Latest news with #NuclearAgreement
Forbes
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
U.S. Strikes Set Iran Nuclear Program Back 'Years,' CIA Says (Live Updates)
June 25, 5 p.m. EDT Ratcliffe said in statement the CIA obtained a 'body of credible evidence' indicating Iran's nuclear program was 'severely damaged' by the U.S. strikes, which includes 'intelligence from a historically reliable source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.' 11:20 a.m. EDT The U.S. will meet with Iran 'next week' to discuss a possible nuclear agreement, Trump told reporters, though he noted he doesn't 'think it's that necessary' and 'I don't care if I have an agreement or not.' 'The only thing we would be asking for is what we were asking for before,' Trump added, 'We want no nuclear, but we destroyed the nuclear.' 11 a.m. EDT The White House released a statement backing Trump's claims that U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites were 'highly successful,' while featuring other supportive comments, including from the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, which claimed, 'The devastating U.S. strike on [Fordow] destroyed the site's critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable.' 5:15 a.m. EDT Speaking to reporters in the Netherlands ahead of a NATO summit, Trump again insisted the U.S. bombing resulted in 'complete obliteration.' The president said the intelligence assessment—which suggested minimal damage—was 'very inconclusive,' adding: 'The intelligence says we don't could have been very severe.' The president said the U.S. bombings 'ended the war,' between Iran and Israel' and said the strikes impact was 'essentially the same thing' as the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings from World War II. Trump also dismissed suggestions Iran managed to successfully relocate their enriched uranium before the strikes, saying: 'They didn't have a chance to get anything out, because we acted very hard to remove that kind of material, very hard and very dangerous for them to remove it.' 1:30 a.m. EDT Trump dismissed the New York Times and CNN's report on the damage assessment in a post on Truth Social which said: 'THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED! BOTH THE TIMES AND CNN ARE GETTING SLAMMED BY THE PUBLIC!' The president attacked the outlets, saying: 'FAKE NEWS CNN, TOGETHER WITH THE FAILING NEW YORK TIMES, HAVE TEAMED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY.' The president's Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff also appeared on Fox News, to refute the reports and said: 'We put 12 bunker buster bombs on Fordow. There's no doubt that it breached the there's no doubt that it was obliterated.' Witkoff also told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, 'it goes without saying that the leaking of that sort of information, whatever the information, whatever site it goes out on, is outrageous, it is it ought to be investigated and whoever did it, whoever is responsible for it should be held accountable.' June 24, 3:20 p.m. EDT The report, according to unnamed officials interviewed by the New York Times, also says the U.S. bombing closed off the entrances to two enrichment facilities but 'did not collapse their underground buildings.' Officials told the Times more reports will follow the initial assessment as the U.S. collects more information and as Iran examines the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites. 1:38 p.m. EDT Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al-Araby al-Jadeed, a London-based news outlet, that Iran would not return to negotiations with the U.S. if 'aggression' against Iran continued, CNN reported. 1 p.m. EDT Eyal Zamir, Israel's military chief, told reporters Israel's campaign against Iran was not over, though Israel has 'concluded a significant phase' and the Israeli military's focus 'shifts back to Gaza' and dismantling Hamas. 7:40 a.m. EDT Shortly before he left the White House for a NATO summit in the Netherlands, Trump criticized Israel and Iran and accused both of ceasefire violations saying: 'We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing.' Trump was particularly critical of Israel's actions, saying 'I gotta get Israel to calm down now...I don't like the fact that Israel went out on a mission this morning and I am going to see if I can stop it.' The president said 'Israel, as soon as we made a out and dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I've never seen before.' 7:28 a.m. EDT Trump said in a post on TruthSocial that Israel 'is not going to attack Iran' and that all planes will turn around 'while doing a friendly 'Plane Wave.'' In another post shortly after, Trump posted that Iran will 'NEVER REBUILD' its nuclear facilities. 6:55 a.m. EDT In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: 'ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!' 6:30 a.m. EDT In a post on X, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote: 'I have instructed the IDF, in coordination with the Prime Minister, to respond forcefully to the violation of the ceasefire by Iran through intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran.' 'The Iranian regime has severely violated the ceasefire declared by the President of the United States and launched missiles toward Israel, and in accordance with the government's policy as determined—we will respond forcefully to any violation,' he added. 4:45 a.m. EDT Iranian state media denied Israel's claims that it launched a fresh round of aerial attacks after the ceasefire went into effect. 4:20 a.m. EDT The Israeli Defense Forces accused Iran of violating the ceasefire between the two countries by launching another set of missiles toward northern Israel. A short while later, the country's Defense Minister Israel Katz told the Times of Israel he has instructed the IDF to 'respond forcefully to Iran's violation of the ceasefire with intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran.' 2:45 a.m. EDT Israel confirmed it had agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Iran but warned that any violations by Tehran would draw a forceful response. June 24, 1:15 a.m. EDT In a post on his Truth social platform, Trump wrote: 'THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!' June 23, 11:45 p.m. EDT Iranian state media announced a ceasefire has been 'imposed' on Israel after Iran's 'successful missile attacks,' and the TV anchor claimed that Trump had 'pleaded' with Iran to do so. The annoucement then cited Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on X, who said: 'As of now, there is NO 'agreement' on any provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.' 