TOP STORIES
Trump Increasingly Warm to Using US Military to Strike in Iran, Sources Say | CNN
President Donald Trump is growing increasingly warm to using US military assets to strike Iranian nuclear facilities and souring on the idea of a diplomatic solution to end Tehran’s escalating conflict with Israel, two officials familiar with the ongoing discussions told CNN. The new, more hawkish posture represents a significant shift in Trump’s thinking, though the sources said Trump remains open to a diplomatic solution—if Iran makes significant concessions. Over the weekend and into Monday, discussions among Trump administration officials had continued to center on trying to find a diplomatic solution to serve as an off-ramp, sources familiar with the talks said. But Trump signaled early Tuesday his patience for diplomacy was wearing thin. “I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate with Iran,” he told reporters.
Israeli warplanes pounded Iran’s capital overnight and into Wednesday as Iran launched a small barrage of missiles at Israel with no reports of casualties. An Iranian official warned Wednesday that that any U.S. intervention in the conflict would risk “all-out war.” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei delivered the warning in an interview with Al Jazeera English, saying “any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region.”
Trump urged, in a social media posting, Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” as the five-day conflict continues to escalate. “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump added. “He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
As Israel’s targeted strikes inside Iran continue, the longer-term implications for the Iranian regime’s military doctrine and leadership are beginning to surface. A sober analysis reveals that the consequences leave Tehran with little room to manoeuvre.
UANI Research Director Daniel Roth Discusses U.S. Options on Iran | NewsX
“As far as I can tell, the regime is probably on its last legs unless it actually decides to take the wise, judicious course, which would be to come to a deal and permanently dismantle, disable its enrichment facilities.”
“I think we’re headed towards military action,” the policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, Jason Brodsky, tells the Sun. Until now, America’s participation in Operation Rising Lion has been mostly confined to supporting Israel by delivering arms, sharing intelligence, and helping intercept the hundreds of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic has lobbed at Israel.
Who is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader? | SBS News
Jason Brodsky, policy director of the US-based non-profit United Against Nuclear Iran, said: "He has prided himself on deterring conflict away from Iran's borders since he assumed the supreme leadership in 1989."
Supreme Leader Khamenei entrusted Shamkhani and appointed him as commander of the Artesh Navy in 1989, where he helped rebuild Iran’s naval capabilities post-Iran-Iraq War, according to the group United Against Nuclear Iran. . . . Shamkhani’s rhetoric at the time echoed the Islamic Republic’s traditional messaging over the Persian Gulf, rejecting the presence of foreign warships and declaring “the capability to install missile sites” from the north to the south of the Gulf, according to a United Against Nuclear Iran profile of him.
Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker Burns in Strait of Oman | Express Online (translated from Ukrainian)
Among them are also ships classified by the international NGO Greenpeace as part of the shadow fleet of tankers transporting Russian oil around the world through the Baltic Sea, threatening its ecosystems and environment, and those that, according to the American human rights group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), were repurposed from Iranian to transporting Russian oil.
“Since assuming supreme leadership in 1989, he has prided himself on having moved conflicts away from Iran's borders,” says Jason Brodsky of the U.S.-based United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). “So Khamenei has made a big miscalculation,” he adds. What is happening at the moment “is happening at a speed that threatens to exceed Tehran’s capacity,” he stresses.
Iran is unable to respond with the same force. Israel's military and intelligence power has manifested itself through precision strikes, the elimination of key figures and the sabotage of nuclear sites. Iran can activate its networks abroad for terrorist attacks or cyberattacks, as well as attack the energy interests of U.S. allies. But its resources are limited and the response so far has been relatively weak. — Jason M. Brodsky, Policy Director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).
The organization United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) recently welcomed Liberia's decision to deregister all ships allegedly smuggling Iranian oil, as well as its commitment to deregister any ship involved in this illicit trade. UANI is a non-profit and non-partisan organization created to combat the threats posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, the official website notes. It is recalled that, in November 2020, UANI launched its campaign to end open registries for Iran’s “ghost” fleet, consisting of foreign-owned and operated tankers that transport blacklisted oil. As the organization states in the relevant statement, “since then, the Liberian registry has stood out as a beacon of responsiveness, accountability and good governance in the rapid deflagration of Iranian vessels smuggling oil.”
