'Punishment Begins': Khamenei's Big Announcement After Iran Vowed To Punish Israel & U.S.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has vowed unrelenting punishment for Israel following a massive US strike on Iran's nuclear sites. Operation Midnight Hammer targeted three key facilities, prompting fury from Tehran. While Khamenei's statements focused on Israel, Iran accused the US of violating global law and called for a UN emergency session. President Trump warned of greater attacks if Iran fails to stand down. With allies taking sides and tensions spiraling, the region now teeters on the brink of wider war.#IranIsraelTensions #OperationMidnightHammer #KhameneiSpeaks #MiddleEastCrisis #TrumpIranStrike #UNEmergency #NuclearStandoff #TelAvivThreat #GlobalEscalation #BreakingNews
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
What do Israel-Iran war codenames signify? ‘Rising Lion', ‘True Promise 3', ‘Midnight Hammer' meaning explained
In a surprise move, Israel launched a "targeted military operation" against Iran on June 13. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "Operation Rising Lion'. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired retaliatory strikes against Israel and codenamed it 'Operation True Promise 3'. Days later, the United States launched "Operation Midnight Hammer', striking three nuclear sites in Iran. What's behind these three codenames — 'Operation Rising Lion', 'Operation True Promise 3' and "Operation Midnight Hammer — as Israel-Iran conflict rages on? Here we decode: Israel's Operation Rising Lion is aimed at foiling Iran's nuclear ambitions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Friday, June 13, that his country struck at the heart of the Islamic regime's nuclear programme, including its main enrichment facility in Natanz. The strikes also left key military commanders and nuclear scientists dead. Israel's codename for the operation could be inspired by and signify several aspects of the conflict with Iran. First, think about the animal itself. What characteristics do you gather? A lion represents dominion, fierceness and might. In ancient times, the animal symbolised kingship and victory. By using the name 'Operation Rising Lion', Israel could compare its strength and power to that of a lion and signify its dominance and victory over Iran. Second, 'Operation Rising Lion' could refer to the pre-1979 Iranian national flag, a lion before a rising sun. Third, it could also have a biblical significance. A day before Israel launched strikes on Iran, Netanyahu reportedly placed a note at the Western Wall with a verse from the Torah, from which the inspiration for the name of the military's operation was drawn. The note quoted the Book of Numbers 23:24, reading: "Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion," the Jerusalem Post reported. The full verse reads: "Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, And drink the blood of the slain." The Israeli PM reportedly shared a picture of the note on the wall, known as the Wailing Wall or Kotel — a sacred Jewish religious site located in the Old City of Jerusalem. Besides, the lion holds deep significance for Israel, primarily as a symbol of the Tribe of Judah and its associated concepts of strength, courage, and royal lineage, reports claimed. The origin of the title "Lion of Judah" can be traced back to Genesis 49. According to in Genesis Chapter 49, Jacob, Judah's father, blesses Judah on his deathbed. He states that Judah is a like a '"...lion's whelp"', or lion's cub. The lion would symbolise Judah's power, bravery, success in battle, and leadership for him and his descendants, the report added. Operation 'True Promise 3" was launched by Iran in retaliation for Israel's "Operation Rising lion", targeting Israeli cities and infrastructure. The codename "True Promise" was first used during Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israel on the night of April 13-14, 2024. Iran had then unleashed a barrage of missiles and drones on Israel in response to April 1's suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus, which had killed 13 people. This massive Iranian attack was dubbed by Tehran 'Operation True Promise'. Six months later, about 200 ballistic missiles[16] at targets in Israel, Iran launched 'Operation True Promise 2', firing about 200 ballistic missiles at targets in Israel. It was the second direct attack by Iran against Israel after a series of high-profile assassinations — including that of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, and Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah — according to Press TV. The United States' strikes on Iran late Saturday (June 21) were codenamed 'Operation Midnight Hammer'. It was at aimed crippling Iran's nuclear program. 'Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's No. 1 state sponsor of terror,' US President Donald Trump said after the US attacked nuke sites in Iran -- Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The name 'Midnight Hammer' signifies the timing of the massive and unprecedented attacks by the US on Iran. According to a timeline provided by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, massive 'bunker buster" bombs were dropped on two of the nuclear sites in Iran around 6:40 PM ET Saturday in the US, placing the time of the attack around 2:10 am local time Sunday in Iran, CNN reported. Besides, "hammer" in the codename signals the overwhelming force, targeted blow and precision with which the US attacked Iran on the night of June 21 and 22. The US attacked Iranian sites using B-2 bombers and bunker buster bombs. It also involved strikes with GBU 57 MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) weapons, Tomahawk missiles and a decoy operation.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Inside Details Of White House Activity When US Bombed Iran Nuclear Sites
