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USA Today
4 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Gen. Wesley Clark: This is the moment for American leadership in Middle East. We can't miss it.
Iran's long-standing quest for nuclear weapons was at least set back for many months, and probably several years. This is the moment for American leadership. After 12 days of Israeli air strikes, Iran's air defenses were largely disabled, above-ground nuclear facilities destroyed, and much of its ballistic missile production and launch capacity wrecked. Nevertheless, Iranian retaliation caused destruction and loss of life in Israel. Then the U.S. entered the fight on the evening of June 21. Iran's three principal, known nuclear enrichment sites, were pounded and penetrated with 14 of the 30,000 Massive Ordnance Penetrators and more than two dozen sea-launched cruise missiles. By the early morning of June 24, Iran and Israel had agreed a ceasefire in the destructive campaign each was waging against the other. It was a triumphant moment for President Donald J. Trump, under whose direction the U.S. armed forces had launched the largest, most complex stealth bomber and TLAM strikes ever undertaken. Iran's long-standing quest for nuclear weapons was at least set back for many months, and probably several years. Many parties had much to gain from the ceasefire: Crown prince of Iran: Israel weakened Iran regime. World must help finish the job | Opinion What happens now for Iran and the rest of the world? But now what? Israel has been highly successful in the use of military force over many decades in the region – from the 1948 war of independence, through the 1956 war in Sinai, the 1967 preemptive war against Egypt, Jordan and Syria, the 1973 war, the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, strikes against the PLO in Tunisia in 1985, and later operations in Lebanon and Gaza. U.S. military action in the Gulf War in 1991 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003 were also highly successful. At this time, Israel, with U.S. help, has stripped Iran of its protective shields of Hezbollah and Hamas, and Iran, without effective air defenses, is laid bare. But outstanding military operations are not sufficient – they must be followed by successful work to end the roots of the conflict. Not once has this happened in the Middle East. Hatred, resentment, anger, terrorism and war have become endemic to the region. This is the moment to end the pattern of continuing conflict. But that requires new appreciation among the leaders in the region of the realities underscored by this latest bout of conflict. Iran, you're not going to have a nuclear bomb, no matter what. And if you continue to seek it, your regime will be defeated along with the destruction of your country. Israel, you cannot continue to use force with impunity – even with the best technology, your own people are vulnerable. To others in the region: Israel and the Palestinians are both permanently in the region; and with all due respect to the different religion, sects, and ethnicities at play, and the pain of history, both must be accommodated, accepted, and, ultimately, embraced as part of a thriving and prosperous Middle East. If there was ever a moment for fundamental change within the region, this is it. The world has come face to face with the potential of a spiraling conflict. Many of the Gulf States have achieved unprecedented wealth and are on the path to world-leading economic, social and technical advances. The region is still and will likely remain the center of global energy production, distribution and investment. There is everything to gain from seizing this moment. Gen. Wesley Clark: Trump needs to push Putin hard to end war in Ukraine – now | Opinion This is the moment for American leadership But how to proceed? Based on the model followed by President Clinton in dealing with the Balkans in the 1990's, it is best to start with a set of principles agreed upon objectively, by those outside the conflict but with the influence and will to deal with the respective parties. The principles must be fair and practicable. It required many weeks of shuttle diplomacy for the much simpler issues in the Balkans, and then, ultimately a 78-day air campaign by NATO in parallel with Presidential-level mediation by outside parties. In all, it entailed more than five years of continuous effort by the United States. In this region, the issues are deeper and more complex, but certainly among the principles, Iran must renounce its efforts, overt and covert, to destroy the state of Israel, and Israel must respect the rights of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to govern and develop their own self-governing state. Terrorism against Israel must be halted. Countries in the region must participate in rebuilding the Palestinian homeland in the West Bank and Gaza. Sanctions against Iran will be lifted, and Iran will be provided the materials it needs for peaceful nuclear energy. Progress must be phased and accompanied by confidence-building measures. Perhaps the Abraham Accords will be fully implemented, and the U.S. will provide a security umbrella for all in the region. International organizations will no doubt remain part of the solution. Perhaps Russia and China, and other interested parties will be invited as observers. Iran today is a wounded tiger. Maybe 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium is still available, maybe some other country will provide nuclear weapons or materials. Revenge will be sought. We cannot permit the next conflict – it could well go 'nuclear.' So neglect or failure are not options. This is the moment for American leadership. It is the moment for President Trump to exercise his broader vision for strategic realignment of the region, and in so doing, to end the Middle East as a cockpit for continuing conflict. Wesley K. Clark is a retired four-star general who served as commander of U.S. Southern Command and then as commander of U.S. European Command/Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.
