By JOSEPH KRAUSS and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
As President Donald Trump floats "regime change" in Tehran, previous U.S. attempts to remake the Middle East by force in recent decades can offer stark warnings about the possibility of a deepening involvement in the Iran-Israeli conflict. Trump posted over the weekend: "If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???" The White House insists Trump, who spent years railing against "forever wars," isn't doing an about-face and that Iranian citizens could revolt against its government. But that's a delicate, perilous path that other U.S. administrations have been down before. And it's a long way from Trump's dismissal of "stupid, endless wars."
By DAVID RISING, JON GAMBRELL and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press
Updated
Iran launched a limited missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites but indicating it was prepared to step back from escalating tensions in the volatile region. U.S. officials reported no casualties. Qatar condemned the attack Monday on Al Udeid Air Base attack, but said it successfully intercepted the short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Iran said the attack matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend. Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas. Those comments suggested Iran wanted to de-escalate with the United States.
Hackers with possible links to Israel have drained more than $90 million from Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange Nobitex and leaked company data. That's according to blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, which said the attack was likely politically motivated. The hacking group that claimed responsibility for the attack has accused Nobitex of having helped Iran's government evade sanctions and transfer money to militants. While Israeli media have widely reported that Gonjeshke Darande is linked to Israel the country's government has never officially acknowledged ties to the group. The hacks appear to be motivated by escalating tensions in the Israel-Iran conflict.
Israel struck Iran's state-run television station during a live broadcast, forcing a reporter to run off camera following an explosion, after Iran fired a new wave of missiles at Israel that killed at least eight people. Israel warned hundreds of thousands of people in the middle of Tehran to evacuate Monday ahead of the strike against the TV station, which the military said provided a cover for Iranian military operations. The warning came on the fourth day of the conflict, when the Israeli military claimed it had achieved air superiority above the Iranian capital and could fly over the city without facing major threats. The warning affected up to 330,000 people.
By JON GAMBRELL, JOSEF FEDERMAN and JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press
Updated
Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure, deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to attack key facilities and kill top generals and scientists — a barrage it said was necessary before its adversary got any closer to building an atomic weapon. Iran retaliated late Friday by unleashing scores of ballistic missiles on Israel, where explosions flared in the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and buildings shook below. Israel's ongoing airstrikes and intelligence operation and Iran's retaliation raised fears of all-out war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval.
By MICHELLE L. PRICE, AAMER MADHANI and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press
President Donald Trump says he's given his advisers instructions to obliterate Iran if it assassinates him. Trump adds that "there won't be anything left" if Iran kills him. He made the remarks in an exchange with reporters Tuesday while signing an executive order calling for the U.S. government to impose maximum pressure on Tehran. Federal authorities have been tracking Iranian threats against Trump and other administration officials for years. The Justice Department announced in November that an Iranian plot to kill Trump before the presidential election had been thwarted. Trump ordered the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani, who led the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force.
As Iran threatens to attack Israel over the assassination of a Hamas leader in the Iranian capital, its long-vaunted missile program offers one of the few ways for Tehran to strike back directly. But questions loom over just how much of a danger it poses. The program was behind Iran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on Israel in April, when Iran became the first nation to launch such a barrage since Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein lobbed Scud missiles at Israel in the 1991 Gulf War. But few of the projectiles reached their targets. A new report shared exclusively with The Associated Press suggests one of Iran's advanced missiles is far less accurate than previously thought.