President Donald Trump has insisted the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities was a success, claiming it obliterated Tehran’s nuclear programme and set it back decades.
Mr Trump compared the US operation to the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings in Japan, which killed an estimated 150,000 to 246,000 people, mostly civilians.
“That hit ended the war. I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing, that ended that war. This ended that with the war,” he said at the Nato summit.
A leaked preliminary intelligence assessment reportedly found that the US military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities at the weekend did not destroy the country’s nuclear programme.
Mr Trump admitted the early intelligence was “very inconclusive” before doubling down on his claims the attack destroyed the nuclear sites.
Iran admitted the country’s nuclear sites had been badly damaged.
Earlier, Mr Trump claimed he had “stopped the war” as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran appeared to hold. “It was my great honor to Destroy All Nuclear facilities & capability, and then, STOP THE WAR!” he wrote.
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Key points
- Watch: Donald Trump compares US strike on Iran to Hiroshima bombing
- Iran's nuclear programme severely damaged, says CIA chief
- US hospitals on high alert for cyberattacks in Iranian retaliation
- UN watchdog says its possible much of Iran's enriched uranium survived bombardments
- Trump says future US strikes are possible if Iran tries to resume nuclear programme
- Iran executes three people accused of spying amid fears further executions could occur
Iran's nuclear project severely damaged, says CIA chief
21:38
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Jane Dalton
The head of the CIA has confirmed that “credible intelligence” suggests Iran’s nuclear programme was severely damaged by US strikes on it on Sunday.
John Ratcliffe said several key nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.
"This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years," he said in a statement.
A leaked preliminary intelligence assessment reportedly found that the US military strikes did not destroy the country’s nuclear programme, but Donald Trump insisted they did.
Trump envoy 'hopeful' of peace deal with Iran
21:33
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Jane Dalton
Nuclear enrichment and weaponisation by Iran are red lines for the United States, president Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has said, adding that he was hopeful for a comprehensive peace agreement with Tehran.
"We can't have weaponisation," he told CNBC. "That will destabilise the entire region. Everyone will then need a bomb and we just can't have that."
Mossad chief thanks CIA
21:00
,
Jane Dalton
In a rare video released by Mossad, Israel's spy agency, its chief David Barnea thanked the CIA for being a key partner, and his own agents for work over months and years to achieve what was "unimaginable at first".
"Thanks to accurate intelligence, advanced technologies and operational capabilities beyond imagination, we helped the Air Force strike the Iranian nuclear project, establish aerial superiority in Iranian skies and reduce the missile threat," the agency wrote on social media.
Mass arrests begin amid fears of Iranian unrest, officials say
20:25
,
Jane Dalton
Iranian authorities are intensifying a security crackdown across the country with mass arrests, executions and military deployments, particularly in the restive Kurdish region, officials and activists say.
Security forces are said to have started a campaign of widespread arrests accompanied by an intensified presence around checkpoints.
One senior Iranian security official and two other senior officials said the authorities were focused on the threat of possible internal unrest.
They said authorities were worried about Israeli agents, ethnic separatists and the People's Mujahideen Organisation, an exiled opposition group that has previously staged attacks inside Iran.
Iran 'hangs three prisoners for spying for Israel'
19:55
,
Jane Dalton
Iranian supreme leader will be toppled, Nobel Peace laureate predicts
19:30
,
Jane Dalton
Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi says Iran's war with Israel has revealed the weakness of its "paper tiger" leadership, predicting that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will be toppled in a peaceful revolution.
"The people of Iran and the world saw that and realised what a paper tiger this administration is," Ebadi told Reuters.
Ebadi has been a staunch critic of the Shi'ite Muslim clerical establishment that has ruled Iran since 1979.
Opinion: Islamic Republic’s authority is casualty of its war
19:10
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Jane Dalton
FBI probing Iran nuclear site damage report leak, Hegseth says
18:44
,
Jane Dalton
Analysis: Trump may have just compromised Israeli secrets – again
18:15
,
Jane Dalton
Trump says Iran needs cash to rebuild country
17:51
,
Jane Dalton
US president Donald Trump says the US has not given up applying maximum pressure on Iran, including restrictions on sales of its oil - but signalled a potential easing in enforcement to help the country rebuild.
"They're going to need money to put that country back into shape. We want to see that happen," Trump said at the Nato summit.
Yesterday he said China could continue to buy Iranian oil after Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire, but the White House later clarified that his comments did not indicate a relaxation of US sanctions.
US hospitals on high alert for cyberattacks
17:31
,
Jane Dalton
American hospitals, water dams and power plants are reportedly on high alert for potential Iranian cyberattacks:
Iran's top military chief 'dies of wounds'
17:14
,
Jane Dalton
The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards command centre, Ali Shadmani, died of wounds sustained during Israel's military strikes on the country, Iranian state media says.
