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Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
What are sleeper cells and why is the US on high alert after Iran nuclear sites bombing?
The United States is on high alert after Iran threatened to activate sleeper cells inside the country in response to President Donald Trump's strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites, which drew the US directly into Israel's war with Iran. The airstrikes, carried out on Saturday night, hit key facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan sites central to Iran's uranium enrichment operations. The strikes came as part of a joint effort with Israel, whose offensive against Iran began earlier this month. Iran had earlier warned that if attacked, it could activate sleeper cells inside the US. The warning was reportedly delivered to Trump through an intermediary at the G7 summit in Canada last week, according to The Telegraph. Now, security agencies including the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have increased surveillance to counter potential threats linked to Iran or its allies, including Hezbollah. Sleeper cells are operatives who live quietly in a country, blending into society until they are told to act. These individuals may work normal jobs and avoid drawing attention. When activated, they could carry out attacks, sabotage or espionage. Former Homeland Security adviser Michael Balboni told Fox News, 'The Iranians have shown a good capability in terms of their intelligence apparatus and operatives being able to work clandestinely. They are determined. The question is how many are in the country and the answer is we don't know.' According to Fox News, White House border czar Tom Homan revealed that over 1,200 Iranian nationals reportedly entered the US during former President Joe Biden's time in office, sparking concerns about potential domestic sleeper cells driven by foreign terrorist organisations. Homan shared this information on 'Sunday Morning Futures' with Maria Bartiromo, highlighting the risks associated with foreign nationals flowing into the country. National security experts are worried that these individuals could pose a threat to US security, especially in light of recent tensions with Iran . However, US officials are especially concerned about cells linked to Hezbollah, a group supported by Iran. The FBI began stepping up monitoring of suspected Hezbollah-linked agents well before the latest strikes. The National Terrorism Advisory System issued a bulletin warning of a 'heightened threat environment' after the strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. While no specific plot has been identified, the advisory said the risk of violence could rise if Iran calls for retaliation inside the US. Former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker told Fox News that the situation is made more difficult because of gaps in border controls in recent years. 'We don't know where those thousand Iranians are and who knows how many others got across the border,' he said. He believes that authorities missed an opportunity to gather intelligence by not thoroughly vetting these individuals, saying 'we missed the opportunity to gather intel by interviewing them and thoroughly vetting them. We just simply let them go.' Swecker attributes this to 'gross negligence on the part of the Biden administration.' According to CBS News, potential targets of Iranian-backed plots include high-profile critics of the Iranian government, such as John Bolton, former national security adviser, and Masih Alinejad, an Iranian American journalist. Both individuals have been subject to alleged plots to be harmed, with prosecutors charging people with plotting to kill them in recent years. The increased surveillance started earlier this month, after Israel's Operation Rising Lion offensive began, according to the report. This heightened vigilance stems from longstanding concerns about Iranian operatives, particularly after the 2020 assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, which prompted the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to bolster counter-threat resources. Since then, several US-based individuals have been charged with plotting to kill Trump and his former national security adviser John Bolton. The airstrikes ordered by Trump targeted the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites, which are central to Iran's ability to produce enriched uranium. Israel's campaign against Iran's military and nuclear infrastructure began on 13 June. Trump's decision to join the offensive marks a major escalation in US involvement. Iran has described the US strikes as 'unforgivable' and vowed to respond. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran that any attack on the US would be 'the worst mistake they've ever made,' speaking on Fox Business. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel was 'close' to destroying Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities. Sleeper cells have long been a concern for US security services. After the 9/11 attacks, agencies increased efforts to detect covert groups that could plan violence while appearing to live normal lives. While the 9/11 hijackers were not sleeper agents living in the US long-term, the attack highlighted the dangers of operatives planning in secret. Iran has previously been linked to attempts to use such cells for attacks or assassinations abroad. Balboni told Fox News that sleeper cells could target individuals or infrastructure and are difficult to track because they 'look just like everyone else.' Mashkoora Khan is a sub-editor on the global desk. With a background as a multimedia journalist, her work has been featured in publications such as Al Jazeera, Down to Earth, and The Wire among other national and International outlets. ... Read More
