TikTok ‘don't want to sell' despite facing a nationwide ban in the United States
President Donald Trump is expected to extend the deadline for TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance and find a US buyer or face a nationwide ban amid national security concerns.
Sky News host Caleb Bond has accused TikTok of not wanting to sell its China-based parent company.
'They don't want to sell it. They are playing Trump for a fool here, and he ought to turn around and say, 'if you haven't been able to sell it by now, too bloody bad, you're banned until you've done it,'' Mr Bond said.
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ABC News
36 minutes ago
- ABC News
After US enters Iran war, the real-time battle comes down to Trump versus Khamenei
Now that the United States has bombed Iran, the world will now witness a battle between Donald Trump, the most powerful man in the world, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, one of the most powerful men in the Shia Islam world. Trump has decided to directly involve the US militarily in Iran — behind him he has the most powerful military in history. And he also has in his corner the most powerful military in the Middle East — Israel. For his part, Khamenei has backing him Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a ruthless military and intelligence machine feared across many parts of the Middle East. Khamenei can also draw on the various proxies that Iran has established and funded over several years — including Shia militia in Iraq and Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as weakened as some of those now are. In sheer military power terms, Trump will win this battle — in the short term, at least. In his address to the US after the strikes, he said "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," he says. "For 40 years, Iran has been saying, 'Death to America, death to Israel.' They've been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs … "I decided a long time ago I would not let this happen. It will not continue." What this attack has indicated, yet again, is that the US and Israel are working hand in glove when it comes to the attack on Iran and the attempt to remake the Middle East. That was indicated last week. Just before Israel began attacking Iran, Trump claimed that he had warned Israel against such attacks because, he said, these could lead to a "massive conflict". And US officials were due to meet Iranian officials in Oman — that appeared to lull Iranian military leaders in Tehran into a false sense of security. Leaders of the Revolutionary Guard who may normally work and sleep in bunkers were in fact in their apartments, apparently relaxed with the belief that there would be no Israeli attack at least until after the US-Iranian talks. But Israel used the element of surprise and struck. Trump described their attack as "excellent" and promised that "there's more to come, a lot more". What looks very much like a double act of artifice appears to have worked again. Only two days ago, Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt read a statement to the media saying Mr Trump would decide what he would do "within the next two weeks". Again, that may well have lulled Iran into a false sense of pause. And this time it was the US who used the element of surprise. The reason Israel wants the attack on Iran now is because they believe Iran is at the weakest it has been for many years — and in that they are correct. Israel feels confident that it has all of its potential combatants surrounding it covered. It has largely de-fanged Hezbollah — previously regarded by Israel as their most-serious threat. The Houthis in Yemen may continue to cause problems to shipping, but they have also been largely weakened. They ceased firing under a warning by Trump that they would face fearsome consequences should they continue to target shipping. Before Israel's year-long attacks in Lebanon, Hezbollah was by far the strongest of Iran's militia. The Revolutionary Guard had personally overseen the transformation of Hezbollah — "the Party of God" — from yet another militia in Lebanon to perhaps the strongest non-state army in the world. Beginning with the famous explosions of its communications systems, Israel systematically dismantled Hezbollah, including the killing of its leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. Hamas, of course, has also been weakened — amid the rubble of Gaza the number and capability of Hamas is seriously reduced, if not now marginal. None of this means, however, that the Supreme Leader and his Praetorian guard, the Revolutionary Guard, will put up the white flag. It is not clear how much resilient firepower the Revolutionary Guard or Hezbollah have. For Khamenei, this is a fight to the death. He's in hiding, and in fear of his life. For Iran's leader, there is a very good reason to be paranoid — the Israelis would not hesitate to kill him if they can find him. They have made it clear that if they get the chance they will kill the leaders of their enemies — or, as they sometimes say, the "head of the snake". We will now see what power the various Iranian proxies have. The Shia militia in Iraq and Syria will be top of the list for possible retaliation. Likewise, with their backs to the military wall, some of the Shia militia may attempt what they regard as "soft targets" — US and Israeli cultural and community centres around the world. On a trip to Iran last year with the ABC's Four Corners, it was clear to me that while the supreme leader has the title, the Revolutionary Guard has the real power. They control all security, intelligence and defence organisations and have significant ownership in many key businesses, which helps to fund their activities. The current challenge to Iran's nuclear program and the bombing by the US ushers in the endgame for the supreme leader and the Revolutionary Guard, which keeps him in power. Together they know that if they do not respond, within Iran they will be seen as weak. They will be seen as having left their country defenceless. And they will have no credibility. If they do respond, they risk the full wrath of Donald Trump. In this real-time battle of raw power, it will come down to Trump versus Khamenei. And at this stage, Trump has most of the cards and most of the bombs. As to any stability in the Middle East, that now seems further away than ever.
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Donald Trump's statement in full after US bombs Iran nuclear sites
US President Donald Trump has addressed the world after the US bombed Iranian nuclear sites, explaining the reasons why he took action. Here is his statement in full. Thank you very much. A short time ago, the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime, Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror. Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. 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. For 40 years, Iran has been saying, death to America, death to Israel. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs. That was their speciality. We lost over 1000 people, and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate. In particular, so many were killed by their general, Qasem Soleimani. I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue. I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before. And we've gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel. I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they've done. And most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades. Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that's so. I also want to congratulate the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan 'Razin' Kane, (a) spectacular general, and all of the brilliant military minds involved in this attack. With all of that being said, 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. 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, not even close. There has never been a military that could do what took place just a little while ago. Tomorrow, General Kane and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth will have a press conference at 8am at the Pentagon. And I want to just thank everybody and In particular, God, I want to just say we love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them. God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel. And God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you.
