Iran says Trump betrayed diplomacy, US voters after attacks

Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India says he has spoken to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in light of the US air attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, expressing “deep concern” over the situation.

“Reiterated our call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability,”

High-quality satellite images taken on June 19 and June 20 show highlighted unusual activity involving trucks and vehicles near the entrance to the underground fuel enrichment facility at Fordow.

The images captured by Maxar show a group of 16 cargo trucks positioned along the access road leading to the tunnel entrance of the facility. The majority of these trucks were later relocated roughly 1km (0.6 miles) northwest of the road leading to the facility.

The visuals also depict additional trucks and several bulldozers near the site’s main entrance, including one truck positioned directly adjacent to the primary tunnel entrance.

Safe Airspace, a website run by OPSGROUP, a membership-based organisation that shares flight risk information, says the US attacks on Iran may increase risks to American operators in the region.

“While there have been no specific threats made against civil aviation, Iran has previously warned it would retaliate by attacking US military interests in the Middle East – either directly or via proxies such as Hezbollah,” Safe Airspace said.

Safe Airspace said it’s possible airspace risks could now extend to countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

“We continue to advise a high degree of caution at this time,” it said.

At least 27 people have been wounded in Israel after Iran launched 40 missiles in response to the US-Israeli attacks.

One of the bombing targets was Ramat Aviv in Tel Aviv, with missiles tearing holes in the facades of apartment blocks.

“Houses here were hit very, very badly,” said Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai. “Fortunately, one of them was slated for demolition and reconstruction, so there were no residents inside.”

“Those who were in the shelters are all safe and well. The damage is very, very extensive, but in terms of human life, we are OK,” Huldai added.

The Israeli military has given more details about the targets of its latest strikes in western Iran.

The attack, it said, successfully targeted two F-5 jets stationed at Iran’s Dezful airport in the western Khuzestan province.

In the attacks earlier this morning, the military said it destroyed eight Iranian missile launchers, six of which were “ready for immediate launch toward” Israeli territory. Last night, 20 Israeli jets attacked dozens of targets in central Iran, including weapons production and storage sites, as well as the airport in Isfahan, it added.

Fox News host Sean Hannity says he spoke with Trump shortly after the US attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites and reports that it used “six huge bunker buster bombs” in the hit on the Fordow facility.

The bombs, he said, were dropped by the B-52 bomber aircraft.

Hannity also said Iran’s Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites “were wiped out with 30 Tomahawk missiles launched by American submarines some 400 miles away”.

Iranian officials say the facilities were evacuated before the US attacks, with one legislator saying the damage at Fordow is not serious.

The Iranian foreign minister has issued a new statement on social media, commenting on European officials urging Iran to “return” to negotiations following the US attacks.

“Last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy,” Abbas Araghchi wrote on X.

“What conclusion would you draw? To Britain and the EU High Rep, it is Iran which must ‘return’ to the table,” he said.

“But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?”

Al Jazeera is reporting from Jordan because it has been banned in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

In terms of missiles, there’s no comparison between what Iran is launching and what Hamas used to launch. That is why the degree of success of Israel’s multi-layered air defence system is very different.

It was far easier to intercept locally made rockets from Gaza than it is to intercept the Iranian-made missiles that have extremely different capabilities. Some are described to be hypersonic.

That explains what we’ve seen in terms of damage, which has been extensive with Iranian strikes causing a large radius of impact. Some buildings have suffered heavy damage from the impact of the missiles, even if they weren’t targeted.

The Israeli military has released a statement on an explosion that took place in the northern city of Haifa earlier this morning, despite no air raid warnings sounding there.

“During the launches carried out from Iran this morning towards the territory of the State of Israel, no alert was activated in the city of Haifa. Initial investigation indicates that a fall was detected in the city area, and the possibility of an interceptor failure is being examined,” it said in a post on X.

“This is not a malfunction in the warning system and an advance warning was issued to the area. The incident is being investigated,” it added.

The crash left three people injured, according to The Times of Israel.

