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7NEWS
2 hours ago
- Politics
- 7NEWS
Nat Barr confronts Foreign Minister Penny Wong about Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's absence after Iran strikes
Sunrise host Nat Barr has confronted Foreign Minister Penny Wong over Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's failure to make public statements about the US bombing of Iran. The Trump administration confirmed it had completed an attack on three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The US used 'bunker buster' bombs, also known as the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), which are designed to explode twice. Once on impact, and again up to 60 metres underground. At least six B-2 Spirit bombers were deployed to attack Iran's deeply buried Fordow nuclear site. The B-2 Spirit is the only aircraft capable of carrying the MOP and is the US Air Force's most advanced stealth bomber. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Wong did not speak at the weekend, with only a statement released from a government spokesperson about the attacks. Barr spoke with Wong about the attacks, asking about the silence in the country's leadership. 'Why take so long? Why release a statement from an unnamed government spokesperson yesterday? Then wait nearly 24 hours for you or the Prime Minister to speak?' Barr asked. Wong replied: 'Well, I'm here talking to you now, Nat. I think the government statement was very clear. We agree with the international community — that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.' Co-host Matt Shirvington asked about Albanese's silence. 'What about Albo? What about the Prime Minister? Because when you read a news article, there's hundreds of comments underneath it ... a lot of it is about where is Anthony Albanese? Where is the leadership here?' Shirvington asked. Wong: 'I'm sure you will be hearing from the Prime Minister today.' Barr: 'Don't you think it's unusual, our biggest ally bombs Iran and we release a statement from an unnamed spokesperson. Yes, you're here now, but would you not think it would have been something that the leader of this country would have spoken about before now?' Wong: 'Nat, it's not an unknown spokesperson. It's a government spokesperson. It's not an unusual thing for government to use spokespeople.' Barr: 'We're asking where the Prime Minister is?' Wong: 'I'm sure you will hear from the Prime Minister today. 'I would make this point, we have been, I think very up-front and clear over these last days and weeks as we see what is happening in the Middle East about the government's position. 'Our position today is consistent with what I have been saying and what the Prime Minister has been saying for many days now.' Support of the strikes Wong made it clear the Australian government supports actions which stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. 'We support action that prevents Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and that is what this is,' Wong said. 'So, we've made that clear. We do support action to prevent Iran getting a nuclear weapon. 'The world has long said Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. 'Sites that have been struck are specific to Iran's nuclear program. 'We know what the international watchdog, the nuclear watchdog, has said about Iran's non-compliance with international obligations. 'What I would say is what happens next matters. We certainly don't want to see escalation and a full-scale war in the Middle East. 'For all the consequences for the people of the region and the world.' Role of Australian troops? Wong spoke about additional ADF personnel in the region. 'We have deployed additional ADF personnel into the region for the purposes of trying to get Australians out, and obviously we still have, think 2,900 people, Australians and their families in Iran. 'We have about 1,300 or more Australians in Israel, who are registered with us as seeking to leave. 'Our focus, both in terms of the foreign affairs officials and the ADF personnel, is to take what opportunity we can to Australians to leave. Obviously, Iran is a very difficult situation. There are no Australian officials in country any longer. 'I have deployed Australian officials to the Azerbaijan border. 'If Australians and their families get to that border, there are people there to assist. 'In relation to Israel, again the air space is closed. There are some reports the air space opening for a window. 'Obviously, this is all uncertain, but we are making preparations to see if we can utilise that window, if we are able.' What's next? Wong has called for diplomacy, dialogue and de-escalation. 'I know there's a lot of focus on what happened over the last 24 hours,' Wong said. 'But we do have to focus on what happens next, because this is a time where we do need to prevent and avert any further escalation into a full-scale war. 'That's why the government has called for diplomacy, dialogue and de-escalation. 'It's the same call European leaders have made. It's the same call Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made.'
