Chilling vid shows Israeli school bus blown to bits by Iranian missile in madcap Ayatollah's death-throw retaliation
THIS is the chilling aftermath of a huge ballistic rocket blast by Iran which blew up a line of Israeli school buses.
A 30-foot crater sat just yards from the charred
hulk
of the bus laid bare the destructive power of the Iranian missiles
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One of the buses was left decimated in the missile blast
Credit: Doug Seeberg
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Sun Foreign Editor Nick Parker stands in a 30ft crater left by an Iranian missile in a school bus depot
Credit: Doug Seeburg
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The charred remains of the inside of one of the buses
Credit: Doug Seeberg
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Iran blitzed 10 school buses in total worth hundreds of thousands of pounds
Credit: Doug Seeburg
The rocket was fired more than 1,000 miles and armed with a tonne of explosives.
It narrowly missed dozens of
homes
before thundering into a bus depot site.
Locals cowering in shelters nearby felt the earth move as the blast delivered a fireball coupled with a shrapnel shockwave which wiped out ten buses at 8.48am on Tuesday.
The fanatical Iranian terror state has launched at least 370 similar missiles - including a hypersonic one - and hundreds of drones at its arch enemy.
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These attacks have left the normally bustling metropolis of Tel Aviv a virtual ghost town as citizens braced for the
next
phase of this fast-moving conflict.
The Sun's team in Israel was taken to the crater in the suburb of Herzliya, around 10 miles from the port city's centre overnight.
Locals were still reeling from the shock of the attack little more than 24 hours earlier - and counting the cost of 10 wrecked school buses worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Ahron Gablan - who owns seven buses smashed during the blitz - said: 'They had been parked there because classes had been stopped because of the war.
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'But God knows what would have happened if the children and their families hadn't been in shelters.
'It exploded at 8.48am on a weekday when streets would usually be busy - when families would have been taking kids to school.
Trump gives 2-word warning to Ayatollah if he refuses to surrender…& reveals Iran blinked first in secret talks
'I was in a synagogue nearby when the explosion shook the building - I have never felt or heard anything like it.
'The sound was terrifying.'
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Mr Gablan, a 67-year-old father-of-five from Herzliya added: 'My buses have been wrecked and I don't know how I'll recover from this.
'This is what happens when one of the missiles gets through but - thank God - it hit open ground
next
to the depot.
'Everyone is worried about where this war is going and what will happen next. We want it all to end.'
Israel and
Iran
are now in a deadly 'race to the bottom' as their stocks of offensive and defensive missiles were drained by the six-day conflict.
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Iran
still has a mammoth stockpile of just under 3,000 missiles - the largest in the Middle East.
But Israel says it has so far knocked out more than a third of the nation's ballistic launchers and is racing against time to hit more before further attacks are mounted.
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Coach boss Ahron Gablan whose fleet of buses was destroyed by an Iranian missile in Herzliya near Tel Aviv
Credit: Doug Seeburg
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The explosive smashed in the glass of several of the buses
Credit: Doug Seeberg
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A drone photo shows the damage over residential homes at the impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Tel Aviv
Credit: Reuters
Their urgency has been ramped up as rockets continued to fly forcing Israel to launch costly barrages using its high tech Iron Dome, David's Sling and Arrow rocket arsenals.
Analysts now say victory may now
hinge
on which side runs out of missiles first.
US sources last night said Israel is beginning to run low on Arrow rockets - the most vital ballistic missile defender - which could mean
rationing
defensive actions later this week.
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At least 24 Israelis have been killed in Israel and more than 500 wounded since the start of the conflict - but locals fear
casualty
rates will rocket without a missile shield.
A local dad-of-two called Ismail said as he picked over wreckage near the crater site in Herzliya shrugged last night: 'We know we are not safe and in a fight to the finish.
'Without the Iron Dome missiles like this would finish us and we are praying the Iranians will be stopped before it is too late.'
It comes as the war looks set to escalate into a global disaster with the
strikes
on Iran.
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Donald Trump gave a clear warning to Iran's Supreme Leader as he urged him to consider an "unconditional surrender".
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The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv on Wednesday
Credit: AP
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Evidence of Iran's terrifying missile attacks can be seen scattered across Israel including the remains of a ballistic missile
Credit: Reuters
Ayatollah Khamenei vowed Tehran will "never surrender" as he warned against any US intervention in the conflict.
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In his first statement since the escalation of bombings over the last few days, Khamenei said: "The battle begins."
He warned that the US will face hell if it enters the war and drops a single bomb.
Trump held a crisis meeting in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday, discussing whether to enter the war.
