Latest news with #Israel-iran
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran trying to 'save face' following US strike on nuclear sites, expert says
As the total damage to three Iranian nuclear sites continues to be assessed, one Middle East expert says that Iran's stated assessment only reinforces U.S. and Israeli views. Israel, which has said the strikes set the Iranian nuclear program back years, has the greatest resources in place to make a determination and the most incentive to get the facts right, Jacob Olidort, director of the Center of American Security at the America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital. "Both the US and Israel say they achieved their objectives," Olidort said. "Israel presumably had planned around this for many years, and Israel says it has met its objectives, which is destroying Iran's ability to enrich uranium." The U.S. launched a surprise strike using B-2 stealth bombers and bunker-buster bombs on Iran's Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities on Saturday. Hegseth Tears Into Reporters, Alleging They 'Cheer Against Trump' And Iran Strikes Some media reports have pushed back on the Trump administration's claims that the sites were destroyed and set Iran back years in its quest to achieve a nuclear weapon. Read On The Fox News App Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei on Wednesday told Al Jazeera that "our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that's for sure," though he refused to go into detail. Israel-iran Conflict: Live Updates Olidort said that "everything Iran is doing now is to save face." 'The Mission Was Accomplished': Senate Republicans Push Back Against Leaked Report On Iran Strikes "We should never take anything Iran says at face value, but their assessment can only reinforce the views of Israel and the U.S. view," he said. The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi, reiterated on Thursday that the damage done by Israeli and U.S. strikes at Iranian nuclear facilities "is very, very, very considerable." "I think annihilated is too much, but it suffered enormous damage," Grossi told French broadcaster RFI. The Associated Press contributed to this article source: Iran trying to 'save face' following US strike on nuclear sites, expert says
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran-Israel ceasefire teeters as IDF accuses Tehran of violations
Iran appeared to ignore President Donald Trump's plea to adhere to the ceasefire he brokered between the Islamic Republic and Israel. On Tuesday, Israel vowed to respond to the alleged violation, with Defense Minister Israel Katz announcing that he ordered the military to strike Tehran. Additionally, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of the General Staff Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir vowed the country would "respond with force." Iran's military denied violating the ceasefire, according to reports. However, the IDF said on Tuesday that air raid sirens were sounding across the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office released a statement confirming that in response to Iran's apparent violation, the Israeli Air Force destroyed a radar array near Tehran. Israel-iran Conflict: Live Updates Trump Brokers Iran Ceasefire As Experts Say Regime's Arsenal Is Shattered But Threat Remains Read On The Fox News App A senior Israeli official spoke with Fox News about Iran's alleged violation of the ceasefire, saying that the country believes Tehran will attempt to fire more missiles within a matter of hours. "Unfortunately, the Iranians have decided to continue to fire toward Israel," a senior Israeli official told Fox News. "Two missiles were fired toward Israel, and we believe they are trying to fire more in the next couple of hours." Before the ceasefire went into effect, both countries got in parting shots, as Israel carried out a series of airstrikes and Iran launched missile barrages that killed at least four people, according to the Associated Press. Trump Hails 'Monumental' Damage As Experts Await Verdict On Iran's Nuclear Program Trump expressed his frustration with the end of the ceasefire, calling on both countries to end the conflict. He posted on social media calling on Israel not to strike, which he said would constitute "a major violation" of the ceasefire. Trump demanded that the Jewish state bring its pilots back home. The president also spoke about his disappointment with Israel's response when answering questions from reporters outside the White House before heading to a NATO summit in the Netherlands. "I've got to get Israel to calm down now," Trump told reporters on Tuesday. "I don't like the fact that Israel went out this morning and at all and I'm gonna see if I can stop it." He later added that he did not believe the two countries were fighting because it's all they have known for "so long." "We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f--- they're doing," Trump said. Shortly after speaking to reporters, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that Israel would not attack Iran and that the ceasefire was in effect. "ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly 'plane wave' to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the ceasefire is in effect!" He later posted a follow-up saying that Iran would "never rebuild [its] nuclear facilities." Netanyahu's office later confirmed that the two leaders spoke and that following the conversation "Israel refrained from further strikes." The prime minister's office also noted that Trump "expressed his deep appreciation for Israel — which achieved all the objectives of the war. He also expressed his confidence in the stability of the ceasefire."Original article source: Iran-Israel ceasefire teeters as IDF accuses Tehran of violations
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pentagon flexes US military's decoys and strategic deception that took Iran and world by surprise