International Business Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- International Business Times
First Satellite Images of Fordow Nuclear Site after US Bunker Buster Bombs Strike Show Devastating Damage
The first satellite images from Iran's Fordow nuclear enrichment site show that a part of the mountain shielding the facility was entirely destroyed by U.S. bunker buster bomb strikes on Saturday. Possible impact points and debris was visible after President Trump's surprise overnight assault using B-2 stealth bombers, images taken by Maxar Technologies show. Sections of the previously brown mountainside now appear gray, with the landscape significantly changed due to the detonation of 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs, each weighing not less than 30,000 pounds. The chilling images also reveal a haze of light gray smoke lingering above the site, located around 100 miles south of Iran's capital Tehran. Wiped Out Completely Other high-resolution satellite images indicate that Iran had sealed the tunnel entrances at the Fordow facility ahead of the strike. A network of roads leads to the site, with earlier images showing numerous vehicles gathered near the access points. The Fordow facility sustained "major damage," a second site in Esfahan was also heavily hit, and the Natanz nuclear facility was completely destroyed, according to sources cited by the Jerusalem Post on Sunday. As of now, Tehran has not released an official assessment of the damage. According to Iranian state television, the Fordow facility was reportedly evacuated some time prior to the attack. "The enriched uranium reserves had been transferred from the nuclear centers and there are no materials left there that, if targeted, would cause radiation and be harmful to our compatriots," Hassan Abedini, deputy political head of Iran's state broadcaster, said following the attack, according to Reuters. Total Devastation Military sources say that since Fordow is located deep beneath a mountain near the city of Qom, the strategy used by the U.S. and Israel was aimed at triggering a collapse or ground subsidence over the facility. Spanning roughly 54,000 square feet, the site housed around 3,000 centrifuges. Heather Williams from the Center for Strategic and International Studies gave a detailed explanation saying that Israel did not possess the necessary firepower to destroy Fordow on its own in the short term, which led to the request for the U.S. to deploy the GBU-57 bomb using B-2 bombers. The GBU-57 is a 30,000-pound bunker-busting bomb capable of penetrating up to 200 feet underground before detonating. Originally developed in the early 2000s, the weapon is designed to break through layers of rock or concrete before its warhead goes off.
Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
US warns it WILL strike again and world ‘should listen to Trump' as Iran leaders jet to meet Putin after nuke bomb blitz
'WE WILL DEFEND' US warns it WILL strike again and world 'should listen to Trump' as Iran leaders jet to meet Putin after nuke bomb blitz THE US has warned it will strike again and that the world "should listen to Trump" after unleashing an unprecedented blitz on three nuclear facilities. It comes imminently after the Iranian foreign minister revealed he is to meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and warned the West of "unprecedented danger". 5 Iranian worshippers burn the flags of the US and Israel on Friday 5 United States President Donald J Trump addresses the nation Credit: AP 5 Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a meeting at the Kremlin in April Credit: AFP 5 B-2 Spirit drops a GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb (stock image) 5 US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Operation Midnight Hammer was 'an incredible and overwhelming success' that took months and weeks of planning. He added Trump has been clear that "any retaliation by Iran" against the US would be "met with force far greater" than what was seen on Saturday night. Hegseth said: 'Iran would be smart to heed those words. He's said it before, and he means it.' The Defence Secretary went on to praise the US leader, calling it "bold and brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back". He urged: "When this President speaks, the world should listen." Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arghchi has said he is going to Russia today to meet mad leader Putin. He revealed: 'I'm going to Moscow this afternoon, and I have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow morning.' Arghchi called Moscow a 'friend of Iran,' adding 'we always consult with each other'. Fears loom that the conflict could spiral into a world war, with Putin puppet Dmitry Medvedev making a veiled threat to supply Iran with nuclear weapons. He said: "A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their nuclear weapons." After declaring the US strikes as being a success, Trump warned that further action could be taken if Tehran doesn't agree to an adequate peace deal. He said in a nationally televised speech at the White House: "Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier." "There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days." 'Remember there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. 'But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. 'Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. There's no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight." And shortly after speaking on-camera, he posted to Truth Social: "This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. "Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. "But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill." Meanwhile Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arghchi dubbed the strikes "outrageous and will have everlasting consequences". He also called the military action "a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations". Stay up to date with the latest on Israel vs Iran with The Sun's live blog below...