After the 80-minute gathering, US officials indicated that the next 24 to 48 hours would be crucial in determining whether diplomacy could be achieved with Iran,
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This would likely include an ironclad agreement to dismantle Iran's whole nuclear programme.
But if such commitments from Iran aren't agreed, Trump may resort to military action against Iran instead.
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Smoke rises following an Israeli attack in Tehran this morning
Credit: Reuters
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President Donald Trump is said to deciding if he will join Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike Iran
Credit: Reuters
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The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
As the world's eyes turned to Iran this week, Israeli forces killed hundreds of people in Gaza
IN THE LAST week news headlines the world over have been focused on the alarming developments in the Middle East since Israel attacked nuclear and military sites in Iran last Friday, and Iran responded with aerial strikes against Israel. Much of the focus has been on whether the US, under the Trump administration, will carry out strikes on Iran alongside Israel. Trump has prevaricated on the issue, but finally said yesterday that he believes that there a chance for real negotiations to take place, which he is allowing a two weeks window for. He has urged Iran to make an unconditional surrender. Israel's military offensive in Gaza and the deadly manner in which the dispersal of aid into the strip is being managed has continued in the last week at the same time, with several key incidents taking place. The last 24 hours Gaza's civil defence agency has said that 31 Palestinian aid seekers were among at least 60 people killed today by Israeli forces (Gaza is two hours ahead of GMT time). A spokesperson said that five people were killed while waiting for aid in the southern Gaza strip and 26 others were killed in a central area known as the Netzarim corridor, an Israeli-controlled strip of land that bisets Palestinian territory. Thousands are gathering there daily in an attempt to get food ration, as famine is looming across Gaza after more than 20 months of war. The Israeli army has claimed it fired 'warning shots' at 'suspects' that approached them. They further said that when individuals continued to approach an aircraft 'eliminated the suspects in order to remove the threat'. The Israel and US backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has taken over the distribution of aid into the strip since May, and there have been multiple mass deaths of aid seekers since. Also today, the civil defence agency said that 14 people were killed in two separate strikes in and around the central city of Deir el-Balah, and 13 others in three Israeli air strikes in the Gaza City Area. In Southern Gaza, two others were killed by 'Israeli gunfire'. AFP news agency has said it is now difficult to independently verify death tolls due to Israeli restrictions on media in the Strip, and difficulties in accessing some areas. Today, the former Israeli ambassador to the US Michael Oren appeared on Today with Claire Byrne, and he disputed reports that people are dying of widespread starvation in Gaza. He claimed that UN is getting its data 'from Hamas', and that Israeli analysts have 'different data'. Oren also claimed that Hamas is killing people near aid sites as In the last week On Thursday, the civil defence agency said that Israeli forces had killed at least 72 people, including another 21 aid seekers near distribution sites. Spokesperson Mahmud Bassal said that six were killed while waiting for aid in Southern Gaza, and 15 were killed in the Netzarim corridor. A man who witnessed the shootings at aid sites told AFP that people had gathered overnight on Wednesday, hoping that aid would be distributed on Thursday morning. 'Around 1:00 am (2200 GMT Wednesday), they started shooting at us,' he said by phone, reporting gunfire, tank shelling and bombs dropped by drones. Another man who spoke to the news agency said the size of the crowd made it impossible for people to escape, and that casualties were left lying on the ground within walking distance of the aid distribution point. 'We couldn't help them or even escape ourselves,' he said. In Northern Gaza – where most territories are under an evacuation order from the IDF – Bassal said that 51 people were killed in nine separate strikes. On the Wednesday, 33 people were reported as being killed by Israeli fire, including 11 aid seekers. Bassal said that 'occupation forces opened fire and launched several shells… at thousands of citizens'. Once again, on Wednesday, the IDF said that a group of 'suspicious individuals' had approached its forces in a manner that 'posed a potential threat'. It said that its troops fired 'warning shots', but that it was 'unaware of injuries'. Advertisement Later on Wednesday, the IDF said one of its soldiers was killed during an operation in Southern Gaza. On the same day the chair of the United Nations' Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Israel and the Palestinian territories said that the new aid 'foundation' is 'outrageous'. 