Macron Says UN Conference on Palestinian Statehood Is Postponed

French president Emmanuel Macron said an international gathering on Palestinian statehood he was set to co-chair next week at the United Nations with Saudi Arabia was postponed.
While Macron didn't explicitly link the postponement to Israel's strikes on Iran, he said Middle East leaders can't attend the conference because of logistical and security reasons.

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Fox News

10 minutes ago

• Fox News

They want Americans dead, too — the threat from Iran and its proxies

Print Close By David Zimmermann Published June 22, 2025 Israel's recent preemptive strikes and ongoing military campaign against Iran have captured global headlines as the country endeavors to neutralize the Iranian regime's offensive military and nuclear weapons capability. Just hours ago, Israel's efforts to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions were significantly enhanced by U.S.-delivered bunker buster bombs and Tomahawk missiles that struck three Iranian nuclear facilities. Americans must understand these military actions directly enhance U.S. national security as they weaken the numerous Iranian-supported Islamist extremist terrorist groups that threaten Americans at home and abroad. Operation Rising Lion, initiated by Israel on June 13, 2025, has targeted multiple nuclear facilities, nuclear scientists, military infrastructure, and military leadership across Iran. Iran's radical Islamist regime has, time after time, publicly stated its desire – even promise – to "wipe Israel off the map." Operation Rising Lion, with the recent addition of American military power, will hopefully eliminate Iran's ability to keep such a promise, while at the same time preventing Iran from threatening the existence of neighboring Sunni Arab states and Western countries, including the U.S., with nuclear weapons. HEGSETH, MILITARY BRASS DESCRIBE 'INCREDIBLE AND OVERWHELMING SUCCESS' OF US STRIKES ON IRAN Iran is currently the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, and it funds, trains, and arms terrorist groups including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and various U.S.-designated Shia militia operating in Iraq. Preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons prevents these proxies from having access to such destructive power as well – whether from a true nuclear bomb or a "dirty" bomb. Hamas, designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in 1997, drafted a written charter in 1988 that declares all Jews are targets for killing. On October 7, 2023, Hamas' devastating terror attack on Israel murdered 45 Americans (amongst 1200 total victims) while 12 Americans were among the 251 who were kidnapped. Is there any doubt that if Hamas were to obtain the destructive power of a nuclear device they would use it to carry out their sworn objective? For Americans who think Hamas is a foreign threat only, please know that Hamas has been in the U.S. for decades. Internal Hamas documents and FBI wiretaps, introduced as evidence in various U.S. federal criminal cases within the past 20 years, demonstrate the existence of a nationwide Hamas network engaged in fundraising, lobbying, education and propaganda dissemination dating back to the 1980s. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION Hezbollah, also designated by the U.S. as an FTO in 1997, has its own "Open Letter" that was written in 1985. Within this Letter, Hezbollah states one of its objectives is Israel's obliteration. Additionally, the Letter states, "We are moving in the direction of fighting the roots of vice and the first root of vice is America." Prior to Al Qaeda's attack on the U.S. in 2001, Hezbollah was responsible for more U.S. terrorism casualties than any other Islamist extremist terrorist group. In November 2023, then-FBI Director Chris Wray testified to Congress that Hezbollah has sought to buy weaponry, seed operatives, and raise funds in America. Even though Israel has weakened Hezbollah over the past 12 months, the terror organization still exists and remains a global threat. Again, is there any doubt that if Hezbollah were to obtain nuclear weapons capability, they would use it to carry out a new form of terror against Israel, the U.S., Jews and Americans across the globe? The Houthis (Ansar Allah), first designated as an FTO by the U.S. in 2021 and re-designated in 2025 after the initial designation was revoked, have an official slogan: "Allahu Akbar. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam." Since October 2023, the Houthis have been launching missile and drone attacks not only on Israeli civilians, but on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea believed by the Houthis to be connected to Israel, the U.S., or Western allies. Once more, the same question can be asked – and easily answered – about whether the Houthis would use the destructive power of a nuclear weapon if the Iranian regime were to give them this capability. SIGN UP FOR ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED NEWSLETTER Finally, many Americans do not realize the Iranian regime has exported terror directly to U.S. shores already. In recent years, as per Department of Justice records, the Iranian regime has sponsored murder-for-hire plots – within U.S. borders – designed to assassinate former senior U.S. leaders Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, a Saudi Ambassador to the U.S., Iranian dissidents who escaped Iran and currently live in the U.S. (such as Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad), and even President Donald Trump himself. There are other examples of such plots, and all of these plots were disrupted by the phenomenal work of my FBI colleagues and numerous other partners. My point is Iran is not simply a distant threat in a far-off foreign land: Iran has targeted Americans on U.S. soil. A weakened – or, better yet, a fallen – Iranian regime without nuclear weapons would prevent its Islamist terrorist proxies from acquiring an unimaginable destructive power that threatens not only Israel, but the U.S. as well. Disrupting Iran's nuclear ambitions would also cripple its own ability to threaten Americans on U.S. soil. Ultimately, preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons will not only make Israel safer, but it will also make the U.S. – and the world – safer. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION Print Close URL

