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Iran warns US joining conflict would mean ‘all-out war,’ refuses demands to give up disputed nuclear program
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Iran warned that the United States joining forces with Israel would mean an «all-out war,» as Israel bombarded sites overnight that it says would have allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium, as well as attack Israeli forces.
«Any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region,» Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei warned Wednesday during an interview with Al Jazeera English.
He did not elaborate, but thousands of American troops are based in nearby countries within range of Iran’s weapons. The U.S. has threatened a massive response to any attack.
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Another Iranian official apparently ruled out demands for the country to give up its disputed nuclear program.
Smoke rises from the building of Iran’s state-run television after an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo)
Iran’s ambassador to Geneva, Ali Bahreini, told reporters that Iran «will continue to produce the enriched uranium as far as we need for peaceful purposes.»
He rejected any talk of a setback to Iran’s nuclear research and development from the Israeli strikes, saying, «Our scientists will continue their work.»
Israeli warplanes pounded Tehran overnight and into Wednesday as Iran launched a small barrage of missiles at Israel with no reports of casualties, according to the Associated Press.
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Israel says it launched the strikes to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon, after talks between the United States and Iran over a diplomatic resolution had made little visible progress over two months but were still ongoing.
President Donald Trump has said Israel’s campaign came after a 60-day window he set for the talks.
Iran has long insisted its nuclear program was peaceful, though it is the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. U.S. intelligence agencies have said they did not believe Iran was actively pursuing the bomb, according to the AP. Israel is believed to be the only country in the Middle East with nuclear weapons but has never publicly acknowledged them.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday that it eliminated Ali Shadmani, identified as Iran’s «wartime chief of staff,» overnight. Shadmani held the role for only four days before meeting the same fate as his predecessor, spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said in a video statement Wednesday.
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Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador in Geneva, speaks to journalists during a press conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)
«We have delivered significant blows to the Iranian regime, and as such, they have been pushed back into central Iran,» Defrin said. «They are now focusing their efforts on conducting missile fire from the area of Isfahan. We are aiming at military targets, they are attacking civilian homes.»
«While we are working to remove threats from Iran, we are still fighting their proxy, Hamas in Gaza, who is still holding 53 of our hostages in brutal conditions,» he added. «We will not rest until they are returned home.»
More than fifty Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets conducted three waves of strikes over three hours in an extensive operation Tuesday night, hitting an Iranian centrifuge production site «that was intended to enable the regime to continue to enhance its uranium enrichment,» Defrin said in another statement Wednesday. «This complements actions from previous operations we have conducted targeting components of the nuclear program.»
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Israeli forces have struck over 1,100 different components across Iran as of the sixth day of the conflict, Defrin said.
He said IAF jets also struck several weapons and missile production sites in Tehran. On Wednesday morning, Israeli aircraft identified and struck five Iranian AH-1 attack helicopters located at Kermanshah airport.
«We have clear goals and objectives: removing the existential threat to the State of Israel, significantly impairing the nuclear program in all its components, and inflicting substantial damage to the missile array,» Defrin said.
The IDF said it identified around thirty launches fired from Iran towards Israeli territory in two barrages Tuesday night.
The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
«Most of them were intercepted, and there were no casualties. I know these are complex days, but we cannot afford complacency,» Defrin said, warning Israelis to strictly adhere to home-front safety guidelines.
Trump initially distanced himself from Israel’s surprise attack on Friday that triggered the conflict, but in recent days has hinted at greater American involvement, saying he wants something «much bigger» than a cease-fire.
The U.S. has also been shifting assets to the Middle East, including sending more warplanes to the region.
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Trump said in social media posts on Wednesday that the U.S. knows where Iran’s Supreme Leader is but would not kill him, for now. He also called for the «complete surrender» of Iran.
«We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,» Trump wrote.
Fox News’ Stephanie Simon and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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A House Democrat representing a district that President Donald Trump won in 2024 is not seeking re-election next year.
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, announced his plans in an op-ed for the Bangor Daily News on Wednesday, a day after Democrats’ sweeping electoral victories in Virginia, New Jersey, California and New York City.
«I have never loved politics. But I find purpose and meaning in service, and the Marine in me has been able to slog along through the many aspects of politics I dislike by focusing on the good work that Congress is capable of producing with patience and determination,» Golden wrote.
«But after 11 years as a legislator, I have grown tired of the increasing incivility and plain nastiness that are now common from some elements of our American community — behavior that, too often, our political leaders exhibit themselves.»
