{"id":541027,"date":"2026-07-09T13:13:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T13:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/541027\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T13:13:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T13:13:17","slug":"at-least-14-people-killed-in-latest-us-strikes-on-iran-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/541027\/","title":{"rendered":"At least 14 people killed in latest US strikes on Iran \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Main Points <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/united-states\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/united-states\/\">US forces <\/a>fired at 90 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/iran\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/iran\/\">Iranian<\/a> military targets in a second day of attacks \u200balong Iran\u2019s coastline, US Central Command saidUS Central Command said the strikes were in response to Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/strait-of-hormuz\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/strait-of-hormuz\/\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a>Iran on Wednesday said it attacked US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to earlier US strikes on infrastructureOn Wednesday US president <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> said the US \u201chit them very hard last night, very, very hard\u201d, adding the US would \u201cprobably hit them hard again tonight\u201dIn a post on Truth Social Trump said if Iran continued to attack ships in the strait US attacks on Iran \u201cwill get much worse\u201dSeveral nations in the Gulf have reported apparent Iranian attacks \u2013 including explosions in Bahrain\u2019s capital ManamaOil prices appeared largely stable following the overnight US strikes on Iran, rising 1 per cent to $79 a barrel, bringing the rise this week to 9 per centBest Reads <\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 37 minutes ago<\/p>\n<p>EU ministers will meet with Gulf counterparts to discuss situation, says Helen McEntee<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Helen McEntee has said the events of the past 48 hours underline the \u201cfragility of the truce\u201d in the Gulf.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">McEntee said the exchange of fire between Iran and the US risks undermining the agreement on a ceasefire and a process of talks to address the issues that led to this conflict.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cIran\u2019s latest attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain are unacceptable, as are its attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,\u201d she said in a statement on Thursday. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cFreedom of navigation must be upheld, in accordance with international law. I urge parties to uphold the ceasefire and to meet their commitments under the Memorandum of Understanding agreed between Iran and the US.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The Fine Gael TD added that EU Ministers will meet with Gulf counterparts in Brussels on Monday to discuss the situation. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cAs I emphasised in my visit to the Gulf, only dialogue and diplomacy can bring lasting stability and security to the region,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said EU ministers will meet with Gulf counterparts on Monday to discuss situation. Photograph: Colin Keegan\/Collins\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ZYG5AE6VNUNL5HSQBA5NDC7UMM.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"555\"\/>Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said EU ministers will meet with Gulf counterparts on Monday to discuss situation. Photograph: Colin Keegan\/Collins At least 14 people killed in latest US airstrike <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The US launched airstrikes against Iran overnight on Thursday, killing at least 14 people, while Tehran responded by hitting Gulf countries in the most intense exchange of fire since a shaky ceasefire was extended last month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The tit-for-tat strikes on Thursday were the largest since Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17th aimed at extending the ceasefire and giving space for negotiations for a permanent truce. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Sirens sounded at least three times in Bahrain, where the US navy\u2019s fifth fleet is headquartered, while Iranian missiles also targeted Kuwait and Qatar. There were no immediate reports of any damage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The attacks came hours after Donald Trump said the memorandum of understanding was \u201cover\u201d because of Iranian attacks on ships in the strait of Hormuz. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">After the strikes, the US president posted videos of explosions in Iran and threatened the country once again. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cThis is in retribution for yesterday\u2019s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!\u201d Trump wrote on Truth Social. Hours before, he had promised that strikes would not lead to long term fighting but would be \u201cvery-fast\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">His comments and the exchange of fire prompted worries that the ceasefire could break down and raised concerns about the long-term prospects of negotiations. Significant gaps remain between the two countries over issues such as Iran\u2019s control over the strait of Hormuz, as well as inspections of nuclear facilities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Back-and-forth attacks have happened since the MOU was signed, but Thursday\u2019s strikes were the most intense in weeks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The US military said it hit about 90 targets in Iran, showing footage of strikes on missile launchers and a runway. It said the strikes were meant to degrade Iran\u2019s capacity to \u201cthreaten freedom of navigation\u201d in the strait of Hormuz, a critical choke point for about 20 per cent of the world\u2019s oil and gas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Iran accused the US of war crimes after it said two bridges in the eastern provinces leading to the city of Mashhad were targeted, the city where the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was slated to be buried on Thursday. The bridges constitute key infrastructure for Iran\u2019s cross-border trade with China, which has dramatically increased since the US war with Iran started.