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
How Trump's 'Midnight Hammer' blitz unfolded - what attack means for the UK
A surprise US attack on three key Iranian nuclear sites left a number of questions unanswered, including what the potential for a wider escalation in the situation means for the UK Officials in the US have insisted America 'does not seek war' with Iran following a surprise US attack on three key Iranian nuclear sites. Overnight, the US carried out Operation Midnight Hammer, aimed at destroying nuke sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Seven B-2s - America's flagship aircraft - are said to have flown 37 hours non-stop from Missouri in the sortie. It was the longest B-2 mission since just after the September 11 attacks and officials say more than 75 precision guided missiles were fired. The US strike on Iran has fuelled fears that Israel 's war with Tehran could escalate to a wider regional conflict. US President Donald Trump had said on Thursday that he would decide within two weeks whether to get involved. In the end, it took just days, and Washington inserted itself into Israel's campaign with its early attack early on Sunday. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said at a Pentagon news conference on Sunday. He and US Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the mission did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people, a veiled effort to indicate to Tehran they do not want retaliation on American targets in the region. It is not clear if the US will continue to attack Iranian sites along with its ally Israel which is locked in a nine-day war with Iran, but concern over potential escalation in the region remains. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned that while the 'door to diplomacy' should always be open, 'this is not the case right now'. So just how was the attack carried out? What comes next? And what does this all mean for the UK? Operation Midnight Hammer Midnight Hammer was a daring raid designed to outwit Iran's air defence system, which includes older Russian-made surface-to-air missiles, the $2 billion (£1.5 million) B-2s repeatedly refuelled mid-air to avoid detection. Insiders had earlier suggested the aircraft had been sent to the US air base at Guam - but US officials say it was a ruse to throw the Islamic Republic off the scent. General Caine revealed more than 125 aircraft were used in the deception operation that saw bombers deployed over the Pacific as a "decoy". But once the chosen B-2s arrived in Iran, around midnight in the UK, they dropped 12 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) 30,000lb bombs on the Fordow enrichment plant. It is the first ever use of the MOP explosives, designed to penetrate up to 200ft of earth or 60ft of reinforced concrete before detonating. It is one of the most powerful conventional bombs in the US arsenal. At the same time 30 long-range Tomahawk missiles - able to reach distances of up to 2,500 km - were fired from an Ohio-class nuclear powered submarine rained down on the Natanz and Isfahan facilities. Caine said all three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets were hit between 11.40pm and 12.05am [GMT]. He said that the Tomahawk missiles were the last to strike at Isfahan to make sure the US kept "the element of surprise". "It appears that Iran's surface-to-air missile systems did not see us," he said, adding that during the mission, the US was not aware of any shots fired at the group as they left. Caine also noted that this was the "largest B2 operational strike in US history, and the second longest B2 mission ever flown, exceeded only by those in the days following 9/11." No Iranian shots were fired at the bombers during the mission. Iran launched a ballistic missile barrage against Israel in retaliation to the US action. Fordow has always been the main object of international concerns regarding Iran's progress on uranium enrichment. Meanwhile the Tomahawk missiles are equipped with high-tech GPS systems, making them capable of flying at low altitudes and navigating complex terrain to avoid detection and reach their target with high precision. Natanz Nuclear Facility, located about 150 