The British prime minister has spoken out in favour of the US military action against Iran, saying the attacks “alleviate” the “threat” posed by Tehran’s nuclear programme.

“Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,” he said in a post on X.

“The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis,” he added.

For its part, Iran has vehemently denied developing a nuclear weapon and says its atomic programme is for peaceful purposes. The IAEA also says it has found no evidence that Iran is building a nuclear weapon.

US Senator Chris Murphy has joined the chorus of criticism over Trump’s decision to attack Iran.

“I was briefed on the intelligence last week. Iran posed no imminent threat of attack to the United States,” Murphy said in a social media post. “Iran was not close to building a deliverable nuclear weapon. The negotiations Israel scuttled with their strikes held the potential for success.”

Other Democratic legislators have also questioned the legality of the attacks on Iran, noting that while presidents have the power to respond to imminent threats, Trump is yet to explain what, if any, immediate danger Iran poses to the US.

A man convicted of spying for Israel has been executed, the Iranian judicial news outlet Mizan Online reports.

“Majid Mosayebi… was hanged this morning after going through the full process of criminal procedure and after his sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court,” Mizan said.

Mosayebi allegedly sought to provide “sensitive information” to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, it added.

Caught in a decades-long shadow war with Israel, Iran has executed numerous individuals over their alleged links to Mossad, particularly those accused of sabotage and assassination efforts aimed at undermining its nuclear programme.

Reza Kardan, the deputy director of the Atomic Energy Organization and the head of the National Nuclear Safety System Center in Iran, says that “no radiation contamination or nuclear radiation has been observed outside” the sites and facilities hit by US air strikes.

“Preliminary plans had been made and measures had been taken to protect the safety and health of the dear people of the country, and despite the criminal actions this morning in attacking nuclear facilities, due to the previously planned measures and the measures taken, no radiation contamination or nuclear radiation has been observed outside these sites and facilities,” Kardan said, according to the IRNA news agency.

“People can continue their normal lives in the areas around these sites without any worries,” he added.

Carriers have continued to steer clear of significant areas of the Middle East today following the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, according to the flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

“Following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, commercial traffic in the region is operating as it has since new airspace restrictions were put into place last week,” it said on social media.

Its website showed airlines were not flying in the airspace over Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel. They have chosen other routings such as north via the Caspian Sea or south via Egypt and Saudi Arabia, even if it results in higher fuel and crew costs and longer flight times.

Air traffic was already diverting around the region’s airspace due to recent missile exchanges.

We have more global reactions to the US attacks – this time from Australia and New Zealand.

The Australian government appeared to offer tacit support for Trump’s actions, saying Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme has been a threat to international security.

It said it notes Trump’s statement that now is the time for peace, and added, “We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.”

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, meanwhile, expressed worry about the action, but did not condemn the attacks.

“It is critical further escalation is avoided,” Peters said. “New Zealand strongly supports efforts towards diplomacy. We urge all parties to return to talks. Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action.”

The semi-official Fars news agency is reporting that Iran’s mission to the UN has demanded an urgent meeting of the Security Council following the US’s attacks on its nuclear facilities.

The mission described the US bombing as a “blatant and illegal aggression”, and demanded it be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

The mission also called for “all necessary measures to be taken within the framework of the Council’s responsibilities under the United Nations Charter, so that the perpetrator of these heinous crimes is held fully accountable and does not escape punishment”.

Some of the first global reactions to the US attacks have come from Latin America. And they have been quite critical.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel strongly condemned the US bombing, saying it constituted a “dangerous escalation” and a serious violation of the UN charter. He added that it “plunges humanity into a crisis with irreversible consequences”.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric also called the US action illegal.

“Chile condemns this US attack,” he wrote on X. “Having power does not authorise you to use it in violation of the rules that we as humanity have given ourselves. Even if you are the United States.”

Mexico, meanwhile, called for dialogue.

“In keeping with our constitutional principles of foreign policy and our country’s pacifist conviction, we reiterate our call to de-escalate tensions in the region. The restoration of peaceful coexistence among the states of the region is the highest priority,” the Mexican Foreign Ministry wrote on X.