The U.S. military and Trump administration leveraged strategic deception and decoys to carry out the surprise and successful strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities Saturday evening that took the world by surprise after President Donald Trump indicated such an operation could unfold in the coming weeks, not necessarily days. Trump announced the Saturday evening strikes on Iran in a Truth Social post that was not preceded by media leaks or speculation that strikes were imminent. The unexpected social media post was followed just hours later by a brief Trump address to the nation while flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. The strikes, which the administration has described as an overwhelming success that obliterated Iranian nuclear facilities and backed the nation into a corner to make a peace deal, were celebrated by Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine as ones that were cloaked in secrecy and intentionally deceptive to confuse the enemy. "At midnight Friday into Saturday morning, a large B-2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States," Caine said during a Sunday morning press conference from the Pentagon. "As part of the plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the west and into the Pacific as a decoy. A deception effort, known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington and in Tampa." Hegseth, Pentagon Brass Praise Trump's 'Spectacular' Military Success In Iran Nuclear Strikes Israel-iran Conflict: Live Updates Read On The Fox News App Ahead of the Saturday evening strikes, six B-2 stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri were en route to a U.S. Air Force base in Guam, U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News. "The main strike package, comprised of seven B-2 spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded quietly to the east with minimal communications," Caine said. "Throughout the 18-hour flight into the target area, the aircraft completed multiple in-flight refuelings. Once overland, the B-2s linked up with escort and support aircraft in a complex, tightly timed maneuver, requiring exact synchronization across multiple platforms in a narrow piece of airspace, all done with minimal communications." Retired General Tells Cnn He's 'Impressed' By Trump Striking Iran, Says American Lives Potentially Saved Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin said during a Saturday evening appearance as news broke of the strikes that reports of the bombers were likely part of the "misleading tidbits put out there to suggest that maybe President Trump had had put off the decision." "Those six B-2 bombers that were heading west toward Guam, they would not have made it to Iran in time to take part in this strike," she said, while speaking with Fox News' Bret Baier Saturday evening. "So, that suggests to me that there was an additional B-1 package that perhaps flew eastward from Whiteman Air Force Base. Again, this was all part of the deception. There was a great deal of sort of misleading tidbits put out there to suggest that maybe President Trump had put off the decision and that this would happen two weeks from now." Trump Launches Precision Strikes Against Iran. Triumph Or Trap? Hegseth said in his remarks before the media Sunday morning that the U.S. military had leveraged "misdirection" and total secrecy, aside from top national security officials, to carry out the strikes "without the world knowing at all." "It involved misdirection and the highest of operational security. Our B-2s went in and out of … these nuclear sites, in and out and back, without the world knowing at all," Hegseth said. "In that way, it was historic." It was the longest B-2 spirit bomber mission since 2001, the second-longest B-2 mission ever flown and the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history, Hegseth and Caine said during the Sunday press conference. The surprise strikes following Trump saying, via comment delivered by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Thursday during a press briefing, that he would make a decision on Iran within the next two weeks, which initially signaled that such strikes could unfold in the coming weeks and not imminently. "I have a message directly from the president, and I quote, 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,'" Leavitt said at a White House press briefing Thursday, quoting Trump. Trump Addresses Nation On 'Spectacular Military Success' Of Us Strikes On Iranian Nuclear Facilities Trump said in his address to the nation late Saturday that "Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated" and that Iran now faces the choice of making peace or facing future attacks. "And Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier." Misdirection And 'Deception' Likely Key In Trump Admin's Surprise Iran Strike Trump described the strikes as a "spectacular military success." "A short time ago, the U.S. military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan," he said. "Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity, and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number-one state sponsor of terror. Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success." "For 40 years, Iran has been saying, 'Death to America. Death to Israel.' They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs," Trump continued. "That was their specialty. We lost over a thousand people, and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate in particular."Original article source: Pentagon flexes US military's decoys and strategic deception that took Iran and world by surprise
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian leader claims multiple countries prepped to provide Iran nuclear weapons following US strikes
