Father of missing journalist Austin Tice responds to claims that his son was executed
After a top former Syrian general says that missing journalist Austin Tice was executed by the Syrian regime, Tice's father Marc Tice speaks with CNN's Erin Burnett about this latest claim.
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Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Air Force's Bunker-Buster Bomb Could Take Out Iran Nuclear Facility, But Israel Hints at Other Options
The entire Israeli campaign to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons will be considered a failure if the spinning centrifuges deep underground at the Fordow enrichment facility south of Tehran are left untouched, the former head of U.S. Central Command said Monday. "I take it at face value when the Israelis say if Fordow is untouched when they're finished, they would regard it as a failure" of Operation Rising Lion, which began last Friday with wide-ranging airstrikes against Iran's air defenses, military facilities and key leaders, retired Marine Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie said in a Middle East Institute panel discussion. Former CIA and National Security Council official Ken Pollack, the panel's moderator, said he had been told by Israeli officials that, "If this ends with Fordow still functioning, we have not achieved our objectives." Read Next: Military Moves Ships, Aircraft to Middle East as Senator Seeks to Stop US Action Against Iran Even as Fordow remains a high priority for the Israelis, the facility has been relatively untouched thus far, McKenzie said. "I'm certain they're gonna get round to Fordow," he said, but how the Israelis could attack and destroy a facility believed to be protected by reinforced concrete a half-mile underground was unclear. The Air Force has the weapon that could possibly penetrate the Fordow facility -- the GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator), a precision-guided, 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bomb that can penetrate down 200 feet before exploding. The MOP weapon can be delivered only by the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, McKenzie said. "It is a uniquely American capability we've trained with over a number of years," he explained, but added that the bunker buster was unlikely to be used unless Iran attacked U.S. personnel or assets in the region. However, McKenzie said without giving specifics that "there are other ways to get at that space," meaning Fordow. "I really can't say a lot more about that," he said, but the other ways would involve what he called "heroic measures." Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, suggested Sunday that Israel had contingency plans to deal with Fordow without U.S. assistance. "We have a number of contingencies ... which will enable us to deal with Fordow. Not everything is a matter of, you know, taking to the skies and bombing from afar," Leiter said Sunday on ABC-TV's "This Week" program. Related: Trump Vetoed Israeli Plan to Kill Iran's Supreme Leader, US Official Tells AP
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
G7 leaders say Iran is ‘principal source of instability' in Middle East
G7 leaders have described Iran as 'the principal source of regional instability and terror' as conflict rages in the Middle East. The conflict between Israel and Iran has been top of the agenda at the leaders' summit, taking place in Canada. In a statement agreed at the summit, leaders of the world's major economies, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, said they 'affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself'. The statement, agreed before Donald Trump left the conference early on Monday evening, also includes a call for a 'ceasefire in Gaza'. It said: 'We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East. 'In this context, we affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel. 'We also affirm the importance of the protection of civilians. 'Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror. 'We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. 'We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza. 'We will remain vigilant to the implications for international energy markets and stand ready to coordinate, including with like-minded partners, to safeguard market stability.' On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on X that Mr Trump would be leaving the summit early, following a dinner with heads of state. 'Much was accomplished, but because of what's going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State,' she said. Downing Street declined to comment on Mr Trump's early exit. Iran said at least 224 people had been killed in the country since strikes began on Friday, while Israeli officials said 24 people had been killed and more than 500 injured. The back-and-forth between Israel and Iran has raised concerns about all-out war between the rival nations. Earlier on Monday, Mr Trump and Sir Keir finalised a US-UK deal that will slash trade barriers on goods from both countries, but leaves the future of tariffs on British steel up in the air. The Prime Minister said the move marked a 'very important day' for both sides as the US president announced the agreement was 'done' in a joint appearance on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada. The deal will grant British carmakers a reprieve by the end of June as levies drop from 25% to 10%, while the aerospace sector will face no import taxes. But tariffs for the steel industry, which is of key economic importance to the UK, will stand at 25% for now rather than falling to zero as originally agreed. This is less than the US global rate of 50% for steel and aluminium. The Prime Minister described the pact as a 'sign of strength' in the transatlantic relationship, while Mr Trump praised Sir Keir as a 'friend' who had done a 'great job' securing the deal that eluded leaders before him. Following the hastily arranged meeting, the two leaders posed for pictures outside the G7 venue with the signed documents, which the US president dropped before Sir Keir picked them up. Mr Trump also mistakenly referred to the pact as a 'trade agreement with the European Union'. The Department for Business and Trade said the two leaders had pledged to 'make progress towards 0% tariffs on core steel products as agreed'. Asked whether Britain would be shielded from future tariffs, Mr Trump said the UK was protected 'because I like them'. 'The UK is very well protected, you know why? Because I like them. That's their ultimate protection,' he said. The PM told the US President: 'Donald, thank you very much… A really important agreement. And so this is a very good day for both of our countries, a real sign of strength.' The terms of the deal were agreed in May, but neither Washington nor London had yet taken the necessary steps to reduce tariffs.