[PHOTO CAPTION]: U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, left, shakes hands with Mark Wallace, CEO of the non-profit United Against Nuclear Iran, after Johnson delivered remarks next to a Shahed 136 military drone during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 8, 2025.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS
Trump Team Discusses Potential Iran Strike in Crucial Situation Room Meeting | Axios
President Trump met with his national security team in the White House Situation Room for around one hour and 20 minutes on Tuesday to make decisions about U.S. policy towards the war between Israel and Iran. . . . Ahead of the meeting, three U.S. officials said Trump was seriously considering joining the war and launching a U.S. strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, especially its underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordow.
US Moving Fighter Jets to Middle East as Israel–Iran War Rages | Associated Press
The U.S. military is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, bolstering U.S. military forces in the region as the war between Israel and Iran rages, three U.S. officials said. One of the officials said the deployments include F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter aircraft. Two of the officials stressed the defensive nature of the deployment of fighter aircraft, which have been used to shoot down drones and projectiles. . . . U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the deployments as defensive in nature, as Washington looks to safeguard forces in the Middle East from potential blowback from Iran and Iran-aligned forces in the region. A fourth U.S. defense official on Tuesday raised the possibility of the deployment to the Eastern Mediterranean of additional U.S. Navy warships capable of shooting down ballistic missiles.
US Moves 30 Jets as Iran Attack Speculation Grows | BBC News
At least 30 US military planes have been moved from bases in America to Europe over the past three days, flight tracking data reviewed by BBC Verify has shown. The planes in question are all US military tanker aircraft used to re-fuel fighter jets and bombers. According to Flightradar24, at least seven of these—all KC-135s—stopped off in US airbases in Spain, Scotland and England.
Iran has prepared missiles and other military equipment for strikes on U.S. bases in the Middle East should the United States join Israel’s war against the country, according to American officials who have reviewed intelligence reports. . . . If the United States joins the Israeli campaign and strikes Fordo, a key Iranian nuclear facility, the Iranian-backed Houthi militia will almost certainly resume striking ships in the Red Sea, the officials said. They added that pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Syria would probably try to attack U.S. bases there. Other officials said that in the event of an attack, Iran could begin to mine the Strait of Hormuz, a tactic meant to pin American warships in the Persian Gulf.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Any US Strikes on Iran Will Have Serious Consequences | Reuters
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded on Wednesday to U.S President Donald Trump's call for the country to surrender, warning that any U.S. strike will have “serious irreparable consequences.”
Iran has conveyed to Washington that it will respond firmly to the United States if it becomes directly involved in Israel’s military campaign, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said on Wednesday. Ali Bahreini told reporters that he saw the U.S. as “complicit in what Israel is doing.” Iran would set a red line, and respond if the United States crosses it, he said, without specifying what actions would provoke a response.
The Israeli Air Force has hit over 1,100 Iranian assets in hundreds of strikes in Iran since Friday, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says in a press conference. “We are operating systematically to neutralize the nuclear threat,” he says, adding that the strikes are “deepening the significant damage” caused to Iran’s ballistic missiles and air defenses.
Satellite Imagery Reveals Israeli Damage to Iranian Targets | Iran International
A series of before and after images published by US aerospace firm Maxar Technologies on Tuesday revealed the extent of damage wrought by Israeli attacks on a missile site in Tabriz and the Mashhad airport.
Iran Says It Fired Hypersonic Missiles at Israel, After Israel Strikes Tehran | Le Monde
Iran said, early on Wednesday, June 18, that it fired hypersonic missiles at Israel . . . Iran told residents of Tel Aviv to prepare for an attack, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claiming its hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles were “repeatedly shaking the shelters” in the commercial hub. . . . Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept.
Iran Running Low on Missiles, Ex-Israeli Intel Chief Says After Quiet Night | Iran International
After the quietest night since Iran began its retaliatory attacks on Israel on Friday, the former head of the Iranian strategic desk in Israeli Defense Intelligence, a branch of the Israeli military, told Iran International that Tehran’s missile stocks are running low. Danny Citrinowicz, who now heads the Iran and Shia axis program at the Institute of National Security Studies, said that at the beginning of the war, intelligence estimates showed Iran had around 2,000 missiles. But as Israel pounds both launchers and production facilities, Iran is unable to regroup in time to retaliate to Israel’s ongoing attacks, he said.