The guards' command centre vowed "harsh revenge" for his killing, state media added.
Israel's armed forces had said last week they had killed Shadmani.
Donald Trump said then the US would not kill Iran’s supreme leader “at least not for now”.
Iran set to block nuclear watchdog inspections
17:01
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Jane Dalton
Iran’s parliament has agreed to fast-track a proposal that would effectively end co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN watchdog.
Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf criticised the IAEA for having "refused to even pretend to condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities" by the United States.
"For this reason, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran will suspend co-operation with the IAEA until security of nuclear facilities is ensured, and Iran's peaceful nuclear programme will move forward at a faster pace," Mr Qalibaf told politicians.
IAEA director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi said he had written to Iran to discuss resuming inspections of their nuclear facilities.
"We need to return," he said.
Trump offers new peace hope with new US and Iran talks
16:38
,
Jane Dalton
US president Donald Trump says US and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace – although Tehran has insisted it will not give up its nuclear programme.
Mr Trump said he was not particularly interested in restarting negotiations with Iran.
"We may sign an agreement, I don't know," he said.
"The way I look at it, they fought, the war is done."
Iran has not acknowledged any talks are taking place next week, though US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries.
A sixth round of negotiations between the US and Iran scheduled for earlier this month in Oman was cancelled when Israel attacked Iran.
Watch: NATO chief Mark Rutte calls Trump ‘daddy’
16:14
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Rachel Clun
In pictures: Trump dominates Nato summit
16:00
,
Rachel Clun
Hegseth attacks leakers, says evidence of destruction is ‘buried under a mountain’
15:46
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Rachel Clun
Pete Hegseth has attacked leakers for releasing an interim intelligence report that suggested the damage from the US bombing attacks in Iran was unclear.
“When they introduce that preliminary, a preliminary report, that's deemed to be a low assessment. You know what a low assessment means? low confidence in the data in that report,” he said.
“And why is there low confidence? Because all of the evidence of what was just bombed by 12 30,000-pound bombs is buried under a mountain, devastated and obliterated.”
He continued: “So if you want to make an assessment of what happened at Fordow, you better get a big shovel and go really deep, because Iran's nuclear programme is obliterated.”
Spain is ‘terrible’, Trump says
15:32
,
Rachel Clun
Donald Trump says he will make Spain pay “twice as much” as they negotiate a trade deal, due to Spain’s comparatively low defence spending.
“I think Spain’s terrible, what they’ve done,” he said.
“We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We're going to make them pay twice as much. And I'm actually serious about that. We're going to make Spain. I like Spain. I have so many people from Spain that it's a great place, and they're great people, but Spain is the only country, out of all other countries, that refuses to pay.”
He continued: “They want a little bit of a free ride, but they'll have to pay it back to us on trade, because I'm not going to let that happen. It's unfair.”
Trump says uranium was buried in attack
15:23
,
Rachel Clun
Asked if US intelligence had any indication that Iran was able to move its enriched uranium before the strikes, Donald Trump said not.
“No … just the opposite. We think we hit him so hard and so fast, they didn't get to move. And if you knew about that material, it's very hard and very dangerous to move,” he said.
“It's very, very heavy. It's very, very hard to move. And they were way down. You know, they're 30 stories down.”
It contradicts comments made earlier by the UN nuclear watchdog. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said Iran informed the agency it would be moving its uranium shortly after the conflict began, so it was possible the uranium had not been in the facilities when the US struck.
Trump says Iran and Israel 'fought a hell of a war'
15:19
,
Rachel Clun
The US president said he believed both Iran and Israel were done with fighting.
“Actually, they have fought a hell of a war. They fought very hard. I think the war ended actually, when we hit the various nuclear sites with the planes,” Donald Trump said.
“I think they're very much finished. I think Israel is going to get back to what they do.
He said Iran should now focus on its oil production.
“You know, Iran has a huge advantage of great oil. They can do things. I don't see them being back involved in the nuclear business anymore. I think they've had it. They've been at it for 20 years. I don't see that happening either now.”
Trump confident war is over because both Iran and Israel are 'tired and exhausted'
15:16
,
Rachel Clun
Asked what made him confident the war was over, Donald Trump said it was because he dealt with both of them.
“They’re both tired, exhausted,” he said. “They fought very, very hard and very viciously, very violently, and they were both satisfied to go home and get out.”
But he added: “And can it start again? I guess someday it can. It could maybe start soon.
Trump cites Israeli nuclear watchdog's assessment of Iran damage
15:09
,
Rachel Clun
Donald Trump has cited the Israeli nuclear watchdog, which we reported a little earlier.
“This is an official letter and the very serious people as you know,” he said.
“The devastating US strike on Fordow destroyed the site's critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility totally inoperable. It was devastated,” he said, citing the statement.
