How apocalyptic Iran could terrorise West after US blitz from horror bombings to kidnappings and crippling cyber attacks
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THE world is waiting with baited breath for Tehran's response to Donald Trump's strikes on three key nuclear facilities.
Iran and Israel's conflict expanded to a global scale when the US sent bombers and cruise missiles to decimate the sites in a "spectacular military success," according to the US president.
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Firefighters, rescue workers and military tasked with civil defense and recovery operations gather at the site of a direct missile strike launched from Iran in Tel Aviv
Credit: AP
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Missiles fired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps towards Israel
Credit: Reuters
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Houthi supporters at a ceremony marking the Shiite religious Day of Eid al-Ghadir, in Sana'a, Yemen
Credit: EPA
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US President Donald Trump holds a meeting in the Situation Room at the White House in Washington
Credit: Reuters
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After declaring the US strikes as being a success, Trump warned that further action could be taken if Tehran doesn't agree to an adequate peace deal.
But Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Tehran "reserves all options" in defending itself and that the blitz "will have everlasting consequences".
Fears loom of what Iran's next move is, with some experts warning of retaliation by hostage kidnapping of Americans, launching crippling cyber-attacks or cutting off oil supply.
US sites decimated
A simple response from Iran would be the decimation of US sites in the Middle East using its arsenal of ballistic missiles.
At least 50 Iranian missiles are thought to have struck down in Israel during the ten days of conflict.
But more than 450 have been intercepted by Israel's sophisticated air defences, along with around 1,000 drones, according to the latest figures from the Israeli military.
Iranian preparations for missile strikes on US military bases in the Middle East have been exposed by American intelligence officers, anonymous officials told the New York Times.
There are over 20 bases across the region - the majority of which are within 2,000km range of Iran's Sejil-2 ballistic missile.
US bases in Iraq and Syria would potentially be targeted first, according to The Telegraph.
American officials said that F-22, F-16 and F-35 fighter jets had been positioned in the Middle East - prime targets for Tehran missiles.
Major general Chip Chapman told The Sun how the bases represent key targets for Iran.
He said: "It could be that they do some sort of minimal strike on one or two bases, not a theatre-wide strike, which would involve Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, all the American bases throughout the region.
"And we know from the UK perspective that the 20 plots, Iranian inspired plots against, Iranian dissidents.
"So you could see that against Israeli targets, a wide geographic region that's that prolonged, sporadic, conflict.
"It is if you had that, that people would more overtly, I think, talk about regime change in general."
Fears loom that Iran could even strike US embassies and consulates.
Several sources revealed to Sky News that the US embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, is likely to be attacked.
Sponsored terror attacks
Iran has not hid the fact it uses its network of regional proxies as defence.
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Smoke rises following an Israeli attack in Tehran, Iran
Credit: Reuters
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Missiles fired from Iran in retaliation for Israeli attacks are seen in the sky over the Hebron, West Bank
Credit: Getty
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Houthi supporters attend a ceremony marking the Shiite religious Day
Credit: EPA
Infamous Hezbollah and Hamas have been effectively keeping the Israeli military occupied - steering attention away from Iran.
And Yemen's Houthis have also provided distraction to the West by relentlessly targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The group already vowed to target US ships if Washington launched an attack on Iran just hours before Trump's nuke blitz - with the threat now potentially becoming a reality.
The Houthis had halted its attacks on US shipping containers after Trump boosted strikes on the group.
Crippling cyber attack
Iran and its regional proxies have claimed responsibility for various crippling cyber attacks on Israel.
Data has been destroyed and phishing campaigns launched in the past - meaning another cyber attack in response to the nuclear sites blitz could be on the cards.
The US government has desperately worked to gather information on Iranian hackers responsible for previous attacks due to the grave threats to defence.
An eye-watering $10 million reward was uploaded for details on a group known as CyberAv3ngers who US officials have tracked down to having links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
But experts have warned that Iran could struggle to actually launched large-scale cyber attacks when its regime is under extreme threat - like now.
Choking shipping lanes
Arguably Tehran's most powerful weapon against the West is the Strait of Hormuz.
The narrow path of water between Oman and Iran is vital in the global supply of oil.
Major general Chapman told The Sun that the Islamic Republic could just shut down access to the Strait and cripple shipping through the area.
He said: "The worst case from the allies perspective, America and everyone else, is that the Iranians go towards a posture of closing the Strait of Hormuz.
"20 per cent of the world's oil runs through that. And as of today, the price of a barrel of oil, Brant crude was $77.
"Now that is where the Brits may get involved, because one of the things about the British posture in the region and the opposition, it's been a longstanding British, operation in the Persian Gulf and the wider Middle East is that we have mine countermeasure vessels, co-located with the American Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
"If the Iranians were to try and close the Strait of Hormuz, that those would be a definite ask by the Americans to the Brits.
