Latest news with #2025AnnualThreatAssessment
The Intercept
22-06-2025
- Politics
- The Intercept
Self-Proclaimed 'Peacemaker' Drags U.S. Into Another War
American warplanes bombed three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday night, bringing the U.S. military directly into Israel's war with Iran. 'NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE,' President Donald Trump incongruously wrote in a social media post announcing the attacks. Trump campaigned on ending foreign wars during his 2024 presidential run and has cast himself as a 'peacemaker.' In his second inaugural address, he pledged to 'measure our success not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into.' Trump also regularly claims to have opposed the Iraq War from its outset. (He actually supported it.) 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,' Trump wrote on TruthSocial. 'All planes are now outside of Iran airspace. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow.' The aim of the attacks, American and Israeli officials have said, is to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb. The U.S. intelligence community says that threat is not, however, real. 'We continue to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that [Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei has not reauthorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003, though pressure has probably built on him to do so,' reads the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment published in March. The assessment serves as the intelligence community's official evaluation of threats to 'the Homeland,' U.S. citizens, and the country's interests. Trump dismissed those and more recent assessments to the same effect. 'Just a few days ago, literally no one was talking about an imminent Iran nuclear threat,' Defense experts who spoke with The Intercept warned the United States might be entering into a new round of the Forever Wars. 'Between enabling Israel in Gaza and all of its operations across the Middle East, and now these strikes in Iran, we are setting the foundation for the next generation's 'War on Terror,'' said Wes Bryant, who served until earlier this year as the senior analyst and adviser on precision warfare, targeting, and civilian harm mitigation at the Pentagon's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence. He questioned the Trump administration's abrupt shift from negotiating with Iran about its nuclear program to bombing it. The idea of an 'imminent Iran nuclear threat,' wasn't serious a few days ago, Bryant said. 'The fact that suddenly Trump was pulled into this reactive major strike against Iran under the auspices of nuclear deterrence is, I think, among the most disturbing red flags of this administration thus far.' 'Trump's decision to strike Iranian nuclear targets is a short-sighted one that will not achieve his stated objectives, brings significant risks to the United States, and could derail his foreign policy priorities,' said Jennifer Kavanagh, the director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, a think tank that advocates for measured U.S. foreign policy. 'To strike Iran while diplomacy was ongoing undermines his push for peace elsewhere including with Putin. Why would Russia or any other country negotiate with Trump going forward?' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military's objective was to 'strike all' of Iran's nuclear facilities. He had been pressing Trump to augment Israel's attacks with weaponry his country does not possess – namely the 30,000-pound GBU-57s, known as Massive Ordnance Penetrators or 'bunker buster' bombs, that Israel says can destroy Iran's underground nuclear enrichment facility in Fordow. Former defense officials speculated that these weapons — which are so heavy they can only be carried by U.S. B-2 bombers — were used on Israel's behalf during the Saturday attacks. If Iranian leaders respond to the U.S. strikes with a major counterattack, such as striking American military bases across the Middle East, it could set off an escalatory spiral and even more aggressive U.S. involvement. 'Trump is trying to signal that he wants to get back to diplomacy but the risk of a wider war is still very real and high. Iran's retaliation will determine whether the United States can extract itself so easily,' said Kavanagh, a former senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation who served as the director of its Army Strategy program. 'There is also very little chance Iran will negotiate now because Trump has no way to provide them credible assurances that if they come to the table, they will be spared future attacks,' Kavanagh said. 'Trump has sacrificed significant diplomatic leverage for narrow military gains of uncertain duration, and in doing so, has put the United States at risk of another costly Middle East war that will further U.S. global influence and American prosperity.' More than 40,000 U.S. active-duty military personnel and civilians working for the Pentagon are deployed across the Middle East. U.S. troops in the region have come under attack close to 400 times, at a minimum, since October 2023 in response to the U.S.-supported Israeli war on Gaza . Predominantly led by Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian-allied Houthi government in Yemen, the strikes include a mix of one-way attack drones, rockets, mortars, and ballistic missiles fired at fixed bases and U.S. warships across the region. Trump struck a ceasefire deal with the Houthis in May. Prior to the U.S. attacks on Iran, the Houthis threatened to again target U.S. ships in the Red Sea if Washington joined Israel's attacks on Iran. Meanwhile, Netanyahu has expressed his desires for regime change in Iran and not ruled out targeting the country's supreme leader, saying 'no one in Iran should have immunity.' Israel's defense minister said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cannot 'continue to exist.' Trump joined in on the threats, pointing out that the U.S. knows Khamenei's location and dangled the possibility of assassinating him in the future. 