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Iran\u2019s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be buried on Thursday in the Iranian holy city Mashhad, his birthplace, in a ceremony that will mark more than just the culmination of his days-long funeral.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">It will also signal the symbolic end of a nearly 37-year era in which Khamenei was the towering figure who shaped and held together the Islamic republic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">But what next for Iran after Ali Khamenei? You can read more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/world\/middle-east\/2026\/07\/09\/what-next-for-iran-after-ali-khamenei\/ \" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/world\/middle-east\/2026\/07\/09\/what-next-for-iran-after-ali-khamenei\/ \">here<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"A Shiite Muslim boy mourns Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, near Imambara in Budgam on Thursday. Photograph: Tauseef Mustafa\/ AFP via Getty Images\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/V5FRIVLEN7LVDQ63L22USTHOJE.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>A Shiite Muslim boy mourns Iran&#8217;s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, near Imambara in Budgam on Thursday. Photograph: Tauseef Mustafa\/ AFP via Getty Images <img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Iranians drive past a billboard of late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a street in Tehran, Iran on Thursday. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh\/EPA\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/27MKWZQAL7SO75BWUL2UH2VZRU.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Iranians drive past a billboard of late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a street in Tehran, Iran on Thursday. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh\/EPA <img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Thousands of mourners await the arrival of the body of Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday in Mashhad, Iran. Photograph: John Moore\/Getty Images\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/QD2FHQGODIWQFWOLV4JTWSMBLM.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Thousands of mourners await the arrival of the body of Iran&#8217;s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday in Mashhad, Iran. Photograph: John Moore\/Getty Images <\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 4 hours ago<\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s slain supreme leader to be buried on Thursday <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Iran buries its slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday at the country\u2019s holiest \u200cshrine, with his son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei still hidden from public view after being disfigured in the strike that killed his father. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The burial in Mashhad in northeast Iran follows a week of \u200bmass funeral processions, rallies and mourning ceremonies that has coincided with a renewed burst of conflict with the United States following weeks of truce.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Crowds marched through Mashhad on Thursday morning, the golden onion dome and minarets of the Shrine of Imam Reza glinting in the morning sun, as they waved Iranian flags, photographs of the late Khamenei and placards with revolutionary slogans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">As Khamenei\u2019s body was transported around Iran \u200band Iraq over the past week, the Islamic Republic\u2019s clerical leaders encouraged huge crowds to attend in an effort to vaunt the might and ideological fire of their theocratic state. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">However, despite it having survived a \u2060months-long blitz by its strongest enemies, the United States and Israel, Iran faces huge internal challenges and the legacy of Khamenei\u2019s 37-year rule is bitterly disputed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The whereabouts of Mojtaba Khamenei, proclaimed Supreme Leader by a clerical assembly a week after his father\u2019s death, has remained a mystery to Iranians. He has not appeared in public since the war began with the strike that \u2060killed Ali Khamenei on February 28th, and while he has issued written \u200bstatements, no image or video or voice recording of him has been issued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">He \u200bsuffered debilitating injuries in that same strike, his face disfigured and limbs badly wounded.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Senior sources in Tehran have said he is recovering but that he has not yet \u200cbeen well enough to manage public appearances and state security services \u200bare also trying to limit his exposure in case of more US attacks. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">As crowds jostled in Mashhad awaiting Khamenei\u2019s funeral cortege, the crowd chanted slogans \u2060demanding revenge on US President Donald Trump for his killing.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Mourners gather in the street ahead of the funeral of Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei and members of his family at the Shrine of Imam Reza, Iran's most revered place of worship, in Mashhad on Thursday.  Photograph: Atta Kenare\/AFP via Getty Images\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BM32R4SQY7EVICGBTN57WSBB6E.