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First Post
9 hours ago
- Science
- First Post
Latest satellite images confirm Iran now expanding its Fordow site after US bombings
Signs of 'fresh earth movement,' including new access roads and clusters of crater zones are visible at the Fordow site read more Latest satellite images show Iran might be working to expand the Fordow nuclear facility days after the site was targeted by US B-2 stealth bombers. Images released by Maxar Technologies reveal that heavy machinery has been moved into the site, and signs of additional earthwork are visible. There are signs that tunnel entrances may have been deliberately sealed off before the US bombers dropped Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) on the underground site. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Fordow was among the three nuclear sites that US bombers targeted overnight on June 21–22 under Operation Midnight Hammer. Now, signs of 'fresh earth movement,' including new access roads and clusters of crater zones are visible at the Fordow site. Significance The US administration has claimed that the bombings ' obliterated ' the underground facility at Fordow; however, satellite images indicate Iran may have already moved enriched uranium 'to a safe location'. An analysis by the Open Source Centre in London also suggested that visuals show that Iran may have been preparing the site for a strike. However, it is unclear exactly what, if anything, was removed from the facility. What do the new images reveal? In recent imagery, earth-moving equipment is visible near the northern tunnel complex. Bulldozers are shifting soil around a ridgeline crater, with new access paths evident. Imagery from June 19-20 showed several bulldozers and trucks near the tunnel entrance, likely part of an effort to block or reinforce access points. In the new images, the entrances appear filled with dirt, and debris from MOP impacts is noticeable in several areas. Can Iran still build a nuclear bomb? With the high probability that Iran has moved its stockpile of enriched uranium elsewhere, there are chances that the nation could build a nuclear weapon. However, Ronen Solomon, an Israeli intelligence analyst, told The Telegraph that even if Iran had moved its uranium, it would be 'like having fuel without a car', adding: 'They have the uranium, but they can't do a lot with it unless they have built something we don't know about on a small scale.'
Newsweek
16 hours ago
- Newsweek
New Satellite Imagery Shows Iran Expanding Work at Fordow Nuclear Site
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. New satellite imagery captured on Friday shows intensified construction and excavation activity at Iran's Fordow nuclear facility, days after U.S. B-2 stealth bombers dropped Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) on the underground site. The latest images, captured by Maxar Technologies, reveal heavy machinery still in place, additional earthwork and signs that tunnel entrances may have been deliberately sealed off before the strikes. The Fordow site, buried inside a mountain 60 miles south of Tehran, was among three Iranian nuclear sites targeted during Operation Midnight Hammer, launched overnight on June 21–22. Based on the pictures, the facility now shows signs of "fresh earth movement," including new access roads and clusters of crater zones, particularly near key tunnel entrances. Why It Matters While initial U.S. assessments described the bombing damage as "extremely severe," the updated satellite photos suggest Iran may have acted preemptively to secure sensitive components. Iranian state media reported that nuclear sites had been evacuated and that enriched uranium was moved "to a safe location" ahead of the strikes. International observers have expressed concern about Iran's production of highly enriched uranium at Fordow, though it remains unclear how much remained at the site during the bombing. Analysts say sealing the tunnels with dirt could have shielded underground assets or served to limit post-strike assessments. What To Know In the new imagery, earth-moving equipment can be seen operating near the northern tunnel complex. Bulldozers are repositioning dirt around one of the ridgeline craters, and newly formed access paths are visible. Wide view of Fordow enrichment complex showing recent excavation patterns and a trail of disturbed soil, indicating active recovery efforts. Wide view of Fordow enrichment complex showing recent excavation patterns and a trail of disturbed soil, indicating active recovery efforts. Maxar Technologies Earlier imagery from June 19 and 20 shows multiple bulldozers and trucks positioned near the tunnel entrance. Observers now believe this was part of a