Los Angeles Times
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Trump says he's open to ‘regime change' in Iran, even as his aides insist otherwise
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Sunday called into question the future of Iran's ruling theocracy after a surprise attack on three of the country's nuclear sites, seemingly contradicting his administration's calls to resume negotiations and avoid an escalation in fighting. 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???' Trump posted on social media. 'MIGA!!!' The post on his social media platform marked a stark reversal from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Sunday morning news conference that detailed the aerial bombing of Iran early Sunday. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Hegseth said. The administration has made clear it wants Iran to stop any development of nuclear weapons, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' that any retaliation against the U.S. or a rush toward building a nuclear weapon would 'put the regime at risk.' But beyond that, the world is awash in uncertainty at a fragile moment that could decide whether parts of the globe tip into war or find a way to salvage a relative peace. Trump's message to Iran's leadership comes as the U.S. has warned Iran against retaliating for the bombardment targeting the heart of a nuclear program that it spent decades developing. The Trump administration has made a series of intimidating statements even as it has called for a restart of negotiations, making it hard to get a read on whether the U.S. president is simply taunting an adversary or using inflammatory words that could further widen the war between Israel and Iran that began with Israeli attacks on June 13. Until Trump's post Sunday afternoon, the coordinated messaging by his vice president, Pentagon chief, top military advisor and secretary of State suggested a confidence that any fallout would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. Hegseth had said that America 'does not seek war' with Iran, while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes had given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. But the unfolding situation is not entirely under Washington's control, as Tehran has a series of levers to respond to the aerial bombings that could intensify the conflict in the Middle East with possible global repercussions. Iran can block oil being shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, attack U.S. bases in the region, engage in cyberattacks or accelerate its nuclear program — which might seem more of a necessity after the U.S. strikes. All of that raises the question of whether the U.S. bombing will open up a more brutal phase of fighting or revive negotiations out of an abundance of caution. In the U.S., the attack quickly spilled over into domestic politics, with Trump spending part of his Sunday going after his critics in Congress. He used a social media post to lambaste Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a stalwart Trump supporter who had objected to the president taking military action without specific congressional approval. 'We had a spectacular military success yesterday, taking the 'bomb' right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!)' Trump wrote. Boak and Pesoli write for the Associated Press.
USA Today
09-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
US-China trade talks set for Monday in London
US-China trade talks set for Monday in London LONDON, June 9 (Reuters) - Top U.S. and Chinese officials will sit down in London on Monday for talks aimed at defusing the high-stakes trade dispute between the two superpowers that has widened in recent weeks beyond tit-for-tat tariffs to export controls over goods and components critical to global supply chains. At a still-undisclosed venue in London, the two sides will try to get back on track with a preliminary agreement struck last month in Geneva that had briefly lowered the temperature between Washington and Beijing and fostered relief among investors battered for months by U.S. President Donald Trump's cascade of tariff orders since his return to the White House in January. "The next round of trade talks between the U.S. and China will be held in the UK on Monday," a UK government spokesperson said on Sunday. "We are a nation that champions free trade and have always been clear that a trade war is in nobody's interests, so we welcome these talks." More: US and China agree to lower tariff levels, 90-day pause Gathering there will be a U.S. delegation led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and a Chinese contingent helmed by Vice Premier He Lifeng. The second-round of meetings comes four days after Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke by phone, their first direct interaction since Trump's January 20 inauguration. During the more than one-hour-long call, Xi told Trump to back down from trade measures that roiled the global economy and warned him against threatening steps on Taiwan, according to a Chinese government summary. But Trump said on social media the talks focused