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Google-owned Waymo on Wednesday said it has applied for a permit to start testing its self-driving cars in New York City, a first for the Big Apple.Waymo’s autonomous vehicles have become part of the everyday landscape in a growing number of US cities, serving as safe transport options, tourist attractions, and symbols of a not-so-distant future.Waymo plans to begin operating a small fleet of autonomous vehicles in Manhattan next month, with human drivers at the wheel until regulators allow otherwise, a spokesperson told AFP.Waymo operations in New York, once properly permitted, will be in a test phase, according to the company.Waymo first ventured into New York in late 2021, but did not let its cars operate autonomously then either.New York State law limits the use of autonomous cars to testing and does not allow Waymo to offer the kind of robotaxi services it provides in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin, a Waymo spokesperson said.New York officials said they are making safety a priority “which is why we have put in place safeguards and conditions for any type of autonomous vehicle to ensure that this technology is deployed appropriately.”Founded in 2009, Waymo now has a fleet of 1,500 vehicles and provides more than 250,000 paid rides a week in the United States.Waymo plans to launch its robotaxi service in Atlanta this summer, followed by Miami and Washington in 2026.The collapse of Waymo’s main competitor, Cruise — due to high costs and following poor crisis management in response to a San Francisco accident — has propelled Waymo to market leadership.Amazon subsidiary Zoox has a few dozen prototype vehicles on the road, and is not planning its first commercial launch until later this year in Las Vegas.As for Tesla, it has promised to debut its robotaxi service on Sunday in Austin, Texas, after several postponements.

The United States has thousands of troops deployed on bases across the Middle East, a region in which Washington’s forces have carried out repeated military operations in recent decades.Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign against Iran last week, and US President Donald Trump has said he is weighing whether to join Israel in the fight.US involvement in the conflict would likely result in attacks by Tehran on American troops in the region, who were already targeted by Iran-aligned forces in the course of the Israel-Hamas war.Below, AFP examines countries with major concentrations of US forces in the Middle East, which falls under the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM).- Bahrain -The tiny Gulf kingdom hosts an installation known as Naval Support Activity Bahrain, where the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and US Naval Forces Central Command headquarters are based.Bahrain’s deep-water port can accommodate the largest US military vessels, such as aircraft carriers, and the US Navy has used the base in the country since 1948, when the facility was operated by Britain’s Royal Navy.Several US ships have their home port in Bahrain, including four anti-mine vessels and two logistical support ships. The US Coast Guard also has vessels in the country, including six fast response cutters.- Iraq -The United States has troops at various installations in Iraq, including Al-Asad and Arbil air bases. The Iraqi government is a close ally of Iran, but also a strategic partner of Tehran’s arch-foe the United States.There are some 2,500 US troops in Iraq as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group. Baghdad and Washington have agreed on a timetable for the gradual withdrawal of the coalition’s forces from the country.US forces in Iraq and Syria were repeatedly targeted by pro-Iran militants following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, but responded with heavy strikes on Tehran-linked targets, and the attacks largely subsided.- Kuwait -Kuwait has several US bases, including Camp Arifjan, the location of the forward headquarters for the US Army component of CENTCOM. The US Army also has stocks of prepositioned materiel in the country.Ali al-Salem Air Base hosts the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, the “primary airlift hub and gateway for delivering combat power to joint and coalition forces” in the region. Additionally, the United States has drones including MQ-9 Reapers in Kuwait.- Qatar -Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar includes the forward components of CENTCOM, as well as of its air forces and special operation forces in the region. It also hosts rotating combat aircraft, as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which includes “airlift, aerial refueling intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and aeromedical evacuation assets.”- Syria -The United States has for years maintained troop presences at a series of installations in Syria as part of international efforts against the Islamic State group, which rose out of the country’s civil war to overrun large parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.The Pentagon announced in April that it would roughly halve the number of its forces in the country to less than 1,000 in the coming months as part of a “consolidation” of US troops in the country.- United Arab Emirates -Al Dahfra Air Base in the UAE hosts the US 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, a force that is composed of 10 squadrons of aircraft and also includes drones such as MQ-9 Reapers.Combat aircraft have rotated through Al Dhafra, which also hosts the Gulf Air Warfare Center for air and missile defense training.

