World Iran Vs Israel 2025 War Discussion

[Saif]

Trump tells Reuters it's unclear if Iran still has a nuclear programme

President Donald Trump told Reuters in a phone interview on Friday that it was unclear if Iran still has a nuclear programme following Israeli strikes on the country. "Nobody knows. It was a very devastating hit," Trump said. Israel said it had targeted Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missil

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Trump tells Reuters it's unclear if Iran still has a nuclear programme

REUTERS
Published :
Jun 13, 2025 22:52
Updated :
Jun 13, 2025 22:52

President Donald Trump told Reuters in a phone interview on Friday that it was unclear if Iran still has a nuclear programme following Israeli strikes on the country.

"Nobody knows. It was a very devastating hit," Trump said.

Israel said it had targeted Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders at the start of what it warned would be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.

Trump told Reuters the US still has nuclear talks planned with Iran on Sunday but that he was unsure they would take place. He said it was not too late for Iran to make a deal.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet an Iranian delegation in Oman on Sunday, but the Israeli attacks have raised doubts on whether the session will still take place.

Trump had initially worked to delay an Israeli attack to give diplomacy more time. But he said he had given the Iranians 60 days "and today is 61."

"They're not dead," Trump said of the US-Iran talks. "We have a meeting with them on Sunday. Now, I’m not sure if that meeting will take place, but we have a meeting with them on Sunday."

Trump said he was fully aware of Israel's plans for the attack.

The president had convened his top national security advisers at Camp David on Sunday night for what he said were discussions that included Iran and he spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday about Iran.

"We knew everything, and I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out. They can still work out a deal however, it’s not too late," he said.

He said he was not concerned about a regional war breaking out as a result of Israel's strikes.

Asked if the United States would support Israel against Iranian counterattacks, Trump said he supports Israel.

“We’ve been very close to Israel," he said. "We’re their number one ally by far."

"We'll see what happens," he said.​

 

[Saif]

Israel's Netanyahu says Washington knew about Iran attack plans

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel had informed the United States about its plans to attack Iran before carrying them out. "I leave the American position to the Americans. We updated them ahead of time. They knew about the attack. What will they do now? I leave that to Pr

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Israel's Netanyahu says Washington knew about Iran attack plans

REUTERS
Published :
Jun 13, 2025 21:46
Updated :
Jun 13, 2025 21:46

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, also attended by Argentine President Javier Milei, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo : REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Files

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel had informed the United States about its plans to attack Iran before carrying them out.

"I leave the American position to the Americans. We updated them ahead of time. They knew about the attack. What will they do now? I leave that to President (Donald) Trump. He makes his decisions independently," Netanyahu said in a recorded video message.

"I am not going to speak for him (Trump). He does that very convincingly and assertively. He said that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons, they cannot have enrichment capabilities."​

 

[Sharma Ji]

Shuddering thoughts. The Orange monster was entertaining for a while, but the prospect of WWIII is not funny, for anyone on the planet....

This Nettoyahoo guy just wants to cling on to power somehow.

its pretty bad out there

like someone flipped a switch

ind/pak

rus/ukr

isr/strip niggaz

 

[Saif]

Gulf countries fear Israel-Iran spillover

Gulf countries on Friday unanimously condemned Israel's strikes on Iran, fearing an escalation that could threaten economic interests and security.

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Gulf countries fear Israel-Iran spillover

AFP Dubai
Published: 13 Jun 2025, 21: 45

Residents check the remains of an Iranian projectile that was headed for Israel, after it fell in Syria's southwestern Daraa province on 13 June 2025. AFP

Gulf countries on Friday unanimously condemned Israel's strikes on Iran, fearing an escalation that could threaten economic interests and security.

"Gulf states are very much caught between a rock and a hard place," Sanam Vakil, director of the Chatham House think-tank's Middle East and North Africa Programme told AFP.

While "they are quietly applauding the further weakening of Iran they face real risks and have to play their cards carefully", she said.

Their close ties to Israel's protector Washington, which maintains military bases in the region, and their proximity to Iran -- and its missiles -- pose risks.

Vakil said that "Saudi diplomats are distancing themselves from Israel and condemning the strikes as a means to stay out of this conflict".

The unfolding situation is playing out against a recent diplomatic rapprochement Riyadh has been building with Tehran ever since China in 2023 brokered an agreement aiming to restore ties.

"This is a notable difference with the situation that prevailed in the region 10 years ago, when Saudi Arabia was sort of inciting the United States to strike Iran, calling it the 'head of the snake'," said Karim Bitar, a lecturer in Middle Eastern studies at Paris's Sciences Po university.

Indeed, as Tehran reeled from Israel's attacks and planned retaliation, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan called his Iranian counterpart and "stressed the importance of dialogue to address disputes".


