Breaking: US Attacks Iran, Live updates
Status of ceasefire in question
06/23/2025 22:07
Columbia Missouri
At about 17:30 CDT, Trump said on Truth Social that Israel and Iran have agreed to a complete ceasefire, which will be negotiated within the next day.
At 17:41, CNN reported hearing “a big strike blast” by their team on the ground.
Around 19:00, House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “This is what peace through strength looks like,” while addressing reporters at the US Capitol.
House Democrats stated their intention to introduce their version of a war powers resolution that would end US involvement in Iran.
Rep. D Jim Himes, a top official in the House Intelligence Committee and Rep. D Greg Meeks, a top official on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, are leading the push for this bill.
This bill is intended to be more specific than the anti-interventionist resolution pushed by Rep. R Thomas Massie and Rep. D Ro Khanna. Massie. Khanna and all co-sponsors are against the US attacks on Iran.
Khanna and Massie’s bill urges Trump to abide by section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution and “Remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
“Congress has the sole power to declare war under Article one, Section eight, Clause 11 of the US Constitution,” the bill notes. “Congress has not declared war…involving United States Armed Forces against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Himes and Meeks’ bill adds on to Khanna and Massie and provides more specific measures.
At around 19:30 the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani locked in Iran’s agreement.
However at this time, the Israeli and Iranian government have not confirmed their participation in the ceasefire.
Moments later, Israel agreed to a ceasefire deal granted Iran ends its strikes on the country, according to White House officials.
Despite agreeing to the ceasefire, at about 20:00 Israel launched several strikes across Tehran according to Tasnim, a local news agency.
CNN geolocated a photo showing “Large plume of dark smoke” that could be seen in Tehran.
Israel warned residents in Mehran and District 6 in Tehran that military operations would be carried out.
A little before 20:30 CDT, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said they had not agreed to a ceasefire with Israel, but would stop its military operations if Israel stops attacking by 4 a.m. local time in Tehran.
In a post on X, Aragchi said, “The military operations of our powerful armed forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4 a.m.”
Around 21:30 CDT, Israel’s military reported missiles launched from Iran, activating their defense systems.
Israel’s emergency services said three people were killed after a missile strike on a residential building in the southern Israeli city of Beer Sheva.
According to Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom, a man around 40 years old, a woman about 30 years old and a man 20 years old were critically wounded.
As of June 29, the Associated Press reports that the Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir stated at least 71 people were killed on Monday June 23, during Israel’s attacks on Tehran’s Evin prison. The victims included staff, soldiers, prisoners and visiting families.
Washington-based Human Rights Activists located in Iran said 35 of the victims were staff members and two were inmates. One victim was a person walking in the vicinity of the prison. Another was a woman visiting a judge to discuss her imprisoned husband’s case.
Iran foreign minister Aragchi said at 12:30 CDT that they will not negotiate with US unless the aggression against Iran stops.
At 13:00 p.m. Rep D Al Green of Texas introduced articles of impeachment against Trump.
“At no point did Iran pose any imminent threat to the US,” Green said on the House floor.
Rep/ D Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York added that Trump attacking Iran “without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers.”
“We will take all measures necessary”
Iran UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani addresses a United Nations Security Council meeting, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
06/22/2025 22:07
Columbia Missouri
Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said he intends to force a floor vote this week for a resolution that would mandate a vote ahead of military action related to Iran.
“The United States should not be in an offensive war against Iran without a vote of Congress,” Kaibe said. “The Constitution is completely clear on it. I am so disappointed that the president has acted so prematurely.” At 8:47 a.m., US Vice President JD Vance said the US did not “blow up” diplomacy talks. “Our hope… is that this maybe can reset here,” Vance said. “The Iranians can go down the path of peace or they can go down the path of this ridiculous brinksmanship of funding terrorism.” Vance iterates the US isn’t at war with Iran and he is “very confident that we’ve substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon,” and he admitted it would take “many, many years” for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran does not have nukes at the current moment, so these attacks are to stop Iran from developing them. “Iran does not yet have a nuclear weapons research in violation of its international commitments.”
