Latest news with #Axios
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump gave Iran two weeks, struck in two days. Here's why the US President didn't wait
US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Friday that it had up to two weeks to avoid possible military action. But just two days later, on Sunday, the US military hit key nuclear sites in Iran, dealing a major blow to the country's nuclear programme. U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation accompanied by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. June 21, 2025, following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Pool(REUTERS) However, a report by Axios said Trump was exploring the option of talks between US and Iranian officials before deciding to send ground troops. Follow Israel-Iran conflict live updates. The proposal was from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who gave a call to Trump earlier this week when the US President was meeting with G7 leaders in Canada. Trump also reportedly received 'signals' for back-channel talks from Iran. Not only was Trump willing to send Vice President JD Vance and White House envoy Steve Witkoff to Turkey for the talks, according to Axios, he even offered to attend the talks himself if need be. This proposal for talks was conveyed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi by Erdogan. Both Iranian officials reportedly tried reaching Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with the proposal but couldn't. Khamenei went into hiding into a secure underground bunker, fearing an assassination attempt. After the Iranian officials failed to reach him, they informed Turkey, who then told the US that talks would not happen. Days after the meeting was called off, Erdogan reportedly met Araghchi in Istanbul and urged him to hold talks with the US, assuring that Turkey was willing to arrange it. The same day, B-2 stealth bombers departed from the US airbase in Missouri, and later struck three key nuclear sites – Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, in Iran. Using the B-2 stealth bombers and bunker-buster bombs, the US joined its ally Israel in the fight against Iran's nuclear ambitions. Ever since the Iran-Israel conflict began on June 13, Trump had been warning Tehran to back down and 'come to their senses' about their nuclear plans. As he announced the US military operation in Iran, Trump said a full payload of bombs were dropped on Fordow, a nuclear site very important to Iran, and considered impenetrable by Israeli bombs. 'There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!" Trump said in a Truth Social post. Even as Trump asked "Middle East bully" Iran to come to peace following the strikes, Iran has said it reserves the right to defend itself against the "grave violation".
Canada News.Net
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
Trump in shock moves orders attacks on Iran
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. President Donald Trump how bowed to pro-Israel elements in his administration and Congress, announcing that the U.S. military has bombed a number of nuclear sites in Iran. The attacks come two days after Mr Trump said he would make his decision on whether to join Israel's war on Iran, within two week. In the shock announcement, Mr Trump said: "The U.S. conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, namely Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan." The strikes were carried out on Saturday night. "All planes are now outside of Iran's airspace. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home," the president said. "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this," he said. Later in a telephone call to Axios, President Trump said: "Israel is much safer now." Prior to the strikes, Israel Air Force warplanes struck radar detection system sites used for detection and aerial intelligence gathering, "President Trump took a bold decision for the United States, for Israel, for all of humanity. The world is now a safer place," former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Saturday night. Mr Trump later posted another message on Truth Social saying he would address the nation at 10:00pm Saturday night. "I will be giving an Address to the Nation at 10:00 P.M., at the White House, regarding our very successful military operation in Iran," he posted. "This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!" In the address to the nation, Mr Trump was flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. "Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's No. 1 state sponsor of terror," he said. "If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill." "Iran, the bully of the Mideast, must now make peace," Mr Trump said in his address which last about 4 minutes. He described the operation as "a spectaculat success." The strikes come despite U.S. intelligence asserting that Iran is not building, nor planning nuclear weapons. UN Secretary-General "Gravely Alarmed by" U.S. Attack on Iran "I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security, " Antonio Guterres said in aa statement late Saturday night.. "There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world." "I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law," the UN secretary-general said. "At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace." Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT, undergoes regular inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has slammed attacks on nuclear facilities, pointing to "The numerous General Conference resolutions on the topic of military attacks against nuclear facilities, in particular, GC(XXIX)/RES/444 and GC(XXXIV)/RES/533, which provide, inter alia, that "any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Statute of the Agency,." "The IAEA has consistently underlined that "armed attacks on nuclear facilities could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in briefing the United Nations Security Council last Friday night.