coordinated effort to block or reinforce access points. The entrances appear filled with dirt, and ejecta from MOP impacts is visible in multiple locations. Close-up showing excavators near the northern entrances to Fordow's underground complex. Close-up showing excavators near the northern entrances to Fordow's underground complex. Maxar Technologies Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on NBC's Meet the Press that intelligence suggests "a lot of 60 percent enriched uranium" had been buried deep at Fordow but acknowledged uncertainty. "We have to assume" it was still there, he said. Annotated satellite view showing dirt-filled tunnel entrances at Fordow, likely sealed before Operation Midnight Hammer. Annotated satellite view showing dirt-filled tunnel entrances at Fordow, likely sealed before Operation Midnight Hammer. Maxar Technologies Meanwhile, the Pentagon continues to evaluate the mission's effectiveness. "Our initial assessment is that all of our precision munitions struck where we wanted them to strike and had the desired effect," said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. "Especially in Fordow, which was the primary target here, we believe we achieved destruction of capabilities there." New access roads and bulldozers are visible near crater zones left by U.S. MOP strikes. New access roads and bulldozers are visible near crater zones left by U.S. MOP strikes. Maxar Technologies As for the long-term status of Fordow's centrifuges, the IAEA said this week it believes they are "no longer operational," though experts say only on-site inspections or additional intelligence will reveal the true extent of the damage. For now, new imagery shows Iran actively working to either conceal or rehabilitate the site. What Happens Next Although President Trump has announced a ceasefire that has held through the week, Iranian state media and lawmakers have indicated that retaliation is still possible.
2 days ago
- Politics
Secrets on Iran nuclear strike spill into open as Trump defends bombing
The Pentagon on Thursday released an extraordinary number of details about the military's top-secret bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities and its defense of an air base in Qatar. The unusual disclosures – including analysts briefed at secret locations, bombs dropped into ventilation shafts, and a small group of young service members left behind at a base to shoot down Iranian missiles – is being orchestrated by a White House angry over questions about the effectiveness of the U.S. strike, which targeted three Iranian nuclear targets on June 21. Trump insists Iran's nuclear program has been "obliterated," while an early Pentagon intelligence assessment said the strike might only have set back Iran's program by "months." Military officials say they need much more time to assess the damage. Here's what we've learned: There was a 15-year, top-secret mission to figure out how to destroy Iran's Fordo nuclear facility In 2009, a U.S. officer working for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency was brought into a vault at an undisclosed location and shown highly classified photos of a construction site in the Iranian mountains, according to Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Caine said the officer and another colleague would go on to spend 15 years studying the site. They analyzed the weather and the geology of the mountain, along with any items discarded from the site. They eyed ventilation shafts, electrical systems and environmental control systems too, he said. "Every nook, every crater, every piece of equipment going in and every piece of equipment going out -- they literally dreamed about this target at night when they slept," Caine said. When the analysts realized they did not have a weapon to strike Fordo if needed, Caine said they teamed up with industry in a top-secret effort to build the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, specifically to hit it. "Then, on a day in June of 2025, more than 15 years after they started their life's work, the phone rang and the president of the United States ordered the B-2 force" to strike the target, Caine said. One of them later told Caine, "I can't even get my head around this." 12 bombs were dropped down two ventilation shafts capped with concrete. In a bid to defend the strikes as successful, both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in recent days have publicly disclosed that 12 of the 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators used in the June 21 strike were dropped on the nuclear facility at Fordo. At the briefing on Thursday, Caine went further, describing that six bunker-buster bombs were dropped down each of the two ventilation shafts with fuses programmed to