Venezuela also denounced the attack.

In a statement on Telegram, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said his country “firmly and categorically condemns the bombing carried out by the US military, at the request of the state of Israel”. He also called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities”.

Al Jazeera is reporting from Jordan because it has been banned from Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Right now, the only way one can see Israel backing down is if the US and Iran reach an agreement.

At this point, given everything that we’ve heard from Washington and Tehran, that doesn’t look like it’s on the horizon.

The reports from the Israeli media, citing military sources, talk about continuing Israeli strikes.

Meanwhile, Israel is bracing itself for an Iranian response.

Estimates in the Israeli media, on the Army Radio, are that Iran’s first response will be towards Israel, and so restrictions on movement in Israel have been increased to the maximum.

The US Arms Control Association, a nonpartisan group, has condemned US attacks as “illegal” and says it only increases the risk of Iran and other countries seeking nuclear weapons.

“President Donald Trump’s decision to join Israel’s illegal attacks against the Iranian leadership, civilian targets, and the country’s major nuclear sites represents an irresponsible departure from Trump’s pursuit of diplomacy and increases the risk of a nuclear-armed Iran,” the organisation said in a statement.

“The failure to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis will further erode confidence in the global nonproliferation system and encourage more states to consider the pursuit of nuclear weapons to thwart attacks by other nuclear-armed states,” it added.

The United States has significant assets in and around the Gulf region.

Five Air Force expeditionary wings are based in the Gulf: two in Kuwait, and one each in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which includes squadrons of F-15 and F-16 fighter jets.

The Fifth Air Force Expeditionary wing based in Qatar has no offensive capabilities of its own, but provides extensive intelligence and air refuelling for Air Force units in the region.

The number of air defence sites has grown over the last 18 months with new ones built in Kuwait and a proposed site for an additional missile defence system in Qatar.

The powerful US Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain in the Arabian Gulf. The Carl Vinson carrier strike group has its own air wings and  afleet of accompanying ships capable of attacking targets deep inland off the coast of Yemen in the Arabian Sea.

The Israeli military says the drones launched “from the east” were intercepted near its border with Jordan.

The report comes as Israel braces for a possible retaliatory attack from Iran following the US strikes today.

Here’s more reaction from Democratic legislators on the attacks on Iran.

• Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called for the enforcement of the War Powers Act, which limits the president’s ability to use the US military, saying that “no president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy”.
• Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Trump has “impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations”. She added, “It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”
• Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said the strikes on Iran “mark a dangerous and reckless escalation of an already volatile conflict” in the Middle East, and called for “this madness” to end before more lives are lost.
• Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari called Trump’s actions “illegal” and said she will be calling for an immediate emergency session of Congress to vote on the War Powers Resolution.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a US Muslim rights group, has said the US attack on Iran is an “illegal and unjustified” act of war that comes under pressure from the “out-of-control” Israeli government, and despite the longstanding conclusion of US intelligence that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon.

The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the best-known pro-Israel group in the US, praised the strikes ordered by Trump and said that the US “must now work with our allies to protect our troops and regional interests against Iranian attacks”.

The Israel Airports Authority says it has closed its airspace until further notice “due to recent developments”.

“The airspace of the State of Israel is closed to entry and exit due to recent developments,” the authority said in a statement, noting that “land crossing points [with Egypt] and Jordan are operating normally”.

Thank you.

A short time ago, the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime, Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise.

Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.

Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace.

If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.

For 40 years, Iran has been saying, “Death to America, death to Israel”. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs – that was their speciality.

We lost over a thousand people, and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate, in particular, so many were killed by their general, Qassem Soleiman.

I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue.

I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel.

I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they’ve done and, most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight, and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.

Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that’s so.

I also want to congratulate the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan “Razin” Caine – spectacular general – and all of the brilliant military minds involved in this attack.

With all of that being said, this cannot continue.

There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.

Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal, but if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.

Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.

There’s no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight, not even close. There has never been a military that could do what took place just a little while ago.

