US bombs Iran live updates: Tehran warns of ‘everlasting conequences' over US strikes
Conor Pope -
2 minutes ago
In terms of what happened, when, here is a timeline with all times Irish time.
00;50
US President Donald Trump announces that three strokes have been carried out on Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.
The US reportedly used heavy bunker-busting bombs dropped from B-2 strategic stealth bombers and Tomahawk cruise missiles although that was not confirmed by Mr Trump.
01:56:
The attacks are confirmed by Iran.
02:43:
'President Trump and the United States acted with a lot of strength,' says Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu while a minute later the head of the United Nations describes the bombing as a 'dangerous escalation'.
03:00
: Donald Trump addresses the nation and in a televised address calls on Iran to 'now make peace' or face 'far greater' attacks.
05:31
: A fresh missile strike on Israel is launched by Iran.
06:00
: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports 'no increase' in radiation levels at the targeted sites struck by the US bombers.
Conor Pope -
14 minutes ago
Shortly before 1am Irish time, US B-2 bombers carried out an attack on three nuclear facilities in Iran using heavy 'bunker-busting' bombs.
The US President Donald Trump - in a televised address - hailed the operation as a 'spectacular military success and he warned Tehran to quickly make peace or face 'far greater' attacks.
'The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences,' the Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said as he called the US strikes a 'grave violation' of the UN charter, international law and the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
He said that 'Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people.'
In the wake of the US attack, Israeli military warned people to seek cover from a missile barrage from Iran that appeared heavier than what the attacks that have been recorded in recent days.
Reaction to the bombing and the dramatic escalation of tension in the mIddle East has been coming in through the night and will continue throughout today.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Will Iran-Israel conflict mean a rise in Irish petrol prices?
Analysis: Two key factors will determine if oil prices - and the price you pay for petrol and diesel - increase a little or rise a lot this week The price we pay for petrol and diesel in Ireland is significantly influenced by events occurring thousands of kilometres from our shores. This week, it is a 'wait and watch' moment for the global oil industry as the Israel-Iran conflict escalates. Ultimately, two key factors will determine if oil prices —and, by extension, petrol and diesel prices—increase a little or rise a lot over this week. Of chief importance is the role of the Strait of Hormuz and the question of whether the United States will become further involved in the conflict after attacking key Iranian nuclear sites. From RTÉ Radio 1's This Week, reaction and analysis of US attack on three major nuclear sites in Iran The Strait of Hormuz, located in southern Iran, is a narrow corridor of water about 100 miles long. It serves as the main transit route from the Gulf for around 25% of the world's oil supply, including exports from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, and Iran. It is considered the world's most important oil gateway. While other important oil transit routes can be circumvented (albeit with added time and cost), there is no meaningful alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for large-scale oil shipments. Iran has the capability to close the Strait of Hormuz through military action. If this were to happen, even temporarily, it would have a major impact on global oil markets, causing prices to rise both in Ireland and around the world. Equally, further direct involvement by the US would likely escalate the conflict and further threaten the region's energy infrastructure. For US president Donald Trump, it's not only events in the Middle East that must be considered, but also domestic developments. In the US, this is the start of what the energy industry refers to as 'driving season', the summer-related increase in travel and fuel consumption due to better weather and school holidays. US public political sentiment is highly sensitive to gasoline (petrol) prices, and American drivers are accustomed to relatively low fuel costs. With ongoing economic concerns and the cost of living high on the public agenda, Trump will be acutely aware of the domestic consequences of any military intervention abroad, particularly its impact on international oil prices and domestic gasoline costs During his first presidency, Trump often reverted to social media to pressure other oil producing countries to increase oil production to lower global prices during times of geopolitical instability. But the current conflict presents a different challenge: the issue is not oil production, but the movement of oil, specifically through the Strait of Hormuz. Based on what we know today, a limited escalation in the conflict and the weekend's US attacks on Iran will cause a sharp spike in prices. However, it is unlikely to persist for a long period because the broader global oil landscape is relatively robust. Last week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that global oil supplies will outstrip demand this year. At the same time, weak consumption in China and the US is expected to reduce global oil demand. Additionally, electric vehicle sales continue to grow globally, putting further downward pressure on oil demand. According to the IEA's Global Electric Vehicle Outlook 2025, global EV sales exceeded 17 million in 2024 and are expected to surpass 20 million in 2025, representing around one-quarter of all cars sold. The story with petrol and diesel in Ireland Is there a worst-case scenario in which a serious escalation of the conflict could lead to petrol and diesel shortages at Irish forecourts? The answer is no. Ireland was significantly affected by the 1973–1974 oil crisis and, like many countries, learned the hard lesson of the importance of maintaining strategic energy reserves. Today, Ireland physically stores about €1 billion worth of oil products (petrol, diesel, kerosene and crude oil) at various locations across the country, including Galway, Dublin and Foynes. Smaller volumes are also stored abroad and this oil is managed by Ireland's National Oil Reserve Agency. These reserves act as a shock absorber for the country and reserves are sufficient to keep the country running for approximately 90 days. In the event of a major physical disruption, this oil would be released to the Irish market but, it's important to note that this oil is not 'free' and would be sold at market prices. In the event of a disruption to oil imports, there will be oil - but it may not be cheap.
