Trump says Iran ‘weeks away' from bomb after talks rejected
US President Donald Trump has declared Iran is weeks, if not months away from developing a nuclear weapon, while Iran says it will not discuss the future of its nuclear program while under attack by Israel and Europe tries to coax Tehran back into negotiations.
Mr Trump has brushed off intelligence community views that Iran's weapons program was not that advanced.
Speaking at Bedminster, New Jersey, where he announced a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Congo, Mr Trump said, 'It looks like I'm right about the material they've gathered'.
'It's a tremendous amount of material and I think within a matter of weeks or at most a matter of months they were going to have enough material for a nuclear weapon,' he said
'And we can't let that happen.'
Mr Trump said he was willing to give Iran time to 'come to their senses' but said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's request to get Israel to stop its attacks as a precondition of negotiations wasn't going to happen.
'I think it's very hard to make that request if someone's winning; it's a lot harder than if someone is losing,' he told reporters.
'But we are ready, willing and able, we've been speaking to Iran and we'll see what happens. We are giving it time to see if people come to their senses.
It's very hard to stop. Israel is doing well in terms of war and Iran is doing less well. It's a bit hard to get someone to stop.
President Trump reiterated that Iran had a 'maximum' of two weeks to avoid possible US air strikes, alluding that he could make a decision earlier. He added that Iran 'doesn't want to talk to Europe,' with little faith talks between European powers and Iran in Geneva could resolve the conflict.
A week into its campaign, Israel said on Friday it had struck dozens of military targets, including missile production sites, a research body it said was involved in nuclear weapons development in Tehran and military facilities in western and central Iran.
The Israeli military later said they had struck surface-to-air missile batteries in southwestern Iran as part of efforts to achieve air superiority over the country. Explosions were heard in Iran's southwestern Khuzestan province and at least four people there were killed, IRNA news agency reported. Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire since Israel launched strikes across Iran a week ago. Credit: AAP
At least five people were injured when Israel hit a five-storey building in Tehran housing a bakery and a hairdresser's, Fars news agency reported. Iranian air defences were activated on Friday evening, Fars news agency reported.
Iran fired missiles at Beersheba in southern Israel and Haifa in the north, causing damage to an Ottoman-era mosque, according to Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. A foreign ministry video also showed extensive damage to a nearby high-rise building that houses a branch of Israel's Interior Ministry. On Friday morning an Iranian ballistic missile struck just outside several apartment buildings in Beersheba, causing damage and injuries. Credit: Magen David Adom, Emanuel Fabian - The Times of Israel,
About 20 missiles were fired in those latest Iranian strikes, an Israeli military official said, and at least two people were hurt, according to the Israeli ambulance service.
Israel's envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told the UN Security Council his country would not stop its attacks 'until Iran's nuclear threat is dismantled'. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani called for Security Council action and said Tehran was alarmed by reports that the US may join the war.
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog warned against attacks on nuclear facilities and called for maximum restraint.
'Armed attack on nuclear facilities... could result in radioactive releases with great consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the state which has been attacked,' Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the Security Council.
Israel says it is determined to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities but that it wants to avoid any nuclear disaster.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, also speaking at the world body's Security Council, said the Iran-Israel conflict could 'ignite a fire no one can control' and called on all parties to 'give peace a chance'.
Russia and China demanded immediate de-escalation.
The White House said on Thursday the president would decide on US involvement in the conflict in the next two weeks. Mr Trump presided over a national security meeting about Iran on Friday with top aides at the White House, a US official said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said there was no room for negotiations with the US 'until Israeli aggression stops'. But he later arrived in Geneva for talks with European foreign ministers at which Europe hopes to establish a path back to diplomacy over Iran's nuclear program. Police bomb disposal teams search for remains of an Iranian ballistic missiles in Beersheva. Credit: ABIR SULTAN / EPA
A senior Iranian official told Reuters Iran was ready to discuss limitations on uranium enrichment but that any proposal for zero enrichment - not being able to enrich uranium at all - would be rejected, 'especially now under Israel's strikes'.
Israel's Foreign Minister Saar, speaking in Haifa, said he was very sceptical about Iran's intentions. 'We know from the record of Iran they are not negotiating honestly,' he said.
Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying its longtime enemy was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel.
Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons. It neither confirms nor denies this.
Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a US-based human rights organisation that tracks Iran. The dead include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists.
In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed in Iranian missile attacks, according to authorities.
Reuters could not independently verify casualty figures for either side.
Western and regional officials say Israel is trying to shatter the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Israel-Iran conflict: Ten maps tracking key nuclear sites, targets and US military bases
Israel struck the Natanz nuclear facility, Iran's main uranium enrichment site, on Friday during the first wave of attacks. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, told the BBC on Monday the centrifuges underground in Natanz were 'severely damaged if not destroyed altogether.' Iranian state television reported on June 20 that Israel had attacked the unfinished Arak heavy-water reactor, with the IAEA confirming the reactor had been hit and that it had not contained any nuclear material. Iran's fallback site, Fordow, remains a stronghold, and likely will remain unless the US joins the conflict in earnest. Despite Israel's repeated airstrikes on the facility, only the US has the 'bunker buster' bombs, and the planes to transport the bombs, that could damage the subterranean facility. By June 20, about 3200 Australians in Iran and Israel had registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade for support, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a press conference. The Australian embassy in Tehran is closed, Wong confirmed on June 20, with staff leaving Iran by road. Australian Defence Force personnel were also deployed to assist with evacuations, not for combat, Wong emphasised. 'We urge Australians who are able to leave Iran to do so now,' Wong said. Where has Iran struck in Israel? In response to Israel's attacks on Friday, Iran launched Operation True Promise III, firing missiles and drones on targets including the Kirya compound, one of the most sensitive and heavily guarded sites in Israel. On June 13, it was reported at least one Iranian missile had struck near the skyscraper Marganit Tower, a major communications hub inside the compound. Loading Established in Tel Aviv in 1948, the Kirya is Israel's central military headquarters. It's often described as Israel's equivalent to the United States' Pentagon, serving as a symbol of national security as much as it functions as the hub of the Israel Defence Force's operations. By Wednesday morning, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released a statement claiming it had 'gained complete control over the skies of the occupied territories' after launching two missile barrages at Israel overnight. According to live broadcasts, however, Israel's Iron Dome was still intercepting missiles. On June 19, southern Israel's main hospital, Soroka Medical Centre, was hit by an Iranian missile, leaving several wounded and causing extensive damage, according to a spokesperson for Israel's Foreign Ministry. Iran's Revolutionary Guard, meanwhile, said after the strike that the ballistic missile was supposed to hit the nearby Israeli military and intelligence quarters. Where are Iran's nuclear facilities? South of Tehran lies the Natanz Nuclear Facility, a complex at the heart of Iran's enrichment program housing several buidings including: the underground Fuel Enrichment Plant and above-ground Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant. The Fordow enrichment facility is also south of Tehran, and is notably underground, making it harder to destroy. Loading Further south, on the outskirts of Isfahan, Iran's second-largest city, is a large nuclear technology centre that includes the Fuel Plate Fabrication Plant and uranium conversion and storage facilities. On the Gulf Coast is the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which is Iran's only operating nuclear power plant and uses Russian fuel that Russia takes back once it is spent. Further north, in addition to Tehran's nuclear research reactor, is the partially built heavy-water research reactor in Khondab, formerly known as Arak, which Iran previously informed the IAEA it planned to start operating in 2026. Why is Iran's Fordow nuclear base a target? Dug deep into a mountain near Qom is the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which is one of Iran's most heavily fortified nuclear sites, built in secrecy and designed for survivability. Loading It was exposed through Western intelligence in 2009, and its capacity to enrich uranium levels close to weapons-grade is what alarms the superpowers and makes it critical to Iran's nuclear program. In 2023, according to the IAEA, uranium enriched to a purity of 83.7 per cent was found at Fordow. Nuclear weapons need an enrichment level of 90 per cent. The fact that Fordow was designed as a fallback facility should other nuclear sites be compromised makes it a key stronghold for Iran, and a prime target for Israel – but it's understood Israel would be hard-pressed to destroy it without help from the US. Why does Israel need the United States' assistance to target Fordow? Fordow's underground nuclear facilities are understood to be 80 to 90 metres beneath the mountain's surface. It's impenetrable, even if Israel used the most advanced 'bunker buster' bombs in its arsenal for targeted aerial strikes. The 13,608-kilogram GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) is thought to be the only 'bunker buster' bomb that could reach the core buried below Fordow's surface, though that would still be likely to require multiple strikes. Loading Capable of burrowing through 60 metres of steel and rock before detonating, it was developed by the US and is its largest non-nuclear bomb. Israel has requested it from the US, and the request has been denied multiple times. Only a B2 Stealth Bomber, 20 of which are in the US Air Force's active fleet, could carry the bomb due to its sheer size. How large is the United States' military presence in the Middle East? Iran has said it would target American military bases in the Middle East should Trump enter the conflict on Israel's side. The US has a significant military presence in the Middle East. The Council on Foreign Relations says there is a broad network of sites spanning at least 19 locations, eight of which are permanent. The permanent sites are understood to be in Israel, Syria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Since October 7, 2023, several attacks purportedly by Iran-backed forces have occurred. Notably, in January 2024, three American soldiers were killed after a drone hit the Tower 22 military base in Jordan, near the Syrian border.