US President Donald Trump took time out Wednesday from deliberating on whether to bomb Iran to unveil two huge new flagpoles that he claimed are among the best in the world.Trump, 79, saluted as a giant Stars and Stripes flag was raised on one of the 88-foot (27-metre) poles in a brief ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.The billionaire real estate tycoon, who built his career on brash displays of wealth, said he was personally paying for each of the $50,000 poles. And he could not resist some nationalistic hyperbole about the size and quality of the new additions.”This is about the largest you’ll ever see,” Trump told reporters. “These are the best poles anywhere in the country — in the world actually.”The poles are, however, 12 feet shorter than originally advertised by the White House, which said when it announced Trump’s plan in April that they would be 100 feet tall. Trump also said the pole on the South Lawn — the famed expanse of grass with a vista that leads to the Jefferson Memorial — was “very far” from where Marine One lands, when asked if it could cause any issues for the helicopter.The second flagpole was being installed on the North Lawn at the front of the White House.The giant flags are the latest part of Trump’s sweeping makeover of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since he returned to power in January. The Republican is paving over the famed Rose Garden and has blitzed the Oval Office with gaudy gold decorations. He also has plans to build a new ballroom.For the flag-raising ceremony, Trump was accompanied by a group including Charles Kushner, the new US ambassador to France and father of Trump’s son-in-law. Kushner, a real estate executive who spent time in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2004 to tax evasion, among other crimes, was pardoned by Trump in 2020, near the end of his first term. Kushner’s son Jared Kushner, who married Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka in 2009, served as the president’s advisor during his first term, notably on conflict in the Middle East.The Middle East overshadowed the debut of Trump’s new flagpoles, with the president facing a series of questions from reporters about whether the United States would join Israel’s airstrikes on Iran.”I may do it, I may not do it,” Trump said when asked.

Nippon Steel and US Steel announced Wednesday they have completed a long-debated transaction granting the US government a “golden share” — a veto-like power over the Japanese company’s strategic decisions.The agreement modifies a transaction originally announced in December 2023 in which Nippon Steel agreed to acquire US Steel for $14.9 billion. But the outright acquisition of the iconic US company sparked bipartisan political opposition, including from President Donald Trump.Trump, who railed against the proposed deal throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, last month announced a pivot, branding the revamped venture as a “planned partnership.”And the US government will now have a non-economic “golden share” that gives it a say on Nippon’s plans for US infrastructure and jobs.On Wednesday, US Steel filed a notice with US securities regulators to delist its shares on the New York Stock Exchange. The NYSE halted trading, pointing to a “merger effective” order.”The companies have now completed the transaction as contemplated by their merger agreement,” Nippon and US Steel said in a joint press release. “The companies have also entered into a National Security Agreement with the US Government, and US Steel will issue a Golden Share to the US Government.”Nippon Steel has bought all common shares of US Steel, completing the merger, a source close to the matter said Wednesday.Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick, a Republican, cheered the deal’s closing, thanking Trump on X and calling the outcome “a massive victory for working families in the Mon Valley, our economy, our national security, and America’s manufacturing future!”But the United Steelworkers (USW) union, which vigorously fought the deal, vowed to “continue watching, holding Nippon to its commitments,” according to a statement.”And we will use the most powerful tool workers have against global corporations: collective bargaining.”- Post-election window of opportunity -Under the December 2023 transaction, Nippon agreed to pay $55 per share for US Steel, an all-cash deal that included a 40 percent premium and pitched the combined company as the “best steelmaker with world-leading capabilities.”While the transaction included a pledge to maintain the name US Steel and the company’s Pittsburgh headquarters, industry watchers expected an exodus of US Steel executives.But after the deal sparked bitter opposition from the USW and a broad range of politicians, including then president Joe Biden and former Ohio senator JD Vance — now Trump’s vice president — Nippon stepped up its lobbying efforts in Washington and Pittsburgh to win support for a transaction that appeared for months to be on life support.In early January, shortly before leaving office, Biden blocked the transaction, saying that placing “one of America’s largest steel producers under foreign control” could “create risk for our national security and our critical supply chains.”But backers of the deal had been hoping the shift in political