primarily on trade led to "a very positive conclusion," setting the stage for Monday's meeting in London. More: Britain agrees trade and defense reset with European Union The next day, Trump said Xi had agreed to resume shipments to the U.S. of rare earths minerals and magnets. China's decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets upended the supply chains central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world. That had become a particular pain point for the U.S. in the weeks after the two sides had struck a preliminary rapprochement in talks held in Switzerland. There, both had agreed to reduce steep import taxes on each other's goods that had had the effect of erecting a trade embargo between the world's No. 1 and 2 economies, but U.S. officials in recent weeks accused China of slow-walking on its commitments, particularly around rare earths shipments. "We want China and the United States to continue moving forward with the agreement that was struck in Geneva," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told the Fox News program "Sunday Morning Futures' on Sunday. "The administration has been monitoring China's compliance with the deal, and we hope that this will move forward to have more comprehensive trade talks." The inclusion at the London talks of Lutnick, whose agency oversees export controls for the U.S., is one indication of how central the issue has become for both sides. Lutnick did not attend the Geneva talks, at which the countries struck a 90-day deal to roll back some of the triple-digit tariffs they had placed on each other since Trump's inauguration. That preliminary deal sparked a global relief rally in stock markets, and U.S. indexes that had been in or near bear market levels have recouped the lion's share of their losses. The S&P 500 Index .SPX, which at its lowest point in early April was down nearly 18% after Trump unveiled his sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs on goods from across the globe, is now only about 2% below its record high from mid-February. The final third of that rally followed the U.S.-China truce struck in Geneva. Still, that temporary deal did not address broader concerns that strain the bilateral relationship, from the illicit fentanyl trade to the status of democratically governed Taiwan and U.S. complaints about China's state-dominated, export-driven economic model. While the UK government will provide a venue for Monday's discussions, it will not be party to them but will have separate talks later in the week with the Chinese delegation. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington, Nathan Layne in Connecticut, Brenda Goh in Washington and Kate Holton in London; Writing by Dan Burns; Editing by Chris Reese)
Straits Times
09-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Key US-China trade talks set for Monday in London
FILE PHOTO: The American and Chinese flags are photographed on the negotiating table, during a bilateral meeting between the United States and China, in Geneva, Switzerland, May 10, 2025. KEYSTONE/EDA/Martial Trezzini/Handout via REUTERS/File photo LONDON - Top U.S. and Chinese officials will sit down in London on Monday for talks aimed at defusing the high-stakes trade dispute between the two superpowers that has widened in recent weeks beyond tit-for-tat tariffs to export controls over goods and components critical to global supply chains. At a still-undisclosed venue in London, the two sides will try to get back on track with a preliminary agreement struck last month in Geneva that had briefly lowered the temperature between Washington and Beijing and fostered relief among investors battered for months by U.S. President Donald Trump's cascade of tariff orders since his return to the White House in January. "The next round of trade talks between the U.S. and China will be held in the UK on Monday," a UK government spokesperson said on Sunday. "We are a nation that champions free trade and have always been clear that a trade war is in nobody's interests, so we welcome these talks." Gathering there will be a U.S. delegation led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and a Chinese contingent helmed by Vice Premier He Lifeng. The second-round of meetings comes four days after Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke by phone, their first direct interaction since Trump's January 20 inauguration. During the more than one-hour-long call, Xi told Trump to back down from trade measures that roiled the global economy and warned him against threatening steps on Taiwan, according to a Chinese government summary. But Trump said on social media the talks focused primarily on trade led to "a very positive conclusion," setting the stage for Monday's meeting in London. The next day, Trump said Xi had agreed to resume shipments to the U.S. of rare earths minerals and magnets. China's decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets upended the supply chains central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world. That had become a particular pain point for the U.S. in the weeks after the two sides had struck a preliminary rapprochement in talks held in Switzerland. There, both had agreed to reduce steep import taxes on each other's goods that had had the effect of erecting a trade embargo between the world's No. 1 and 2 economies, but U.S. officials in recent weeks accused China of slow-walking on its commitments, particularly around rare earths shipments. "We want China and the United