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Israel Reportedly Warned Iran It Would Strike Nuclear Sites If It Was Attacked, Officials Say

Published

7 months ago

4 minute read

From the Daily Caller News Foundation 

 

By Jake Smith

Israel had reportedly warned that it would go after Iran’s nuclear and oil facilities if Tehran decided to launch an attack, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

Iran launched hundreds of missiles into Israeli territory on Tuesday in what is being considered a major escalation in a region already fraught with conflict. Tehran signaled to Arab officials on Monday evening its plans for the strike, which it said would be similar to an attack carried out in April that involved launching hundreds of drones and missiles into Israel, according to Arab officials speaking to the WSJ.

Israel responded Monday by warning Tehran that if it did carry out an attack — regardless of size or scope, or whether it involved casualties — it would directly strike Iran’s nuclear and oil facilities, Arab officials told the WSJ.

Iran’s missile attack on Tuesday was largely intercepted by Israeli and U.S. forces postured in the region, but some projectiles evaded air defense systems and struck targets throughout the country. There has been at least one casualty reported thus far in the West Bank, but no casualties reported in Israel.

Israel has yet to respond but said in a statement on Tuesday that there would “be consequences.”

“Iran’s attack is a severe and dangerous escalation,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari said. “Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest of readiness. Our operational plans are ready. We will respond wherever, whenever and however we choose.”

After-action assessments are still being conducted, and it’s too early to say how the conflict may evolve from this point, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on Tuesday.

“There are initial assessments. But we need time to collect all of the information, and we need time to talk to our Israeli counterparts. And we need time to talk to our other partners in the region,” Miller said. “And we’ll do that over the coming days. But it is clear that, once again, this is a significant escalation by Iran.”

Miller declined to comment on whether Iran’s nuclear site was a legitimate target for an Israeli strike.

“I don’t want to get into — and this is not to say I’m ruling anything out, and that I’m ruling anything in — but I would answer any question this way, which is: We wanna have these conversations with our Israeli counterparts over the coming days. It is clear that this is an unacceptable attack [by Iran]… there will be consequences.”

The current conflict began roughly a year ago when Hamas invaded Israel and killed roughly 1,200 people. Israel subsequently launched a war against Hamas in Gaza, and as the war has increased in size and scale, Iran and its other proxy terrorist groups like Hezbollah have gotten involved.

Iran’s strike on Tuesday is rare; it typically conducts military or terrorism operations through its various proxy groups. Tehran did launch a separate series of strikes against Israel in April, although Tuesday’s strike was seen as more expansive.

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Zelensky Alleges Chinese Nationals Fighting for Russia, Calls for Global Response

Published on April 8, 2025

By

Sam Cooper

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Tuesday that his forces have captured two Chinese citizens fighting as part of the Russian army in eastern Ukraine, alleging “there are many more Chinese citizens in the occupier’s units.” The stunning revelation could inject a volatile new dimension into ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Russia—and intensify already fraught tensions over Taiwan.

Zelensky shared the news in an X post, accompanied by video of one of the captured men—an Asian male in beige fatigues, hands bound with zip ties, visibly distressed as he gestures to a Ukrainian camera operator. The video shows the man making whirring sounds, crouching instinctively as if a drone is circling above and opening fire—then glancing up and uttering the English word, “commander.”

“We have information suggesting that there are many more Chinese citizens in the occupier’s units than just these two,” Zelensky wrote on X. “We are currently verifying all the facts—intelligence, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the relevant units of the Armed Forces are working on it.”

The president said he has instructed Ukraine’s foreign minister to urgently contact Beijing to clarify how China intends to respond.

“Russia’s involvement of China, along with other countries, whether directly or indirectly, in this war in Europe is a clear signal that Putin intends to do anything but end the war,” Zelensky wrote. “He is looking for ways to continue fighting. This definitely requires a response. A response from the United States, Europe, and all those around the world who want peace.”

Zelensky added that Ukrainian authorities had recovered documents, bank cards, and personal data from the two prisoners—material that could be pivotal in discovering the nature of China’s involvement.

If verified, the presence of Chinese nationals fighting for Russia could carry sweeping geopolitical implications. It would complicate delicate U.S.-Russia negotiations aimed at exploring a conditional ceasefire, and could have indirect ramifications on the plans of Washington, Tokyo, and Taipei in their growing confrontation with Beijing.

China has repeatedly denied providing direct military support to Russia. Zelensky’s statement marks the first time Ukraine has publicly alleged that Chinese nationals are embedded in Russian combat units—an allegation that, if substantiated, could alter the strategic calculus in both Eastern Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

Responding to Zelensky’s claims, Tom Shugart, a senior defense analyst at the Center for a New American Security and a former U.S. Navy officer, emphasized that the strategic implications hinge on whether the Chinese nationals were acting as mercenaries or state-directed personnel. “If the PRC is actively providing soldiers to fight in Ukraine, that would be altogether different—a possible sign of a real Axis that may best be resisted wherever it is fighting,” he wrote on X.

This is a developing story. The Bureau will continue to report as further details emerge.

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“HELL WILL RAIN DOWN”: Trump unleashes U.S. military on Yemeni Houthis

Published on March 16, 2025

By

MXM logo MxM News

Quick Hit:

President Trump ordered a massive military assault on Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen on Saturday, vowing to unleash “overwhelming lethal force” after months of attacks on American and allied vessels in the Red Sea.

Key Details:

  • Trump announced the strikes in a Truth Social post, stating, “Today, I have ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen.”

  • He criticized former President Joe Biden for failing to contain the Houthis, saying his response was “pathetically weak” and emboldened the group’s ongoing attacks on commercial and military vessels.

  • The U.S. Navy’s USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, along with three destroyers and a cruiser, launched the assault, targeting radars, air defenses, and missile systems used to disrupt shipping lanes.

Diving Deeper:

President Trump escalated U.S. military action against Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saturday, ordering airstrikes on targets in Yemen in response to the group’s repeated attacks on Red Sea shipping. Trump, in a Truth Social post, declared that the U.S. military would not tolerate continued aggression and vowed an overwhelming response.

“The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated,” Trump wrote. “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.” He directly warned the Houthis, stating, “YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!”

The strikes, carried out by U.S. Central Command, targeted missile sites, drone launch facilities, and command centers used by the Houthis to strike commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea. U.S. warships and carrier-based fighter jets participated in the mission, marking a significant escalation in efforts to protect international shipping routes.

Trump also issued a direct warning to Iran, demanding that its support for the Houthis “must end immediately.” Addressing Tehran, Trump wrote, “Do NOT threaten the American People, their President…or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and we won’t be nice about it!”

The strikes come after more than a year of escalating attacks by the Houthis, who have targeted over 100 merchant vessels, sunk at least two, and killed multiple sailors since the Israel-Hamas war began. Trump pointed to Biden’s failures in handling the crisis, noting that “it has been over a year since a U.S.-flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden.”

With Trump’s order, the U.S. is making clear that hostile actions in the Red Sea will not go unanswered. As military operations continue, all eyes will be on whether the Houthis and their Iranian backers heed the warning—or face even greater firepower from the U.S. military.

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