-the Council on Foreign Relations
The council also adds that its western analysts believe “the country has the knowledge and infrastructure to produce a nuclear weapon in fairly short order should its leaders decide to do so.” In contrast to Iran, Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons of mass destruction. According to The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), it is “unconfirmed” how many total warheads Israel has. ICAN is a coalition of non-governmental organizations to advocate for the implementation of the UN TREATY ON THE PROHIBITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS (2017). This puts it in the same category as North Korea, as the only two countries in the world that do not report their nuclear assets.
“Israel has material for up to 200 [individual weapons], with an estimated 90 existing warheads.”
-The international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons
JD Vance said US does not have “interest in boots on the ground” in Iran and believes current actions will not lead to escalation. Vance believes the strikes create a chance to “reset” relations with Iran. Pope Leo XIV made a strong appeal for peace during his Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s square and called for the “silence” of the weapons. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Sunday, it has saw “a chilling pattern of Israeli forces opening fire on crowds gathering to get food” at aid sites in Gaza. After completely cutting all aid into Gaza, Israel has allowed food to enter the area. Most supplies go to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation which is backed by an Israeli private contractor. They alos operate in four other locations inside Israeli occupied military zones. “Those who are shot are often out of reach of ambulances,” OCHA Head of Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Jonoathan Whittal said. He also added some are still presumed dead or missing near US-Israeli distribution points. 
The stealth bombers that dropped massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities have begun returning to a U.S. base in Missouri. (AP video: Nicholas Ingram)
The stealth bombers that deployed the massive bunker-buster bombs on the nuclear facilities in Iran have returned to its base in Missouri.
“An Associated Press journalist watched on a clear but windy Sunday afternoon as at least seven of the B-2 Spirit bombers came in for landing at Whiteman Air Force Base.”A group of four, followed by a group of three, of the stealth aircraft did a loop around the military base before it approached North of the runway.US officials claim that one B-2 group was used as a decoy to throw off Iran. This group flew west, but then the other seven flew eastward afterward. Israel has resumed outgoing flights. According to The Israel Airport Authority, 24 daily outgoing flights will resume Monday following a previous closure since the start of Israel’s war on Iran. Transportation Minister Miri Regev said that each flight will only take 50 passengers and will allow 1000 people to leave each day. The Tourism Ministry said that 22,000 foreign tourists have requested help in fleeing Israel on Thursday. It is recommended that those who cannot wait for a flight cross into the neighboring Jordan or Egypt. Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Sunday, he will start “preventive measures to strengthen the security of Italian contingents abroad.”“Our military personnel are not involved in operations and do not represent a direct target of possible Iranian retaliation,” Crosetto said. Italian military bases have been raised to “operational alert level.”French President Emmanuel Macron urges diplomatic efforts and dialogue return. France held an emergency security meeting where Macron presided. “We are living through a grave time for the stability and security for the Middle East, and for our own security,” Macron said. According to the Associated Press, Trump and other world leaders are anticipated to meet at a NATO summit in Netherlands in a few days. No timeline for this has been provided.“We cannot -- and must not -- give up on peace."
-UN Security Council, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
He urged for the fighting to stop and revert to “serious, sustained negotiations” to discuss Iran’s nuclear program. He believes full access to nuclear facilities for UN atomic inspectors can help rebuild trust. “We had a spectacular military success yesterday, taking the ‘bomb’ right out of their hands,” Trump said on Truth Social. “They would use it if they could,” he adds. Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believes diplomacy should return so Iran can allow IAEA inspectors to enter the attacked nuclear sites. But he believes time is limited. Grossi said. “If that window closes. Violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels, and the global nonproliferation regime as we know it could crumble and fall.”
-Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi
The State Department has doubled emergency evacuation flights for American citizens in Israel who wish to leave. The department also ordered for the departure of nonessential staff in the US Embassy in Lebanon and has issued travel warnings around the Middle East out of fear for retaliation from Iran. The department evacuated the US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon “due to the volatile and unpredictable security situation in the region.” Contradicting prior statements made on Iran’s regime, Trump said Iran could reject its current leadership. “It’s not politically correct to use the term ‘regime change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a regime change,” Trump asked on social media. Iran UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said US has “decided to destroy diplomacy” with strikes on Iran’s nuclear program. Iran will determine the “timing, nature and scale of Iran’s proportionate response.”“We will take all measures necessary,” Iravani said. Stay Safe, Stay Informed, Stay Tuned
the Pineapple Times
Aftermath of US Strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities
06/22/2025 12:57 Columbia Missouri
Iran launched its missiles on northern and central Israel following the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Houthi rebels in Yemen and the militant Palestinian group Hamas pledge their support for Iran to fight the “Zionist and American aggression."At 12:49 a.m. CDT, Iran executed a man they accused of spying for Israel. The man was later identified as Majid Mosayebi and was hanged Sunday after being charged with spying in exchange for cryptocurrency. Early Sunday morning, Iran launched several missiles at Israel, wounding at least 16 in Israel. According to The Magen David Adom rescue service, one of the wounded is in moderate condition and 10 are “lightly wounded.” Several residential buildings are damaged by Iran’s strikes on Israel. At 1:26 a.m. CDT, Iran’s Foreign Ministry made a statement on the attacks. In this statement, Iran criticized the US for supporting a genocidal regime and called the attack an act of war against Iran. “[Iran] reserves its right to resist with full force against U.S. military aggression and the crimes committed by this rogue regime, and to defend Iran’s security and national interests,” the Iran Foreign Ministry said.Rafael Grossi said in a statement on X formerly known as Twitter that he will be convening an emergency meeting of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday in Vienna where their headquarters is located.In a statement to the Associated Press, the Israeli Health Ministry said Iran’s strikes wounded more than 80 people, but 70 of them were “lightly wounded.”At 2:35 a.m., Israel claimed to have taken out 2 of Iran’s F-5 fighter jets through a strike on the country’s Dezful airport. Three minutes later, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed to have launched 40 missiles, including the Khorramshahr-4 missile, the heaviest payload in their ballistic missile fleet. The island country of Bahrain told drivers to stay off main roads due to growing concern in the Gulf Arab states. Bahrain has the US Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet and can be a target of Iran.Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US strikes on their nuclear facilities have ruined any chance of diplomacy with Americans or Europeans. “Last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy,” Araghchi said in a statement on X formerly known as Twitter. “What conclusion would you draw?” He also noted Iran will not return to the negotiating table with Britain and the European Union. Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds confirmed to Sky News that Britain knew of the attack on Iran in advance. “Whilst the British government, the U.K., has not been involved in these attacks,” Reynolds said, “we have been making extensive preparations for all eventualities.” Their primary concern is working on taking care of British nationals, military bases and personnel in the region. Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement “The world cannot absorb a limitless war. Upholding international humanitarian law is not a choice -- it is an obligation.” At 4:36 a.m., Foreign Minister Araghchi said the US is “fully responsible” for the “consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression.”When speaking to journalists, Araghchi said the “door to diplomacy” should always be “open,” but this is not the situation he said they’re in. Saying “there is no red line” the US has not crossed, he believes the tipping point has been reached. “The last one and the most dangerous one was what happened only last night when they crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities.” Right before 5 a.m. CDT, Foreign Minister Araghchi said he plans to travel to Moscow on Sunday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We enjoy a strategic partnership and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions,” Araghchi said. This makes for an interesting dynamic, since Russia has a strong alliance with Iran but Putin has been very fond of Trump since he won the 2024 election. The French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on social media that France “has learned with concern” at 5:19 a.m. CDT of the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. “[France] was neither involved in these strikes nor in their planning,” Barrot said. He said France “urges the parties to show restraint in order to avoid any escalation that could lead to an extension of the conflict.” “France is convinced that a lasting solution to this issue requires a negotiated solution within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty,” Barrot said. “It remains ready to contribute to this in conjunction with its partners.”At 5:54 a.m., Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemned” the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The foreign ministry referred to the attack as “a gross violation of international law, the UN Charter and the UN Security Council Resolutions.” 7:00 a.m. CDT, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the US attacks on the nuclear sites. “This aggression showed that the US is the primary instigator of the Zionist regime’s hostile actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Although they initially tried to deny their role, after our armed forces’ decisive and deterrent response and the Zionist regime’s clear incapacity, they were inevitably forced to enter the field themselves.”
