SOURCE: BBC
Donald Trump says he took the decision to launch a war against Iran because it was the “last, best chance” to stop the country’s regime
Speaking at the White House for the first time since attacking Iran, the president said the US military is continuing to carry out “large-scale combat operations”
The US and Israel struck on Saturday, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Israeli military has since launched new strikes on Tehran, but the US defense secretary says there will not be “endless war”
Earlier, new Iranian strikes were reported on a major gas plant in Qatar, where the Ministry of Defense later said it had shot down two Iranian aircraft, seven missiles and five drones
PM Keir Starmer said the UK’s decision not to join the US-Israeli strikes on Iran was “deliberate”, adding his government “does not believe in regime change from the skies”
In Kuwait, several US fighter planes have crashed, in what the US military says was “an apparent friendly fire incident”
The Lebanese health ministry says Israeli attacks in Beirut and southern Lebanon killed at least 31 people. Israel says it was responding to Hezbollah attacks
were heard just a little while ago over a eerily silent Beirut.
At least five powerful blasts echoed across the city’s empty streets, each one so close it felt as though it had detonated directly overhead. My apartment’s windows rattled violently with the shock waves.
Friends and colleagues messaged within seconds – all of us convinced the strikes had landed just above us.
Local media say the explosions once again targeted the neighbourhood of Dahieh.
On a normal evening, Beirut hums with the sound of traffic honking and the hustle and bustle of restaurants.
But tonight, many of those restaurants are shuttered. The streets are largely deserted. The city feels suspended in an uneasy quiet, more ghost town than Mediterranean metropolis.
Trump then moves on to discuss his plans for the new ballroom set to feature in a renovation of part of the White House.
As building work continues, Trump says it’ll be a “very very beautiful building”, and describes how it is expected to cost “$400 million or less”.
Soon after, the president begins to talk about the military personnel being honoured at today’s medal ceremony.
We’ll continue to listen in, just in case Trump resumes talking about Iran.
Trump says Iran mission ‘substantially ahead’ as he pays tribute to fallen service memberspublished at 17:00
Trump says today the country grieves for the four US serviceman who were killed in action.
“In their memory we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve to crush the threat this terrorist regime imposes on American people,” the president says.
Trump says the US is already “substantially ahead” of its time projections. He says they projected four-five weeks at the beginning, but adds they have “capability to go far longer”.
He then thanks American service people, which gets a large applause in the East Room.
