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Gulf Today
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Trump privately approved attack plans for Iran pending final order, WSJ reports
US President Donald Trump told senior aides late on Tuesday that he approved attack plans for Iran but has withheld a final order to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the deliberations. Israel struck a key Iranian nuclear site on Thursday and Iranian missiles hit an Israeli hospital, as President Donald Trump kept the world guessing about whether the US would join Israel in airstrikes seeking to destroy Tehran's nuclear facilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to press on with Israel's biggest ever attack on Iran until his arch enemy's nuclear programme is destroyed, said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price". His Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been instructed to intensify strikes on strategic-related targets in Tehran in order to eliminate the threat to Israel and destabilise the "Ayatollah regime". Netanyahu has said that Israel's military attacks could topple the regime in Iran, and Israel would do whatever is necessary to remove the "existential threat" posed by Tehran. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel. The Israeli military said it targeted the Khondab nuclear reactor in Iran's central city Arak overnight, including a partially-built heavy-water research reactor. Heavy-water reactors produce plutonium, which, like enriched uranium, can be used to make the core of an atom bomb. Iranian media reported two projectiles hitting an area near the facility. There were no reports of radiation threats. Israel's military said it also struck a site in the area of Natanz, which it said contains components and specialised equipment used to advance nuclear weapons development. Iran has always denied planning to build an atomic weapon and says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. Its Atomic Energy Organisation said Israel had attacked its nuclear sites "in renewed violation of international law" and that there were no casualties because the areas had been evacuated. On Thursday morning, several Iranian missiles struck populated areas in Israel, including a hospital in the southern part of the country, according to an Israeli military official. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it was targeting Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near Soroka medical centre in the city of Beersheba in the south of the country. Soroka reported it had sustained damage. The week of Iranian missile salvoes mark the first time in decades of shadow war and proxy conflict that a significant number of projectiles fired from Iran have penetrated defences, killing Israelis in their homes. Trails of missiles and interception efforts were visible in the skies over Tel Aviv, with explosions heard as incoming projectiles were intercepted. Israeli media also reported direct hits in central Israel. Emergency services said five people had been seriously injured in the attacks and dozens of others hurt in three separate locations. People were still trapped in a building in a south Tel Aviv neighbourhood, they added. Around a dozen mostly European and African embassies and diplomatic missions are located just a few hundred metres from the strike on Tel Aviv. Buildings were extensively damaged in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, a key commercial hub home to high-rise towers, and emergency workers helping residents, including children. The blast caused significant damage to nearby residential buildings and shattered windows across the area. "It's very scary," said Yaniv, 34, who lives just a few hundred meters away. He said he heard a deafening explosion when the missile hit, shaking his apartment tower. The worst-ever conflict between the two regional powers has raised fears that it will draw in world powers and further destabilize the Middle East. Oil prices surged after Israel said it attacked Iranian nuclear sites overnight, as investors grapple with fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East that could disrupt crude supplies. Agencies
Dubai Eye
a day ago
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
Israel attacks Iranian nuclear sites, missile damages Israeli hospital
Israel struck a key Iranian nuclear site on Thursday and Iranian missiles hit an Israeli hospital as the air war between the two countries entered the seventh day. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it was targeting Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near Soroka medical centre in the city of Beersheba in the south of the country. Several Iranian missiles struck populated areas in Israel, including a hospital in the southern part of the country, according to an Israeli military official. Buildings were extensively damaged in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, a key commercial hub home to high-rise towers, and emergency workers helping residents, including children. The blast caused significant damage to nearby residential buildings and shattered windows across the area. Emergency services said five people had been seriously injured in the attacks and dozens of others hurt in three separate locations. People were still trapped in a building in a south Tel Aviv neighbourhood, they added. Around a dozen mostly European and African embassies and diplomatic missions are located just a few hundred metres from the strike on Tel Aviv. Trails of missiles and interception efforts were visible in the skies over Tel Aviv, with explosions heard as incoming projectiles were intercepted. Israeli media also reported direct hits in central Israel. The Israeli military said it targeted the Khondab nuclear reactor in Iran's central city Arak overnight, including a partially-built heavy-water research reactor. Israel's military said it also struck a site in the area of Natanz, which it said contains components and specialised equipment used to advance nuclear weapons development. Iranian media reported two projectiles hitting an area near the facility. There were no reports of radiation threats. Iran has always maintained that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. Its Atomic Energy Organisation said Israel had attacked its nuclear sites "in renewed violation of international law" and that there were no casualties because the areas had been evacuated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price", while his defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been instructed to intensify strikes on strategic-related targets in Tehran in order to destabilise the "Ayatollah regime". Netanyahu has said that Israel's military attacks could topple the regime in Iran, and Israel would do whatever is necessary to remove the "existential threat" posed by Tehran. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel. The worst-ever conflict between the two regional powers has raised fears that it will draw in world powers and further destabilise the Middle East.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Israel attacks Iranian nuclear sites, missile damages Israeli hospital
WASHINGTON/DUBAI/OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel struck a key Iranian nuclear site on Thursday and Iranian missiles hit an Israeli hospital, as President Donald Trump kept the world guessing about whether the US would join Israel in airstrikes seeking to destroy Tehran's nuclear facilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to press on with Israel's biggest ever attack on Iran until his arch enemy's nuclear programme is destroyed, said Tehran's 'tyrants' would pay the 'full price'. His Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been instructed to intensify strikes on strategic-related targets in Tehran in order to eliminate the threat to Israel and destabilise the 'Ayatollah regime'. Netanyahu has said that Israel's military attacks could topple the regime in Iran, and Israel would do whatever is necessary to remove the 'existential threat' posed by Tehran. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel. The Israeli military said it targeted the Khondab nuclear reactor in Iran's central city Arak overnight, including a partially-built heavy-water research reactor. Heavy-water reactors produce plutonium, which, like enriched uranium, can be used to make the core of an atom bomb. Iran's Khamenei rejects Trump's call for unconditional surrender Iranian media reported two projectiles hitting an area near the facility. There were no reports of radiation threats. Israel's military said it also struck a site in the area of Natanz, which it said contains components and specialised equipment used to advance nuclear weapons development. Iran has always denied planning to build an atomic weapon and says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. Its Atomic Energy Organisation said Israel had attacked its nuclear sites 'in renewed violation of international law' and that there were no casualties because the areas had been evacuated. Missiles damage hospital in Israel On Thursday morning, several Iranian missiles struck populated areas in Israel, including a hospital in the southern part of the country, according to an Israeli military official. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it was targeting Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near Soroka medical centre in the city of Beersheba in the south of the country. Soroka reported it had sustained damage. The week of Iranian missile salvoes mark the first time in decades of shadow war and proxy conflict that a significant number of projectiles fired from Iran have penetrated defences, killing Israelis in their homes. Trails of missiles and interception efforts were visible in the skies over Tel Aviv, with explosions heard as incoming projectiles were intercepted. Israeli media also reported direct hits in central Israel. Emergency services said five people had been seriously injured in the attacks and dozens of others hurt in three separate locations. Vladimir Putin eyes peacemaking role in Israel-Iran air war People were still trapped in a building in a south Tel Aviv neighbourhood, they added. Around a dozen mostly European and African embassies and diplomatic missions are located just a few hundred metres from the strike on Tel Aviv. Buildings were extensively damaged in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, a key commercial hub home to high-rise towers, and emergency workers helping residents, including children. The blast caused significant damage to nearby residential buildings and shattered windows across the area. 'It's very scary,' said Yaniv, 34, who lives just a few hundred meters away. He said he heard a deafening explosion when the missile hit, shaking his apartment tower. The worst-ever conflict between the two regional powers has raised fears that it will draw in world powers and further destabilize the Middle East. Oil prices surged after Israel said it attacked Iranian nuclear sites overnight, as investors grapple with fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East that could disrupt crude supplies. Israel, which has the most advanced military in the Middle East, has been fighting on several fronts since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack triggered the Gaza war, which has spilled over across the region. It has pounded Iran's regional allies, the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon's Hezbollah, with fierce military campaigns and assassinations of their top leaders, and bombed Yemen's Houthis. Iran says hypersonic missiles fired at Israel as Trump demands 'unconditional surrender' Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Wednesday, Trump declined to say if he had made any decision on whether to join Israel's air campaign. 