NDTV
11 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Trump Sought 2-Week Window For Iran, Then Struck Within 2 Days
US President Donald Trump distanced himself from his self-proclaimed peacemaker claim, a day after bashing the Nobel authorities for not acknowledging his anti-war efforts, with "spectacular" strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran early this morning. The attacks came on expected lines, but the timing had a surprising element. US Bombs Iran: Live Updates On June 20, the President had sought a two-week deadline to decide whether the US would get involved in the Middle East crisis. A day later, heavy B-2 bombers were seen heading towards their target. The next morning, the President declared that the US forces had struck the Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites in Iran. Iran's nuclear program had long been on the US hit list. But despite Israel, which sees Iran's Islamic regime as an existential threat, calling on the US to join their war, Trump waited, making diplomatic efforts and issuing threats. Israel, meanwhile, hit multiple nuclear sites in Iran on June 13, and once again yesterday. Tehran has been enriching its uranium to up to 60% levels, nearer to the weapons-grade levels of 90%, but had maintained so far that it would use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes only. Israel never agreed. The US didn't either. Iran's nuclear safety centre has ruled out any danger to locals in the nuclear site area, but the forces have launched strikes on Israel in retaliation. Trump Slams A "Bully" Trump portrayed Iran as a "bully" in the Middle East region after Tehran walked out of the nuclear talks with the US. Iran made its reservations known and clear that there shall be no nuclear talks until Israel stops its aggression. Warnings have been part of the US's tactics prior to the attacks to deter them from their nuclear ambitions, with Tel Aviv and Washington asserting Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons. However, Trump shied away from admitting any preparation to target Tehran. On June 17, he gave an evacuation call for Tehran, warning that his "patience was wearing thin". He called on Iran for an "unconditional surrender", but again, there was no talk about direct attacks. On June 18, he gave a mixed signal: "I may do it, I may not do it - nobody knows what I'm going to do." Two days later, he sought a two-week window to decide on getting involved. The early morning strikes were followed by another warning by Trump: "Remember, there are many targets left. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill." That One Last Attempt Trump reportedly made one last attempt at talks with Iran before the US bombers rained explosives on Iran. Axios reported that Trump and Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tried to arrange talks between senior US and Iranian officials last week. The development followed a phone call from Erdogan during the G7 meeting last week in Canada. The Turkish leader proposed a meeting the next day between the two sides, Axios reported, with White House officials claiming Trump already had "signals" that the Iranians wanted back-channel talks. The plan even included sending Vice President JD Vance and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, it said. However, with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei going into hiding amid his assassination fears, he couldn't be reached to approve such talks, the media reported, citing US officials with direct knowledge of the matter. The Nobel 'Peacemaker' Trump has so far portrayed himself as a global peacemaker who could stop wars and bring warring parties to the table for talks. Until it came to Iran, the President had arrived at the conclusion that the strikes were necessary for bringing peace. He claimed credit yesterday for brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan recently, despite New Delhi denying any US role in the halt of hostilities with Islamabad. He claimed that he even stopped a war between Serbia and Kosovo, and ensured peace between Egypt and Ethiopia. He had earlier claimed that Russia wouldn't have invaded Ukraine if he were the President back in 2022. But, he lamented, he won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for any of his efforts. His idea of peace appeared to have changed by June 22, with him declaring that "now is the time for peace" after the US strikes on Iran. "There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days," he said in his address from the White House.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
US bombs Iran's nuclear sites: Was failure to reach Khamenei the key factor in collapse of proposed America-Iran talks?
