
Sean Strickland issues strong reactions on reports of Donald Trump leading US military in bombing nuclear sites of Iran
Sean Strickland, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump 2025 (Photo via Getty Images)
Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland spoke up through his posts on X about the bombings of nuclear sites in Iran by the US military. The initial reaction from the fighter was on the relationship shared between Israel and America, where he wrote - Israel "jump" Trump "how high.
" Strickland's follow-up opinions were mostly mixed with claims of not being anti-Israeli, that he would still vote for
Donald Trump
, but also believes that both Israeli and American politics should be kept separate from each other. The fighter even took a dig at US Senator Ted Cruz's comment supporting Israel.
Sean Strickland condemns the act of violence carried out by the US military, drags in US Senator Ted Cruz for his reasons for supporting Israel
The fighter's latest post targeted US Senator Ted Cruz for the latter's viral comment, which stated the Senator's support towards Israel. Cruz, without much filter, stated that it was God who had asked him to support Israel. Strickland, while revealing the real reason behind the unwavering support, wrote, 'I'm not anti israel and id vote for Trump again... But we need to get Israel out of America politics... @tedcruz "God told me to support israel" really or was it the millions you got from them? I bet you've never even raid the Bible you slimimg f*ck'
Known for his sociopolitical comments, Sean Strickland once again strikes beyond his role in the Octagon as an informed citizen of the state.
In his recent series of posts on X, the fighter wrote about the recent step taken by US President Donald Trump while siding with Israel against Iran. On Saturday evening, i.e., June 21, 2025, the President announced the successful obliteration of 3 major nuclear sites in Iran—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
Reflecting on the act, a mixed reaction was received from countries across the world, with some supporting the extreme step and a section condemning it.
Strickland makes himself heard with some mixed, unapologetic comments posted on X.
Sean Strickland issues his reasons for keeping the politics of Israel and America separate
Following his dig at the political relationship shared between Israel and the USA, the fighter's next statement highlights the time when the US was provided with information involving Iraq's supposed possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Strickland builds on his reasons why Israel should be kept out of American politics. He wrote, 'Do you remember the first time our greatest ally said Iraq had WMDs? Knowingly lying to us to get us involved in a war.
No Israel blood was spilt, no trillions of dollars of debt for their children. The debt that enslaves generations of Americans off a known lie.'
Sean claims that most of the American politicians have been bought by the Israeli government, which has indirectly affected the citizens of the state. Even though he would vote for Trump yet again, however, the intermixing of Israeli and American politics is not something that the former middleweight champion approves of.
While Israel feels strongly supported after the recent act by the US military, countries like New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Cuba, and Iran themselves have continued to forward the talks of de-escalation and believe that diplomacy would bring more good to the area than violence.
Also Read:
Jon Jones retires from UFC with heartfelt message as fresh legal trouble shadows final exit
Follow all the live updates, scores, and highlights from the
India vs England Test match here
.
Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
7 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Amit Shah warns Naxals of monsoon operation, rules out talks or truce
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Naxalites won't get rest during monsoon as operations against them will continue during rains, even as he ruled out talks and appealed to the ultras to lay down arms and join the journey of development. Since January last year, more than 400 Maoist ultras have been gunned down by security forces in separate encounters in the state, the most notable being the killing of Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju (70), the general secretary and top most operative of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), in Bastar on May 21. "Every time during monsoon, Naxalites used to get rest (as swollen rivers hamper anti-Naxal operations inside dense forest). But this time, we will not let them sleep during monsoon and we will move further to achieve the target of 31/3 (2026 to eliminate Naxalism)", Shah said. He appealed to Naxals to surrender, join the journey of development and avail of the benefits of a "lucrative" surrender policy. "No need for talks. Just give up armed struggle and join the mainstream. I wholeheartedly welcome all those who have laid down arms and joined the mainstream and assure them whatever promises the Chhattisgarh government and the Centre have made to them will be fulfilled. We will try to help you even more," he added. Speaking after laying the foundation stones for the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) campus and a Central Forensic Science Lab in Chhattisgarh's Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, he said the complete implementation of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam will make India's criminal justice system the most modern, speedy and scientific justice system in the world. "The country will enter into an era of more evidence-based criminal justice. After complete