'It involves the United States itself, the government, and it turns out, as we watch daily, that people who go to these centres are being killed as they seek food'. The United Nations and other major aid organisations are refusing to work with the group over concerns that it is furthering Israeli military objectives. West Bank raids In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the Israeli military raided refugee camps in the West Bank overnight. An official who runs the Balata Camp said that the military evicted home owners in the camps and told them not to return for 72 hours, and used their homes as interrogation outposts. Imad Zaki said that house-to-house searches were conducted, and that the contents of refugees' homes were destroyed, and residents were 'assaulted'. Zaki said that life in the camp was 'largely paralysed' by the raid. On the Tuesday, the civil defence agency said that more than 50 Palestinians were killed near the aid centre in the territories south, and some 200 people were wounded. A man who witnessed the shootings by military drones said that people were murdered 'in cold blood' who were 'ordinary, unarmed people'. The IDF said that it was looking into reports of injuries, and that a 'gathering' had been identified near an aid distribution truck that 'got stuck'. On Monday the civil defence agency reported that Israeli troops killed 20 people who were waiting to collect food. Bassal said that the Israeli forces opened fire near the Al-Alam roundabout in the southern city of Rafah, where people were waiting to reach the aid distribution site. On the same day, Ahmed al-Farra, the head of the paediatric department at Nasser Hospital in the nearby city of Khan Yunis said that people 'are hungry, they didn't get any food since nearly four months ago'. Farra said that the GHF sites are the only way for people to seek out food, and when they get there they are 'killed by snipers'. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had 200 people at its field hospital in the Al-Mawasi area near Rafah on the Monday. On the Sunday it treated 170 patients. In a statement the Red Cross said many of those people 'were wounded by gunshots, and reported that they were trying to access a food distribution site'. On the same day at the G7 summit in Canada, Ursala von der Leyen, the European Commission President, told reporters that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu promised over the phone to do more to bring aid in Gaza. On the Sunday, it was reported that 16 people were killed in Israeli military operations in various parts of the Gaza strip, including three citizens near aid distribution centres. Netanyahu speaking on Fox News. On the Sunday Netanyahu appeared on Fox News, the US channel, and said that he had ordered negotiators to 'advance' talks on the release of hostages being held in Gaza. He said that the US Middle East envoy made an offer to begin a 60-day ceasefire, with half of the remaining hostages being released straight away. Of the 251 hostages that were seized in Hamas's October 7 attacks, 52 are still held in Gaza, including 34 who Israel believes to be dead. On the Saturday, the day after Israel's attacks on Iran, Gaza rescuers said that 41 people were killed in Israeli military operations, more than half of whom were waiting on aid. On the same day, internet access was restored after a three day blackout, which the Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority blamed on Israel (a claim Israel didn't comment on). The Palestine Red Crescent Society said the week before that the blackout had hindered its rescue operations by making it difficult to contact first responders in the field. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Iran plots to activate terrorist sleeper cell network across West in desperate last act in face of Israeli destruction
A 'VULNERABLE' IRAN may activate a network of sleeper cells across the West in the face of the Israeli bombing campaign, experts have warned. With its 4 Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Credit: AFP 4 Iran's murderous terrorist wing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) 4 A view of the damage is seen after a missile launched from Iran reportedly struck the area on June 15 in retaliation for recent Israeli attacks Credit: Getty It has now been more than a week since The goal, as the Israelis say, is to thwart the Iranian regime's efforts to produce nuclear weapons - as well as more ballistic missiles, including long-range weapons that can strike targets far beyond Israel. While Iran has been responding by launching frequent salvos of ballistic missiles, its top military command has been decapitated. And Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been forced to live in underground bunkers. read more on iran Experts now fear that a vicious Iran could awaken its network of sleeper cells to carry out terror plots across the West. Barak Seener, a security and defence expert at Henry Jackson Society and Iran expert, said: "The very fact now that the Iranian regime is volatile, it's targeted, and it's highly vulnerable — that's what actually makes it increasingly dangerous to the West." Iran's murderous Mr Seener said that these sleeper cells could be regular people living regular lives. Most read in The US Sun But when given the signal, they could carry out terrorist activities targeting the West. These terror operations could target public infrastructure and even civilians, with no weapons off the table, experts warn. Trump is top Iran assassination target - their terror network spreads across Europe & US, warns ex-White House official The sleeper cells could even carry out assassination attempts on top leaders that could throw the world into chaos. Last year, an Iranian agent was charged with plotting to kill Donald Trump in an assassination that would have shaken the world. Prosecutors said an