As Iran tries to talk its way towards a resolution, Israel has other ideas

Donald Trump's early departure from the G7 was entirely in keeping with a president semi-detached.
He looked an awkward fit in Kananaskis, Alberta - a reluctant guest among political counterparts for whom he remains a curiosity - not in a good way.
If he wanted an early 'out', he had a good excuse. They know here, as in the Middle East, that Trump is the pivotal president who can turn war into peace.
0:47
In executing the responsibility, he has turned back to the negotiating table. Iranian officials had asked for fresh talks and it seems they have their wish, with a White House offer of discussions on a ceasefire and nuclear deal.
They have been here before without success, but the context has clearly changed.
As Iran endeavours to talk its way towards a resolution, Israel has other ideas. It wants the US to supply the bunker-busting bombs it lacks to penetrate Iran's underground nuclear storage sites.
The Israelis have the ear of the US president. For now, however, Trump believes he can reach a deal with the Iranians through dialogue.
His negotiating position is further strengthened by the prospect of answering Israel's call and engaging US weaponry.
If and when the Iranians sit down with the Americans for fresh discussions, it will feel like make or break. For the absence of doubt, Donald Trump posted on social media last night: "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!"
Donald Trump can claim a vindication of his strategy. Negotiations with Iran drifted and - if we assume US assent of the Israeli action - Trump effectively outsourced the military action that's brought Iran to heel.
The test of him now is how he exploits the opportunity, and trust will be at the heart of it.
The Iranians will consider how they negotiate in good faith with a US president aligned with an Israeli prime minister harbouring ambitions for regime change in their country.
For their part, the Israelis will ponder whether they can trust him to deliver, given their more belligerent view on the way forward.
And they will have legitimate questions arising from the diplomatic history of a US president big on promises.
Whatever Trump states in his covering letter, the CV doesn't read too well.

