The Latest: Trump weighing moves against Iran

An appeals court on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump to keep control of National Guard troops he deployed to Los Angeles following protests over immigration raids while California's legal challenge continues. The court case could have wider implications as the president vows to expand deployments within the United States while prioritizing deportations from other Democratic-run cities.
'The court rightly rejected Trump's claim that he can do whatever he wants with the National Guard and not have to explain himself to a court,' California Gov. Gavin Newsom said. 'The President is not a king and is not above the law. We will press forward with our challenge to President Trump's authoritarian use of U.S. military soldiers against citizens.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Japan Forward

an hour ago

• Japan Forward

G7: Stop Wavering in This 50th Anniversary Year

Canada hosted the just-concluded 2025 Group of Seven summit in its western Rocky Mountain region on June 15-17. This year, the leaders faced headwinds in the global economy due to the United States' tariff policies. As well, the international situation was increasingly tense due to the conflict between Israel and Iran. In the uncertain atmosphere, the leaders of the G7 nations shelved a comprehensive summit declaration. They also failed to issue a joint statement on the situation in Ukraine. American opposition to language criticizing Russia was one factor in the failure to agree on common positions. Along with it, they could not bridge the gap between Washington and Europe over issues such as the need for stronger sanctions against Moscow. The consequential lack of results from the summit was very disappointing. US President Donald Trump attends a G7 discussion leaders' summit in Kananaskis, western Canada on June 16. (Pool photo by Kyodo) This year's gathering marked the 50th anniversary of the first summit of the then-Group of Six Industrialized Nations in 1975. At that time membership in the G6 consisted of the United States, four European nations, and Japan. The G7 is an important forum for maintaining the international order and building consensus among democracies. Failure to reach consensus this time has left the impression that unity within the group has been wavering. President Trump suddenly returned to the United States on the first day of the summit to deal with the situation in the Middle East. He then convened a National Security Council meeting at the White House. That was unavoidable, as the President is Commander-in-Chief of the US military. However, the problem is that Trump failed to understand the value of the G7. During a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump said it was a "serious mistake" to exclude Russia from the G8 in 2014. At the time, the group had been an expanded version of the G7. Russia was then excluded from the group due to its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in southern Ukraine in the same year. Trump has also said that adding China to the G7 might not be a bad idea. Such remarks could be seen as a sign that the US President does not envision the G7 confronting authoritarian countries. G7 leaders including PM Ishiba attend a discussion with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, in Kananaskis, western Canada, on the June 17. (©Kyodo) The leaders of Japan, Europe and Canada must strive to ensure that Trump fully understands the significance of the G7. In Kananaskis, the talks went ahead without Trump in attendance but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was included. Nonetheless, the group fell short in its effort to adopt a firm collective stance that could maximize pressure on Russia and force it to end its war of aggression. Summit members, however, did declare their commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East. That included affirming their unwillingness to allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons. They also issued a separate statement on the supply chains for critical minerals such as rare earths. It is fair to say that the G7 has just managed to preserve its relevance. In his opening remarks Carney summed the situation up as follows: "We're meeting at one of those hinge moments, those turning points in history. The world's more divided and dangerous." It is precisely because we live in such an era of unprecedented turmoil and crisis that we should look to the G7 to play a leading role. Japan and Europe have a responsibility to work to keep close ties with the United States and maintain unity. (Read the editorial in Japanese .) Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun

Globe and Mail

2 hours ago

• Globe and Mail

Israel, Iran launch fresh attacks as war enters second week without diplomatic breakthrough

Hours of talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war entered its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met for four hours Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh U.S. military involvement and worries rose over potential strikes on nuclear reactors. European officials expressed hope for future negotiations, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasizing that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the U.S. while Israel continued attacking. 'Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes,' he told reporters. No date was set for the next round of talks. European leaders' meeting with Iran leaves room for more talks, but no breakthrough Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue 'for as long as it takes' to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. Israel's top general echoed the warning, saying the Israeli military was ready 'for a prolonged campaign.' But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without U.S. help. Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered to be out of reach to all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs. Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. Analysis: Trump's two-week pause on Iran puts him at centre of world's biggest drama The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13, with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's multitiered air defenses, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Addressing an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned against attacks on Iran's nuclear reactors, particularly its only commercial nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr. '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,' said Rafael Grossi, chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog. 'This is the nuclear site in Iran where the consequences could be most serious.' Israel has not targeted Iran's nuclear reactors, instead focusing its strikes on the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, laboratories in Isfahan and the country's Arak heavy water reactor southwest of the capital. Grossi has warned repeatedly that such sites should not be military targets. Explainer: What are the risks of a nuclear disaster from Israel's attacks on Iran? After initially reporting no visible damage from Israel's Thursday strikes on the Arak heavy water reactor, the IAEA on Friday said it had assessed 'key buildings at the facility were damaged,' including the distillation unit. The reactor was not operational and contained no nuclear material, so the damage posed no risk of contamination, the watchdog said. Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60 per cent – a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent – and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60 per cent. Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with a nuclear weapons program but has never acknowledged it. Israel said its warplanes hit dozens of military targets across Iran on Friday, including missile-manufacturing facilities, while an Iranian missile hit Israel's northern city of Haifa, sending plumes of smoke billowing over the Mediterranean port and wounding at least 31 people. Iranian state media reported explosions from Israeli strikes in an industrial area of Rasht, along the coast of the Caspian Sea. Israel's military had warned Iranians to evacuate the area around Rasht's Industrial City, southwest of the city's downtown. But with Iran's internet shut off – now for more than 48 hours – it's unclear how many people could see the message. The Israeli military believes it has destroyed most of Iran's ballistic missile launchers, contributing to the steady decline in Iranian attacks. But several of the roughly three dozen missiles that Israel said Iran fired on Friday slipped through the country's aerial defense system, setting off air-raid sirens across the country and sending shrapnel flying into a residential area in the southern city of Beersheba, a frequent target of Iranian missiles where a hospital was hit Thursday.

Toronto Star

2 hours ago

• Toronto Star

Israel-Iran war stretches into a second week without diplomatic breakthrough

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Hours of talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war entered its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met for four hours Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh U.S. military involvement and worries rose over potential strikes on nuclear reactors.