-said iran president masoud pezeshkian
At 7:35 US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that despite attacking three of Iran’s nuclear sites, America “does not seek war.”
Hegseth said the attacks on the nuclear sites specifically indicate they don’t want retaliation on American targets in the region. The choice to move several B-2 bombers in Missouri earlier on Saturday was meant to throw off Iran. “This mission was not and has not been about regime change,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. However, Israel is open to the possibility.
“The matter of changing the regime or the fall of this regime is first and foremost a matter for the Iranian people. That’s why I didn’t present it as a goal. It could be a result, but it’s not a stated or formal goal that we have.”
There is a reported “high” risk to US-associated ships after these strikes, according to a Mideast-based maritime center overseen by US military. “The threat to US-associated commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden is currently assessed as "high," the Joint Maritime Information Center wrote to shippers in an advisory. “Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks,” Hegseth said, “which would be an incredibly poor choice.” Hegseth claims the US and Iran are exchanging messages and that the line of communication between Washington and Tehran is still open. “I can only confirm that there are both public and private messages being directly delivered to the Iranians in multiple channels,” Hegseth said. British Airways canceled all flights from London to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar on Sunday due to the US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Flights from Heathrow Airport to Dubai and Doha were canceled and a Dubai-bound airliner was diverted to Zurich Saturday night. One flight even turned around after reaching Saudi Arabia. Naturally, the airline offered flexible rebooking for those who were scheduled to fly. Stay Safe, Stay Informed, Stay Tuned
-the Pineapple Times
US president donald Trump Assisting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's agenda of destroying Iran's nuclear program
06/21/2025 11:41 Columbia, Missouri
On Saturday night around 10:00 p.m. CST, the United States of America launched strikes destroying Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanza and Isfahan to support the Israeli agenda of destroying Iran’s nuclear arsenal. An hour later, President Donald Trump warned that the US could continue to strike Iran because of a “real concern” that the Iran military will retaliate, said CNN political and global affairs analyst Barak Ravid. As of 11:39 p.m. according to a Washington-based Human Rights Activists group an Israeli strike killed at least 865. According to the Associated Press, the Iran Health Ministry said 400 Iranians had been killed and another 3,056 were wounded. 
Satellite Footage from PBS NewsThis handout image shows the Nuclear facility in Fordo, June 14, 2025.NBC News correspondent Matt Bradley speaks from Tel Aviv on what the U.S. bombing of Iran could mean for Israel.
Backtracking a little, Iran responded quickly after these attacks and called out the US for violating international law on a “savage assault.” “ Iran is deeply condemning the US strikes on several of its nuclear installations,” said CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen who is on the ground in Tehran. Pleitgen goes on to say the Atomic Energy Agency has vowed to “not let Iran’s nuclear program be stopped by these strikes.” Furthermore, Iran has accused the International Atomic Energy Agency of allowing these attacks to happen without intervention. Local officials from the Qom area where the Fordow nuclear site is, the Isfahan Province where another nuclear site is located and the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility confirmed that there had been “intrusions into the airspace near those facilities.”According to the Associated Press, Iran stated the strike did not cause nuclear contamination at all three of the sites. Their radiation detectors recorded no release of radioactive substances after the strikes. “There is no danger to the residents living around the aforementioned sites,” the National Nuclear Safety System Center said in a public statement.Then Israel's Airport Authority declared it was closing the country's airspace for inbound and outbound flights due to the US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. As a result of these attacks, Israel’s Airport Authority declared the country’s airspace will be closed. According to the Associated Press, it is unclear when they will open the airspace again.According to Al Jazeera, Trump gave a speech at 10:45 CST Trump gave a speech on the recent strikes. Here’s a full transcript provided by Al Jazeera. Embedded is the official video courtesy of NBC. As President Trump announced U.S. bombs on Iran's nuclear sites, NBC News's Courtney Kube talks about the potential weapons that were used in these strikes and what a potential retaliation from Iran could look like. “A SHORT TIME AGO, THE US MILITARY CARRIED OUT MASSIVE PRECISION STRIKES ON THE THREE KEY NUCLEAR FACILITIES IN THE IRANIAN REGIME, FORDOW, NATANZ, AND ISFAHAN. EVERYBODY HEARD THOSE NAMES FOR YEARS AS THEY BUILT THIS HORRIBLY DESTRUCTIVE ENTERPRISE.