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Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, attends a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, July 17, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Golden has represented Maine’s 2nd Congressional District since 2019. He’s managed to hold on to the seat through his constituents voting for President Donald Trump in both 2020 and 2024.
The moderate Democrat — also a Marine Corps veteran — has been known to frequently break from his own party, including on the recent government shutdown vote in September.
He shared more of his concerns with the left in his retirement announcement, criticizing both Republicans and Democrats for the current state of politics in the country.
«We have seen mainstream Republicans stand by as their party was hijacked first by Tea Party obstructionists and then by the MAGA movement and its willingness to hand much of Congress’ authority to the president,’ Golden wrote.
«I fear Democrats are going down the same path. We’re allowing the most extreme, pugilistic elements of our party to call the shots. Just look again at the shutdown. For as long as I can remember, we have opposed shutting down the government over policy disputes. We criticized Republicans for taking hostages this way. But this year, reeling from the losses of the last election, too many Democrats have given into demands that we use the same no-holds-barred, obstructionary tactics as the GOP.»
Golden broke from his fellow Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, on the government shutdown vote in September. (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)
And despite his seat being a prime target for Republicans every two years, Golden said that did not factor into his decision.
«I don’t fear losing. What has become apparent to me is that I now dread the prospect of winning. Simply put, what I could accomplish in this increasingly unproductive Congress pales in comparison to what I could do in that time as a husband, a father and a son,» he wrote.
«I have long supported term limits and while current law allows me to run again, I like the idea of ending my service in Congress after eight years — the length of term limits in the Maine Legislature.»
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Golden’s seat had been ranked a «toss-up» by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which also rated his district slightly in favor of the GOP at R+4.
House Republicans’ campaign arm wasted no time in seizing on Golden’s announcement, releasing its own statement shortly after his op-ed was published.
President Donald Trump won Golden’s district in 2016, 2020 and 2024. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)
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«Serial flip-flopper Jared Golden’s exit from Congress says it all: He’s turned his back on Mainers for years and now his chickens are coming home to roost. He, nor any other Democrat, has a path to victory in ME-02 and Republicans will flip this seat red in 2026,» National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said in a release to reporters.
Beyond his frustration with partisan politics, however, Golden also revealed that the heightened political environment also pushed him to re-consider his congressional career.
Golden said earlier this year that he and his family had to spend Thanksgiving in a hotel room after receiving a bomb threat at their home.
House Democrats’ campaign arm thanked Golden for his service in its own statement upon his retirement.
«I sincerely commend Jared for all the work he has done for Mainers, from lowering costs to protecting lobstermen’s jobs and fighting for veterans,» Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chair Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., said. «He has devoted his life so far to service, first as a Marine, then in the Maine legislature, and in Congress since 2019. He embodies Maine’s independent spirit and I wish him and his family all the best in their next chapter.»
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Líderes europeos plantan a Gustavo Petro y no viajan a Colombia por miedo a Donald Trump
La política exterior europea siempre miró por el rabillo del ojo a Washington, pero este último año la situación empieza a ser humillante. Varios líderes europeos, entre ellos el alemán Friedrich Merz y la presidenta de la Comisión Europea, la también alemana Úrsula Von der Leyen, decidieron este martes cancelar su participación en la cumbre entre la Celac y la Unión Europea que empieza la próxima semana en Santa Marta, Colombia.
Una portavoz del Ejecutivo comunitario llegó a reconocer que Von der Leyen no iba porque habían suspendido su asistencia otros líderes, tanto europeos como latinoamericanos, pero la razón real es más humillante: el miedo a enfadar a Donald Trump, dispuesto a que la cumbre fracase. La cumbre es la continuación de la organizada hace dos años en Bruselas, organizada bajo presidencia española del Consejo de la UE y que tuvo una asistencia masiva.
Los europeos, salvo el español Sánchez, cómodo a la contra de Trump, tienen miedo al presidente estadounidense. La posición agresiva de Washington con Colombia, llegando a sancionar al presidente Gustavo Petro, les obligaría a tomar partido de acudir a la cumbre, algo que les da pavor por miedo a enfurecer al inquilino del Despacho Oval.
La posición oficial europea es que está dispuesta a trabajar con los países de la región y con Estados Unidos en la lucha contra el narcotráfico, pero que esta debe hacerse de acuerdo al derecho internacional y el principio de la integridad territorial de los Estados. De ahí no pasa la crítica a los ataques de las tropas estadounidenses a barcos supuestamente cargados de narcóticos.
