Iran calls for US to withdraw support for Israeli strikes on Yemen
Iran has urged the US to end its support for Israel's continuing strikes on Yemen, claiming Israel is trying to use its conflict with the Houthi-led government to drive a wedge between Iran and the US in the negotiations over the future of Tehran's civil nuclear programme.
The strikes have been criticised by the UN-recognised Yemen government based in Aden , which said it had not been consulted and airstrikes alone were not an integrated plan to remove the Houthis from power. Yemen has been divided between the Houthis and the official government since the Houthis captured the capital, Sana'a, in 2015.
Israel claimed 20 of its warplanes on Monday had completely destroyed the Houthi-held port of Hodeidah, as well as a nearby cement factory. The Houthis said four people had been killed. On Tuesday, Israel struck Sana'a international airport, warning civilians to leave the area.
Related: Strike Houthis while Iran is weak, UN-backed Yemeni government urges west
In launching the attacks, probably more extensive than those mounted by the US, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been highlighting Iran's role in arming the Houthis. The Shia group mounted an attack on Ben Gurion airport on Saturday that the Houthis said was an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel was shocked that its air defences were penetrated by a single Houthi missile, but Iran believes Israel is escalating the crisis in an attempt to disrupt the negotiations between the US and Iran over its nuclear programme. The talks are due to resume on Sunday.
Israel remains opposed to a US-negotiated settlement with Iran that leaves its civil nuclear programme intact, and wants US cooperation in an attack on Iran's nuclear sites.
The Iranian foreign ministry on Monday issued a statement insisting the Houthis operate independently from Iran, and was not a proxy army. The ministry said it 'considers the repetition of baseless claims attributing the courageous actions of the Yemeni people in self-defense and support for the Palestinian people to Iran as an insult to this powerful and oppressed nation, and reminds us that it is the US army that, in support of the Zionist regime's genocide, has entered the war against the Yemeni people and is committing war crimes by attacking infrastructure and civilian targets in various cities of this country.'
The foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said: 'Netanyahu is brazenly trying to dictate to President Trump what he can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran. The world has also learned how Netanyahu is directly interfering in the US government to lead it to another disaster in our region.
'The Netanyahu minority in America, who are terrified of diplomacy, have now revealed their real agenda. The world should take note of what their real priorities are.'
The Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, denounced the strikes as 'a blatant crime and a gross violation of the principles and rules of international law'.
Baqaei urged international and regional powers 'to stop the killing and destruction America and Israel are committing in Islamic countries'.
The escalation in Yemen represents a further diplomatic difficulty for Iran since support for the Houthi's acts of solidarity with Gaza has featured prominently in Iran's conservative media, and numerous UN reports have documented Iranian arms shipments to the Houthis.
But Iran's support for the Houthis, it is argued, hands US Republican hardliners the chance to lobby that Iran's support for resistance groups in the region must form a central part of the US agenda in the talks. Iran has insisted discussions will focus solely on the monitoring of its civil nuclear programme, and the lifting of sanctions.
For the past month, conflicting statements from the Trump administration about its requirements for Iran, such as whether it would abandon its domestic uranium enrichment, have disturbed many Iranians. Araghchi has insisted the right to enrich, rather than import uranium, was normal for many signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and that Iran's entitlement to enrich was a red line.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Trump agenda survives key Senate vote but final outcome still uncertain
The GOP-led Senate has agreed to begin a marathon floor debate that's expected to go overnight and culminate with a final roll call - where the outcome still remains uncertain. WASHINGTON – The Senate voted to begin a marathon debate about President Donald Trump's package of legislative priorities − stuffed with tax cuts, Medicaid reforms and border security funding – despite lingering Republican concerns about the legislation. Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has said he is uncertain whether enough Republicans will support their version to send it back to the House. "We'll find out," Thune said. But the 51-49 vote to proceed signals that there is enough GOP support to at least begin the hours-long debate and expected voting on dozens of amendments. GOP Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina each voted against debating the bill as written. The vote that began at 7:30 p.m. EDT was held open for more than three hours as Thune scrambled to find a majority of votes to kickstart the debate. If the Senate is ultimately successful, the House would have to vote on the upper chamber's changes in order to reach Trump's desk by his self-imposed deadline of July 4. The Senate has trimmed the House version from about 1,100 pages to 940 − and still faces votes on what are expected to be dozens of amendments. The success of Trump's domestic agenda for tax cuts and border security hangs in the balance. Republican approval of the spending blueprint would allow a majority of the 100-member Senate to approve all of Trump's priorities included in it through legislation later in the year, rather than needing 60 votes to overcome a filibuster for each measure. Here's what we know about the legislative package: Senate voting on whether to debate Trump's bill A long wait, then a vote to begin debate With little fanfare, the Senate began voting at about 7:30 p.m. EDT on whether to begin the debate on Trump's legislative package. Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, simply asked the Senate to vote on a motion to begin debating the bill. The move came after hours of inaction – interrupted by the occasional speech – since the Senate gaveled into action at 2 p.m. - Bart Jansen Nevada senator votes despite COVID-19 The vote was close enough and important enough that a Nevada senator voted despite testing positive for COVID-19. 'After experiencing mild symptoms, I have tested positive for COVID,' Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, said in a social media post. 'I'll continue to follow my doctor's guidelines and wear a mask while voting this weekend.'- Bart Jansen Lee drops provision for public land sales from bill Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, agreed to drop a contentious provision for public land sales from the legislative package. Environmental groups had criticized the provision for opening lands to logging and oil, gas and coal production. A fellow Republican, Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana, threatened to vote against the bill unless the provision was removed, which could have scuttled the entire bill. Lee announced on social media that he wasn't able to secure safeguards that the land must be sold to Americans rather than the Chinese or investors. 'I continue to believe the federal government owns far too much land – land it is mismanaging and in many cases ruining for the next generation,' Lee said. - Bart Jansen Trump blasts Tillis over opposition to legislation Trump criticized Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, one of three Republicans to vote against debating the legislation, as 'making a BIG MISTAKE.' Tillis had voiced concern about steeper Medicaid cuts in the Senate version of the bill than in the House version, and said he would have to oppose it. But Trump noted he won the state in three presidential elections in the Tarheel State, where Tillis faces reelection next year. Trump highlighted provisions in the legislation to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security. He argued taxes will rise if 2017 tax cuts aren't extended, and that the country needs to increase the limit on borrowing. 'Thom Tillis is making a BIG MISTAKE for America, and the Wonderful People of North Carolina!' Trump said in a post June 28 on social media. In another post, Trump said he would be meeting with 'numerous people' who have asked to run in the GOP primary against Tillis. Trump said he is 'looking for someone who will properly represent the Great people of North Carolina.' - Bart Jansen Democrats force Senate to read entire Trump bill Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, forced Senate clerks to read the entire bill out loud, further delaying the start of debate on the bill. While typically a formality, Schumer objected to waiving the reading of the bill. His objection forced clerks to read the 940-page document. Then senators will begin hours of debate followed by hours of voting. A vote on final passage could come June 30. - Bart Jansen 'No cause for alarm' on vote delay: Sen. Mike Rounds South Dakota GOP Sen. Mike Rounds told CNN that he thinks Republicans will ultimately have the votes to begin the floor debate but were working on ensuring commitments for concerned GOP lawmakers that they'll get the chance to offer amendments to address their issues. "No cause for alarm," Rounds said, adding that the lengthy delay from the plan to have a 4 p.m. EDT opening procedural vote stemmed from the wait for the Congressional Budget Office to analyze late changes to the Senate bill. Looking ahead, Rounds outlined a floor plan that would start with Democrats forcing a full reading of the 990-page bill, something the Republican said he hoped they would not do so that congressional staff can go home for the night and get rest before resuming debate on June 29. Once the floor debate begins, Rounds said Democrats and Republicans would get 20 hours equally divided - with the GOP likely surrendering a considerable amount of that time. Only then would the Senate begin to hold what's known as a "vote-a-rama" where they consider scores of amendments."We've got a long couple of days ahead of us yet," Rounds said. - Darren Samuelsohn Business Roundtable endorses Trump bill Business groups endorsed Trump's legislative package for its anticipated economic benefits as the Senate prepared to debate it. 'This critical legislation would protect and enhance the transformative economic benefits that President Trump's historic 2017 tax reform delivered for American businesses, workers and families,' Business Roundtable President Kristen Silverberg said. 'We urge the Senate to swiftly pass this measure.' - Bart Jansen Democrats to force reading aloud of the entire Senate bill Senate Democrats unified in opposition to the legislation plan to force the chamber's clerk to read the entire 990-page GOP tax, policy and spending bill aloud if Republicans vote to open the floor debate. "Future generations will be saddled with trillions in debt," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York. "Under this draft Republicans will take food away from hungry kids to pay for tax breaks to the rich." Schumer's plans mean that the Senate is sure to be in session late into the night, if not past dawn - presuming Republicans vote to begin the debate. - Darren Samuelsohn, Reuters Elon Musk opens fire, calls Trump bill 'utterly insane and destructive' Billionaire Elon Musk, Trump's former adviser on cutting government spending, fired off another set of attacks against the president's legislative package for potentially killing millions of jobs. The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future. Musk had quieted his harsh criticism of Trump and the legislation the week after his departure from government May 30. But he blasted the bill again as the Senate prepared to debate it. 