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Japan Today
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
U.S. operation against Iran not aimed at regime change, Trump administration says
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth holds a briefing at the Pentagon, after the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear facilities, during the Israel-Iran conflict, in Arlington, Virginia, on Sunday. By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali The U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites were not a preamble to regime change, senior officials from President Donald Trump's administration said on Sunday, as Washington pushed for Tehran to forgo a military response and negotiate. "Operation Midnight Hammer" was known only to a small number of people in Washington and at the U.S. military's headquarters for Middle East operations in Tampa, Florida. Complete with deception, seven B-2 bombers flew for 18 hours from the United States into Iran to drop 14 bunker-buster bombs, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, told reporters. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Iran against following through with past threats of retaliation against the United States and said U.S. forces would defend themselves. "This mission was not and has not been about regime change," Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon. Vice President JD Vance, in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker" show, said the U.S. was not at war with Iran but rather its nuclear program. "I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time," Vance said, adding that the U.S. "had no interest in boots on the ground." In total, the U.S. launched 75 precision-guided munitions, including more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles, and more than 125 military aircraft in the operation against three nuclear sites, Caine said. The operation pushes the Middle East to the brink of a major new conflagration in a region already aflame for more than 20 months with wars in Gaza and Lebanon and a toppled dictator in Syria. DAMAGE TO FACILITIES With the damage visible from space after 30,000-pound U.S. bunker-buster bombs crashed into the mountain above Iran's Fordow nuclear site, experts and officials are closely watching how far the strikes might have set back Iran's nuclear ambitions. Caine said initial battle damage assessments indicated that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction, but he declined to speculate whether any Iranian nuclear capabilities might still be intact. U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi was more cautious, saying while it was clear that U.S. airstrikes hit Iran's enrichment site at Fordow, it was not yet possible to assess the damage done underground there. A senior Iranian source told Reuters on Sunday that most of the highly enriched uranium at Fordow, the site producing the bulk of Iran's uranium refined to up to 60%, had been moved to an undisclosed location before the U.S. attack there. Tehran has vowed to defend itself and responded with a volley of missiles at Israel that wounded scores of people and destroyed buildings in its commercial hub Tel Aviv. But, perhaps in an effort to avert all-out war with the superpower, it had yet to carry out its main threats of retaliation - to target U.S. bases or choke off the quarter of the world's oil shipments that pass through its waters. Caine said the U.S. military had increased protection of troops in the region, including in Iraq and Syria. "Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks, which would be an incredibly poor choice," Caine said. The United States already has a sizeable force in the Middle East, with nearly 40,000 troops in the region, including air defense systems, fighter aircraft and warships that can detect and shoot down enemy missiles. Reuters reported last week that the Pentagon had started to move some aircraft and ships from bases in the Middle East that may be vulnerable to any potential Iranian attack. The U.S. State Department on Sunday ordered the departure of family members and non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Lebanon, citing the volatile security situation in the region. Anti-war activists demonstrated on Sunday afternoon in some U.S. cities, including New York City and Washington, to oppose U.S. involvement in any war with Iran. Protesters held banners that read "hands off Iran" and "Remember Iraq: no more wars based on lies," in reference to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that was launched citing the threat of weapons of mass destruction, though no such weapons were found. NOT OPEN-ENDED With his unprecedented decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites, directly joining Israel's air attack on its regional arch foe, Trump has done something he had long vowed to avoid - intervene militarily in a major foreign war. It was unclear why Trump chose to act on Saturday. At the press conference, Hegseth said there was a moment in time "where (Trump) realized that it had to be a certain action taken in order to minimize the threat to us and our troops." After Trump disputed her original assessment, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Friday that the U.S. had intelligence that should Iran decide to do so, it could build a nuclear weapon in weeks or months, an assessment disputed by some lawmakers and independent experts. U.S. officials say they do not believe Iran had decided to make a bomb. Trump, who insisted on Saturday that Iran must now make peace or face further attacks, could provoke Tehran into retaliating by closing the Strait of Hormuz, attacking U.S. military bases and allies in the Middle East, and activating proxy groups against American and Israeli interests worldwide. The Iranian parliament approved closing the Strait of Hormuz, a potential choke point for oil shipments, but the country's top security body is required to make a final decision, Iran's press TV reported. Hegseth, who said the Pentagon notified lawmakers about the operation after U.S. aircraft were out of Iran, said the strikes against Iran were not open-ended. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS' "Face the Nation" that no more strikes were planned, unless Iran responded. "We have other targets we can hit, but we achieved our objective. There are no planned military operations right now against Iran - unless they mess around," Rubio said. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