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Telegraph

an hour ago

• Telegraph

Kyiv mayor tells Trump: Come and see my bombed-out city

Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, has invited Donald Trump to visit the Ukrainian capital to witness for himself the destructive toll of non-stop Russian bombardment. In an interview with The Telegraph, the former world heavyweight champion boxer said he used to be a tour guide and would be 'very happy' to return to the role for the US president. Besides the city's historical treasures, he 'will be presenting the buildings where civilians have been killed, children killed' in an effort to secure further defensive weapons for Ukraine. The day before meeting The Telegraph in his office in city hall, Russia launched one of its largest bombardments on the capital, firing around 300 drones and seven ballistic and cruise missiles on June 11. On Tuesday, 30 people were killed in a nine-hour-long attack on the city that included a Russian drone flying straight into a residential block, obliterating the building and trapping dozens under the rubble. What was a fairly intermittent threat to one of Europe's largest capitals has become a constant, harrowing bombardment, with residents spending hours each night in shelters as air defences rattle off gunfire to bring down swarms of whining Shaheds. Vladimir Putin can now fire over 4,000 drones at Ukraine per month, a tenfold increase compared to this time last year, following massive investment in manufacturing. 'We need more support,' says Mr Klitschko, leaning his 6ft 7in frame forward across the boardroom table. 'Because more and more drones are coming from the Russian Federation.' Kyiv is one of Ukraine's best-protected cities, using both Patriot air-defence batteries and a network of mobile gun-teams that chase after drones in pick-up trucks. But the sheer volume of attacks means more slip through. Russia's engineers have 'modernised' the Shahed kamikaze drone with their domestically produced variant known as the Geran, says Mr Klitschko. 'They are already much faster. They fly much higher. And sometimes it's very difficult to identify the drones,' he says. The latest Gerans can piggy-back on Ukrainian internet and mobile network systems, making it much harder to detect and spoof them with electronic warfare countermeasures. 'You question why [we need] the United States,' the mayor says. 'Right now we need the defensive weapons, because we are defending our territorial integrity and our independence. 'My first job, many, many, many years ago, before I started my sports club era, was working as a tour guide in my home town. And I will be very happy to make an excursion for Trump.' Getting the attention of the White House is a challenge, one made all the more difficult by the launch of Israel's war against Iran and its nuclear programme. Some 20,000 anti-drone missiles destined for Ukraine were recently transferred to the Middle East. Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, announced that from next year the US will no longer purchase new arms for Ukraine. Mr Trump often appears ringside at the Ultimate Fighting Championship, hugging and posing for pictures with the blood-slicked winners. Could Mr Klitschko, who was known as Dr Ironfist in the ring, appeal to him this way? 'We actually fought in Taj Mahal Palace,' says the mayor, referring to a 2002 bout against Ray Mercer at the president's now-closed casino resort in Atlantic City. The fight, like 45 of his 47, ended in victory for Mr Klitschko, during a period of almost total dominance of the heavyweight division, alongside his brother, Vladimir. 'Trump was in the first row, I guess,' he says. 'And we have good discussion, good communication. I hope it's very soon I have a chance to talk personally to Trump and give him lots of arguments.' In the June 8 barrage, a headquarters of the US defence giant Boeing was struck, along with a building used to process British visas until late last year. 'It is not possible to keep representatives from any country safe,' Mr Klitschko says. Flags, drone parts and a traditional Ukrainian mace adorn the mayor's office. Asked for his favourite memento, Mr Klitschko walks behind his desk and pulls out a photograph of his son, Maxim, as a seven-year-old boy. Then he shows a picture on his phone of himself standing by the side of a much taller man. This is Maxim at 7ft 5in , fully grown and, at the age of 20, a professional basketball player with AS Monaco. 'He makes us look small,' says Mr Klitschko with a smile. 'We hope he will join the NBA.' In Ukraine, debate rages over whether to lower the age of conscription, from 25 to 18, amid growing shortages of manpower. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, has resisted US pressure in favour of a reduction. Cautiously, Mr Klitschko opens a gap between himself and the commander-in-chief. 'If you go to the street and see, from 10 workers, you see seven women and three men,' he says. 'And in other cities the number of men is much smaller.' 'The age of mobilisation is not our responsibility, it's a decision of government, but we have right now a huge deficit of human resources, and, if possible, pretty soon, the central government can make this decision.' Does he think it would be right? Mr Klitschko says 'if we don't have another source' of men it may 'have to be', emphasising each word percussively. For years, Mr Klitschko and Mr Zelensky have been at each other's throats. When he was a comedian, the president played a 'translator' to the mayor in one long-running skit, turning Mr Klitschko's incomprehensible blithering and raspberries – played by an actor – into full sentences. The president appeared to recall the sketch when, in February, he responded to Mr Klitschko's suggestion that Ukraine might temporarily exchange the four regions occupied by Russia for peace. 'I know he's a great athlete,' Mr Zelensky said. 'But I didn't know he was a great speaker.' In the president's eyes, Mr Klitschko has allowed corruption to flourish, doing little to stem the 'Kyiv system' of kickbacks, elite contractors and backroom deals. The national anti-corruption bureau has recently arrested a string of the mayor's subordinates in city hall, with many cases focused on the sale of land permits. To Mr Klitschko, the president is an authoritarian intent on edging him out of power as he fears a rival with international clout. He accuses the president of undermining mayors from opposition parties and replacing them with allies under the guise of separate military administrations, such as that established in Kyiv. In the last couple of years, he says, the prosecutor's office has 'opened 1,500 criminal cases' against his administration. 'Maybe you can take [from this], that the prosecutor's office, police is working pretty well.' But opening criminal cases is 'very, very easy. How many go to court? Just eight'. The focus on corruption is because the 'whole media is in one hand' he claims and 'because a lot of politicians make a huge mistake... preparing for an election' after the war is over. 'Kyiv is one of the largest cities not just in Ukraine but also in Eastern Europe,' he says, adding that Mr Zelensky wants to 'control Kyiv [and] I'm not a member of the president's party'. Critics in the president's office would reply that Mr Klitschko is himself not immune to political manoeuvring. Ending the interview, the former boxer pokes his head back through the door to apologise for his English. 'I don't get much opportunity to practice any more,' says the one-time Los Angeles resident, now never dressed in anything but khaki. Then he is gone, with battles to be fought on all fronts.

Sky News

an hour ago

• Sky News

Israel-Iran live: Iran and Israel exchange attacks - a day after Tehran rules out nuclear negotiations

Iran and Israel have been exchanging attacks after Tehran ruled out nuclear negotiations with US while it is facing "Israeli aggression". Reports have suggested a nuclear facility site in Iran has been "targeted". Listen to our Trump 100 podcast as you scroll.

The Independent

2 hours ago

• The Independent

Israel-Iran latest: Israel strikes Iran's largest nuclear research facility after huge explosion rocks Haifa

