Latest news with #Khamenei
Al Arabiya
38 minutes ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Israel–Iran air war enters second week as Europe pushes diplomacy
Israel and Iran's air war entered a second week on Friday, and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump said any decision on potential US involvement would be made within two weeks. Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear program is peaceful. Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Those killed include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists. Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks. Reuters could not independently verify the death toll from either side. Israel has targeted nuclear sites and missile capabilities, but also has sought to shatter the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Western and regional officials. 'Are we targeting the downfall of the regime? That may be a result, but it's up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. Iran has said it is targeting military and defense-related sites in Israel, but it has also hit a hospital and other civilian sites. Israel accused Iran on Thursday of deliberately targeting civilians through the use of cluster munitions, which disperse small bombs over a wide area. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. With neither country backing down, the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, along with the European Union foreign policy chief, were due to meet in Geneva with Iran's foreign minister to try to de-escalate the conflict on Friday. 'Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one,' said British Foreign Minister David Lammy ahead of their joint meeting with Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both condemned Israel and agreed that de-escalation is needed, the Kremlin said on Thursday. The role of the United States, meanwhile, remained uncertain. On Thursday in Washington, Lammy met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, and said they discussed a possible deal. Witkoff has spoken with Araghchi several times since last week, sources say. Trump, meanwhile, has alternated between threatening Tehran and urging it to resume nuclear talks that were suspended over the conflict. Trump has mused about striking Iran, possibly with a 'bunker buster' bomb that could destroy nuclear sites built deep underground. The White House said on Thursday Trump would decide in the next two weeks whether to get involved in the war. That may not be a firm deadline. Trump has commonly used 'two weeks' as a time frame for making decisions and has allowed other economic and diplomatic deadlines to slide. With the Islamic Republic facing one of its greatest external threats since the 1979 revolution, any direct challenge to its 46-year-long rule would likely require some form of popular uprising. But activists involved in previous bouts of protest say they are unwilling to unleash mass unrest, even against a system they hate, with their nation under attack. 'How are people supposed to pour into the streets? In such horrifying circumstances, people are solely focused on saving themselves, their families, their compatriots, and even their pets,' said Atena Daemi, a prominent activist who spent six years in prison before leaving Iran.
Mint
an hour ago
- Politics
- Mint
Why Trump may have opposed killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
President Donald Trump said this week that the US knows where Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is, but won't kill him "at least not for now." His statement came as Israel launched a barrage of attacks on Iran, hinting at the possibility of a "dictatorship collapse" or a regime change in the Islamic nation. In a post on TRUTH social media, Trump wrote, 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Last week, several reports suggested that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei. Three US officials told CBS News that Trump opposed a recent Israeli plan to kill Iran's Supreme Leader. Trump also delayed a decision on possibly bombing Iran's nuclear sites. But why doesn't Trump want Iranian Supreme leader's killing or a "regime change" in Iran? President Trump's wariness over bombing Iran could be due to his concerns about creating 'another Libya' if Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is toppled, administration insiders told the New York Post. One source close to the administration said he had also mentioned Afghanistan and Iraq. Trump 'doesn't want it [Iran] to turn into Libya,' said one insider familiar with the US administration's deliberations on potentially joining Israel's airstrikes against Iran's nuclear program. According to the report, Trump had in recent days specifically mentioned Libya's decade-long plunge into anarchy in 2011 — after the US joined a NATO bombing campaign to oust dictator Muammar Gaddafi — three sources close to the administration said. 'Libya was a much more extended kind of bombing commitment, and it ended up being regime change,' the fifth source noted. The source who heard the president directly mention the comparison said there are two reasons Trump talks about Libya: "the first is the chaos after what we did to Gaddafi. The second is the Libya intervention made it more difficult to negotiate deals with countries like North Korea and Iran." One source reportedly said the president seems "most inclined to order limited airstrikes to finish off Iran's nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz..." 'If the regime falls [in Iran], then it's not on Trump, because that's not the goal of his very limited strike," the source told The Post. The source mentioned concern that 'we get somebody worse than Khamenei.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday afternoon that Trump was biding his time before deciding whether to join Israel's strikes 'based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.' The Telegraph reported that Khamenei's death could lead to a vacuum at the heart of government that might trigger internal strife, creating opportunities for Iran's myriad ethnic minority groups to rise up. This could "potentially igniting local conflicts that could spiral into a broader civil war," the report added. Fearing such an outcome, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could also attempt to seize power and turn Iran into a theocratic military dictatorship. Any such outcome would risk chaos on global oil markets, one reason why traders are so anxious about the supreme leader's fate, the report added.