climate following Trump’s election victory over Biden’s vice president Kamala Harris might revive the deal’s prospect.Besides agreeing to keep US Steel’s Pittsburgh headquarters and to maintaining US production, the revamped deal’s national security agreement calls for a majority of US Steel’s board to be US citizens and for key leaders, including the CEO, to be US citizens.The government’s “golden share” will allow it the right to appoint one independent director and grant it consent rights for proposed capital budget cuts, the redomiciling of activities outside the United States and on acquisitions in the United States.The “golden share” does not entitle the US government to dividends, nor does it require Washington to make investments in the company.Atlantic Council senior fellow Sarah Bauerle Danzman said the deal is not a nationalization of US Steel because the government will not be involved in day-to-day management and “because the United States is not taking equity stakes away from owners.”While the structure gives the government “extraordinary” influence, the mechanism could be difficult to enforce in a downturn if Nippon fails to comply, Danzman said.”How would the US government compel Nippon to increase investments to its promised amount?” wrote Danzman, adding that Washington’s enforcement options “are relatively weak here, especially if Nippon finds itself in a fragile economic position.”

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a state law banning gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender minors -– an issue at the heart of the American culture wars.The court voted 6-3 to uphold a Tennessee law barring hormone therapy, puberty blockers and gender transition surgery for those under the age of 18.The six conservative justices on the top court rejected a challenge to the law while the three liberals dissented.Two dozen Republican-led states have enacted laws restricting medical care for transgender youth, and the case will have repercussions for the prohibitions across the country.”This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts, author of the majority opinion.”The Court’s role is not ‘to judge the wisdom, fairness, or logic’ (of the law) but only to ensure that the law does not violate equal protection guarantees,” Roberts said. “It does not. Questions regarding the law’s policy are thus appropriately left to the people, their elected representatives, and the democratic process.”The Supreme Court heard the case in December and the Justice Department of then-president Joe Biden joined opponents of the law, arguing that it violated the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause since it denies transgender minors access to medical treatments permitted to others.Republican President Donald Trump has since taken office and he signed an executive order in January restricting gender transition procedures for people under the age of 19.While there is no US-wide law against gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender youth, the Trump order ended any federal backing for such procedures.Reacting to the ruling, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said it “sets a dangerous precedent for legislative interference in the practice of medicine.””Gender-affirming care is medically necessary for treating gender dysphoria and is backed by decades of peer-reviewed research, clinical experience, and scientific consensus,” the AAP said.”Denying patients access to this care not only undermines their health and safety, it robs them of basic human dignity.”- ‘Must end’ -The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, welcomed the ruling as a “huge win for children” and a “step toward ending dangerous experiments on kids.”During oral arguments in December, Tennessee Solicitor General Matthew Rice told the court the law was designed to “protect minors from risky, unproven medical interventions” with “often irreversible and life-altering consequences.”Chase Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing three transgender adolescents, their parents, and a Memphis-based doctor, countered that the law has “taken away the only treatment that relieved years of suffering.””What they’ve done is impose a blunderbuss ban, overriding the very careful judgment of parents who love and care for their children and the doctors who have recommended the treatment,” said Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue before the court.Trump, in his inauguration speech, said his government would henceforth only recognize two genders — male and female — and he issued his executive order a week later restricting gender transition procedures for minors.”Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children,” the executive order said. “This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation’s history, and it must end.”Trump’s order said it would now be US policy that it would “not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another.”The order bars funding for gender transition under the Medicaid health insurance program for poor families, the Medicare scheme used by retirees, and Defense Department health insurance that covers some two million children.According to a study by UCLA’s Williams Institute, an estimated 1.6 million people aged 13 and older in the United States identify as transgender.