'I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do,' he said. Trump also said Iranian officials wanted to come to Washington for a meeting: 'We may do that,' he said, adding 'it's a little late' for such talks. Trump has said the war could end if Iran quickly agrees to sharp curbs on its nuclear programme. Tehran has said it will not negotiate while under attack. Nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, due last Sunday, were cancelled. In an effort to restart negotiations, the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain plan to hold nuclear talks with Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi on Friday in Geneva, a German diplomatic source told Reuters. Trump has veered from proposing a swift diplomatic end to the war to suggesting the United States might join it. On Tuesday he mused on social media about killing Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, then demanded Iran's unconditional surrender. A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump and his team were considering options that included joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear installations. But the prospect of a US strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought Trump to power, with some of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Iran's 'Oppenheimer' Silenced: Inside Top Nuclear Scientist's Murder
New Delhi: When Israeli missiles rained on Iran's nuclear facilities this month, Fereidoun Abbasi, the former head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, was among the high-profile casualties. He once laughed off fears of assassination and famously said he would "gladly build nuclear weapons if asked." He survived a targeted killing in 2010. This time, he did not. But for many in Iran and beyond, his death reopened an old scar. It pulled the world's attention back to the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran's top nuclear scientist. The Phantom Scientist For years, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was little more than a name in classified reports. Western intelligence believed he was the mastermind behind "Project Amad," Iran's covert effort to build a nuclear bomb in the early 2000s. In public, he was invisible. No speeches, no interviews and almost no photos. He was even referred to as Iran's Robert Oppenheimer. So shadowy was his presence that even when the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was signed, his name was too radioactive to mention. He was referred to as the "father of Iran's nuclear programme" by Western intelligence agencies and Israeli officials. In 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flashed Fakhrizadeh's name on national TV during a dramatic reveal of stolen Iranian nuclear files. "Remember that name," he said. For anyone paying attention, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh had a target on his back. The Assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh On November 27, 2020, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was travelling with his wife and bodyguards toward their villa in the town of Absard, east of Tehran. It was a familiar drive, routine, even. A convoy followed at a distance. Waiting by the roadside was a pickup truck, seemingly abandoned. Hidden within it, was a 7.62 mm FN MAG machine gun, rigged with facial recognition AI, satellite links, and explosives. No agents were on the ground. According to Iranian officials, the weapon was linked via satellite to its operators, believed to be Israeli agents outside the country. As the convoy slowed near a speed bump, a stray dog crossed the road. Just then, the machine gun fired a burst of bullets, hitting the front of Fakhrizadeh's car below the windshield. The car swerved and came to a stop. A second round of fire shattered the windshield, hitting Fakhrizadeh at least once in the shoulder. He got out and took cover behind the car door. Moments later, three more bullets hit his spine, and he collapsed on the road. His wife, beside him, was left untouched. Fifteen bullets were fired. The entire operation lasted less than a minute. Seconds later, the truck exploded, the only part of the plan that failed. It was supposed to destroy all traces of the robotic weapon, but much of the equipment landed back on the ground, badly damaged but largely intact. Iranian officials were stunned. The gun had been fired remotely, from outside the country. It was an assassination carried out by a robot sniper. Israel's Invisible Hand The entire operation, from surveillance to execution, had the signature of Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence agency. Though Israel never officially claimed responsibility, former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen later hinted at Israeli involvement, calling Fakhrizadeh a legitimate target. According to later reports, Mossad agents had tracked Mohsen Fakhrizadeh for months. The equipment was smuggled into Iran in pieces, assembled in-country, and tested in secret. It was perhaps the most advanced targeted killing in history. According to Brigadier General Ali Fadavi of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the weapon targeted Mohsen Fakhrizadeh with 'such precision' that it struck only him while leaving his wife and guards unharmed. The event also hardened Iran's position internationally. Talks with the US and European powers stalled. The regime accelerated uranium enrichment. And within Iran, hardliners gained momentum. The hopes of nuclear diplomacy also took a hit.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Iran's Nuclear Scientist Makes Big Reveal In Last Interview Before Israeli Strike Killed Him
Fereidoun Abbasi, a key architect of Iran's nuclear program and former head of the Atomic Energy Organisation, was killed in Israel's latest strikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites. Abbasi had survived a 2010 assassination attempt and was sanctioned by the UN for suspected links to nuclear weapons research. Known for his hardline views, he once boasted that he wasn't worried about assassination and said he would build a bomb if ordered. In a recent interview, he downplayed the risk of being targeted and asserted that Iran's nuclear work would continue through future generations. Read More
