MARK ALMOND: Iran now has Britain in its sights and sees an attack with hypersonic missiles as a smart move. The gloves have come off
As American 'bunker-busting' bombs rained down on three major Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities last night, the face of the Middle East changed forever.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has finally got his wish: the US is at war with .
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The Sun
40 minutes ago
- The Sun
Top Iranian cleric issues fatwa against Trump & Netanyahu marking them for death & branding them ‘enemies of God'
A TOP Iranian cleric has issued a fatwa against President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - calling for their deaths. In the Islamic religious decree, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi branded both leaders as "enemies of God". 11 11 11 11 The Shiite cleric issued the fatwa after the 12-Day war between Israel and Iran, which was also briefly joined by the US following American military strikes against Tehran. It effectively states that Trump and Netanyahu "waged war against [Allah] and must be made to regret their words and actions. "Those who threaten the leadership and integrity of the Islamic Ummah are to be considered [mohareb]," it added. Under the Iranian under Iranian penal code, mohareb - someone who wages war against god - must be punished by "execution or crucifixion' or face 'amputation of the right hand and left foot or exile". The fatwa also forbids any Muslim to cooperate with or support the two leaders - and says that any jihadist who is killed while attacking them will receive a reward from Allah, the New York Sun reports. It reads: "It is necessary for all Muslims around the world to make these enemies regret their words and mistakes. "[A] Muslim who abides by his Muslim duty and suffers hardship or loss in their campaign, they will be rewarded as a fighter in the way of God, God willing." Critics of the Mullahs' regime have condemned the fatwa, calling it a state-endorsed incitement to global terrorism. Popular British-Iranian commentator Niyak Ghorbani said: "The West must realise: the Islamic Republic is not only targeting its own people — it is preparing for global violence in the name of religion." The fatwa comes just days after Trump said he saved Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from an "ugly death". Iran's Ayatollah breaks silence after WEEKS cowering in bunker during Israel's blitz and 'obliterating' Trump strikes During the 12-Day War, the Israelis, on multiple occasions, suggested that targeting Ayatollah Khamenei was "not off the table". But Trump, who said he knew exactly where the supreme leader had been hiding, did not let the US forces or the IDF" assassinate Khamenei. In a Truth Social post, Trump raged: "I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH. "And he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!' "I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life." Trump also blasted the Ayatollah's claims that Iran won the war. He said: "Why would the so-called 'Supreme Leader,' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war-torn Country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the War with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie, it is not so. "As a man of great faith, he is not supposed to lie." Iran's top mullah Khamenei, 86, claimed victory over Israel and America despite his country being hammered for almost two weeks. He ludicrously claimed Iran had almost crushed Israel, and the government in Tel Aviv was on the verge of collapse. What is a fatwa? By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter A fatwa is a formal ruling or interpretation on a point of Islamic law by a Marja - a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia religious cleric. It calls on all Muslims, including the Islamic governments and individuals, to ensure its enforcement. In countries where Islamic law is the basis of the legal system, a fatwa can be binding. A fatwa issued by Iran's first supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini led to the massacre of 30,000 prisoners including some as young as 13 in a shocking two-month purge. The 1988 executions were revealed in the memoirs of Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, one of Ayatollah Khomeini's closest advisors who went on to condemn his murderous act. In it, he accused prisoners of "waging war against God" and urged Death Commissioners in charge of the mass killings to "show no mercy". A similar Fatwa was issued against novelist Salman Rushdie in 1989 after his controversial book based on the Islamic religion was released. A knifeman thought to be sympathetic to the Iranian regime tried to carry out the Fatwa after stabbing the writer on stage in New York. 11 11 That's despite the IDF controlling the skies over Tehran, assassinating dozens of top generals and nuclear scientists, and destroying dozens of valuable missile batteries in just 12 days of fighting. Khamenei also said that Iran had given the US a "severe slap" to its face and that it had "gained nothing" from the attack on Iran's nuke plants. The Ayatollah said: 'The American regime entered a direct war because it felt that if it did not, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed. "However, it gained no achievements from this war. 'Here, too, the Islamic Republic emerged victorious, and in return, the Islamic Republic delivered a severe slap to America's face.' Trump floated the idea of a regime change in Tehran to "Make Iran Great Again" after bombing the Islamic Republic. Less than a day after the US military blitzed three key facilities central to the Iranian regime's nuclear ambitions, Trump hinted that the Mullahs' regime could well be toppled. The president wrote in a post on Truth Social: "It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!" Trump's post came despite his MAGA administration repeatedly saying the US is not looking for a regime change in Iran. The 12-Day War began On June 13 when Israel launched Operation Rising Lion - a sophisticated campaign of bombing which targeted Iran's military nuclear sites. The Israelis also brilliantly orchestrated Operation Red Wedding - 30 top Iranian military chiefs killed in near-simultaneous blitz as Israel sought to root out the country's military strength entirely. Iran retaliated by launching daily salvos of ballistic missiles across Israel, but failed to hit any strategic targets. Less than a fortnight later, Trump joined the Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. The US military's flagship B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped more than a dozen 30,000lb GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). 11 11 11 The bunker-buster bombs were used to hit Iran's Fordow Nuclear Enrichment Plant. Iran, which vowed to hit US military bases across the Middle East, sought its revenge by launching missiles at Al-Udeid Air Base - America's biggest military station in the region. But Tehran was said to have cooked up a fake attack after passing warnings to its Qatari allies, which allowed all US service personnel and aircraft to be moved out of harm's way. Trump dubbed the expected response "weak" before announcing that a ceasefire deal had been reached between the Israelis and Iranians. But even with a ceasefire being agreed upon, Trump made it clear he would "absolutely" consider bombing Iran again if it was ever needed. He told reporters in the White House he would "without question" attack the country if US intelligence pointed towards Iran enriching uranium to concerning levels. It comes as Iran held a funeral for the commanders wiped out in the war. The event was severely plagued by "Death to America" chants and the burning of Israeli flags throughout the day.