GMA Network
12 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
US operation against Iran not aimed at regime change, Trump administration says
US President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, ecretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, at the White House in Washington, DC, June 21, 2025, following US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. REUTERS/ Carlos Barria/ Pool WASHINGTON — The US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites were not a preamble to regime change, senior officials from President Donald Trump's administration said on Sunday, as Washington pushed for Tehran to forgo a military response and negotiate. "Operation Midnight Hammer" was known only to a small number of people in Washington and at the US military's headquarters for Middle East operations in Tampa, Florida. Complete with deception, seven B-2 bombers flew for 18 hours from the United States into Iran to drop 14 bunker-buster bombs, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, told reporters. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Iran against following through with past threats of retaliation against the United States and said US forces would defend themselves. "This mission was not and has not been about regime change," Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon. Vice President JD Vance, in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker" show, said the US was not at war with Iran but rather its nuclear program. "I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time," Vance said, adding that the US "had no interest in boots on the ground." In total, the US launched 75 precision-guided munitions, including more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles, and more than 125 military aircraft in the operation against three nuclear sites, Caine said. The operation pushes the Middle East to the brink of a major new conflagration in a region already aflame for more than 20 months with wars in Gaza and Lebanon and a toppled dictator in Syria. Damage to facilities With the damage visible from space after 30,000-pound US bunker-buster bombs crashed into the mountain above Iran's Fordow nuclear site, experts and officials are closely watching how far the strikes might have set back Iran's nuclear ambitions. Caine said initial battle damage assessments indicated that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction, but he declined to speculate whether any Iranian nuclear capabilities might still be intact. UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi was more cautious, saying while it was clear that US airstrikes hit Iran's enrichment site at Fordow, it was not yet possible to assess the damage done underground there. A senior Iranian source told Reuters on Sunday that most of the highly enriched uranium at Fordow, the site producing the bulk of Iran's uranium refined to up to 60%, had been moved to an undisclosed location before the US attack there. Tehran has vowed to defend itself and responded with a volley of missiles at Israel that wounded scores of people and destroyed buildings in its commercial hub Tel Aviv. But, perhaps in an effort to avert all-out war with the superpower, it had yet to carry out its main threats of retaliation—to target US bases or choke off the quarter of the world's oil shipments that pass through its waters. Caine said the US military had increased protection of troops in the region, including in Iraq and Syria. "Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks, which would be an incredibly poor choice," Caine said. The United States already has a sizeable force in the Middle East, with nearly 40,000 troops in the region, including air defense systems, fighter aircraft and warships that can detect and shoot down enemy missiles. Reuters reported last week that the Pentagon had started to move some aircraft and ships from bases in the Middle East that may be vulnerable to any potential Iranian attack. The US State Department on Sunday ordered the departure of family members and non-emergency US government personnel from Lebanon, citing the volatile security situation in the region. Not open-ended With his unprecedented decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites, directly joining Israel's air attack on its regional arch foe, Trump has done something he had long vowed to avoid—intervene militarily in a major foreign war. It was unclear why Trump chose to act on Saturday. At the press conference, Hegseth said there was a moment in time "where [Trump] realized that it had to be a certain action taken in order to minimize the threat to us and our troops." After Trump disputed her original assessment, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Friday that the US had intelligence that should Iran decide to do so, it could build a nuclear weapon in weeks or months, an assessment disputed by some lawmakers and independent experts. US officials say they do not believe Iran had decided to make a bomb. Trump, who insisted on Saturday that Iran must now make peace or face further attacks, could provoke Tehran into retaliating by closing the Strait of Hormuz, attacking US military bases and allies in the Middle East, and activating proxy groups against American and Israeli interests worldwide. The Iranian parliament approved closing the Strait of Hormuz, a potential choke point for oil shipments, but the country's top security body is required to make a final decision, Iran's press TV reported. Hegseth, who said the Pentagon notified lawmakers about the operation after US aircraft were out of Iran, said the strikes against Iran were not open-ended. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS' "Face the Nation" that no more strikes were planned, unless Iran responded. "We have other targets we can hit, but we achieved our objective. There are no planned military operations right now against Iran—unless they mess around," Rubio said. — Reuters
