The Latest: Trump says US military struck 3 sites in Iran, joining Israeli effort
Associated Press
President Donald Trump says the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel ’s effort to decapitate the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.
The decision to directly involve the U.S. comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-lb. bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.
Here is the latest:
US strikes 3 Iranian nuclear sites, Trump says, joining Israeli air campaign
President Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel ’s effort to decapitate the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.
The decision to directly involve the U.S. comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-lb. bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.
Saudi Arabia condemns ‘blatant Israeli aggressions’ against Iran
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has condemned “blatant Israeli aggressions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which undermine its sovereignty and security, constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms, and threaten the security and stability of the region,†the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.
Speaking at Friday’s meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, he called for “the immediate cessation of military operations, the avoidance of escalation, and a return to the negotiation track between Iran and the international community.â€
Iran and Saudi Arabia were long regional arch-rivals but have normalized relations in recent years. Riyadh was quick to side publicly with Tehran after Israel launched a surprise barrage of strikes on Iran last week.
Bin Farhan also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The kingdom and France had been set to co-chair a conference in New York this month on the topic, which was postponed due to the outbreak of the Israel-Iran war.
President says Iran will never resign its right to nuclear power
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says his country will never renounce its right to nuclear power, which “cannot be taken away from it through war and threats.â€
In a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, Pezeshkian said Iran was ready to provide guarantees and confidence-building measures to demonstrate the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities, according to IRNA, the state-run news agency.
Pezeshkian said that Iran has never sought to produce nuclear weapons, IRNA reported. Posting on X, the French leader said he told his Iranian counterpart that “Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons, and it is up to Iran to provide full guarantees that its intentions are peaceful.â€
Egypt rejects Israeli campaign against Iran and calls for negotiated solution
President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt has expressed his government’s “complete rejection†of Israel’s campaign against Iran, calling for a negotiated solution to the conflict.
El-Sissi’s comments came in a phone call Saturday with Iranian President Masoud Pezezhkin, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.
The statement said el-Sissi voiced Egypt’s “complete rejection of the ongoing Israeli escalation against Iran,†as a threat to the Middle East’s security and stability.
The Egyptian leader called for an immediate ceasefire to resume negotiations with the aim of reaching a “sustainable, peaceful solution to this crisis.â€
Aerial refueling tankers spotted on flight paths consistent with escorting aircraft from US
Multiple U.S. aerial refueling tankers were spotted on commercial flight trackers flying flight patterns consistent with escorting aircraft from the central U.S. to the Pacific.
B-2 bombers, which are the only aircraft that carry the large bunker buster bombs, are based at an Air Force base in Missouri. It was not clear whether the aircraft being escorted early Saturday were prepared for an operation or merely moving to airbases closer to Iran as a show of force.
The White House and Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment on the flights.
Israel says it and Cyprus foiled a planned attack on Israeli citizens
Israel’s foreign minister says Israeli security services have helped Cypriot authorities foil a planned attack against Israeli citizens on the east Mediterranean island nation.
Minister Gideon Saar posted on X Saturday that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was behind the plot. He thanked Cyprus for its “swift and effective actions†and accused Iran of “deliberately targeting Israeli civilians both in Israel and abroad.â€
Cyprus police said Saturday they arrested a man on suspicion of terrorism and espionage. A court Saturday ordered the man, who wasn’t identified, held in police custody for eight days until investigators can complete their probe. Cypriot authorities said they wouldn’t comment further on the man’s arrest for “national security reasons.â€
A British Foreign Office spokesman said that U.K. authorities are in contact with the Cypriot government “regarding the arrest of a British man.â€
Germany closes Tehran embassy and withdraws staff from Iran
The German embassy in Tehran has been closed until further notice “due to the current crisis situation,†the diplomatic representation wrote on its website.
“Please do not come to the embassy or the consulate building. Appointments that have already been arranged have been canceled,†the embassy said.
Due to the war between Israel and Iran, the German Foreign Ministry said Saturday it has withdrawn all of its embassy staff in Tehran and brought them out of the country.
The embassy is still reachable online for Germans remaining in Iran. On its website, the embassy gives advice on the different possibilities to leave by land via Armenia or Turkey. According to the German Foreign Ministry, there are still about 1,000 German citizens in Iran.
US begins repatriation flights from Israel
The U.S. ambassador to Israel says the United States has begun “assisted departure flights†from Israel, the first time such flights have been offered there since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
The State Department said Saturday that it organized two flights departing from Tel Aviv to Athens with approximately 70 U.S. citizens, their accompanying immediate family members and permanent residents.
Ambassador Mike Huckabee announced the flights in a social media post as the war between Israel and Iran entered its second week. He says U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents can complete an online form for updates.
The U.S. has also told its citizens in Iran who wish to leave to go via Azerbaijan, Armenia or Turkey if they feel it’s safe.
Nasrallah’s bodyguard killed in Israeli airstrike on Iran, Hezbollah says
The head of security to the late Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike while in Iran, a Hezbollah official said Saturday.
Abu Ali Khalil, better known as Abu Ali Jawad, was killed after he went to Iran from neighboring Iraq, the official said.
For many years, Abu Ali was seen behind Nasrallah during most of his public appearances.
After Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstike in a Beirut suburb in September, his bodyguard was put in charge of his tomb in Beirut.
The Hezbollah official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the airstrike that killed Abu Ali occurred earlier Saturday.
Erdogan offers to mediate Iran-US talks
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for technical and leadership-level talks between Iran and the United States to resolve tensions, during a meeting with Iran’s top diplomat.
A statement from Erdogan office said the Turkish president also told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a meeting in Istanbul on Saturday that Turkey was ready to take on the role of facilitator.
Erdogan said that the region cannot tolerate another war and said Israel must be “stopped immediately.â€
Araghchi was in Turkey to attend a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Iran acknowledges detaining German bicyclist on suspicion of spying
Iran on Saturday acknowledged for the first time it had detained a German bicyclist on spying allegations, likely an effort by Tehran to pressure Germany amid its war with Israel.
The semiofficial Mehr news agency published footage of the unnamed man’s arrest, without saying when the arrest occurred. However, it described the cyclist as being detained in Markazi province, home to the Arak heavy water reactor.
The German news agency dpa reported the arrest took place last year and that the bicyclist is being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, home to Westerners and political prisoners.
The German Foreign Ministry declined to comment Saturday.
Israeli army says it is now targeting Iranian military infrastructure
The Israeli army said it began striking military infrastructure in southwest Iran.
It was unclear what the targeted sites were.
Shortly after, Iranian state media reported that the sound of large blasts was heard in two cities in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan. Air defenses were reported to be activated in both locations.
A large column of smoke had also risen above the port city of Mahshahr, Fars news agency said, while “frightening explosions†were heard in the provincial capital of Ahvaz.
Macron voices deep concern over Iran’s nuclear program
The French president said Saturday this happened during a call with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, who initiated the call.
“Here again, my position is clear: Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons, and it is up to Iran to provide full guarantees that its intentions are peaceful,†Macron posted on social media, adding that diplomatic efforts should continue to resolve the current crisis.
“To achieve this, we will accelerate the negotiations led by France and its European partners with Iran.â€
Macron said he also asked for the release of two French citizens being held in Iran on espionage charges since 2022.
Iranians are left with no internet access again
Internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org reported on Saturday that the limited internet access that had come back up in Iran has once again “collapsed.â€
The group said on X that the disconnect came after “a brief period when residents could exchange messages with the outside world.â€
A nationwide internet shutdown has been in place for several days, isolating Iranians.
Iran cited concerns about Israeli cyberattacks for the shutdown of mobile and web services. But many Iranians and activists see it as another example of state information control and targeted internet shutdowns the Islamic Republic has deployed during periods of protests and unrest.
Internet slowly trickles back in Iran
Iranians on Saturday began to see some internet access restored, giving people the opportunity to call friends and family for the first time in days.
Those in the diaspora posted on social media about connecting to FaceTime or WhatsApp to call relatives they had been worried about.
Government officials had disconnected phone and web services earlier in the week for the more than 90 million people who live in Iran, citing cybersecurity threats from Israel. That left civilians unaware of when and where Israel would strike next and if their family or friends were among the victims.
Tasnim News Agency, closely affiliated with Iran’s government, quoted the information minister as saying that access to “international†internet should be restored across the country by 8 p.m.
Turkey urges Islamic unity against ‘Israeli problem’
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says the Middle East is faced with an “Israeli problem†and called on Islamic countries to take a collective stand and show solidarity with Iran.
“Israel’s ongoing aggression and occupation policies clearly show that there is an Israeli problem in our region that needs to be addressed,†Fidan said in an opening speech at a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul on Saturday.
He also warned that Israel’s actions could trigger broader regional instability.
Italians evacuated from Iran arrive in Azerbaijan
The Italian foreign ministry said the 24 Italians are the second group to evacuate via Azerbaijan’s Baku.
“After about nine hours of travel and a very long wait at the border, the group was welcomed by representatives of the Italian Embassy in Baku, and then moved to the airport of the Azerbaijani capital to wait to return to Italy with the first available flights,†the ministry said.
The group included an Italian doctor and his partner, an Iranian woman, and their 18-month-old child, the ministry said.
Another convoy from Iran could depart from Tehran as early as Monday.
The first group that arrived in Italy via Baku in recent days had 34 Italian nationals.
Italy’s foreign ministry also said it chartered a flight to help evacuate its citizens from Israel via Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Sunday.
Evacuees in Cyprus recall missiles flying overhead
Noah Page says it’s one thing to watch missiles crisscrossing the sky on the news and another to experience it firsthand.
“You see it on the news, you see everything, but you never really expect it to actually hit you when you’re there,†the Ohio-native told the Associated Press.
“As someone who grew up in Canada, it’s so foreign to me to even think about missiles or a war and you hear about it on the news and it’s just so separate from you,†said Pe’er, a 23-year-old who didn’t want to give her last name. “It sort of felt like fireworks at first until the reality of the situation set in. I need to run or I might end up hurt.â€
Page and Pe’er were among an estimated 1,500 other young people from around the world visiting Israel who were evacuated by cruise ship on Saturday to Cyprus, the closest European country to Israel, at around 270 kilometers.
It was the second such trip by the cruise ship bringing people out while ferrying stranded Israelis back to their homeland.
Florida native Alex Rosenblum had been in Israel before in times of war, when the sounds of sirens urging citizens to rush to shelters had become almost routine. But he says this time it was different.
“This situation with Iran has been a lot scarier because there’s a big difference between a rocket and a missile,†he said.
The three young people found safety in underground shelters when digital alerts were sent out.
Iran’s Araghchi says it will be ‘very dangerous’ if US gets involved in war
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it would be “very, very dangerous for everyone†if the United States becomes actively involved in the war with Israel.
He spoke to reporters in Istanbul on his way home from talks in Geneva.
Araghchi said American military involvement “would be very unfortunate.â€
Tehran vows to make Grossi ‘pay’
A senior adviser for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, vowed in a social media post Saturday to make the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency “pay†once the war with Israel is over.
Ali Larijani’s threat comes as IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has become a major target for many Iranian officials who say his conflicting statements about the status of Iran’s nuclear program incited the Israeli surprise attack last week.
Grossi told the United Nations’ Security Council Friday that while Iran has the material to build a nuclear bomb, it appears they have no plans to do so.
