Latest news with #IranianAuthorities
Reuters
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Israel killed 30 Iranian security chiefs and 11 nuclear scientists, Israeli official says
June 27 (Reuters) - Israel killed more than 30 senior security officials and 11 senior nuclear scientists to deliver a major blow to Iran's nuclear ambitions, a senior Israeli military official said on Friday in summarizing Israel's 12-day air war with Iran. The June 13 opening strike on Iran, 1,500 km (930 miles) away, severely damaged its aerial defences and destabilised its ability to respond in the critical early hours of the conflict, the official said. Israel's air force struck over 900 targets and the military deeply damaged Iran's missile production during the war that ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, the official said. "The Iranian nuclear project suffered a major blow: The regime's ability to enrich uranium to 90% was neutralized for a prolonged period. Its current ability to produce a nuclear weapon core has been neutralized," the official said. Iran, which denies trying to build nuclear weapons, retaliated against the strikes with barrages of missiles on Israeli military sites and cities. Iran said it forced the end of the war by penetrating Israeli defences. Iranian authorities said 627 people were killed in Iran, where the extent of the damage could not be independently confirmed because of tight restrictions on the media. Israeli authorities said 28 people were killed in Israel. In a statement, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Friday he had directed the military to draft a plan to safeguard air superiority over Iran, prevent nuclear development and missile production, and address Iran's support for militant operations against Israel.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Tuesday briefing: What you need to know about Trump's declaration of peace between Israel and Iran
Good morning. After the United States attacked Iranian nuclear sites early on Sunday, the question was how Tehran would respond. Last night, we saw the beginnings of the answer – and, at least according to Donald Trump, the end of it. The retaliation came in the form of ballistic missile attacks on a US base in Qatar. While the Iranian authorities called the operation a 'mighty and successful response', no Americans were harmed – apparently by design. Trump described it as a 'very weak response', suggested that the Iranians had 'gotten it all out of their 'system'', and added: 'CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT'S TIME FOR PEACE!' Two hours later, Trump elaborated on that grandiloquent social media post with another one, claiming that Israel and Iran had 'fully agreed' a 'Complete and Total CEASEFIRE' that would immediately be followed by a permanent peace. Amid reported surprise among his own officials and considerable broader confusion, Iran made its own announcement of a ceasefire – but Israel is yet to do the same, and Iranian missiles struck southern Israel (pictured below) around the time that the arrangement was supposed to kick in. So was this a final flurry, or a sign of trouble? That may be clearer soon than it is right now – and you can follow the live blog for the latest. Today's newsletter explains a chaotic night that might herald the end of the war – and what the long-term consequences of US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities could be. Here are the headlines. Protest | UK home secretary Yvette Cooper has vowed to ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws, after activists from the group broke into RAF Brize Norton and spray-painted two military planes. PA's lawyers said that Cooper's proposal was an attack on freedom of expression and assembly. Politics | Labour MPs have launched a significant rebellion against the government's benefit cuts with an amendment that could kill its welfare bill, spearheaded by senior select committee chairs and which sources say could be signed by up to 100 MPs. NHS | UK health secretary Wes Streeting has launched a national investigation into 'systemic' failures in NHS maternity services in England, saying 'maternity units are failing, hospitals are failing, trusts are failing, regulators are failing' and there is 'too much passing the buck'. Ukraine | Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Russia, Iran and North Korea as a 'coalition of murderers' during a visit to London, where he held talks with Kier Starmer on how to put further pressure on Moscow to end the war. Ukraine's president has accused Tehran of being complicit in Russia's invasion. Music | U2 guitarist The Edge has officially become an Irish citizen, 62 years after moving from Britain to Ireland, in a step he said was 'long overdue'. Less than an hour ago, Donald Trump published a new post on Truth Social: 'THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT,' he wrote. 'PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!' If he has now gone to bed, that marks the end of a confusing night of posts from the US president, with mixed responses coming from Iran and Israel. But while Trump's habit of making unilateral announcements on social media can be confusing, his declaration does appear to have held up so far, with neither side attacking the other in the meantime. Here's what else you need to know about a confusing night, and how we got here. What did Trump announce – and why? Trump's announcement, and numerous later posts also on Truth Social, vibrate with his longing for a Nobel peace prize. (It's not subtle: his initial message included a reflection that 'This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn't, and never will!' Another featured a meme of him kissing the American flag with the text 'Trump was right about everything'.) By Trump's account, Israel and Iran each approached him asking for a peace deal. Reuters reported that he had held personal talks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while JD Vance held parallel talks with Tehran, with Qatar acting as a mediator to secure Iran's agreement. The plan Trump laid out was due to begin with an Iranian ceasefire six hours later, 'when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions'. Then, 12 hours later, Israel would also end hostilities, and after a full day, there would be 'an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR'. Even if Trump's announcement was unconventional – and, according to the New York Times, took senior White House officials by surprise – there had been signs that something was shifting. Iran's carefully calibrated response appeared designed to avoid triggering a further US attack – more on that below. And Benjamin Netanyahu had already indicated that Israel's operation may soon draw to a close, saying that the country is 'very, very close' to achieving its war aims. What happened next? There were reports that Israel's attacks on Tehran intensified, which is not an unusual development in the last hours before a ceasefire as militaries seek to maximise their advantage. At 4.16am Iran Standard Time, the Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that there was no agreement 'as of now' but that 'provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards'. Twenty minutes later, Araghchi said: 'The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am.' Iranian state television later announced that an overall ceasefire had begun. But an Iranian missile barrage struck Israel after Trump's deadline for them to end operations had passed. In Israel, meanwhile, there was no acknowledgement of Trump's announcement. There were no new Israeli strikes on Iran reported after 4am – but a few minutes ago Israel said that it had destroyed missile launchers 'in recent hours in western Iran'. How did Iran's attack on the US shape what followed? In yesterday's newsletter, the Iran expert Mohammad Ali Shabani suggested that Iran would probably feel some kind of kinetic response was required 'to show a domestic audience that they are not defeated', but noted that there might be a desire for a 'bloodless' attack to avoid triggering a further US reaction. That appears to be what happened later in the day. So carefully did Iran measure its response to symbolically fit the American strikes that a statement by the Supreme national security council noted that the 'number of missiles used were the same number as bombs the US had used on three Iranian nuclear sites'. If the claim was parity, the truth was that this was a materially inconsequential attack. It was aimed at the forward headquarters of the US military's Central Command, Al Udeid airbase, which is about 30km south-west of the Qatari capital of Doha. About 10,000 troops are based there. As well as giving warning of an imminent attack, Iran said that it was targeted because it was away from population centres. In advance of the US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday, satellite images showed that fighter jets, drones and transport planes that are ordinarily on the tarmac at Al Udeid had gone, with 40 aircraft down to just three by Thursday. A Qatari official said that the base had been evacuated on Monday before the attack took place. Qatar also said that it had successfully intercepted all but one of 19 missiles fired before they reached the base. Airspace over the country was closed but swiftly reopened. Earlier reports that a missile had also been launched at a US base in Iraq – including a reference in a statement from Iran's official press agency – turned out to be a false alarm. Qatar responded angrily, but also called for 'a serious return to the negotiating table'. Other countries in the region were also critical of Tehran. But most significantly, Donald Trump interpreted it as a ritualistic step which did not require a further American response – and suggested that he would now press Israel to de-escalate. It came after a day of heavy activity on which it struck Tehran's notorious Evin prison, calling it an 'agency of government repression', and a paramilitary headquarters. It also followed the US strike on the Fordow nuclear facility by blowing up roads leading to the site. Is Trump's victory lap justified? By one measure, and if the ceasefire holds, it is reasonable to see Trump's gamble in attacking Iran's nuclear sites as having paid off. While Iran found a way to declare victory, its military capacity has been significantly degraded by Israeli attacks over the last 12 days. The calculation that it would feel too weak to open a major confrontation with the US over a significant assault setting back its nuclear capabilities by years appears to have been the right one. He can also reasonably say that he has brokered an end to the conflict, though it appears likely that Israel would have reached a similar view about the diminishing value of further conflict – and with its own interceptor missiles running low – in any case. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion But by another analysis, the long-term consequences of the US attack on Iran are much less clear. Many analysts suggest that Iran will ultimately be able to reconstruct its nuclear programme, and that it is likely to seek to do so in secret; meanwhile, Iranian public support for having a nuclear weapon appears to have risen. Before the attacks, Iran had an estimated stockpile of 408kg of uranium enriched to 60% purity – approaching the grade required for nuclear weapons. Trucks and security convoys were seen at the Fordow nuclear facility in the days before the US strikes, and after Trump telegraphed their likelihood; Israeli officials have assessed that the uranium is likely to have been moved away. Its whereabouts is currently unknown. The mystery of DB Cooper – who held a plane for ransom for $200,000, then parachuted out in a suit – has never been solved. Daniel Lavelle has a fun piece on the trail of a phantom (shown above). Archie Everything is bigger in New York – especially the rats. The intrepid Alaina Demopoulos goes on an evening 'rat walk' to find out what she can do to help prevent her city from being overrun. Includes a truly revolting detail about the rodents' nutritional habits. Alex Needham, acting head of newsletters This week's How We Made is about Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and reveals, among other things, that Chris Tarrant practised his gormless face – and that, as with most great quiz formats, the real genius is in the commissioning. Archie On the Reform-leaning section of TikTok, writes William Davies in the London Review of Books, 'Starmer's Britain' is depicted as a barely livable hellhole – and the resentment stoked by the algorithm is building by the day. Alex Would you pay £590m for a mere mile of road? That's how much the government is giving to the Lower Thames Crossing, while smaller local interventions like parks and bus services lose out. George Monbiot is characterically precise about who these 'prestige' infrastructure projects truly benefit. Craille Maguire Gillies, production editor, newsletters Cricket | Rishabh Pant (pictured above) became the first India batsman to score hundreds in both innings of a Test against England on Monday's fourth day at Headingley, before the hosts hit back to set up a dramatic finale to the series opener. Olympics | Kirsty Coventry became the first woman and first African to become president of the International Olympics Committee. In a ceremony in which she took over from Thomas Bach, the former Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe vowed to change people's lives. Football | Woody Johnson, former US ambassador to the UK and owner of the New York Jets, has agreed to buy a £190m stake in Crystal Palace FC, offering a boost to their hopes to play in the Europa League next season. Donald Trump's announcement of a 'complete and total ceasefire' between Iran and Israel came late enough that it didn't make newspaper first editions, but some caught up later. The Guardian leads with 'Trump: Israel and Iran have agreed to a 'total ceasefire''. The Telegraph has 'Trump: Ceasefire agreed with Iran'. The Financial Times has 'Tehran unleashes missile assault on key American military base in Qatar'. The Times runs with 'Iran fires missiles at US bases in Middle East'. The i reports comments from the UK foreign secretary, with 'UK 'is ready to defend our allies' - as Iran attacks American base'. The Mail asks 'So whose side are you on, Sir Keir?' The Mirror simply goes with 'War games'. And the Daily Express reflects Trump's earlier comments with 'Trump: time for peace after Iran's 'very weak' attack'. Can the UK stay out of Trump's war in Iran? Guardian deputy political editor Jessica Elgot on whether the UK government – despite calling for de-escalation for weeks – might be dragged into the conflict in Iran. This episode was recorded before Trump's announcement late on Monday that Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire. A bit of good news to remind you that the world's not all bad 'Travelling solo,' says Hannah J Davies (pictured above), 'is a pleasure, a tonic and, occasionally, a character-building experience.' When her social circle started getting married, having kids or moving away, Davies found that solo jaunts were often easier to organise and less stressful, writing: 'I have floated around bars by myself in Barcelona; sampled the best Korean food for one that Toulouse had to offer; gone to the beach solo in Marseille; and almost caused security incidents on various European trains by trailing an illegally large suitcase behind me.' Though Davies has the occasional challenge, it is all worth it, she writes for The one change that worked: 'I'm grateful for the peace – and for Duolingo.' Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday And finally, the Guardian's puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Israel strikes Iran's notorious Evin prison and blows door off its hinges
This is the moment Iran 's notorious Evin prison in Tehran is hit by an Israeli strike as the missile blows the door off its hinges. Israel 's foreign minister Gideon Saar posted footage of the strike on X on Monday (23 June), along side the caption: 'We warned Iran time and again: stop targeting civilians. They continued, including this morning. Our response: Viva la libertad, carajo! (long live freedom)" Despite the strikes, the jail in Tehran is 'under control', Iranian authorities said.
