Trump’s invasion of the Middle East vs. the U.S. attack on Iran: What did Congress tell Congress before the attack on Saturday?
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on Sunday that the three sites — Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz — were all hit in the attack. The extent of damage to the underground Fordo site was “not immediately possible to assess,” the agency said, adding that Natanz and Isfahan suffered additional damage in the U.S. bombings after previously being struck by Israeli forces.
“Final battle damage will take some time,” Caine said, “but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction.”
The Trump administration is continuing to try to figure out exactly how effective its strike was in degrading Iran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon.
While the reaction among politicians largely fell on party lines, it didn’t do so exclusively. Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie said Congress “has the sole authority to authorize war” and should have been called back from vacation before the attack.
“That wasn’t the case here, and I think certainly for the 40,000 troops in at least six countries in the Middle East — we have a lot of bases in the Middle East — those troops are now at greater risk,” Kelly added.
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said on Meet The Press that Iran wasn’t posing an immediate threat to the U.S. before the strike. The commander-in-chief has the right to take action when there is a clear and imminent threat to US citizens.
The strike is a clear violation of the constitution, which gives the power to declare war to Congress, said Rep. Jim Himes, the highest ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
Yet many Democrats accused Trump of sidestepping the Constitution by directing the military to attack Iran without seeking Congressional approval first.
The speaker of the House and the majority leader of the Senate both said that Trump made the right call in dealing with Iran.
Iran’s government is considering a response after the US launched a series of bomb attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Earlier in June, Israel began bombing nuclear facilities and other sites across Iran. The two countries have been trading deadly attacks since then, and the U.S. military has helped intercept missiles and drones fired at Israel. But the U.S. did not get directly involved in the Israeli offensive until the surprise strikes on Saturday.
Iran’s foreign minister called the U.S. military operation an “outrageous, grave and unprecedented violation” of the United Nations Charter and international law.
Operation Midnight Hammer: U.S. Air Force Airstrikes on Iran — and What Might Come Next, and When Does the Iran Nuclear Regime Change?
The mission, dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” began at midnight on Friday when a group of B-2 stealth bombers took off from an Air Force base near Kansas City, Mo., according to Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Dan Caine, who briefed reporters on Sunday.
The mission involved more than 125 aircraft and resulted in 75 precision guided weapons being dropped on the three locations, officials said. And they emphasized that this attack was against Iran’s nuclear program, not against its military or people.
Bunker-buster bombs describe a type of munition that can burrow deep into the ground before exploding and are designed for attacking fortified subterranean targets.
At around 5 p.m. ET Saturday, just as the bombers were entering Iranian airspace, a submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles at the Isfahan nuclear site.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced the strikes during a press conference in Istanbul on Sunday. He claimed that the administration in Washington was to blame for the dangerous consequences of their act of aggression.
A group of top Israeli politicians welcomed the strikes. Netanyahu thanked Trump in a video message while the leader of the opposition said he made the world a safer place.
The Secretary-General called the strikes a threat to peace and security, and he was alarmed by the American use of force.
On Sunday Trump mentioned the possibility of regime change in Iran. The term “regime change” is not politically correct, if the current Iranian regime is not able to makeiran great again. MIGA!!!”
Source: 4 takeaways on the U.S. airstrikes on Iran — and what might come next
U.S. Response to Iran’s Nuclear Explosions after the Superbb bombings on Saturday 05: The State Department and the IAEA
The State Department has doubled the number of flights that Americans can take out of Israel and the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon is taking nonessential staff off duty.
The U.S. forces remain on high alert to respond to any Iranian attacks. The US has permanent military bases in a number of countries near Iran.
The IAEA also said that Iranian authorities hadn’t reported a jump in off-site radiation following the bombings on Saturday, and that it didn’t expect there to be any health impacts on people outside the three sites.
Two independent experts analyzing commercial satellite imagery told NPR that the nation’s long-running nuclear enterprise is far from destroyed, adding that Iran likely still has stocks of highly enriched uranium.
The History of Harpersville, Ala.: An inside look at the 1504 Project at the Young People’s Theatre at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards
In a small town in Shelby County, Ala., — often referred to by the Republican Party as the reddest county in the U.S. — a new museum exhibit is dedicated to Black history. It addresses what happened in Harpersville after enslaved people were emancipated, granted their freedom and not much else. NPR’s Picture Show spoke with Tyler Jones, who is part of 1504, the narrative studio behind the project. The studio has been working with the Wallace Center for Arts and Reconciliation to change the narratives of Black descendant communities. Jones highlighted that the plantation from 1841 had been turned into a place dedicated to healing and reparative history. Check out this inside look at the project through photos and videos.
Tonight is a big night for more than 100 high school theater stars gathered in New York City for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as the Jimmy Awards. This annual event unites nominees on Broadway to put on a show in just 10 days. The competition begins with around 150,000 students from various schools nationwide, who are ultimately narrowed down to a select group of finalists who will perform at the award ceremony held at the Minskoff Theatre. The top two awards of the night are best actor and best actress in a musical. Read more about the awards and listen to students currently vying for their chance to take home a Jimmy.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, said that his country wouldn’t be dragged into a war of attrition nor would it end the conflict until its objectives are achieved. Iran’s missiles and nuclear program should be degraded by Israel.
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