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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump warns US will strike again if Iran resumes high-level uranium enrichment
But in a Truth Social post Friday, Trump lashed out at Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for claiming in remarks to his people that Iran had prevailed in its conflict against Israel and the United States. Advertisement Trump called Khamenei's assertion 'a lie' and said that he had spared the Iranian leader's life. He said he 'knew EXACTLY' where Khamenei was sheltered and chose not to attack him or allow Israel to kill him. 'I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH,' Trump wrote. Trump also said in the post that he had begun work in recent days 'on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things' to help Iran 'recover.' But after Khamenei's message of 'anger, hatred and disgust,' he added, he 'immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more.' Trump fielded questions on Iran during a news conference -- alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy -- to discuss a Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship. Advertisement Trump said it was 'a little early' to specify what he might demand in an agreement from Iran to contain its future nuclear activities. But he said he would insist on inspections of Iran's nuclear sites, conducted by either the International Atomic Energy Agency or 'somebody that we respect,' possibly including 'ourselves.' Trump downplayed concerns from nuclear experts and European officials that Iran may have moved and hidden its stockpile of 400 kilograms, or 880 pounds, of enriched uranium, which the IAEA has estimated as sufficient to make 10 bombs in less than a year if enriched only somewhat further. 'Nothing was moved from the site,' Trump said, apparently referring to Iran's underground enrichment facility at Fordo, one of the three nuclear sites that the United States bombed Saturday. Satellite images released by Maxar Technologies, taken in the days before the U.S. strike, showed 16 cargo trucks positioned near an entrance to Fordo. An analysis by the Open Source Center in London suggested that Iran may have been preparing the site for a strike. Trump said the trucks were conducting masonry work to reinforce the facility's concrete bunker, not removing uranium. 'Everything's down there. It's under millions of tons of rock,' Trump said. If the country did preserve its uranium stockpile, it is possible, some experts say, that with the right equipment Iran could enrich it to bomb-grade purity within weeks or months. Although this month's attacks probably crippled Iran's known centrifuge facilities, experts fear that Iran may still retain secret facilities. Asked about that prospect, Trump said he was not concerned by it. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said in an interview released Friday that his country would be prepared to ship out its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium to another country, or to store it 'under IAEA seal' within Iran. Advertisement In return, he said, Iran would want to receive yellowcake, a powdered form of uranium ore that requires extensive enrichment for energy or weapons production. Speaking to Al-Monitor, a Middle East news site, Iravani reiterated Iran's position that it had a right to enrich uranium on its own soil for what he called peaceful purposes. This article originally appeared in
The Sun
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Trump says he would consider bombing Iran again, drops sanctions relief plan
WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamanei, on Friday, dropped plans to lift sanctions on Iran and said he would consider bombing Iran again if Tehran is enriching uranium to worrisome levels. Trump reacted sternly to Khamanei's first remarks after a 12-day conflict with Israel that ended when the United States launched bombing raids last weekend against Iranian nuclear sites. Khamanei said Iran "slapped America in the face" by launching an attack against a major U.S. base in Qatar following the U.S. bombing raids. Khamanei also said Iran would never surrender. Trump said he had spared Khamanei's life. U.S. officials told Reuters on June 15 that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the supreme leader. "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 said in a social media post. "I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH," he said. Iran said a potential nuclear deal was conditional on the U.S. ending its "disrespectful tone" toward the Supreme Leader. "If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers," Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X in the early hours of Saturday. Trump also said that in recent days he had been working on the possible removal of sanctions on Iran to give it a chance for a speedy recovery. He said he had now abandoned that effort. "I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more," he said. Trump said at a White House news conference that he did not rule out attacking Iran again, when asked about the possibility of new bombing of Iranian nuclear sites if deemed necessary at some point. "Sure, without question, absolutely," he said. Trump said he would like inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency - the U.N. nuclear watchdog - or another respected source to be able to inspect Iran's nuclear sites after they were bombed last weekend. Trump has rejected any suggestion that damage to the sites was not as profound as he has said. The IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday that ensuring the resumption of IAEA inspections was his top priority as none had taken place since Israel began bombing on June 13. However, Iran's parliament approved moves on Wednesday to suspend such inspections. Araqchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by the head of the agency for visits to Iranian nuclear sites. Trump said Iran still wants to meet about the way forward. The White House had said on Thursday that no meeting between the U.S. and an Iranian delegation has been scheduled thus far.
The Sun
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Trump slams Iran, drops sanctions, threatens more bombings
WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamanei, on Friday, dropped plans to lift sanctions on Iran and said he would consider bombing Iran again if Tehran is enriching uranium to worrisome levels. Trump reacted sternly to Khamanei's first remarks after a 12-day conflict with Israel that ended when the United States launched bombing raids last weekend against Iranian nuclear sites. Khamanei said Iran "slapped America in the face" by launching an attack against a major U.S. base in Qatar following the U.S. bombing raids. Khamanei also said Iran would never surrender. Trump said he had spared Khamanei's life. U.S. officials told Reuters on June 15 that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the supreme leader. "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 said in a social media post. "I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH," he said. Iran said a potential nuclear deal was conditional on the U.S. ending its "disrespectful tone" toward the Supreme Leader. "If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers," Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X in the early hours of Saturday. Trump also said that in recent days he had been working on the possible removal of sanctions on Iran to give it a chance for a speedy recovery. He said he had now abandoned that effort. "I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more," he said. Trump said at a White House news conference that he did not rule out attacking Iran again, when asked about the possibility of new bombing of Iranian nuclear sites if deemed necessary at some point. "Sure, without question, absolutely," he said. Trump said he would like inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency - the U.N. nuclear watchdog - or another respected source to be able to inspect Iran's nuclear sites after they were bombed last weekend. Trump has rejected any suggestion that damage to the sites was not as profound as he has said. The IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday that ensuring the resumption of IAEA inspections was his top priority as none had taken place since Israel began bombing on June 13. However, Iran's parliament approved moves on Wednesday to suspend such inspections. Araqchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by the head of the agency for visits to Iranian nuclear sites. Trump said Iran still wants to meet about the way forward. The White House had said on Thursday that no meeting between the U.S. and an Iranian delegation has been scheduled thus far.
The Star
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Star
Hypocrisy in nuclear order
ON June 25, the Iranian Parliament voted to cut ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This unprecedented move followed a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, an act widely attributed to Israel and the United States. The decision signals a deep rupture in the already fragile global nuclear order. What makes this moment so alarming is not just the geopolitical tension it fuels but also the glaring double standards it exposes.
RTHK
2 hours ago
- Politics
- RTHK
US would consider bombing Iran again if needed: Trump
US would consider bombing Iran again if needed: Trump US President Donald Trump says he will consider bombing Iran again if necessary. Photo: Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Friday he would consider bombing Iran again, if Tehran was enriching uranium to a level that concerned the United States, and he backed inspections of Iran's bombed nuclear sites. "Sure, without question, absolutely," Trump said when asked about the possibility of new bombing of Iranian nuclear sites if deemed necessary at some point. At a White House news conference, Trump said he would like inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or another respected source to be able to inspect Iran's nuclear sites after they were bombed last weekend. The agency's chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday that ensuring the resumption of IAEA inspections was his top priority. However, Iran's parliament approved moves on Wednesday to suspend such inspections. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by the head of the agency for visits to Iranian nuclear sites, saying that it suggested "malign intent". (Reuters)