Tomorrow, General Caine, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, will have a press conference at 8am [12:00 GMT] at the Pentagon, and I want to just thank everybody and, in particular, God.

I want to just say, “We love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them.” God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel, and God bless America.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

The kingdom’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission says that “no radioactive effects were detected on the environment” of Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf states after the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Manan Raisi, who represents the Qom area where Fordow is located, says the attack on the underground nuclear site was “superficial”.

“Based on accurate information, I state that contrary to the claims of the lying US president, the Fordow nuclear facility has not been seriously damaged, and most of what was damaged was only on the ground, which can be restored,” Raisi said, according to the Tasnim news agency.

He also echoed earlier assessments that there has been no detected leakage of radioactive material after the US strikes.

IRNA, Iran’s official news agency, says that locals “did not feel any signs of a major explosion” after the US attack on Fordow.

“Conditions in the area were completely normal,” the agency said. “Further details of the incident will be reported by official experts.”

Trump has called the strikes a “spectacular success”, but there has been no independent confirmation of their impact.

Iranian officials have also suggested that the enriched uranium at the underground facility had already been moved from the site.

It is not clear how the attacks will affect the Iranian nuclear programme.

We heard the US president’s justifications for launching the attacks on Iran.

But I don’t think it’s going to sit well with a lot of his critics, or a lot of his supporters, given the fact that he did not say anywhere that the US was under imminent threat, which would have made this legal under the US Constitution.

Instead, the US president laid out the reasoning for taking these strikes, saying that Iran was the bully of the Middle East, and that they have been chanting, “Death to America”. But, I have to note here that this does not make Iran an imminent threat to the US.

Trump also said that a lot of people died as a result of Iran’s hate, but again, not specifying if those were Americans.

He also indicated that there are no other strikes that are planned currently, but threatened Iran that if it does not come back to the negotiating table, if it does not sign off on an agreement to end its nuclear programme, that there will be further attacks, and he says they will be far greater and a lot easier.

Now, the other thing that the US president said is that the US has erased this threat to Israel. But he did not say, “this threat to the United States”. That is not going to sit well with a lot of Americans who believe that Israel has now dragged the US into a vulnerability that could result in a broader escalation in the Middle East, that could involve putting American troops at risk and drawing even further resources paid by the American taxpayers.

Gideon Saar says the US president “wrote his name in letters of gold in the history books” after his attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Saar also credited Netanyahu for initiating the assault against Iran, lauding what he called the prime minister’s “extraordinary leadership”.

The comments from the US and Israel suggest that both governments have been in lockstep in their attacks on Iran, which critics say have been unprovoked.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has said that Trump did not seek congressional authorisation for the strikes and will bear full responsibility for “any adverse consequences”.

“Donald Trump promised to bring peace to the Middle East. He has failed to deliver on that promise. The risk of war has now dramatically increased, and I pray for the safety of our troops in the region who have been put in harm’s way,” Jeffries said in a statement, adding that Trump “misled the country about his intentions”.

“Donald Trump shoulders complete and total responsibility for any adverse consequences that flow from his unilateral military action,” he said.

The US president says that any retaliation from Iran will be met with a strong response.

“ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT,” Trump said on his social media website, Truth Social.

We have more reaction from Democratic legislators on the US attacks on Iran.

Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American congresswoman, says Trump’s ordering of strikes on Iran without the approval of lawmakers is a “blatant violation” of the US Constitution.

“The American people do not want another forever war. We have seen where decades of endless war in the Middle East gets us—all based on the lie of ‘weapons of mass destruction.’ We are not falling for it again,” she said in a statement.

“Instead of listening to the American people, Trump is listening to War Criminal Netanyahu, who lied about Iraq and is lying once again about Iran. Congress must act immediately to exert its war powers and stop this unconstitutional act of war.”

Hezam al-Asad, a member of the Yemeni group’s political bureau, has issued a brief warning to the US in a social media post.

“Washington must bear the consequences,” he said.

