Latest news with #Retaliation
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vance says U.S. 'not at war with Iran, we're at war with Iran's nuclear program'
WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance said Sunday that the U.S. is not at war with Iran, but with Tehran's nuclear weapons program, and declined to confirm with 100% confidence that the country's nuclear sites had been completely destroyed. During an interview on NBC News' 'Meet the Press,' moderator Kristen Welker asked the vice president whether the U.S. was now at war with Iran after President Donald Trump said the U.S. military had dropped bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday. The move marked the first time that the U.S. had directly attacked Iran and prompted concerns about whether attacks could drag the U.S. into a wider war. Hours later, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel, causing damage in Tel Aviv. Follow along for live coverage 'We're not at war with Iran,' Vance said. 'We're at war with Iran's nuclear program.' Vance also declined to confirm with 100% certainty that Iran's nuclear sites were completely destroyed, saying instead that he believes the U.S. has 'substantially delayed' Iran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon. "Do you have 100% confidence that Iran's nuclear sites were totally destroyed?" Welker asked. 'I'm not going to get into sensitive intelligence about what we've seen on the ground there in Iran, but we've seen a lot, and I feel very confident that we've substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon, and that was the goal of this attack," Vance said. He separately said during the interview that the U.S. 'destroyed the Iranian nuclear program,' adding, 'I think we set that program back substantially.' When pressed in a separate interview on ABC News' "This Week" over whether the Fordo facility was damaged or destroyed, Vance declined to draw a distinction. "Severely damaged versus obliterated — I'm not exactly sure what the difference is," Vance said. "What we know is we set their nuclear program back substantially." Trump had said Saturday night that the facilities were 'completely and totally obliterated,' but an Iranian parliament member said on Sunday that Fordo was not seriously damaged in the strike. NBC News cannot independently verify either claim. 'Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,' Trump said in his Saturday-night address to the nation. 'Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace.' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a Sunday morning press briefing that 'Iran's nuclear ambitions have been obliterated.' During the same briefing, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said that "final battle damage will take some time." "But initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," Caine added. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also said that Iran 'reserves all options' for its response. Trump said in an all-capitalized post to Truth Social on Saturday that 'any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight.' In the hours since the strike, the U.S. has received 'some indirect messages from the Iranians,' Vance said. Asked whether the U.S. would draw a red line if Iran disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a major route, Vance said the move would be 'suicidal' for Iran. 'Their entire economy runs through the Strait of Hormuz. If they want to destroy their own economy and cause disruptions in the world, I think that would be their decision,' he said. 'But why would they do that? I don't think it makes any sense.' The vice president said that the U.S. wants peace with Iran 'in the context of them not having a nuclear weapons program.' He argued that the U.S. did not 'blow up' diplomacy, casting blame instead on Iran for not giving diplomacy 'a real chance.' 'The Iranians are clearly not very good at war. Perhaps they should follow President Trump's lead and give peace a chance,' Vance said. 'If they're serious about it, I guarantee you the President of the United States is too.' The U.S. attack came after Israel launched strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities earlier this month, prompting Iran to retaliate with strikes against Israel. The two countries have been locked in a military conflict since then. The U.S. initially denied its involvement, but in the days following the initial attacks, the president weighed whether the U.S. should unleash the military to back Israel. U.S. has 'bunker buster' bombs that could penetrate Fordo, which is built inside a mountain — the only country known to have this type of weapon. Support for the president's decision largely fell along party lines. Some Democratic lawmakers — as well as at least two GOP lawmakers — argued that it was unconstitutional for the president to decide to conduct military strikes without Congressional approval, pointing to the Constitution's delegation of power and the War Powers Act. A handful of Democrats argued that Trump's actions were grounds for impeachment. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., brushed off concerns, saying during an interview on "Meet the Press" that Trump was acting within his authority. "Congress can declare war or cut off funding. We can't be the commander-in-chief. You can't have 535 commander-in-chiefs," Graham said, referring to the number of representatives and senators. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said that the president can act militarily "when there's a clear and imminent threat to U.S. citizens, to the United States, to the homeland." "That wasn't the case here," Kelly said. In the days leading up to the strikes, Trump's MAGA movement allies split over whether the U.S. should get involved militarily against Iran. The disagreement spilled into the open, with the sides criticizing each other on social media. This article was originally published on