Stability at risk

"Gulf countries realise that this Israeli attack will jeopardise their economic interests as well as the entire stability" of the region, Bitar said.

That is a major preoccupation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has been focusing on economic growth, giga-projects at home and diversification away from oil.

During Donald Trump's first US presidency, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had pushed for a stronger stance against Iran.

Gulf countries supported Trump's decision to pull the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

But Gulf sentiment began to change after the United States failed to provide significant backing following attacks blamed on Tehran, analysts said.

A 2019 attack -- claimed by Yemen's Huthis but blamed by Riyadh and Washington on Tehran -- hit Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq processing plant and Khurais oil field, temporarily halving the kingdom's crude output. Tehran denied involvement.

The UAE too has been targeted by attacks from the Huthis that hit Abu Dhabi in 2022.

Seeking to avert attacks by Iran and its proxies, especially as they host US bases that could become targets in the wake of a broader conflict, Gulf monarchies have pursued a detente.

"The greatest concern in the Gulf now will be to what extent the United States will have to rely on their bases to assist in the defence of Israel," said Middle East analyst Andreas Krieg.

US 'red line'

While Trump's administration has distanced itself from Israel's operation, it has warned Iran not to hit US targets in the Middle East.

"It has... drawn a firm red line, warning that any attacks on US personnel or military installations will provoke a response," Vakil said.

She added, however, that "for now, Iran is unlikely to target Gulf infrastructure or assets".

The leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar last month had urged Trump, as he visited the region, to not order US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and to pursue a deal instead, according to the US news outlet Axios.

"The Gulf states had hoped that Trump would show strong leadership and would contain (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's neo-conservative tendencies to escalate," said Krieg.

Negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme had been going on between Washington and Tehran, although with little headway.

Oman had been readying to host a sixth round of talks on Sunday, before Israel's attack threw that into doubt.

For Bitar, the Israeli strikes seemed to be trying to "torpedo" the US-Iran talks.

"What will be the US reaction? Will they maintain their blind and unconditional support for Israel, or will they try to go back to the negotiating table and reach a new deal?" he asked.​

 

[Saif]

Iran fires missiles at Israel

Iran's state news agency IRNA said hundreds of ballistic missiles had been launched in retaliation for Israel's biggest ever attacks on Iran

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Iran fires missiles at Israel
Reuters Jerusalem/Dubai/ Washington
Published: 14 Jun 2025, 01: 57

Missiles launched from Iran are intercepted as seen from Tel Aviv, Israel, on 13 June. Reuters

Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as sirens sounded on Friday night across Israel following what the country's military spokesman said was the firing of missiles from Iran.

Iran's state news agency IRNA said hundreds of ballistic missiles had been launched in retaliation for Israel's biggest ever attacks on Iran, blasting Iran's huge underground nuclear site at Natanz and wiping out its top military commanders.

There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.

Israel said the strikes were the start of "Operation Rising Lion". Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of having started the strikes and initiating a war.

US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear programme.

As evening fell on Friday, Iranian media reported explosions on the northern and southern outskirts of Tehran and at Fordow, near the holy city of Qom, a second nuclear site which had been spared in the first wave of attacks.

Air defences were activated across Tehran and explosions could be heard in Isfahan.

Israel's military said it was striking Iranian missile and drone launching sites, and had struck another nuclear site in Isfahan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli campaign was aimed at defeating an existential threat from Iran, invoking the failure to halt the Holocaust in World War Two.

Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat," he said in a TV address. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future."

In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said it was not clear if Iran's nuclear programme had survived. He said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place.

"We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans.

"I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. "They can still work out a deal, however, it’s not too late."

Earlier, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left."

Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said military action by itself would not destroy Iran's nuclear programme, but could "create the conditions for a long-term deal, led by the United States" to get rid of it.​

 

[Saif]

Israel attack ‘declaration of war’, Iran says

Iran called Israel’s wave of strikes on Friday a declaration of war, while US President Donald Trump warned Tehran of “even more brutal” attacks if it does not make a deal on its nuclear programme. Israel said its air strikes had killed most of the senior leadership of the Revolutionary Guards’...

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Israel attack ‘declaration of war’, Iran says
The strikes would “continue as many days as it takes”, the Israeli premier said, while the military said intelligence showed Iran was approaching the “point of no return” on its nuclear programme.

AFP Tehran
Published: 13 Jun 2025, 17: 59

First-responders gather outside a that was hit by an Israeli strike in Tehran on 13 June 2025. Israel hit about 100 targets in Iran on June 13, including nuclear facilities and military command centres and killing senior figures including the armed forces chief and top nuclear scientists AFP.

Iran called Israel’s wave of strikes on Friday a declaration of war, while US President Donald Trump warned Tehran of “even more brutal” attacks if it does not make a deal on its nuclear programme.