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Mourners gather in the street ahead of the funeral of Iran&#8217;s slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei and members of his family at the Shrine of Imam Reza, Iran&#8217;s most revered place of worship, in Mashhad on Thursday.  Photograph: Atta Kenare\/AFP via Getty Images <img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Mourners pose for photos under a banner set up in a main thoroughfare near the Imam Reza Shrine on Thursday in Mashhad, Iran. Photograph: John Moore\/Getty Images\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/V6NMZ6R64FV6252EUIQHQAE7PE.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Mourners pose for photos under a banner set up in a main thoroughfare near the Imam Reza Shrine on Thursday in Mashhad, Iran. Photograph: John Moore\/Getty Images <\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 5 hours ago<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Damage to a portion of a building, which the Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader said was Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's compound in the aftermath of Israeli and US airstrikes, in Tehran, Iran in this screen grab from video released on Wednesday. Photograph: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader\/Handout via Reuters \" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ISFO6ZTBLFFBLCAEHGG25UXUU4.JPG\"   width=\"800\" height=\"355\"\/>Damage to a portion of a building, which the Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader said was Iran&#8217;s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei&#8217;s compound in the aftermath of Israeli and US airstrikes, in Tehran, Iran in this screen grab from video released on Wednesday. Photograph: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader\/Handout via Reuters  <img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Damage to a portion of a building, which the Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader said was Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's compound in the aftermath of Israeli and US airstrikes, in Tehran, Iran in this screen grab from video released on Wednesday.  Photograph: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader\/Handout via Reuters\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/CSPQTE3TLRF7PH4IALK7X5T6MM.JPG\"   width=\"800\" height=\"355\"\/>Damage to a portion of a building, which the Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader said was Iran&#8217;s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei&#8217;s compound in the aftermath of Israeli and US airstrikes, in Tehran, Iran in this screen grab from video released on Wednesday.  Photograph: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader\/Handout via Reuters <img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Smoke rises from explosions at an unknown location, following what US Central Command said were strikes on Iranian military targets, in this screen grab from a video released on Wednesday. Photograph: US Central Command\/Handout via Reuters \" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/XQBYG45ZHRD45F6DZIQPWDRTHI.JPG\"   width=\"800\" height=\"450\"\/>Smoke rises from explosions at an unknown location, following what US Central Command said were strikes on Iranian military targets, in this screen grab from a video released on Wednesday. Photograph: US Central Command\/Handout via Reuters  <\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 5 hours ago<\/p>\n<p>Qatar tells Iran all parties should commit to diplomacy<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin \u200cAbdulrahman al-Thani told Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi in a phone call on Thursday that \u200bIran and the United States \u2060should commit to diplomacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Al-Thani \u200cadded \u200cthat Washington and Tehran should implement \u2060the \u200bsigned memorandum of \u200bunderstanding aimed at \u200cending the war, the \u200bQatari foreign minister said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Iran \u2060launched drones \u2060towards \u200ba site in Qatar earlier on Thursday and a Qatari tanker was attacked in the \u200cStrait of Hormuz \u2060earlier the week. Al-Thani condemned the attack \u200cin the call, the foreign \u200bministry said.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Qatar's prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. Photograph: Eric Lee\/AFP via Getty Images\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6LDJJYU7RXXYH3U2L6OGUHKQ24.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Qatar&#8217;s prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. Photograph: Eric Lee\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 5 hours ago<\/p>\n<p>US military claims to have struck 170 Iranian targets in last 48 hours<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Iran was pummelled with a volley of missiles for a second consecutive night, with the US military claiming to have struck 170 Iranian targets in the last 48 hours. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">US Central Command (Centcom) said the intense bombing aimed to \u201cfurther degrade Iran\u2019s ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent civilian mariners in the strait of Hormuz\u201d. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Iranian state media reported explosions in several cities, most of them concentrated in the south of the country, as its army responded with retaliatory strikes on US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The regional crossfire sparked by a battle to control movement in the narrow and strategic shipping channel threatens to unravel an interim truce between the US and Iran. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Both sides have vowed to escalate retaliations should provocations continue, with US president <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> warning that worse could come, while Iran has threatened to expand its attacks against US bases in the region. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">During the Nato summit in Turkey, Trump said he considers the memorandum of understanding with Iran to be \u201cover\u201d, adding: \u201cI don\u2019t want to deal with them.\u201d Iran\u2019s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, vowed that the strait of Hormuz would remain under Iranian management. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cThe strait of Hormuz will be reopened only under Iranian arrangements, not through US threats,\u201d he wrote on X. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The fresh strikes came as Iranians prepare to bury their late supreme leader Ali Khamenei in his hometown of Mashhad in north-east Iran. The burial follows a multi-day funeral ceremony that attracted millions of mourners across various cities in both Iran and Iraq. <\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 6 hours ago<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The US military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest \u200bescalation to derail efforts to end the war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The latest round of attacks, which the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/united-states\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/united-states\/\">US<\/a> said was carried out in response to Tuesday\u2019s assault on three cargo ships transiting the strait, came hours after Donald Trump said he believed an interim ceasefire with Iran to be \u201cover.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cUS Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,\u201d Centcom, the US military\u2019s Middle East command, wrote on X.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cThe United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews \u200bfreely navigating a vital international waterway.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The US strikes rattled several cities along Iran\u2019s southern coast and left some areas without power. Iran responded with a second day of attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, both home to US military bases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Kuwait\u2019s Defence Ministry said it was intercepting missiles and drones, while Qatar \u2060briefly issued an \u201celevated security threat\u201d alert before later giving the all-clear.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Control of the strait, through which a fifth of global oil supplies passed before the war, has given Tehran immense leverage, effectively allowing it to force a stalemate with the world\u2019s most powerful \u2060military. While Iran has not claimed responsibility for the ship attacks, analysts say Tehran uses such actions to \u200bgain leverage in negotiations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The latest exchange of \u200cstrikes appeared to dim hopes of turning a memorandum of understanding signed on June \u200b17th into a permanent deal to end the war, which began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28th.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Asked before a NATO summit in Turkey on Wednesday whether the memorandum of understanding was over, Trump said: \u201cIt\u2019s a very \u2060interesting question. To me, I think it\u2019s over. I don\u2019t want to deal with them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cIf we \u2060make a deal with Iran I\u2019m not sure that will \u200bstick,\u201d Trump later said. \u201cI found them to be very dishonourable people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">But Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to escalate military action before backing off, said he did not expect a return to full-fledged war, and that it was not clear whether the negotiations on reaching a permanent deal would continue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Also on Wednesday, the US president said he did not think the war would restart: \u201cAnything that happens is going to be over very quickly&#8230;and will only make it safer, including for oil.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"US president Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on Thursday. Photograph: Saul Loeb\/AFP via Getty Images\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/XBXLZTPYBXEW23B77PJ6FULES4.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>US president Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on Thursday. Photograph: Saul Loeb\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 7 hours ago<\/p>\n<p>Trump denies security concerns behind plane swap <img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"The new Air Force One, which was donated to the US by Qatar. Photograph: Doug Mills\/The New York Times&#10;                      \" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/RIBVOJJUZBAATU5XNYFQCL6NV4.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"386\"\/>The new Air Force One, which was donated to the US by Qatar. Photograph: Doug Mills\/The New York Times<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Donald Trump flew out of Turkey on Wednesday night on the old Air Force One instead of his new Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 as a security precaution related to the resumption of hostilities with Iran, according to people briefed on the plans, who said the change came at the urging of the Secret Service.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Trump denied security fears were behind a brief stop at RAF Mildenhall in the UK on his way home from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/world\/europe\/2026\/07\/08\/trump-tells-nato-summit-that-he-has-ordered-all-trade-with-spain-to-be-cut-off\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/world\/europe\/2026\/07\/08\/trump-tells-nato-summit-that-he-has-ordered-all-trade-with-spain-to-be-cut-off\/\">Nato summit in Turkey.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The swap deepens questions about whether the new plane, which the president had pressed to be ready as soon as possible, was retrofitted with sufficient security measures over the last year. Some politicians and officials have raised concerns about whether the expedited timeline allowed for the addition of an advanced missile defence system and other modifications used to protect the president.