Antonio Guterres is describing the US attacks on Iran as a “dangerous escalation”, warning that the conflict in the Middle East could quickly get “out of control”.

“I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security,” he said in a social media post.

“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world. I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law. At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace.”

“There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,” Trump said.

“Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal, but if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.”

This is the very early hours of morning and we are closely following the developments. So far, we don’t have any footage coming out. We don’t have any official statements from top Iranian officials or politicians, or others.

But we now have reports about this in different media outlets, including the official media outlets, these state news agencies.

They are all covering the story. But we don’t have that many details.

But speaking of the context, we know that previously, different Iranian officials have said that if the US decides to get involved in this already intricate situation, that runs a big risk.

And that big risk, according to Iranian officials, is to bring the war to a next, unprecedented level, which means that it is not going to be limited to Iran and Israel. Iranian officials previously said that if US intervention happens, that’s going to take the war into a regional context, with the possibility of US bases in neighbouring countries being targeted.

In a post on X, the New York City Police Department says it is “tracking the situation unfolding in Iran”.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we’re deploying additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across NYC and coordinating with our federal partners,” said the department, which serves the city of more than 8 million residents.

“We’ll continue to monitor for any potential impact to NYC,” it added.

An adviser for the leftist senator has shared footage of him informing a crowd at an event in the city of Tulsa of the US attacks on Iran.

The crowd yells in anger and chants, “No more war”.

“I agree. And I want to tell you something: not only is this news that I’ve just heard alarming, that all of you have just heard, but it is so grossly unconstitutional,” Sanders says.

“All of you know that the only entity that can take this country to war is the US Congress. The president does not have the right.”

US Senate Majority Leader John Thune says that he stands by Trump’s decision to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“The regime in Iran, which has committed itself to bringing ‘death to America’ and wiping Israel off the map, has rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace,” Thune, the Republican representative for South Dakota, said in a post on X.

“As we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm’s way.”

Mike Johnson, who is one of the most powerful Republican officials in the country, has said that Trump’s unprovoked attacks on Iran show his commitment to an “America First” foreign policy.

Recent polls have found that a large majority of US voters, including the majority of Republicans, do not believe the US should get involved in Israel’s war with Iran.

“The military operations in Iran should serve as a clear reminder to our adversaries and allies that President Trump means what he says,” Johnson said in a social media post.

“The President’s decisive action prevents the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, which chants ‘Death to America,’ from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet. This is America First policy in action,” he added.

Thomas Massie, who has been leading a legislative effort to curb Trump’s ability to attack Iran without the approval of Congress, says the strikes violate the US Constitution, which gives lawmakers the authority over war decisions.

Ro Khanna from the Democratic Party says the US Congress must immediately convene to vote on a bill that would affirm the exclusive right of Congress to declare war.

“Trump struck Iran without any authorization of Congress,” he said in a social media post.

“We need to immediately return to DC and vote on Representative Thomas Massie and my War Powers Resolution to prevent America from being dragged into another endless Middle East war.”

We haven’t had any confirmation or reaction from Iranian officials yet.

But Iran’s position has been very clear. It has said that if the US takes part in this military campaign alongside Israel, the Iranians will consider US troops and bases in the region as legitimate targets for attack.

There are about 19 US bases in the Middle East, which are home to about 40,000 US troops, and the Iranians have said that these troops will not be safe if the US joins this conflict.

I also want to point out that the three locations the US has bombed are significant in Iran’s nuclear programme.

The facilities at Fordow and Natanz – these are the only two nuclear facilities in which Iran has been enriching uranium at 60 percent levels. And in Isfahan, also a facility that Iran uses to convert uranium.

According to an IAEA report from 2022, 90 percent of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is stored at this facility in Isfahan. So these are critical sites within the broader picture of Iran’s nuclear programme.

There are six nuclear facilities in Iran, and the three that the US has targeted are a critical part of the whole programme.

Lindsey Graham has taken to social media to praise Trump’s decision to bomb three Iranian nuclear facilities.