Yahoo

11 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Mitch McConnell weighs in on U.S. strikes in Iran

HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) – Indiana Governor Mike Braun and Senator Todd Young gave their thoughts on the U.S. strikes in Iran, and now, Senator Mitch McConnell has given his thoughts. McConnell 'commends' President Donald Trump for using 'decisive action' and standing with Israel. His full statement can be read below. 'Israel's bold response to the war thrust upon it by Iran's proxies has created a unique opportunity to cripple Iran's nuclear ambitions and strike a lasting blow to its hegemonic aggression. Seizing this opportunity is not an escalation toward war — it is a prudent response to the warmongers in Tehran. Iran would be foolish to misunderstand American resolve. I commend the President for authorizing decisive action and all U.S. servicemembers responsible for carrying it out. The United States' interest in denying Iran a nuclear weapon, in standing with our ally, Israel, and in reestablishing credible deterrent power is undeniable and urgent.' Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

CNN

12 minutes ago

• CNN

Strike US assets, disrupt global trade, race for a bomb: How will Iran respond to Trump's attacks?

US President Donald Trump's decision to strike Iran's nuclear facilities puts the Middle East in a volatile position, with all eyes now on Tehran's next move. Speaking in Istanbul, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday his country has 'a variety of options' when deciding how to respond to the US attacks. From striking US bases in the region, to possibly closing a key waterway to global shipping, Iran is likely mulling its next moves. All carry inherent risks for the Islamic Republic, Israel and the United States. Here's what to know: Direct US involvement in the conflict could see Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) activate what remains of its proxies across Iraq, Yemen and Syria, groups which have previously launched attacks on American assets in the region. While Iran's strongest ally in the region was once Lebanon's Hezbollah, that group has been significantly weakened by Israeli attacks. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) says the US maintains a presence at 19 sites in total across the region, with eight of those considered by analysts to have a permanent US presence. As of June 13, the CFR estimated some 40,000 US troops were in the Middle East. In Iraq, for example, there were 2,500 US troops as of late last year. An Iranian attack on these forces is not inconceivable. In 2020, an Iranian missile attack on a US garrison left more than 100 soldiers with traumatic brain injuries. The Iranians have said 'several times' that if the US 'joins this war and attacks their nuclear facilities, they will retaliate against US forces in the region, against US interests, and there are a lot of those,' CNN political and global affairs analyst Barak Ravid said. A resurgence of attacks from Yemen against US assets is already on the table. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels previously vowed to attack American ships in the Red Sea should the US join Israel's conflict with Iran. A prominent Houthi official said in a social media post early Sunday that 'Trump must bear the consequences' of the US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. It is unclear if this marks the end of a US-Houthi ceasefire struck in May, in which Washington said it would halt its military campaign against the Houthis in exchange for the group stopping its attacks on US interests in the region. Knowing that it can't outright win a conflict against Israel and the US, experts have said that Tehran could seek to engage in a war of attrition, where it tries to exhaust its adversary's will or capacity to fight in a drawn-out and damaging conflict, which Trump at the outset of his presidency said he wanted to avoid. Iran also has the power to influence the 'entire commercial shipping in the Gulf,' Ravid said, should it decide to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route. There have so far been no material disruptions to the global flow of oil. But if oil exports are disrupted, or if Iran tries to block the Strait of Hormuz, the global oil market could face an existential crisis. The strait links the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is a key channel for oil and liquefied natural gas exports from the Middle East to the global market. About 20 million barrels of oil flow through the strait each day, according to the US Energy Information Administration. A prominent adviser to Iran's supreme leader has already called for missile strikes and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. 'Following America's attack on the Fordow nuclear installation, it is now our turn,' warned Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor-in-chief of the hardline Kayhan newspaper, a well-known conservative voice who has previously identified himself as a Khamenei 'representative.' Geographic leverage over global shipping gives Iran the 'capacity to cause a shock in oil markets, drive up oil prices, drive inflation, collapse Trump's economic agenda,' Mohammad Ali Shabani, an Iran expert and editor of the Amwaj news outlet, told CNN. Some experts say that Iran is very likely to race for a nuclear bomb now, even if the current regime collapses and new leaders come in place. 