detonate at specific times. Caine said the Iranians had covered the ventilation shafts with concrete caps, but the first bomb blew off the caps. After that, the next four bombs were programmed to drop more than 1,000 feet per second and "explode in the mission space." The final bomb was designated as a "flex weapon," or backup, he said. "All six weapons at each vent, at Fordow went exactly where they were intended to go," Caine said, adding that the result was "a mix of overpressure and blast ripping through the open tunnels and destroying critical hardware." Caine said the fighter pilots who trailed the B-2 bombers said that after the first bomb struck the target "the pilots stated, quote, this was the brightest explosion that I've ever seen. It literally looked like daylight." DIA says Fordo damaged, but questions remain on impact to Iran's nuclear program. About a day after the attack, the Defense Intelligence Agency produced an early assessment estimating Iran's nuclear program was set back by "months." According to the two people familiar with the classified report, the bombing sealed off the entrances to two of the three nuclear sites targeted in the attack but that most of the damage was done to structures above ground, leaving the lower structures intact. The assessment also found that at least some enriched uranium remained – possibly moved from the nuclear sites ahead of the blasts. President Donald Trump insists the enriched uranium wasn't moved in advance. Hegseth, visibly angry that details of the report had leaked, said "new intelligence" estimates the Iran program has been knocked back by "years," not months, and he read from the classified assessment to reporters. "It points out that it's not been coordinated with the intelligence community at all," said Hegseth, adding that the report was labeled "low confidence." A couple of dozen service members in their 20s defended a U.S. airbase in Qatar. Two days after the strike, U.S. officials got word that Iran was planning to launch a retaliatory attack on an American air base in Qatar called al-Udeid. According to Caine, officials quickly evacuated the base in part of extend the security perimeter, leaving behind two Patriot missile batteries and some 44 soldiers. Of the troops left to defend the base, the oldest was a 28-year-old captain. Caine said the group listened to "chatter" of the impending attack in the oppressive heat and were told to ensure their missile batteries were pointed north. Iran began launching short- and medium-range missiles, prompting the soldiers to unleash "round after round" of Patriot missiles from their canisters. Caine called the operation the "largest single Patriot engagement in U.S. military history," noting the Qataris aided in the defense.
AllAfrica
2 days ago
- Politics
- AllAfrica
Obliteration myth: no end, new beginning for Iran's nuke quest
US President Donald Trump's triumphant announcement that the US military, in coordination with Israeli intelligence, had successfully 'obliterated' Iran's underground Fordow nuclear facility has sparked a cascade of contradictions among US intelligence circles, regional analysts and global observers. Yet again, the Trump administration has chosen rhetorical bravado over forensic clarity. At the heart of the issue lies not only a paradox of perception—between military claims and verifiable reality—but also a larger geopolitical recalibration involving the strategic stakes of the US, Israel, Iran and China. Most crucially, a growing body of satellite and intelligence analysis casts serious doubt on whether the so-called super bunker buster bombs deployed, known as Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs), achieved any of the irreversible damage Trump claims. Fordow is one of Iran's most heavily fortified nuclear facilities, buried under 80 meters of rock and reinforced concrete. Its strategic design makes it exceedingly difficult to destroy through air strikes alone. The MOPs, originally designed to penetrate hardened underground bunkers like those in North Korea, were deployed in the June 22 strikes. However, military experts caution that even MOPs have limitations, particularly when their deployment is rushed and unverified by third-party intelligence on target movements and pre-emptive evacuations. In the days leading up to the strike, satellite imagery from commercial and military sources showed large convoys of trucks entering and exiting the Fordow site, consistent with the removal of high-value equipment, sensitive documents and potentially enriched uranium stockpiles. These movements were picked up by analysts across multiple agencies, including within the US Department of Defense and the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), though the latter has