Iran will not hesitate to bomb more US air bases in the Middle East, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Iran’s nuclear facilities have been decimated in a complex operation, while railing against the media for reporting on a leaked Defence Intelligence Agency assessment that found that Trump's airstrikes had only set back the country's nuclear program by a matter of a few months.
“Because of decisive military action, President Trump created the conditions to end the war,” Hegseth said.
While a fragile ceasefire is currently holding, the Iranian leader claimed the Islamic Republic had access to “key US centres” and would take action “when necessary”.
In his first public appearance since the US attacked Iran’s three nuclear facilities on Sunday morning, Khamenei also claimed Iran had won a victory over Israel and the US, delivering a “slap to the US’s face” by attacking its Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
“Such an action can be repeated in the future too. Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price,” Khamenei said.
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Key points
- Iran will attack more US airbases if needed, Khamenei warns
- Iran's Supreme Leader celebrates 'victory' over Israel
- Trump announces major news conference on Iran bombing
- CIA director says Iran's nuclear sites 'severely damaged'
- US and Iranian officials to hold talk next week
Watch: White House explains how the Bunker Buster bombs dropped on Iran work
23:59
,
Alexander Butler
What do the markets know about the Israel-Iran conflict that we don’t?
23:00
,
Alexander Butler
Trump may have just compromised Israeli secrets – again
22:00
,
Alexander Butler
Bombs ‘went exactly where they were intended to go’, General says
21:00
,
Alexander Butler
US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Dan Caine said the bunker-buster bombs “went exactly where they were intended to go”.
“Unlike a normal surface bomb, you won't see an impact crater, because they're designed to deeply bury and then function. I know there's been a lot of questions about that all six weapons at each vent at Fordow went exactly where they were intended to go,” he said.
Iran denies any meeting with US next week, foreign minister says
20:49
,
Alex Ross
Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump's statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the U.S. attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear programme is solely geared toward civilian use.
Mr Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites were “not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear programme, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.
Analysis: What Trump’s f-bomb rage really says about his relationship with Netanyahu
20:00
,
Alexander Butler
Recap: Iran's Supreme leader vows 'victory' over US and Israel
19:30
,
Alexander Butler
Iran will not hesitate to bomb more US air bases in the Middle East, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned.
In his first public appearance since the US attacked Iran’s three nuclear facilities on Sunday morning, Khamenei claimed the Islamic Republic had access to “key US centres” and would take action “when necessary”.
He also claimed Iran had won a victory over Israel and the US, delivering a “slap to the US’s face” by attacking its Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
“Such an action can be repeated in the future too. Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price,” Khamenei said.
Watch: 'You've been the worst!' Pete Hegseth browbeats former Fox News colleague for her reporting on Iran strikes
19:00
,
Alexander Butler
Trump vows to save Netanyahu from ‘witch-hunt’ corruption trial
18:30
,
Alexander Butler
Donald Trump vowed to “save” Benjamin Netanyahu as he hit out at the Israeli prime minister’s “witch-hunt” corruption trial.
Trump claimed Israel’s prime minister was a “great hero” and “warrior” who faced politically motivated charges and called for the trial to be cancelled.
The president’s intervention comes as Netanyahu’s cross-examination, which began on 4 June, is set to resume on Monday. He faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust and denies all of them.
Pictured: Hegseth fumes at media coverage of US strikes
18:00
,
Alexander Butler
No known intelligence that Iran moved uranium, US defense chief says
17:30
,
Alexander Butler
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said he was unaware of any intelligence suggesting Iran had moved any of its highly enriched uranium to shield it from US strikes on Iran's nuclear program over the weekend.
US military bombers carried out strikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend with more than a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.
The results of the strikes are being closely watched to see how far the strikes may have set back Iran's nuclear program. "I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be, moved or otherwise," Mr Hegseth said.
Watch: Hegseth scolds the media over coverage of Iran strikes
17:00
,
Alexander Butler
Netanyahu thanks Trump for corruption trial intervention
16:30
,
Alexander Butler
Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked US president Donald Trump for intervening in his corruption trial.
The Israeli prime minister said he was “deeply moved” by Mr Trump’s “incredible support” for himself and Israel.
