United News of Bangladesh

The US Senate is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a war powers resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct further military action against Iran without congressional approval. Debate on the measure will begin at 11:00 a.m. local time (16:00 GMT), with the vote planned for 4:00 p.m. (21:00 GMT), reports Al Jazeera. The resolution comes amid growing criticism from lawmakers and public figures over Trump’s recent strikes on Iranian targets, which many say were carried out without proper legislative authorization. Proponents argue the vote is necessary to reassert Congress’s constitutional role in approving military action, while opponents, including most Republican lawmakers, have voiced support for the administration’s decision, citing national security concerns. The resolution would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override a presidential veto, making its passage challenging given the narrow Republican majorities. Lawmakers have pledged to use the vote to publicly state their positions on the ongoing conflict and US military engagement in the Middle East. The vote comes as the Trump administration faces scrutiny over its justifications for the strikes, with critics claiming the attacks served strategic interests aligned more with Israel than the United States. Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper reported that nearly 2,000 targets across Iran have been struck since the start of joint US-Israeli operations. The campaign, described by Cooper as the largest US military buildup in the Middle East in a generation, involves more than 50,000 troops, around 200 fighter jets, two aircraft carriers, and bombers. The strikes have reportedly destroyed hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, air defence systems, drones, and 17 naval vessels, including a submarine. Iran has responded with over 500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 drones targeting US and allied forces, though Cooper said Tehran’s offensive capacity is diminishing. The escalating conflict, part of Operation Epic Fury, follows Iranian retaliation against US bases and diplomatic posts after the initial US-Israeli assault. The situation continues to evolve, with civilian casualties mounting and global markets reacting to rising Gulf tensions.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks suggesting Israel’s planned military action prompted Washington’s preemptive strike on Iran have triggered sharp reactions across the American political spectrum, including from supporters of President Donald Trump. Speaking on Monday, Rubio said the US knew Israel was preparing to strike Iran and believed such action would trigger Iranian retaliation against American forces, prompting Washington to act first, reports Al Jazeera. “We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces,” Rubio said, arguing preemptive strikes would reduce casualties. However, President Donald Trump later offered a different explanation, saying he ordered the strikes because he believed Iran was preparing broader attacks, including against Israel. Rubio’s comments have drawn criticism from analysts and lawmakers who argue the justification may not meet US or international legal standards. Critics say the US-Israel war appears to primarily serve the interests of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a long-time advocate of confronting Iran militarily. Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders accused Trump of handing Netanyahu the war he sought, stressing that American foreign policy should be determined by US interests. Republican Representative Thomas Massie, who is pushing for a war powers resolution, warned of economic fallout, saying rising fuel and grocery prices could follow prolonged conflict. Even prominent voices within Trump’s “Make America Great Again” base criticised Rubio’s remarks, arguing they undermine the administration’s “America First” stance. Lawmakers are expected to introduce war powers resolutions in Congress this week, though passage remains uncertain amid Republican support for the administration’s actions.

President Donald Trump has announced that the United States plans to cut all trade with Spain, following Madrid’s refusal to allow US forces to use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran. “Spain has been terrible,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He said he instructed US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all dealings” with Spain, reports Al Jazeera. “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” the president added. Trump also criticized the United Kingdom for similar decisions regarding military cooperation. The dispute comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, where the US and Israel have carried out strikes on Iran. Spain, however, has taken a firm stance against such operations. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Spanish public television on Monday that, based on available information, US forces are not using—and will not use—Spanish military bases for operations against Iran. Albares highlighted that the Spanish government will not authorize the use of the Rota naval base or the Moron airbase beyond existing agreements or in ways inconsistent with United Nations mandates. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran, describing them as an “unjustified” and “dangerous military intervention” outside the realm of international law.

The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States rose 11 cents overnight to around $3.11, the motor club AAA reported, as tensions in the Middle East drove crude oil prices higher. Gas prices were already climbing ahead of the summer driving season, as refiners transition to summer fuel blends. The recent surge comes after the U.S. launched military strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with attacks on American facilities, drones targeting the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia, and strikes on energy infrastructure in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The conflict also disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for about one-fifth of global oil trade. Benchmark U.S. crude futures jumped 8.6 percent to $77.36 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international standard, rose 6.7 percent to $81.29 per barrel. “Crude oil prices are the single largest factor in what U.S. drivers pay at the pump,” AAA noted. Increases in crude typically translate into higher gas prices within two to three weeks. Research by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in 2019 indicates that a $10 per barrel rise in crude generally adds about 25 cents per gallon to pump prices. Experts warn that ongoing disruptions in global oil supply due to the Iran conflict could further increase gas prices, affecting consumers across the U.S. and contributing to broader inflationary pressures in energy-dependent sectors. With oil markets already sensitive to geopolitical tensions, analysts say drivers should brace for continued volatility at the pumps in the coming weeks if the situation in the Middle East escalates.  