Thousands Flee Tehran, Source Says Trump’s Options Include Joining Israel in Strikes | Reuters
Thousands of people were fleeing Tehran on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said they should leave the capital, while a source said Trump was considering options that include joining Israel in attacking Iranian nuclear sites.
Israeli Air Power Reigns over Iran, but Needs US for Deeper Impact | Reuters
Israel’s command of Iranian air space leaves few obstacles in the way of its expanding bombardment, though it will struggle to deal a knock-out blow to deeply buried nuclear sites without the U.S. joining the attack, experts say.
Iran Deploys Revolutionary Guards at State Broadcaster After Israeli Strike | Iran International
Armed Revolutionary Guard forces have taken control of Iran’s state broadcaster compound in Tehran following an Israeli airstrike on Monday that disrupted operations and heightened fears among employees, sources told Iran International on Wednesday. Access to the state-run broadcaster’s complex, located in northern Tehran’s Jam-e-Jam area, is now tightly restricted, with only cleared personnel allowed to enter. Witnesses report heightened security checks and a significant armed presence. The compound has effectively turned into a restricted zone, one staff member said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Iran Orders Officials to Ditch Connected Devices | Politico
Iran’s cyber command ordered top officials and their security teams to avoid IT equipment connected to telecom networks in a sign they fear digital disruption from Israel. The news was reported by the Fars news agency on Tuesday, which is affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
‘No Way to Pay’: Banking, Internet Outage Hit Iranians amid Israeli Strikes | Iran International
Amid mass evacuation orders and fears of wider conflict, Iranians at home and abroad are reporting major disruptions to banking and internet services, adding to the chaos as Israeli airstrikes and US warnings drive thousands to flee major cities.
How Has Iran Managed to Breach Israel’s Iron Dome Air Defence System? | Independent
The Iron Dome is a surface-to-air missile system which tracks and intercepts projectiles headed towards populated areas in Israel. Its success at repelling attacks in the recent past has meant Israelis are not used to seeing rockets successfully strike their major cities. Israeli officials have long accepted that the Iron Dome is not 100 per cent effective. Here The Independent looks at why Iran’s attacks have breached Israel’s strong defences.
President Trump declared in a social media post Tuesday, “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran”—a claim that departed from earlier U.S. statements that Israel's offensive against Iran was being carried out without U.S. involvement. . . . Mr. Trump added, “Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American-made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff.’ Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA.” The Israeli military is equipped with aircraft and weapons systems purchased from the U.S.
Trump Speaks with Netanyahu After Crucial Meeting on Israel–Iran War | Axios
President Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening after meeting with his national security team about the escalating war between Israel and Iran, an Israeli official told Axios.
Trump “may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment,” [Vice President JD] Vance wrote in a post on X. “That decision ultimately belongs to the president.”
Washington War Games: How the U.S. Prepared for an Iran Strike | Free Press
On a humid evening in late April, a group of Trump officials, U.S. intelligence analysts, and Iranian dissidents met for dinner in Washington to game out a potential military assault on Iran. The sequencing of any Israeli or American operation was the primary focus for the mealtime discussion . . . The targeting timeline mapped out during the dinner was remarkably similar to what the Israel Defense Forces have pursued so far in their five-day onslaught. . . . But three steps explored that night have yet to be taken. These include the bombing by Israel or the Pentagon of Iran’s highly fortified uranium enrichment center in the mountains of Fordow; the destruction of Iran’s primary oil export center on Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf; and an attempt by the Trump administration essentially to incite a popular uprising against Iran’s theocratic rulers.
How Trump Shifted on Iran Under Pressure from Israel | New York Times
Mr. Trump chose a middle course, offering Israel as-yet undisclosed support from the U.S. intelligence community to carry out its attack and then turning up the pressure on Tehran to give immediate concessions at the negotiating table or face continued military onslaught. Five days after Israel launched its attack, Mr. Trump’s posture continues to gyrate. The administration at first distanced itself from the strikes, then grew more publicly supportive as Israel’s initial military success became evident. Now Mr. Trump is seriously considering sending American aircraft in to help refuel Israeli combat jets and to try to take out Iran’s deep-underground nuclear site at Fordo with 30,000-pound bombs—a step that would mark a stunning turnabout from his opposition just two months ago to any military action while there was still a chance of a diplomatic solution.