6:02 p.m. EDT In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that Israel and Iran agreed to a 'Complete and Total CEASEFIRE' in the next 24 hours, after days of exchanging air and missile strikes. The president offered no further details about what either side agreed to, but insisted both sides would 'remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL.' 4 p.m. EDT Trump said 'hardly any damage was done,' while 13 of the missiles Iran fired were 'knocked down' and one was 'set free,' he wrote, making multiple inferences that there would be no escalation of the military conflict between Tehran and Washington, while also thanking Iran for 'giving us early notice' of the counterstrikes. Trump said Iran has 'gotten it all out of their 'system,' and there will, hopefully, be no further hate,' writing 'CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT'S TIME FOR PEACE!' in the series of posts. 2 p.m. Officials at the Department of Defense confirmed to multiple outlets that Al Udeid Air Force base was targeted by short and medium-range ballistic missiles, but no casualties have been reported from the attack. 1:10 p.m. EDT In televised remarks, the Iranian government took credit for the attack, which it called 'a mighty and successful response' to the American strikes. 12:48 p.m. EDT Iran filed missiles toward Al Udeid Air Force Base near Doha. Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemned the attack and said the nation's air defenses 'successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles.' 9:20 a.m. U.S. cities were on edge Monday morning, with Miami briefly shutting down its Metrorail after a 'suspicious package' was found at Stephen P. Clark Government Center in Miami, requiring the building and the surrounding area to be evacuated, the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office told Forbes, while the Miami Herald reported a bomb squad was called. 7:30 a.m. EDT The Israeli military said it struck the routes leading up to Iran's underground Fordow nuclear facility—which was targeted by U.S. bunker busters—'in order to obstruct access' to the site. 6.30 a.m. EDT Russian President condemned the U.S. military's strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, calling it an 'absolutely unprovoked act of aggression against Iran; it has no basis or justification,' after meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Moscow. 4 a.m. EDT China has been as one of the more vocal critics of the U.S. strikes on Iran, with its foreign ministry saying the move 'seriously violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and escalates tensions in the Middle East.' June 22, 10:30 p.m. EDT According to NBC News, Iran sent a message to Trump through an intermediary during last week's G7 summit, warning that it would activate sleeper-cells to carry out terror attacks inside the U.S. 9:30 p.m. EDT Earlier on Sunday, the president raised the prospect of regime change in Iran, despite other officials in his administration insisting that the U.S. was not seeking such a thing. The U.S. struck three nuclear sites across Iran Saturday—Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan, following more than one week of strikes between Iran and Israel, with Trump warning there would be 'peace or tragedy for Iran' depending on whether they retaliated. The next day, Trump claimed Iran's nuclear sites sustained 'monumental damage' from the U.S. strikes, citing satellite images. Iranian military officials accused America of 'committing crimes' against the Iranian state and strikes between Iran and Israel continued over the course of the weekend. The U.S. strike was conducted by seven B2 Spirit bombers that took off from an Air Force base in Missouri overnight, Hegseth and Caine said Sunday. One of those bombers dropped two massive ordnance penetrators on a nuclear facility in Fordo at 2:10 a.m. local time, Caine said—the first of 14 bombs dropped across Iran. Additionally, a submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at the nuclear facility in Esfahan around 5 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Caine said. Caine added the operation also involved launching more bombers to the Pacific as a decoy, which he called an 'effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the U.S. operation an 'outrageous, grave, and unprecedented violation of the fundamental principles of the charter of the United Nations and international law' and Trump. On Monday, Iran fired several missiles into the Al Udeid Air Force Base near Doha, one of the largest U.S. air force bases in the Middle East. Trump announced Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire later Monday, which Israel later accused Iran of violating and threatened military action. 'American deterrence is back,' Hegseth said. 'We will act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners or our interests are threatened.' The escalation in the Middle East began on June 13 after Israel launched a surprise campaign of airstrikes at key Iranian nuclear facilities, initially killing at least 78 people. Iran responded by launching volleys of missiles at Israeli targets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The two adversaries continued to exchange strikes over the course of the week, but the U.S. initially stayed out of the conflict. On Thursday, Trump abruptly announced he would make a decision about joining Israel's war against the Middle Eastern nation within two weeks, urging Iran to make a deal. The U.S. and Iran had spent weeks attempting to negotiate a new nuclear deal in Oman, but the talks were suspended after the Israeli campaign began.
