Latest news with #nuclearfacilities
Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Times
Lebanon travel advice: is it safe to visit right now?
Israel launched an unexpected attack on Iran on Friday, June 13, targeting its nuclear facilities, and the two have been exchanging fire since. Both have said their attacks would continue, raising the prospect of another protracted conflict. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to parts of Lebanon and against all but essential travel to other parts of the country. Here's what you need to know. • Is it safe to travel to the Middle East right now?• Read the latest on Israel-Iran here On June 22, the UK Foreign Office update its advice following the US military strikes against Iran. It stated that ongoing hostilities in the region and between Israel and Iran have the potential to deteriorate further, quickly and without warning and flagged that the current situation has disrupted air links and may disrupt road links and border crossings. There is a possibility of short-notice airspace closures, delayed and cancelled flights, and other unanticipated travel impacts. In addition, demonstrations and protest activity may take place. Areas in Beirut and Mount Lebanon Governorate The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to the following neighbourhoods, excluding Route 51 from central Beirut to the airport: • Tariq el Jdideh• Bir Hassan (excluding the Rafiq Hariri hospital and the Ministry of Public Health)• Ghobeiry• Chiayah, south of the Rizkallah Semaan road and west of (but not including) the Old Saida road• Haret Hraik• Burj Al Barajneh• Mraije• Laylake And against all but essential travel to the area of Mount Lebanon Governorate south of (but not including) the road from Khiam El Damour in the west (and extending to the Mediterranean Sea), through Mghayreh, Kfar Him, Deir El Qamar, Maaser Beit Ed Dine, Batloun, Barouk and Maaser El Chouf, to where the Barouk-Joub Jannine Road crosses the Mount Lebanon-Beqaa Governorate boundary in the east. Areas in the South and Nabatiyeh Governorates The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to: • Areas south of the Litani River, from where it enters the Mediterranean Sea in the west to where it crosses the Qlayaa road in the east, and areas south of (but not including) the Nabatiyeh-Marjayoun Road between that point and Qlayaa. This area includes the cities of Tyre, Rachidiyeh and Naqoura• The areas of Nabatiyeh Governorate that lie east of the town of Qlayaa, and east of (and including) the Rachaiya-Marjaayoun Road that runs north-eastwards through the towns of Marjaayoun, Kawkaba, and Marj El Zhour/Dnaibeh to the Beqaa Governorate boundary And against all but essential travel to: • Areas of South Governorate north of the Litani River• Areas of Nabatiyeh Governorate north of the Litani River and west of (but excluding) the Rachaiya-Marjaayoun Road to the Beqaa Governorate boundary, passing through the towns of Marjaayoun, Kawkaba, and Marj El Zhour/Dnaibeh Areas in the Beqaa Governorate The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to: • Areas of Beqaa Governorate that lie east of (but not including) the Rachaiya-Marjaayoun Road, from where it crosses the Nabaityeh/Beqaa boundary, heading north-eastward along the Masnaa-Rachaiya Road, Beirut-Damascus International Highway, Bar Elias, and Houch Hala to (and including) Riyaq on the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate boundary. The towns of Khiam, Hasbaya, Rachaya, Al Masnaa, Aanjar and Riyaq are in this area. And against all but essential travel to: • The area of Beqaa Governorate north and east of (but not including) the Aintoura-Zahle Road, from Darh El Harf on the Mount Lebanon/Beqaa Governorate boundary to (but not including) Zahle, extending to the 'Eastern Beqaa Governorate' area• The rest of Beqaa Governorate, except for the areas south and west of (and including) the Aintoura-Zahle Road, from Darh El Harf on the Mount Lebanon/Beqaa Governorate boundary to (and including) Zahle; Zahle and the area that lies west of (and including) the Zahle-Baalbek Highway and Chtoura-Nabatiyeh Road, running southward from Zahle to the intersection with the Barouk-Joub Jannine Road Areas in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to: • The area of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate east of (and including) the Zahle-Baalbek and Baalbek-Qaa Highways, from where the Ali El Nahri Road joins the Zahle-Baalbek Highway near Riyaq, northward past Baalbek, and through Makneh and Laboueh to the intersection with the Hermel-Ras Baalbek Road• The area of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate north and east of the roads between the intersection of the Baalbek-Qaa Highway and the Hermel-Ras Baalbek Road to the North Governorate boundary via (and including) Hermel and Zouaitini And against all but essential travel to all other areas of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. Areas in the North Governorate The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to the city of Tripoli, along the city boundaries. And against all but essential travel to the area of North Governorate north and east of the main roads from Bohssas to Ariz via Kousba, Ehden, and Kfarsghab, and north and east of the Ariz-Baalbeck Road until it meets the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate boundary,excluding the city of Tripoli. This includes the areas south up to the Tripoli-Kousba road but not including the road or the towns which run along it stretching from Bohssas in the east, southwards to Kousba and then eastwards on the Amioun-Ehden Road to Ehden and on to Ariz and the cedar areas. Areas in the Akkar Governorate The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Akkar Governorate. • Travel insurance guide: everything you need to know The Foreign Office advise that although a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah came into force on November 27, 2024, the security environment remains unpredictable. The Israel Defence Forces continue to conduct airstrikes and artillery fire at targets in Lebanon, including the south, near the Israeli and Syrian borders, and in the Nabatiyeh and Beqaa Governates north of the Litani River. The closure or disruption of roads and exit routes at short notice could affect your ability to leave the country. It advises that you should not rely on the UK Foreign Office being able to evacuate you in an emergency. The Foreign Office also advises that there are ongoing airstrikes, mortar and artillery exchanges across Lebanon, primarily on the boundary with Israel and the Beqqa Valley, and also in the south and in the