“I look forward to continue working with you to defeat our common enemies, liberate our hostages and quickly expand the circle of peace,” he said.
Mr Trump said vowed to “save” Mr Netanyahu and claimed he was facing “politically motivated charges” and a “witch-hunt”.
Mr Netanyahu’s cross-examination, which began on 4 June, is set to resume on Monday. He faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust and denies all of them.
‘You cheer against Trump so hard’: Hegseth scolds Iran nuclear strike reporting
16:09
,
Andrew Feinberg
White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg writes:
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth lashed into the Pentagon press corps Thursday morning, accusing reporters of deliberately trying to cast doubt on the success of last weekend’s U.S. airstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites in aid of what he painted as an underlying vendetta against President Donald Trump.
“You cheer against Trump so hard, it's like in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump,” he scolded in an early morning briefing scheduled after Trump himself raged for the better part of 24 hours — including publicly at a NATO summit in the Netherlands — about a CNN report on leaked early assessments of the damage caused by Saturday’s B-2 bomber strikes against Iran.
He also accused the press of missing “historic moments” while trying to “find wedges and spin stories” before claiming the airstrikes aimed at Iran’s Esfahan, Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites on Saturday had been “the most complex and secretive military operation in history” and “a resounding success.”
Read the full report here:
Where is Iran’s highly enriched uranium?
15:51
,
Richard Hall
The Trump administration has spent days declaring that its mission to destroy Iran’s nuclear ambitions was a resounding success.
But one of the big unanswered questions about the operation is what happened to Iran’s existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium, estimated to be around 400kg enriched close to weapons-grade levels.
Pete Hegseth said on Thursday he was "not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be … moved or otherwise," suggesting it would have been destroyed in the strikes.
But European intelligence agencies are telling a different story.
Preliminary assessments provided to European governments suggest that Iran moved its stockpile away from its nuclear facilities before the strikes, leaving it largely intact, according to a report in the Financial Times.
That matches what Iranian officials have claimed, and what Vice President JD Vance acknowledged in the days after the attack when he said: “We are going to work in the coming weeks to ensure that we do something with that fuel and that's one of the things that we're going to have conversations with the Iranians about.”
President Trump, apparently referencing the question directed to Hegseth in his press conference and claims from European intelligence agencies, wrote on Truth Social:
“The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!”
Iran’s uranium is believed to be enriched to around 60 per cent purity, short of the 90 per cent required to produce a nuclear weapon.
Its ability to enrich further largely depends on whether all of its centrifuges and facilities were destroyed completely, and whether it could potentially seek to build other facilities in secret to enrich the uranium further.
Top Labour MP challenges ongoing UK arms sales to Israel
15:34
,
Archie Mitchell
The chair of the UK’s international development committee has challenged the government over its ongoing sale of F35 components, arguing it could be against international law.
Senior Labour MP Sarah Champion said “there are clearly risks of serious violations of the right to life, health, food security, and the prohibitions on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and torture” being carried out by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
“The clear risks of serious international humanitarian law and international human rights law violations are undisputable,” Ms Champion said.
Among the questions in her letter, Ms Champion asked: “Does the Government accept that it has knowledge that Israel is committing internationally wrongful acts?
“Does the Government accept that the export of F-35 components is aiding or assisting in the commission of these internationally wrongful acts?”
UN nuclear watchdog says it has received no formal notification that Iran wants to suspend cooperation
15:17
,
Rachel Clun, Reuters
The UN’s nuclear watchdog says it has not received official notification from Iran about any decision to suspend cooperation with the agency.
"We are aware of these reports. As of now, the IAEA has not received an official communication from Iran on this matter," the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement.
Netanyahu thanks Trump for support against corruption trial
15:01
,
Rachel Clun
Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked Donald Trump for his support against the Israeli prime minister’s corruption trial.
The US president called Netanyahu a “great hero” and “warrior”, and said the trial was a “witch-hunt”.
Responding on social media, Netanyahu shared his thanks to Trump alongside a photograph of the pair clasping hands.
“I was deeply moved by your heartfelt support for me and your incredible support for Israel and the Jewish people,” he wrote on X.