States to continue moving forward with the agreement that was struck in Geneva," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told the Fox News program "Sunday Morning Futures' on Sunday. "The administration has been monitoring China's compliance with the deal, and we hope that this will move forward to have more comprehensive trade talks." The inclusion at the London talks of Lutnick, whose agency oversees export controls for the U.S., is one indication of how central the issue has become for both sides. Lutnick did not attend the Geneva talks, at which the countries struck a 90-day deal to roll back some of the triple-digit tariffs they had placed on each other since Trump's inauguration. That preliminary deal sparked a global relief rally in stock markets, and U.S. indexes that had been in or near bear market levels have recouped the lion's share of their losses. The S&P 500 Index, which at its lowest point in early April was down nearly 18% after Trump unveiled his sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs on goods from across the globe, is now only about 2% below its record high from mid-February. The final third of that rally followed the U.S.-China truce struck in Geneva. Still, that temporary deal did not address broader concerns that strain the bilateral relationship, from the illicit fentanyl trade to the status of democratically governed Taiwan and U.S. complaints about China's state-dominated, export-driven economic model. While the UK government will provide a venue for Monday's discussions, it will not be party to them but will have separate talks later in the week with the Chinese delegation. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New York Post
08-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
WH press secretary brushes off reports Musk ‘body-checked' Treasury chief: ‘Robust disagreement'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Sunday downplayed reports Elon Musk 'body-checked'' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a heated meeting, calling their dispute simply a 'robust disagreement.'' Leavitt acknowledged to Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' that she wasn't in the room when the April dust-up took place but contended she wouldn't call it a 'fistfight' based on what she heard second-hand about the scrum — which supposedly included Musk ramming into Bessent's rib cage 'like a rugby player.' 'I certainly wouldn't describe it as a fistfight, Maria,' Leavitt told host Maria Baritomo after the journalist characterized it as such. 'It was definitely a disagreement, although I was not there. I didn't witness it with my own eyes. Advertisement 'When this story originally broke, I said from the podium that there have definitely been healthy disagreements amongst the cabinet and Elon Musk,' Leavitt said. 3 White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Sunday downplayed reports of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Elon Musk coming to blows. Getty Images 'There were times in which they got frustrated with one another, but I think that really speaks to the heart of this Cabinet and the president's team, that they can have these robust disagreements and then still come together to do what's right for the people they are serving. Advertisement 'We have moved on from that,' Leavitt said. 'The president has moved on from it. 'And the entire administration is focusing on passing this bill,' she added of the proposed sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 'Cutting waste, fraud and abuse from our government remains a critical component of this administration's agenda.' After Musk publicly went nuclear over the bill — and onetime ally President Trump — last week, presidential buddy Steve Bannon claimed the world's richest man had scrapped with the Treasury secretary two months ago. 3 Musk exploded at President Trump publicly last week amid a series of frustrations, including over the deficit. AP Advertisement 'Scott said [to Musk], 'You're a fraud. You're a total fraud,' ' Bannon told the Washington Post, recalling how Musk then rammed into Bessent's rib cage 'like a rugby player.' Eventually, multiple bystanders in the room supposedly intervened and pulled them apart. 'President Trump heard about it and said, 'This is too much,' ' Bannon added. Bannon, a former top strategist for Trump who hosts the 'War Room' podcast, has publicly called for Musk, a South African native, to be deported and for the president to invoke the Defense Production Act to seize control of his SpaceX company in retaliation for his public broadsides against the president. Advertisement Musk has not publicly commented on the alleged altercation, nor has Bessent. There had been a prior report from the New York Times alleging that the two men got into a shouting match at the same April meeting. 3 Bessent reportedly scolded Musk for overstating the spending cuts he could find with DOGE. Getty Images During the meeting, both men had pitched different candidates to lead the Internal Revenue Service. The president ultimately backed Bessent's choice. Musk had previously publicly backed then-Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick to helm the Treasury Department over Bessent. Trump ended up making Lutnick the secretary of the Department of Commerce. The day of the April meeting, Bessent also allegedly needled Musk for falling far short of his goal of cutting government spending by $1 trillion with the Department of Government Efficiency.