La no asistencia de Von der Leyen a la cumbre va a demás contra la cacareada política europea de reforzar relaciones con otros bloques para zafarse de la presión comercial de Estados Unidos y China. Esa “autonomía estratégica europea” se basa, también, en tejer más alianzas con más países para reducir dependencias de las dos grandes superpotencias. América Latina en general es un socio prioritario en esa estrategia. Y con Colombia la UE tiene un acuerdo comercial desde hace una década.
El caso de Von der Leyen llama la atención por dos razones. En primer lugar, porque no debe representar la postura de uno u otro país, sino al bloque en su conjunto. Por eso a las cumbres con otros bloques regionales algunas veces acuden los 27 jefes de Estado o de Gobierno europeos, otras veces sólo un puñado y en ocasiones ninguno, pero ella siempre va porque es la cara visible del bloque. Esta vez no será así.
La Unión Europea estará representada por el presidente del Consejo Europeo, Antonio Costa. El también ex primer ministro portugués, socialdemócrata, tiene otra cosmovisión del mundo y entiende mejor América Latina que una Von der Leyen, alemana, que no ha mirado más a la región en seis años que ante la posibilidad de firmar acuerdos comerciales.
Von der Leyen es presidenta de la Comisión Europea desde finales de 2019. En sus primeros cuatro años nunca viajó a América Latina. El primer viaje lo hizo en junio de 2023 para reunirse con el presidente Lula da Silva con Mercosur como tema más importante sobre la mesa. En tres días le dio tiempo a pasar por Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile y México DF.
El 18 y 19 de noviembre de 2024 volvió a Brasil para una cumbre del G20 y el 5 y 6 de diciembre de ese año viajó a Montevideo, donde encontró a los presidentes de Mercosur. Si todo va bien y a Donald Trump no le molesta, debería volver a Brasil la tercera semana de diciembre para firmar ese acuerdo.
Las humillaciones de Von der Leyen ante Trump no es la primera. El pasado julio acudió a su campo de golf en Escocia para aceptar que Estados Unidos impusiera un arancel general del 15% a lo que importaba desde Europa sin que el bloque europeo tomara una medida recíproca.
La razón oficial que esgrimieron los funcionarios europeos era que así evitaba una guerra comercial mucho más gravosa. Ceder ante la amenaza como política comercial y diplomática porque la alternativa puede ser mucho peor, vienen a decir los funcionarios europeos desde la vuelta de Trump a la Casa Blanca.
La suspensión de este viaje se entiende desde el punto de vista político, pero provocó malestar en la diplomacia europea. Pero algunos diplomáticos cuentan en privado que tanta culpa tienen Von der Leyen y muchos gobernantes europeos como la mayoría de los presidentes de América Latina, a los que tampoco se espera en Santa Marta.
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Virginia slammed for ‘truly demonic’ election that excused political violence to spite Trump, critics say
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Many political observers nationwide equated an upset win by Virginia Attorney General-elect Jay Jones and the Democratic ticket as a «demonic» example of the left putting politics ahead of decency.
A majority of Virginia voters ignored scandals that roiled Jones’ campaign, including his envision of murdering a top Republican lawmaker and their children, to put him in office and unseat more than a dozen GOP state delegates.
«They overlooked it because they hate Trump more than they care about what … the Virginia attorney general[-elect] said,» Outkick founder Clay Travis told Fox News on Wednesday.
«Miyares did an incredible job. This is an example of outrage at Trump motivating the turnout,» Travis said on «America’s Newsroom.»
LIBERAL MEDIA DOWNPLAYS SCANDAL OF DEM VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL JAY JONES’ TEXTS FANTASIZING MURDER OF GOP LAWMAKER
President Trump juxtaposed next to Jay Jones, Democratic nominee for Virginia Attorney General. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Mike Kropf/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP, Pool)
Travis said Trump was clearly a driving force and that there were some Spanberger voters who split tickets in favor of outgoing Attorney General Jason Miyares, but that Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ losing margin was too much in an era of rare ticket-splitting.
He said one key observation is that Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger received 600,000 fewer total votes than Trump himself did in the president’s losing battle in Virginia one year prior.
When Trump is off the ballot, Republicans also don’t appear to turn out to vote, he said – as figures from heavily conservative southwestern Virginia bore that out Tuesday night.