“I look forward to continue working with you to defeat our common enemies, liberate our hostages and quickly expand the circle of peace.”
Netanyahu was indicted in 2019. He pleaded not guilty after the trial, involving three criminal cases, began in 2020.
The Israeli prime minister’s cross-examination is due to resume on Monday.
Trump claims Iran did not remove enriched uranium before US attack
14:43
,
Rachel Clun
Donald Trump has reiterated his claim that Iran did not remove enriched uranium from its nuclear sites before the US bombing attack.
“The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!” he said on his social media site.
The president also complimented US Secretary of Defense for “one of the greatest” press conferences, in which Pete Hegseth railed against the media.
“One of the greatest, most professional, and most “confirming” News Conferences I have ever seen! The Fake News should fire everyone involved in this Witch Hunt, and apologize to our great warriors, and everyone else!” Trump said.
The administation has taken serious issue with reporting on a leaked prelimiary intelligence assessment of the attack, which found the bombing had only set Iran’s nuclear programme back a few months.
Handful of soldiers who defended US airbase in Qatar ‘crushed it’, general says
14:27
,
Rachel Clun
US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Dan Caine said the few dozen troops who defended the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during an Iranian attack earlier this week were the “unsung heroes” of the short conflict.
“Simply stated, they absolutely crushed it,” he said in a press conference at the Pentagon.
The US learnt of the planned Iranian attack on Monday morning, and evacuated the base besides about 44 soldiers who remained behind to defend it with Patriot missiles. At 7.30pm local time, Iran launched its attack, Gen Caine said.
“We believe that this is the largest single Patriot engagement in US military history,” he said.
“I'm not going to tell you how many rounds were shot, but it was a bunch because of classified purposes.”
Gen Caine said he was aware of reports of an Iranian missile getting through, but said there was “a lot of metal flying around” as missiles struck each other.
Hegseth lists reports backing up claim US bombing mission in Iran was a success
14:11
,
Rachel Clun
Earlier in his press conference, Pete Hegseth listed a series of reports and experts backing up the Trump administration’s assertion that the mission to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities was a success, after a leaked preliminary intelligence report suggested the attack had only set the nuclear programme back by months.
Here is what Hegseth said those experts or reports claimed.
- The Israeli Atomic Energy Commission - “The devastating us strikes on for do destroyed the site's critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable”.
- The head of the UN Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi - “US and Israeli strikes caused enormous damage to Iran's nuclear sites”.
- Israeli Defence Force chief of staff - “I can say here that the assessment is that we significantly damaged the nuclear programme, setting it back by years”.
- Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson - “our nuclear institutions have been badly damaged, that’s for sure”.
- CIA director John Ratcliffe - “The CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran's nuclear programme has been severely damaged by recent targeted strikes”.
- Institute for Science and International Security President David Albright - “overall, Israel and US attacks have effectively destroyed Iran's centrifuge enrichment programme”.
- US director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard - “new intelligence confirms what POTUS has stated numerous times. Iran's nuclear facilities have been destroyed”.
No clear answer about where Iran's enriched uranium was
13:51
,
Rachel Clun
The US Secretary of Defense has been asked a couple of times now whether the military was certain that Iran’s enriched uranium was at the sites attacked by the US.
Pete Hegseth accused one of the journalists being “one of the worst” for misrepresenting the administration’s comments.
“We're looking at all aspects of intelligence and making sure we have a sense of what was where,” he said.
When pressed further, Hegseth said: “I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be moved or otherwise.”
Hegseth says ‘first reports are almost always wrong’
13:48
,
Rachel Clun
The US administration has taken issue with news reports about a leaked preliminary intelligence report on the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, which said the attack did not destroy those facilities.
Pete Hegseth said that first report was incomplete.
First reports are almost always wrong. They're almost always incomplete. Right?” he said.
“That's why we're urging caution about … premising entire stories on biased leaks to biased publications trying to make something look better. How about we take a beat recognise first the success of our warriors. Hold them up, tell their stories. Celebrate that, wave an American flag. Be proud of what we accomplished.
He continued: “And in the meantime, I can assure you, the chairman and his staff, the intelligence community, our staff and others, are doing all the assessments necessary
to make sure that mission was indeed successful.”