'Trump just guaranteed that Iran will be a nuclear weapons state in the next 5 to 10 years,' Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute in Washington, DC, said on X. 'Particularly if the regime changes.' Parsi has said that even if the regime collapses and new military elements assume power, they are likely to be much more hawkish than the current regime and race toward a nuclear weapon as their only deterrent. Experts have previously said that Iran likely moved its stocks of enriched uranium from its key nuclear facilities amid Israeli strikes.. Nuclear power plants that generate electricity for civil purposes use uranium that is enriched to between 3.5% and 5%. When enriched to higher levels, uranium can be used to make a bomb Israel and the US accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons; Tehran insists its program is peaceful. Iran is also likely to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or the NPT, under which it has pledged not to develop a bomb. 'Iran's response is likely not just limited to military retaliation. NPT withdrawal is quite likely,' Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, said on X. Iran's first response to the US' attack on its nuclear sites was to attack Israel, not US bases. Iranian missiles hit a group of buildings in Tel Aviv, where 86 people were admitted to hospital with injuries overnight and on Sunday morning, according to Israel's ministry of health. Knowing it may not be able to sustain a full-on confrontation with the US, and hoping that Trump will scale back on his involvement following Sunday's strike, Iran may merely seek to perpetuate the status quo, fighting only Israel. Trump may follow the same playbook as in the 2020 attack that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, Shabani told CNN's Becky Anderson. Trump at the time wanted to 'send a big message, get the headlines, show US resolve, but then avoid a wider war,' Shabani said. While Iran may feel it has to retaliate to save face, it may be a bloodless response, similar to what happened in 2020, when it launched a barrage of missiles at US bases in Iraq, which resulted in traumatic brain injuries to personnel but no deaths. Two military analysts have said Iran could resort to 'asymmetric' measures – such as terrorism or cyberattacks – to retaliate against the US because Israeli attacks have reduced Iran's military capabilities. 'I think the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) is probably trying to figure out what capabilities it has left' as its missile stockpile dwindles, said CNN national security analyst David Sanger. 'I think (the IRGC is) going to be a little bit careful, and I suspect that's going to take us to all of the asymmetric things they can do: cyber, terrorism. I think that they're probably going to be looking for things where the US cannot just put up the traditional defenses,' he added. Similarly, retired Maj. Gen. James 'Spider' Marks, head of geopolitical strategy at Academy Securities, an investment bank, told CNN that Israel 'did a pretty good job of damaging Iran's capacity to launch its rather robust missile inventory.' But, 'albeit wounded,' the IRGC still has 'some tremendous capacity,' he said. 'It has capabilities that are already within the region and then outside the region. We are vulnerable… around the world, where the IRGC has either influence or can make things happen asymmetrically.' Iran has refused to return to the negotiating table while under Israeli attacks. On Sunday, Araghchi said he does not know how 'much room is left for diplomacy' after the US military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities. … We have to respond based on our legitimate right for self-defense,' Araghchi said. Parsi said that by doing so, 'the Iranians have cornered themselves.' 'Their aim is to force Trump to stop Netanyahu's war, and by that show his ability and willingness to use American leverage against Netanyahu,' Parsi wrote. 'But the flip side is that Tehran has given Israel a veto on US-Iran diplomacy – by simply continuing the war, Israel is enabled to block talks between the US and Iran.' Iranian and European officials met Friday in Geneva for talks, which an Iranian source said started out tense but became 'much more positive.' Speaking Sunday, Araghchi said the US had decided to 'blow up' diplomacy. 'Last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3 (group of European ministers)/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy,' Araghchi said on X. Vaez, of the International Crisis Group, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the 'Iranians were reluctant to negotiate with a gun to their head, and that gun has already been triggered. 'The more likely situation is that the talks are over for now.' CNN's Eve Brennan, Brad Lendon and Mostafa Salem contributed reporting.