New Delhi: On June 19, the White House said US President Donald Trump will make a decision on the US joining the Israel-Iran conflict within two weeks. Two days later, the US' B-2 Bombers struck three nuclear facilities in Iran. Addressing the media, Trump called Iran the "bully of the Middle East" and warned that if Iran does not "make peace", the attacks that follow will be "far greater and a lot easier". According to a report in The Washington Post, even as Trump issued the two-week deadline, a strike plan was in the works at the White House, but very few people knew of it. Addressing the media after the airstrikes, General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Operation Midnight Hammer was highly classified, "with very few people in Washington knowing the timing or nature of the plan". Many senior officials in Washington learnt of the strikes only after Trump posted on Truth Social. Was Trump Bluffing? A senior official told The Washington Post that Trump's two-week remark "was our attempt to throw the Iranians off guard". "But there was also some truth to it," added the official, detailing how Trump flooded officials with questions on how they planned to keep the operation surgical to prevent a serious escalation to the conflict. Trump, it is learnt, also stressed that he could abort the plan at any moment, up until the US aircraft reached Iranian airspace. From Diplomacy To Attack Mode According to US officials, Trump had repeatedly pushed for a diplomatic solution to the conflict, but tilted towards military action as he felt Iran was unwilling to make adequate concessions during talks. On Friday, Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi met European officials. "He (Trump) knew there probably wouldn't be a breakthrough, which is why the Pentagon was putting together a plan" through the week, an official said. Friday's meeting "was a genuine effort by Europeans for diplomacy, but no interest from Iran at all", a senior diplomat involved in the meeting said. JD Vance's Word Of Caution Two top officials have told The Washington Post that several key government officials, including Vice President and Iraq War veteran JD Vance, advised caution during the talks on military action and gave suggestions on how the US must proceed. Vance, known to be sceptical about the US entering wars, wanted to "make sure all the tires were kicked" and risks to US forces were minimised. As Trump made up his mind about the strikes, Vance and the others supported him, White House officials said. The officials also referred to a "camaraderie" within the small team that knew what was coming and trashed reports of internal discord. The Day Of Attack After the stealth bombers took off on Saturday morning, the President and the Vice-President went on with the scheduled engagements. Trump went to his gold club in New Jersey, and Vance was on a flight returning from California. Their presence at fundraisers on opposite coasts dropped no hints for observers about what was in the works. As the bombers entered the Iranian airspace, Trump reached the White House. The airstrikes followed. Twenty minutes after the bombers had exited the Iranian airspace, Trump announced the strikes on Truth Social. According to US officials, Trump and Vance were in the Situation Room during the operation. Accompanying them were US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, among others. How US Tweaked Stand On Israel Strikes Just nine days before Operation Midnight Hammer, Rubio said Israel's action against Iran was "unilateral" and the US is "not involved". Washington seemed to be making it clear that Tel Aviv is acting alone. That changed in the coming days. On Monday, Trump warned Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, that he could easily be killed. The next day, he started referring to the US and Israel as a unit and claimed credit for the use of American equipment in Israel's aerial offensive against Iran. Trump's Chat With Those Who Did Not Agree According to The Washington Post report, Trump met influential aides such as Stephen K Bannon and Charlie Kirk and discussed the matter. Officials said he was happy to hear from Bannon and other voices critical of US involvement in this conflict, but they did not sway him. "He was listening to people across the ideological perspective. Ultimately, the president felt this is a decision the base should support and get behind, because ultimately, he's preventing a conflict that very well could have happened if the supreme leader instructed Iran to create a nuclear weapon," an official said. The Moment Trump Took The Call? According to top US government officials, there was no specific moment when Trump decided to bite the bullet. A senior official said the decision was based on "a feeling" as the President realised diplomacy would not lead to an acceptable outcome. JD Vance endorsed this. During a Meet The Press interaction, the US Vice President was asked when exactly Trump made the decision. "I don't know that any of us knew exactly when the President made the decision, except for the President himself," he replied. When the reporter persisted, Vance said he thinks that Trump "over time decided this was necessary". "But of course, he had the ability to call off this attack until the very last minute. He obviously decided to proceed."
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
From B-2 bombers to bunker busters: US weapons used in massive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities
The US has officially joined the Israel-Iran conflict, striking Iran's top nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan using advanced weapons like GBU-57 bunker busters, Tomahawk missiles, and B-2 bombers. Trump called the mission 'total obliteration,' but Iran denies major damage. Operation Midnight Hammer featured F-22s and F-35s flying cover. Here's a breakdown of the deadly American weapons used in the Iran strike. Show more Show less