"The Iranian oil goes to China, it goes to India, places like that. They're the ones who would suffer."
Oil field blitzed
Iran has the potential to pull what's been dubbed the "last big card" and launch an attack on vital energy infrastructure in the Gulf that powers the globe.
In 2019, two major Saudi Arabian oil plants, one in Abqaiq, Bugayg, and its second largest oilfield in Khurais, where engulfed in flames after a drone attack.
The Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack - but the US and Saudi governments accused Iran of orchestrating it behind closed doors.
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Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's grandson, Hassan Khomeini stands next to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Credit: Reuters
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Missiles fired from Iran in retaliation for Israeli attacks are seen in the sky over the Hebron
Credit: Getty
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Smoke rises from the building of Iran's state-run television after an Israeli strike in Tehran
Credit: AP
The Khurais oilfield was producing around one per cent of the world's oil and Abqaiq is the largest facility and could produce seven per cent of the global supply.
This caused global energy prices to spike, and temporarily binned half of Saudi Arabia's oil production.
Chaos unfolding
After declaring the US strikes as being a success, Trump warned that further action could be taken if Tehran doesn't agree to an adequate peace deal.
He said in a nationally televised speech at the White House: "Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier."
"There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days."
'Remember there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal.
'But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.
'Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. There's no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight."
And shortly after speaking on-camera, he posted to Truth Social: "This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.
Staggering vid shows US carpet bombing Houthis in 'Operation Rough Rider' as Trump blitzed 800 targets in 44 days
"Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal.
"But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill."
Meanwhile Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arghchi dubbed the strikes "outrageous and will have everlasting consequences".
He also called the military action "a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations".
Arghchi added: "Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.
"In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people."
A response from Iran, or from the Ayatollah in hiding, has not yet come.
Ali Khamenei is believed to be cowering away in a secret lair as Israeli missile attacks rain down nearby.
Two informed sources inside the country told Iran International the country's ageing dictator is holed up in the bunker in Lavizan, a neighbourhood in Tehran.
Posting on Truth Social, President Donald Trump said US bombers targeted Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan enrichment sites - all key to Iran's doomsday project.
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Leader Live
10 minutes ago
- Leader Live
US signals willingness to renew talks with Iran and avoid prolonged war
President Donald Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night, allowed his national security team to speak for him the next morning, staying quiet on social media and scheduling no public appearances. The co-ordinated messaging by his vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout from the attack would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. Defence secretary Pete Hegseth said at a news conference that America 'does not seek war' with Iran while vice president JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. Operation Midnight Hammer 'involved decoys and deception and met with no Iranian resistance', according to Mr Hegseth and air force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Mr Hegseth added. Gen Caine said the goal of the operation – destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan – had been achieved. 'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' Gen Caine said. Mr Vance said in a television interview that while he would not discuss 'sensitive intelligence about what we've seen on the ground', he felt 'very confident that we've substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon'. Pressed further, he told NBC's Meet the Press that 'I think that we have really pushed their programme back by a very long time. I think that it's going to be many, many years before the Iranians are able to develop a nuclear weapon'. The vice president said the US had 'negotiated aggressively' with Iran to try to find a peaceful settlement and that Mr Trump made his decision after assessing the Iranians were not acting 'in good faith'. 'I actually think it provides an opportunity to reset this relationship, reset these negotiations and get us in a place where Iran can decide not to be a threat to its neighbours, not to a threat to the United States, and if they're willing to do that, the United States is all ears,' Mr Vance said. Secretary of state Marco Rubio said on CBS's Face the Nation that 'there are no planned military operations right now against Iran, unless, unless they mess around and they attack' US interests. Mr Trump has previously threatened other countries, but often backed down or failed to follow through, given his promises to his coalition of voters not to entangle the United States in an extended war. It was not immediately clear whether Iran saw the avoidance of a wider conflict as in its best interests. Much of the world is absorbing the consequences of the strikes and the risk that they could lead to more fighting across the Middle East after the US inserted itself into the war between Israel and Iran. Air strikes starting on June 12 by Israel that targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and generals prompted retaliation from Iran, creating a series of events that contributed to the US attack. While US officials urged caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticised the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Washington was 'fully responsible' for whatever actions Tehran may take in response. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,' he said at a news conference in Turkey. 'I don't know how much room is left for diplomacy.' China and Russia, where Mr Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the US military action. The attacks were 'a gross violation of international law', said Russia's Foreign Ministry, which also advocated 'returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course'. A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to 'a global level'. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies, but that he was focused on finding a solution. The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need for 'a rapid resumption of negotiations'. France's Emmanuel Macron held talks with the Saudi crown prince and sultan of Oman. Iran could try to stop oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, which could create the same kind of inflationary shocks that the world felt after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Oil prices have increased in the financial markets as the war between Israel and Iran had intensified, climbing by 21% over the past month. The Pentagon briefing did not provide any new details about Iran's nuclear capabilities. Mr Hegseth said the timeline for the strikes was the result of a schedule set by Mr Trump for talks with Iran about its nuclear ambitions. 'Iran found out' that when Mr Trump 'says 60 days that he seeks peace and negotiation, he means 60 days of peace and negotiation', Mr Hegseth said. 'Otherwise, that nuclear programme, that new nuclear capability will not exist. He meant it.' — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2025 That statement was complicated as the White House had suggested last Thursday that Mr Trump could take as much as two weeks to determine whether to strike Iran or continue to pursue negotiations. But the US benefited from Iran's weakened air defences as it was able to conduct the attacks without resistance from Iran. 'Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface to air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission,' Gen Caine said. Mr Hegseth said that a choice to move a number of B-2 bombers from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday was meant to be a decoy to throw off Iranians. He added that the US used other methods of deception as well, deploying fighters to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped 14 bunker-buster bombs on Iran's site at Fordo.