Donald Trump; Ayatollah Khamenei; Recep Tayyip Erdogan US President Donald Trump held backchannel talks for dialogue with Iran, according to a report, which added that the plan, however, did not materialise as Iranian officials failed to get approval for it by their country's Supreme Leader who is in hiding due to fears of assassination. Also Read: Which nuclear sites did US strike in Iran? Why it matters As per the Axios report, Turkey had contacted the United States offering to host the talks between senior American and Iranian officials amid the war between Iran and US ally Israel. Turkey's efforts began with a June 16 phone call by its leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Trump while the latter was in Canada for the G7 Summit. Also Read: Trump abruptly leaves G-7 amid speculation US will bust Iranian bomb-making facility with bunker-buster "Erdogan proposed to host a meeting in Istanbul the next day between American and Iranian officials to explore a diplomatic solution to the war," people with direct knowledge of the developments told the website. "Trump agreed and told Erdogan he was willing to send vice president JD Vance and White House's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. He even agreed to travel himself to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian — if that's what was necessary to get a deal," they added. A White House official also confirmed that in the hours before the Trump-Erdogan call, the US president had received "signals" from the Iranians through other backchannels that they wanted to meet. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Meanwhile, Erdogan and his foreign minister Hakan Fidan conveyed the offer to their respective Iranian counterparts -Pezeshkian and Abbas Araghchi. The latter duo tried to communicate with Khamenei but failed to contact him. Iran subsequently informed Turkey that Tehran could not communicate the proposal to Khamenei. Turkey then told the US that the meeting was off.
Axios
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
MAGA unites around Trump over Iran strikes — for now
President Trump 's MAGA movement appeared to largely coalesce late Saturday in supporting his decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites, despite its bitter infighting recently over the prospect of the U.S. intervening in the Israel-Iran war. Why it matters: Skepticism of foreign entanglements is a foundational pillar of Trump's "America First" credo — but so is support for the president. In the immediate aftermath of Trump's announcement of the strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, loyalty to him won out — but there were warnings that MAGA's support could wane, especially if the U.S. gets drawn further into war. What they're saying: "Iran gave President Trump no choice," Charlie Kirk, a voice for non-interventionism, posted on X. "Iran decided to forego diplomacy in pursuit of a bomb. This is a surgical strike, operated perfectly. President Trump acted with prudence and decisiveness." "For the next few hours spare us the arm-chair quarterbacking and instead trust our Commander in Chief," Kirk added. "Donald Trump is going down in history as the most influential President in US history," wrote Laura Loomer, the right-wing activist who had advocated for a U.S. strike. "Shame on those of you who called him a warmonger. He just saved us all from a nuclear holocaust." Other leading MAGA figures said Trump would still need to convince many followers that the strikes were necessary. "He's got to talk to MAGA. There's a lot of MAGA that's not happy about this," former Trump adviser Steve Bannon said on his "War Room" podcast Saturday. "I believe he will get MAGA on board, all of it, but he's got to explain exactly and go through this." The intrigue: It remained unclear how much Iran's nuclear program had been set back by the strikes, despite Trump saying the U.S. had "totally obliterated" the nuclear development sites. The attacks focused particularly on Iran's underground facility at Fordow, which was vulnerable only to American "bunker busting" weaponry. Iran is also widely expected to hit back, potentially at U.S. forces in the Middle East, raising the possibility that U.S. forces could have to respond to counterattacks and more fully engage in the conflict. Still, support for Trump was the common theme among several of MAGA's most vocal voices in the hours after news broke. Many of them viewed the U.S. attack on Iran as a one-off focused on eliminating its nuclear capabilities, rather than the opening salvo of a regime change campaign in that nation. There were, however, some warnings for Trump. "We'll support the president's judgment," one MAGA media figure who had advocated for restraint texted Axios. "Decisive and then it's over. But if it gets messier than this, it will play out longer. But we trust the president wants peace." MAGA podcaster Jack Posobiec texted Axios "absolutely" when asked whether support for Trump's decision might heal, at least temporarily, the deep divisions within MAGA over U.S. foreign policy. Those divisions were underscored by a viral interview Tucker Carlson did this week with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) that devolved into name-calling, as Carlson argued against U.S. involvement in Iran and Cruz argued for it. "This is a huge divide" in the movement, one White House ally told Axios. "Some people just trust Trump and will go with it. For others it's a betrayal of a major plank of Trump's re-elect. Even if this is one and done, there will be concern he's inviting a major terror response that will suck us into a future conflict."
