Hegseth hails 'brilliant' mission: ‘We devastated Iranian nuclear programme’

The US National Terrorism Advisory System warned on Sunday of “violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators seeking to attack targets” in retaliation to the airstrikes, and Americans stuck in Iran "should be prepared to shelter in place for extended periods," the State Department warned.

A recent Department of Homeland Security bulletin warned: "Iranian government-affiliated cyber actors will probably prioritize retaliatory attacks against Israeli targets in the short term but may target US networks due to their perception of US support for Israeli strikes."

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran and its proxy groups have been linked to a series of high-profile terrorist attacks targeting the West. Euronews' Kamuran Samar and Mert Can Yilmaz have compiled this timeline:

·       In November 1979, Iranian militants seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, holding 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. This was followed in the 1980s by a deadly bombing campaign in Lebanon, where Hezbollah bombed the U.S. Embassy in Beirut on April 18, 1983, and later attacked U.S. and French military barracks on October 23, killing more than 300 people combined.

·       Paris was rocked by a string of bombings between 1985 and 1986 that killed 13 people and wounded more than 250. French intelligence ultimately linked the attacks to Iranian-backed Hezbollah amid tensions over arms deals and the imprisonment of Iranian agents.

·       On March 17, 1992, a bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires left 29 dead, followed by a July 18, 1994, attack on the AMIA Jewish Center that killed 85. Both attacks were traced back to Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah.

·       On June 25, 1996, a truck bomb destroyed the Khobar Towers housing complex in Saudi Arabia, killing 19 U.S. service members in an attack attributed to Iranian-supported Saudi Hezbollah.

·       On January 20, 2007, militants disguised as U.S. soldiers attacked a U.S. base in Karbala, Iraq, killing five troops, four of whom were abducted and executed. The assault was linked to Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, an Iranian-backed militia trained by the Quds Force, one of five branches of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

·       In October 2011, the U.S. uncovered a plot by Iran’s Quds Force to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, D.C. A year later, Israeli diplomats were targeted in coordinated attacks in India, Georgia, and Thailand, with Iran blamed by Israel for the bomb plots. Tehran denied the accusation.

·       On July 18, 2012, a Hezbollah suicide bomber killed five Israeli tourists and their driver in Bulgaria.

·       Most recently, in 2018, European authorities foiled a planned bombing at a rally for the Iranian opposition group MEK (People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran) near Paris—an attack orchestrated by an Iranian diplomat who was later convicted in Belgium.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session later today in the wake of US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, Reuters has reported, citing diplomats.

Earlier today, Iran requested a meeting of the 15-member body to address the US action, which it called outrageous, and warning of "everlasting consequences".

The US attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran "were carried out in coordination with the IDF." according to Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin on Sunday.

"These actions mark a crucial step in stopping the Iranian regime's aggression and its ability to pose a threat to the region and the world. The regime's ability to threaten Israel is being dismantled piece by piece," said Defrin.

‘There is no red line that they have not crossed’ - Araghchi

Israel says US and Tel Aviv’s early Sunday attacks on Iran were carried out “in full coordination”.…

Only regime change will completely neutralise the threat that Iran will develop nuclear weapons, however successful 'Operation Midnight Hammer' may have been, though it will cement support for Trump domestically, an expert on foreign policy has told Euronews.

Read the full interview by Euronews' Sandor Zsiros here:

Only regime change will stop Iran making a nuclear weapon - expert

Jacob Kirkegaard told Euronews that despite the American strikes, Iran might still be capable of a nuclear program. He added that many European countries……

“Ukraine is convinced that Iran’s nuclear program must be brought to an end so that it never again poses a threat neither to the countries of the Middle East nor to any other state," the country's foreign minister has said in a statement. reports Euronews' Sasha Vakulina.

"Iran is complicit in the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The Iranian regime is providing military assistance to Russia, including the supply of UAVs and technologies that Russia consistently uses to kill people and destroy critical infrastructure," the statement said.