official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard told Shakeri to devise a plan to eliminate the President elect. They claim the planned hit was an attempt to take vengeance for a Trump's former security advisor, John Bolton, said the from the Middle East nation. Mr Seener said: "They live amongst us in regular communities, have regular jobs, and they just are awaiting being activated to conduct malign activities, whether it be through a telephone text or a beeper, and then they already know what they are going to be doing. "If the regime feels threatened and on the verge of being toppled, then they may say, 'you're going to go down with us,' and at that point they may unleash their sleeper cells." In an "It cannot defeat Israel, but it could go mad and unleash terrorism, even using chemical weapons, which its industries can make much more easily than nuclear weapons." 4 Mr Seener said the attacks could range from an attack against a synagogue, an embassy, or blowing up a dirty bomb in Central London. Sir Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, warned back in October that Iran could turn on UK targets if it felt Britain was too enthusiastic in its support for Israel. He said the attacks could increase if the Middle East conflict intensifies. In August, Matt Jukes, the head of He said Iranian dissidents and diaspora communities have been 'clearly at risk of kidnapping or assassination'. "These are people who are doing it daily. And when you are projecting soft power, you're creating the cultural milieu in which terrorism can be conducted much more readily. Counterterror police have investigated 15 of these cases alongside MI5 has responded to 20 plots backed by Iran since 2022, it was reported. Mr Seener said: "The reason why the Irgc can act with impunity, and why British citizens are at risk, is because of the British Government's unwillingness and failure to designate the Irgc as a terrorist organisation. "It means that they are able to conduct activities and infiltrate mosques, charities, community centres, cultural centres, and many of them, their directorship has been directly appointed by the supreme leader, Khamenei." "British Shias go on pilgrimages to religious sites in Iran and Iraq. They are targeted by the IRGC and recruited, so that when they return to the UK, they can conduct surveillance on potential targets." Iran's terror on UK street By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter Iran-fuelled hit squads on the streets of the UK have been linked to at least 15 threats to kill or kidnap detected by authorities. They are all part of a campaign of intimidation aimed at those who speak out against the hardline regime. The MI5 has accused Tehran of more than a dozen assassination and kidnap plots in Britain against dissidents and media organisations in the past two years. Officials have previously warned that the threat against Iranian critics living in the UK has ramped up drastically after the horror October 7 attacks. And given the hostile situation in the Middle East, Iran could ramp up its secret terror activities in the UK, Europe and the US, experts fear. In 2022, Major Gen Hossein Salami, the Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC warned: "You've tried us before. Watch out because we're coming for you." Last year, Iranian TV journalist Pouria Zeraati was The suspects were believed to be proxy agents hired by Tehran. Mr Zeraati works for He said a man approached him and asked for £3 before another man appeared and stabbed him in the leg. The two fled in a car being driven by a third man, leaving Mr Zeraati bleeding in the street. Investigators believed the three culprits were able to flee the country on a flight from Mr Zeraati, whose organisation has been a vocal critic of Iran, said the attack was a "warning shot" from Tehran. He called on the UK government to declare the IRGC a terrorist group to stop it from spreading its doctrine. He said: "It will also send a clear message to the regime in Iran that enough is enough. "The whole of Western civilisation is in danger because of the threat the IRGC poses." A report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) found almost half of journalists who covered Iran from the UK reported being physically or verbally harassed in the past five years. Individuals have been sent death threats by text and voice notes, with one message noting that the 'water underneath Westminster Bridge was very deep'. One said they were constantly worried about Iran targeting their children, saying: 'I wake up in the middle of the night. I check my son to see if he's there. I won't let him play in the garden on his own. I have to be there. I'm on alert constantly.' Another reporter told the RSF she had a package, which was designed to look like it contained anthrax, hand-delivered to her apartment block. While female TV journalist was approached on a London bus by a man who told her: 'We will kill you. You are a very bad person.' All of them are understood to have voiced their dissent against Tehran. The IRGC is the principal supporter of Amid Current sanctions on Kasra Aarabi, Director of IRGC Research at United Against Nuclear Iran, said: 'The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the most antisemitic armed Islamist extremist organisation in the world. 'The government needs to proscribe the IRGC as a matter of urgency. 'The failure to proscribe the IRGC is putting British lives at risk, not least those from the British-Jewish community and British-Iranian diaspora —the two primary targets of IRGC terrorism in the UK.'