After reading the letter, he said: “So so sad that that whole thing had to go.”
Trump claims victory over increased Nato defence spending target
15:05
,
Rachel Clun
The US president is now claiming victory for getting the 32 Nato allies to agree to lift defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP.
“It's really been a big focus in a very historic milestone this week, the NATO Allies committed to dramatically increase their defence spending to that 5 per cent of GDP, something that no one really thought possible. And they said, ‘You did it, sir, you did it.’,” he said.
“It's a monumental win for the United States because we were carrying much more than our fair share. It's quite unfair, actually. But this is a big win for Europe and for actually Western civilization.”
Trump reiterates Iran strikes were ‘very successful’
15:02
,
Rachel Clun
Donald Trump is now speaking as the formal part of the Nato summit ends, reiterating the success of America’s offensive against Iran’s nuclear sites.
“The United States successfully carried out a massive precision strike on Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities, and it was very, very successful. It was called obliteration,” he said.
Benjamin Netanyahu claims critical nuclear infrastructure in Iran was ‘destroyed’
14:50
,
Rachel Clun
Israel’s prime minister claims Iran’s nuclear programme has been set back “many years” following the US attack on the sites.
In a statement released through prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office,The Israel Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) said: “The devastating US strike on Fordow destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable.
“We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, has set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.
The statement continued: “The achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material.”
Pope Leo following Iran and Israel developments 'with concern and hope'
14:19
,
Rachel Clun
Pope Leo XIV has weighed in on the conflict between Iran and Israel.
“I continue to follow developments in Iran, Israel, and Palestine with concern and hope,” he said on X.
“The words of the prophet Isaiah resound with urgent relevance: ‘Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more.’ May this voice, which comes from the Most High, be heard! Let us reject arrogance and revenge, and instead resolutely choose the path of dialogue, diplomacy, and #Peace.”
Nato secretary general is ‘very optimistic’ that Trump has dealt Iran’s nuclear programme a ‘massive blow’
14:00
,
Rachel Clun
Mark Rutte said he believed the US operation on the weekend bombing Iran’s three nuclear facilities was a success.
“Quite personally, [I am] very optimistic that this has dealt a massive blow to Iran,” he said.
Trump is a reliable ally, Starmer insists
13:56
,
Rachel Clun
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted Donald Trump is a reliable ally, despite the US president wavering over Nato's article 5 - the principle of collective defence.
The prime minister insisted his team is "constantly" talking to the White House, as "we have done for many years".
Asked whether the US president is truly a reliable ally we can trust, the prime minister told a press conference at The Hague: "Yes, we work very closely with the United States. We have done for many years. Our teams are constantly talking to each other, as they were throughout last week."
Analysis: Starmer tries to pitch himself as key leader in Nato after Trump undermines authority
13:55
,
Rachel Clun
Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports from the Nato summit in The Hague:
Sir Keir Starmer is attempting to pitch himself as a key leader in Nato and regain control over the narrative, amid chaotic decisions and messaging from Donald Trump.
"With the UK at the forefront of Nato, allies have agreed a new defence investment pledge, raising defence and security spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035 making NATO stronger, fairer and more lethal than ever", Sir Keir said. It came alongside the UK's decision to purchase 12 new fighter jets, a massive ramping up of its nuclear capability.
The prime minister is trying to reassert dominance in the defensive alliance after it was undermined by Trump's decision to launch strikes on Iran, just days after the PM said Trump was prioritising de-escalation.
UK working to secure 'complete, verifiable and irreversible end' to Iran's nuclear programme
13:48
,
Rachel Clun
Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports from the Nato summit in The Hague:
Starmer has said Britain is using "every diplomatic lever" to ensure a "complete, verifiable and irreversible end" to Iran's nuclear programme.
Speaking from the Nato summit in the Hague, he praised Donald Trump's regime for alleviating the threat posed by Iran, and said allies must work to ensure the fragile ceasefire negotiated early this week holds.
"It has been UK policy for decades that Iran could never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. Over the weekend, the US removed to alleviate that threat", he said.
"Now we need to make sure that the ceasefire holds and seize this opportunity to stabilise the region and get Iran back round the negotiating table with the United States.
"Ultimately, this is how we will ensure a complete, verifiable and irreversible end to Iran's nuclear program, and we are using every diplomatic lever to support this effort."
Nato allies agree to ‘significant’ 5 per cent spending commitment
13:47
,
Rachel Clun
Mark Rutte says the 32 Nato allies have today “laid the foundations for a stronger, fairer and more lethal Nato”.
The Nato secretary general said all allies agreed to boost their defence industries.
“With this plan, allies have agreed to invest 5 per cent of GDP in defence. This is a significant commitment in response to significant threats to our security. It includes at least 3.5 per cent of GDP invested in core defence requirements, a benchmark that until today, was set at 2 per cent,” he said.