Russia's former president said that multiple countries are poised to provide Iran with nuclear warheads after the U.S. launched strikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities. "The enrichment of nuclear material — and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons — will continue," Dmitry Medvedev, now the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, said in a Sunday X post. "A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads," Medvedev said. Medvedev did not list specific countries that might pitch in and support Iran. However, Russia historically has backed Iran's nuclear program. Russian President Vladimir Putin also offered to mediate peace talks between Iran and Israel on Wednesday. Moscow also has offered to intervene and help negotiate a nuclear deal between the U.S. and Iran. Moscow was involved in the 2015 Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The agreement lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on Iran's nuclear program, but Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018. Read On The Fox News App Israel-iran Conflict: Live Updates Medvedev's comments came after the U.S. launched strikes late Saturday targeting key Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. The mission involved more than 125 U.S. aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. President Donald Trump had said for days that he was deliberating whether he would conduct strikes against those sites. The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital regarding Medvedev's statements. Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Ministry claimed the strikes violated international law and called for an "end to aggression." Trump Attacks Iran Nuclear Sites: Are Our Troops In Danger From Retaliatory Strikes? "The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday. Prior to the strikes, Iran cautioned that the U.S. will suffer if it chooses to become involved in the conflict, and previously issued retaliatory strikes against bases where U.S. troops were housed after the U.S. killed a top Iranian general in 2020. Iran Threatens To Hit Us Bases In The Middle East: What Is The Threat Level? Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters Sunday that the U.S. would work with allies in the region to aid in force protection in the aftermath of the strikes. "We certainly understand the challenges of allies in the region," Hegseth said. "And, we have been respectful and in working in collaboration with them as it pertains to basing and sensitivities there." "Ultimately, they've got a lot of assets and people in those locations also where American troops are co-located. So, that's a consideration of ours."Original article source: Russian leader claims multiple countries prepped to provide Iran nuclear weapons following US strikes
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'We are in a war zone,' Iranians speak out as Israeli strikes continue hitting regime targets
As Israeli airstrikes pounded Tehran this week—including a direct hit on Iran's state television headquarters—residents in the capital described a city gripped by fear and confusion. In exclusive comments to Fox News Digital, an independent journalist based in Tehran, who withheld their name for fear of reprisal, said, "I hate the Islamic Republic, but my country is under attack. Our house was shaking from the blasts and missiles an hour ago while I was in the newsroom covering the news. We are in a war zone." According to the journalist, the Israeli strike on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) compound hit hard—physically and symbolically. Israel-iran War Prompts Trump To Leave G7 Summit Early "The studio that was bombed yesterday is part of the regime's state broadcaster, a mouthpiece for propaganda that has never represented the people. For years, we imagined the fall of IRIB as the final chapter in the collapse of the Islamic Republic. But yesterday, for a few minutes, we were all in shock," they said. "Ordinary people don't watch the regime's TV, but the attack on it felt strangely symbolic—like the world was shifting." Another independent Iranian journalist ironically added, "I've watched the video of the TV station being bombed while on air over and over again, and couldn't stop laughing." Read On The Fox News App Despite the chaos, journalists like them are still trying to report. "We don't know the exact number of casualties, and even the government numbers aren't trustworthy. We can't access the attack sites—security forces push us away. And the crackdown on reporters has only gotten worse." Internet access has been largely severed. "Most of the time, the internet doesn't work at all," they added. "But we try to keep going." Another Tehran resident told Fox News Digital they only learned about the scale of the attacks after briefly regaining internet access. "I was hiding during the bombing. I had no idea what was happening. Has the U.S. intervened? Is this going to continue?" they asked. Inside Israel's Secret War In Iran: Mossad Commandos, Hidden Drones And The Strike That Stunned Tehran The confusion comes as Washington debates whether to join the conflict militarily or pursue a diplomatic resolution with Tehran. Some in the Trump administration reportedly favor a deal to avoid further escalation, while others advocate for a more forceful stance. Meanwhile, President Trump's message was seemingly seen by Iranians when he urged civilians to evacuate Tehran. On Truth Social yesterday, "IRAN CANNOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" The result was reportedly swift, resulting in a mass exodus from the capital. "People are terrified," said a resident of Tehran. "They're locking their doors and fleeing the city. Roads are packed. But for those of us who stay—it's not easy either. All night, we hear missiles, bombings, explosions." " I don't want to leave my home. But yes—I'm scared," they added. They also responded to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Monday urged Iranians to rise up, saying, "No one thought the Assad regime would fall, but it did." "You're bombing a city of ten million and telling people to rise up?" adding, "When people are under fire, they don't start a revolution—they take shelter or flee."Original article source: 'We are in a war zone,' Iranians speak out as Israeli strikes continue hitting regime targets