First Post
an hour ago
- Politics
- First Post
Putin Proposes Israel-Iran Peace Deal Amid Khamenei Threat Firstpost America
Putin Proposes Israel-Iran Peace Deal Amid Khamenei Threat | Firstpost America | N18G Putin Proposes Israel-Iran Peace Deal Amid Khamenei Threat | Firstpost America | N18G Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to mediate a peace deal between Israel and Iran, proposing a solution that would allow Iran to pursue peaceful nuclear energy while addressing Israel's security concerns. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said he shared Russia's proposals with all parties, including the US. He refused to discuss Israeli and American threats to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, calling such speculation dangerous. Putin emphasised Russia's strong ties with Iran and confirmed that over 200 Russian workers remain at Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant. He urged diplomacy, saying a peaceful resolution is possible—if leaders are willing to act. Watch for more. See More
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Day 8 of strikes: European, Iranian diplomats to meet as US mulls joining Israel campaign
Summary Day 8 of conflict, Iran and Israel continue to exchange strikes. Donald Trump has approved military plans targeting Iran but has yet to make a final decision on launching a strike The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) continues to closely monitor and assess the situation regarding the Israeli attacks on nuclear sites in Iran. Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the US of "irreparable harm" if it gets directly involved in the conflict Israeli Defence Minister said Khamenei 'can no longer be allowed to exist' following a strike on an Israeli hospital
CNA
2 hours ago
- Politics
- CNA
Israel-Iran air war enters second week as Europe pushes diplomacy
TEL AVIV: Israel and Iran's air war entered a second week on Friday (Jun 20) and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump said any decision on potential US involvement would be made within two weeks. Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful. Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Those killed include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists. Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks. Reuters could not independently verify the death toll from either side. Israel has targeted nuclear sites and missile capabilities, but also has sought to shatter the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Western and regional officials. "Are we targeting the downfall of the regime? That may be a result, but it's up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. Iran has said it is targeting military and defence-related sites in Israel, but it has also hit a hospital and other civilian sites. Israel accused Iran on Thursday of deliberately targeting civilians through the use of cluster munitions, which disperse small bombs over a wide area. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. With neither country backing down, the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, along with the European Union foreign policy chief, were due to meet in Geneva with Iran's foreign minister to try to de-escalate the conflict on Friday. "Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one," said British Foreign Minister David Lammy ahead of their joint meeting with Abbas Araqchi, Iran's foreign minister. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both condemned Israel and agreed that de-escalation is needed, the Kremlin said on Thursday. The role of the United States, meanwhile, remained uncertain. On Thursday in Washington, Lammy met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, and said they discussed a possible deal. Witkoff has spoken with Araqchi several times since last week, sources say. Trump, meanwhile, has alternated between threatening Tehran and urging it to resume nuclear talks that were suspended over the conflict. Trump has mused about striking Iran, possibly with a "bunker buster" bomb that could destroy nuclear sites built deep underground. The White House said on Thursday Trump would decide in the next two weeks whether to get involved in the war. That may not be a firm deadline. Trump has commonly used "two weeks" as a time frame for making decisions and has allowed other economic and diplomatic deadlines to slide. With the Islamic Republic facing one of its greatest external threats since the 1979 revolution, any direct challenge to its 46-year-long rule would likely require some form of popular uprising. But activists involved in previous bouts of protest say they are unwilling to unleash mass unrest, even against a system they hate, with their nation under attack. "How are people supposed to pour into the streets? In such horrifying circumstances, people are solely focused on saving themselves, their families, their compatriots, and even their pets," said Atena Daemi, a prominent activist who spent six years in prison before leaving Iran.
