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The Hill
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Yet another Trump ultimatum falls flat in Moscow
President Trump's 50-day ultimatum is apparently the new two-week deadline. And now it is the latest White House demand to Moscow to fall flat. Last Tuesday, Russia rejected Trump's ultimatum. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said 'any attempts to make demands, especially ultimatums, are unacceptable to us. If we cannot achieve our goals through diplomacy, then the [war in Ukraine] will continue.' The Kremlin then promptly returned to its terror tactics of bombing Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles and drones. The White House and mainstream media seem to have moved on. Ultimata from U.S. presidents do not seem to carry the same weight today as they once did. Words like 'Don't,' uttered by both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, had no deterrence on Iran. Nor did Trump's demand for an unconditional surrender. Tehran simply 'did,' then declared victory. President Theodore Roosevelt's 'walk softly and carry a big stick' proverb only carries weight if that big stick is used in a convincing manner. What the Kremlin needs right now is a punch in the face — not another 50 days to attack Ukraine. Trump's 50-day grace period essentially gives Russian President Vladimir Putin a license to kill and sets conditions for him to mount another offensive to dethrone Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Reports suggest that 160,000 Russian troops are massing along the frontlines and another 30,000 North Korean soldiers are preparing to deploy to Russia. It is not the American military that our adversaries have a lack of respect for — they know all too well what its capabilities are. No, it is the American commander-in-chief, who needs to be much harder on our adversaries than our allies. Trump may authorize more strikes but has yet to finish the task. The man who authored ' The Art of the Deal ' needs to start removing threats from the battlefield. Missing is the bold determination and sheer will to win that Generals Ulysses S. Grant and George S. Patton brought to the battlefield. De-escalation has become a principle of war for the White House, Foggy Bottom, and the Pentagon. Concerns over possible outcomes and counteractions have overcome the necessity of doing the hard right. Diplomacy has its place — just not with evil. Evil needs to be dealt with directly or it will come back stronger. We see the cost in Ukrainian civilian lives. Unenforced red lines are neither compelling nor convincing. Neither are two-week extensions, ransom payments, lifting of sanctions, or airstrikes on targets not posing threats. Our adversaries see these as examples of weakness, and they exploit them. Trump has continued Biden's least intrusive means strategy, and he opts to deliver strategic messages that our adversaries simply ignore. The result: The behavior that led to the strikes resumes — one step forward, two steps back. For example, Operation Rough Rider commenced on March 15 and concluded on May 5. U.S. Central Command stated the purpose of the campaign was to 'target Houthi rebels in Yemen in order to restore freedom of navigation and American deterrence.' During that period, CENTCOM reportedly struck more than 1,000 Houthi rebel targets in Yemen, expending upwards to 2,000 bombs and missiles. The strikes reportedly 'killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders … destroying multiple command-and-control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, and advanced weapons storage locations.' But the strikes neither defeated nor deterred the Houthi rebels, who were still able to attack U.S. Naval vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and launch ballistic missiles towards Israel throughout the operation. On May 4, a Houthi hypersonic missile managed penetrated Israel's missile defense system, impacting near the Terminal 3 parking lot at the Ben Gurion Airport, injuring eight and temporarily shutting down the airport. They still fire ballistic missiles towards Israel. The latest came on Friday. And they are still targeting and sinking commercial shipping in the Red Sea, including two last week — the Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated cargo ship, Magic Seas and the Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated Eternity C. Operation Midnight Hammer, the bomber strike on the Fordow nuclear facility in Iran, was precision at its absolute best. The B-2 pilots and their support package delivered their bombs precisely where intelligence said the targets were, while an additional 75 precision guided weapons fired by other U.S. aircraft and a guided-missile submarine found their targets at the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities as well. But Iran was able to strike back, firing