Al Arabiya
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Trump says US will hold talks with Iran ‘next week'
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States would hold talks with Iran next week, with a possible agreement on the table about Tehran's nuclear program. 'We're going to talk to them next week with Iran, we may sign an agreement, I don't know,' said Trump. He said Israel and Iran were tired but the conflict between the two countries could start again. 'I dealt with both and they're both tired, exhausted ... and can it start again? I guess someday, it can. It could maybe start soon,' Trump told reporters.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel-Iran attacks loom over Trump at G7: Five things to watch
President Trump heads to Canada on Sunday for the first gathering of the Group of Seven (G-7) alliance since he returned to office in January, a summit that has taken on fresh urgency amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Canada will play host to the gathering of world leaders days after Israel and Iran traded attacks on Friday, risking a further escalation in a simmering situation in the region. The gathering also comes after Trump has for months openly mused about annexing his neighbor to the north as a 51st state. Leaders are also expected to discuss key issues like trade and the war in Ukraine. Here are five things to watch. The G-7 comes at a precarious time in the Middle East after Israel carried out strikes against Iran, which soon retaliated. Residential neighborhoods in both Tel Aviv and Tehran were targets, as were Iranian nuclear sites and military bases. The Trump administration had been attempting to broker an agreement with Tehran to limit its nuclear capabilities, something the president has indicated it may still try to do in the wake of the Israeli attack. Other world leaders have urged de-escalation, wary of another wider conflict in the region. Trump on Friday morning told ABC News that Iran missed its chance for talks. 'I think it's been excellent,' Trump said of the Israeli strikes. 'We gave them a chance and they didn't take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you're going to get hit. And there's more to come. A lot more.' When the first strikes were launched, the Trump administration quickly distanced itself from the Israeli operation. On Friday, a U.S. official confirmed it was helping Israel intercept missiles coming into Israel from Iran. By midday on Friday, Trump told NBC News that Iran may have another opportunity to make a deal over its nuclear program and indicated that the Iranians are calling him and reaching out. Israel then came under a heavy bombardment from Iran. Trump had cautioned Israel the day before the strikes were launched that attacks on Iranian sites could threaten the U.S.'s nuclear talks. 'As long as I think there is an agreement, I don't want them going in because I think that would blow it. Might help it, actually. But also could blow it,' Trump told reporters on Thursday when asked if he had advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against firing into Iran. Trump's insistence that Canada would be better off being absorbed into the U.S. is sure to linger over his visit to the country, even if it is not on the agenda in a formal way. Trump is set to have a one-on-one meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday. The president spent the weeks after his November electoral victory suggesting Canada should become a state and mocking then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as 'governor.' Trump has claimed the U.S. has no need for Canadian imports, while Canada needs the U.S. for business and military protection. Trump hosted Carney at the White House in early May, where Trump doubled down on his suggestion that Canada would benefit from becoming the 51st state even as Carney was adamant it would not happen. 'I say 'never say never.' I've had many, many things that were not doable, and they ended up being doable,' Trump said. 'Canada loves us, and we love Canada. That's I think the number one thing that's important. But we'll see. Over time, we'll see what happens.' Canadian politicians and citizens have signaled they are opposed to the idea of becoming part of the United States, and it's possible Trump will face some protests or demonstrations while in Canada. The summit is being held in Kananaskis, a less populated area in the Canadian Rockies where it may be less likely to see demonstrations or public opposition to Trump and other leaders. Trump's 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs on all trading partners expires on July 8, which would give the administration a few more weeks to negotiate deals on tariffs while only agreements with China and the United Kingdom have been announced. Multiple key trading partners will be at this week's summit, including Japan and members of the European Union. But, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested in testimony to lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday that the July 8 deadline could have some wiggle room for certain countries. 