Israel said its air strikes had killed most of the senior leadership of the Revolutionary Guards’ air force, while hitting about 100 targets including nuclear facilities.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel it faced a “bitter and painful” fate over the attacks, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the attack as a “declaration of war”.

The Israeli military said Iran launched around 100 drones, with air defences intercepting them outside Israeli territory, while neighbouring Jordan said it intercepted drones and missiles that violated its airspace.

Trump urged Iran on Friday to “make a deal”, warning that there will be more “death and destruction” after Israel launched deadly strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.

The United States underlined that it was not involved in the Israeli action and warned Iran not to attack its personnel or interests, but Tehran said Washington would be “responsible for consequences”.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel struck at the “heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme”, taking aim at nuclear scientists and the main uranium enrichment facility in Natanz.

The strikes would “continue as many days as it takes”, the Israeli premier said, while the military said intelligence showed Iran was approaching the “point of no return” on its nuclear programme.

The strikes killed Iran’s highest-ranking military officer, armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, Iranian media reported.

Khamenei swiftly appointed new commanders to replace those killed, while state media said a senior adviser to the supreme leader had himself been wounded.

“The senior chain of command of the air force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had assembled in an underground command centre to prepare for an attack on the State of Israel,” the Israeli military said, adding that its attacks had killed most of them.

Prior to the strikes, Trump said he believed a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme was “fairly close”, cautioning however that an Israeli attack on its arch foe could wreck the chances of an agreement.
Iran confirmed the Guards aerospace commander had been killed, along with “a group of brave and dedicated fighters”.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the “precise targeting of senior commanders... sends a strong and clear message: those who work toward Israel’s destruction will be eliminated”.

AFP images showed a gaping hole in the side of a Tehran residential building that appeared to have sustained a targeted and localised strike.

State media said civilians, including women and children, were killed, while an emergency services official said 95 people had been wounded.

Tasnim news agency said six nuclear scientists were among the dead.

‘Scathing response’

Tehran’s streets were deserted except for queues at petrol stations, a familiar sight in times of crisis.

“How much longer are we going to live in fear?” asked Ahmad Moadi, a 62-year-old retiree.

“As an Iranian, I believe there must be an overwhelming response, a scathing response.”

Air traffic was halted at Tehran’s main gateway, Imam Khomeini International Airport, while Iraq, Jordan and Syria closed their airspace.

Israel declared a state of emergency, and hours later, the Jordanian military said its aircraft and air defence systems intercepted “a number of missiles and drones that entered Jordanian airspace”.

There are “no limits in responding to this crime”, Iran’s armed forces said, accusing Israel of crossing “all red lines”.

Oil prices surged while stocks sank on the Israeli strikes, which came after Trump’s warning of a “massive conflict” in the region.

Trump had also said the United States was drawing down staff in the Middle East, after Iran had threatened to target US military bases in the region if conflict broke out.

Prior to the strikes, Trump said he believed a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme was “fairly close”, cautioning however that an Israeli attack on its arch foe could wreck the chances of an agreement.

The US leader did not disclose the details of a conversation with Netanyahu on Monday, but said: “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it.”

Trump quickly added: “Might help it actually, but it also could blow it.”

‘Within reach’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran not to respond to Israeli strikes by hitting US bases, saying Washington was not involved.

With the violence raising questions on whether a sixth round of talks planned between the US and Iran would still take place on Sunday in Oman, Trump said Washington is still “hoping to get back to the negotiating table”.

Confirming Natanz had been among Israel’s targets, the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said it was “closely monitoring” the situation as the Israeli military said it hit the underground uranium enrichment centrifuges at the site.

“Most of the damage is on the surface level,” said the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation’s spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, adding that there had been “no casualties” at the facility.

‘Extremist’

Israel sees Iran as an existential threat, and Netanyahu has vowed less restraint since the unprecedented 7 October 2023 attack by Tehran-backed Hamas, which triggered the war in Gaza.

Since the Hamas attack, Iran and Israel have traded direct attacks for the first time.

The United States and other Western governments have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, an ambition it has consistently denied.

Israel again called for global action after the IAEA accused Iran on Thursday of non-compliance with its obligations.

Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, slammed the resolution as “extremist”, while Tehran said it would launch a new enrichment facility in a secure location.

Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 per cent, far above the 3.67-per cent limit set by a largely moribund 2015 agreement with major powers, but still short of the 90 per cent threshold needed for a nuclear warhead.​

 

[Saif]

Israel says intercepted most drones launched from Iran

The Israeli Air Force continues to operate to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched from Iran toward the State of Israel.

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Israel says intercepted most drones launched from Iran

AFP Jerusalem
Published: 13 Jun 2025, 17: 53

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu AFP

Israel's military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said on Friday that Israel intercepted "most" drones launched from Iran in response to air strikes on military and nuclear sites.