The United States has cautioned about a potential Iranian attack targeting a major oil-producing city in Saudi Arabia, escalating tensions as President Donald Trump declared that negotiations with Tehran were no longer an option. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, expressed skepticism over the value of engaging in dialogue with Washington. “For the time being we are very doubtful about the usefulness of negotiation,” Bahreini told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday, according to Reuters. Tehran makes new threat to Gulf shipping as US says ‘hardest hits’ on Iran yet to come His remarks came shortly after Trump said on his Truth Social platform that it was “too late” to hold talks with Iran, signaling a hardening stance amid rising hostilities. Source: BBC

Several US diplomatic missions across the Middle East have suspended operations and issued urgent security advisories following escalating regional tensions and security incidents. The US Embassy in Kuwait announced it has shut down operations “until further notice,” citing ongoing regional tensions. In a statement, the embassy said all regular and emergency consular appointments have been cancelled and that it would inform the public when normal operations resume. The closure follows days of mounting casualties and military incidents in the region. According to the US military, six American troops were killed and three US fighter jets crashed in Kuwait in what was described as an apparent friendly fire incident. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Iraq has ordered non-emergency US government employees to leave the country due to security reasons. The mission also updated its travel advisory, prohibiting US government personnel in Baghdad from using the city’s international airport over security risks. A US State Department official earlier urged American citizens to depart immediately from more than a dozen countries due to serious safety risks. The countries include Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. In Saudi Arabia, the US Embassy in Riyadh announced the cancellation of all routine and emergency services following an attack on the facility. The embassy said a shelter-in-place order was in effect at its missions in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran, and advised US citizens to avoid embassy premises until further notice. The embassy also urged all American citizens in the Kingdom to maintain a personal safety plan as security concerns continue across the region. #With Inputs from Al Jazeera

Crude oil prices surged sharply while global stocks fell, as investors reacted to the fallout from the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Brent crude climbed as much as 13 percent in Asia on Monday morning before easing slightly, with the international benchmark trading around $76.48 per barrel by midday Tokyo time, up about 5 percent. Asian equities opened lower, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index down roughly 2 percent and Japan’s Nikkei 225 falling about 1.5 percent. In the US, stock futures—which trade outside regular market hours—showed notable declines, pointing to a volatile session ahead on Wall Street. Futures tracking the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both fell roughly 0.7 percent. Iran continues to strike US assets across the Gulf after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and up to 40 top Iranian officials. The attacks have killed one person in Bahrain, with Iraq and Kuwait reporting more Iranian raids. Israel says it is striking at the ‘heart of Tehran’ and is launching attacks on Lebanon after Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets at northern Israel. Iranian state media says Israeli attacks have killed at least 20 people in Tehran’s Niloofar Square and caused damage to the Gandhi Hospital and a police building.” Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel have hit the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and killed at least nine people in the central city of Beit Shemesh. US President Donald Trump has warned that attacks on Iran will continue until all of Washington’s objectives are achieved, and has promised to avenge the deaths of three American soldiers. Source: Al jazeera

US President Donald Trump announced the launch of what he called “major combat operations” against Iran, raising renewed debate in Washington over whether the White House needed approval from Congress before carrying out the attacks. The United States, acting alongside Israel, began large-scale air operations early Saturday under an operation named “Epic Fury”, while Israel has referred to its campaign as “Lion’s Roar”. The strikes came two days after US-Iran talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme ended without agreement and were followed by Iranian retaliatory attacks across the Middle East. Under the US Constitution, Congress holds the power to formally declare war, but it has not done so in this case. At the same time, constitutional provisions grant the president broad authority to order military action, creating a long-standing grey area that has repeatedly fuelled political and legal debate. Reactions on Capitol Hill have largely split along party lines. Republicans, who currently control both chambers of Congress, have mostly backed the strikes. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the administration had briefed the so-called “Gang of Eight”, a bipartisan group of senior congressional leaders, ahead of the operation. Democrats, however, criticised the decision, accusing Trump of launching a war without congressional authorisation. They renewed calls for a war powers resolution that could restrict the president’s ability to use force without explicit approval from Congress, although such a measure is seen as unlikely to pass given limited Republican support. According to US Central Command, three US service members have been killed in action and five seriously injured during the conflict. Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have been killed and over 700 wounded in air strikes across Iran, including at least 165 people, many of them children, in an explosion at a school in the south of the country. Iranian missiles have also struck Israel, killing at least nine people in the central town of Beit Shemesh and causing casualties in Tel Aviv, Israeli media reported. Iran has also targeted US-linked facilities and allies in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, where casualties were reported at airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Trump has defended the strikes by accusing Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons, developing long-range missiles and orchestrating attacks through regional proxies. He has also cited past incidents, including the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran and the 1983 bombing of a US Marine barracks in Beirut, as justification for military action. The conflict has already claimed senior Iranian leaders. Trump announced that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes, a claim later confirmed by Iranian state media, which declared 40 days of mourning. Trump has said dozens of senior Iranian figures were eliminated in the operation. US officials have said there are no plans to deploy ground troops in Iran. Instead, the campaign is expected to rely on sustained air and naval operations. The US currently has tens of thousands of troops stationed across the Middle East and has deployed two aircraft carriers to the region. While Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons, international concern remains high. US and Israeli officials say the operation is aimed at eliminating what they describe as an urgent threat, as lawmakers in Washington continue to debate the limits of presidential war powers and the role of Congress in authorising military action.   With inputs from BBC

