The US military is helping intercept missiles that Iran fired in retaliation at Israel, a US official says. The US has been moving assets nearer to Israel to assist in missile intercepts and to provide better protection of US bases in the region. While the official did not say how the US provided assistance, both US Air Force fighter aircraft and destroyer-based missile defences have intercepted missiles in previous attacks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations. Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure on Friday, deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to attack key facilities and kill top generals and scientists -- a barrage it said was necessary before its adversary got any closer to building an atomic weapon. Iran retaliated by unleashing scores of ballistic missiles on Israel late on Friday, with explosions flaring in the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shaki
UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that Israeli strikes destroyed the above-ground section of Iran's main nuclear facility at Natanz. He said all the electrical infrastructure and emergency power generators were destroyed as well as a section of the facility where uranium was enriched up to 60 per cent. The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear to have been hit, but the loss of power could have damaged the infrastructure there, he said. Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure on Friday, deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to attack key facilities and kill top generals and scientists -- a barrage it said was necessary before its adversary got any closer to building an atomic weapon. Iran retaliated late on Friday by unleashing scores of ballistic missiles on Israel, where explosions flared in the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook th
Iran's UN ambassador said on Friday that 78 people have been killed and over 320 injured in Israeli attacks. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that Israel's "barbaric and criminal attack" and assassinations were against senior military officials and nuclear scientists. But he said "the overwhelming majority" of victims were civilians, women and children. He said Israel again on Friday is conducting "acts of aggression" targeting multiple civilian and military sites across several Iranian cities. Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure on Friday, deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists -- a barrage it said was necessary before its adversary got any closer to building an atomic weapon. Iran retaliated late on Friday by unleashing scores of ballistic missiles on Israel, where explosions flared in th
Israel said that Iran had launched around 100 drones towards Israeli territory on Friday, but Iran denied this and there were no reports of drones reaching Israeli targets
Israel-Iran Highlights: A new explosion was heard at a key uranium enrichment site in central Iran on Friday morning, hours after Israel launched air strikes against the Islamic country
In a diplomatic note sent out Thursday afternoon, the State Department confirmed that the Israeli attack was set to take place late on Thursday. Qatar was among the countries which received heads up
Last year, the agency conducted more than 400 inspections in Iran, keeping track of the Islamic Republic's uranium stockpile to gram levels
Iran's nuclear programme has long been at the centre of Israeli fears, with Tehran's enrichment advances seen by Israel as an existential threat
This comes a day after US President Donald Trump pulled out troops from West Asia and warned that Israel could soon launch a possible strike at Iran's nuclear sites
The attack on Iran's nuclear sites comes at a time when tensions have escalated over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme
The UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors on Thursday formally found that Iran isn't complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years, a move that could lead to further tensions and set in motion an effort to restore United Nations sanctions on Tehran later this year. The International Atomic Energy Agency's board, which represents the agency's member nations, voted for the resolution at a meeting in Vienna, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-doors vote. In the draft resolution seen by The Associated Press, the board of governors renews a call on Iran to provide answers without delay in a long-running investigation into uranium traces found at several locations that Tehran has failed to declare as nuclear sites. Western officials suspect that the uranium traces could provide evidence that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons programme until 2003. The resolution was put forward by France, the UK, and
Putin and Trump's telephonic conversation was an extensive one and the corresponding memorandums will be analysed in Moscow and Kyiv
President Donald Trump on Monday appeared to undercut a proposal that was offered by his special envoy to Iran, saying he will insist that Tehran fully dismantle its nuclear enrichment programme as part of any deal to ease crushing sanctions. Trump and Steve Witkoff, who is leading the negotiations for the US, have repeatedly offered inconsistent public messages about whether Iran would be allowed to retain the capacity to enrich uranium to lower levels for civilian purposes. The Trump administration maintains that it will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. The negotiations have been framed by Trump as both countries' best chance to avoid direct military conflict over Iran's nuclear programme. Tehran, which denies seeking a nuclear weapon, has insisted that it will not agree to any deal that fully scraps its enrichment program. "Under our potential Agreement WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!" Trump wrote on social media. Addressing the seeming contradiction, a
Iran has increased its 60% enriched uranium stockpile, nearing weapons-grade levels. The IAEA urges cooperation as US-Iran nuclear talks continue and Trump pushes for a new deal
President Donald Trump on Sunday indicated there was progress with Iran on its nuclear programme and hinted that an announcement could come in the next two days. He was notably more upbeat than the Omani mediator of the talks between the United States and Iran, who said Friday that the two nations made some but not conclusive progress in the fifth round of negotiations in Rome. We've had some very, very good talks with Iran, Trump told reporters in northern New Jersey after leaving his golf club, where he spent most of the weekend. And I don't know if I'll be telling you anything good or bad over the next two days, but I have a feeling I might be telling you something good." He emphasised that we've had some real progress, serious progress" in talks that took place on Saturday and Sunday. Let's see what happens, but I think we could have some good news on the Iran front, Trump said. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Michael Anton, the State Department's policy planning director, ...
Iran's top diplomat insisted Wednesday that Tehran will never stop enriching uranium, reinforcing the Islamic Republic's hard line ahead of a new round of indirect talks with the United States over its fast-advancing nuclear programme. The comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi come after multiple rounds of talks between the two nations, including at an expert level over the details of a possible deal. However, none has been reached yet, and American officials including President Donald Trump, Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintain that Iran must give up enrichment something it didn't do in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. I have said it before, and I repeat it again: uranium enrichment in Iran will continue with or without an agreement, Araghchi said, according to state television. Araghchi added that Iran is currently reviewing whether to participate in the next round and when to take part in talks with the US. Trump's trip
IRNA also reported that Kazem Gharibabadi, the deputy foreign minister, said that Tehran had received a proposal regarding the next round of indirect talks with Washington
Trump claimed Iran had "sort of" accepted the nuclear deal terms, a day after calling Iran "the most destructive force" in West Asia at a US-Saudi investment forum in Riyadh
President Donald Trump kept up pressure Thursday on Iran, warning Tehran that a deal over its nuclear programme or potentially airstrikes are the only two solutions to the diplomatic impasse. Speaking in Qatar before business leaders, Trump said: We'd like to see if we could solve the Iran problem in an intelligent way, as opposed to a brutal way. There's only two: intelligent and brutal. Those are the two alternatives. Trump also said that Qatar's ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, had been pushing for diplomatic deal over Iran's nuclear programme. Qatar shares a massive offshore oil and gas field that's crucial to its wealth with Iran. I said last night that Iran is very lucky to have the emir because he's actually fighting for them. He doesn't want us to do a vicious blow to Iran, Trump said. He says, You can make a deal. You can make a deal.' He's really fighting. And I really mean this: I think that Iran should say a big thank you to the emir. At another point, Tru
President Donald Trump urged Qatar on Wednesday to use its influence over Iran to persuade the country's leadership to reach an agreement with the US to dial back its rapidly advancing nuclear programme. Trump, who is visiting the Gulf nation as part of a three-country Mideast swing, made the appeal during a state dinner held in his honour by Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Qatar, over the years, has played the role of intermediary between the US and Iran and its proxies, including during talks with Tehran-backed Hamas as its 19-month war with Israel grinds on. I hope you can help me with the Iran situation, Trump said during remarks at the formal dinner. It's a perilous situation, and we want to do the right thing." Trump wants Iran to stop backing militant proxy groups The appeal to Qatar came after Trump told leaders at a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting earlier Wednesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that he wants to make a deal," but Tehran must end its support of p