implementation of three criminal laws, any FIR registered in any corner of our country will ensure justice to the complainant and the victim up to the Supreme Court within 3 years. There will be no delay in justice for more than three years," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of making India a developed nation by 2047 not only focuses on innovation, infrastructure, industrial and economic progress but also ensuring timely justice and the three new laws will help in this regard, he said. "There was a time when arguments for justice were based on feelings or imagination and evidence, but I believe that where there is proof, scientific evidence, only then the accurate result comes. With the help of FSL (forensic science lab), India will be among the countries with the highest conviction rate in the world in a few years," he said. The new laws make it mandatory for the forensic science team to visit the scene of any crime in which the punishment is more than seven years, Shah said. Shah said the NFSU campus in Nava Raipur will cost Rs 145 crore and CFSL Rs 123 crore, adding these will come up in three years. Graduation from NFSU means a job guarantee and youth of Chhattisgarh must grab this great opportunity, he added. "In the coming years, 32000 forensic experts will emerge every year and our requirement is not more than 30000 every year. We will become self-reliant in the field of forensic science. Yesterday, someone sent me a survey which claims the global forensic technology market is worth USD 20 billion and will be worth 55 billion US dollars by 2036 with a 13 per cent compound annual growth rate," he said. The survey estimates India's share in it to be 9 per cent, which means there is huge potential for the youth to explore, he added. "Chhattisgarh has four regional State Forensic Science Laboratories in Ambikapur, Bilaspur, Durg and Jagdalpur. Now CFSL will also be set up which will give huge strength to our criminal justice system. Now no one will have to go to any other state and there will be no need to send forensic samples to Delhi for investigation. The entire investigation will be done in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar itself," he added. Within a short time, the NFSU has 16 campuses, seven of which have been established and nine have been approved. Ten additional campuses are proposed, which will see NFSU expand its operations to 26 major locations nationwide, Shah said. During the function, Shah also virtually inaugurated the NFSU transit campus in Sejbahar here and i-Hub Chhattisgarh. After the Sai government took over, MoUs worth Rs 5 lakh crore have been signed in recent investment summits, Shah said, but added that the state's industrial revolution cannot happen till its youth become entrepreneurs themselves. "If someone from outside sets up an industry, employment, revenue and possibilities will increase. But when the youth of Chhattisgarh become MSME industrialists, create their own startups, they will create a culture of industrial adventurism. Chhattisgarh will not be able to develop until then," he said. The i-Hub High Hope initiative launched during the day will not only help youth create startups but will also give them technological support and check the practicality of their ventures, Shah said. A similar centre has been set up in Gujarat and it is doing very good work, Shah said. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy CMs Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka and Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain were present on the occasion.


News18
15 minutes ago
- News18
Iranians Must Reverse Their History For Redemption
Iranians have never been themselves since they ceased to be Persians, but it's never too late to reverse history. Now is the time On June 18, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a stark warning to the United States, declaring, 'Iran will never surrender". He said any American intervention in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict would result in 'irreparable damage". He further vowed that Israel would face punishment, marking the sixth day of an unprecedented aerial war that has claimed hundreds of lives and targeted critical infrastructure across Iran. Indeed, Iran is proving no mean force in the conflict, as Tel Aviv, ravaged by Iranian missiles, bears witness to. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), forged in the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), may be weakened but not eradicated. The defiant Iranian stance comes amid escalating tensions in West Asia, fuelled by inflammatory remarks from US President Donald Trump and Israel's initiation of a relentless bombing campaign, including strikes on Tehran's nuclear and military facilities. As Israel targets a generation tied to the 1979 revolution, it needs to be seen whether resident Iranians would turn pro-US, as the Iranian diaspora has. Does Khamenei's tough talk echo a broader narrative about the resilience of his nation and its people? Nations are fundamentally defined by their natives, some of whom possess an indomitable spirit that defies defeat, even if they cannot always be ruled. Do Iranians have it in them? Certain peoples of certain lands cannot be defeated, only ruled with difficulty, as evident in Iran's current defiance amid extreme adversity. Russians, for example, fight like they play football — no great technique but brute force and sheer tenacity. The more they get killed, the more soldiers they send to the battlefield, as Stalingrad witnessed towards the end of WWII! Afghans and some Africans can be defeated but not ruled over. They will stay as anarchic as they have always been, whether under democracy, communism, monarchy or dictatorship. It's the essential