miles south of the nation's capital Tehran, is considered to be the country's largest uranium enrichment plant. Intelligence indicates the facility is used to build centrifuges for uranium enrichment, according to the non-profit Nuclear Threat Initiative. The plant has six above-ground buildings and three underground facilities. Two of those underground buildings can hold 50,000 centrifuges. The Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center in central Iran is the nation's largest nuclear research complex. An estimated 3,000 researchers work at the center, which was built in 1984 with Chinese assistance, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Crisis in the Middle East Sir Keir Starmer has warned of the Middle East spiralling further into a crisis. He said 'all necessary measures' had been taken to protect British interests in the region if the conflict escalates. Speaking at his Chequers country retreat, the PM said there was a 'risk of escalation' adding: 'That's a risk to the region. It's a risk beyond the region, and that's why all our focus has been on de-escalating, getting people back around to negotiate what is a very real threat in relation to the nuclear programme.' US Vice-President JD Vance said there is US hope for a 'reset' and said the 'Iranians can go down the path of peace or they can go down the path of this ridiculous brinksmanship of funding terrorism, of trying to build a nuclear weapon, and that's just not something the United States can accept.' But there are a number of ways Iran may choose to respond. Mr Araghchi, warned in a post on X that the US attacks 'will have everlasting consequences' and that Tehran 'reserves all options' to retaliate. One of the ways it could do this is by using the remaining stock of its missile arsenal. It is believed to have around half of its 3,000 capacity following its exchanges with Israel this month. The US has a number of bases in the Middle East that could be seen as a potential target. It may also use its Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy to launch so-called 'swarm attacks' on US Navy warships. This would involve the use of fast torpedo boats and drones to overwhelm US defences and is something Iran has practiced. Perhaps a more likely form of response could be through its proxies. Both the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hamas have condemned the US strikes. The Houthis vowed to support Iran in its fight against 'the Zionist and American aggression'. In a statement on Sunday, the Houthi political bureau called on Muslim nations to join 'the Jihad and resistance option as one front against the Zionist-American arrogance'. Hamas and the Houthis are part of Iran's so-called Axis of Resistance, the collection of pro-Iranian proxies stretching from Yemen to Lebanon that for years gave Iran considerable power across the region. Iran may also wait to retaliate, or even choose to engage in further negotiations. Waiting or not retaliating might make the Iranian regime, known for its strict theocracy and repression of its citizens, look weak. What does this mean for the UK? A British defence source told the BBC that military personnel are now on high alert. The PM said Britain was not involved in the US attack on Iranian nuclear sites, but that the Government was informed. Despite this being a mission carried out by the US on its own, the UK remains a key ally in the West. Sir Keir sought to dodge questions about whether the UK could get dragged into the conflict if Iran targeted the bases of the US, a NATO ally. 'I'm not going to speculate about what may happen, because all of my focus is on de-escalation,' he said. Extra RAF Typhoon jets have already been moved to the region and Defence Secretary John Healey said 'force protection is at its highest level' following the US strikes. MI5 counter terrorism officers might also see a boost in their workload as Iran's sympathisers in the Middle East and individuals in Europe look to retaliate. The Mirror 's defence editor Chris Hughes suggested the West will 'inevitably suffer "terrorist repercussions from the joint Israeli-American attack on Iran' and that 'the risk of terrorism has now gone through the roof'.