Hegseth says ‘anyone with two eyes’ would recognise the damage done to Iran’s facilities
13:44
,
Rachel Clun
US Secretary of Defense says ‘anyone with two eyes’ could recognise the bombs would have had a devasating effect.
Railing again against the media, Pete Hegseth said: “Ultimately, we're here to clarify what these weapons are capable of, which anyone with, you know, two ear, two eyes, some ears and a brain can recognise that kind of firepower with that specificity at that location and others, is going to have a devastating effect.”
Bombs ‘went exactly where they were intended to go’, General says
13:31
,
Rachel Clun
US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Dan Caine said the bunker-buster bombs “went exactly where they were intended to go”.
“Unlike a normal surface bomb, you won't see an impact crater, because they're designed to deeply bury and then function. I know there's been a lot of questions about that all six weapons at each vent at Fordow went exactly where they were intended to go,” he said.
US defense operatives spent 15 years monitoring Iranian facilities and developing bunker busting bombs
13:28
,
Rachel Clun
US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Dan Caine says two officers had spent 15 years working to gather intelligence on Iran’s nuclear facilities, in the defence threat reduction agency (DTRA).
Gen Caine said the pair spent years watching Iran build the facilities, watching all the equipment going in, and working out what they were for. They also helped develop the bunker busting bombs used by the US on the weekend to destroy the facilities, including one at Fordow.
“Yesterday, I had the incredible honour and privilege of spending time with these two Defence Threat Reduction Agency officers who've given so much,” he said. “Operation midnight Hammer was the culmination of those 15 years of incredible work.”
Trump says 'fake news' media will fire journalists over Iranian nuclear reporting
13:22
,
Rachel Clun
Following up Pete Hegseth’s rant against the media’s reporting on a leaked preliminary intelligence report about the damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, Donald Trump has weighed in again too.
“Rumor is that the Failing New York Times and Fake News CNN will be firing the reporters who made up the FAKE stories on the Iran Nuclear sites because they got it so wrong. Lets see what happens?” he said on Truth Social.
US received indications Iran would hit back on Monday, general says
13:17
,
Rachel Clun
US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff general Dan Caine is now delivering a briefing, explaining how the military protected personnel who were on the Al Udeid air base in Qatar before it was bombed by Iran.
“On Monday morning, we began to receive indications and warnings that Iran intended to attack US bases in the region that morning,” he said.
“Most folks had moved off the base to extend the security perimeter out away from what we assessed might be a target zone, except for a very few Army soldiers.”
Gen Caine said roughly 44 troops remained on the base to defend it.
Hegseth says Iran nuclear facilities have been destroyed
13:13
,
Rachel Clun
Pete Hegseth has continued to attack the media for reporting on a leaked preliminary intelligence report on the potential damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“Let me read the bottom line here. President Trump directed the most complex and secretive military operation in history, and it was a resounding success, resulting in a cease fire agreement and the end of the 12 day war,” he said.
“Because of decisive military action, President Trump created the conditions to end the war. Decimating. Choose your word, obliterating, destroying Iran's nuclear capabilities.”
He continued: “Every outlet has breathlessly reported on a preliminary assessment from DIA I'm looking at it right now. Again, it was preliminary a day and a half after the actual strike, when it admits itself in writing that it requires weeks to accumulate the necessary data to make such an assessment.
“There's low confidence in this particular report. There's it says in the report, there are gaps in the information.”
Hegseth says Nato decision to lift spending was 'historic'
13:08
,
Rachel Clun
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth said Nato’s decision to lift defence spending was “historic”, while complaining about the media.
“What President Trump accomplished in NATO yesterday was game changing and historic, a shift in burden sharing to ... European responsibility in NATO that most would have said was impossible at the beginning of his term, but he said, NATO needs to pay up,” he said.
“So I hope, with all the ink spilled all of your outlets, [you] find the time to properly recognise this historic change in continental security.”
Hegseth speaks to media
13:05
,
Rachel Clun
US Defence secretary Pete Hegseth is addressing the media.
Full story: Trump’s latest rejection of intelligence isn’t the first time he hasn’t trusted spy agencies
13:01
,
Rachel Clun
Russia says it wants cooperation between Iran and IAEA to continue
12:47
,
Alexander Butler
Russia wants Iran to continue its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.
Iran's parliament approved a bill on Wednesday to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, after Israel and the United States bombed Iran's nuclear sites with the aim of preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Iran denies any intention of building a nuclear bomb. Russia, which has a strategic partnership with Iran, has condemned the Israeli and US strikes and says Tehran has the right to a peaceful nuclear energy programme.
Escalating war in the Middle East: Ask our world affairs editor anything
12:30
,
Alexander Butler
Welcome to an exclusive Ask Me Anything session with me, Sam Kiley, The Independent’s world affairs editor.
Keep scrolling for more. If you want to jump straight to the Q&A, click here.
The Middle East is on edge. Over a week has passed since the war between Israel and the Islamic Republic began. A shaky ceasefire is holding between Israel and Iran – but for how long?
Iran will attack more US airbases if needed, Khamenei warns
11:59
,
Alexander Butler
Iran will not hesitate to bomb more US airbases across the Middle East, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned.
Khamenei said the Islamic Republic had access to “key US centres” in the region and would “take action whenever it deems necessary”.
“Such an action can be repeated in the future too”, Khamenei said.
“Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price.”
Khamenei says Iran delivered a 'heavy slap' to the US
11:45
,
Rachel Clun
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the US “achieved nothing” in entering the war between Iran and Israel.
“My congratulations on our dear Iran’s victory over the US regime. The US regime entered the war directly because it felt that if it didn’t, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed. It entered the war in an effort to save that regime but achieved nothing,” he said in a statement posted to X.
“The Islamic Republic delivered a heavy slap to the US’s face. It attacked and inflicted damage on the Al-Udeid Air Base, which is one of the key US bases in the region.”
Iran claims Israel was 'crushed' in 12-day war
11:24
,
Rachel Clun
In comments on X, Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei claimed his regime beat Israel during the 12-day war.
“With all that commotion and all those claims, the Zionist regime was practically knocked out and crushed under the blows of the Islamic Republic,” the post said.
Iran's supreme leader says US entered war to save Israel
11:21
,
Rachel Clun
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the US entered the war to save Israel.
He said the US felt that if it did not enter the war, Irsael would be completely destroyed, according to Reuters.
Pete Hegseth holding Pentagon press conference to celebrate ‘very upset’ B-2 pilots involved in Iran raid
11:11
,
Joe Sommerlad
President Donald Trump has announced that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will host a press conference on Thursday “in order to fight for the Dignity of our Great American Pilots” amid the ongoing row over the extent of the damage done to Iran’s nuclear facilities during Saturday’s B-2 bombing raid.
“These Patriots were very upset! After 36 hours of dangerously flying through Enemy Territory, they landed, they knew the Success was LEGENDARY, and then, two days later, they started reading Fake News by CNN and The Failing New York Times. They felt terribly!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The administration was quick to declare that “Operation Midnight Hammer” – which saw the U.S. join Israel’s offensive against Tehran by dropping “bunker-busting” Mass Ordnance Penetrator bombs on its Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan facilities – had been a complete success and “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Iran's Supreme Leader celebrates "victory" over Israel
10:56
,
Rachel Clun
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has celebrated Iran’s “victory” over Israel in a post on X.
“I offer my congratulations on the victory over the fallacious Zionist regime,” he said.
Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' is in disarray, bringing hope to families of Gaza hostages
10:56
,
AP, Rachel Clun
Families of hostages held in Gaza say now is the perfect time to put pressure on Hamas to release them, after the US strikes on Iran gave hope that there is a window of opportunity to secure their freedom.
Over the past four decades, Iran built up a network of militant proxy groups it called the "Axis of Resistance" that wielded significant power across the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and militias in Iraq and Syria.
Hamas may have envisioned the October 7, 2023, attack as a catalyst that would see other Iranian-sponsored militants attack Israel. While Hezbollah and the Houthis launched projectiles toward Israel, the support Hamas had counted on never fully materialized. In the past two years, many of those Iranian proxies have been decimated, changing the face of the Middle East.