"We are confident that a decisive policy of “peace through strength,” which is already depriving the Iranian regime of the means to spread terror and destabilization, is capable of strengthening international peace and security not only in the Middle East but also in Europe."

"Bringing an end to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine also requires determination, leadership, and increased pressure on those who fail to demonstrate constructiveness in the pursuit of peace. This primarily involves sanctioning Russian oil revenues and its military budget, increasing pressure on Russia, and boosting Ukraine’s defense capabilities.”

With US troops across the Middle East on high alert as Iran and its proxies threaten retaliation, here's a deeper dive by Euronews:

Can Iran attack the US now and how (and where) can it do it?

U.S. troops across the Middle East are on high alert as Iran and its proxies threaten retaliation following recent escalations.…

Fars News Agency, a state-backed outlet with links to the Republican Guard, has reported that Iran has prepared itself for a war that may last between two to six months at least, using all military and intelligence capabilities. "Iran has a massive missile stockpile," according to the report.

US Vice President JD Vance said in a television interview with NBC that he felt “very confident that we’ve substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon", but also said that the attacks provided an opportunity for dialogue.

The vice president said the US had “negotiated aggressively’ with Iran to try to find a peaceful settlement and that Trump made his decision after assessing the Iranians were not acting “in good faith.”

“I actually think it provides an opportunity to reset this relationship, reset these negotiations and get us in a place where Iran can decide not to be a threat to its neighbours, not to a threat to the United States and if they’re willing to do that, the United States is all ears,” Vance said.

He added: “The Iranians can go down the path of peace or they can go down the path of this ridiculous brinkmanship of funding terrorism, of trying to build a nuclear weapon and that’s just not something the United States can accept.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for direct negotiations between the US and Iran during an interview with Fox News in which he said the US is “prepared to talk to them tomorrow.”

The top US diplomat reiterated that Iran could have a civil nuclear program but no uranium enrichment.

“The Iranian regime should wake up and say, ‘OK, if we really want nuclear energy in our country, there’s a way to do it.’ That offer is still there. We’re prepared to talk to them tomorrow and start working on that,” Rubio said on Fox News.

“Steve Witkoff has travelled extensively around the world trying to reach that deal with them, but they play too many games,” Rubio said.

Although Iran “consistently” sends messages through intermediaries, Rubio said, “they don’t even talk to us directly.”

“They want to pass messages and notes like we’re in third grade. We’re not doing that anymore,” Rubio said.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has told CNN that “there are clear indications of impacts,” at the nuclear enrichment plant at Fordow in Iran, “but as for the assessment for the degree of damage underground, on this we cannot pronounce ourselves.”

“No one could tell you how much it has been damaged,” he added, saying that because of observed changes in the shape of the sites, “one cannot exclude that there is significant damage there.”

In response to the US airstrikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, the Iranian parliament has voted to close the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, various Iranian media are reporting.

Senior Iranian lawmaker Esmaeil Kowsari is cited as saying that the Majlis (Iranian parliament) has agreed to close the vital chokepoint for global energy and trade in response to the American aggression and the silence of the international community.

Kowsari, a member of the parliament’s committee on national security and foreign policy, said lawmakers have reached a consensus on the closure of the strait, though the final decision rests with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

“The parliament has come to the conclusion that it should close the Hormuz Strait, but the final decision lies with the Supreme National Security Council,” Kowsari stated, according to several reports.

Here's a look at why the Straits matter.

What’s at stake for Europe if the Strait of Hormuz is blocked?

Iran is considering closing the Strait of Hormuz, but what would that mean for Europe and what is at stake if it happens? #EuropeNews…

More from that Pentagon briefing a little earlier...

After briefing on the operation US General Dan Caine warned Iran against taking any retaliatory action, saying: “Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks, which would be an incredibly poor choice.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke alongside Caine and described the attack as "an incredible and overwhelming success."