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
With its strikes against Iran, US may be wading into a conflict it cannot manage
In what may prove to be a defining moment for Donald Trump's presidency, in the early hours of June 22, the US directly entered the Israel-Iran war. In a swift operation, US planes targeted three nuclear sites in Iran and retreated. The American media reported that US B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped 30,000-pound, GPS-guided, bunker buster bombs — GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) — on the underground site at Fordow, while the other two sites at Natanz and Isfahan were targeted by Tomahawk missiles. Breaking the news on Truth Social, Trump ended his post with 'Now is the time for peace.' The assertion seems to flow from his oft-repeated doctrine of 'Peace through strength'. However, the history of US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, based on the same doctrine, certainly brought no peace to either of these nations or to the US. The bloodshed continued for years and extremist groups like al Qaeda and Daesh/Islamic State emerged from these wars to haunt the world. Could the US get bogged down with yet another war? What would it mean for Trump? Trump has often stated that his objective is to ensure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons. However, over the past few weeks, Trump clearly listed two goals and one aspiration. The first goal was that Iran should negotiate a deal for a peaceful nuclear programme and totally give up enrichment capability, and the second goal was that Iran should surrender in the war with Israel. His aspiration was to see a regime change in Iran; he had even threatened possible action in this regard in the future. Has the targeting of three nuclear sites brought Trump closer to achieving his goals and aspirations? Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has emphasised that Iran will not bring its nuclear programme to 'zero'. A couple of hours after the US airstrikes, Iran restarted air attacks on targets in Tel Aviv and Haifa in Israel. Iranian officials have claimed that Fordow had been 'completely emptied and evacuated' a long time ago and that it did not suffer 'irreversible' damage. It is not hard to imagine Iran taking precautions by taking a cue from the US airstrikes on Houthi targets earlier. Western media reports had indicated that since late-March, the US had deployed six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers at the base in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. These bombers were reportedly used to drop a GBU-57 MOP on underground Houthi targets in Yemen, while the US was engaged in warding off attacks on US vessels in the Red Sea. Initially developed for 'psychological' effect, the 'MOP' was perhaps used to achieve a deal with the Houthis — which happened in May — with both sides pledging not to attack each other. It would be hard to ascertain whether uranium-enriching centrifuges and the stock of enriched uranium remain intact, without having international inspections or invading Iran. Moreover, Russia has clearly warned against the targeting of the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran. Apart from the presence of hundreds of Russians building more nuclear facilities at the site, Russia had warned that an attack on the plant would have consequences comparable to the Chernobyl accident in the former USSR in 1986. The Chernobyl accident led to prolonged release into the atmosphere of large quantities of radioactive substances, including gases, aerosols and finely fragmented nuclear fuel particles. Due to specific conditions such as graphite fires and winds, radioactivity had spread across the northern hemisphere, mainly Europe, and was also recorded in the US, Canada and Japan. The targeting of nuclear sites which are not nuclear power plants, with the objective of destroying centrifuges used for uranium enrichment, remains a dangerous proposition too. These nuclear sites may also be storage sites for radioactive material, including Spent Fuel or High Level Waste (HLW), or even a research reactor. It is a great relief to the global community that the head of the Iranian National Centre for Nuclear Safety System has confirmed that no radioactive contamination or nuclear radiation was detected outside the targeted sites. By mid-morning, the IAEA too informed that no increase in 'off-site radiation levels' had been reported. The Saudi Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission independently confirmed the same for all Gulf Cooperation Council States. The Kuwaiti National Guard too stated that the radiation levels in the air and water remained stable across the country. The fallout of targeting nuclear sites is and will remain the key concern for regional and global nations, a fact the US cannot ignore. By naming his successors, the supreme leader of Iran has ensured that the regime remains intact in any eventuality. The US attacks on nuclear sites in a country that takes pride in its scientific prowess are likely to solidify public support for the supreme leader as a rallying point. In the Israel-Iran war, sabotage, miscalculations or accidents could still draw US troops into the theatre. It might be recalled that about 125,000 US and British troops had invaded Iraq in March 2003 to oust Saddam Hussein, trapping the US in a bloody war which, over eight years, killed 4,400 of its soldiers and injured several thousands. The US withdrew fully by December 2011, but the destabilisation of the region saw the emergence of Daesh in Iraq around 2012 and the rise of a Caliphate. The US-led coalition was forced to return to the theatre in 2014. The rest is history. As more questions will be asked about the remaining capability of Iran, will the US continue to indulge in adventurism that could result in nuclear catastrophe for the region and beyond? Trump's economic plans would come to a standstill if he needs to manage the physical, political and legal fallout of such actions. With the airstrikes, the US has lost the power to bring Iran to the negotiating table on its own. It would need help from Russia and Europe, and maybe also China, to pursue nuclear talks with Iran. The world is in a dangerous phase. The writer is a security analyst and former director general of police