US President Donald Trump has said that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.   In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the 86-year-old leader was killed in coordinated attacks that began early Saturday.   “He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,” the US president wrote.   “This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” he said. “Hopefully, the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots.”   Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were “growing signs” that Khamenei had been killed. The Reuters news agency, quoting a senior Israeli official, also reported that Khamenei’s body had been located.   However, Iran’s Tasnim and Mehr news agencies said Khamenei remained “steadfast and firm in commanding the field”.   In what appeared to be a rebuttal, the head of public relations at Khamenei’s office accused Iran’s adversaries of engaging in “mental warfare”.   “The enemy is resorting to mental warfare; all should be aware,” the official was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.   Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera correspondent Tohid Asadi said there has been no official confirmation from Iranian authorities regarding Khamenei’s death. He noted that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News earlier that, “as far as I know”, the supreme leader and other senior officials were in good health.   Khamenei has served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, succeeding the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the 1979 revolution. The Supreme Leader wields ultimate authority over the government, armed forces and judiciary, and also holds the country’s highest religious position.   Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, told Al Jazeera that Iran “has a plan” should Khamenei’s death be verified.   “There will probably be a council that will be set up to run the country. It may already have been running the country, as far as we know,” she said.       Strikes Continue, Casualties Mount       Saturday’s assaults reportedly hit 24 provinces, leaving at least 201 people dead, according to Iranian media citing the Iranian Red Crescent Society.   Among the sites targeted were two schools. Israeli strikes reportedly killed at least 108 people at the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in the southern city of Minab, and two others at a school east of Tehran.   Netanyahu said several “senior figures” had been “eliminated” in attacks targeting top leaders, while Trump urged the overthrow of Iran’s government. Israel had killed “commanders in the Revolutionary Guard and senior officials in the nuclear programme. And we will continue,” Netanyahu said.   Trump wrote that “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would persist “uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary”.   Iran’s retaliatory strikes later triggered air-defence responses in countries hosting US military assets, including Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.   The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the third and fourth waves of “retaliatory” attacks were under way, according to IRNA.       UN Urges De-escalation       At a rare emergency session of the UN Security Council, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed regret that a diplomatic opportunity had been “squandered”.   “Military action carries the risk of igniting a chain of events that no one can control in the most volatile region of the world,” he said. “I call for de-escalation and an immediate cessation of hostilities”.   Guterres added he could not confirm Israeli reports of Khamenei’s death.   Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, told the council that the US and Israel had “initiated an unprovoked and premeditated aggression”.   “This is not only an act of aggression, it is a war crime, and a crime against humanity,” he said, condemning attacks on populated urban areas.   US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz defended the operation as lawful. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “That principle is not a matter of politics. It’s a matter of global security.”   China’s UN envoy Fu Cong voiced concern over “the sudden escalation of regional tensions”, while Russia’s ambassador Vassily Nebenzia condemned the US-Israeli strikes and urged them to “immediately cease their aggressive actions”.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said  Iran is developing long-range missiles capable of threatening Europe, US troops abroad, and potentially the American homeland. Posting on Truth Social, Trump said Iran “attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing long range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could seen reach the American homeland.” He added that the US is conducting a “massive” operation to “prevent this very wicked radical dictatorship from threatening America.” Trump also said the US has not made any “final decision” on striking Iran, expressing his dissatisfaction with Tehran’s stance in ongoing nuclear negotiations. He said Iran was “not willing to give us what we have to have,” stressing that Iran “cannot have nuclear weapons.” Indirect talks between the two countries were held earlier this week in Geneva, with both sides reporting progress toward a possible agreement. Trump reiterated that Washington is “ready, willing, and able” to act “with speed and violence, if necessary,” while acknowledging the risk of an extended conflict in the Middle East. “When there’s war, there’s a risk of anything – both good and bad,” he said.