Glasgow Times
10 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
US signals willingness to renew talks with Iran and avoid prolonged war
President Donald Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night, allowed his national security team to speak for him the next morning, staying quiet on social media and scheduling no public appearances. The co-ordinated messaging by his vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout from the attack would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. Defence secretary Pete Hegseth said at a news conference that America 'does not seek war' with Iran while vice president JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. Operation Midnight Hammer 'involved decoys and deception and met with no Iranian resistance', according to Mr Hegseth and air force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Mr Hegseth added. Gen Caine said the goal of the operation – destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan – had been achieved. Vice president JD Vance, left, said the US is confident it has delayed Iran's ability to make a nuclear weapon (The White House/AP/PA) 'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' Gen Caine said. Mr Vance said in a television interview that while he would not discuss 'sensitive intelligence about what we've seen on the ground', he felt 'very confident that we've substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon'. Pressed further, he told NBC's Meet the Press that 'I think that we have really pushed their programme back by a very long time. I think that it's going to be many, many years before the Iranians are able to develop a nuclear weapon'. The vice president said the US had 'negotiated aggressively' with Iran to try to find a peaceful settlement and that Mr Trump made his decision after assessing the Iranians were not acting 'in good faith'. Joint Chiefs chairman Dan Caine addressed the media at the Pentagon (Alex Brandon/AP) 'I actually think it provides an opportunity to reset this relationship, reset these negotiations and get us in a place where Iran can decide not to be a threat to its neighbours, not to a threat to the United States, and if they're willing to do that, the United States is all ears,' Mr Vance said. Secretary of state Marco Rubio said on CBS's Face the Nation that 'there are no planned military operations right now against Iran, unless, unless they mess around and they attack' US interests. Mr Trump has previously threatened other countries, but often backed down or failed to follow through, given his promises to his coalition of voters not to entangle the United States in an extended war. It was not immediately clear whether Iran saw the avoidance of a wider conflict as in its best interests. Much of the world is absorbing the consequences of the strikes and the risk that they could lead to more fighting across the Middle East after the US inserted itself into the war between Israel and Iran. Air strikes starting on June 12 by Israel that targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and generals prompted retaliation from Iran, creating a series of events that contributed to the US attack. Iran targeted Tel Aviv with missiles in the hours after the US attack (Oded Balilty/AP) While US officials urged caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticised the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Washington was 'fully responsible' for whatever actions Tehran may take in response. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,' he said at a news conference in Turkey. 'I don't know how much room is left for diplomacy.' China and Russia, where Mr Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the US military action. The attacks were 'a gross violation of international law', said Russia's Foreign Ministry, which also advocated 'returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course'. A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to 'a global level'. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies, but that he was focused on finding a solution. The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need for 'a rapid resumption of negotiations'. France's Emmanuel Macron held talks with the Saudi crown prince and sultan of Oman. Iran could try to stop oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, which could create the same kind of inflationary shocks that the world felt after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Oil prices have increased in the financial markets as the war between Israel and Iran had intensified, climbing by 21% over the past month. The Pentagon briefing did not provide any new details about Iran's nuclear capabilities. Mr Hegseth said the timeline for the strikes was the result of a schedule set by Mr Trump for talks with Iran about its nuclear ambitions. 'Iran found out' that when Mr Trump 'says 60 days that he seeks peace and negotiation, he means 60 days of peace and negotiation', Mr Hegseth said. 'Otherwise, that nuclear programme, that new nuclear capability will not exist. He meant it.' That statement was complicated as the White House had suggested last Thursday that Mr Trump could take as much as two weeks to determine whether to strike Iran or continue to pursue negotiations. But the US benefited from Iran's weakened air defences as it was able to conduct the attacks without resistance from Iran. 'Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface to air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission,' Gen Caine said. Mr Hegseth said that a choice to move a number of B-2 bombers from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday was meant to be a decoy to throw off Iranians. He added that the US used other methods of deception as well, deploying fighters to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped 14 bunker-buster bombs on Iran's site at Fordo.