"The order we received from our commander in chief was focused, it was powerful, and it was clear," Hegseth said, adding: "We devastated the Iranian nuclear program, but it's worth noting that the operation did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people."

Hegseth said Trump planned a bold and brilliant mission, “showing the world that American deterrence is back. When this president speaks, the world should listen”.

Senior Pentagon officials briefing this afternoon revealed new details about the US operation to bomb three nuclear sites in Iran, described by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the "largest B-2 operational strike in US history" which inflicted "extremely severe damage and destruction" to targets.

General Dan Caine, who chaired the briefing, told reporters:

"This was a highly classified mission with very few people in Washington knowing the timing or nature of this plan", which was dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, it included seven B-2 Spirit bombers that flew east from their base in Missouri to Iran.

At about 5 pm ET Saturday, just before the aircraft entered Iranian airspace, a US submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles against targets at the site in Isfahan.

As the bombers approached their targets, the US deployed "several deception tactics, including decoys," and fighter jets cleared the airspace ahead of them, checking for enemy aircraft and surface-to-air missiles.

Caine said the US was currently unaware of any shots fired at the US strike force on the way in.

At about 2:10am in Iran, the front B-2 dropped two "bunker-buster" bombs (GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs) on the site at Fordow.

Over the next 25 minutes, Caine said, a total of 14 MOPs would be dropped on two target areas. The Tomahawk missiles landed at Isfahan after bombs were dropped on the two other sites. Caine said no shots were fired at the planes as they left Iranian airspace, and throughout the mission, “we retained the element of surprise”, Caine said.

"More than 125 US aircraft participated in this mission," Caine said, including the B-2 bombers, fighter jets, refueling planes and surveillance aircraft. More than 75 precision-guided weapons were used in the attack.”

"Initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," Caine said, noting that a full assessment will take time.

Euronews Arabic team has been digging into the specifics of Iran's Kheibar Shekan missile, which the country's Revolutionary Guard has claimed is among weapons deployed by Iran today.

What is Iran’s Kheibar Shekan missile, carrying ideological payload?

Iran’s armed forces have carried out the twentieth wave of a massive missile-drone operation against Israeli military targets, targeting Ben Gurion Airport……

"This morning I spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the Sultan of Oman, the President of the United Arab Emirates and the Emir of Qatar to express our solidarity," French President Emmanuel Macron, silent up to this point in reaction to the airstrikes, has posted on X.

"To the Iranian President, I reiterated our demand for the immediate release of our compatriots Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris," Macron wrote.

"Following the night's strikes, I called for de-escalation and for Iran to exercise the utmost restraint in this dangerous context, to allow a return to diplomatic channels," the post said, adding: "Dialogue, a clear commitment by Iran to renounce nuclear weapons, or the risk of the worst for the whole region. This is the only path that leads to peace and security for all."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen joined the chorus of EU leaders this morning stating that "Iran must never acquire the bomb", but calling for a diplomatic solution.

"With tensions in the Middle East at a new peak, stability must be the priority.

And respect for international law is critical.

Now is the moment for Iran to engage in a credible diplomatic solution.

The negotiating table is the only place to end this crisis.," the EU Commission chief posted on X

"Ayatollah Putin can look at his friends in Iran to see where such regimes end up, and how far into decay they drive their countries," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned the Russian President in a post on X earlier.

Zelenskyy said "Russia wants to wage war. Even brandishing some threats. This means the pressure the world is applying isn’t hurting them enough yet, or they are trying very hard to keep up appearances. Well, the Russian economy is already crumbling. We will support this process even more."

Ukraine is implementing a broad evacuation from the 'the danger' zone in the Middle East of its own citizens and those of partner countries, Volodymyr Zelnskyy has posted on X.

"Ahead of the active measures by the United States targeting nuclear program facilities in Iran, Ukrainian diplomats and the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine carried out an important stage of the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens and citizens of partner states from the danger zone: 176 people were evacuated from Israel to Egypt, and evacuation efforts are also ongoing from Iran to Azerbaijan," the post said.

"Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, reported on the work of our embassies in the region and the evacuation efforts being undertaken. Among those evacuated by Ukraine were citizens of Moldova, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, and the United States."

"We are responding to every request and will continue evacuation efforts. I have instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and our intelligence service to provide all the necessary protection for our people in the Middle East and the Gulf region."

Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni is following the crisis in Iran with the utmost attention and staged a videoconference this morning with relevant ministers and the country's top intelligence officials, Italian news agency ANSA is reporting, citing Palazzo Chigi sources.

The Prime Minister will be in contact with key allies and leaders in the region in the coming hours, according to the report, which added that Italy "will continue its efforts to bring the parties to the negotiating table".

Meloni segue la crisi in Iran e sente Merz e Starmer. Vertice con i servizi - Notizie - Ansa.it

Crosetto: ‘Si apre una crisi molto più grande, abbiamo cominciato a mettere in sicurezza i nostri contingenti’ (ANSA)…

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday called a meeting of the country's security cabinet and urged Iran "to immediately start negotiations with the US and Israel and come to a diplomatic resolution of the conflict", according to his spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius.

The Iranian foreign minister told a press conference earlier he will fly to Moscow today and have a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

“Russia is a friend of Iran and we enjoy a strategic partnership,” he told the news conference in Istanbul.

“We always consult with each other and coordinate our positions,” Araghchi said, noting that Russia was one of the signatories of the UN agreement on nuclear proliferation in Iran.

“I will have serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow and we continue to work with each other.”

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the US has taken action to "alleviate" the "grave threat" of Iran's nuclear programme in a statement posted on X.

“Iran’s nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat," he said.

“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.”

"Ali Khamenei and his crumbling terrorist regime have failed the nation," Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last Shah, has posted on X.

"As Khamenei considers how to respond from his underground bunker, I say to him: For the sake of the Iranian people, respond by stepping down, so the proud Iranian nation can leave the disastrous period of the Islamic Republic behind and start a new chapter of peace, prosperity and greatness," the Iranian royal wrote in Farsi and English posts, adding: "The only sure way to achieve peace is for this regime to now end."

The Department of State has begun assisted departure flights from Israel, according to a post on X by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee.

France’s minister of foreign affairs Jean-Noël Barrot has posted on X that France had taken note ”with great concern” of the US strikes but ”it didn’t participate either in those strikes or in their planning.”

Barrot called for “all parties” to show restraint and avoid any ”escalation” of the conflict and insisted that a ”lasting solution” would need to be negotiated in the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Here's a Euronews report giving the details on how the attacks unfolded - with details on the payloads involved and full details of how the attack unfolded, written by Euronews' Spanish service.

US operation against Iran in detail: bombs, planes and missiles used

The United States has carried out a large-scale coordinated attack on Iran’s main nuclear facilities, using its most advanced military arsenal.…

Iranian missiles struck areas in northern and central Israel after the US carried out strikes on Iran, and an Israeli rescue service has posted video showing damage caused.

According to Iran’s Judiciary Media Centre, Majid Mossayebi was arrested and prosecuted on charges of moharebeh (waging war against God) and corruption on earth through espionage and intelligence cooperation in favour of the Zionist regime, Euronews Persia service reports.

After the full legal process and confirmation of the sentence by Iran’s Supreme Court, he was executed on Sunday morning, according to the report

Based on the case documents, Mossayebi attempted to provide the Mossad with classified information, details about sensitive locations inside Iran, and identities of specific individuals. In return, he received cryptocurrency as payment, it is claimed.

Israel’s president told the BBC that the US attack on Iran was “historic” and “brave”, but he couldn't confirm if Iran’s nuclear capabilities have been eliminated, saying he doesn’t know the details.

"It’s quite clear to me that the Iranian nuclear program has been hit substantially," Isaac Herzog told the BBC, adding that he didn’t know the US was going to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.

“I was woken up when it happened,” he said.