OUR OBJECTIVE WAS THE DESTRUCTION OF IRAN’S NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT CAPACITY AND A STOP TO THE NUCLEAR THREAT POSED BY THE WORLD’S NUMBER ONE STATE SPONSOR OF TERROR.
TONIGHT, I CAN REPORT TO THE WORLD THAT THE STRIKES WERE A SPECTACULAR MILITARY SUCCESS. IRAN’S KEY NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT FACILITIES HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY OBLITERATED. IRAN, THE BULLY OF THE MIDDLE EAST, MUST NOW MAKE PEACE.
IF THEY DO NOT, FUTURE ATTACKS WILL BE FAR GREATER AND A LOT EASIER.
FOR 40 YEARS, IRAN HAS BEEN SAYING, DEATH TO AMERICA, DEATH TO ISRAEL. THEY HAVE BEEN KILLING OUR PEOPLE, BLOWING OFF THEIR ARMS, BLOWING OFF THEIR LEGS WITH ROADSIDE BOMBS – THAT WAS THEIR SPECIALITY.
WE LOST OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE, AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND AROUND THE WORLD HAVE DIED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THEIR HATE, IN PARTICULAR, SO MANY WERE KILLED BY THEIR GENERAL, QASSEM SOLEIMAN.
I DECIDED A LONG TIME AGO THAT I WOULD NOT LET THIS HAPPEN. IT WILL NOT CONTINUE.
I WANT TO THANK AND CONGRATULATE PRIME MINISTER BIBI NETANYAHU. WE WORKED AS A TEAM LIKE PERHAPS NO TEAM HAS EVER WORKED BEFORE, AND WE’VE GONE A LONG WAY TO ERASING THIS HORRIBLE THREAT TO ISRAEL.
I WANT TO THANK THE ISRAELI MILITARY FOR THE WONDERFUL JOB THEY’VE DONE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE GREAT AMERICAN PATRIOTS WHO FLEW THOSE MAGNIFICENT MACHINES TONIGHT,AND ALL OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ON AN OPERATION THE LIKES OF WHICH THE WORLD HAS NOT SEEN IN MANY, MANY DECADES.
HOPEFULLY, WE WILL NO LONGER NEED THEIR SERVICES IN THIS CAPACITY. I HOPE THAT’S SO.
I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, GENERAL DAN “RAZIN” CAINE – SPECTACULAR GENERAL – AND ALL OF THE BRILLIANT MILITARY MINDS INVOLVED IN THIS ATTACK.
WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, THIS CANNOT CONTINUE.
THERE WILL BE EITHER PEACE OR THERE WILL BE TRAGEDY FOR IRAN FARGREATER THAN WE HAVE WITNESSED OVER THE LAST EIGHT DAYS.
REMEMBER, THERE ARE MANY TARGETS LEFT. TONIGHT’S WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT OF THEM ALL BY FAR, AND PERHAPS THE MOST LETHAL, BUT IF PEACE DOES NOT COME QUICKLY, WE WILL GO AFTER THOSE OTHER TARGETS WITH PRECISION, SPEED, AND SKILL.
MOST OF THEM CAN BE TAKEN OUT IN A MATTER OF MINUTES.
THERE’S NO MILITARY IN THE WORLD THAT COULD HAVE DONE WHAT WE DID TONIGHT, NOT EVEN CLOSE. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MILITARY THAT COULD DO WHAT TOOK PLACE JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
TOMORROW, GENERAL CAINE, SECRETARY OF DEFENCE PETE HEGSETH, WILL HAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE AT 8 AM AT THE PENTAGON, AND I WANT TO JUSTTHANK EVERYBODY, AND IN PARTICULAR, GOD.