JAY JONES INVOKES TRUMP NEARLY 50 TIMES DURING VIRGINIA AG DEBATE, TIES MIYARES TO ‘MAGA’
WTAR radio host Kerry Dougherty, who co-hosts an AM dial show in Hampton, wrote on X that Virginia needs to «buckle up.»
«Democrats last night installed a deranged sociopath in the attorney general’s office. A man who may find his law license suspended over chicanery with community service hours. Yep, they preferred him to a moderate, smart and successful Republican. We’re in deep trouble.»
Elsewhere, Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, argued that the political left shows little concern for victims of political violence, calling Jones’ victory the latest proof.
«A deranged lib murders Charlie Kirk, and Democrats respond by electing a sociopath who – in his own words – wants his political opponents and their children dead. Truly demonic,» Gill, wrote on X.
«Truly evil,» added Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS HAVE A VIOLENCE PROBLEM
A text message from Jay Jones to Del. Carrie Coyner. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
Uthmeier tried to help Miyares in the closing days of the race, appearing with him, Earle-Sears and now-outgoing Dels. Geary Higgins, R-Lovettsville, and Ian Lovejoy, R-Warrenton, at a closing-days rally in New Baltimore.
Virginia Republican voters were also vocal the morning after – as one wrote that it’s clear his neighbors would be alright if he was dead.
«At least I now know that all of my neighbors with Jay Jones signs up are okay with political violence,» the voter wrote on X.
SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER DISGRACED DEM NOMINEE LEANS ON TRUMP ATTACKS IN VIRGINIA AG DEBATE
«I can no longer in good conscience be associated with them. They obviously want me dead too.»
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson played out the scenario such Jones voters may have thought through before voting:
«Democrats in Virginia saw these texts from Jay Jones and decided ‘yup, he has my vote’,» Johnson said.
JAY JONES’ ‘TWO BULLETS’ SCANDAL OVER VIOLENT TEXTS EXPECTED TO DOMINATE VIRGINIA AG DEBATE
«Truly evil. You can’t live in a country with people that want you dead.»
Jack Posobiec, a conservative commentator and editor at Human Events, responded to Jones’ post-scandal win with his own recollection of political violence:
«I saw a leftist murder Charlie Kirk and I saw them celebrate it,» Posobiec said.
«While conservatives have spent the last few weeks arguing with each other, Democrats just elected an Attorney General who openly fantasizes about murdering us and watching our children die in our arms,» added commentator Matt Walsh.
«These people are the enemy. What more do you need to see? Seriously. What more do you need to see?»
«Ruthless» podcast producer Leigh Wolf wrote on X that the election results in Virginia are the «first empirical evidence» in the public sphere that proves Democrats writ-large support political violence as a tool to achieve power.
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«They saw with their own eyes this absolute psycho go into graphic detail about the need to murder children as a means of achieving political outcomes, and they voted yes,» Wolf said.
«You can’t hand wave away violence as the actions of a few fringe radicals when you affirmatively vote in favor of those tactics.»
In their responses to Jones’ victory, voices on the left steered clear of the question of condoning violence, including one of the attorney general-elect’s top backers, Senate President L. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth.
Lucas posted a clip drawn from Fox News video of Jones greeting voters in Norfolk, which an official at the Republican Attorney General’s Assocation trimmed down to show the Democrat appearing to try to kick a dog in a potentially playful manner.
Lucas re-envisioned that clip as a GIF of Jones making the kicking motion toward the dog – but instead hitting Attorney General Jason Miyares, whose avatar went flying upward toward the sky.
Elsewhere, Democratic state Sen. Mamie Locke of Hampton commented that Democrats wins instead showed that her party won because «Republicans cannot govern, do their jobs and would rather shut the government down than feed people or provide them health care.»
«And, Trump, you were on the ballot. Maybe not literally, but your failed policies were,» Locke said. «Voters told you how they felt about those failures. Your efforts to distract, distort, discourage, discredit, and destroy this country has Virginians and citizens all over America fighting back. This is just the beginning.»
Anti-Trump commentator Tim Miller also commented on X about those observers expressing fears as some conservatives have.
After conservative commentator Megyn Kelly said that «God save Republicans and their children in VA,» Miller called it «the first known case of Spanberger Derangement Syndrome.»
Fox News Digital also reached out to Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi for her view on whether Jones’ election and that of Democrats writ large should be connected with a passivity toward political violence.
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