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Fox News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump neutralized Iran. But one big Middle East threat still looms
The world is a safer place because of the destruction of Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities thanks to the bold and effective actions of the U.S. military and the Trump administration. This decisive action follows the Israelis' resolute response to the Iranian-backed October 7th sneak attack on its defenseless civilians. Over the last 21 months, the Israelis have degraded Iran's military capabilities and decapitated their fanatical leadership. While these actions have crippled Iran's conventional weapons, they have dramatically increased the risk of Iranian terror proxy attacks against U.S. citizens across the globe. The greatest risk is presented by the Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah, which is responsible for the death of more Americans than any other terrorist organization. Since the late '70s Hezbollah has maintained a well-documented presence in the U.S., mainly for terror fundraising, but these so-called sleeper units can instantly morph into violent and lethal operational cells. An example of Hezbollah's enduring presence in the U.S. was the prosecution of a Hezbollah cell in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This case marked a significant chapter in the efforts to combat transnational terrorism on American soil. The investigation, which lasted four years, uncovered a network of criminals and criminal acts supporting international terrorism, demonstrating the global reach of Hezbollah and its strategic presence in American cities. Hezbollah members from the Charlotte cell were arrested, tried and convicted in a federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina. The case brought against the cell included copyright, cigarette tax and counterfeit violations, as well as bank scams, bribery, credit card fraud, identity theft, immigration fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, and "material support to a terrorist organization." Federal courts estimate the cell collected a total of $8 million, funneled through some 500 different bank accounts. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud, the cell's leader, was sentenced to 155 years in federal prison. Hammoud's older brother, Shawqi Youssef, (a.k.a. "Bassem"), and "right-hand man," received a prison sentence of 70 years. Overall, 26 people were indicted in the operation. Similar cases were later uncovered across the US. If anyone doubts the commitment of Iran and Hezbollah to killing Americans wherever they can find them, consider the following: A June 2022 study by the George Washington University program on extremism identified 128 individual examples of Hezbollah activity in the US. According to the study: "The majority of cases involved small, centralized hubs of Hezbollah operatives who engage in illegal activities in conjunction with wider criminal enterprises to create an array of networks across America." The misguided prioritization of the FBI during the Biden administration on "white supremacist" organizations diverted precious resources away from the greatest threat in its mission portfolio. As a result, the intelligence community is playing catch-up in a no-fail responsibility: to prevent harm to American citizens and interests at the hands of small cells or fanatical single operatives heeding the call from their Iranian masters to activate. It is an absolute certainty that the Biden administration's reckless open-border policies created an unprecedented opportunity for a host of additional international terror cells and individual fanatics to infiltrate into the U.S. The previous administration threw the door open to terrorists and criminals of every description. Border Czar Tom Homan reported that Biden's policies resulted in the capture and release of over 1,272 Iranian nationals who have melted into this country unvetted and unmonitored. In addition, there were over 2 million "got-aways." In April 1983, a suicide bomber in a pickup truck loaded with explosives rammed into the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Now that Iran's military capabilities have been greatly diminished, Hezbollah will revert to its origins as the most prolific and capable terrorist organization in the world. Other terror groups will do the same. The FBI, law enforcement and the intelligence community must be in hyperdrive to address what Homan has described as "the biggest national security vulnerability." Prevention of terrorist attacks in the homeland in the post-Biden era presents the greatest challenge since 9-11 and no resource should be spared in supporting this mission.