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Iran issues stark warning to Trump 'the gambler': We will end this war
Iran said on Monday that the US attack on its nuclear sites expanded the range of legitimate targets for its armed forces and called US president Donald Trump a "gambler" for joining Israel's military campaign against the Islamic Republic. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya central military headquarters, said the US should expect heavy consequences for its actions. "Mr Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it," Zolfaqari said in English at the end of a recorded video statement. Iran and Israel traded air and missile strikes as the world braced for Tehran's response to the US attack on its nuclear sites over the weekend, which Trump suggested could lead to the overthrow of the Iranian government. Commercial satellite imagery indicated Saturday's attack on Iran's Fordow nuclear plant far underground had severely damaged or destroyed the site and the uranium-enriching centrifuges it housed, but its status remained unconfirmed, experts said. In his latest social media comments on the US strikes, Trump said: "Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran." "The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!" he wrote on his Truth Social platform. Trump earlier called on Iran to forgo any retaliation and said the government "must now make peace" or future attacks would be "far greater and a lot easier", fuelling global concern about further escalation of conflict in the Middle East. This satellite picture by Planet Labs PBC shows Iran's underground nuclear enrichment site at Fordo on March 19, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP) The US launched 75 precision-guided munitions including bunker-buster bombs and more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles against three Iranian nuclear sites, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, told reporters. The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said no increases in off-site radiation levels had been reported after the US strikes. Rafael Grossi, the agency's director general, told CNN that it was not yet possible to assess the damage done underground. A senior Iranian source told Reuters that most of the highly enriched uranium at Fordow had been moved elsewhere before the attack. Reuters could not immediately corroborate the claim. Tehran, which denies its nuclear programme is for anything other than peaceful purposes, launched a volley of missiles towards Israel in the aftermath of the US attack, wounding scores of people and destroying buildings in Tel Aviv. But it has not acted on its main options for retaliation, to attack US bases or choke off the 20% of global oil shipments that pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Attempting to strangle the strait could send global oil prices skyrocketing, derail the world economy and invite conflict with the US Navy's massive Fifth Fleet based in nearby Bahrain.
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Islamic State suicide bombing in Damascus church kills 22 people
A suicide bombing by Islamic State (IS) targeting a church in Damascus has killed 22 people and wounded 63, according to Syrian state media. The attack on Sunday night was the first major IS operation and the first suicide bombing in Syria since former president Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December and replaced by an Islamist-led Government. A man affiliated with IS entered the Greek Orthodox St Elias church in the old Christian quarter of Damascus during prayers, opened fire and then detonated an explosive vest while inside the church, Syria's interior ministry said. Eyewitnesses inside the church reported a second gunman who did not blow himself up, but also shot at the 150 or so worshippers present. READ MORE People survey the damage inside St Elias church following a suicide bombing on Sunday in Damascus, Syria. Photograph: Ali'People were praying safely under the eyes of God,' said Fadi Ghattas, who said he saw at least 20 people killed. 'There were 350 people praying at the church.' Videos of the church's interior show splintered pews overturned by the force of the blast and the corpses of congregants. Local residents reported hearing a large blast and then the sound of sirens as security forces attempted to establish a cordon around the area and civil defence personnel headed towards the church. Issam Nasr, who was praying at the church, said he saw people 'blown to bits'. 'We have never held a knife in our lives. All we ever carried were our prayers,' he said. The attack came after months of low-level IS activity and propaganda, as the group attempted to exploit the security vacuum created after the fall of Assad to reconstitute itself. Syrian officials have said the group was able to seize weaponry and ammunition left by fleeing Assad regime soldiers to bolster its caches. The Syrian Government, led by former leaders of the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have been carrying out anti-IS raids throughout the country since taking power. Security forces at the scene of the suicide bombing at St Elias church in Damascus, Syria. Photograph: Anagha Nair/Meadle East Images/AFP via Getty Images While still a rebel group, HTS had been fighting IS in areas under its control, viewing it as a source of instability and radicalisation for rival rebel groups. Since the fall of the Assad regime, IS has attempted to use the apparent moderation of the former Islamist rebels who now lead the country as a recruitment tool for disaffected Islamist fighters. IS social media channels and propaganda published pictures of the Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, meeting US president Donald Trump in May, describing it as an apparent betrayal of his jihadist roots. Syrian authorities have stressed religious minorities will be protected under their rule. Security personnel usually are posted at each entrance of the city's Christian quarter, inspecting cars as they come in. The Syrian minister of information, Hamza al-Mustafa, said: 'This cowardly act contradicts the values of citizenship that unite us all. We, as Syrians, emphasise the importance of national unity and civil peace, and call for strengthening the bonds of fraternity between all components of society.' The Damascus municipality said security services were investigating the circumstances of the bombing. Syria's foreign ministry described the event as a 'desperate attempt to undermine national coexistence and to destabilise the country'. A statement from the office of the United Nations special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said he was outraged at the 'heinous crime' and condemned it in the 'strongest possible terms'. The office added that the envoy also called for 'a full investigation and action by the authorities'. Though nominally in power of most of Syria, the country's new Government has struggled to extend its control on the ground over the country. Syria is still full of militias, some of them more radical than others. The country's defence ministry is in the process of folding militias into a unified national army and disarming those who refuse to join its ranks. Since the territorial defeat of the so-called caliphate of IS in Syria, it has been mostly the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that have been leading the anti-IS fight. Co-operation between the SDF and the new Syrian Government in fighting IS has been growing but is still in its infancy. The US, as well as the other members of the anti-IS coalition in Iraq and Syria, have cited the resurgence of IS in Syria as one of their key concerns for the country. – Guardian