culture that cannot be defeated in India. Even under some foreign influence, its basic Hindu nature cannot be obliterated. Is the Iranian mind similarly shaped? One is not sure. On the one hand, the Iranian diaspora is longing for assimilation with American society, their four-decade-old home. On the other, the world hardly gets to hear voices from resident Iranians, but have they been any better? IRANIANS HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN GULLIBLE Iran's history offers a complex backdrop to the question. Once the heart of the Persian Empire and a bastion of Zoroastrianism under the Sasanian Empire (224–651 CE), Iran underwent a profound transformation following the Arab Muslim invasion in 651 CE. The rise of Islam led to a steep decline in Zoroastrian followers, with their numbers dwindling to between 15,000 and 25,000 by 2012 in a population exceeding 82 million. The imposition of the jizyah tax and restrictive dhimmī laws under the Abbasids forced many Zoroastrians to convert or flee and seek refuge in India. This historical shift marked the beginning of Iran's transition from Persia to an Islamic identity, a change that was accelerated by foreign influences rather than an organic evolution. The 20th century brought further upheaval. The Pahlavi dynasty, particularly under Mohammad Reza Shah, sought to revive Iran's pre-Islamic heritage, valuing Zoroastrian contributions and enacting reforms to elevate minority status. However, the 1979 Islamic Revolution, led by Khomeini — backed by the CIA that went to the extent of hiring Saddam Hussein to assassinate the Shah, an attempt that failed — reversed these efforts, establishing a theocratic regime that suppressed secular and pre-Islamic traditions. This 'revolution' saw many Iranians — much like Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir valley since the reign of Sikandar Shah Miri (alias Butshikan) — flee abroad, diluting their cultural practices in diaspora. A contemporary dimension of this identity struggle must be highlighted: The role of US intervention. Recent protests, such as those sparked by Mahsa Amini's death in 2022 over the mandatory hijab law, were amplified by Western media and the Pentagon's propaganda machine as a ploy to undermine Iran's theocracy. While these protests symbolised resistance — women burning hijabs and cutting their hair in public — they subsided perhaps when the US deemed the ploy insufficient to topple the regime. Washington must be asked why it stopped echoing the voices of 'suppressed' Iranian women? Has the mission to free them been accomplished? Contrary to the media narrative, Iranian women are among the 'free-est" in the Islamic world, with minimal police action against hijab violations in rural areas, challenging the narrative pushed by some US-based Iranians who celebrate Israeli attacks. IRAN MUST TURN AROUND Drawing parallels with the tenacity of Russians, the anarchic resilience of Afghans and the enduring Hindu essence of Indian culture, a critical question must be raised about Iranians: Are they as resolute? Why did the people of Iran lose their pre-Islamic Persian identity, for example, not resisting the Abbasid invaders? If, today, some Iranian-Americans are praying for an end to the Islamic regime, have they forgotten that the country they are domiciled in now is the country that had orchestrated the fall of the Shah and replaced the secular leader with Ayatollah Khomeini in 1977-79? Are the Iranians destined to remain pawns in a geopolitical chess game forever? Will this pattern of foreign exploitation, where Iran's internal dissent is co-opted for geopolitical gain, reverse now, even after the dismantling of Iran's proxies, such as Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria, which has left Tehran vulnerable? Will the historically non-existent resilience of Iranians prove a wildcard? Iran's future hinges on its people's ability to reconcile their Persian and Islamic identities. To whatever extent the Mahsa Amini protests were true, external manipulation notwithstanding, it reflected a genuine yearning for freedom, aligning with a broader rejection of theocratic rule. The caveat that must be issued here is that US-backed regime changes warn against external solutions. Look at the pattern of American interventions wherever they succeeded: The US 'lost' Vietnam which was, thus, spared the horror. One of the worst students of the respective sociologies of other nations, the Americans have always left a nation-state they interfered in worse off when they left. Iran's liberation, if it comes, must depend on an internal awakening, drawing on its Zoroastrian and Persian roots, much like India's enduring Hindu culture. Speaking from an Indian perspective, neither the continuation of the pro-Pakistan, Islamist Iran that conventionally voted against New Delhi in UN forums on the question of Kashmir, nor a US-backed government that would never let India into the Chabahar port to counterbalance the Sino-Pakistani Gwadar port, is good. A CALL FOR SELF-DETERMINATION top videos View all As the aerial war rages and Khamenei's words resonate, Iran stands at a crossroads. If its people find resilience that they never did in the past, the world may get back glorious Persia, the people of which were essentially farmers but whose king build roads and ports, the language of which was influenced by fellow Indo-European Sanskrit, the science of which made one wonder how it could turn into an Islamic fundamentalist regime, and the economy of which, supported by King Darius' standardised currency, traded goods with India, China and the Roman Empire. (The author is a senior journalist and writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views) tags : Israel Iran tension Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 22, 2025, 20:39 IST News opinion Opinion | Iranians Must Reverse Their History For Redemption