'The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!' Musk said June 28 on social media. 'Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.' As the Senate vote remained in limbo, Musk added another post warning the GOP of the electoral risks if they vote for the Trump-backed legislation that is not polling well with Republicans. Polls show that this bill is political suicide for the Republican Party - Bart Jansen Paging Vice President JD Vance: The Senate might need a tie-breaker Coming out of a GOP lunch June 28, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, said he's 'under the impression' Senate leadership has the buy-in to advance Trump's bill. But, 'I'm thinking we need the VP,' he said. Republicans need a simple 51-vote majority to pass the bill. But with a tight 53-member majority and ongoing disputes, every swing vote counts. If they hit 50, Vice President JD Vance, in his capacity as Senate president, can break the tie in Trump's favor. -Savannah Kuchar Environmental groups criticize bill's support for fossil fuels Environmental advocates criticized the Senate version of Trump's legislative priorities for not just ending incentives for renewable energy but setting taxes on wind and solar power generation. The advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council estimated taxes on some projects could grow 50%. The bill could also trigger the largest sale of public lands in history for logging and oil, gas and coal production, according to the group. Trump campaigned on boosting domestic energy production with the phrase 'drill, baby, drill.' "The new budget reconciliation bill text is a shocking fossil fuels industry fever dream come to life,' said Christy Goldfuss, the council's executive director. 'The bill has gone from fossil fuels boosterism to an active effort from Congress to kill wind and solar energy in the United States.' - Bart Jansen GOP senators join Trump for golf President Donald Trump had no public events on his calendar, but he had a couple of key allies join him for golf at his Northern Virginia course: CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Republican Sens. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Looking forward to beginning the One Big Beautiful Bill the day with @POTUS and thanked him for his Go! After posting a picture with Trump on the golf course, Graham added that he partnered with Trump and Paul to beat Schmitt and Ratcliffe. "Proud to announce no casualties," Graham wrote. "A lot of fun! Big Beautiful Bill on the way.". - Bart Jansen Saying 'no' and voting 'no' two different things: Sen. Markwayne Mullin Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, a supporter of Trump's legislative package, told reporters at the Capitol that lawmakers warning about voting against it and actually voting 'no' are two different things. Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin; Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina; and Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, have each said they were opposed to the bill that is still changing. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have voiced concerns about it. 'Everybody's got concerns, but saying you're voting 'no' and when you get to the floor and voting 'no' is two totally different things,' Mullin said. 'I don't believe in losing and we're going to get the votes.' - Bart Jansen Budget blueprint debate could be 30 hours of 'nonsense': Sen. Brian Moreno Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, a supporter of Trump's legislative package, said a final vote would likely come after 30 hours of 'nonsense' from Democrats voting on proposals to change the contentious bill. 'It's an absolutely historic and transformative piece of legislation that reverses four years of an assault on American workers,' Moreno said. 'I want everybody watching this to remember this as you listen to probably what's going to be 30-plus hours of complete nonsense from the other side.' - Bart Jansen Senate meets before debating Trump legislative package The Senate gaveled in at 2 p.m., in anticipation of beginning debate on President Trump's legislative priorities, but lawmakers haven't yet voted to begin talking about the measure. A majority of senators must agree to begin debate, which can sometimes kill legislation before it begins. With 53 Republicans and 47 Democratic caucus members, just a few GOP lawmakers could prevent a debate. But the hurdle appears a mere technicality because wavering GOP members such as Sen. Susan Collins of Maine have said she would support the debate even if not necessarily the final bill. -Bart Jansen Sen. Josh Hawley says Republicans have 'soul searching' to do Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, had been one of the leading voices among Senate Republicans raising concerns about proposed cuts to Medicaid and how that would impact his largely rural state. But after studying the latest, finalized bill text — which delays pushing costs onto states and establishes a $25 billion rural hospital fund — Hawley said he's a yes on passing the bill. Beyond this weekend's vote, though, Hawley said he intends to keep pushing back in effort to prevent the delayed federal spending cuts from ever going into effect. 'This has been an unhappy episode, here in Congress, this effort to cut to Medicaid,' he said. 'And I think, frankly, my party needs to do some soul searching.' — Savannah Kuchar Sen. Susan Collins remains a wildcard Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she'll support Senate leadership bringing the mega bill to the floor and kicking off presumably hours of debate. But she cautioned reporters that she remains uncertain how she'll side when a final vote gets called. 