Elon Musk’s X Corp. has filed a lawsuit challenging a New York state law that requires social media companies to report how they moderate hate speech and disinformation.The complaint, filed in a federal court in Manhattan, seeks to halt the law, which X argues violates the First Amendment by forcing platforms to disclose sensitive information about their content moderation practices.”Today, @X filed a First Amendment lawsuit against a New York law, NY S895B,” X’s Global Government Affairs team posted Tuesday, adding that it had successfully challenged a similar law in California.”X is the only platform fighting for its users by challenging the law, and we are confident we will prevail in this case as well,” the company said. The New York law requires social media companies with over $100 million in annual revenue to submit semiannual reports detailing how they define and moderate hate speech, racism, extremism, disinformation and harassment.Companies face fines of $15,000 per day for violations, which can be sought by the attorney general’s office.X says the law is “an impermissible attempt by the State to inject itself into the content-moderation editorial process” and seeks to pressure platforms into restricting constitutionally protected speech.- ‘Stop Hiding Hate’ -Reporters Without Borders said in a statement that asking X “account for their actions against misinformation is by no means an infringement of freedom of expression, but the bare minimum to clean up the digital space.””Freedom of expression does not come without responsibilities,” it added.The lawsuit comes after X successfully challenged a nearly identical California law last year, according to the filing. New York’s law is “a carbon copy” of the California provisions that were struck down, the filing adds.X claims New York lawmakers refused to discuss changes to the bill after the California ruling, with sponsors saying they declined to meet because of content on X promoted by owner Musk that “threatens the foundations of our democracy.” The company argues this indicated “viewpoint discriminatory motives” behind the law’s passage. Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly member Grace Lee — who introduced the law — said in a statement that their act “does not infringe upon the First Amendment rights of social media companies, nor does it conflict with federal law.” “Instead, the Stop Hiding Hate Act requires narrowly tailored disclosures by social media companies to allow consumers to better decide which social media platforms they utilize,” they added.”The fact that Elon Musk would go to these lengths to avoid disclosing straightforward information to New Yorkers as required by our statute illustrates exactly why we need the Stop Hiding Hate Act.”

The US central bank is expected to hold interest rates steady Wednesday after its key policy meeting, as officials gauge the impact of tariffs on inflation — drawing renewed pressure from President Donald Trump for rate cuts.The Federal Reserve has kept the benchmark lending rate unchanged this year at a range between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent, and analysts expect policymakers will remain on the sidelines until price increases cool sustainably.But shortly after Fed officials gathered for a second day, Trump stepped up calls for rate reductions, lashing out at Fed Chair Jerome Powell and insisting there was no need to worry about price increases.”We have a stupid person, frankly, at the Fed, he probably won’t cut today,” Trump said in reference to Powell, hours before the Fed was due to release its latest decision.”We have no inflation, we have only success, and I’d like to see interest rates get down,” he added, speaking at the White House. “Maybe I should go to the Fed. Am I allowed to appoint myself?”While Trump has imposed a 10 percent tariff on most US trading partners and steeper levies on imports of steel, aluminum and autos in recent months, these have not triggered a widespread price surge so far.This is partly because Trump has backed off or postponed some of his most punishing salvos, while businesses in turn are relying on existing inventory to avoid hiking consumer costs directly.In May, the consumer price index edged up to 2.4 percent year-on-year from 2.3 percent in April, underscoring the limited effect of levies for now.But economists expect it will take several months for tariffs to flow into consumer prices, and the Fed is proceeding cautiously with interest rate adjustments.”The Fed would no doubt be cutting again by now if not for the uncertainty regarding tariffs and a recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East,” said KPMG senior economist Benjamin Shoesmith.The prospect of higher inflation will probably keep the central bank in “wait-and-see mode for much of this year,” he added. Officials will want to see if price increases are sticky.Policymakers are also trying to keep expectations “anchored,” a state in which consumers expect price increases to remain low and steady.If there are widespread expectations of price hikes, inflation could rise as businesses increase customer costs and workers seek higher wages.The Fed is due to release its latest economic projections on growth, unemployment and inflation on Wednesday too. Analysts will monitor if officials still expect to make two more rate cuts this year as well.- ‘Saber-rattling’ -Trump has repeatedly urged the independent central bank to slash rates, calling Powell “too late” in doing so and “a fool” for holding off further cuts at the bank’s May meeting.The president has pointed to benign US inflation in arguing for cuts.More recently, he cast such a move as a way for the country to “pay much less interest on debt coming due,” overlooking the fact that lower interest rates usually raise consumer prices.Powell has maintained that the Fed’s rate-setting committee would make its decisions based solely on objective and non-political analysis, the Fed previously said.The Fed chair has also defended US central bank independence over rates in his recent meeting with Trump.Despite Trump’s pressure, Allianz Trade North America senior economist Dan North expects Powell will not be too shaken by “saber-rattling.””Consumers are still spending, labor markets still creating jobs, although it is in fact slowing a little bit,” North told AFP.”Certainly, the health of the economy doesn’t beg for the Fed to cut rates,” he added. “So we think they’re on hold till the end of the year.”

