Latest news with #nuclearWeapons
News24
4 hours ago
- Politics
- News24
‘Are we targeting the downfall of the regime?' Israel claims hit on Iran nuclear site
Israel hit several sites in Iran, including nuclear facilities. Iran launched missiles at Israel as the war ended its first week. The Trump administration will decide on US action in two weeks. The Israeli military said on Friday it carried out strikes on dozens of military targets in Iran overnight, including an attack on the Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), which it said is involved in Iran's nuclear weapons development. The Israeli army said Friday sirens had sounded in southern Israel after missiles were fired from Iran, according to AFP. 'Sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel,' the military said on Telegram, adding it was working to intercept them. 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 US 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. READ | Netanyahu warns Iran will 'pay a heavy price' for hospital strike as Trump mulls US action 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, and 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 Iran has said it is targeting military and defence-related sites in Israel, although 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. AFP US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met Lammy on Thursday and held separate calls with his counterparts from Australia, France and Italy to discuss the conflict. The US State Department said that Rubio and the foreign ministers agreed that 'Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.' Lammy said the same on X while adding that the situation in the Middle East 'remained perilous' and a 'window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution'. 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 US remained uncertain. AFP Lammy also met Trump's special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, on Thursday in Washington, and said they had discussed a possible deal. Witkoff has spoken with Araqchi several times since last week, sources say. The White House said Trump will take part in a national security meeting on Friday morning. The president 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 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.
Zawya
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Israel-Iran air war enters second week as Europe pushes diplomacy
TEL AVIV/DUBAI/WASHINGTON - 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 U.S. 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, and 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, although 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. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met Lammy on Thursday and held separate calls with his counterparts from Australia, France and Italy to discuss the conflict. The U.S. State Department said that Rubio and the foreign ministers agreed that "Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon." Lammy said the same on X while adding that the situation in the Middle East "remained perilous" and a "window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution." 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 remained uncertain. Lammy also met Trump's special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, on Thursday in Washington, and said they had discussed a possible deal. Witkoff has spoken with Araqchi several times since last week, sources say. The White House said Trump will take part in a national security meeting on Friday morning. The president 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 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.
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Israel-Iran air war enters second week as Europe pushes diplomacy
TEL AVIV/DUBAI/WASHINGTON, June 20 (Reuters) - 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 U.S. 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 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 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 U.S. 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.
The Independent
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Dubya Dubya II: Democrats see echoes of Bush Iraq War push in Trump's Iran nukes rhetoric
While Republicans largely fall in line behind President Donald Trump as he disregards experts and prepares for the United States to take on a larger role in Israel's war with Iran, using the pretense of nuclear weapons being built, Democrats are seeing flashbacks of the Iraq War. On Thursday, the White House said that the president would make his decision on whether to strike Iran in the next two weeks. This comes as the president has directly contradicted Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on whether Iran is actively building a nuclear weapon. That raised alarms for Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. 'If this president wants to completely ignore the intelligence community, we are playing in dangerous ground, and this is exactly the way we got ourselves into Iraq,' he told The Independent on Thursday. The parallels are quite stark. In 2002, in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush insisted that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. At the time, the Bush administration maintained that Iraq posed an existential threat, with Secretary of State Colin Powell making the case in a presentation before the United Nations. After the United States invaded Iraq, it found little evidence of any weapons of mass destruction. Now, Warner's Democratic colleague from Virginia, Sen. Tim Kaine, has introduced a war powers resolution that would trigger debate and a vote for any military action against Iran. 'No one in Congress should on a matter of war, just say, let the President do what they want,' he told The Independent. 'The president can engage in self defense without an authorization, but the notion that we're being asked to join a bombing campaign in Iran is clearly offensive. I think it was. It's a horrible idea, but if my colleagues think it's a good idea, I think they should introduce war authorization.' Only six senators who voted against the Iraq War — either as members of the House of Representatives or as senators — remain in the Senate. 'We've discovered, particularly Middle East, it's easier to break things hard to put them together,' said Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. 'So, and we've seen operations like the invasion of Iraq under George W. Bush, which for the first few weeks looked like it was brilliant. Nothing happened. And four years later, we were wondering, what are we doing here and how do we get out?' By contrast, 14 senators in either capacity voted for the Iraq War. Senate Majority Leader John Thune voted for it as a member of the House and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, then in his first term in the Senate, voted for it. In addition, Schumer is considered a hawk on Israel and Iran, having opposed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the agreement brokered by the Obama administration and US allies to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions. The number of senators who remember the mistakes of Iraq continues to dwindle. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate minority whip who voted against it, is retiring at the end of next year. Sen. Adam Schiff of California, a veteran congressman who became a senator last year, voted for the war as a member of the House. One of the opponents of the Iraq war who remains is Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Wyden voted against Gabbard's confirmation, but still criticized Trump. 