Nabatiyeh Governates north of the Litani River. Strikes in other areas of the country cannot be ruled out. The Foreign Office is aware that many people are returning to the south of Lebanon. Be aware that the Israel Defence Forces continue to tell people not to return to areas in the south close to the Blue Line. There are reported incidences of the Israel Defence Forces firing on people who get too close to locations where they retain a presence. It states that further air strikes in Lebanon cannot be ruled out. Strikes have resulted in civilian casualties and the destruction of residential buildings. There are also strikes both in population centres and in rural areas. It advises travellers to keep up to date with the latest situation including using multiple media sources to understand the frequency and location of strikes as these may change rapidly. • Is it safe to travel to Israel right now? Latest advice• Is it safe to travel to Turkey right now? Latest advice• Is it safe to travel to Jordan right now? Latest advice• Is it safe to travel to Cyprus right now? Latest advice The Foreign Office has advised against all travel to parts of Lebanon and all but essential travel to other parts of the country. To enter Lebanon, your passport needs to be valid for at least three months from the date you arrive in the country; you will be denied entry if it's not. You will also need a free single-entry tourist or family visa, which you can obtain at the Lebanon embassy office in Kensington, London or on arrival at the entry port in Beirut International Airport. Name checks are carried out against all visitors' names on arrival for those wanted for, or convicted of, offences in Lebanon. Anyone whose name matches an entry can be detained until they can provide a record that shows they are not the wanted or convicted person, or related to them. The Foreign Office advises that visitors might be able to do this by producing a copy of a birth certificate or other official documentation that allows parents' names to be checked against the database, and that travellers should consider carrying this kind of supporting documentation.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leaked Iran Call Further Shreds Trump's Narrative: Report
Iranian government officials in a phone call said that the U.S. military strikes against its nuclear facilities were not as damaging or extensive as they had expected, further undermining the Trump administration's narrative that they were 'completely and totally obliterated.' The Washington Post first reported the call, citing four people familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter. In the conversation that was meant to be private, Iranian government officials wondered why the strikes did not cause more widespread destruction. The administration in a statement from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt essentially confirmed the existence of the call but called the paper's reporting 'shameful.' 'It's shameful that The Washington Post is helping people commit felonies by publishing out-of-context leaks,' Leavitt said. 'The notion that unnamed Iranian officials know what happened under hundreds of feet of rubble is nonsense. Their nuclear weapons program is over.' The U.S. military targeted nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan and definitely caused damage, although how much damage is under debate among the intelligence community. The news of the call broke on the same day an interview with Donald Trump aired where the president threatened to jail Democratic lawmakers who he says leaked intelligence information. He also said his administration would demand that journalists who reported on the leaks reveal their sources. 'We can find out [who leaked the intelligence],' Trump said on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures. 'If they want to, we can find out easily. You go up and tell the reporter, 'National security, who gave it [to you]?' You have to do that, and I suspect we'll be doing things like that.' Trump in those comments is referring to journalists from CNN and The New York Times. Both outlets reported on a leaked intelligence summary from the Pentagon that concluded the bombings closed off entrances to two facilities but that the structures underneath remained intact. The attacks only set Iran's nuclear program back months, the report said, contradicting the administration's claims that their facilities were completely destroyed. 'It turned out, no, it was obliterated like nobody's ever seen before,' Trump said in the interview that aired Sunday. 'And that meant the end to their nuclear ambitions, at least for a period of time.' More from Rolling Stone Trump Threatens to Force Journalists to Reveal Sources Who Leaked Iran Intel Report Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Will Destroy America's Climate Progress Republicans Keep Making Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' Worse Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leaked Iran Call Further Shreds Trump's Narrative: Report
Iranian government officials in a phone call said that the U.S. military strikes against its nuclear facilities were not as damaging or extensive as they had expected, further undermining the Trump administration's narrative that they were 'completely and totally obliterated.' The Washington Post first reported the call, citing four people familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter. In the conversation that was meant to be private, Iranian government officials wondered why the strikes did not cause more widespread destruction. The administration in a statement from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt essentially confirmed the existence of the call but called the paper's reporting 'shameful.' 'It's shameful that The Washington Post is helping people commit felonies by publishing out-of-context leaks,' Leavitt said. 'The notion that unnamed Iranian officials know what happened under hundreds of feet of rubble is nonsense. Their nuclear weapons program is over.' The U.S. military targeted nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan and definitely caused damage, although how much damage is under debate among the intelligence community. The news of the call broke on the same day an interview with Donald Trump aired where the president threatened to jail Democratic lawmakers who he says leaked intelligence information. He also said his administration would demand that journalists who reported on the leaks reveal their sources. 'We can find out [who leaked the intelligence],' Trump said on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures. 