Latest news with #TrumpStrikes
Free Malaysia Today
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Pentagon chief backs Trump, says strikes on Iran were successful
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth cited intelligence officials as saying Iran's nuclear facilities had been destroyed. (AP pic) WASHINGTON : US defence secretary Pete Hegseth insisted today that American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites were a success, backing president Donald Trump and berating the media for covering an intelligence report that questioned the results of the operation. American B-2 bombers hit two Iranian nuclear sites with massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs last weekend, while a guided missile submarine struck a third site with Tomahawk cruise missiles. 'President Trump created the conditions to end the war, decimating – choose your word – obliterating, destroying Iran's nuclear capabilities,' Hegseth told journalists at the Pentagon, referring to a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran. Trump has called the strikes a 'spectacular military success' and repeatedly said they 'obliterated' the nuclear sites. Today, he insisted that Iran did not manage to move nuclear materials – including enriched uranium – ahead of the US military action. 'Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!' Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. However, US media revealed a preliminary American intelligence assessment earlier this week that said the strikes only set back Iran's nuclear programme by months – coverage sharply criticised by Hegseth. 'Whether it's fake news CNN, MSNBC or the New York Times, there's been fawning coverage of a preliminary assessment.' The document was 'leaked because someone had an agenda to try to muddy the waters and make it look like this historic strike wasn't successful', Hegseth said. Trump has also lashed out at coverage of the intelligence report, calling for journalists to lose their jobs. 'Get a big shovel' Hegseth did not definitively state that the enriched uranium and centrifuges at the heart of Iran's controversial nuclear programme had been wiped out, but cited intelligence officials – although giving little detail – as saying the nuclear facilities were destroyed. 'If you want to know what's going on at Fordo, you better go there and get a big shovel, because no one's under there right now,' Hegseth said, referring to the deep-underground nuclear site. Among the officials cited by Hegseth was US director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who said the previous day that 'Iran's nuclear facilities have been destroyed'. He also referred to a statement by CIA chief John Ratcliffe that said: 'A body of credible intelligence indicates Iran's nuclear programme has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes.' Ratcliffe pointed to a 'historically reliable and accurate' source of information indicating that 'several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years'. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi, speaking today on French radio, meanwhile said Iran's uranium-enriching centrifuges had been knocked out. 'Given power of these (bombs) and the characteristics of a centrifuge, we already know that these centrifuges are no longer operational,' Grossi said. Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass on June 13 in a bid to end the country's nuclear programme, which Tehran says is for civilian purposes but Washington and other powers insist is aimed at acquiring atomic weapons. Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path to replace the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in 2018, but he ultimately decided to take military action. The US operation was massive, involving more than 125 US aircraft including stealth bombers, fighters and aerial refuelling tankers as well as a guided missile submarine.
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Republican says 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' influencing Iran strike coverage as new details emerge from classified briefing
Senators on both sides of the aisle gave mixed reactions after a classified intelligence briefing on Donald Trump 's strikes wiping out Iran 's nuclear sites. CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of Defense from Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Caine, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed lawmakers about Trump's strike on Iran's nuclear sites. Senators had demanded additional information due to conflicting reports over whether Trump totally 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear program after a top-secret intelligence document leaked to CNN said it just set it back a few months. The preliminary report also stated that Iran had moved much of its enriched uranium out of the sites before 30,000-pound 'bunker busters' were deployed by U.S. B-2 bombers. But the White House and Trump are denying any suggestion that the strikes were not successful saying the leaked report selectively left out crucial information and was it is still too early for a full analysis. Trump even blamed Democrats for the leak, being investigated by the FBI, suggesting they should be prosecuted. 'The Democrats are the ones who leaked the information on the PERFECT FLIGHT to the Nuclear Sites in Iran. They should be prosecuted!,' he wrote on Truth Social. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee blamed 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' for the negative press coverage on the strikes. 'Some Democrats, some in the media seem to have such a case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, that they're rooting for the survival of Iran's nuclear program versus celebrating success of our pilots and their crews, but I think the answers they got in there should be totally satisfactory, Cotton told reporters. Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) said that he was 'happy it's done and over with.' 'I think that Iranian nuclear development is set back years,' he noted. Asked if Iran was still capable of producing a nuclear weapon, Marshall added 'I think it would take years for them to be able to do that, and I don't think they have any interest in doing it right now.' When asked if his Democrat colleagues seemed satisfied with the briefing, Marshall said, 'they seem to be. There seem to be as much pushback today as there was when Soleimani was taken out, so I think they're pretty satisfied.' Yet, some Democrats did not seem to be as satisfied with the briefing as Marshall assumed they were. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told a gaggle of reporters that 'we set this program back for months,' further stating 'and that is not obliteration.' Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine told the Daily Mail that he still planned to move forward with his Presidential War Powers Resolution. Over the weekend, Trump directed the U.S. military to deploy a dozen 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' bombs that 'obliterated' Iran's three largest nuclear facilities. 'The strikes were a spectacular military success,' Trump said in a late-night address to the nation from the White House on Saturday. The U.S. military joined forces with Israel to launch military strikes against Iran Saturday using B-2 'bunker bomber' planes. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, leaves following a closed briefing on the situation in Iran for members of the U.S. Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 26, 2025 Just before 8:00 p.m. ET Saturday night, Trump posted on his social media site Truth Social confirming the attacks. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of Bombs was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. ' 'All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. Now Is The Time For Peace! Thank you for your attention to this matter.' Trump made the decision to attack Iran's sites 'based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.' A number of Democrats, particularly those in positions where they deal with issues of National Intelligence were not notified of the attacks before they came. Representative Jim Himes (D-Conn.) and Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) the top ranking Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence committees, respectively, did not know about the attacks until after they took place, sources told CNN. Himes, part of the intelligence-heavy Gang of Eight, voiced outrage about being kept in the dark. 'According to the Constitution… my attention to this matter comes BEFORE bombs fall,' he said. CNN also reported that other Democrat members of the Gang of Eight did not get a heads up on the operation. Warner indicated he was 'frustrated' by the delay in being briefed. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations committee complained that the president bucked a bipartisan tradition of 'regularly briefing Congress on major national security events.' Meanwhile, other Democrats, including Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), are contended over the weekend that the Iran strikes were ill-advised because the country 'posed no imminent threat' to the U.S.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Majority of Americans disapprove of US strikes on Iran: New poll
A majority of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump's strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, according to a new CNN poll released a day after an overseas American air base was targeted in apparent retaliation. The survey found 56% of respondents disapprove of the U.S. strike on Iran on Saturday, June 21, in which American warplanes dropped over a dozen bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites a little over a week after Israel launched a surprise air attack on Tehran. Those who strongly disapproved of the decision outpaced the share who strongly approved of the strikes, according to to the poll conducted by CNN and SSRS. Nearly all of the interviews were completed before Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Monday, June 23 that targeted a U.S. air base in Qatar, surveyors said, and all interviews were done before Trump's announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel Tuesday morning, June 24. Live updates: Angry Trump says both sides broke ceasefire, tells Israel to 'calm down' A significant majority of those surveyed − 80% − said they were following the developments somewhat or very closely, and about 6 in 10 respondents said they were worried that the strikes will increase the threat to the U.S. from Iran. 55% said they do not trust Trump's decision making on using force with Iran, while 45% said they do. "Sharp partisan divides cut through nearly every question asked in the survey," CNN wrote, with Democrats broadly opposed to the strikes while most Republicans said they support them, with the caveat that "younger GOP supporters and Republican-leaning independents are more skeptical than others in their party." The poll found 60% of independents and 80% of Democrats disapprove of the decision to take military action in Iran. In contrast, 82% of Republican respondents largely approve of the action. Trump's strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities effectively entered the U.S. into a war that Israel started on June 13 when it began bombing Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure. Israel said it helped the U.S. coordinate and plan the strikes. The study was conducted June 22-23, surveying a panel of 1,030 adults 18 or older via text message. The margin of error is ±3.5 points at a 95% confidence level. The CNN poll comes on the heels of a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on June 23, finding only 32% of respondents in support of continued U.S. airstrikes in the conflict. Like the CNN results, divisions were similarly stark across party lines, with 62% of Republicans backing further strikes and just 22% opposed. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New poll: 56% disapprove of Trump's strikes on Iran nuclear sites
Fox News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
‘The View' co-host Joy Behar wants Trump's Iran strikes 'to have been successful'