'That does not, in any way, predict how I'm going to vote on the final passage,' Collins told reporters while walking into the Capitol for the start of the day's events. Collins said her final vote ultimately will depend on what the bill looks like after lawmakers — including herself — introduce and potentially tack on further amendments. 'There's some very good changes that have been made in the latest version, but I want to see further changes,' Collins said. - Savannah Kuchar What is in the Senate bill? The largest provisions in the legislation would extend expiring tax cuts and create a few new ones, and a dramatic increasing in spending on border security. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a Republican holdout on the bill, said he wouldn't vote for the bill unless the debt limit gets a separate vote. But Republican leaders want to keep the unpopular vote within the overall package. −Bart Jansen What's not in the Senate version of the bill? Republican support in the Senate waned after Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled several significant provisions would have to be removed to avoid a filibuster. Republicans removed provisions to curb environmental regulations; restrict federal judges' powers; bulk up immigration enforcement; and cut funding from a consumer protection agency. MacDonough also ruled against provisions that aimed to reduce Medicaid spending on health care programs for undocumented immigrants. −Bart Jansen What does Trump say about the Senate version of the bill? The Trump administration 'strongly supports' the Senate version of the bill, in a White House Office of Management and Budget statement June 28. The statement isn't intended to favor the Senate version over the House version on any particular provision, but to signal Trump would sign it if approved by Congress. The two-page statement highlighted provisions for tax cuts, border security, energy and defense. 'President Trump is committed to keeping his promises, and failure to pass this bill would be the ultimate betrayal," the statement said. −Bart Jansen Is there really a July 4 deadline? Trump has told congressional Republicans he's want this thing wrapped up by Independence Day. But the due date is less procedural than it is political. The sooner the president can tout legislation that makes good on several of his 2024 campaign promises, including a tax limit on tips and overtime wages, plus extends his 2017 tax cuts for high-income earners, the better. The more impending deadlines are sometime in August, when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said the federal government is at risk of hitting its debt ceiling, and the end of the year, when Trump's first-term tax cuts are set to expire. The legislation up for a vote in the Senate currently contains a provision to raise the debt limit.− Savannah Kuchar
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
A week of shifting descriptions of Iran attack spark ongoing questions
A week after President Donald Trump ordered a U.S. attack on three Iranian nuclear sites, the explanations and descriptions of what happened voiced by him, top aides and early intelligence reports paint contrasting pictures of the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear program. While the president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth repeatedly claimed that Iran's nuclear program has been "obliterated," preliminary assessments — including from the Pentagon's own intelligence wing — painted an evolving picture as the week went on. Trump said he ordered the attack on June 21 to strike a uranium enrichment site located in 300 feet deep in a mountain in Fordo in northwestern Iran, an uranium enrichment site in Natanz and the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center following reports that Iranian officials failed to comply with international nuclear regulations. And as those early damage assessments cast doubt on the extent to which Iran nuclear program was crippled, several of Trump's top aides and allied lawmakers also appeared to scale back the stated goals of the attack. Here are some of the accounts and characterizations over the last week. On Sunday morning, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump's statement from Saturday night, just after the strikes, that the sites had been "obliterated." MORE: 'Way too early' to know full damage done to Iran nuclear sites, Joint Chiefs chairman says "It was clear we devastated the Iranian nuclear program," he added. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, however, declined to go as far, saying it would take more time to assess the extent of the damage done. Hegseth acknowledged that damage assessment was ongoing but stuck by the description he and Trump were using. "All of our precision munitions struck where we wanted them to strike and had the desired effect, which means especially the primary target here, we believe we achieved destruction of capabilities there," he said. Officials and inspectors from outside Iran have not been able to gain direct access to the bombed sites to make a first-hand assessment. MORE: Centrifuges at Fordow nuclear facility 'suffered a great deal,' IAEA director says Trump officials had a more nuanced take after news reports surfaced Tuesday about an initial Defense Intelligence Agency assessment that said the attack set back Iran's nuclear program only by months. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the leaks of the military's report but did not go as far as to claim that the sites were obliterated. Instead, he insisted that "very significant, substantial damage was done" to key components of Iran's nuclear program, "and we're just learning more about it." At the same time, Rubio provided more details about the attack, including that the bunker-buster bombs were dropped on ventilation shafts leading deep inside Fordo's heavily fortified facility -- buried, officials and experts said, 200 to 300 feet inside a mountain. He ultimately acknowledged that it was difficult to get a read on damage inflicted to Fordo at this point, but asserted "the bottom line is real damage was done." That same day, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard claimed in a statement that the three facilities were destroyed. The director general of the U.N.'s nuclear oversight agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said Wednesday that he believed some of Iran's enriched uranium had been moved from the sites before the attacks. Trump refuted that analysis. "It would have taken two weeks, maybe. But it's very hard to remove that kind of material, very hard and very dangerous. Plus, they knew we were coming, and if they know we're coming, they're not going to be down there," he said Wednesday. Trump reiterated that the sites and the uranium were buried under rubble and inaccessible, adding that trucks seen in satellite images at the plant before the attack -- which some speculated could have been used to move the nuclear material -- were construction vehicles being used to cover the ventilation shaft openings with protective concrete. According to the two people familiar with the DIA's classified report, the bombing sealed off the entrances to two of the three nuclear sites targeted in the attack but most of the damage was done to structures above ground, leaving the lower structures intact. The assessment also found that at least some enriched uranium remained – possibly moved from the nuclear sites ahead of the blasts. The next day, on Thursday, Hegseth held a news conference where he slammed the news media over reporting but did not make the same assessment on the nuclear materials. Asked twice during the briefing if he could be more definitive about whether the enriched uranium was moved before the attack, Hegseth said the Pentagon was "watching every aspect." At that same Thursday briefing, Caine noted it's not his job to assess the damage, saying, "We don't grade our own homework." Hegseth also highlighted what appeared to be a different goal of the mission, arguing the attack had succeeded because it led to stopping the fighting between Iran and Israel — rather than the facilities' destruction because it destroyed Iran's nuclear program. "We got that peace, that ceasefire, that option because of strength, because of [Trump's] willingness to use American military might that no one else on the planet can do with the kind of planners and operators that the chairman just laid out," he said. Then, on Friday, Trump echoed that sentiment. "They put out that fire once that happened, once those bombs got dropped out, that war was over," he said. Still, the president claimed again that the sites were obliterated during a news conference. MORE: Secrets on Iran nuclear strike spill into open as Pentagon defends bombing "We finished them off," he said, adding, "I don't believe that they're going to go back into nuclear anytime soon." Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister said on Iranian State TV Thursday, however, the facilities were not destroyed and his country will have leverage in negotiations. On Capitol Hill on Thursday, after administration officials gave lawmakers a classified briefing on the strikes, Republican lawmakers acknowledged that the U.S. strikes may not have destroyed Iran's cache of enriched uranium. But they said that wasn't part of the mission. "The purpose of the mission was to eliminate certain particular aspects of their nuclear program. Those were eliminated. To get rid of the nuclear material was not part of the mission,' Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., told CNN. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the "program was obliterated at those three sites," but added, "I don't know where the 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium exists. But it wasn't part of the targets there."
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Rubio condemns Iran's threats against IAEA chief
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has condemned calls in Iran for the arrest and execution of Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, following the U.S.'s attack on three of Iran's nuclear sites last week. 'Calls in Iran for the arrest and execution of IAEA Director General Grossi are unacceptable and should be condemned,' Rubio wrote on X Saturday. 'We support the lAEA's critical verification and monitoring efforts in Iran and commend the Director General and the lAEA for their dedication and professionalism. We call on Iran to provide for the safety and security of IAEA personnel.' The extent of threats against Grossi was not immediately clear. Last week, Ali Larijani, a top advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wrote on X, 'When the war ends, we will settle the score with Grossi' in Arabic. Iran also recently elected to ban the head of the nuclear watchdog and remove agency cameras from its nuclear facilities, claiming that the Israeli government had been able to obtain sensitive data. The IAEA is responsible for monitoring the nuclear program of Iran as well as other countries. Iran previously allowed the agency to access and inspect its nuclear plants as part of the 2015 Obama-era nuclear deal. However, access has become more difficult after President Trump withdrew in 2018, although the IAEA has negotiated with Tehran to continue monitoring. The day before Israel began launching missiles at Iranian nuclear and military sites, the nuclear agency said that Tehran had amassed a worrying quantity of enriched uranium and that the country was in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years. The IAEA has also examined the impact of American airstrikes on the Iranian nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Grossi said Saturday that the facilities had sustained serious damage, although he was unsure whether the IAEA would have the access needed to establish whether nuclear activity was still proceeding.