Western Telegraph
11 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
US signals willingness to renew talks with Iran and avoid prolonged war
President Donald Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night, allowed his national security team to speak for him the next morning, staying quiet on social media and scheduling no public appearances. The co-ordinated messaging by his vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout from the attack would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. Defence secretary Pete Hegseth said at a news conference that America 'does not seek war' with Iran while vice president JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. Operation Midnight Hammer 'involved decoys and deception and met with no Iranian resistance', according to Mr Hegseth and air force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Mr Hegseth added. Gen Caine said the goal of the operation – destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan – had been achieved. Vice president JD Vance, left, said the US is confident it has delayed Iran's ability to make a nuclear weapon (The White House/AP/PA) 'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' Gen Caine said. Mr Vance said in a television interview that while he would not discuss 'sensitive intelligence about what we've seen on the ground', he felt 'very confident that we've substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon'. Pressed further, he told NBC's Meet the Press that 'I think that we have really pushed their programme back by a very long time. I think that it's going to be many, many years before the Iranians are able to develop a nuclear weapon'. The vice president said the US had 'negotiated aggressively' with Iran to try to find a peaceful settlement and that Mr Trump made his decision after assessing the Iranians were not acting 'in good faith'. Joint Chiefs chairman Dan Caine addressed the media at the Pentagon (Alex Brandon/AP) 'I actually think it provides an opportunity to reset this relationship, reset these negotiations and get us in a place where Iran can decide not to be a threat to its neighbours, not to a threat to the United States, and if they're willing to do that, the United States is all ears,' Mr Vance said. Secretary of state Marco Rubio said on CBS's Face the Nation that 'there are no planned military operations right now against Iran, unless, unless they mess around and they attack' US interests. Mr Trump has previously threatened other countries, but often backed down or failed to follow through, given his promises to his coalition of voters not to entangle the United States in an extended war. It was not immediately clear whether Iran saw the avoidance of a wider conflict as in its best interests. Much of the world is absorbing the consequences of the strikes and the risk that they could lead to more fighting across the Middle East after the US inserted itself into the war between Israel and Iran. Air strikes starting on June 12 by Israel that targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and generals prompted retaliation from Iran, creating a series of events that contributed to the US attack. Iran targeted Tel Aviv with missiles in the hours after the US attack (Oded Balilty/AP) While US officials urged caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticised the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Washington was 'fully responsible' for whatever actions Tehran may take in response. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,' he said at a news conference in Turkey. 'I don't know how much room is left for diplomacy.' China and Russia, where Mr Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the US military action. The attacks were 'a gross violation of international law', said Russia's Foreign Ministry, which also advocated 'returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course'. A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to 'a global level'. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies, but that he was focused on finding a solution. The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need for 'a rapid resumption of negotiations'. France's Emmanuel Macron held talks with the Saudi crown prince and sultan of Oman. Iran could try to stop oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, which could create the same kind of inflationary shocks that the world felt after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Oil prices have increased in the financial markets as the war between Israel and Iran had intensified, climbing by 21% over the past month. The Pentagon briefing did not provide any new details about Iran's nuclear capabilities. Mr Hegseth said the timeline for the strikes was the result of a schedule set by Mr Trump for talks with Iran about its nuclear ambitions. 'Iran found out' that when Mr Trump 'says 60 days that he seeks peace and negotiation, he means 60 days of peace and negotiation', Mr Hegseth said. 'Otherwise, that nuclear programme, that new nuclear capability will not exist. He meant it.' That statement was complicated as the White House had suggested last Thursday that Mr Trump could take as much as two weeks to determine whether to strike Iran or continue to pursue negotiations. But the US benefited from Iran's weakened air defences as it was able to conduct the attacks without resistance from Iran. 'Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface to air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission,' Gen Caine said. Mr Hegseth said that a choice to move a number of B-2 bombers from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday was meant to be a decoy to throw off Iranians. He added that the US used other methods of deception as well, deploying fighters to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped 14 bunker-buster bombs on Iran's site at Fordo.
