Latest news with #USStrikes
Asharq Al-Awsat
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump Tells Iran's Supreme Leader: ‘You Got Beat to Hell'
President Donald Trump on Friday scoffed at Ali Khamenei's heated warning to the US not to launch future strikes on Iran, as well as the Iranian supreme leader's assertion that Tehran "won the war" with Israel. Trump, in remarks to reporters and later in an extended statement on social media, said Khamenei's comments defied reality after 12 days of Israeli strikes and the US bombardment of three key nuclear sites inflicted severe damage on the country's nuclear program. The president suggested Khamenei's comments were unbecoming of Iran's most powerful political and religious figure. "Look, you're a man of great faith. A man who's highly respected in his country. You have to tell the truth," Trump said of Khamenei. "You got beat to hell." The US president spoke out a day after Khamenei insisted Tehran had delivered a "slap to America's face" by striking a US air base in Qatar and warned against further attacks by the US or Israel on Iran. Khamenei's pre-recorded statement, which aired on Iranian state television, was the first time that Iranians had heard directly from the supreme leader in days. The heated rhetoric from Trump and Khamenei continued as both leaders face difficult questions about the impact of the strikes. Trump and his aides have pushed back vociferously after an early damage assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency became public and indicated that the US bombardment likely only set back Tehran's nuclear program by months. The 86-year-old Khamenei, the most powerful figure in Iran's theocracy, meanwhile, has appeared intent on demonstrating his authority and vigor amid speculation about his health and how involved he was in making Iran's wartime decisions through the 12-day conflict. In a social media post Friday, Trump also appeared to refer to a plan presented to the White House by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government in the first days of the Israel-Iran conflict to try to kill Khamenei. Trump vetoed that plan, according to a US official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. "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 US Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life," Trump posted on Truth Social. "I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, "THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!" Trump, after the US airstrikes, sent chilling warnings via social media to Khamenei that the US knew where he was but had no plans to kill him, "at least for now." After launching the US strikes — including with US-made bunker-buster bombs — Trump has been insistent that Iran's nuclear sites have been "obliterated." Administration officials have not disputed the contents of the DIA report but have sought to focus on a CIA statement and other intelligence assessments, including those out of Iran and Israel, that said the strikes severely damaged the nuclear sites and rendered an enrichment facility inoperable. Trump also said that he expects Iran to open itself to international inspection to verify it doesn't restart its nuclear program. Asked if he would demand during expected talks with Iran that the International Atomic Energy Agency or some other organization be authorized to conduct inspections, Trump told reporters Iran would have to cooperate with the IAEA "or somebody that we respect, including ourselves." White House officials have said they expect to restart talks soon with Iran, though nothing has been scheduled. US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff earlier this week said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of US-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was canceled after Israel attacked Iran. Trump expressed confidence that Iran's nuclear ambition has faded. "Can I tell you, they're exhausted. And Israel's exhausted, too," Trump said. He added, "The last thing they're thinking right now is nuclear."
