The US has denied that regime change in Iran was a motivation behind its bombing raid on Iran’s key nuclear sites, which Tehran has described as “unforgivable”.
Speaking to reporters in the Pentagon on Sunday, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said damaging Iran’s nuclear programme was the aim of the attack, after negotiations failed.
“[Donald Trump] decided this is the moment, given their stonewalling, when direct military action had to be taken,” Mr Hegseth said.
The US defence secretary described the strikes on the Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan sites as an “incredible and overwhelming success”, adding that they “devastated the Iranian nuclear programme”.
He also warned that any Iranian retaliation will be met with a force “far greater” than the latest strikes.
Mr Hegseth’s comments come after Tehran accused the US of crossing a “very big red line”, following Mr Trump’s earlier announcement that US warplanes had “obliterated” the three nuclear facilities.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the extent of the damage was unclear.
Speaking from Istanbul, where he met counterparts from European and Arab states earlier this week, Mr Araghchi accused Washington of having “betrayed” negotiations over a nuclear deal.
Iranian foreign minister says he held call with Lammy over US strikes
The Iranian foreign minister has said he has held a phone call with British foreign secretary David Lammy.
Abbas Araghchi said the pair exchanged views on the US strikes on Iran.
Underground damage at Iran’s Fordow site is unclear, IAEA’s Grossi tells CNN
While it is clear that US airstrikes overnight hit Iran’s enrichment site buried into a mountain at Fordow, it is not yet possible to assess the damage done underground there, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told CNN on Sunday.
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency that Grossi leads have not been able to inspect Iran’s nuclear facilities since the first strikes on them by Israel on 13 June, and Grossi said he hoped they would be able to return to Fordow and other sites as soon as possible.
Rubio claims Iran has ‘everything it needs’ to make at least nine nuclear bombs
Secretary of state Marco Rubio has claimed that Iran has “everything it needs to make a nuclear weapon”.
He claimed Iran has enough highly enriched uranium to make at least nine or 10 bombs.
National Terrorism Advisory System warms of ‘heightened threat environment’ in US
A bulletin from the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) has warned of a “heightened threat environment” in the US following the country’s strikes on Iran, CBS News has reported.
Rubio warns Iran retaliation would be ‘worst mistake they’ve ever made’
Secretary of state Marco Rubio has warned that if Iran retaliates “it’ll be the worst mistake they’ve ever made”.
However, he said the US is not looking for war in Iran, telling Fox News after the US launched its attack: “This is not a war against Iran.”
He added that the US is prepared to talk with Iran.
‘I’m worried about the situation getting worse so I want to get out as soon as possible’ – British Airways passenger
The Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:
A UK traveller, Alex Cairns, was booked on British Airways flight 108 from Dubai to London Heathrow on Sunday – which BA cancelled along with several others.
Under air passengers’ rights rules the airline must get customers home as soon as possible, including on another carrier.
He told The Independent: “Emirates flights are busy so BA couldn’t get me away till maybe Tuesday, maybe Wednesday, so instead I’ve got a refund and now re booked myself on Qatar airways for tomorrow.
“I’m worried about the situation getting worse so I want to get out as soon as possible. It’s an evolving situation.
“I have to say mood in Dubai is still very good. It’s actually still very very busy in my hotel and in restaurants, beach clubs, etc.”
Mordaunt says there’s ‘clearly a need to reset’ Iran’s nuclear programme
Former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt has said there is “clearly a need to reset” Iran’s civil nuclear programme.
She told The Independent: “I do not think the President would have done this if there were the possibility of successful negotiations. There needs to be focus beyond military action. There is clearly a need to reset Iran’s civil nuclear programme if it cannot be trusted with such technology.”
Watch: US denies Trump’s ‘Midnight Hammer’ bombing raid on nuclear sites was about regime change
Israeli military says it attacked ‘dozens’ of military targets in Iran today
The Israeli military has said that 30 air force jets attacked “dozens” of military targets in Iran using more than 60 munitions on Sunday.
It said it attacked missile sites and unmanned aerial vehicles in Iran’s Isfahan, Bushehr, Ahvaz and – for the first time – in the Yazd area.
Source: independent.co.uk