I WANT TO JUST SAY WE LOVE YOU, GOD, AND WE LOVE OUR GREAT MILITARY.PROTECT THEM. GOD BLESS THE MIDDLE EAST. GOD BLESS ISRAEL, AND GOD BLESS AMERICA-,”
-SAID US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel and the US conspired on this attack together.“A short time ago, in full coordination between me and President Trump, and in full operational coordination between the Israeli army and the United States military, the United States attacked Iran’s three nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.” Saudi Arabia's regulator reports that there have been no recorded radioactive traces from the strikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities.
Hamas, a Palestinian militant group which according to CNN has a strong connection to Iran, calls the strike “A violation of all international norms and conventions” and “vowed to hold the US and Israel responsible,” Hamas said. Then, top democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees called for a de-escalation of US strikes on Iran.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen on the way to Senator’s Weekly Policy Luncheons
Senator Jeanne Shaheen said, “The United States must not rush into war with Iran.” Shaheen went on to discuss the bipartisan tradition of meeting with Congress to give updates on national security and “events that impact Americans around the world,’ Shaheen said. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed his frustration and demanded an answer for why President Trump ordered US strikes on Iran. “No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy,” Schumer said.Schumer expressed his intention to enforce the War Powers Act and he urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to put it on the Senate docket immediately. “The danger of wider, longer and more devastating war has now dramatically increased,” he said. At this moment, it is unclear what retaliation would look like as there are many options each with its own unique and will have tremendous ramifications that will be felt through the Middle East. “In the past [Iran] have said that they do control a lot of militias here in the region that are loyal to Iran which are near US bases in the Middle East,” Pleitgen said. Briefed by the White House before the strikes took place, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said “President Trump has been consistent and clear that a nuclear-armed Iran will not be tolerated.” US Senate Majority Leader John Thune believed the attack was justified because he believes Iran is “misguided” and “must be stopped.” “This was the right call. The regime deserves it,” US Lindsey Graham a Republican from South Carolina wrote online. The Associated Press referred to Graham as a “longtime Iran hawk.”Many senators expressed frustration, such as Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia who referred to the decision as “horrible judgment” “I will push for all senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war,” he said.After these strikes, police in New York raised security, out of fear of a potential impact on the city, The NYPD is working with local federal law enforcement agencies and has increased security at “religious, cultural and diplomatic sites,” the Associated Press writes. Israel asked the US to use the 30,000 lbs “Bunker-Busting American Bomb” called the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator which would be delivered by a B-2 stealth bomber, which only the US has. If employed, it will be the first use of the weapon. Japan’s Foreign Ministry has evacuated their 21 residents living in Iran, taking them and their family members to Baku, Azerbaijan. This is the second time that Japan has had to evacuate its residents from Iran. In a statement reported by the Associated Press at 9:08 CDT Trump declared Iran “the bully of the Middle East” and said “future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier.” 
NYPD and Campus Security Attack Pro-Palestine Protesters Inside Columbia University’s Library As Students Rally Outside According to Left Voice
“For 40 years Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel,” Trump said. “They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs.” While the president is technically correct, this dehumanizing rhetoric mistakenly portrays non-Israeli forces in the Middle East as violent and the aggressors. Israel’s spy agency used AI and smuggled-in drones in preparation for the attack on Iran, according to reporting done by the Associated Press. Israel was able to take out “high-level targets” precisely. Furthermore, Israel has long violated international law and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu is wanted by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for his alleged war crimes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses Congress, July 24, 2025.
According to reporting conducted by Le Monde, a popular French newspaper, the EU has spoken out about the occupation in Gaza and what has been alleged by South Africa as a “genocide.” Trump confirmed that he and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu conspired together for this attack on Iran. At 9:15 p.m., UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the attack a “dangerous escalation.” “There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control -- with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region and the world,” Guterres said. A Pentagon News Conference is to be scheduled at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday to discuss the bombings of Iran’s nuclear facilities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will represent the White House and will be joined by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine.Trump has declared in an address that he will strike other targets in Iran if Iran does not surrender, but at this time, the terms of a surrender are not clear, but can potentially include Iran giving up their nuclear arsenal.