'This wouldn't be the first time where Donald Trump has done an about face on foreign policy,' Wyden told The Independent. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont who voted against the war as a congressman, who had his own resolution, joined onto Kaine's resolution. But even Democrats who came to Congress afterward, particularly those shaped by the War on Terror, want to rein in the president. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a freshman from Michigan, joined the CIA after the September 11 attacks partly because she lived in New York on the day of the attack. Slotkin led a war powers resolution after Trump launched a strike that killed top Iranian military official Qasem Soleimani. She said she is looking at Kaine's language. 'I think Congress, ever since the Iraq War, has been scared to exercise their oversight role in war and Democrats and Republicans,' she told The Independent. 'So I've been pretty consistent that we need to get back to that.' By contrast, so far, few Republicans save for Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky have raised reservations about war with Iran. Paul's father, former congressman Ron Paul, voted against the War in Iraq. Below is a list of Senators who voted for and against the War in Iraq who remain in Congress. Yes as Senators: Yes in the House: Adam Schiff (D-CA) John Boozman (R-AR) Lindsey Graham (R-SC) John Thune (R-SD) Roger Wicker (R-MS) Jerry Moran (R-KS) Ed Markey (D-MA) Shelly Capito (R-WV) Senators who voted No: Dick Durbin (D-IL) Patty Murray (D-WA) Jack Reed (D-RI) Ron Wyden (D-OR) Democrats who voted No as House members: Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
What to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran
The open conflict sparked by Israel's sudden barrage of attacks against Iran's nuclear and military structure shows no signs of abating on the seventh day of hostilities between the two longtime foes that threatens to spiral into a wider, more dangerous regional war. An Iranian missile hit a hospital in southern Israel early Thursday, while others struck an apartment building in Tel Aviv and other sites in central Israel, wounding at least 40 people. The barrage led Israel's defense minister to overtly threaten Iran's supreme leader. Israel, meanwhile, struck Iran's heavy water reactor, part of the country's nuclear program, which its government insists is meant for peaceful purposes only. Israel says Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. President Donald Trump has been making increasingly sharp warnings about the possibility of the U.S. joining in attacks against Iran, while Iran's leader has warned the United States would suffer 'irreparable damage' if it does so. The strikes began last Friday, with Israel targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites, killing several top military officials and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated by firing hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, some of which have penetrated the country's vaunted multi-tiered air defense system. The region has been on edge for the past two years as Israel seeks to annihilate the Hamas militant group, an Iranian ally, in the Gaza Strip, where war still rages after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Here's what to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran: An Iranian missile hit Soroka Medical Center, in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, early Thursday, striking an old surgery building that had been evacuated in recent days. The hospital, the largest health-care facility in southern Israel, has over 1,000 beds and serves around 1 million residents of the area. Several people were lightly wounded in the strike, local authorities said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, vowing to 'exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran.' Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz blamed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for the strike, and said the military 'has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist.' U.S. officials said this week that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei. Trump later said there were no plans to kill him, 'at least not for now.' Many Israeli hospitals have activated emergency plans in the past week, moving patients underground to be treated in parking areas converted into hospital floors. Israel also boasts a fortified, subterranean blood bank. On Monday, Iranian authorities said at least 224 people had been killed and more than 1,200 wounded in Israeli strikes. No updated figures have been made available, but a Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded. Retaliatory Iranian strikes on Israel have killed 24 people and wounded hundreds. Israeli fighter jets targeted Iran's Arak heavy water reactor, located about 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Tehran, on Thursday. Heavy water is used as a coolant for certain types of reactors, with plutonium -- which can be used to make an atomic bomb -- produced as a byproduct. 'The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development,' the Israeli military said. Iranian state television said there was 'no radiation danger whatsoever' and that the facility had been evacuated before the attack. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the heavy water research reactor was hit, adding that 'it was not operational and contained no nuclear material, so no radiological effects.' The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said it had no information on whether the heavy water plant next to the reactor had been hit. Israel views Iran's nuclear program as an existential threat, and has said its airstrikes are necessary to prevent Iran from building an atomic weapon. U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA have repeatedly said Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon when Israel unleashed its airstrikes. But the U.N. agency has questioned Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium and last week censured the country for failing to comply with inspectors. Iran enriches uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. It is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich at that level. Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East but does not acknowledge having such weapons. Trump has made increasingly pointed warnings about the possibility of U.S. military involvement in the conflict. On Wednesday, he said he didn't want to carry out a U.S. strike on Iran but suggested he was ready to act if necessary. 'I'm not looking to fight,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 'But if it's a choice between fighting and having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do.' He has been noncommittal on what his plans might be. 'I may do it, I may not do it,' Trump said of a potential U.S. strike. 'I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do. Nothing is finished until it is finished. The next week is going to be very big — maybe less than a week.' Khamenei has rejected U.S. calls for surrender, saying that 'the Iranian nation is not one to surrender.' 'Americans should know that any military involvement by the U.S. will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage to them,' he said in a video statement Wednesday. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