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Israel, Iran trade missile fire as Trump warns Tehran to 'evacuate'
Israel and Iran traded missile fire for a fifth straight day Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump warned Tehran residents to "immediately evacuate" and left a G7 summit early. Despite growing calls for the longtime foes to end hostilities, neither Israel nor Iran showed any signs of cutting short the missile blitz kicked off Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented series of aerial raids targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities. After a new wave of Israeli strikes on Iran's capital -- including a dramatic attack on a state TV building -- both countries activated their missile defence systems overnight into Tuesday, with Israel's army briefly urging residents to seek shelter from incoming Iranian missiles. The Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv warned its citizens to leave the country immediately, as the United States said it was deploying "additional capabilities" to the Middle East, according to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz departed Southeast Asia on Monday after cancelling plans to dock in Vietnam, amid reports it was headed to the Middle East to boost the US presence there. But a White House spokesman stressed that US forces in the Middle East remained in a defensive posture, despite the flurry of activity. Trump has repeatedly declined to say if the United States would participate in Israeli military action, although he says it was not involved in the initial strikes. After calling on the two sides to make a deal, the US leader issued an extraordinary warning on his Truth Social platform. "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" Trump wrote without offering further details, before cutting short his attendance at the G7 in Canada to head back to the White House. - 'One after the other' - After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel launched a surprise aerial campaign against Iran last week, with the stated aim of preventing Tehran from acquiring atomic weapons -- an ambition it denies. Iran has launched several waves of missiles in retaliation for Israel's attacks, with Iran's Revolutionary Guards boasting Monday evening that the attacks would continue "without interruption until dawn". The sudden flare-up has sparked fears of a wider conflict, with Trump urging Iran back to the negotiating table after Israel's attacks derailed ongoing nuclear talks. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said a missile strike lightly damaged a building used by the American embassy in Tel Aviv, while the US State Department warned citizens on Monday not to travel to Israel due to security concerns. At least 24 people have been killed in Israel so far and hundreds wounded, according to the prime minister's office. Israel's strikes have killed at least 224 people, including top military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians, according to Iranian authorities. Netanyahu told a press conference Monday evening that Israel was eliminating Iran's security leadership "one after the other". "We are changing the face of the Middle East, and that can lead to radical changes inside Iran itself," he said. - 'Stop' civilian strikes - International calls for calm have mounted. At the Group of Seven summit in the Canadian Rockies, leaders including Trump called Monday for "de-escalation" while stressing Israel had the right to defend itself. "We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza", G7 leaders said in a joint statement that also affirmed "Iran can never have a nuclear weapon". China called on Israel and Iran to both "immediately take measures to cool down the tensions" and avoid plunging the region into deeper turmoil. The United States and Iran had engaged in several rounds of indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear programme in recent weeks, but Iran said after the start of Israel's campaign that it would not negotiate while under attack. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that "absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue". "It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu. That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy," he wrote on X. A senior US official told AFP Trump had intervened to prevent Israel from carrying out an assassination of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But Netanyahu did not rule out the possibility when asked about the reports during an interview with ABC News. "It's not going to escalate the conflict, it's going to end the conflict," he said. bur/ceb/tym