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday the nation would never surrender and warned the United States of “irreparable damage” if it intervenes, while Israel said it had destroyed the internal security headquarters in Tehran.Khamenei’s speech came six days into the conflict, with Trump saying he may or may not intervene in the conflict, while demanding Iran’s “unconditional surrender”.The long-range blitz began Friday, when Israel launched a massive bombing campaign that prompted Iran to respond with missiles and drones.”This nation will never surrender,” Khamenei said in a speech, in which he called Trump’s ultimatum “unacceptable”.”America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage,” he said.Khamenei, in power since 1989 and the final arbiter of all matters of state in Iran, had earlier vowed the country would show “no mercy” towards Israel’s leaders.Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said air force jets had destroyed Iran’s internal security headquarters after the army announced it was striking military targets in Tehran.”Air Force jets have just destroyed the internal security headquarters of the Iranian regime — the main arm of repression of the Iranian dictator,” Katz said in a statement, vowing to “strike symbols of governance and hit the Ayatollah regime wherever it may be”.- Centrifuges hit -Earlier, Israeli attacks destroyed two buildings making centrifuge components for Iran’s nuclear programme near Tehran, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.”More than 50 Israeli Air Force fighter jets… carried out a series of air strikes in the Tehran area over the past few hours,” the Israeli military said, adding that several weapons manufacturing facilities and a centrifuge production site were hit. Centrifuges are vital for uranium enrichment, the sensitive process that can produce fuel for reactors or, in highly extended form, the core of a nuclear warhead.The strikes destroyed two buildings making centrifuge components for Iran’s nuclear programme in Karaj, a satellite city of Tehran, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.In another strike on a site in Tehran, “one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested”, the agency added in a post on X.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had launched hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles at Tel Aviv.Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept.No missile struck Tel Aviv overnight, though AFP photos showed Israel’s air defence systems activated to intercept missiles over the commercial hub.- ‘Unconditional surrender’ -Trump has fuelled speculation about US intervention, telling reporters on Tuesday: “I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do.”A day earlier, he boasted that the United States could assassinate Khamenei.”We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.US officials have stressed Trump has not yet made a decision about any intervention.Israel’s attacks have hit nuclear and military facilities around Iran, as well as residential areas.Finding fuel has become a problem in Iran, with long queues of cars waiting hours in front of petrol stations, a 40-year-old Iranian driver told AFP at the Iraqi border crossing of Bashmakh.”There are shortages of rice, bread, sugar and tea,” said Fatah, who spoke to AFP using a pseudonym.”People are shocked and distraught, they don’t know what they should do,” car dealer Shwan said via a messaging app.- Evacuations -Residential areas in Israel have also been hit, and foreign governments have scrambled to evacuate their citizens from both countries.Some Israelis stranded abroad since last week decided to return home, however.”I decided to come back because the family is here, and I belong here, and unfortunately we get used to these fights and war, but we prefer to be here, to support as much as we can,” said Yaakov Bogen, a 66-year-old hotelier.Since Friday, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, Netanyahu’s office said on Monday.Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then.Israel said its surprise air campaign was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran denies.Israel has maintained ambiguity regarding its own atomic activities, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says it has 90 nuclear warheads.The conflict derailed a running series of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, with Iran saying after the start of Israel’s campaign that it would not negotiate with the United States while under attack.burs/ser/jsa