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,' Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this week, before Saturday's strikes. 'Military force, by itself, is seldom effective in orchestrating regime change,' Joseph Votel, a retired four-star Army general who headed both Special Operations Command and Central Command, which oversees U.S. military efforts in the Middle East, told The Intercept before the U.S. began its attacks on Saturday. 'There will be ramifications against the U.S. and this should be discussed and addressed in detail,' Votel warned. 'There is no clean course we can take in this situation.' The U.S. had already poured billions into Israel's war machine, supplying it with advanced weaponry, from fighter aircraft and tank ammunition to tactical vehicles and air-to-air missiles. The U.S. is the primary supplier of all of Israel's combat aircraft and most of its bombs and missiles. These weapons are provided at little or no cost to Israel, with American taxpayers primarily picking up the tab. An analysis by Brown University's Costs of War Project tallied up around $18 billion in military aid to Israel in the year following the start of Israel's war on Gaza on October 7, 2023. This represented far more than any other year since the U.S began providing military aid to Israel in 1959. On Tuesday, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., introduced a bipartisan War Powers Resolution, which would prohibit the 'United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.' It currently has 43 co-sponsors, including Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA. 'Congress has the sole power to declare war – full stop,' she posted on X on Saturday before the attacks. 'The idea that the U.S. would potentially deploy a bunker buster bomb in Iran w/out Congressional approval not only flies in the face of our Constitution, it would also rope us into another forever war that Americans do not want.' Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced similar legislation in the Senate earlier this week. After the U.S. bombed Iran on Saturday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries suggested that Trump had lied about being a peacemaker — and that Congress should have a say in whether the country goes to war. 'President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East,' Jeffries, D-NY, wrote on X. Online and in an address to the nation, Trump suggested that more attacks could be coming. 'ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT,' the president wrote on TruthSocial.
The Intercept
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Intercept
U.S. Intel Says Iran Isn't a Nuclear Threat. Israel Wants the U.S. to Bomb It Anyway.
Israel launched its war with Iran last week with what it called a 'preemptive strike.' Iran — according to the Israeli government — was dangerously close to producing a nuclear weapon, and Israel needed to carry out a series of assassinations of military leadership, bombings in residential neighborhoods, and attacks on nuclear production sites to stop them. The U.S. has been providing direct military support in the days since, using its defensive weapons systems to shoot down ballistic missiles that Iran launched in retaliation for Israel's surprise attack. Israel wants more. Only the U.S. is in possession of the 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' bombs that Israel says can punch through and destroy Iran's underground nuclear enrichment facility in Fordow. Israel is calling on the U.S. to join the war and launch a series of attacks end Iran's nuclear threat. But according to the U.S. intelligence community, that threat is not real. 'We continue to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that [Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei has not reauthorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003, though pressure has probably built on him to do so,' reads the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment, the intelligence community's official evaluation of threats to U.S. citizens, 'the Homeland,' and U.S. interests which was published in March. On Saturday, Susan Miller, the former CIA station chief in Israel who retired from the agency in 2024, told SpyTalk that current officials maintained that assessment. Iran has repeatedly said it does not intend to build a nuclear weapon but insists on being allowed to develop nuclear power for the country's needs. Israel is estimated to possess 90 nuclear warheads and may have the ability to launch attacks with them by land, sea, and air. That has not stopped the Trump administration from underwriting Israel's war with Iran and running the risk of getting drawn further into the conflict, according to experts. Trump himself has adopted the Israeli framing of needing to prevent Iran from producing a nuclear weapon. 'What a shame, and waste of human life,' Trump wrote on TruthSocial on Monday. 'Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!' The U.S. has already poured billions into Israel's war machine, supplying it with advanced weaponry from fighter aircraft and tank ammunition to tactical vehicles and air-to-air missiles. The U.S. is also the primary supplier of all of Israel's combat aircraft and most of its bombs and missiles. These weapons are provided at little or no cost to Israel, with American taxpayers primarily picking up the tab. The U.S. has also consistently protected Israel at the United Nations, shielding it from international accountability. 