ballistic missiles at the mostly abandoned American Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in retaliation, which were successfully intercepted by U.S. Patriot missile batteries. Then, like their Houthi counterparts, Iran declared victory and agreed to a U.S. brokered ceasefire to protect what was left of their nuclear and ballistic missile programs and their Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from additional Israeli airstrikes. The Iranian government remains intact and the status of its nuclear program uncertain. It continues to threaten Israel and will likely, with the assistance of Russia and China, rebuild its air defense network and ballistic missile inventories. Surviving is winning. And its leaders now gloat under the protection of the Trump ceasefire. Iran, Russia, China, North Korea, and even Yemen know weakness when they see it, and they are prepared to exploit it. The U.S. has held Ukraine and Israel back on multiple occasions. It is time to take the handcuffs off and enable both to win. Moscow and Tehran should be the ones pleading with the U.S. to resume ceasefire talks. According to Foreign Affairs, 'Putin shows no intention of abandoning his objectives in Ukraine or ending the war. Even under the threat of new sanctions, he appears ready to go to extremes.' Russia has publicly rejected Trump's 50-day proposal, so the grace period must end now. Trump has an opportunity to back up his ultimatum immediately — not in September. Threats of sanctions will not sway Putin, but significant combat power will. Together, they may very well force Russia out of Ukraine and undermine China's sights on Taiwan. Trump must stop considering military assistance and economic sanctions and instead just provide it. Winning solves a lot of problems. Enabling Ukraine and Israel to defeat Russia and Iran sends a strong message to the likes of China and its delinquent North Korean neighbor.
American Military News
4 days ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Video/Pics: Iran-backed Houthi weapons shipment interdicted by Yemeni forces
U.S. Central Command confirmed on Wednesday that the Yemeni National Resistance Forces recently interdicted a huge shipment of Iranian weapons that was being transported to the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist organization. In a Wednesday press release, U.S. Central Command said, 'Congratulations to the Yemeni National Resistance Forces (NRF), led by Gen. Tareq Saleh, for the largest seizure of Iranian advanced conventional weapons in their history.' U.S. Central Command explained that the Yemeni National Resistance Forces were able to intercept and seize more than 750 tons of 'munitions and hardware to include hundreds of advanced cruise, anti-ship, and anti-aircraft missiles, warheads and seekers, components as well as hundreds of drone engines, air defense equipment, radar systems, and communications equipment.' READ MORE: Iran 'much farther away' from nuclear weapon, top Trump official says According to the press release, the Yemeni National Resistance Forces claimed that the weapons shipment included manuals written in Farsi, which is the official language of Iran, and that many of the weapons systems were manufactured by a U.S.-sanctioned company linked to the Iranian Ministry of Defense. U.S. Central Command confirmed that the 'illegal shipment' of weapons was intended to provide weapons that would be used by the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist organization. 'We commend the legitimate government forces of Yemen who continue to interdict the flow of Iranian munitions bound for the Houthis,' Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, stated. 'The interdiction of this massive Iranian shipment shows that Iran remains the most destabilizing actor in the region. Limiting the free flow of Iranian support to the Houthis is critical to regional security, stability, and freedom of navigation.' A video and pictures shared Thursday on X, formerly Twitter, by U.S. Central Command show numerous weapon systems included in the shipment that was intercepted by the Yemeni National Resistance Forces. Yemeni Partners Successfully Interdict Massive Iranian Weapons Shipment Bound for the Houthis Congratulations to the Yemeni National Resistance Forces (NRF), led by Gen. Tareq Saleh, for the largest seizure of Iranian advanced conventional weapons in their history. The NRF… — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 16, 2025 In September, Reuters reported that Iran was helping broker discussions between Russia and the Houthis to transport Russian missiles to the Iran-backed organization. At the time, an intelligence source told Reuters, 'Russia is negotiating with the Houthis for the transfer of Yakhont supersonic anti-ship missiles.' The intelligence source added, 'The Iranians are brokering the talks but do not want to have their signature over it.'
