Latest news with #DefenseIntelligenceAgency
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Saved Khamenei from ugly death, says Trump; warns further attacks by U.S. or Israel
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday (June 27, 2025) scoffed at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's heated warning to the U.S. not to launch future strikes on Iran, as well as the Iranian supreme leader's assertion that Tehran 'won the war' with Israel. Mr. Trump, in remarks to reporters and later in an extended statement on social media, said Khamenei's comments defied reality after 12 days of Israeli strikes and the U.S. bombardment of three key nuclear sites inflicted severe damage on the country's nuclear programme. The President suggested Mr. Khamenei's comments were unbecoming of Iran's most powerful political and religious figure. 'Look, you're a man of great faith. A man who's highly respected in his country. You have to tell the truth,' Mr. Trump said of Mr. Khamenei. 'You got beat to hell.' The U.S. President spoke out a day after Mr. Khamenei insisted Tehran had delivered a 'slap to America's face' by striking a U.S. air base in Qatar and warned against further attacks by the U.S. or Israel on Iran. Mr. Khamenei's pre-recorded statement, which aired on Iranian state television, was the first time that Iranians had heard directly from the supreme leader in days. The heated rhetoric from Mr. Trump and Mr. Khamenei continued as both leaders face difficult questions about the impact of the strikes. Mr. Trump and his aides have pushed back vociferously after an early damage assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency became public and indicated that the U.S. bombardment likely only set back Tehran's nuclear programme by months. Eighty-six-year-old Khamenei, the most powerful figure in Iran's theocracy, meanwhile, has appeared intent on demonstrating his authority and vigour amid speculation about his health and how involved he was in making Iran's wartime decisions through the 12-day conflict. In a social media post Friday (June 27, 2025), Mr. Trump also appeared to refer to a plan presented to the White House by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government in the first days of the Israel-Iran conflict to try to kill Mr. Khamenei. Mr. Trump vetoed that plan, according to a U.S. official who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. 'His Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were Obliterated, and 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,' Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social. 'I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death, and he does not have to say, 'Thank you, President Trump!' ' wrote Mr. Trump, after the U.S. airstrikes, sending warnings via social media to Mr. Khamenei that the U.S. knew where he was but had no plans to kill him, 'at least for now.' Editorial | Strategic misfire: On the Israel-Iran conflict After launching the U.S. strikes — including with U.S.-made bunker-buster bombs — Mr. Trump has been insistent that Iran's nuclear sites have been 'obliterated'. Administration officials have not disputed the contents of the DIA report but have sought to focus on a CIA statement and other intelligence assessments, including those out of Iran and Israel, that said the strikes severely damaged the nuclear sites and rendered an enrichment facility inoperable. Mr. Trump also said that he expects Iran to open itself to international inspection to verify it doesn't restart its nuclear programme. Asked if he would demand during expected talks with Iran that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or some other organisation be authorised to conduct inspections, Mr. Trump told reporters the Islamic Republic would have to cooperate with the IAEA 'or somebody that we respect, including ourselves.' White House officials have said they expect to restart talks soon with Iran, though nothing has been scheduled. U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff earlier this week said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of US-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was cancelled after Israel attacked Iran. Mr. Trump expressed confidence that Iran's nuclear ambition has faded. 'Can I tell you, they're exhausted. And Israel's exhausted, too,' Mr. Trump said. He added, 'The last thing they're thinking right now is nuclear.'
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump: Talks between US, Iran set after bombing of nuclear sites
President Trump said he didn't need a peace agreement with Iran because their nuclear program had been destroyed but that he asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to draft one. President Donald Trump said U.S. officials would meet next week with Iranian officials, after claiming to have 'obliterated' that country's nuclear weapons program. Asked at a June 25 NATO meeting in The Hague if he sought a peace agreement with Iran, Trump told reporters he didn't need one because their nuclear facilities were destroyed and enriched uranium buried. "We're going to talk with them next week − with Iran," Trump said. "We may sign an agreement." 'I don't care if we have an agreement or not,' Trump added, about the need for Iran to agree to halt its nuclear weapons program. 'It's blown up to kingdom come.' More: Where is Iran's enriched uranium? Questions loom after Trump claims victory. A Defense Intelligence Agency assessment said Iran's nuclear program may have been set back only a few months by the U.S. military bombing on June 21. The whereabouts of 400 kilograms of enriched uranium are unknown. But Trump said Israel's atomic commission found the Iranian nuclear facility at Fordow was destroyed and the enrichment facility rendered inoperable. Iranian officials acknowledged severe damage. Trump said the uranium was stored 30 stories underground and is now buried in granite, concrete and steel. 'We think we hit them so hard and so fast they didn't get to move,' Trump said. 'It's very, very heavy and very hard to move.' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iranian leaders ended hostilities with Israel because their nuclear facilities were set back further than they thought possible. "If you want to make an assessment of what happened at Fordo, you better get a big shovel and go really deep because Iran's nuclear program is obliterated," Hegseth said. Trump said Iran and Israel have exhausted each other and wouldn't fight any more. "I dealt with both and they're both tired, exhausted,' Trump said. 'Can it start again? I guess someday, it can. It could maybe start soon." Trump said he asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to draft a potential peace agreement with Iran. Rubio said Trump had proven willing to meet with anyone around the world to talk about peace, but any agreement would depend on Iranian willingness to engage with the U.S. directly rather than through other intermediaries. Trump insisted that Iran's nuclear program is over, whether they sign an agreement or not. 'They fought. The war is done. I could get a statement that they're not going to go nuclear. We're probably going to ask for that,' Trump said. 'But they're not going to be doing it. They're not going to be doing it anyway. They've had it.'