Iran executes three people accused of spying amid fears further executions could occur
13:42
,
Rachel Clun, AP
Iran hanged three prisoners on Wednesday over spying allegations, taking the total number of executions over espionage to six since the war with Israel began on 16 June.
Those actions have sparked fears from activists that it could conduct a wave of executions after the conflict ends.
The hangings took place at Urmia Prison in West Azerbaijan, Iran's most northwestern province. State-run IRNA cited Iran's judiciary for the news, saying the men had been accused of bringing "assassination equipment" into the country.
Iran identified the three as Azad Shojaei, Edris Aali and Iraqi national Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul. Amnesty International had previously raised concerns that the men could be executed.
During the 12-day war, at least 28 people were killed in Israel and more than 1,000 wounded, according to officials.
Tehran on Tuesday put the death toll in Iran at 606, with 5,332 people wounded. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists group released figures Wednesday suggesting Israeli strikes on Iran had killed at least 1,054 people and wounded 4,476.
During the war, Israeli airstrikes also targeted Iran's top military leadership and other sites associated with its ruling theocracy.
Analysis: Trump is driving the Nato agenda - but he may still leave the alliance hanging when it needs the US the most
13:27
,
Millie Cooke
Political correspondent Millie Cooke reports from the Nato summit in The Hague:
Many expected this Nato summit to be the most significant since the Cold War ended.
With escalating pressure in the Middle East, the looming backdrop of war in Ukraine and an increasingly volatile US president, tensions on the global stage are the highest they have been in recent history.
Read the full analysis here:
Iran says its nuclear facilities are ‘badly damaged’
13:12
,
Rachel Clun
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed the country’s nuclear facilities hit by US bunker buster bombs on the weekend have been “badly damaged”.
Asked by Al Jazeera whether the sites had been damaged, Mr Baghaei said: “Yes, our nuclear installations have been badly damaged”.
“That’s for sure because [they have] come under repeated attacks,” he told the news outlet.
Mr Baghaei added the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, was looking into it.
Watch: Trump compares US Iran strike to Hiroshima bombing
13:08
,
Rachel Clun
In pictures: Donald Trump attends Nato summit as Iran-Israel ceasefire holds
12:38
,
Rachel Clun
Analysis: Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons has only been spurred on by US strikes
12:23
,
Sam Kiley
World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley writes from Tel Aviv:
The US and Israel’s pre-emptive strikes on Iran over the last 12 days have not prompted Tehran to give up on its intent to rid the Middle East of the Jewish state.
Iran will now believe it has every incentive to develop a nuclear weapon of its own to protect itself against the kind of conventional attacks that the US and Israel launched to pre-empt its creation of a nuclear weapon – and to topple its government.
Read his full analysis here:
Satellite images and leaked intelligence throw doubt on Trump’s claims of success in Iran nuclear base strikes
11:38
,
Rachel Clun
Satellite pictures taken after the US military’s airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities show significant damage to the sites – but not necessarily to the extent claimed by Donald Trump.
The images showed damage on the ground, which included formation of new craters, holes on mountain ridges and collapsed tunnels. However, it did not reveal definitive proof that the heavily fortified underground facilities were breached after US B-2 bombers struck the nuclear facilities over the weekend.
The US president has repeatedly claimed that the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz were “completely and totally obliterated” in the attack. "The biggest damage took place far below ground level," Mr Trump had claimed.
But Mr Trump’s exaggerated claims were dealt a further blow on Tuesday after US media reports carried leaked intelligence suggesting that the American strikes did not completely obliterate the facilities, and indeed only set back Iran's nuclear ambitions by a matter of a few months.
Read the full report:
Analysis: Trump compares Iran mission to Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings - but the similarities are thin
10:59
,
Rachel Clun
Donald Trump, first saying he did not want to compare his recent Iran campaign with the US use of atomic bombs in Japan in WWII, then proceeded to do so.
“That hit ended the war. I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing, that ended that war. This ended that with the war,” he said, speaking at the sidelines of the Nato summit earlier.
“If we didn't take that out, they would have been, they'd be fighting right now.”
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 did help end the Pacific conflict in WWII. They also killed an estimated 150,00 to 246,000 people, mostly civilians.
The US also did not use nuclear weapons in its early morning attacks on Iran’s three nuclear facilities in the early hours of Sunday morning, instead using bunker buster bombs designed to destroy sites buried deep underground.
As of now, despite the president’s assertions those facilities were totally destroyed, the full extent of the damage remains unclear.
That bombing did, however, help secure a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Whether that is the end of all hostilities though remains to be seen.
Watch: Donald Trump compares US strike on Iran to Hiroshima bombing
10:38
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