Arabian Business
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Arabian Business
UAE, Bahrain and Oman evacuate citizens from Iran; more than 20 countries including India, China and US step up repatriation
The UAE, Bahrain, Oman and countries from across the world have stepped up efforts to evacuate citizens from Iran amid rising tensions in the region. The UAE evacuated a number of its nationals and residents from the Islamic Republic of Iran, in coordination with the relevant authorities. As part of its unwavering commitment to the safety of its nationals and residents, and in swift response to emergencies, the UAE successfully executed evacuation operations, which were coordinated and facilitated by the Iranian side, to ensure their safe return home. UAE among countries to evacuate citizens from Iran Furthermore, the UAE continues to engage in intensive calls and diplomatic consultations with the relevant and strategic partners, to de-escalate tensions and restore peace, stemming from a steadfast commitment to diplomacy and dialogue as the only viable path forward. This reflects the UAE's broader vision of fostering stability, justice, and prosperity for the peoples of the region. Meanwhile, Oman, in continuation of the efforts made by the Foreign Ministry to facilitate the repatriation of citizens from Iran, announced the safe return of 193 Omani nationals from Bandar Abbas Port to Khasab Port. The repatriation was secured as part of the third phase of the approved evacuation plan. In a humanitarian cooperation effort, this phase also included the repatriation of 158 nationals of other countries who were able to transit through Oman under the current circumstances. Additionally, 155 Omani citizens and a number of foreign nationals were safely repatriated by air from Iraq to Oman, as part of ongoing coordination with relevant authorities and the Omani Embassy in Baghdad. The Ministry, in cooperation with Oman's diplomatic missions abroad, continues to implement the evacuation plan to ensure the safe and secure return of all Omani citizens to their homeland. For its part Bahrain, in its ongoing efforts to facilitate the return of Bahraini citizens stranded abroad in countries affected by current developments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deployed a team of Bahraini diplomats to Turkmenistan. The diplomats are overseeing and coordinating with the relevant Turkmen authorities to streamline entry procedures for Bahraini citizens stranded in the Islamic Republic of Iran, enabling their transit through Turkmenistan and onward travel to the Kingdom of Bahrain via Gulf Air, the national carrier. The Ministry also arranged transportation by bus from the city of Mashhad for citizens wishing to depart Iran by land. The regional repatriations come as more than 20 countries around the world are taking measures to evacuate their citizens from Israel and Iran as the two nations enter the seventh day of their air war and airspace in the region remains closed. Some countries temporarily closed their embassies, according to Reuters. Australia: Around 1,500 Australians in Iran have registered for assistance, with another 1,200 Australians in Israel seeking to leave Austria: 48 Austrians left Israel and about 100 Austrians asked to leave Iran Bulgaria: Sofia has evacuated 17 of its diplomats and their families from Iran to Azerbaijan and is planning to repatriate them by land and air, the Bulgarian government said on Thursday. It said an administration at the Bulgarian embassy in Tehran was moving temporarily to Baku China: China has evacuated more than 1,600 citizens from Iran and hundreds more from Israel, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday The Czech Republic: A plane carrying 66 people evacuated from Israel landed near the capital, Prague France: Paris will arrange convoy by the end of the week to get French nationals without their own means of doing so to the Turkish or Armenian borders from Iran to access airports in those countries, French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Thursday. French citizens in Israel will be able to board buses starting Friday morning Germany: The German Foreign Ministry said that 345 Germans left the Middle East after the country provided charter flights Greece: Greece has evacuated 16 of its nationals and their families by land from Iran to Azerbaijan and is now working on their repatriation to Greece, the foreign ministry said on Thursday India: So far 110 Indian students have been evacuated from northern Iran, having crossed over into Armenia on June 17, India's foreign ministry said Italy: 29 of the about 500 Italian nationals left Iran on Wednesday with assistance from the government, a diplomatic source said Japan: Japan's top government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Thursday Japan would send two Self-Defence Forces transport aircraft to Djibouti in eastern Africa in preparation for the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Iran and Israel. He also said the Japanese embassies in Israel and Iran were preparing to evacuate Japanese nationals to neighbouring countries by bus, with plans to implement evacuation as early as Thursday New Zealand: The government has temporarily closed its Tehran embassy and evacuated two staff and their family by land to Azerbaijan Poland: A group of Polish citizens evacuated from Iran landed in Warsaw on Thursday morning, ending the evacuation from the country, the Foreign Ministry's spokesperson told journalists. The first plane evacuated from Israel landed in Warsaw on Wednesday morning and a second one is expected on Thursday afternoon from Amman, with 65 people on board Portugal: has temporarily shut its embassy in Iran and evacuated four of its citizens via Azerbaijan. It has received 130 repatriation requests from citizens in Israel and is organising a repatriation flight, expected to land in Portugal later on Thursday, the foreign ministry said Serbia: A group of 100 Serbs have fled Israel via Egypt, ambassador Miroljub Petrovic said on Thursday Sierra Leone: 36 of its citizens were evacuated to Armenia Slovakia: The first evacuation flight arrived in Bratislava on Monday, carrying 73 people, 25 tourists and five family members of diplomats working in Tel Aviv South Korea: Eighteen South Korean nationals and two of their family members who are Iranian nationals were evacuated by land from Iran, South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday United States: The United States is working to evacuate U.S. citizens wishing to leave Israel by arranging flights and cruise ship departures, U.S. ambassador Mike Huckabee said in a post on X
Khaleej Times
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
UAE evacuates citizens, residents from Iran amid conflict
The UAE has evacuated a number of its citizens and residents who were present in Iran, in coordination with the relevant authorities. As part of its ongoing commitment to the safety of its citizens and residents, and its swift response to emergencies, the UAE successfully carried out the evacuation operations with the facilitation and coordination of the Iranian side to ensure their safe return home.