"Earlier, we alerted about a large-scale drone launch targeting our territory. Most of the targets were intercepted", Defrin said during a press briefing after the army said Iran had launched about 100 drones towards Israel.

"The Israeli Air Force continues to operate to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched from Iran toward the State of Israel," the military said in a statement shortly before Defrin's briefing.

In its largest military action against Iran to date, Israel's wave of strikes hit about 100 targets including nuclear facilities and military command centres, and killed senior figures, among them the armed forces chief and top nuclear scientists.​

 

[Saif]

Tehran vows vengeance

Israel pounded Iran in a series of air raids on Friday, striking 100 targets including Tehran's nuclear and military sites, and killing the armed forces' chief of staff, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and top nuclear scientists.

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Tehran vows vengeance

AFP Tehran
Updated: 13 Jun 2025, 12: 25

This handout photo released by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official Sepah News Telegram channel on 13 June, 2025 reportedly shows a building in Tehran hit in an Israeli strike on the Iranian capital early in the morning. AFP

Israel pounded Iran in a series of air raids on Friday, striking 100 targets including Tehran's nuclear and military sites, and killing the armed forces' chief of staff, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and top nuclear scientists.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel it faced a "bitter and painful" fate over the attack, which also killed a senior Guards commander according to Iranian media.

Iran had launched 100 drones in response towards Israel whose defences were working to intercept, the Israeli military said.

US President Donald Trump told Fox News he had advance notice of the Israeli strikes which Israel's military said involved 200 fighter jets. Trump also stressed that Tehran "cannot have a nuclear bomb".

The United States also underlined that it was not involved in the Israeli action and warned Tehran not to attack its personnel or interests.

But Tehran said the United States would be "responsible for consequences" as Israel's operation "cannot have been carried out without the coordination and permission of the United States".

Israel's operation struck at the "heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme", taking aim at the atomic facility in Natanz and nuclear scientists, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

The operation against Iran will "continue as many days as it takes," Netanyahu said, adding in a later video statement that the initial strikes were "very successful".

IRGC chief Salami, ex-national security chief killed in Israeli strikes: Iran

Iran's Revolutionary Guards leader Hossein Salami and armed forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri were killed in the Israeli operation, said Iranian media.

Iranian state media said residential buildings in Tehran were hit as well, killing a number of civilians including women and children.

Air traffic was halted at Tehran's main international airport Imam Khomeini, while neighbouring Iraq has also closed its airspace and suspended all flights at all airports, state media reported.

Israel declared a state of emergency, likewise closing its airspace, with Defence Minister Israel Katz anticipating retaliatory action from Tehran.

"Following the State of Israel's preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future," Katz said.

An Israeli military official added that the Israeli army believed that Iran had the ability to strike Israel "any minute".

'Might blow' deal

Oil prices surged 12 per cent while stocks sank on the Israeli strikes, which came after Trump's warning of a "massive conflict" in the region.

Trump had also said the United States was drawing down staff in the Middle East, after Iran threatened to target US military bases in the region if conflict breaks out.

Trump said he believed a "pretty good" deal on Iran's nuclear programme was "fairly close", but said that an Israeli attack on its arch foe could wreck the chances of an agreement.

The US leader did not disclose the details of a conversation on Monday with Netanyahu, but said: "I don't want them going in, because I think it would blow it."

Trump quickly added: "Might help it actually, but it also could blow it."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran not respond to Israeli strikes by hitting US bases, saying Washington was not involved.

"Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel," Rubio said in a statement.

Prior to Friday's attack, Iran had threatened to hit US bases in the Middle East if conflict were to erupt.

"All its bases are within our reach, we have access to them, and without hesitation we will target all of them in the host countries," Iran's Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said this week.

With the violence raising questions on whether a sixth round of talks planned between the US and Iran will still take place on Sunday in Oman, Trump said however that Washington is still "hoping to get back to the negotiating table".

Confirming Natanz among targets, the UN's nuclear watchdog said it was "closely monitoring" the situation.

"The agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country," International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said.

'Extremist'

Israel, which counts on US military and diplomatic support, sees Iran as an existential threat.

Netanyahu has vowed less restraint since the unprecedented 7 October, 2023 attack on Israel by Tehran-backed Hamas, which triggered the massive Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Since the Hamas attack, Iran and Israel have traded direct attacks for the first time.

The United States and other Western countries, along with Israel, have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, which it has repeatedly denied.

Israel again called for global action after the IAEA accused Iran on Wednesday of non-compliance with its obligations.

Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, slammed the resolution as "extremist" and blamed Israeli influence.

In response, Iran said it would launch a new enrichment centre in a secure location.

Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 per cent, far above the 3.67-per cent limit set in the 2015 deal and close, though still short, of the 90 per cent needed for a nuclear warhead.​