7NEWS
6 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Donald Trump rejects spy chief's take on Iran nuclear program
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The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Diplomatic efforts stall as Israel-Iran war drags on
Talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran have failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war enters its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met on Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh US 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 emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US 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. At a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation in Istanbul on Saturday, Araghchi told the AP "it would be very, very dangerous for everyone" if the US became actively engaged militarily in the war. No date is set for the next round of talks. 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. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US 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. The war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 wounded in Iran, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country's health ministry. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israel's defence minister said on Saturday it killed a commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the elite Iranian Quds Force, and he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. The Israeli military later said it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle overnight in Tehran. Addressing the UN Security Council, Rafael Grossi, 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. 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. Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the US, France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the US out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade levels and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. 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, wounding at least 31 people. 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 three dozen missiles that Iran fired on Friday slipped through the country's aerial defences, sending shrapnel flying into a residential area in the southern city of Beersheba, where a hospital was hit on Thursday. Reuters Talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran have failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war enters its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met on Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh US 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 emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US 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. At a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation in Istanbul on Saturday, Araghchi told the AP "it would be very, very dangerous for everyone" if the US became actively engaged militarily in the war. No date is set for the next round of talks. 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. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US 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. The war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 wounded in Iran, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country's health ministry. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israel's defence minister said on Saturday it killed a commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the elite Iranian Quds Force, and he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. The Israeli military later said it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle overnight in Tehran. Addressing the UN Security Council, Rafael Grossi, 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. 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. Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the US, France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the US out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade levels and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. 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, wounding at least 31 people. 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 three dozen missiles that Iran fired on Friday slipped through the country's aerial defences, sending shrapnel flying into a residential area in the southern city of Beersheba, where a hospital was hit on Thursday. Reuters Talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran have failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war enters its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met on Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh US 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 emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US 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. At a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation in Istanbul on Saturday, Araghchi told the AP "it would be very, very dangerous for everyone" if the US became actively engaged militarily in the war. No date is set for the next round of talks. 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. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US 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. The war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 wounded in Iran, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country's health ministry. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israel's defence minister said on Saturday it killed a commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the elite Iranian Quds Force, and he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. The Israeli military later said it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle overnight in Tehran. Addressing the UN Security Council, Rafael Grossi, 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. 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. Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the US, France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the US out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade levels and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. 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, wounding at least 31 people. 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 three dozen missiles that Iran fired on Friday slipped through the country's aerial defences, sending shrapnel flying into a residential area in the southern city of Beersheba, where a hospital was hit on Thursday. Reuters Talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran have failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war enters its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met on Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh US 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 emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US 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. At a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation in Istanbul on Saturday, Araghchi told the AP "it would be very, very dangerous for everyone" if the US became actively engaged militarily in the war. No date is set for the next round of talks. 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. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US 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. The war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 wounded in Iran, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country's health ministry. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israel's defence minister said on Saturday it killed a commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the elite Iranian Quds Force, and he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. The Israeli military later said it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle overnight in Tehran. Addressing the UN Security Council, Rafael Grossi, 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. 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. Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the US, France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the US out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade levels and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. 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, wounding at least 31 people. 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 three dozen missiles that Iran fired on Friday slipped through the country's aerial defences, sending shrapnel flying into a residential area in the southern city of Beersheba, where a hospital was hit on Thursday. Reuters