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday the nation would never surrender as demanded by President Donald Trump and warned the United States it would face “irreparable damage” if it intervenes in support of its ally.The speech came six days into the conflict, with Trump demanding Iran’s “unconditional surrender” while boasting the United States could kill Khamenei and fuelling speculation about a possible intervention.The long-range blitz began Friday, when Israel launched a massive bombing campaign that prompted Iran to respond with missiles and drones.”This nation will never surrender,” Khamenei said in a speech read on state television, in which he called Trump’s ultimatum “unacceptable”.”America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage,” he said.Khamenei, in power since 1989 and the final arbiter of all matters of state in Iran, had earlier vowed the country would show “no mercy” towards Israel’s leaders.The speech followed a night of strikes, with Israeli attacks destroying two buildings making centrifuge components for Iran’s nuclear programme near Tehran, according to the UN nuclear watchdog. “More than 50 Israeli Air Force fighter jets… carried out a series of air strikes in the Tehran area over the past few hours,” the Israeli military said, adding that several weapons manufacturing facilities were hit. “As part of the broad effort to disrupt Iran’s nuclear weapons development programme, a centrifuge production facility in Tehran was targeted.”Centrifuges are vital for uranium enrichment, the sensitive process that can produce fuel for reactors or, in highly extended form, the core of a nuclear warhead.The strikes destroyed two buildings making centrifuge components for Iran’s nuclear programme in Karaj, a satellite city of Tehran, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.In another strike on a site in Tehran, “one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested”, the agency added in a post on X.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had launched hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles at Tel Aviv.Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept.No missile struck Tel Aviv overnight, though AFP photos showed Israel’s air defence systems activated to intercept missiles over the commercial hub.Iran also sent a “swarm of drones” towards Israel, while the Israeli military said it had intercepted a total of 10 drones launched from Iran.It said one of its own drones had been shot down over Iran.- ‘Unconditional surrender’ -Trump fuelled speculation about US intervention when he made a hasty exit from the G7 summit in Canada, where the leaders of the club of wealthy democracies called for de-escalation but backed Israel’s “right to defend itself”.He boasted that the United States could easily assassinate Khamenei.”We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.Trump met with his National Security Council to discuss the conflict. There was no immediate public statement after the hour and 20 minute meeting.US officials stressed Trump has not yet made a decision about any intervention.- Evacuations -Israel’s attacks have hit nuclear and military facilities around Iran, as well as residential areas.Residential areas in Israel have also been hit, and foreign governments have scrambled to evacuate their citizens from both countries.Many Israelis spent another night disrupted by air raid warnings, with residents of coastal hub Tel Aviv repeatedly heading for shelters when sirens rang out warning of incoming Iranian missiles.In the West Bank city of Ramallah, perched at 800 metres (2,600 feet) above sea level and with a view over Tel Aviv, some residents gathered on rooftops and balconies to watch.An AFP journalist reported cheers and whistles as dozens of missiles flew overhead, with Israeli air defences activating to intercept them, causing mid-air explosions which lit up the sky.Since Friday, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to Netanyahu’s office.Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then.On Tuesday in Tehran, long queues stretched outside bakeries and petrol stations as people rushed to stock up on fuel and basic supplies.Iran’s ISNA and Tasnim news agencies on Wednesday reported that five suspected agents of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency had been detained, on charges of tarnishing the country’s image online.- Nuclear facilities -After a prolonged shadow war, Israel said its surprise air campaign was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran denies.The UN nuclear watchdog said there appeared to have been “direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls” at Iran’s Natanz facility.Israel has maintained ambiguity regarding its own atomic activities, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says it has 90 nuclear warheads.The conflict derailed a running series of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, with Iran saying after the start of Israel’s campaign that it would not negotiate with the United States while under attack.burs/ser/kir