'The Trump administration has basically lost control of its foreign policy. Israel is now dictating U.S. policy in the Middle East. They are clearly in the driver's seat,' Stephen Semler, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, told The Intercept. 'This makes Trump look incredibly weak. It should be a personal embarrassment. He's looking like a real chump.' Israel's war began on Friday with a surprise attack that killed almost the entire top echelon of Iran's military commanders and its foremost nuclear scientists. Israel has since expanded its targets, attacking energy infrastructure and Iran's government news agency. The attacks have killed hundreds of civilians. On Monday night, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the deployment of 'additional capabilities to the Middle East' and said 'these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture.' The Pentagon refused to provide further clarification about the U.S. military build-up in the region. The Israeli strikes have prompted waves of retaliatory ballistic missiles and drones from Iran. Israel said at least 24 people have been killed with about 600 injured. The U.S. military has repeatedly helped defend Israel from Iranian attacks. The Pentagon did not respond to questions about what American assets were used or how many interceptor missiles were employed to defend Israel. Semler pointed out that even ignoring the tremendous ancillary costs associated with stationing a carrier group in the Middle East, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, and Patriot missile batteries; operating the equipment; wear and tear; extra deployments; and bonus pay for troops — among many other costs — the price tag of just the interceptor missiles is immense. Each THAAD interceptor, for example, costs around $21 million. 'Imagine it, that's like blasting a bundle of 10 Bugatti Veyrons into the sky to shoot down just one missile coming from Iran,' said Semler referring to the $2 million supercar, one of the most expensive automobiles on the planet. 'Is it really worth it? Under Trump, just as under Biden, there is apparently no cost too high for the United States.' An analysis by Brown University's Costs of War Project tallied up around $18 billion in military aid to Israel in the year following the start of Israel's war on Gaza on October 7, 2023. This represented far more than any other year since the U.S began providing military aid to Israel in 1959. Read our complete coverage
Business Insider
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Warship captain explains why the military sent his destroyer fresh off the Red Sea fight to the US southern border
The captain of one of three US Navy destroyers that deployed this spring to support the military's southern border mission after spending months battling the Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea says his warship was well-suited to both assignments. Amid questions of whether the southern border deployments were overkill, the military acknowledged that it was "a bit unique to deploy a capability of this level for this mission set." But it sent an unmistakable message. Unlike the Red Sea mission, at the southern border, the value of these warfighting ships isn't as much the firepower they bring to a potential fight but rather the capabilities that other vessels lack, such as robust communications and sensor suites, and endurance. Cdr. Jacob Beckelhymer, the commanding officer of USS Stockdale, told Business Insider that the maritime security missions are familiar taskings and "part of the broad set of things that destroyers do." The Stockdale just recently returned to its homeport in San Diego after spending weeks deployed off the coast of southern California in support of US military operations at the southern border. Transnational criminal operations coming out of Mexico were at the top of the US intelligence community's 2025 Annual Threat Assessment, and the Trump administration has made cracking down on maritime criminal activity, from illegal immigration to human and drug trafficking, priorities. In addition to thousands of military personnel, the administration has dispatched a range of military assets to the border area, including the three destroyers that battled the Houthis last year. The Stockdale, like USS Spruance and USS Gravely, had an embarked US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment for its southern border deployment. These are Coast Guard teams that specialize in law-enforcement operations at sea, such as counterterrorism, counter-piracy, and anti-immigration missions. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers like the Stockdale are equipped with missile tubes that carry a mix of surface-to-air and land-attack munitions and different guns, such as a five-inch deck gun, machine guns, and a Phalanx Close-In Weapons System. This extensive loadout was needed to battle the Houthis, as the Stockdale and other Navy warships routinely came under rebel missile and drone attacks. The warships faced a very different threat environment at the southern border than in the Red Sea. Beckelhymer said Stockdale's weapon system was in a "different configuration" since they didn't expect to be shot at. At the southern border, the emphasis was on other capabilities. "The sensor suite is incredible. My surface radar tracking ability, I think, far exceeds what we normally see, particularly on the smaller Coast Guard cutters," Beckelhymer said. "And then I've also got a much larger team." He touted the ship's combat information center, a multimission room with many monitors that display maps and radars, as an essential tool for monitoring possible smuggling situations and recommending whether it's worth following up. As Henry Ziemer, an Americas Program fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, previously