Iran and Israel launched a new round of strikes early Saturday, a day after Tehran ruled out nuclear talks while under threat and European powers continued efforts to revive diplomacy. The Israeli military said it had carried out a wave of attacks on missile storage and launch sites across Iran. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz confirmed that among those killed was Saeed Izadi, a senior commander in the Quds Force, the overseas wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Iran's Fars news agency reported that Israel had targeted the Isfahan nuclear facility, one of the country's largest, but said there was no leakage of hazardous material. Iranian media also reported an Israeli strike on a building in the city of Qom, where a 16-year-old was reportedly killed and two others injured. Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump slammed the US intelligence Community's assessment of Iran's nuclear weapons program and claimed Tehran could produce a working weapon within a 'matter of weeks'. At the United Nations Security Council on Friday, Israel's envoy Danny Danon declared the country would continue its military operations 'until Iran's nuclear threat is dismantled.' Watch: Russia's defence of Iran shows need to tighten sanctions, says Zelensky 21 June 2025 07:20 Experts say Israel's current strikes on Iran's nuclear installations so far pose only limited risks of contamination, but warn any attack on the country's nuclear power station at Bushehr could cause a nuclear disaster. Fears of a nuclear catastrophe rippled through the Gulf on Thursday after the Israeli military mistakenly announced a strike in Bushehr, home to Iran's only nuclear power station, only to say later that the announcement was a mistake. Do Israeli attacks on Iran risk nuclear contamination? Israel has said it is determined to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities, while avoiding any nuclear disaster in the region Shahana Yasmin21 June 2025 07:10 UN nuclear watchdog urges restraint as Israel strikes nuclear-linked sites in Iran The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog has warned against any military action targeting Iran's nuclear reactors. At an emergency UN Security Council meeting, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said: 'I want to make it absolutely and completely clear: In case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment. This is the nuclear site in Iran where the consequences could be most serious.' So far, Israel has avoided targeting nuclear reactors, focusing instead on Iran's Natanz enrichment site, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, and the Arak heavy water facility. While initial reports indicated no damage at Arak, the IAEA later confirmed 'key buildings at the facility were damaged,' though no radioactive material was present. Shahana Yasmin21 June 2025 07:00 Israel says it killed Quds Force commander leading Palestine Corps Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said on Saturday that the military had killed Saeed Izadi, a senior commander in Iran's Quds Force, during a strike on an apartment in the city of Qom, according to Reuters. Izadi, who led the Palestine Corps within the Quds Force, the overseas arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was described as a veteran figure in Iran's regional operations. Shahana Yasmin21 June 2025 06:47 Who's who in the secret group advising Trump on Iran - who has been left out of the planning? President Donald Trump let it be known on Thursday that he will make a decision on whether to involve the U.S. in Israel's war with Iran within the next two weeks, as tensions over the question continue to divide conservatives. The president, who signed off on attack plans on Tuesday but resisted giving the go-ahead, is reportedly taking soundings from a small coterie of trusted advisers while also throwing the conversation open to fellow world leaders, as well as allies such as the hawkish Republican senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Tom Cotton of Arkansas. Keep reading: Who's who in the secret group advising Trump on Iran President Donald Trump is huddling with small circle of trusted advisers about whether to join Israeli military offensive Joe Sommerlad21 June 2025 06:30 Israel vows to continue strikes until Iran's nuclear programme is dismantled Israel pledged on Friday to keep up its military offensive against Iran until Tehran's nuclear capabilities are fully dismantled, Reuters reported. 'Though our homes, our families and our children are under threat, we will not stop,' Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon told the United Nations Security Council. 'Not until Iran's nuclear threat is dismantled. Not until its war machine is disarmed. Not until our people and yours are safe.' In response, Iran's ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, called on the Security Council to intervene to halt Israel's attacks. 'Israel apparently declared that it will continue this strike for as many days as it takes,' he said. 'We are alarmed by credible reports that the United States... may be joining this war.' Shahana Yasmin21 June 2025 06:20 Iran faces near-total internet blackout amid conflict with Israel As the war between Iran and Israel enters its second week, much of Iran remains in a near-total communication blackout, leaving millions unable to connect with the outside world or even with friends and family across the country. According to internet monitoring group NetBlocks, Iran has been largely cut off from global internet access for more than 60 hours. 'The internet shutdown continues to severely limit the public's ability to express political viewpoints, communicate freely, and follow safety alerts amid ongoing conflict with Israel,' it said on X, formerly Twitter. Shahana Yasmin21 June 2025 06:10 Do Israeli attacks on Iran risk nuclear contamination? Do Israeli attacks on Iran risk nuclear contamination? Israel has said it is determined to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities, while avoiding any nuclear disaster in the region Reuters21 June 2025 06:00 Ex-CIA chief warns US would trigger regional war by striking Iran Former CIA director and defence secretary Leon Panetta has warned that any US military strike on Iran would almost certainly plunge the country into a wider regional war. Panetta said the US made a 'terrible mistake' by invading Iraq two decades ago and urged US president Trump to heed the lessons of the past. 'It's a lesson that the president needs to learn, because if he goes in and attacks Iran, then there's no question that the United States would be in a regional war at that point,' Panetta told CNN, adding that Iran would inevitably retaliate. 'So make no mistake about it. It may be an airstrike, but it would definitely involve the United States in a war.' Shahana Yasmin21 June 2025 05:50 Iran signals openness to diplomacy, but only if Israel halts attacks Iran has said it is open to pursuing diplomatic talks with European nations, but only on the condition that Israel ends its military operations and those responsible are held to account. Following a meeting in Geneva with European diplomats, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi expressed 'serious concern' over the failure of France, Germany, the UK, and the EU to condemn what he described as Israel's surprise strike and ongoing aggression against Iran. He warned that any assault on Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities would represent a severe violation of international law. 'I explicitly and clearly stated that Iran's defensive capabilities are not negotiable,' the minister said, reported the Associated Press. However, he added that Iran is ready to keep talking with the Europeans 'in the near future'. His comments came as Israel's top military commander said the country was preparing for a potentially prolonged conflict.