Reuters
41 minutes ago
- Reuters
Israel interested in establishing diplomatic ties with Syria and Lebanon, foreign minister says
JERUSALEM, June 30 (Reuters) - Israel is interested in establishing official diplomatic ties with Syria and Lebanon, but will not negotiate the fate of the Golan Heights in any peace agreement, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a press conference on Monday.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
BBC bosses under fire as rappers spark outrage with IDF chant at Glastonbury
The BBC has been told it "must explain" why it failed to cut away from Pro-Palestine act Bob Vylan's "death to the IDF" chants during their Glastonbury performance on Saturday The BBC could be prosecuted over rapper Bob Vylan's"appalling" comments after he called for the death of Israeli soldiers at Glastonbury. The corporation has been told it must explain why it failed to cut away from the rap duo's live set after the band led chants of "death to the IDF" on Saturday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also demanded answers from the BBC after criticising the "appalling hate speech" in which the Pro-Palestine band also led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of: 'from the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, free.' Vylan's set was uploaded to iPlayer and remained on the streaming site for more than five hours before eventually being removed by the BBC. However, the corporation issued a warning about "very strong and discriminatory language.' The BBC's former director, Danny Cohen, said the BBC's failure to cut away from the rapper will send a 'shiver of fear, despair, disgust, and shock' down the spines of the UK's Jewish community. A BBC spokesperson said: 'Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. During this livestream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.' Why could the BBC be prosecuted? Keir Starmer said the BBC had "serious questions to answer" after the BBC live-streamed Bob Vylan's performance on its iPlayer site. The corporation could face an investigation into whether it has breached public order laws after the rapper shouted "death, death to the IDF"- referring to the Israeli Defence Force - that was led by punk duo Boby Vylan during their performance. Under the Public Order Act 1986, broadcasting material calling for the death of an individual or group is an offence. It carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. Although people are free to criticise and make anti-Israel comments, the BBC may have "broadcast unlawful material", according to Lord Carlile. The top lawyer said: "I would be interested to know whether the BBC took legal advice and, if so, what that legal advice was. I'm very troubled they may have broadcast unlawful material under section 22 of the Public Order Act." Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called for the corporation to be investigated by police after the comments were broadcast, and what happened during Kneecap's set. He said: 'By broadcasting [Bob Vylan's] vile hatred, the BBC appears to have also broken the law. I call on the police to urgently investigate and prosecute.' Is the police investigating? Avon and Somerset Police, responsible for policing Glastonbury, confirmed detectives are reviewing footage of the performance. The police force said: 'We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon. 'Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.' A Government spokesperson said they "strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury." 'It added: "The Culture Secretary has spoken to the BBC Director General to seek an urgent explanation about what due diligence it carried out ahead of the Bob Vylan performance, and welcomes the decision not to re-broadcast it on BBC iPlayer.' What has Glastonbury said? Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis issued a statement which said the rapper's comments "crossed a line." "Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the Festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," she wrote. She said that while "as a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism - we will always believe in - and actively campaign for - hope, unity, peace and love", adding a performer's comments "should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs". Eavis added: "With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share." How did Bob Vylan respond? Bob Vylan, who formed in Ipswich in 2017, have released four albums addressing issues to do with racism, masculinity and class. Bobby Vylan's real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports. Posting on Instagram, Vylan told his fans that he had been 'inundated' with a mixture of 'support and hatred' following the performance but that he stood by what he said and is calling for 'a change in foreign policy' despite the the Israeli Embassy saying it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival". In a lengthy statement captioned 'I said what I said', the musician wrote: 'As I lay in bed this morning, my phone buzzing non stop, inundated with messages of both support and hatred, l listen to my daughter typing out loud as she fills out a school survey asking for her feedback on the current state of her school dinners. 'She expressed that she would like healthier meals, more options and dishes inspired by other parts of the world. Listening to her voice her opinions on a matter that she cares about and affects her daily, reminds me that we may not be doomed after all.' 'Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place. As we grow older and our fire possibly starts to dim under the suffocation of adult life and all its responsibilities, it is incredibly important that we encourage and inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us. 'Let us display to them loudly and visibly the right thing to do when we want and need change. Let them see us marching in the streets, campaigning on ground level, organising online and shouting about it on any and every stage that we are offered.' He concluded his statement: 'Today it is a change in school dinners, tomorrow it is a change in foreign policy.'
