In the absence of an immediate justification for an attack, Trump may give Turkey credit for resolving the crisis in Iran, which understands that Turkey could be a more effective mediator than Saudi Arabia. A senior Turkish official told Haaretz that Istanbul may propose transferring enriched uranium to Turkey, pledging it would never be returned to Iran
Iranian army chief Amir Hatami on Saturday warned the United States and Israel against an attack, saying his country’s forces were on high alert following Washington’s heavy military deployments in the Gulf. He also insisted the Islamic republic’s nuclear expertise could not be eliminated, after Trump said he expected Tehran to seek a deal to avoid US strikes. “If the enemy makes a mistake, without a doubt it will endanger its own security, the security of the region, and the security of the Zionist regime (Israel),” Hatami said, according to the official IRNA news agency. He noted that Iran’s armed forces were “at full defensive and military readiness”. Washington sent a naval strike group to the Middle East led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, with Trump threatening to intervene militarily after a deadly crackdown by Iranian authorities on two weeks of anti-government protests. The deployment has raised fears of a possible direct confrontation with Iran, which has warned it would respond with mi...
• Erdogan offers to help ease Tehran-Washington tensions • Trump softens threats, suggests openness to dialogue • UK PM Starmer, allies working to block Iran’s nuclear ambitions ISTANBUL: Turkiye intensified a diplomatic push to mediate between Tehran and Washington on Friday as US President Donald Trump appeared to cool his threats of a strike, though Iran warned that its missile capabilities would “never” be on the negotiating table. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan led regional efforts to de-escalate tensions that have soared since the US moved military assets to the Middle East following a deadly crackdown on protests in Iran. While the Pentagon said the military remained ready, Trump lowered the temperature late on Thursday, stating he hoped to avoid conflict and that talks were possible. Speaking during a visit to Turkiye, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcomed the potential for dialogue but drew a hard line regarding national defence. “I want to state ...
If Iranian leadership survives any U.S. attack, they will almost certainly double down on Iran’s weapons program, argues a Middle Eastern security scholar.
United States President Donald Trump said on Friday that he believed Tehran wanted to make a deal to avoid military action, adding that the US “armada” near Iran was bigger than the one he dispatched to topple Venezuela’s leader. The development came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is prepared to resume talks with Washington, but they should be fair and not include Iran’s defence capabilities. Trump made these remarks while addressing reporters in the Oval Office of the White House. “We have a large armada, flotilla, you can call it whatever you want, heading to Iran right now. Even larger than what we had in Venezuela,” the president stated. “Hopefully, we’ll make a deal. If we do make a deal, that’s good; if we don’t make a deal, we’ll see what happens,” Trump added. Asked if Iran had been given any deadline for a deal on its nuclear programme, ballistic missiles and other issues, Trump replied, “Only they know for sure.” He added that he had communicated that directly. “We’ll...
Aripa paramilitară Gardienii Revoluției din Iran a devenit o forță puternică în cadrul regimului teocratic al țării, răspunzând doar în fața liderului suprem. Aceasta supraveghează arsenalul de rachete balistice și lansează atacuri în străinătate, relatează AP.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he hoped to avoid military action against Iran, which has threatened to strike American bases and aircraft carriers in response to any attack. Trump said he is speaking with Iran and left open the possibility of avoiding a military operation after earlier warning that time was “running out” for Tehran as the United States sends a large naval fleet to the region. When asked if he would have talks with Iran, Trump told reporters: “I have had and I am planning on it.” “We have a group headed out to a place called Iran, and hopefully we won’t have to use it,” the US president added, while speaking to media at the premiere of a documentary about his wife Melania. As Brussels and Washington dialled up their rhetoric and Iran issued stark threats this week, UN chief Antonio Guterres has called for nuclear negotiations to “avoid a crisis that could have devastating consequences in the region”. An Iranian military spokesman warned Tehran’s response to any US action would not ...
• PM speaks to Iranian president; FO says region cannot afford war • Diplomacy the ‘only viable way forward’, Dar tells Araghchi • Iranian army chief warns of ‘crushing response’ to any attack • Turkiye offers mediation; Russia cautions use of force will ‘fuel chaos’ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday opposed the use of force and coercive measures against Iran, stressing that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy as Western pressure on Tehran intensified with a continuing US naval build-up in the Gulf and fresh European designations and sanctions. The Pakistani position was articulated across official engagements and public statements, including a telephone call between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, contacts between the two foreign ministers, and remarks by the Foreign Office spokesperson at the media briefing. In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Shehbaz “underscored the importance of sustained dialogue and diplomatic engage...