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Iran Responds to Massive US Weapons Bust
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Iran has denied U.S. accusations that it is fueling the war in Yemen through arms transfers to Houthi rebels, following what U.S. officials called the largest-ever seizure of Iranian-made weapons bound for the group. Iran's foreign ministry dismissed the claim as "baseless." Newsweek has reached out the Pentagon for comment. Why It Matters The allegation, announced by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), comes amid escalating Red Sea tensions after Houthi forces resumed deadly attacks on commercial shipping in what they say is support for Palestinians in Gaza. The seized weapons shipment and renewed Houthi maritime attacks have deepened global concerns over Red Sea security, threatening vital trade routes just weeks after open conflict between Israel and Iran. As tensions spike, U.S. officials warn of growing threats to freedom of navigation, commercial flow, and regional stability—while the standoff sharpens Washington's broader push to isolate Tehran and curb its network of proxy forces across the Middle East. Houthi supporters surround a giant Iranian flag during an anti-U.S. and anti-Israel weekly rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/ Houthi supporters surround a giant Iranian flag during an anti-U.S. and anti-Israel weekly rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/ Osamah Abdulrahman/AP Photo What To Know CENTCOM said on Wednesday that Yemen's National Resistance Forces (NRF), an anti-Houthi militia led by General Tareq Saleh, seized more than 750 tons of advanced Iranian weaponry intended for the Houthis. The shipment included anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, warheads, hundreds of drone engines, radar systems, air defense components, and encrypted communications gear. Manuals in Farsi and other markings indicated the weapons were produced by a company affiliated with Iran's Ministry of Defense. CENTCOM described the operation as the most significant interdiction of Iranian arms since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. On Friday, CENTCOM shared footage of what they said were Yemen's NRF intercepting a vessel smuggling Iranian weapons to the Houthis. Yemen's National Resistance Forces released new footage of the interception of a vessel smuggling Iranian weapons to the Houthis in the Red Sea. — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 17, 2025 Tehran Rejects Blame Tehran rejected the accusation. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei called the claim "baseless and part of a media campaign against Iran," accusing the U.S. of seeking to deflect attention from its own role in regional instability. He did not address the specifics of the intercepted shipment or provide alternative explanations for the weapons' origin. Iran has consistently denied arming the Houthis, despite repeated claims by U.S. and UN officials over the years linking Tehran to advanced weapons used by the rebel group. Houthi Attacks The seizure comes amid renewed Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. On July 6, the Magic Seas, a Greek owned bulk carrier owned, was hit by missiles and an explosive drone boat, forcing the crew to abandon ship. in the same week, the Eternity C, also Greek-owned, was attacked. Both vessels were severely damaged and sank. These are the deadliest maritime attacks since the Houthis resumed hostilities after a June 24 ceasefire between Israel and Iran. The group says the attacks show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and vows to keep disrupting Red Sea shipping until Israeli operations end in the war against Hamas since the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. Screengrab shows Houthi Attack on Magic Seas vessel in the Red Sea July 6, 2025. Screengrab shows Houthi Attack on Magic Seas vessel in the Red Sea July 6, 2025. Ansar Allah Media office What People Are Saying Esmail Baqaei, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman: "Baseless and part of a media campaign against Iran." General Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander: "The interdiction of this massive Iranian shipment shows that Iran remains the most destabilizing actor in the region. Limiting the free flow of Iranian support to the Houthis is critical to regional security, stability, and freedom of navigation." What Happens Next The U.S. is expected to step up its coordination with Yemeni and European partners to halt future Iranian arms transfers and strengthen naval defenses amid growing fears of wider conflict in one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.
L'Orient-Le Jour
5 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Anti-Houthi force seizes 'massive' Iranian weapons shipment: CENTCOM
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Wednesday in a post on X that a military group known as the Yemeni National Resistance Forces (NRF) had seized a "massive" shipment of Iranian weapons bound for the Houthi rebels. The NRF is an anti-Houthi force in Yemen, led by Tarek Saleh, the nephew of the former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. It is not officially part of the internationally recognized government. These Yemeni forces "seized more than 750 tons of munitions and equipment, including hundreds of advanced cruise, anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, warheads and guidance devices, components as well as hundreds of drone engines, air defense equipment, radar systems and communications equipment," the statement added. Since the start of the Israeli offensive on Gaza in October 2023, the Iran-backed Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.