CTV News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Trump tells Iran's supreme leader: ‘You got beat to hell'
U.S. President Donald Trump points to a reporter to take a question as he speaks to the media, Friday, June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday scoffed at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's heated warning to the U.S. not to launch future strikes on Iran, as well as the Iranian supreme leader's assertion that Tehran 'won the war' with Israel. Trump, in remarks to reporters and later in an extended statement on social media, said the ayatollah's comments defied reality after 12 days of Israeli strikes and the U.S. bombardment of three key nuclear sites inflicted severe damage on the country's nuclear program. The president suggested Khamenei's comments were unbecoming of Iran's most powerful political and religious figure. 'Look, you're a man of great faith. A man who's highly respected in his country. You have to tell the truth,' Trump said of Khamenei. 'You got beat to hell.' The U.S. president spoke out a day after Khamenei insisted Tehran had delivered a 'slap to America's face' by striking a U.S. air base in Qatar and warned against further attacks by the U.S. or Israel on Iran. Khamenei's pre-recorded statement, which aired on Iranian state television, was the first time that Iranians had heard directly from the supreme leader in days. The heated rhetoric from Trump and Khamenei continued as both leaders face difficult questions about the impact of the strikes. Trump and his aides have pushed back vociferously after an early damage assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency became public and indicated that the U.S. bombardment likely only set back Tehran's nuclear program by months. The 86-year-old Khamenei, the most powerful figure in Iran's theocracy, meanwhile, has appeared intent on demonstrating his authority and vigor amid speculation about his health and how involved he was in making Iran's wartime decisions through the 12-day conflict. In a social media post Friday, Trump also appeared to refer to a plan presented to the White House by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government in the first days of the Israel-Iran conflict to try to kill Khamenei. Trump vetoed that plan, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. '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 posted on Truth Social. 'I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!' Trump, after the U.S. airstrikes, sent chilling warnings via social media to Khamenei that the U.S. knew where he was but had no plans to kill him, 'at least for now.' After launching the U.S. strikes — including with U.S.-made bunker-buster bombs — Trump has been insistent that Iran's nuclear sites have been 'obliterated.' Administration officials have not disputed the contents of the DIA report but have sought to focus on a CIA statement and other intelligence assessments, including those out of Iran and Israel, that said the strikes severely damaged the nuclear sites and rendered an enrichment facility inoperable. Trump also said that he expects Iran to open itself to international inspection to verify it doesn't restart its nuclear program. Asked if he would demand during expected talks with Iran that the International Atomic Energy Agency or some other organization be authorized to conduct inspections, Trump told reporters the Islamic Republic would have to cooperate with the IAEA 'or somebody that we respect, including ourselves.' White House officials have said they expect to restart talks soon with Iran, though nothing has been scheduled. U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff earlier this week said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of U.S.-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was canceled after Israel attacked Iran. Trump expressed confidence that Iran's nuclear ambition has faded. 'Can I tell you, they're exhausted. And Israel's exhausted, too,' Trump said. He added, 'The last thing they're thinking right now is nuclear.' Aamer Madhani and Will Weissert, The Associated Press
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Opinion: Iran's 'missing' uranium and the plan to hide it
More than five days after President Donald Trump ordered unprecedented US strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, Americans are just now starting to receive the first sober analysis of the attacks. Though the assessments are not coming from the US government and, especially, not from the mainstream American media. Over the past few days, many in the press have been chasing their tails over a classified Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report, which was disgracefully leaked by someone inside the Pentagon , Congress , or the US intel community. Such a preliminary report, probably based primarily on satellite imagery and geospatial analysis, is considered a 'low confidence' assessment, for no one can determine with any high degree of certainty the status of a clandestine nuclear facility buried deep underground from images taken from outer space. Indeed, the IAEC is an Israeli government authority, but the IAEC has every incentive to understate, not overstate, the impact of the US strikes on the underground uranium enrichment plant at Fordow – the crown jewel of the Iranian nuclear program. Their findings are supported by other Israeli intelligence agencies. Surely, the Israelis would be the first to advocate for additional strikes against Iranian nuclear targets if they believed a threat still existed. Logically, if they exaggerated the damage caused by the US attacks that would undermine their predicate for attacking Iran in the future to destroy any additional capabilities or nuclear weapons scientists. But according to the IAEC, the job is done. 'The devastating US strike on Fordow destroyed the site's critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable,' read an IAEC statement released Wednesday. 