Iran's secretive Fordow uranium enrichment plant is buried deep beneath a mountain, its vital centrifuges protected by tons upon tons of rock. Israel has made no secret of its wish to destroy Iran's nuclear programme, but the only bomb believed to be powerful enough to penetrate the Fordow facility is an American “bunker buster” bomb that the Israelis do not have—yet. . . . Analysts say it can only be delivered from a US B-2 stealth bomber. Its 30,000lb (13,600kg) weight means that its sheer kinetic force enables it to reach deeply buried targets. It's understood that it can penetrate about 200ft (61m) below the surface before exploding.
What to Know About Bunker-Buster Bombs and Iran’s Fordo Nuclear Facility | Associated Press
If the U.S. decides to support Israel more directly in its attack on Iran, one option for Washington would be to provide the “bunker-buster” bombs believed necessary to significantly damage the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, built deeply into a mountain.
As Israel pounds Iran with airstrikes targeting military facilities and its nuclear sites, officials in Tehran have proposed a variety of steps the Islamic Republic could take outside of launching retaliatory missile barrages. Those proposals mirror those previously floated by Iran in confrontations with either Israel or the United States in that last few decades. They included disrupting maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, potentially leaving the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and other attacks by militants.
Israel’s Spy Agency Used AI and Smuggled-In Drones to Prepare Attack on Iran | Associated Press
The Mossad and the military worked together for at least three years to lay the operational groundwork [for the Israeli strikes], according to a former intelligence officer who said he had knowledge of the attack . . . The attack built off knowledge Israel gained during a wave of airstrikes last October, which “highlighted the weakness of Iranian air defenses,” said Naysan Rafati, an Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group. To further diminish Iranian air defenses and missile systems at the start of last week’s attack, Mossad agents had smuggled precision weapons into Iran that were prepositioned to strike from close range . . . Those weapons included small, armed drones, which agents snuck into the country in vehicles, according to the former intelligence officer. . . . To analyze information it gathered, Israel used the latest artificial-intelligence, or AI, technology.
Iran’s Mossad Paranoia Grows, amid Fears of Israeli Spies Wearing ‘Masks, Hats and Sunglasses’ | CNN
Since Israeli strikes began Friday, 28 people in the capital have been arrested and accused of spying for Israel, while on Monday, one man arrested on that charge two years ago was hanged in what appeared to be a message to any would-be collaborator. The Iranian regime has also arrested scores of people across the country for allegedly sharing articles online “in support of the Zionist regime”—accusing them of disrupting the “psychological security of society”—including 60 people in Isfahan, where Israel claims to have targeted a nuclear site. . . . So heightened have Iranian suspicions become since then that its Intelligence Ministry has been asking the public to report suspicious activity and issuing guidance on how to spot collaborators. One statement from the ministry urges people to be wary of strangers wearing masks or goggles, driving pickup trucks and carrying large bags or filming around military, industrial, or residential areas.
Tracking Trump’s Mixed Messages on Iran | CNN
Since Israel launched attacks on Iran on Friday, Trump has offered a series of mixed messages about what he wants from Iran and just how involved the United States is or will be. This is a familiar story with Trump, who often vacillates between positions even in fraught circumstances.
Iran Finds Itself in Difficult Endgame with Israel, Trump | The Hill
“There’s got to be a kind of chaos in both the IRGC and the army,” said Elliott Abrams, U.S. special representative for Iran in the first Trump administration and senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations . . . Abrams predicted “the regime could collapse, but I think it’s more likely that [it], in essence, gives up.” He predicted the supreme leader realizes “I’ve got to agree to the end of the nuclear weapons program or the whole thing will fall on our heads,” Abrams said. “Trump is not saying ceasefire. Trump is saying we need a deal that solves this problem. And again, by that, I think, does not mean regime change. He means the true end to the Iranian nuclear program,” he said. “I don’t think this war ends, certainly until the end of the weekend. . . . My guess is less than two weeks. Another week, or 10 days.”