wrote, a destroyer has "powerful sensors and electronics that can be assets for detecting small boats and semisubmersibles used for illicit activities." These ships can also coordinate additional assets, he said, and function as a force multiplier. Beckelhymer said the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter embarked on the Stockdale provides faster air coverage than relying on something from the shore. The helicopter is equipped with a very capable radar and communications suite and can share real-time data and video feed with the destroyer. The captain said the Stockdale is also an endurance platform. The ship can "stay on station considerably longer" and carry more fuel and food. During its deployment, Stockdale served as a command-and-control platform, providing maritime awareness and surveillance to the Coast Guard assets operating in the area. The destroyer played a role in helping them apprehend suspected smuggling vessels, and Beckelhymer's crew saved the lives of mariners who were caught adrift with no food or water on board. Speaking to the missions that his warship has supported, Beckelhymer said "it's really, really humbling to watch young men and women put to action the things that it takes to operate a destroyer at sea in support of priority missions for two separate fleet commanders."
Express Tribune
29-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
US intelligence labels India among major sources of fentanyl precursor chemicals
Listen to article India has emerged as an increasingly significant player in the illicit fentanyl trade, according to a new intelligence report from the United States. This report highlights concerns that are likely to resonate in New Delhi, especially as President Donald Trump uses tariffs to pressure countries he believes are not doing enough to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States. Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid that is up to 100 times stronger than morphine, is now the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States, contributing heavily to the ongoing opioid crisis. For years, China had been known as the primary supplier of both legal fentanyl for severe pain management and illicit precursor chemicals. However, according to the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment (ATA) report published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in March 2025, India's role in the illicit trade has been gaining prominence. The ATA report states: "Nonstate groups are often enabled, both directly and indirectly, by state actors, such as China and India, as sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers." It goes on to specify that while China remains the primary source of illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment, India has now become the second-largest supplier, a shift that is raising eyebrows in both Washington and New Delhi. Fentanyl precursor chemicals are often processed in laboratories in Mexico before being smuggled into the United States. The report underscores that while China has long been the central source for these substances, India's pharmaceutical industry has increasingly come under scrutiny. India's pharmaceutical sector, one of the largest in the world, supplies a significant portion of the world's vaccines and medicines. The country is often referred to as the "Pharmacy of the World," but the industry has faced criticism for lax regulation and quality control, raising concerns about its potential involvement in the illegal drug trade. On March 17, India's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in the western state of Gujarat arrested two individuals linked to pharmaceutical companies in Surat for allegedly exporting fentanyl precursors to Mexico and Guatemala. This was followed by the US Department of Justice indicting three top executives from a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company for allegedly importing ingredients used to make illicit fentanyl. While the Indian government has not issued a public response to the ATA report, the timing of the document is especially delicate for New Delhi, which is currently trying to avoid US tariffs. In 2024, the United States was India's largest trading partner, with nearly $120 billion in trade, although India only ranked tenth on the list of the US's global trading partners. The report's release adds to the complexities in the relationship between India and the United States, potentially intensifying trade tensions and triggering stronger rhetoric or even targeted tariffs. Indian economist and researcher Soumya Bhowmik suggests that the findings of the ATA report "may introduce complexities in India-US relations" and could lead to the imposition of tariffs. This concern is particularly pertinent after the Trump administration earlier this month enacted tariffs on its top three trading partners—China, Mexico, and Canada—to curb the flow of fentanyl into the United States. In February, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington, where he held talks with President Trump on various issues, including defense, technology, and trade. Both leaders expressed their commitment to expanding trade and investment to strengthen their nations' economies and create more resilient supply chains. The recent ATA report highlights the critical need for collaboration between the US and India to address the global opioid crisis. Soumya Bhowmik stresses that it is vital for both countries to work together to tackle the fentanyl problem while continuing efforts to mitigate the impact of potential US tariffs on Indian industries. India's proactive measures, including a proposal to eliminate import duties on essential manufacturing goods, have been seen as efforts to reduce the risk of strained trade relations with the US.