On Thursday, January 29, the Council of the European Union decided to impose new restrictive measures linked to serious human rights violations in Iran and Iran's continued military support for Russia's war against Ukraine.
Longtime minister Steve Berger says private conversations with senior figures point to escalating pressure on Iran through tariffs, sanctions, and targeted military action.
US President Donald Trump is weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces and leaders to inspire protesters, multiple sources said, even as Israeli and Arab officials said air power alone would not topple the government. Two US sources familiar with the discussions said Trump wanted to create conditions for “regime change” after a crackdown crushed a nationwide protest movement earlier this month. To do so, he was looking at options to hit commanders and institutions that Washington holds responsible for the violence, to give protesters the confidence that they could overrun government and security buildings, they said. One of the US sources said the options being discussed by Trump’s aides also included a much larger strike intended to have a lasting impact, possibly against the ballistic missiles that can reach US allies in the Middle East or its nuclear enrichment programmes. The other US source said Trump has not yet made a final decision on a course of action, including ...
Als de Verenigde Staten militair ingrijpen, zal Iran met een harde tegenaanval komen op de Amerikanen, Israël en eventuele bondgenoten. Dat schrijft een adviseur van de hoogste leider, ayatollah Ali Khamenei, op X. Iran reageert op de dreigementen van president Donald Trump, die een enorme vloot naar de regio heeft gestuurd.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed threats to attack Iran, saying “time is running out” to make a deal on nuclear weapons, after Tehran rejected talks. “Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out,” the US leader said in a social media post, noting that “a massive armada is heading to Iran.” “As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse!” The dialling up of threats came after Iran’s top diplomat said the country would not come to the table under the shadow of military action. “Conducting diplomacy through military threat cannot be effective or useful,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in televised comments on Wednesday. “If they want negotiations to take shape, they must certainly set aside threats, excessive demands and raising illogical issues.” Trump has repe...
Fed up by conflicting media reports and growing uncertainty over a potential U.S. strike on Iran, an Israeli tech worker created a real-time dashboard estimating the likelihood of a strike in the next eight hours
After Trump reminded a 'massive armada' was heading to Iran, threatening the next attack will be 'far worse.' An adviser to Iran's leader said any military action from the U.S. will see Iran targeting the U.S. and Israel and those who support it
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that Riyadh will not allow its airspace or territory to be used for military actions against Tehran, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday. In a phone call with Pezeshkian, the crown prince affirmed his country’s support for any “efforts that would resolve differences through dialogue” to bolster security and stability in the region. Earlier, Iranian media reported that Pezeshkian told bin Salman that Tehran welcomes any process, within the framework of international law, that prevents war. The statement by the Saudi de facto ruler follows a similar statement by the United Arab Emirates that it would not allow any military action against Iran using its airspace or territorial waters. Uncertainty over the possibility of military action in Iran has lingered after US President Donald Trump said last week that an “armada” was heading toward the country but that he hoped he would not have to use it. Trump said on Tuesday another US...
Saudi-Arabië zal niet toestaan dat het Saudische luchtruim of grondgebied wordt gebruikt voor aanvallen op Iran. Dat zei kroonprins Mohammed bin Salman. Volg alle ontwikkelingen over het Midden-Oosten in ons liveblog.
A US naval strike force led by an aircraft carrier was in Middle Eastern waters on Tuesday as Iran vowed to hit back against any strike and President Donald Trump said he believed the Islamic republic still wanted talks. Washington has not ruled out new military intervention against Tehran over its crackdown on protests, which saw over 3,000 killed within days, according to Iranian media. A strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln has now arrived in Middle Eastern waters, US Central Command said, without revealing its precise location. Since Iran earlier this month launched the crackdown on protests accompanied by a blanket internet blackout, Trump has given mixed signals on intervention. “We have a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela,” Trump told the Axios news site, weeks after US military action resulted in the capture of the Latin American nation’s president Nicolas Maduro. But he added: “They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk.” Axios said T...
The American human rights organization HRANA has confirmed the deaths of 5,848 people during protests in Iran, of whom 5,520 were protesters, 77 were minors, 209 were security forces personnel, and 42 were bystanders.