“Good. This was the right call. The regime deserves it,” Graham posted on X. “To my fellow citizens: We have the best Air Force in the world. It makes me so proud.”

“Fly, Fight, Win.”

Al Jazeera is reporting from Jordan because it has been banned in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

We aren’t getting much from Israeli officials just yet, since it is late, around 3am local time (00:00 GMT), but let’s get some background and some context.

Since Israel decided to attack Iran nine days ago, they have been saying that they do want the Americans to get involved in this. This is what was being pushed in the Israeli media, there were banners that were being put up across places in Israel, it’s unclear by who, calling for US President Trump to “finish the job”.

So, it’s important to note also that within the last day, reports have emerged of Israeli officials having a call with people in the Trump administration, but not Trump himself, that Israel was growing impatient with the US not deciding if they were going to get involved or not; that they didn’t want to wait for this two-week deadline that Trump had previously given.

The president has been, for the last few days, convening his national security team in the Situation Room.

And what he was asking, according to my sources, is if it was possible to strike these facilities, to eradicate the nuclear programme, and not draw the United States forces into a broader conflict.

Now, you could argue that there is different thinking on this – some people say this is going to draw the US into a broader conflict.

But what he was advised is that this could be an effective single-strike operation, that this would allow for the dismantling of the programme and would still not allow for any escalation.

So, based on that guidance, we could assume this is a one-off. But it all depends on how the allies of Iran will react.

We know that they have strong alliances with China, with Russia, and we also know that there was a careful warning that was given to the United States in advance of these strikes, and that was, if you assist Israel, there will be a price to pay.

So Donald Trump has been advised that, as commander-in-chief, this will not lead to escalation.

That is the guidance he’s acted on.

But he knows there is a chance that there could be an escalation as a result of his action.

In one of the first responses to the attack by a Democratic member of Congress, Sara Jacobs says on X: “Trump’s strikes against Iran are not only unconstitutional, but an escalation that risks bringing the U.S. into another endless and deadly war.”

The US president shared a post from an open-source intelligence account stating that the heavily-fortified Fordow nuclear facility is “gone”.

Trump has been known to share information from unverified and frequently inaccurate sources on his social media account.

Trump’s announcement shows the world that the United States has officially joined a new, dangerous phase of this war.

It’s notable that Trump, just a few days ago, had given a time window of two weeks for Iran to come back to the negotiating table for a diplomatic solution.

Well, obviously, only a few days have passed.

And then today, we saw that scrambling of US military assets, and we are seeing that Trump has indeed issued this strike. He says that it was successful and that now is the time for peace. Certainly, that has yet to be proven to be true.

Everything depends now on how Iran will respond.

There have been many people concerned that such an action as has just been taken by the US military would do the very opposite. So, what will the next step be? Will there be further escalation? Could there be still room for negotiation? Some experts say Tehran might come to the table after all, even after all this, but this is a stark moment of uncertainty for the world.

The US Constitution gives lawmakers the power to declare war and authorise military activity. But Trump did not seek the approval of Congress before striking Iran.

In the Senate and House of Representatives, lawmakers from both major parties had put forward legislation to compel Trump to go to Congress before attacking Iran’s nuclear site. But Trump preempted the votes on the bills.

Lack of congressional authorisation will likely be a major talking point in US politics, especially if a broader war breaks out.

• Israel and Iran continue to trade attacks, with the Israeli military saying it is targeting drone storage sites and a weapons facility in Iran, while Iranian projectiles trigger air raid sirens in northern Israel.
• The Israeli military says it has assassinated a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Saeed Izadi, in the city of Qom. Israel accuses him of helping to plan Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel.
• US President Donald Trump is meeting his national security team at the White House as he considers joining Israel’s attacks on Iran.
• This comes as the US moved several B-2 stealth bombers to the Pacific territory of Guam.
• The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, says Israel has attacked a large nuclear complex in Isfahan, Iran, for a second time in nine days. But he says there is no danger of radiation from the attack.
• Israel continues its attacks on Gaza, killing at least 41 Palestinians across the Strip on Saturday alone.

Source: aljazeera