'It is highly likely that for those countries that are negotiating – or trading blocs, in the case of the EU – who are negotiating in good faith, we will roll the date forward to continue the good-faith negotiation,' Bessent said. 'If someone is not negotiating, then we will not.' The administration had ambitious goals for their negotiations, aiming for 90 deals in 90 days. They have teased that deals with trading partners like India, Japan and Vietnam are close to being finalized, but haven't announced anything concrete. Trump on Thursday said officials from India were in D.C. negotiating a trade deal and that he thought Pakistan officials would be in Washington next week for negotiations. The White House is looking for wins on its trade policy after Trump had to pause his hefty tariffs in April amid pressure from Republicans and Wall Street over concerns that an aggressive policy could lead the U.S. into a recession. The president had also previously suggested that if there is no agreement between the U.S. and other countries, he and his aides will determine an appropriate tariff rate to impose moving forward. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to be at the G-7 but the White House hasn't announced if Trump will meet one-on-one with him. Ukraine and Russia's war is a particularly challenging spot for Trump, after he vowed on the 2024 campaign trail to end the ongoing war within 24 hours of taking office but has made little apparent headway about five months later. Russia has so far refused U.S. proposals for a 30-day ceasefire and Trump has expressed increasing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he recently said had gone 'absolutely CRAZY.' Trump on Thursday placed blame on both countries. 'I'm very disappointed in Russia, but I'm disappointed in Ukraine also because I think deals could have been made,' he said. Trump has also grown impatient with Zelensky, saying the Ukrainian president needs to do more to stop the war. When Zelensky visited the White House in February, the meeting quickly unraveled into a public spat when Vice President JD Vance suggested Zelensky wasn't thankful enough to Trump for the help he has given his country. The president spoke with Putin earlier this month in the aftermath of a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian bombers. He said the conversation was 'good' but not one that 'will lead to immediate peace.' Additionally, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth raised eyebrows this week when he told senators it 'remains to be seen' if Putin would 'stop at Ukraine' while Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan 'Razin' Caine said he did not believe Putin would stop at Ukraine if he succeeded in taking over the country. The president will travel to The Hague for the NATO Summit later this month, making June a month of meetings with allies. Some notable world leaders from outside the G-7 membership, including Zelensky, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be at the summit this week in Canada. The White House has said Trump will hold meetings on the sidelines, but didn't confirm with whom. 'I can confirm there will be quite a few bilateral meetings between Trump and other foreign leaders. The White House is still working very hard to finalize that schedule,' press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday. This year's NATO summit will take place June 24 and 25. It will mark the first gathering for the alliance since Trump took office. Where former President Biden made support for NATO a cornerstone of his foreign policy, Trump has previously cast doubt on whether the U.S. would protect other members of the alliance if they had not contributed enough to defense spending. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reuters
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Australia 'alarmed' by escalation between Israel and Iran
SYDNEY, June 13 (Reuters) - Australia foreign minister Penny Wong said on Friday she was alarmed by the escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran, after Israel said it had struck dozens of targets inside Iran. "Australia is alarmed by the escalation between Israel and Iran," Wong told a news conference. "This risks further destabilising a region that is already volatile." Australians in the region should monitor government advisories from Canberra on travel in the Middle East, she added. Israel said early on Friday that it struck Iran, and Iranian media said explosions were heard in Tehran as tensions mounted over U.S. efforts to win Iran's agreement to halt production of material for an atomic bomb.
Asharq Al-Awsat
04-06-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump Says He Spoke to Putin About Ukraine, Iran
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he discussed the recent drone attacks by Ukraine on Russia and developments concerning Iran in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the conversation, Putin told Trump that Russia will have to respond to the Ukrainian drone attacks, the US president said. "It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace," he said in a Truth Social Post. "I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement."