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
THE NEW YORK TIMES: What to know about the Israel-Iran conflict as the US joins the war
The United States bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, bringing the U.S. military directly into Israel's war with Iran, a move that could kick off a more dangerous phase in the war. The attack followed days of uncertainty about whether President Donald Trump would intervene in the conflict, which began with a surprise attack on Iran by Israel on June 13. Trump said the sites that were hit Sunday morning included Iran's two major uranium enrichment centers — the under-mountain facility at Fordow and the larger enrichment plant at Natanz. The third site, near the ancient city of Isfahan, is where Iran is believed to keep its near-bomb-grade enriched uranium. 'All planes are now outside of Iran air space,' he said in a social media post Saturday night in the United States, adding that a 'full payload' of bombs had been dropped on Fordow. 'All planes are safely on their way home.' Israel has struck Iran's nuclear facilities in what it says is an effort to stop it from developing a nuclear bomb, though Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful. Ambassadors from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait had earlier expressed concern over the safety of nuclear facilities near their borders, and cautioned that any attack on such sites could have serious consequences. U.S. warplanes dropped bombs on three nuclear sites in Iran, Trump said. After a week of mixed signals, Trump, who has long vowed to steer America clear of overseas 'forever wars,' authorized U.S. forces to strike Iran's most heavily fortified nuclear installation, deep underground. The U.S. bombing early Sunday in Iran followed a wave of airstrikes by Israel on Saturday against missile sites and a nuclear facility in Iran. Israeli forces targeted sites for missile launchers and radars in the Ahvaz region, which would have most likely been on any potential flight path used by U.S. warplanes on the way to strike Fordow. As the conflict entered its ninth day, Israel also said its strikes had killed three commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, the most powerful military force in the country. The civilian toll of the attacks by Israel has steadily risen. Iran's Health Ministry, in an updated toll of casualties, said Saturday that more than 400 Iranians, including 54 women and children, had been killed since Israel began its attacks, and at least 3,056 others had been wounded. A spokesperson for Iran's Health Ministry said that most of the casualties were civilians. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is taking precautions against assassination, according to three Iranian officials familiar with his emergency war plans. He speaks with his commanders mostly through a trusted aide now, the officials said, and electronic communications have been suspended to make it harder to find him. He has also chosen replacements for his lieutenants down the chain of military command, in case of their deaths. The chief of staff of Iran's armed forces and senior military commanders have been killed in the conflict. A near-total internet blackout in Iran appeared to be partially lifted early Saturday, but connectivity collapsed again just two hours later, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks. The blackout has lasted nearly three days, making it hard for Iranians to communicate with each other or the outside world. Civilians have borne the brunt of the attacks, as Israeli missiles hit some apartment buildings and residential complexes. Residents who spoke to The New York Times said they had not experienced attacks like this in a generation, with some recalling the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. Israeli airstrikes achieved 'direct impacts' on the underground area of the Natanz nuclear site, where Iran enriches uranium, the United Nations' chief nuclear monitor said Tuesday, based on new satellite images. That indicates more serious damage than previous assessments of the attack had shown. On Saturday, Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles and launched drones into Israel. The drones set off air raid sirens in northern Israel and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Over the last week, Israel has generally intercepted Iranian drones, which travel relatively slowly, with no reports of casualties. On Friday, missiles from Iran damaged buildings in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba and in downtown Haifa, Israel's third-largest city. The Israeli military said that Iran had launched a missile with a cluster munition warhead at a populated area in central Israel on Thursday, according to Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesperson. It is the first report of that type of weapon being used in the current war. Iran's mission to the United Nations declined to respond to the Israeli claim, which was linked to a ballistic missile that struck Or Yehuda, Israel, and nearby towns. No one was killed by the missile or its bomblets; it was unclear if anyone was injured. Israel has invested billions of dollars in sophisticated and multilayered aerial defenses, but they are now being put to the test. Since Iran started retaliating against Israel's fire last week, Israel's world-leading air defense system has intercepted most incoming Iranian ballistic missiles, giving the Israeli air force more time to strike Iran without incurring major losses at home. As the war continues, Israel is firing interceptors faster than it can produce them. For days, Trump had been weighing whether to provide Israel the powerful munitions needed to destroy Iran's deeply buried nuclear enrichment facilities at Fordo. Only the U.S. military has the 30,000-pound bombs known as bunker busters that are believed up to the job, and only American aircraft can deliver them. Just days ago, the Trump administration appeared intent on distancing itself from the conflict. 'We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared. But Trump, when he was not urging peace talks, began sounding increasingly belligerent. Experts expected that direct participation of the U.S. military in Israel's bombing campaign would lead to a quick retaliation from Iran against U.S. troops stationed across the Middle East. The U.S. Air Force developed the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, to penetrate underground defences. It is also called a bunker buster. The United States began designing the weapon in 2004, during the George W. Bush administration, specifically to attack nuclear facilities constructed deep beneath mountains in Iran and North Korea. It was tested and added to the U.S. arsenal during Trump's first term. The bomb has a much thicker steel case and contains a smaller amount of explosives than similarly sized general-purpose bombs. The heavy casings allow the munition to stay intact as it punches through soil, rock or concrete before detonating. Its size and weight — 20 feet long and 30,000 pounds — means that only the American B-2 stealth bomber can carry it. While Israel has fighter jets, it has not developed heavy bombers capable of carrying the weapon. The U.S. military has concluded that one bomb would not destroy the Fordo facility on its own; an attack would have to come in waves, with B-2s releasing one bomb after another down the same hole. This article originally appeared in The New York Times .
