Hegseth: strikes on Iran have been ‘unbelievable and overwhelming success that devastated Iran’s nuclear program’
US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth has stated the strikes on Iranian nuclear websites have been an “unbelievable and overwhelming” success that “devastated” the nation’s nuclear program.
At a press convention at The Pentagon, Hegseth stated the “precision strikes” have been “centered, highly effective and clear”.
He stated the operation solely focused Iranian nuclear websites, fairly than Iranian troops or civilians.
He stated: “Final evening on President Trump’s orders, US central command carried out a precision strike in the course of the evening towards three nuclear amenities in Iran … with the intention to destroy or severely degrade Iran’s nuclear program.
“It was an unbelievable and overwhelming success. The order we acquired from our commander in chief was centered, it was highly effective, and it was clear. We devastated the Iranian nuclear program.”
Key occasions
Rob Davies
Iran’s parliament has voted to close down the important Hormuz delivery channel in retaliation towards Donald Trump’s assault on the nation, prompting fears of a pointy spike in oil costs that would trigger a worldwide recession.
A barrel of Brent crude was promoting for about $77 on Friday, having risen by greater than 10% since mid-June when Israel’s assault on Iranian nuclear websites prompted missile strikes from Tehran towards Tel Aviv.
However Trump’s choice to observe Israel by launching a US attack on Iran has set off a series of occasions that analysts warned may drive costs up a lot additional when markets open at 11pm UK time on Sunday.
A fifth of the world’s oil consumption flows by the strait of Hormuz, which is a gateway out of the Persian Gulf.
The vote, reported by Reuters, shouldn’t be binding as a result of the ultimate choice rests with Iran’s supreme nationwide safety council. However analysts have been already predicting an spike of as much as $5 earlier than the results of the vote was recognized.
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An adviser to Iran’s supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated on Sunday that the nation nonetheless had its stockpile of enriched uranium regardless of assaults by the US on key nuclear websites.
“Even when nuclear websites are destroyed, recreation isn’t over, enriched supplies, indigenous data, political will stay,” stated Ali Shamkhani in a put up on X.
He added that the “political and operational initiative is now with the facet that performs good, avoids blind strikes. Surprises will proceed!”
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a US consultant of Georgia and a staunch Donald Trump ally, condemned Trump’s choice to bomb Iran’s nuclear amenities.
In a put up on X, Greene stated:
“Each time America is on the verge of greatness, we become involved in one other international warfare. There wouldn’t be bombs falling on the folks of Israel if Netanyahu had not dropped bombs on the folks of Iran first. Israel is a nuclear armed nation. This isn’t our combat. Peace is the reply.”
UK, France and Germany urge Iran ‘to not take any additional motion that would destabilize the area’
The UK, France and Germany have launched a joint assertion following American strikes on Iran’s nuclear amenities, saying that they name upon Iran to interact in negotiations resulting in settlement that addresses all issues related to its nuclear program.
The three international locations additionally urged Iran “to not take any additional motion that would destabilize the area”, including:
“We’ve got persistently been clear that Iran can by no means have a nuclear weapon and may now not pose a menace to regional safety.”
Listed here are some photographs coming by the newswires from Iran:
Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian stated that the US should “obtain a response” to assaults on its nuclear websites.
“The Individuals should obtain a response to their aggression,” Pezeshkian informed French president Emmanuel Macron, based on the official IRNA information company.
British Airways cancelled flights between London’s Heathrow airport and Dubai and Doha on Sunday following US strikes on Iran and fears that the state of affairs within the Center East may deteriorate.
Agence France-Presse stories:
“On account of current occasions, we’ve adjusted our flight schedule to make sure the protection of our prospects and crew,” a BA spokesperson stated, confirming that outgoing and incoming flights between Heathrow and Dubai or Doha have been cancelled.
A British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Dubai was diverted to Zurich on Saturday evening, based on the monitoring web site Flightradar24.
The BA web site confirmed no flights out there for Sunday or Monday when AFP checked for these routes, however flights have been nonetheless out there from Tuesday onward.
BA didn’t affirm when the flights would resume, however stated it will hold the state of affairs below evaluate.
The airline usually flies 3 times a day between London Heathrow and Dubai, and two instances to the Qatari capital.
Iran stated that it is able to defend itself by “all vital means” following the US’s bomb strikes on its nuclear amenities within the early hours of Sunday.
In a put up on X, Iranian international ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei condemned the “unconscionable act of aggression – perpetrated by a nuclear-armed state… towards a non-nuclear weapon nation.”
Iran well being ministry: None of wounded ‘confirmed any indicators of radioactive contamination’
Iran’s well being ministry stated that the US strikes on its nuclear amenities had wounded an unspecified variety of folks however that none “confirmed any indicators of radioactive contamination”.
“For years, the ministry of well being has arrange nuclear emergency items within the nearest medical amenities to nuclear websites,” ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour stated on X.
“Happily, not one of the injured people who have been transferred to those centres following the American bombardment confirmed any indicators of radioactive contamination,” he added.
Israel strikes ‘dozens’ of targets throughout Iran on Sunday
Israel stated that its fighter jets had struck “dozens” of targets throughout Iran on Sunday, together with a long-range missile website in Yazd within the centre of the nation for the primary time, Agence France Presse stories.
A navy assertion stated that “roughly 30 IAF (air power) fighter jets struck dozens of navy targets all through Iran” – together with “the ‘Imam Hussein’ Strategic Missile Command Middle within the Yazd space, the place long-range Khorramshahr missiles have been saved.”
The assertion additionally confirmed strikes on missile launchers in Bushehr province, the place a “huge explosion” was reported by Iranian media on Sunday, in addition to in Ahvaz within the south-west and central Isfahan.
Donald Trump was fast to say that US strikes on Iran’s nuclear amenities had “fully and completely obliterated” them. Nonetheless, it stays unclear how a lot bodily harm has been performed or what the longer-term influence may be on Iran’s nuclear programme.
What was the goal?
The Atomic Vitality Group of Iran (AEOI) confirmed that assaults befell on its Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz websites, however insisted that its nuclear programme wouldn’t be stopped. Each Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog stated there have been no quick indicators of radioactive contamination across the three areas after the strikes.
The Iranian Crimson Crescent additionally reported no deaths within the US strikes on the nuclear websites, showing to verify Iranian claims that they had been evacuated prematurely. Within the quick aftermath, US military officers recommended the three websites had suffered “extreme harm” after an operation that had been weeks in planning, suggesting that it was absolutely coordinated prematurely with Israel.
The Pentagon stated a battle harm evaluation was nonetheless being carried out.
What do we all know concerning the strike on Fordow?
Lengthy considered probably the most tough navy goal amongst Iran’s nuclear websites, the uranium enrichment amenities at Fordow – the first goal of the operation – are buried beneath the Zagros mountains. Stories have recommended that the location was constructed beneath between 45 and 90 metres of bedrock, largely limestone and dolomite.
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The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has introduced that it’s going to arrange a ministerial contact group to ascertain common contact with regional and worldwide events to assist de-escalation efforts and “cease the aggression towards Iran”.
On Sunday, in a joint declaration following a gathering of OIC international ministers in Istanbul, the 57-member group condemned “the aggression of Israel”, in addition to emphasised “the pressing have to cease Israeli assaults and their nice concern concerning this harmful escalation”.
The joint assertion, which didn’t point out the US’s bombs towards Iran, additionally urged the worldwide group to take “deterrent measures to cease this aggression and make Israel accountable for crimes dedicated”.
