any direct US involvement in the conflict, saying Iran had 'all the necessary options on the table.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will meet his British, French and German counterparts as well as the European Union's top diplomat on Friday in Geneva, Iranian state media reported. Meanwhile, Israel's war in Gaza goes on . You can catch up with everything we know about the conflict on our regularly updated 'what we know so far' page.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Israel-Iran conflict LIVE updates: Trump to decide on US involvement ‘within two weeks'; Iranian missiles hit Israeli hospital
Go to latest In brief: The latest on the situation in the Middle East Welcome to our ongoing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East as hostilities between Israel and Iran show no sign of cooling. Loading Here's a quick overview of where we're at this morning: Iran launched several missiles yesterday, penetrating Israeli defences and hitting civilian areas, including a hospital in the south. Other parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, were also targeted. Iran's state media said Iranian missiles were targeting the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) command and intelligence headquarters adjacent to the Soroka Hospital that was struck. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attacks and instructed the IDF to increase its intensity of strikes against Iran US media reported that the Trump administration was preparing for a possible strike on Iran in the coming days, which would be a significant escalation in the crisis. The IDF claimed it had killed two Hezbollah commanders during strikes in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has not confirmed either of the deaths. Israel said it had attacked an Iranian nuclear reactor in Arak and dozens of other military and government targets throughout the country. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported there was no radiation threat from Arak and that the site was not operational. Iran's deputy foreign minister warned against any direct US involvement in the conflict, saying Iran had 'all the necessary options on the table.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will meet his British, French and German counterparts as well as the European Union's top diplomat on Friday in Geneva, Iranian state media reported. Meanwhile, Israel's war in Gaza goes on and the death toll continues to climb. You can catch up with everything we know about the conflict on our regularly updated 'what we know so far' page. 4.01am Europe takes the diplomatic route Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet in Geneva later today (AEST) with counterparts from Germany, France and the UK. Europe's push for diplomacy is in sharp contrast to messages from Washington, with US President Donald Trump openly weighing bombing Iran. The three European countries played an important role in the negotiations over the original 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. It will be a busy day for UK's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who has already been in Washington today to speak with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Lammy was then expected to jump on a plane to Geneva. He may prove pivotal in any negotiations, acting as a 'middle man' between Europe, the US-Israeli alliance, and Iran. He will no doubt have conveyed to Rubio concerns from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over US involvement in the Middle East. Starmer held an emergency meeting 'Cobra' meeting at Downing Street to discuss just that on Wednesday. 4.01am Trump will make decision 'within two weeks' on US action White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt gave one of her regular media briefings a short time ago. She said US President Donald Trump's main priority was ensuring that Iran does not make nuclear weapons. Leavitt claimed that Iran obtaining nuclear weapons would represented 'an existential threat' not just to Israel but to the US and the entire world. She did, however, say that Trump believes there is still a good chance of negotiations with Iran, but she would not offer any further details. Trump would decide on any US action 'within two weeks' – indicating there could be no resolution any time soon, repeating the common Trump political cry of 'peace through strength'. Leavitt also confirmed that Trump would attend a NATO summit later this week. 4.00am In brief: The latest on the situation in the Middle East Welcome to our ongoing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East as hostilities between Israel and Iran show no sign of cooling. Loading Here's a quick overview of where we're at this morning: Iran launched several missiles yesterday, penetrating Israeli defences and hitting civilian areas, including a hospital in the south. Other parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, were also targeted. Iran's state media said Iranian missiles were targeting the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) command and intelligence headquarters adjacent to the Soroka Hospital that was struck. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attacks and instructed the IDF to increase its intensity of strikes against Iran US media reported that the Trump administration was preparing for a possible strike on Iran in the coming days, which would be a significant escalation in the crisis. The IDF claimed it had killed two Hezbollah commanders during strikes in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has not confirmed either of the deaths. Israel said it had attacked an Iranian nuclear reactor in Arak and dozens of other military and government targets throughout the country. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported there was no radiation threat from Arak and that the site was not operational. Iran's deputy foreign minister warned against any direct US involvement in the conflict, saying Iran had 'all the necessary options on the table.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will meet his British, French and German counterparts as well as the European Union's top diplomat on Friday in Geneva, Iranian state media reported. Meanwhile, Israel's war in Gaza goes on . You can catch up with everything we know about the conflict on our regularly updated 'what we know so far' page.