since been sidelined politically and diplomatically. If, as these reports suggest, Iran had already cleared out the most vital components of its nuclear operations, then the US strike—no matter how visually dramatic—would have hit an emptied facility, inflicting symbolic rather than strategic damage. In contrast to Trump's chest-thumping claims of 'obliteration,' the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has provided a far more measured analysis: Iran's nuclear program has been 'delayed' rather than destroyed. According to DIA officials cited in classified briefings referenced in media reports, Fordow's damage was partial, possibly confined to the outer layers or access tunnels, and did not impact core centrifuge halls that had likely been decommissioned prior to the strike. Worse still, the attack may have inadvertently strengthened Iran's resolve to pursue nuclear deterrence. Historically, nations under attack have accelerated—not abandoned—nuclear development. Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Libya under Gaddafi and even North Korea after the US invasion of Iraq all responded by doubling down on nuclear research. What makes this episode even more surreal is Trump's subsequent offer to reopen diplomatic ties with Iran. Within days of the Fordow strike, Trump floated the idea that Iran and the US could be 'great friends' again, bizarrely suggesting that the bombing of critical infrastructure could be a precursor to peace. This behavior aligns with Trump's broader pattern of narcissistic foreign policy-making—driven not by strategic goals but by theatrical optics and a craving for accolades, including the elusive Nobel Peace Prize he has long coveted. But such overtures ring hollow. Diplomacy cannot be built on the smoldering ruins of nuclear sites, especially when there is no third-party verification mechanism in place. The IAEA, which should be the cornerstone of verification and trust-building, has been reduced to a bystander. Following the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 and Israel's continuous skepticism of the agency's impartiality, Iran's trust in the IAEA has evaporated. In Tehran's view, the IAEA is no longer a neutral body but a Western-aligned instrument of pressure. Thus, any renewed inspections—particularly after Israeli intelligence allegedly infiltrated Fordow—are highly unlikely to be welcomed. The era of voluntary transparency in Iran's nuclear policy is effectively over. While Trump postures and the Pentagon parses impact reports, China and the US remain locked in their focus on Iran—each for strategic but diverging reasons. For Washington, Iran is a potential nuclear flashpoint, a theater to project power and a testbed for its deterrence credibility. For Beijing, Iran is not a threat but a partner—economically vital and strategically indispensable to its long-term Eurasian vision. Iran's geographic position at the crossroads of the Persian Gulf, Central Asia and the Indian Ocean gives it outsized importance in China's energy diversification and trade routes. Beijing's consistent opposition to sanctions and preference for diplomacy positions it as a more reliable interlocutor for Tehran, especially in the wake of Western strikes and diplomatic betrayals. This contrast reinforces the global perception that China offers a more stable and long-term strategic alternative, while US policies remain volatile and often transactional. If Trump's intent was to isolate Iran and diminish its regional and global ties, the reality may be the opposite: His military aggression risks pushing Iran further into China's strategic orbit, where mutual distrust of the West fosters tighter cooperation. In the final analysis, the so-called obliteration of Fordow is more political theater than military victory. Without third-party verification, without a diplomatic follow-through and with Iran's strategic assets likely evacuated before the strike, Trump's operation appears to have achieved little beyond headlines. Instead of closing the nuclear chapter with Iran, it has reopened an even more volatile one—where trust has eroded, verification is impossible and geopolitical alignments are shifting in ways that may haunt US policymakers for years to come. China and the US remain locked in their focus on Iran, but their approaches could not be more different: one seeks dominance through disruption, the other influence through persistence. In this sense, the strike on Fordow may well be the end that is not the end—just another beginning in the long and dangerous nuclear imbroglio of the Middle East. Phar Kim Beng, PhD, is professor of ASEAN studies, International Islamic University Malaysia . Luthfy Hamzah is senior research fellow, Strategic Pan Indo Pacific Arena, Kuala Lumpur