The UN nuclear watchdog said Israeli strikes on Wednesday destroyed two buildings making centrifuge components for Iran’s nuclear programme near Tehran, while Iran said it fired hypersonic missiles as the arch foes traded fire for a sixth day.Hours after US President Donald Trump demanded Iran’s surrender, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed his country would show “no mercy” towards Israel’s leadership.Khamenei, in power since 1989 and the final arbiter of all matters of state in Iran, was to deliver a televised speech Wednesday.Trump insists the United States has played no part in ally Israel’s bombing campaign, but also warned his patience was wearing thin.The long-range blitz began Friday, when Israel launched a massive bombing campaign that prompted Iran to respond with missiles and drones.After the Israeli military issued a warning for civilians to leave one district of Tehran for their safety, Israeli warplanes hit the capital early Wednesday.”More than 50 Israeli Air Force fighter jets… carried out a series of air strikes in the Tehran area over the past few hours,” the Israeli military said, adding that several weapons manufacturing facilities were hit. “As part of the broad effort to disrupt Iran’s nuclear weapons development programme, a centrifuge production facility in Tehran was targeted.”Centrifuges are vital for uranium enrichment, the sensitive process that can produce fuel for reactors or, in highly extended form, the core of a nuclear warhead.The strikes destroyed two buildings making centrifuge components for Iran’s nuclear programme in Karaj, a satellite city of Tehran, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday.In another strike on a site in Tehran, “one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested”, the agency added in a post on X.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had launched hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles at Tel Aviv.Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept.No missile struck Tel Aviv overnight, despite Iran’s claims that its attacks were “repeatedly shaking the shelters”, though AFP photos showed Israel’s air defence systems activated to intercept missiles over the commercial hub.Iran also sent a “swarm of drones” towards Israel, while the Israeli military said it had intercepted a total of 10 drones launched from Iran.It said one of its own drones had been shot down over Iran.- ‘Unconditional surrender’ -Trump fuelled speculation about US intervention when he made a hasty exit from the G7 summit in Canada, where the leaders of the club of wealthy democracies called for de-escalation but backed Israel’s “right to defend itself”.Back in Washington on Tuesday, Trump demanded the Islamic republic’s “unconditional surrender”.He also boasted that the United States could easily assassinate Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.”We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.Trump met with his National Security Council to discuss the conflict. There was no immediate public statement after the hour and 20 minute meeting.US officials stressed Trump has not yet made a decision about any intervention.Hours later, Khamenei responded with a post on X, saying: “We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy.”- Evacuations -Israel’s attacks have hit nuclear and military facilities around Iran, as well as residential areas.Residential areas in Israel have also been hit, and foreign governments have scrambled to evacuate their citizens from both countries.Since Friday, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to Netanyahu’s office.Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then.More than 700 foreigners living in Iran have crossed into neighbouring Azerbaijan and Armenia since Israel launched its campaign, according to government figures.On Tuesday in Tehran, long queues stretched outside bakeries and petrol stations as people rushed to stock up on fuel and basic supplies.Iran’s ISNA and Tasnim news agencies on Wednesday reported that five suspected agents of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency had been detained, on charges of tarnishing the country’s image online.With air raid sirens regularly blaring in Tel Aviv, some people relocated to an underground parking lot below a shopping mall.”We’ve decided to permanently set camp here until it’s all clear, I guess,” Mali Papirany, 30, told AFP.- Nuclear facilities -After a prolonged shadow war, Israel said its surprise air campaign was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran denies.The UN nuclear watchdog said there appeared to have been “direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls” at Iran’s Natanz facility.Israel has maintained ambiguity regarding its own atomic activities, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says it has 90 nuclear warheads.The conflict derailed a running series of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, with Iran saying after the start of Israel’s campaign that it would not negotiate with the United States while under attack.French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump had a critical role to play in restarting diplomacy with Iran, where any attempts at “regime change” would bring “chaos”.burs/ser/kir