CNN
28-03-2025
- Health
- CNN
India among top suppliers of illicit fentanyl precursors, US intelligence report says
India has emerged as a growing player in the illicit fentanyl trade, a new US intelligence report says, a designation likely to raise alarm in New Delhi as President Donald Trump wields tariffs on countries he accuses of not doing enough to stop the deadly drug from flowing into the United States. Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that can be 100 times more potent than morphine, is the most common drug involved in overdose deaths in the US – fueling an opioid crisis that has become a high-priority issue for the Trump administration. For many years, China has been the largest source of both legal supplies of the drug – which is prescribed for severe pain relief – and illicit supplies of precursor chemicals that are typically processed in labs in Mexico before the final product is smuggled across the US border. But India's role in the illegal trade is becoming more prominent, according to the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment (ATA) report published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence this month. 'Nonstate groups are often enabled, both directly and indirectly, by state actors, such as China and India as sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers,' the report said. 'China remains the primary source country for illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment, followed by India.' Last year's ATA report named India as among countries other than China where Mexican cartels were sourcing precursor chemicals to a 'lesser extent.' The 2023 report made no mention of India in relation to fentanyl. India is a global leader in generic drug manufacturing, supplying a significant portion of the world's vaccines and medicines. It has a pharmaceutical industry so large, it is often referred to as the 'Pharmacy of the World.' But the industry has been marred by controversy, raising concerns about regulation and quality control. On March 17, India's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in the western state of Gujarat said it had arrested two people linked to Surat-based pharmaceutical companies for allegedly exporting illicit fentanyl precursors to Mexico and Guatemala, according to the Press Trust of India. CNN has reached out to the ATS. Days later, the US Department of Justice indicted three top executives from a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company for allegedly importing ingredients used to make illicit fentanyl. New Delhi has not publicly spoken about the ATA report. CNN has contacted India's Ministry of External Affairs for a response. The report comes at a delicate time for India as it mounts a case to avoid US tariffs. The US was India's largest trading partner in 2024, accounting for almost $120 billion in trade, yet India only ranked tenth in the list of US trading partners for the same year. Indian economist and researcher Soumya Bhowmik said the ATA report 'may introduce complexities in India-US relations,' and could 'open the door for tougher rhetoric and potentially even targeted tariffs.' Earlier this month, the Trump administration enacted tariffs against the US' top three trading partners: China, Mexico and Canada, saying the levies of up to 25% were necessary to stem the flow of fentanyl into the US. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington in February, where he spoke with Trump about a range of issues from defense and technology to trade and economic growth. The two leaders 'resolved to expand trade and investment to make their citizens more prosperous, nations stronger, economies more innovative and supply chains more resilient,' a joint statement from that meeting said. A Washington delegation is currently in New Delhi for trade talks. India has 'proactively undertaken measures to respond to potential trade tensions and mitigate the impact of impending US tariffs,' said Bhowmik, including a proposal to remove import duties on goods essential for manufacturing. The ATA report also 'highlights the critical importance of collaborative efforts between (the US and India) to address the global opioid crisis,' Bhowmik said.