'If they want to, we can find out easily. You go up and tell the reporter, 'National security, who gave it [to you]?' You have to do that, and I suspect we'll be doing things like that.' Trump in those comments is referring to journalists from CNN and The New York Times. Both outlets reported on a leaked intelligence summary from the Pentagon that concluded the bombings closed off entrances to two facilities but that the structures underneath remained intact. The attacks only set Iran's nuclear program back months, the report said, contradicting the administration's claims that their facilities were completely destroyed. 'It turned out, no, it was obliterated like nobody's ever seen before,' Trump said in the interview that aired Sunday. 'And that meant the end to their nuclear ambitions, at least for a period of time.' More from Rolling Stone Trump Threatens to Force Journalists to Reveal Sources Who Leaked Iran Intel Report Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Will Destroy America's Climate Progress Republicans Keep Making Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' Worse Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Iran could rebuild nuclear program within months
Iran could resume uranium enrichment within months, despite recent US and Israeli airstrikes on its nuclear facilities, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi has stated. In an interview with CBS News released on Sunday, Grossi said the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, inflicted 'a very serious level of damage,' but some of the assets are 'still standing.' 'The capacities they [Iran] have are there. They can have, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that,' he added, while acknowledging that even the Iranians likely do not yet know the extent of the damage. According to the IAEA chief, Iran maintains a significant industrial capacity. 'Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology, as is obvious. So you cannot disinvent this. You cannot undo the knowledge that you have or the capacities that you have.' Grossi went on to say that concerns about Iran's nuclear program cannot be put to rest through a military solution. 'I think this should be the incentive that we all must have to understand that… you are not going to solve this in a definitive way militarily. You are going to have an agreement,' he said, expressing hope that IAEA inspectors would soon have access to the country's nuclear sites again. Iran has barred the inspectors from its nuclear facilities, accusing the agency of distorting facts in a recent report, which Tehran claims served as justification for the Israeli and US strikes. Grossi responded by saying: 'Really, who can believe that this conflict happened because of a report of the IAEA? And, by the way, what was in that report was not new.' The comments come after a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, during which the US and Israel conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. US President Donald Trump claimed the strikes 'completely obliterated' Iran's nuclear facilities and warned of further attacks if Iran pursues nuclear weapons. Several US media outlets have suggested, however, that the damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure was limited. Tehran has denied that it has plans to produce a nuclear weapon and maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, stressing that it wants to reserve the right to enrich uranium for civilian use.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump denies reports US looking at $30B nuclear deal with Iran: ‘These people are SICK'
President Trump denounced reports that his administration is weighing a $30 billion deal with Iran that would allow for the development of civilian nuclear facilities — days after Trump said a deal with the Islamic republic may not be necessary. 'Who in the Fake News Media is the SleazeBag saying that 'President Trump wants to give Iran $30 Billion to build non-military Nuclear facilities.' Never heard of this ridiculous idea,' the president wrote late Friday on Truth Social. 'It's just another HOAX put out by the Fake News in order to demean. These people are SICK!!!' he added. The potential agreement was first reported by CNN citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. The outlet shared that details of the proposal were hashed out last week during a secret, hours-long meeting between Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, and partners in the Gulf. That plan was presented a day before the U.S. carried out its attack on Tehran's Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities last week, per CNN. The president earlier Friday suggested he could retract previously imposed sanctions on Iran as the White House has maintained the U.S. military's strikes 'obliterated' the nation's nuclear capabilities. Trump also took a swing at Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, after the ayatollah said his nation was 'victorious.' 'During the last few days, I was working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery — The sanctions are BITING!' he wrote on Truth Social. 'But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust.' Trump, in the same post, said Khamenei should be grateful that the U.S. spared his life, citing Israel's 'regime change' goals. '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,' he wrote. 'I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!'' Dueling reports on how influential the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities have emerged in recent days. Multiple outlets reported earlier this week that preliminary assessments from intelligence show the damage only delaying Tehran's program by a few months. Israel and the Trump administration have contended that the damage 'destroyed' it and have gone after news outlets for their coverage. Still, Trump has touted the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran — which has largely held up and said talks would proceed. He voiced optimism that the strikes have deterred Iran from continuing their nuclear program. 'The way I look at it, they fought the war is done. I could get a statement that they're not going to go nuclear. We're probably going to ask for that,' he said Wednesday, following the NATO Summit in the Netherlands. 'But they're not going to be doing it.' 'We're going to talk to them next week with Iran, we may sign an agreement. To me, I don't think it's necessary,' he said at the time. The president has also warned Tehran that he is not against more strikes should concerns rise again. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