'We assess that the American strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran's military nuclear program, has set back Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.' That Israeli assessment, however, comes with a caveat. The IAEC noted that the devastation of the Iranian nuke program can 'continue indefinitely' if Iran 'does not get access to nuclear material.' If Tehran was stashing enriched uranium outside of the facilities at Fordow or Natanz, which were both hit by American GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bunker buster bombs , then they may have the ability to reconstitute their program, which brings us to the latest nuclear red herring. Some in the media are raising alarm over publicly available satellite imagery that shows a line of cargo trucks parked outside Fordow in the days before the US strikes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was pressed on this during a Pentagon news conference on Thursday. 'We're looking at all aspects of intelligence and making sure we have a sense of what was where,' he said. I'm certain that both the US and Israeli intel have been looking into this. But I have serious doubts that the Iranians would have moved nuclear material out of Fordow in the days before the strike. It's possible but it is far more likely that they were moving enrichment uranium or centrifuge parts into the heavily fortified mountain fortress. The Iranians, fearing additional Israeli attacks, would most likely have transferred any valuable materials into Fordow, knowing that the Israelis lacked the bombs capable of penetrating the rock shield around the facility and doubting that Trump would order a strike. Additionally, Tehran is well aware that Israel and the US have intelligence dominance over their entire country and would be closely monitoring the comings and goings at Fordow. Would the Iranians really have risked loading enrichment uranium into trucks only for them to be tracked and destroyed by their enemies? The idea strains credulity. Finally, it would be a massive, unimaginable intelligence failure by Israel and the US, after demonstrating extraordinary and exquisite operational skills, to simply forget to monitor a line of cargo trucks leaving Fordow. With that said, the Iranians were likely storing at least some enriched material in locations not destroyed in recent strikes. The third Iranian nuclear facility targeted in the US attack was the Isfahan site, which was hit by Tomahawk missiles, likely leaving deep tunnels intact. If material was kept there, it may still be there. That is why it is now critically important for the US to demand that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei agree to full, transparent and verifiable nuclear disarmament as part of any ceasefire agreement. And no deal would be worth the paper that it is printed on without the threat of American and Israeli military might to enforce it. There's got to be a clear signal from President Trump that any indication that the Iranians are moving materials or rebuilding or hiding weaponization activities will result in an overwhelming US response. And if the US is not prepared to strike again, they need to give the Israelis the green light act and threaten the regime that any retaliation against Israel carries the risk of a US military response.
Fox News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
New York Times attorney tells Trump no apology coming for coverage of Iran strikes
President Donald Trump will not receive an apology from The New York Times for its coverage of U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, according to an attorney for the Gray Lady. Trump has repeatedly called out The New York Times, along with CNN, for coverage of U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. On Tuesday, the Times published an article on a leaked intelligence assessment that the strike had only set Iran back by a few months, which Trump administration officials have said is simply a false talking point designed to undermine the president. Trump has said the attacks were a complete success and "obliterated" Iran's capabilities. Trump has also called the media coverage "very unfair" to the mission's pilots and his legal team demanded a retraction and apology from the Times. A personal attorney for the president called the Times' reporting "false," "defamatory" and "unpatriotic," while threatening legal action. He also threatened to sue CNN over its reporting. Times senior vice president David McCraw, who serves as the paper's lead newsroom attorney, shot down the notion that any apology or retraction is on the horizon. "No retraction is needed. No apology will be forthcoming," McCraw wrote in a defiant response to Trump's attorney, Alejandro Brito. McCraw detailed why the paper stands by its report. "Let's be clear about what happened in the aftermath of the raid. The U.S. intelligence services issued a preliminary assessment concluding that the attacks delayed Iran's nuclear program only by a few months. That is what we reported," McCraw wrote. "While the Trump administration protests that the assessments were only preliminary—which, by the way, was the second word of our Article—and that later assessments may come to different conclusions," he continued. "No one in the administration disputes that the first assessments said exactly what the Article said they did: the destruction caused by the raid was not as significant as the President's remarks suggested." McCraw said that Americans deserve to know whether the attack on Iran was a success. "We rely on our intelligence services to provide the kind of impartial assessment that we all need in a democracy to judge our country's foreign policy and the quality of our leaders' decisions. It would be irresponsible for a news organization to suppress that information and deny the public the right to hear it," McCraw wrote. "We told the truth to the best of our ability. We will continue to do so," he added. Trump has recently said CNN and the Times are "disgusting, disgusting, really horrible groups of people" while objecting to coverage of the strikes. CNN has also stood by its reporting. "CNN stands by our thorough reporting on an early intelligence assessment of the recent strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, which has since been confirmed by other news organizations. The White House has acknowledged the existence of the assessment, and their statement is included in our story," a CNN spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
CTV News
14 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Fraser: U.S. involvement was ‘critical' in dealing a ‘significant blow to the Iranians'
Watch CTV military analyst David Fraser discusses the Trump and Hegseth's emotional reactions to questions about the effectiveness of U.S. strikes on Iran.