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Rape charge against asylum seeker in taxpayer-funded hotel kept quiet to avoid inflaming ‘community tension in cover up'
A RAPE charge against a man staying in an asylum hotel was kept quiet — as officials feared inflaming 'community tension'. There were also two other rape cases where it was not disclosed that the suspects were in taxpayer-funded asylum hotels. Advertisement 4 Council officials recommended rape charges against an asylum seeker living at a taxpayer-funded hotel be kept quiet Credit: Darren Fletcher Shadow Justice Secretary He went on: 'The illegal small-boat crossings are a national security emergency. "We've seen terrorism, murders and rapes from those who've come here illegally. It's outrageous. 'Women in towns with asylum hotels shouldn't have to live in fear. Advertisement READ MORE ON ASYLUM SEEKERS The authorities must trust the public with the truth and act to protect them.' The rape suspects were all housed in Home Office-funded accommodation in Portsmouth , London and Manchester. At Portsmouth, the alleged rape was followed by a concerted effort to keep secret the suspect's link to an asylum hotel. He was charged with rape and voyeurism after the alleged attack on a woman on June 11. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Police confirmed to The Sun he had been at the Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea, used to house asylum seekers. The man appeared at Portsmouth magistrates' court on June 16. He was remanded in custody and is no longer at the hotel. Migrants dodge tear gas in sprint across beach to reach boats bound for Britain No statement was issued about the case but Portsmouth City Council officials were briefed privately. The Sun understands councillors were warned not to speak about the suspect's housing, with one council officer raising fears about 'community tension' if it was known. Advertisement Another senior official privately urged Portsmouth Independents Party leader Cllr George Madgwick not to share 'privileged confidential information' after he took to social media to express his frustration. 4 Reform leader Nigel Farage has called for dismissals of the council officials involved Credit: Getty 4 Robert Jenrick MP has warned the 'perception of a migrant cover-up' was growing Credit: Getty Cllr Madgwick said: 'This is precisely why the public don't trust politicians and public bodies: things are hidden that should be disclosed. Advertisement Anyone involved in any form of cover-up from disclosure to the public should question their role in a publicly funded position.' Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said last night: 'The council officials who hid the truth about these serious allegations should immediately face the sack. "Decent people are getting angrier every day.' Portsmouth City Council effectively admitted it chose not to go public, saying it was informed of the charge ahead of the court hearing but left public statements to police. Advertisement A spokesman said: 'We knew the Home Office accommodation link would become public knowledge through the court proceedings and, based on events elsewhere in the country, were conscious there may be community tensions related to it.' Girl 'sex ordeal' EXCLUSIVE By Alex Diaz A MIGRANT living at an asylum seeker hotel raped a vulnerable 17-year-old girl, a court heard. Mohammed Akbari, 23, allegedly attacked her in bushes after they arranged to go to a park, having first met at a hospital. The teen felt dizzy after Akbari, from Iran, gave her an alcoholic drink, Uxbridge magistrates' court heard. She allegedly told him to stop the assault, in Harmondsworth, West London, on June 9. He claims she consented to sex. Akbari arrived in the UK last year, claiming he is Christian and at risk in Iran. He is in custody and will return to court on July 18. Two similar cases also saw no public statements issued about the suspects' links to asylum housing. One involved a 27-year-old man staying at a hotel in Kensington, West London. He faces multiple charges over a serious sex attack, including rape and attempted rape. Advertisement He pleaded not guilty on June 2 and was remanded in custody before a trial in October. In Manchester , a Jordanian with an asylum claim under way was charged with rape while living at a Home Office-contracted hotel. He appeared at Tameside magistrates' court last month and was remanded in custody until a crown court hearing next week. The man, 34, has yet to enter a plea. Meanwhile, an asylum seeker in a hotel in Yorkshire was charged with raping a girl aged 13 to 15 last Boxing Day. 4 There have been multiple assaults involving asylum seekers across the UK Credit: Alamy Advertisement Last night the Government said: 'We have taken action to ban foreign nationals who commit sexual offences from being granted asylum.' Our revelations come after an illegal migrant was jailed for raping a girl of 15, amid claims he did not understand 'cultural differences'. Afghan national Sadeq Nikzad, 29, pounced on the teen in Falkirk in October 2023. Defence counsel Janice Green told the High Court in Livingston there was a 'cultural barrier' with Nikzad's home nation where There is no suggestion any of the accused in the three latest rape cases are linked to Advertisement But the issue of alleged criminality by illegal arrivals was raised in an official report this week. A damning review by Dame Louise Casey found they are involved in a 'significant proportion' of live police investigations into child sex grooming gangs. The report found police and council leaders covered up the scale of Asian grooming gangs since concerns were first raised in 2009 as they feared being called racist or raising community tensions. Additional reporting: RICHARD MORIARTY 'Axe hate team' By Martina Bet LABOUR'S work on a definition of Islamophobia threatens to shut down efforts to tackle grooming gangs, a report has warned. The party's working group on anti-Muslim hate should be suspended immediately until after the new inquiry into the scandal, think tank Policy Exchange says. Report co-author Sir John Jenkins said a definition would be an 'undeniable act of two-tier policy'. The group says even a non-binding definition risks silencing victims. It comes days after Baroness Casey's report said officials failed to mention that perpetrators were Asian for fear of appearing racist.