PROXY WARS
Houthi Official Says Group Will Intervene to Support Iran Against Israel | Reuters
A member of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Al Jazeera Mubasher TV on Tuesday that the group will intervene to support Iran against Israel like it did in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi movement’s political bureau, also reiterated to Al Jazeera Mubasher TV that the group is coordinating with Tehran during its ongoing military escalation with Israel.
NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Trump Dismisses Gabbard’s Testimony on Iran Nukes: “I Don’t Care What She Said” | Axios
President Trump on Tuesday said Iran was “very close” to having a nuclear weapon, despite March testimony from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that Tehran was not building one. . . . When pressed on Gabbard’s assessment by reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump replied, "I don't care what she said. I think they were very close to having" a nuclear weapon.
SANCTIONS, SHIPPING, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Oil Tankers near Iran Appear to Be in Rural Russia as Signals Jammed | Reuters
The Front Tyne oil tanker was sailing through the Gulf between Iran and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday when just past 9:40 a.m. shiptracking data appeared to show the massive vessel in Russia, in fields better known for barley and sugar beets. By 4:15 p.m., the ship’s erratic signals indicated it was in southern Iran near the town of Bidkhun, before later placing it back and forth across the Gulf. . . . Mass interference since the start of the conflict between Israel and Iran has affected nearly 1,000 ships in the Gulf, according to Windward, a shipping analysis firm.
PROTESTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Billionaire Elon Musk announced on social media platform X that he has activated the Starlink satellite communications system in Iran after Tehran cut off internet access to citizens in the wake of Israeli strikes against its nuclear program early Friday morning. “The beams are on,” he wrote on Saturday morning.
Iran Asks Its People to Delete WhatsApp from Their Devices | Associated Press
Iranian state television on Tuesday afternoon urged the country’s public to remove the messaging platform WhatsApp from their smartphones, alleging the app—without offering specific evidence—gathered user information to send to Israel. In a statement, WhatsApp said it was “concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most.” WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, meaning a service provider in the middle can’t read a message. “We do not track your precise location, we don’t keep logs of who everyone is messaging and we do not track the personal messages people are sending one another,” it added. “We do not provide bulk information to any government.”
CYBERSECURITY MATTERS
Iranian Bank Linked to Revolutionary Guard Hit by ‘Cyber Attack’ | Times of London
A bank linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corp has suffered a nationwide IT failure, sparking suggestions of an Israeli cyber attack. The state-owned Sepah bank, one of the country’s biggest, has experienced computer problems and its customers have been unable to withdraw money from ATMs. The bank has been sanctioned by the UK and US for financing proxy forces, as well as Iran’s missile and nuclear programme. It comes as IRGC Cyber Security Command banned officials and protection teams from using all devices connected to public communication and telecoms networks. . . . An initial claim of responsibility has been made by Israel-linked self-proclaimed “hacktivists,” a group calling itself Gonjeshke Darande, or Predatory Sparrows, which have previously also claimed attacks on Iranian railways and petrol stations.
U.S. Companies Brace for Israel–Iran Cyber Spillover | Axios
Iran and Israel are home to some of the world’s most skilled hackers. Escalating tensions between the two could spill over into cyberspace, potentially disrupting critical infrastructure, commercial networks and global supply chains. . . . U.S. cybersecurity organizations are urging businesses to remain on high alert for possible Iranian cyberattacks on domestic infrastructure.
CONGRESS & IRAN
Congress Dodges Preemptive Confrontation with Trump over Iran | Axios
Senate leaders are avoiding direct answers on whether President Trump needs approval from Congress before taking any military action against Iran. . . . “Those questions have been debated, litigated for a long time about . . . how much authority the President has as commander in chief,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said when asked if Trump needed congressional approval to strike Iran. “I believe Congress and the Senate, Senate Democrats, if necessary, will not hesitate to exercise our authority,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said . . . Lawmakers have privately stressed to Schumer the need to maintain the military's flexibility in this situation, sources told Axios.
A group of lawmakers spanning a broad ideological spectrum is raising alarms about the possibility of the United States taking an active role in the conflict between Israel and Iran. . . . Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a libertarian who has not been afraid to buck Trump on fiscal issues, is teaming up with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to attempt to force a vote on a war powers resolution that would require the administration to get approval from Congress before participating in the conflict in any meaningful way.