Washington Post
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Trump risks blinding himself by politicizing Iran intelligence
President Donald Trump's quick declaration a week ago that U.S. airstrikes had totally obliterated Iran's nuclear program might have been a typically Trumpian, made-for-the-cameras declaration of victory — but it now appears to have been at best premature. Worse than his getting ahead of the facts, though, is how the president reacted as initial assessments of them emerged. When news reports revealed that a preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency assessment contradicted some of his claims, the president's response made this another week in which Trump politicized intelligence-gathering.
Wall Street Journal
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Taking Hegseth Seriously on ‘Fake News' and the Iran Strike
A former TV journalist may not be a defense secretary for all seasons, but Pete Hegseth proved his usefulness Thursday by telling what radio man Paul Harvey used to call the rest of the story. It concerned a preliminary, thinly based and cursory analysis by the Defense Intelligence Agency (one of 18 federal intelligence agencies) with a pessimistic account of the Iran strikes even as more valid information was pouring in about the recently-completed bombing mission. One might even ask if the essentially worthless review was commissioned to be leaked. Mr. Hegseth, in an understandable rant, referred to 'fake news' and the media's desire for grist and 'spin, spin, spin' to paint the Donald Trump-ordered strikes in a bad light. He's right. Even a decade from now some Americans will likely cling to the dismissive DIA report just as they cling to the Steele dossier because they want it to be true.
San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump tells Iran's supreme leader: 'You got beat to hell'
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday scoffed at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's heated warning to the U.S. not to launch future strikes on Iran, as well as the Iranian supreme leader's assertion that Tehran 'won the war" with Israel. Trump, in remarks to reporters and later in an extended statement on social media, said the ayatollah's comments defied reality after 12 days of Israeli strikes and the U.S. bombardment of three key nuclear sites inflicted severe damage on the country's nuclear program. The president suggested Khamenei's comments were unbecoming of Iran's most powerful political and religious figure. 'Look, you're a man of great faith. A man who's highly respected in his country. You have to tell the truth," Trump said of Khamenei. "You got beat to hell.' The U.S. president spoke out a day after Khamenei insisted Tehran had delivered a 'slap to America's face' by striking a U.S. air base in Qatar and warned against further attacks by the U.S. or Israel on Iran. Khamenei's pre-recorded statement, which aired on Iranian state television, was the first time that Iranians had heard directly from the supreme leader in days. The heated rhetoric from Trump and Khamenei continued as both leaders face difficult questions about the impact of the strikes. Trump and his aides have pushed back vociferously after an early damage assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency became public and indicated that the U.S. bombardment likely only set back Tehran's nuclear program by months. The 86-year-old Khamenei, the most powerful figure in Iran's theocracy, meanwhile, has appeared intent on demonstrating his authority and vigor amid speculation about his health and how involved he was in making Iran's wartime decisions through the 12-day conflict. In a social media post Friday, Trump also appeared to refer to a plan presented to the White House by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government in the first days of the Israel-Iran conflict to try to kill Khamenei. Trump vetoed that plan, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. 'His Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and 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 posted on Truth Social. "I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!' Trump, after the U.S. airstrikes, sent chilling warnings via social media to Khamenei that the U.S. knew where he was but had no plans to kill him, 'at least for now." After launching the U.S. strikes — including with U.S.-made bunker-buster bombs — Trump has been insistent that Iran's nuclear sites have been 'obliterated." Administration officials have not disputed the contents of the DIA report but have sought to focus on a CIA statement and other intelligence assessments, including those out of Iran and Israel, that said the strikes severely damaged the nuclear sites and rendered an enrichment facility inoperable. Trump also said that he expects Iran to open itself to international inspection to verify it doesn't restart its nuclear program. Asked if he would demand during expected talks with Iran that the International Atomic Energy Agency or some other organization be authorized to conduct inspections, Trump told reporters the Islamic Republic would have to cooperate with the IAEA 'or somebody that we respect, including ourselves.' White House officials have said they expect to restart talks soon with Iran, though nothing has been scheduled. U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff earlier this week said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of U.S.-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was canceled after Israel attacked Iran. Trump expressed confidence that Iran's nuclear ambition has faded. 'Can I tell you, they're exhausted. And Israel's exhausted, too,' Trump said. He added, 'The last thing they're thinking right now is nuclear.'