NDTV
15 minutes ago
- NDTV
Despite Clashes With US Presidents, Netanyahu Usually Gets His Way
Jerusalem: A little over a month ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to have been shunted to the shadows by US President Donald Trump, who hopscotched the Middle East without visiting Israel, traditionally Washington's closest regional ally. Worse still, from Netanyahu's perspective, Trump lifted sanctions on neighbouring Syria - something Israel opposed - and talked up the prospects of securing a nuclear deal with Iran, something the prime minister has always cautioned against. Fast forward five weeks and the United States has bombed Iran's main nuclear installations, fulfilling a decades-old dream of Netanyahu to convince Washington to bring its full military might to thwart Tehran's atomic ambitions. The US attack underscores a broader truth that has defined Netanyahu's career: no matter how fraught his relationships with successive presidents, he normally ends up getting what he wants. For over three decades, Netanyahu has clashed - often spectacularly - with American leaders. He has lectured them, defied them, embarrassed them publicly and privately. And yet, across Democratic and Republican administrations, US military aid has flowed largely uninterrupted to Israel. Washington remains Israel's chief arms supplier and diplomatic shield. "He probably has concluded that he always gets away with it," said a senior United Nations official in Jerusalem who declined to be named. "It's hard to argue otherwise." Just one month ago, opposition leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of destroying Israel's relations with the United States. This weekend's action represents the closest US-Israeli military alignment yet against a common adversary. Withstanding Pressure Netanyahu's belief in his ability to advance his agenda, and withstand American pressure when needed, has deep roots. Barely a month after becoming prime minister for the first time in 1996, he met President Bill Clinton in Washington and immediately rubbed him up the wrong way. "Who the f--- does he think he is? Who's the f---ing superpower here?" Clinton asked his aides afterwards, according to US diplomat Aaron David Miller, who was present. But vital US aid to Israel continued to flow - something that would remain a constant over the years. Netanyahu was voted out of office in a 1999 election and did not return to power until a decade later, by which time Barack Obama, a Democrat like Clinton, was in the White House. Relations between the two turned openly hostile, initially over Israeli settlement building in occupied territory that Palestinians claim for a future stake - a constant thorn in US-Israeli relations. Matters deteriorated further as Obama entered negotiations with Iran to curb its nuclear drive - a project that Israel said is aimed at creating atomic bombs and that Tehran has said is for purely civilian purposes. Netanyahu spoke to Congress in 2015 at the invitation of Republicans to denounce the prospective deal, without informing the White House. "(The accord) doesn't block Iran's path to the bomb; it paves Iran's path to the bomb," he said. Obama was widely reported to have been furious, but still, the following year Washington delivered the largest military aid package to Israel in US history - $38 billion over 10 years. Political analysts say Netanyahu takes US support as a given, confident that backing from evangelical Christians and the small Jewish-American community will guarantee that Israel remains well-armed, however much he antagonises the White House. Convincing Trump When Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel in October 2023, then-President Joe Biden flew to Israel to show his support, authorising a huge flow of weapons to help with the conflict unleashed in Gaza. But relations between Netanyahu, a right-winger, and Biden, a Democrat, deteriorated rapidly, as Washington grew alarmed by the spiralling number of civilian deaths and the burgeoning humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave. Biden held back on some heavy munitions deliveries and imposed sanctions on a number of violent Israeli settlers, so his defeat at the hands of Trump in last November's presidential election was celebrated by Netanyahu. Finally, he had a Republican in office at a crucial moment for Israel. However, things did not go smoothly, at least to start with. Like Biden before him, Trump was unhappy at the protracted conflict in Gaza and then he blindsided Netanyahu during a meeting on April 7, when he revealed that he was launching direct talks with Tehran aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the protracted nuclear stand-off with Iran. But while Trump publicly positioned himself as a peacemaker, Netanyahu consistently pushed for military intervention. Although it is unclear if Netanyahu ever got him to say "yes" to Israel's war plans, it was at least not a "no", according to two senior US officials and a senior Israeli source. As soon as Israel launched its aerial war on Iran in the early hours of June 13, Israel pushed the United States to join in, urging Trump to be on the winning side of history, two Israeli officials said last week. "Mr President, Finish the job!" read large billboards that have popped up in Tel Aviv. The sense of relief when the US bombers struck Iran's most protected nuclear sites on Sunday was palpable. "Congratulations, President Trump. Your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history," Netanyahu said in a brief video address. "May God bless our unshakeable alliance, our unbreakable faith," he concluded.