Pressed on whether Israel will now stop attacking Iran. Herzog didn't answer directly, saying Iran is firing missiles at Israeli territory and “we have to do whatever it takes to defend ourselves against missiles”.

“The way to do it is of course to deal with it on an international level and make sure that there is an exit strategy,” he added.

"The strikes against Iran's nuclear programme are of exceptional scale," according to Finland's President Alexander Stubb, who has posted on social media X.

"For Finland, it is important that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon and that no new nuclear weapon states emerge in the world," Stubb wrote, adding: "The spiral of vengeance in the Middle East must come to an end. A sustainable solution requires diplomacy, dialogue and respect for the international law. We will closely monitor the situation and continue discussions with our partners and allies."

Watch Israeli Prime Minister Binjamin Netanyahu's tribute to US President Donald Trump which he posted earlier on X here:

Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has posted on X saying that "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."

What conclusion would you draw? Araghchi asks, adding: "To Britain and the EU High Rep, it is Iran which must "return" to the table. But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?"

EU Council President Antonio Costa has registered deep alarm with the news arriving from the Middle East, in a post on X.

"I call on all parties to show restraint and respect for international law and nuclear safety," the Council president posted, adding:

"Diplomacy remains the only way to bring peace and security to the Middle East region. Too many civilians will once again be the victims of a further escalation."

"The EU will continue engaging with the parties and our partners to find a peaceful solution at the negotiating table."

Reports are casting doubts on whether enriched uranium may have been moved from Fordow in advance of the US strikes overnight. Reuters, has reported an Iranian official claiming most of the highly enriched uranium was transferred from the Fordow facility to an undisclosed location, and the number of workers at the facility was reduced to the minimum.

Meanwhile the Washington Post has reported that satellite images have shown unusual activity of trucks and vehicles around the Fordow facility two days before the American attack. On June 19, there were 16 trucks along the road leading to an underground military complex. Images from the following day show most of those trucks moving northwest of Fordow and positioning near the site’s entrance, the paper claims.

"Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as it would be a threat to international security," the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has posted on X.

"I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation," Kallas said in the post, flagging that EU Foreign Ministers will discuss the situation tomorrow.

An emergency meeting of Iran's National Security Committee will be held to consider 'multidimensional responses, including studying the withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and closing the Strait of Hormuz, to send 'clear messages to the aggressor', news agency Tasnim - a semi-official Iranian outlet - is citing a member of the National Security Committee in the Iranian Parliament as saying.

How will Iran react to the US attacks? A clear warning on this came from the country's UN ambassador, who spoke exclusively to Euronews' Sasha Vakulina on Thursday from Geneva.

“If the United States crosses some red lines, then it will receive the same reaction we gave to Israel. We will very firmly respond to the United States if it crosses the red lines. (…) Our military forces have a strong dominance on the situation. They have a very precise assessment and calculation about the movements of the United States and they know where the United States should be attacked.”

Iran’s UN ambassador: Europe partly to blame for Iran-Israel conflict

In an interview with Euronews, Ali Bahreini said the diplomacy does still have a chance if Israel stops its strikes but also warned that Iran would target……

Some images from inside the White House's Situation Room - the nerve centre for the US military strikes - have been posted on X, showing the President alongside his chief of staff Susie Wiles.

Iran has the legal right to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in the wake of the American strike on its nuclear facilities according to the Head of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Iranian Parliament, Abbas Golroo, reports Tasnim News Agency, a semi-official news agency in Iran associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

• "War starts right now", the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Tehran's main army branch, said overnight on Sunday after the US forces struck the three nuclear sites in Iran.
• The Israeli military said its air force has begun a new wave of attacks against military targets in western Iran.
• Trump posted on his Truth Social account that a "full payload of bombs was dropped" on the Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan nuclear sites.
• "Congratulations to our great American warriors," Trump said, adding that it is now "time for peace".
• Addressing the nation at the White House following the attack, Trump said that Iran "must now make peace" and that "if they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier."