The U.S. military’s strike on three sites in Iran raised urgent questions about what remains of Tehran’s nuclear program and how its weakened military might respond.
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.
President Donald Trump, who has warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliates against U.S. forces, has mused about the possibility of “regime change ″ in Iran, despite administration officials earlier indicating they wanted to restart talks with Iran.
Here are the latest developments…
Iran was an ‘imminent threat,’ Leavitt tells ABC
By CHRIS MEGERIAN
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News on Monday morning that Iran was an “imminent threat” and Donald Trump is the “first president with the guts to actually do something about it.”
She was definitive about the outcome of U.S. strikes, saying they “took away Iran’s ability to create a nuclear bomb.”
Leavitt also said the administration has a “high degree of confidence” that enriched uranium was stored at the sites that were attacked by the U.S.
“The president would not have launched the strikes if we weren’t confident in that,” she said.
US Embassy in Qatar urges American citizens to shelter in place
By JON GAMBRELL
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued an alert on its website Monday urging American citizens in the energy-rich nation to “shelter in place until further notice.”
The embassy did not elaborate and did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press on the message, which comes as tensions are high in the Middle East after the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday.
Qatar, across the Persian Gulf from Iran, is home to Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the forward headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command. Iran has threatened American forces at Al Udeid in the past, but not after Sunday’s strike, though state television has mentioned American bases in its broadcasts.
Qatar maintains diplomatic relations with Iran and shares a massive offshore natural gas field with Tehran.
After the U.S. strikes in Iran, security officers at all U.S. embassies and consulates had been instructed to conduct reviews of their post’s security posture and report back to the State Department by late Sunday. It wasn’t immediately clear if that was connected to the alert.
Algeria condemns US strikes on Iran
By SAM METZ
Algeria condemned the United States’ decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying the escalation “threatens to destabilize the region and exposes it to unprecedented and incalculable risk.”
The Algerian Foreign Ministry in a statement on Sunday called for a return to diplomacy and a peaceful solution, arguing that military solutions had never resolved complex problems in the Middle East.
Algeria is Iran’s closest ally in North Africa but also maintains military and trade relations with the U.S. As one of the world’s primary natural gas providers outside the Strait of Hormuz, it could benefit greatly should Iran elect to temporarily close the waterway.
Israel confirms strikes on Fordo access routes
By JON GAMBRELL
The Israeli military confirms it struck routes leading to Iran’s Fordo enrichment facility to obstruct access
Iran says Evin Prison under control after Israeli attack
By JON GAMBRELL
The situation at Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison is under control, Iran’s judiciary said, following an attack by Israeli forces.
“The situation in the prison is under control and all means have been used to manage the prison complex,” the judiciary announced via its Mizan news agency.
It said parts of the prison had been damaged, without elaborating. Video footage showed a gate being blasted open at the site.
Putin meets Iranian foreign minister and condemns US strikes
By ELISE MORTON
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the Kremlin on Monday, calling the U.S. airstrikes on Iran an “absolutely unprovoked aggression.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday that it “strongly condemned” U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, calling the attacks “a gross violation of international law, the UN Charter, and UN Security Council resolutions.”
“This is an absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran; [it] has no basis or justification,” Putin said at Monday’s meeting.
“We, for our part, are making efforts to provide assistance to the Iranian people,” Putin said, noting Russia’s “long-standing, good, reliable relations with Iran.”
Araghchi thanked Russia for condemning the actions of Israel and the U.S. against Iran, saying that “Russia today is on the right side of history and international law.”
“These aggressive actions by Israel and the U.S. are completely illegitimate and violate international rules and international norms. We are defending our sovereignty and country, and our defense is legitimate,” he said.
Araghchi said that Russia has always been Iran’s partner in the peaceful nuclear energy sector and played a positive role in negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program.
“In the sphere of Iran’s nuclear program, Russia has always been a partner for us. It built the Bushehr nuclear power plant,” he said.
As it attacks Iran’s nuclear program, Israel maintains ambiguity about its own
By SAM MEDNICK
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says it is determined to destroy Iran’s nuclear program because its archenemy’s furtive efforts to build an atomic weapon are a threat to its existence.
What’s not so secret is that for decades Israel has been believed to be the Middle East’s only nation with nuclear weapons, even though its leaders have refused to confirm or deny their existence.
Israel’s ambiguity has enabled it to bolster its deterrence against Iran and other enemies, experts say, without triggering a regional nuclear arms race or inviting preemptive attacks.
Israel is one of just five countries that aren’t party to a global nuclear nonproliferation treaty. That relieves it of international pressure to disarm, or even to allow inspectors to scrutinize its facilities.
Iran says attacks on nuclear facilities damage non-proliferation efforts
By STEPHANIE LIECHTENSTEIN
Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Reza Najafi, condemned the “unprecedented act of aggression” against Iranian nuclear facilities by Israel and the U.S. and said that this act “delivered a fundamental and irreparable blow” to the international non-proliferation regime, including the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Najafi was speaking to reporters at an emergency meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog board that addressed the situation in Iran.
He said Iran reserves its right to self-defense. “As long as the source of the threat persists, the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to undertake the necessary, resolute and proportionate measures to neutralize it at the time, place and manner of its own choosing.”
Israel says it is striking targets including Evin Prison
By MELANIE LIDMAN
Israel’s Defense Ministry said Israel is currently attacking Iranian governmental targets deep inside the Iranian capital of Tehran, including the notorious Evin prison.
Other targets include the security headquarters of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guards, Palestine Square, and the paramilitary Basij volunteer corps, which is a part of the Revolutionary Guard.
“The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli home front,” the Defense Ministry said.
Russia says it’s ready to help Iran
By ELISE MORTON
Russia is ready to help Iran in various ways, depending on what Tehran requests, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
“Everything depends on what Iran needs,” Peskov said in response to a question at a briefing. “We have offered our mediation efforts. This is concrete.
Peskov added that Russia has openly declared its stance on the Iran-Israel war, calling it an important form of support for Tehran.
“We have stated our position. This is also a very important manifestation, a form of support for the Iranian side,” he said.
He also noted that Iran has been a recurring subject in recent talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The topic of Iran itself was repeatedly discussed by the presidents during their recent conversations,” Peskov told reporters.