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Iranian Australians are worried about Israeli and US strikes – and fearful of Khamenei's cornered regime
Ali's mother and uncles live less than 50km from Iran's destroyed nuclear facility in Natanz. He hasn't heard from his family since the US bombed the site, joining Israel's effort to destroy the country's nuclear program. 'Who knows if they're safe? We don't really know what is happening there,' says Suren Edgar, vice-president at the Australian Iranian Community Alliance and a colleague of Ali, who didn't want to use his real name. 'Every time, it's people who are suffering, not the leaders,' Edgar says. Australians with family in Iran are anxiously awaiting the Islamic Republic's next move after it threatened retaliation over the weekend strikes ordered by the US president, Donald Trump. The US attacks on three nuclear sites have prompted fears of a wider regional conflict. Poor internet connection has cut off contact with loved ones, while many in the diaspora distrust the Iranian government and have no faith in official advice. Sydney man Siamik Gharheman was waiting to hear whether his friends from Tehran were safe after the US bombing was announced on Sunday morning, Australian time. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Some had been seeking to return to Australia when he last heard from them. Others had been struggling to get neighbours out of the capital city as petrol supplies ran short and trains and buses ceased operating. 'Next-door neighbours, elderly people, they don't even have a car to leave,' says Gharheman, president of the Australian Iranian Community Organisation. 'How can they leave to another city, like 400km away?' Another of Edgar's friends in Australia has lost contact with his father, who was stranded in Iran after suffering health complications while on a trip to visit family. 'It's not somehow easy to just leave everything and just get out of the country,' Edgar says. About 2,600 Australians in Iran are seeking federal government help to depart. About 1,200 people in Israel, which has endured retaliatory missile strikes, were also asking for assistance to leave, the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, said on Sunday. 'We do have civilian aircraft chartered ready to go in the event that airspace opens up over Iran and Israel,' Marles told Sky News before the US strikes. 'We are anxious … about the prospect of this conflict now escalating.' The Australian government has called for de-escalation and diplomatic dialogue. A government spokesperson said after the US attacks: 'Australians in Israel and Iran and the region should continue to monitor public safety information provided by local authorities, including to shelter in place when required.' The foreign affairs department would communicate directly with registered Australians 'about preparations for assisted departures', the spokesperson said. Iranians in Australia aren't optimistic that the conflict will be brought to a swift end, local community leaders say. Australian advocate Rana Dadpour made contact with friends and family in Iran in the hours before the US attack after being unable to reach them for days. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion They're anxiously awaiting the Iranian regime's next move, Dadpour says, but fear repercussions whether the Islamic Republic fights back or pursues peace. 'If the regime decides to retaliate, and bring on another crisis … then what will happen to the Iranian people? Will there be more bombs falling on them?' she says. Iranians fear military destruction but also further oppression amid the war – local news outlets have reported on people being arrested on accusations of spying for Israel. Dadpour, a former Iranian citizen who left the country after feeling her life was at risk due to her involvement in peaceful protests, says Iranians and their families worry the government could accelerate executions of political prisoners. 'Right now, they are even more scared of the regime, because now they feel like it has been crushed on so many fronts, and the only side that it can turn to and take revenge [is] Iranian people, because they are not armed,' she says. The one hope, she says, would be the collapse of the government led by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, but Trump has expressed no interest in sending in ground troops or forcing a regime change. Melbourne man Kambiz Razmara says his Iranian community in Melbourne is far more afraid of how a vulnerable Iranian government might treat its people than an American invasion. 'Our Iranian communities in Iran [face] just further devastation, further oppression, because [the government is] going to double down, so it's just a no-win situation for the Iranians,' Razmara says. Razmara, the vice-president of the Australian Iranian Society of Victoria, says the US attacks have intensified pressure on the Iranian government but further traumatised Iranian communities. 'We are devastated by what we see and the suffering of people … [but] now that they've done it, [the US] cannot back off the regime, because it would be terrible for our people,' he says. 'If no change is brought about in Iran, then all the suffering would only serve the purposes of those who brought on the war.'