CBC
6 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
The Iran, Israel and U.S. conflict, explained
Ceasefire between countries is fragile but holding ⭐️HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW⭐️ Israel attacked nuclear facilities in Iran with missiles on June 13. Iran has retaliated with its own strikes, and people on both sides have been killed. On June 21, the United States joined the fighting and bombed a nuclear facility in Iran. Israel and the U.S. said they attacked because Iran is close to building nuclear weapons, which Iran denies. A ceasefire deal reached on June 23 is shaky but appears to be holding. Read on to find out why experts are concerned. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ For almost two weeks, Israel and Iran — two countries in the Middle East — have been at war. It started when Israel said it fired missiles into Iran on June 13 to destroy its nuclear facilities. These are places where a metal called uranium is enriched and turned into a concentrated energy source that could be used to create nuclear weapons, the world's most powerful bombs. Israel said it attacked out of fear that Iran would create those weapons. Iran denies this, saying their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, like generating power. On June 21, the U.S. got involved by bombing three nuclear sites in Iran. Iran later fired missiles at a U.S. military base in Qatar. A few days later the three countries agreed to a ceasefire, which appears to be holding for now. The conflict in the Middle East as of November 2024 What's a nuclear weapon? You may be wondering— what exactly is a nuclear weapon? Where did they come from, who has them, and why are they such a threat? Read this explainer on nuclear weapons — it may help you better understand the rest of this article and how we got here. Why did Israel attack Iran? Iran's leadership has long called for the destruction of Israel. There's been tension between Iran and Israel for many years, and they've exchanged fire as recently as 2024, though that escalation didn't last long. But on June 13, it once again came to a head. Israel claimed that Iran was very close to making nuclear weapons which could be used against Israel. Israel is widely believed to have its own nuclear weapons, but has denied this. 'In recent months, Iran has taken steps it has never taken before to weaponize this enriched uranium,' said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the initial attack. But was their attack justified? Some have criticized Israel for acting without enough proof. 'There was no evidence that Iran was about to attack Israel,' Mira Sucharov, professor of political science at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, told CBC Kids News. A recent report from the International Atomic Energy Agency — which monitors nuclear programs around the globe — concluded that Iran likely does not currently have nuclear weapons. But they also concluded Iran is likely hiding parts of its nuclear program from inspectors. They also said Iran isn't following all of the rules that many countries around the world have agreed to that prevent the development of more nuclear weapons. Iranian missiles are seen over Israel on June 13. At least 28 Israelis have been killed and more than a thousand wounded, according to Israel's Health Ministry. Still, Sucharov said Israel may have broken international laws that require a country to provide clear evidence of a threat before attacking another country. Others think it was justified regardless. 'Some think Israel's attack was ethical, that they are protecting themselves and protecting the world from a future Iranian nuclear threat,' said Sucharov. Why did the U.S. get involved? Some of Iran's nuclear facilities were buried deep underground, and Israel didn't have the weapons to destroy them. But the U.S. — their close ally — has those weapons. The U.S. has expressed worry about Iran obtaining nuclear weapons for years. 'The U.S. has said for 20 years they could possibly bomb Iran, but no president has ever done so. Here, Trump saw an opportunity,' said Christian Leuprecht, a military expert and professor of political science at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. strikes were necessary to destroy Iran's progress in building a nuclear weapon. (Image credit:) Leuprecht said that opportunity presented itself after Israel weakened Iran over the past year through, among other factors, dismantling some of Iran's key allys. Trump has been negotiating with Iran this year to sign a deal that would limit Iran's nuclear programs in exchange for the U.S. lifting sanctions. Sanctions are penalties that can cost a country lots of money and have weakened Iran's economy. But those negotiations haven't been successful. Leuprecht said Trump may have bombed Iran's nuclear facilities to force them back to negotiations, this time with less leverage. That said, Iran has insisted it will not give up its nuclear program. Despite U.S. strikes hitting three Iranian nuclear sites, it's not clear how much their overall nuclear program has been set back. What's happening now? On Monday, Iran launched attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle Eastern countries of Qatar and Iraq. Early Tuesday morning, Trump announced that the U.S. and Israel had reached a ceasefire deal with Iran. Later that day however, Israel and Iran accused one another of breaking the ceasefire through missile strikes. On Wednesday, the ceasefire appeared to be holding and Trump said that U.S. and Iranian officials would reenter talks next week. Have more questions? Want to tell us how we're doing? Use the 'send us feedback' link below. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ With files from The Associated Press and Reuters
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fragile ceasefire holding, Trump envoy says peace talks with Iran 'promising'
By Gram Slattery, Alexander Cornwell and Parisa Hafezi WASHINGTON/TEL AVIV/ISTANBUL (Reuters) -The ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump between Iran and Israel appeared to be holding on Wednesday a day after both countries signalled that their air war had ended, at least for now. Each side claimed victory on Tuesday after 12 days of war, which the U.S. joined with airstrikes in support of Israel to take out Iran's uranium-enrichment facilities. Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said late on Tuesday that talks between the United States and Iran were "promising" and that Washington was hopeful for a long-term peace deal. "We are already talking to each other, not just directly but also through interlocutors. I think that the conversations are promising. We are hopeful that we can have a long-term peace agreement that resurrects Iran," Witkoff said in an interview on Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle" show. "Now it's for us to sit down with the Iranians and get to a comprehensive peace agreement, and I am very confident that we are going to achieve that," he added. Trump said over the weekend that U.S. stealth bombers had "obliterated" Iran's programme to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its enrichment activities are for civilian purposes only. But Trump's claim appeared to be contradicted by an initial report by one of his administration's intelligence agencies, according to three people familiar with the matter. One of the sources said Iran's enriched uranium stocks had not been eliminated, and the country's nuclear programme, much of which is buried deep underground, may have been set back only a month or two. The White House said the intelligence assessment was "flat out wrong." According to the report, which was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the strikes sealed off the entrances to two of the facilities, but did not collapse underground buildings, said one of the people familiar with its findings. Some centrifuges remained intact, the Washington Post said, citing an unnamed person familiar with the report. Trump's administration told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday that its weekend strikes had "degraded" Iran's nuclear programme, short of Trump's assertion that the facilities had been "obliterated." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the attack had removed the nuclear threat against Israel and he was determined to thwart any attempt by Tehran to revive its weapons program. "We have removed two immediate existential threats to us: the threat of nuclear annihilation and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles," he said. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had successfully ended the war in what he called a "great victory," according to Iranian media. Pezeshkian also told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Tehran was ready to resolve differences with the U.S., according to official news agency IRNA. Israel launched the surprise air war on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders in the worst blow to the Islamic Republic since the 1980s war with Iraq. Iran, which denies trying to build nuclear weapons, retaliated with barrages of missiles on Israeli military sites and cities. RESTRICTIONS LIFTED Israel's military lifted restrictions on activity across the country at 8 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) on Tuesday, and officials said Ben Gurion Airport, the country's main airport near Tel Aviv, had reopened. Iran's airspace likewise will be reopened, state-affiliated Nournews reported. Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday, finding some respite after plummeting in the last two sessions, as investors assessed the stability of the ceasefire and the diminished prospect of an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The truce appeared fragile: Both Israel and Iran took hours to acknowledge they had accepted the ceasefire and accused each other of violating it. Trump scolded both sides but aimed especially stinging criticism at Israel, telling the close U.S. ally to "calm down now." He later said Israel called off further attacks at his command. Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, said he told his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, that his country would respect the ceasefire unless Iran violated it. Pezeshkian likewise said Iran would honour the ceasefire as long as Israel did, according to Iranian media. Israeli armed forces chief of staff Eyal Zamir said a "significant chapter" of the conflict had concluded but the campaign against Iran was not over. He said the military would refocus on its war against Iran-backed Hamas militants in Gaza. Iranian authorities said 610 people were killed in their country by Israeli strikes and 4,746 injured. Iran's retaliatory bombardment killed 28 people in Israel, the first time its air defences were penetrated by large numbers of Iranian missiles. (Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay and Reuters bureaus; Writing by Jonathan Allen and Stephen Coates; Editing by Timothy Heritage, Ross Colvin, Joe Bavier, Cynthia Osterman and Michael Perry)
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oil prices edge higher as investors assess Iran-Israel ceasefire
By Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) -Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday, finding some respite after plummeting in the last two sessions, as investors assessed the stability of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Brent crude futures rose 75 cents, or 1.1%, to $67.89 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 71 cents, or 1.1%, to $65.08. Brent settled on Tuesday at its lowest since June 10 and WTI since June 5, both before Israel launched a surprise attack on key Iranian military and nuclear facilities on June 13. Prices had rallied to five-month highs after the U.S. attacked Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend. U.S. airstrikes did not destroy Iran's nuclear capability and only set it back by a few months, according to a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment, as a shaky ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump took hold between Iran and Israel. Earlier on Tuesday, both Iran and Israel signaled that the air war between the two nations had ended, at least for now, after Trump publicly scolded them for violating a ceasefire. As the two countries lifted civilian restrictions after 12 days of war - which the U.S. joined with an attack on Iran's uranium-enrichment facilities - each sought to claim victory. Direct U.S. involvement in the war had investors worried about the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, through which between 18 million and 19 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and fuel flow, nearly a fifth of global consumption. Investors awaited U.S. government data on domestic crude and fuel stockpiles due on Wednesday. U.S. crude fell by 4.23 million barrels in the week ended June 20, market sources said, citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. [API/S] [EIA/S]
Reuters
25-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Oil prices edge higher as investors assess Iran-Israel ceasefire
June 25 (Reuters) - Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday, finding some respite after plummeting in the last two sessions, as investors assessed the stability of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Brent crude futures rose 75 cents, or 1.1%, to $67.89 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 71 cents, or 1.1%, to $65.08. Brent settled on Tuesday at its lowest since June 10 and WTI since June 5, both before Israel launched a surprise attack on key Iranian military and nuclear facilities on June 13. Prices had rallied to five-month highs after the U.S. attacked Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend. U.S. airstrikes did not destroy Iran's nuclear capability and only set it back by a few months, according to a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment, as a shaky ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump took hold between Iran and Israel. Earlier on Tuesday, both Iran and Israel signaled that the air war between the two nations had ended, at least for now, after Trump publicly scolded them for violating a ceasefire. As the two countries lifted civilian restrictions after 12 days of war - which the U.S. joined with an attack on Iran's uranium-enrichment facilities - each sought to claim victory. Direct U.S. involvement in the war had investors worried about the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, through which between 18 million and 19 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and fuel flow, nearly a fifth of global consumption. Investors awaited U.S. government data on domestic crude and fuel stockpiles due on Wednesday. U.S. crude fell by 4.23 million barrels in the week ended June 20, market sources said, citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday.