Print Close By Gabriel Hays Published June 26, 2025 Fierce anti-Trump personality Joy Behar told her co-hosts on "The View" Thursday that she wants President Donald Trump to be successful in debilitating Iran's nuclear weapons program. While discussing the feud between Trump and the press over coverage of his ordered strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities last Saturday, the co-host admitted she wanted Trump to have succeeded because of the threat a nuclear-armed Iran would pose to the world. "I personally would like it to have been successful," she said. TRUMP THRASHES CNN AS 'GUTLESS LOSERS' FOR COVERAGE OF US STRIKES ON IRAN Behar's statement came after she played clips of Trump calling CNN and MSNBC "scum" for reporting that the strikes may not have done as much damage as intended, according to leaked early intelligence estimates that have been harshly criticized by administration officials as misleading. Earlier this week, a handful of media outlets cast doubt on administration assertions that the strikes fully destroyed the Iranian facilities, including CNN publishing an exclusive Tuesday claiming, "US strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites," while the New York Times reported the Fordow nuclear facility was "severely damaged" but not "destroyed." Behar weighed in, first rebuking Trump for blasting the media. "First of all, why does he call them scum? Why does he have to do that – speak like that? It's so not presidential," she said. Behar went on to wonder if Trump was spinning the success of the strikes before an accurate assessment of the damage could be made. TRUMP ADDRESSES NATION ON 'SPECTACULAR MILITARY SUCCESS' OF US STRIKES ON IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES "Anyway, this was just a preliminary report and Trump's CIA director is backing their claim that the damage was severe. But if Trump was already – had made up his mind about this – he already made up his mind before he knew, and we knew what really happened. So is he obliterating the truth?" Despite bashing his behavior, Behar admitted she hoped Trump's attacks did destroy Iran's nuclear weapons program because of how dangerous the Iranian regime is. "I think Iran, a rogue state like that, having a nuclear bomb – I've been worrying about nuclear war since I'm a child hiding under a desk," she said. "I mean, I used to say, 'Why do I have to take my library books back? We're all going to die anyway.' That's when I was a child. So, I hope — I wanted him to be successful, but he lies so much that you never know what the truth is." CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin agreed with Behar's point and expressed dismay over people who are against the strikes just because Trump ordered them. "Seventy-nine percent of Americans agree that Iran shouldn't have a nuclear weapon," she said. "There's obviously debate over these strikes. Many people oppose the strikes, but I would say this, if they were successful, that is the most likely outcome to keeping us from getting into a bigger war with Iran." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Griffin added, "We, as of now, are not on the cusp of World War Three, and I would encourage people to walk that language back." Print Close URL
News.com.au
26-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Pentagon chief backs Trump on success of Iran strikes
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted Thursday that American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites were a success, backing President Donald Trump and berating the media for covering an intelligence report that questioned the results of the operation. American B-2 bombers hit two Iranian nuclear sites with massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs last weekend, while a guided missile submarine struck a third site with Tomahawk cruise missiles. "President Trump created the conditions to end the war, decimating -- choose your word -- obliterating, destroying Iran's nuclear capabilities," Hegseth told journalists at the Pentagon, referring to a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran. Trump has called the strikes a "spectacular military success" and repeatedly said they "obliterated" the nuclear sites. On Thursday, he insisted that Iran did not manage to move nuclear materials -- including enriched uranium -- ahead of the US military action. "Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!" Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. However, US media revealed a preliminary American intelligence assessment earlier this week that said the strikes only set back Iran's nuclear program by months -- coverage sharply criticized by Hegseth. "Whether it's fake news CNN, MSNBC or the New York Times, there's been fawning coverage of a preliminary assessment." The document was "leaked because someone had an agenda to try to muddy the waters and make it look like this historic strike wasn't successful," Hegseth said. Trump has also lashed out at coverage of the intelligence report, calling for journalists to lose their jobs. - 'Get a big shovel' - Hegseth did not definitively state that the enriched uranium and centrifuges at the heart of Iran's controversial nuclear program had been wiped out, but cited intelligence officials -- although giving little detail -- as saying the nuclear facilities were destroyed. "If you want to know what's going on at Fordo, you better go there and get a big shovel, because no one's under there right now," Hegseth said, referring to the deep-underground nuclear site. Among the officials cited by Hegseth was US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who said the previous day that "Iran's nuclear facilities have been destroyed." He also referred to a statement by CIA chief John Ratcliffe that said: "A body of credible intelligence indicates Iran's nuclear program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes." Ratcliffe pointed to a "historically reliable and accurate" source of information indicating that "several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years." International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi, speaking Thursday on French radio, meanwhile said Iran's uranium-enriching centrifuges had been knocked out. "Given power of these (bombs) and the characteristics of a centrifuge, we already know that these centrifuges are no longer operational," Grossi said. Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass on June 13 in a bid to end the country's nuclear program, which Tehran says is for civilian purposes but Washington and other powers insist is aimed at acquiring atomic weapons. Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path to replace the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in 2018, but he ultimately decided to take military action. The US operation was massive, involving more than 125 US aircraft including stealth bombers, fighters and aerial refueling tankers as well as a guided missile submarine.