Senate Dems Fracture as Trump Considers Iran Strike | Axios
A small group of Senate Democrats is scrambling to keep President Trump from unilaterally involving the U.S. in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. . . . The caucus is fractured over the quickly unfolding situation, with just a handful blaring the alarm while the party's leadership—at least for now—watches and waits.
Graham Says Greene ‘Doesn’t Understand’ Iran’s Nuclear Threat | The Hill
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a Tuesday interview that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) “doesn’t understand” the nuclear threat that Iran poses. . . . “If you don’t understand that Iran, a religious theocracy, religious Nazis would use a nuclear weapon to kill all the Jews, you don’t listen to what they say,” Graham continued. “They’re a threat to us. They’re a threat to the State of Israel. It is not in the world’s interest to give this religious fanatic a nuclear weapon.”
RUSSIA, UKRAINE, & IRAN
Despite Close Ties with Iran, Russia Stands Aside as Israel Attacks | New York Times
Iran aided the Kremlin with badly needed drones in the first year of its Ukraine invasion, helped Moscow build out a critical factory to make drones at home and inked a new strategic partnership treaty this year with President Vladimir V. Putin, heralding closer ties, including in defense. But five months after that treaty was signed, the government in Iran is facing a grave threat to its rule from attacks by Israel. And Russia, beyond phone calls and condemnatory statements, is nowhere to be found. Iranian nuclear facilities and energy installations have been damaged, and many of the country’s top military leaders killed, in a broad Israeli onslaught that began Friday and has since expanded, with no sign that Moscow will come to Tehran’s aid.
Russia Fears Another Loss in Middle East from Iran’s Conflict with Israel | BBC News
When Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, officials in Russia described the current escalation in the Middle East as “alarming” and “dangerous.” Still, Russian media were quick to stress the potential positives for Moscow. . . . However, the longer Israel’s military operation goes on, the greater the realisation that Russia has much to lose from current events.
EUROPE & IRAN
Germany’s Merz Threatens Destruction of Iran’s Nuclear Program If It Bucks Talks | Times of Israel
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday that the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear weapons program could be on the agenda if Tehran does not back down and return to the negotiating table. “The Israeli army is obviously unable to accomplish that. It lacks the necessary weapons. But the Americans have them,” said Merz in an interview with broadcaster ZDF on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada.
Germany’s Merz Says Israel Doing ‘Dirty Work for Us’ in Iran | Deutsche Welle
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed respect for Israel’s attack on Iran, calling it a service to Western allies. “This is the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us,” Merz said Tuesday . . . “We are also victims of this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world,” he added. “I can only say: the greatest respect for the fact that the Israeli army and the Israeli leadership had the courage to do this.”
CHINA & IRAN
China Sends Mystery Transport Planes into Iran | Telegraph
A day after Israel attacked Iran on Friday, a cargo plane took off from China. The next day, a second plane departed from a coastal city. Then on Monday, yet another departed, this time from Shanghai—three flights in three days. Data showed that on each flight, the plane flew westward along northern China, crossing into Kazakhstan, then south into Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan – and then falling off the radar as it neared Iran. . . . Aviation experts have noted that the type of plane used, Boeing 747 freighters, are commonly used for transporting military equipment and weapons, and hired to fly government contract orders.
IRAQ & IRAN
Iraqi Kurds Brace for Fallout from Israel’s War on Iran | New Arab
As all-out war between Israel and Iran inches closer, authorities in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region are appealing for calm and international engagement to contain a potential regional war, even as they discreetly brace for the wide-reaching repercussions, including security threats, economic disruption and environmental hazards.
MISCELLANEOUS
A schism has opened among President Donald Trump’s most devout MAGA supporters and national security conservatives over the Israel-Iran conflict, as some longtime defenders of the president’s America First mantra call him out for weighing a greater U.S. role in the region. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, commentator Tucker Carlson and conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk—with legions of their own devoted followers—are reminding audiences of Trump’s 2024 promises to resist overseas military involvement after a week of deadly strikes and counterstrikes between Israel and Iran, and discussion of U.S. involvement.