CNBC
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNBC
New U.S. assessment finds American strikes destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites
WASHINGTON — One of the three nuclear enrichment sites in Iran struck by the United States last month was mostly destroyed, setting work there back significantly. But the two others were not as badly damaged and may have been degraded only to a point where nuclear enrichment could resume in the next several months if Iran wants it to, according to a recent U.S. assessment of the destruction caused by the military operation, five current and former U.S. officials familiar with the assessment told NBC News. The assessment, part of the Trump administration's ongoing efforts to determine the status of Iran's nuclear program since the facilities were struck, was briefed to some U.S. lawmakers, Defense Department officials and allied countries in recent days, four of those people said. NBC News has also learned that U.S. Central Command had developed a much more comprehensive plan to strike Iran that would have involved hitting three additional sites in an operation that would have stretched for several weeks instead of a single night, according to a current U.S. official and two former U.S. officials. President Donald Trump was briefed on that plan, but it was rejected because it was at odds with his foreign policy instincts to extract the United States from conflicts abroad, not dig deeper into them, as well as the possibility of a high number of casualties on both sides, one of the current officials and one of the former officials said. "We were willing to go all the way in our options, but the president did not want to," one of the sources with knowledge of the plan said. In a speech in the hours after they took place, Trump called the strikes he directed "a spectacular military success" and said, "Iran's key enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated." The reality as gleaned through intelligence so far appears to be more nuanced. And if the early findings about the damage inflicted to Iran's nuclear program hold up as more intelligence comes in, the United States could find itself back in a conflict there. There have been discussions within both the American and Israeli governments about whether additional strikes on the two less-damaged facilities could be necessary if Iran does not soon agree to restart negotiations with the Trump administration on a nuclear deal or if there are signs Iran is trying to rebuild at those locations, one of the current officials and one of the former officials said. Iran has long said its nuclear program is purely for peaceful, civilian purposes. The recent assessment is a snapshot of the damage U.S. strikes inflicted amid an intelligence-gathering process that administration officials have said is expected to continue for months. Assessments of Iran's nuclear program after the U.S. strikes are expected to change over time, and according to two of the current officials, as the process progresses, the findings suggest more damage than previous assessments revealed. That assessment remains for now the current thinking on the impact of the strikes, officials said. "As the President has said and experts have verified, Operation Midnight Hammer totally obliterated Iran's nuclear capabilities," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told NBC News in a statement. "America and the world are safer, thanks to his decisive action." In a statement of his own, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said: "The credibility of the Fake News Media is similar to that of the current state of the Iranian nuclear facilities: destroyed, in the dirt, and will take years to recover. President Trump was clear and the American people understand: Iran's nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz were completely and totally obliterated. There is no doubt about that." He added, "Operation Midnight Hammer was a significant blow to Iran's nuclear capabilities thanks to the decisive action of President Trump and the bravery of every man and woman in uniform who supported this mission." The U.S. strikes targeted three enrichment sites in Iran: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. U.S. officials believe the attack on Fordo, which has long been viewed as a critical component of Iran's nuclear ambitions, was successful in setting back Iranian enrichment capabilities at that site by as much as two years, according to two of the current officials. Much of the administration's public messaging about the strikes has focused on Fordo. In a Pentagon briefing they held in response to reporting on an initial Defense Intelligence Agency assessment that concluded that Iran's nuclear program had been set back by only three to six months, for instance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talked extensively about the strike at Fordo but not the strikes at Natanz and Isfahan. U.S. officials knew before the airstrikes that Iran had structures and enriched uranium at Natanz and Isfahan that were likely to be beyond the reach of even America's 30,000-pound GBU-57 "bunker buster" bombs, three of the sources said. Those bombs, which had never been used in combat before the strikes, were designed with the deeply buried facilities carved into the side of a mountain at Fordo in mind. As early as 2023, though, there were indications that Iran was digging tunnels at Natanz that were below where the GBU-57 could reach. There are also tunnels deep underground at Isfahan. The United States hit surface targets at Isfahan with Tomahawk missiles and did not drop GBU-57s there, but it did use them at Natanz. White House officials pointed NBC News to a closed-door briefing conducted in late June by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who told lawmakers that Iran's nuclear program was "severely damaged" and that several key nuclear facilities were "completely destroyed," according to an administration official's description of the briefing. Ratcliffe said the only metal conversion facility at Natanz, required for nuclear enrichment, was destroyed to the point that it would take "years to rebuild," according to a White House official who was authorized to describe some contents of the classified briefing. Ratcliffe also said that the intelligence community believes the strikes buried the vast majority of enriched uranium at Isfahan and Fordo and that thus it would be extremely difficult for the Iranians to extract it to resume enrichment, according to the official. The United States has not seen indications that Iran is trying to dig out the facilities, two officials said. As NBC News has reported, the Israeli government believes at least some of Iran's highly enriched uranium remains intact but buried beneath the Isfahan facility, according to a senior Israeli government official who briefed reporters in Washington last week. The official said, however, that Israel considers the material effectively unreachable, because it is watching and will conduct new strikes if it believes Iran is trying to dig up the uranium. The official also said Israel believes Iran's nuclear program has been set back by up to two years. Similarly, even if the targeted Iranian nuclear sites were not completely destroyed, U.S. officials and Republican advocates of the operation believe it was a success because it has changed the strategic equation for Iran. From their point of view, the regime in Tehran now faces a credible threat of more airstrikes if Israel and the United States believe it is trying to revive clandestine nuclear work. Asked late last month whether he would consider bombing Iran again if intelligence reports concluded Iran can enrich uranium at a level that concerns him, Trump said: "Sure. Without question. Absolutely." Iran's air defenses have been largely destroyed, making it all but impossible for Iran to defend against further strikes on facilities in the future, the White House official said. "It was made clear that Iran no longer has any more [air defenses], so the idea that they can easily rebuild anything is ludicrous," the White House official said. Beginning during the Biden administration, as early as last fall and into this spring, Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command, had developed a plan to go "all-in" on striking Iran, according to a current U.S. official and two former officials. That option was designed to "truly decimate" Iran's nuclear capabilities, in the words of one of the former officials. Under the plan, the United States would have hit six sites. The thinking was that the six sites would have to be hit repeatedly to inflict the kind of damage necessary to completely end the program, people familiar with the thinking said. The plan would also have involved targeting more of Iran's air defense and ballistic missile capabilities, and planners projected it could result in a high number of Iranian casualties. U.S. officials expected that if that were to take place, Iran would target American positions, for example in Iraq and Syria, a person familiar with the plan said. "It would be a protracted air campaign," the person said. Some Trump administration officials believed a deeper offensive option against Iran was a viable policy, two of the former officials said. Trump was briefed on the so-called all-in plan, but it was rejected ultimately because it would have required a sustained period of conflict. During his first term, in 2018, Trump pulled the United States out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that was negotiated during the Obama administration. The agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, imposed strict limits on Iran's nuclear program in return for an easing of economic sanctions. Under the deal, Iran was a year away from obtaining enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb. After Trump withdrew from the accord and reimposed sanctions, Iran flouted restrictions on its uranium enrichment. Before the June airstrikes, the regime had enough fissile material for about nine to 10 bombs, according to U.S. officials and United Nations inspectors. Trump has since sought a new agreement with Iran that would block it from developing nuclear weapons. Indirect talks between U.S. and Iranian officials failed to clinch a deal before Israel launched airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Iran has long denied that it wants to build a nuclear weapon, a position its foreign minister reiterated in an interview with NBC News the day before the U.S. strikes.
