Trump called for Iran’s ‘surrender’
Fears of a wider war are growing after President Trump called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” cited the possibility of killing its supreme leader and referred to Israel’s war efforts with the word “we” — all apparent suggestions that the U.S. could enter the conflict, as Israel has pressed it to do.
Iran has prepared missiles and other equipment for possible strikes on U.S. bases in the Middle East should the U.S. join Israel’s war effort, according to U.S. officials who have reviewed intelligence reports.
Trump wrote on his social media platform that “we know exactly where” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, “is hiding,” but added, “we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least for now.” He also boasted that “we now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” associating himself with Israel’s strikes on Iran — even though U.S. forces do not appear to have been involved.
Here are the latest updates and maps showing recent strikes between Iran and Israel.
On the ground: Early this morning, sirens sounded in areas of Israel, and the Israeli military said it had detected Iranian missile launches. Around the same time, the Israeli military published an evacuation warning for an industrial area in Tehran, the Iranian capital.
Shifting position: For months, Trump pushed back against Israel’s plan to attack Iran in favor of a diplomatic solution. Here’s an in-depth look at how he came to embrace the campaign.
Analysis: Some analysts believe that Israel is trying to depose Iran’s government, a regime change of the sort Trump has decried for years.
-
Israel’s military claimed it had killed Iran’s top military commander — only days into his tenure — after Israel killed his predecessor.
-
Iranians and experts say that internet service has been disrupted, likely because the government is worried about cyberattacks.
Humanitarian aid is trickling into Gaza
For one of the few times in recent months, humanitarian aid trickled into northern Gaza on Monday. Masses of civilians desperate for food greeted the convoy of trucks at the distribution point in the northwest part of Gaza City to receive boxes from the U.N. World Food Program.
The distribution centers have been fraught with danger and chaos. More than 50 Palestinians were killed yesterday near an aid distribution site in Khan Younis, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which blamed Israel for the deaths, and a similar incident on Monday claimed the lives of 20 Palestinians and left 200 wounded, the Health Ministry said.
Context: In recent weeks, Israeli forces have repeatedly used lethal force against hungry and desperate Palestinian civilians to control crowds around new aid sites, forcing many people to choose between food and the risk of getting shot.
Response: The Israeli military said that a crowd had gathered near an aid truck that was “stuck,” and that it was aware of reports that people had been wounded by Israeli fire when they approached the truck. The military added that it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals.”
Quotable: “I just want to feed my children — they haven’t eaten in two days,” a thin man carrying an aid box said.
The deadliest strike on Kyiv in almost a year
Russia pummeled Kyiv with drones and missiles yesterday, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 100 in the deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital in almost a year. The attack dimmed already fragile hopes for a cease-fire, and came as world leaders were meeting at a G7 summit in Canada.
The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, said he had planned yesterday to press allies for more support and tougher sanctions on Russia, and to meet with Trump.
Iran war: The government in Iran is facing a grave threat to its rule from attacks by Israel — but Russia is nowhere to be found.
MORE TOP NEWS
-
G7: Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister, scrambled to pick up papers that Trump dropped, in an image gone viral. He may walk away from the summit a winner.
-
Britain: Lawmakers voted to prevent women from being prosecuted for having an abortion in England and Wales.
-
Trade: Chinese exports are surging around the world after Trump’s tariffs started to shut China out of the U.S. market.
-
Abuse: In Britain, the ethnicity and nationality of all suspects in child sexual abuse and exploitation cases will be recorded by the police under new rules.
-
Haiti: The government is using drones to go after gang leaders who have captured much of the capital. Experts say lethal drone strikes outside of an armed conflict violate international law.
-
North Korea: The country’s longtime claim that it had defeated the Covid-19 pandemic without vaccines was a deadly lie, a new report found.
-
Markets: The S&P 500 is nearing record highs again. But the gains may not tell the full story.
-
South Africa: Trump’s cuts have demolished medical research in the country, which is known for having made significant strides against major global killers like heart disease and H.I.V.
SPORTS NEWS
-
Indoor skydiving: See athletes flip-twist in wind tunnels at the world championship.
-
Soccer: This is how Nigeria’s now-iconic 2018 shirt became the holy grail of soccer merchandise.
-
Tennis: Online abuse of tennis players led to investigations by law enforcement in 2024. This is how things got so bad.
-
Formula 1: Mercedes, following its win in Canada, could become a wild card in a world title race.
MORNING READ
A group of mostly Indigenous youth is about to become the first people in a century to kayak all 310 miles of the Klamath River in Oregon and California.
The river, an ancient lifeline for Indigenous tribes, now runs mostly free after a decades-long movement that led to the removal of four major dams. My colleague John Branch tagged along.
Lives lived: Nina Kuscsik, the prizewinning runner who repudiated the idea that women shouldn’t run marathons, died at 86.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
-
Your next career change: A.I. might take your job. Here are 22 new ones it could give you.
-
Prowling the shelves: A wholesome and delightful web series stars the cats that have the run of New York City’s corner stores.
-
Slice of life: Chris Evans and Dakota Johnson, two stars of “Materialists,” talked love triangles and made pizza.
-
Navel gazing: What do an apple, a pentagram and a belly button have in common?
ARTS AND IDEAS
Octopus arms spy on an invisible world
Octopuses reach deep into nooks and crannies for sustenance. But they aren’t just feeling for a meal: Scientists have discovered that octopuses use their limbs to sample microbiomes, allowing them to differentiate between a rotting crab and one that’s safe to eat. Read more about the study.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Cook: This quick, lemon-scented pasta is luxurious and zingy.
Cultivate: Grow a Garden, a farming simulator inside Roblox, is the new FarmVille.
Watch: In “Deep Cover,” three hapless comics infiltrate the criminal underworld.
Design: Swoon over our favorite kitchens.
Ease: Try these beginner-friendly yoga poses to help alleviate low back pain.
Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today’s Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here.
That’s it for today’s briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha
We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at [email protected].
Natasha Frost writes The Times’s weekday newsletter The Europe Morning Briefing.
The post Wednesday Briefing appeared first on New York Times.