Reuters
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted dozens of targets in Israel
CAIRO, June 13 (Reuters) - Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they carried out attacks against dozens of targets in Israel in retaliation for the latter's biggest attacks ever against Iran.
Irish Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Iranians react to Israel's strikes with anger and fear: ‘We can't afford not to respond'
Iranians reacted to Israeli strikes with anger and fear on Friday, with some urging retaliation while others worried the conflict would spell more hardship for a nation worn down by crises. After Tehran and other cities were shaken by a night of Israeli air strikes, some said they planned to leave for neighbouring Turkey , bracing for escalation after Israel signalled its operation would continue 'for as many days as it takes'. 'I woke up to deafening explosions. People on my street rushed out of their homes in panic, we were all terrified,' said Marziyeh (39), from the city of Natanz, which is home to one of Iran's nuclear sites and where explosions were reported. 'I am deeply worried about my children's safety if this situation escalates.' READ MORE In an initial wave of panic some Iranians rushed to banks to withdraw cash on Friday morning. Masoud Mousavi (51), a retired bank employee, said he waited for the exchange offices to open 'so I can buy Turkish Lira and take my family there by land since airspace is closed'. 'I am against any war. Any strike that kills innocent people,' he said from Shiraz city. Iranians have become accustomed to turmoil since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ousted the US -backed Shah and brought the clerical establishment to power, from the 1980s war with Iraq , to heavy crackdowns on antigovernment protests and years of biting western sanctions. A damaged residence compound in the Iranian capital of Tehran after Israeli strikes on Friday, June Arash Khamooshi/ New York Times Some opponents of Iran's ruling clerics expressed hope that Israel's attack might lead to their downfall, though one Tehran resident said he supported Iranian retaliation, even though he was not a supporter of the Islamic Republic. 'We can't afford not to respond. Either we surrender and they take our missiles, or we fire them,' he said. Two money exchangers in Tehran said they were busier than usual, as people rushed to buy foreign currency following the attack. But one of them said people were not too panicked. 'I don't support Israel's attack and I understand that Iran's leaders feel the need to retaliate,' said retired teacher Fariba Besharati (64), who lives with her children and two grandchildren in Tabriz. 'But what about us? Haven't we endured enough suffering?' Many Iranians believe in Iran's right to a civilian nuclear programme, but some said it was now costing the country too much. 'The price we are paying is too high. And now, a military attack, no I don't want more misery,' said Mohammadreza (29) a teacher in the northern city of Chalus. Economic hardship and political and social restrictions have fuelled protests against the clerical rulers in recent years, notably in 2022, when a young woman died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly violating conservative dress codes . [ Israel's ambition: Destroy the heart of Iran's nuclear programme Opens in new window ] Witnesses in several cities, including Tehran, said plainclothes agents and police forces had deployed in the streets on Friday. Iran's rulers are facing several other crises, from energy and water shortages, to a collapsing currency and growing public anger over economic hardships, caused largely by US sanctions over its nuclear programme and economic mismanagement. But the clerical leadership still has a tight grip on the country, underpinned by loyal security forces. – Reuters 'A war that's been planned for a decade' - why Israel has attacked Iran and what happens next Listen | 21:11
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Putin knows a nuclear revenge attack will force Ukraine's surrender. These are the four ways he'd strike... and we're powerless to stop this holocaust: COL RICHARD KEMP's chilling warning
Russia is wounded, far more badly than the Kremlin ever believed possible. Ukraine's extraordinary special forces mission deep inside enemy territory has done vast damage to Putin 's war machine. There will be retaliation. The Russian president, afraid more than anything of appearing weak, cannot be seen to let such a devastating attack go unanswered.