The Hindu
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Trump says 'I don't know' if must uphold U.S. Constitution as president
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a television interview airing on Sunday (May 4, 2025) that he does not know whether he must uphold the U.S. Constitution. He also said he is not seriously considering running for a third White House term, after musing publicly over an idea clearly barred by the nation's founding legal document. 'I don't know,' Mr. Trump responded when the host of NBC News 'Meet the Press with Kristen Welker' asked directly whether he believes he needs to uphold the supreme law of the land. Asked specifically whether American citizens and non-citizens alike deserve the due process of law, as the U.S. Constitution states, Mr. Trump said: "I'm not a lawyer. I don't know." The President's aggressive moves to deport undocumented migrants — some without the benefit of a court hearing — have drawn widespread criticism, but Mr. Trump insists it is necessary in the face of what he has declared to be a "national emergency." The suggestion of possibly seeking a third term in office has been sharply questioned by legal and constitutional scholars. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution states that "no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice." But Mr. Trump said in March he was "not joking" about seeking a third term, adding without elaboration that there are "methods" that would allow it to happen. Changing the Constitution to allow a third term would be a heavy lift, requiring a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and ratification by at least 38 of the 50 U.S. State Legislatures. But "this is not something I'm looking to do," Mr. Trump told NBC's Ms. Welker, adding, "I'm looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward." Asked who that might be, he mentioned Vice President J.D. Vance — calling him a "fantastic, brilliant guy" — and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while adding that "we have a lot of good people in this party."
Axios
04-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Trump insists he won't fire Fed chair Jerome Powell
President Trump said Sunday he would not fire Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell before the central bank leader's term ends over the next year. Why it matters: An earlier suggestion that Trump would attempt to remove Powell — a legally dubious move — roiled financial markets, fallout that might have prompted the walkback. But Trump has kept public pressure on Powell to lower interest rates. What they're saying: Asked whether he had plans to fire the Fed chair before his term ends, Trump told NBC's "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker" that he gets to "change him very quickly anyway ... you know, it's in a very short period of time." Powell's term as Fed chair ends in May 2026, though he can remain on the Federal Reserve Board of governors through January 2028. Flashback: Trump first nominated Powell to the post in 2017, before quickly turning on him for not cutting interest rates fast enough. State of play: Trump has stepped up that pressure in his second term, repeatedly bashing Powell for being "Too Late" to slash rates. "He should lower them. And I wish the people that are on that [Fed] board would get him to lower because we are at a perfect time. It's already late," Trump said in the interview that aired on Sunday. Reality check: The Fed will announce a rate decision on Wednesday; it is expected to keep them on hold as officials assess the global trade war's impact on the economy.
Axios
04-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Trump: Good economy is mine, bad economy is Biden's
President Trump said Sunday he was responsible for the "good parts" of the economy, though his administration's trade policies have rattled America and stoked fears of an imminent recession. Why it matters: It is the strongest signal yet of Trump's intention to deflect blame for any economic fallout that could happen in coming months. What they're saying: "I think the good parts are the Trump economy and the bad parts are the Biden economy because he's done a terrible job," Trump said in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker." The big picture: Official economic data suggests the economy is holding up, despite closely-watched surveys that show businesses and consumers are on edge as tariffs take effect. The economy contracted at an annualized 0.3% rate in the first three months of the year, according to GDP data released on Wednesday. But the report was negatively distorted by a huge swing in imports, as businesses rushed to stockpile ahead of tariffs taking effect. Without that effect, underlying economic demand held up. The April jobs report showed employers added 177,000 jobs last month, while the unemployment rate held at an historically low level. The big picture: Trump told "Meet the Press" that he ultimately takes "responsibility for everything." "But I've only just been here for a little more than three months," Trump added. "And the tariffs have just started kicking in. And we're doing really well." Reality check: The White House said the economic contraction — the first in 3 years — was fallout from the Biden era, though economists point to Trump's trade policies, and efforts to dodge them, for weighing on the headline figure. The economy grew at an annualized 2.8% rate in the fourth quarter of 2024 — the last that fully captured Biden's time in office. When the better-than-expected jobs report was released on Friday, Trump bragged about the economy in a post on Truth Social that noted strong employment. What to watch: Many Wall Street economic forecasters anticipate Trump's tariff policies — if upheld — will slow growth and raise costs this year.