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Asked by reporters at Mildenhall if he was aware of credible threats to the plane, Trump said: \u201cI have a threat all the time. I\u2019m number one of their list.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">He repeated his earlier comments on social media that the new plane was sent to RAF Mildenhall to allow US service members to see it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">He earlier posted on Truth Social: \u201cTo honor our brave men and women of the Military, we are sending the brand new, and truly spectacular, Air Force One to Mildenhall Air Force Base, in the United Kingdom, to give them a chance to tour the Aircraft\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The trip to Ankara was the first international trip for the new plane.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">He later posted a picture of service members in front of the plane and described them as \u201cvery excited\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Trump earlier said he flew from Turkey to the UK on board the previous Air Force One \u201cfor old time\u2019s sake\u201d with reporters asked to keep window blinds drawn during the flight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The president, who said he was not asked to keep blinds closed in his compartment, said the request was probably because of \u201csleazebags over here\u201d in an apparent reference to Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 7 hours ago<\/p>\n<p>Iraqis turn out on droves to mourn Iran\u2019s Khamenei <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Hundreds of thousands of mourners filled the streets of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/iraq\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/iraq\">Iraqi<\/a> cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday, chanting, praying and weeping for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/iran\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/iran\">Iran\u2019s <\/a>supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as they pushed their way to the convoy carrying his coffin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">It was a frenzied outpouring of grief for another nation\u2019s ruler \u2014 one who, as a preeminent Shia Muslim cleric and political strategist, spent decades extending Iran\u2019s influence deep into Iraq, and across the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cHe was our guardian and protector, and we are here today to return the favor,\u201d said Rabab Jassim (45), who arrived in Najaf at 3am from Baghdad to join the ceremony. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cMy heart is on fire,\u201d she said, bursting into tears.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The procession followed five days of funeral services and mass mourning inside Iran for Khamenei, who was killed in the first US-Israeli strikes that launched the war on Iran in February. His body was set to be flown back to Iran after the commemorations, and he was expected to be buried Thursday in his hometown, the northeastern city of Mashhad.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Mourners take part in the funeral procession of Iran's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, Iraq. Photograph:  Ahmad Al-Rubaye\/AFP via Getty Images\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/57KO4TDGTMJSJ4SJ3MYRHF2RAY.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Mourners take part in the funeral procession of Iran&#8217;s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, Iraq. Photograph:  Ahmad Al-Rubaye\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">As supreme leader, Khamenei oversaw brutal crackdowns of opposition to his clerical rule at home, and he also leaves behind a divisive legacy in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/iraq\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/iraq\/\">Iraq<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The country is home to the Middle East\u2019s second-largest Shia Muslim population, after Iran. Some Iraqis praise Khamenei for providing Iranian support to Iraq\u2019s Shia militias, who fought against the eight-year US occupation. Others blame Iran\u2019s intervention for stoking two decades of sectarian bloodshed with Iraq\u2019s Sunni minority that has only recently ebbed.<\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 7 hours ago<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I don\u2019t want to deal with them any more. They\u2019re scum\u2019<img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"US president Donald Trump at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in England where he boarded a flight back to Washington after attending the Nato summit in Turkey. Photograph:  Win McNamee\/Getty Images\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5AH25B7HJBE42DMMYUR22NHQLU.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>US president Donald Trump at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in England where he boarded a flight back to Washington after attending the Nato summit in Turkey. Photograph:  Win McNamee\/Getty Images <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Donald Trump has again claimed the US has won <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/israel-iran-conflict\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/israel-iran-conflict\">the war with Iran, <\/a>launched by the US and Israel on February 28th.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Asked about the status of the interim ceasefire deal, Trump said: \u201cI think it\u2019s over. I don\u2019t want to deal with them any more. They\u2019re scum.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cThey\u2019re sick people. They\u2019re led by sick people and they\u2019re vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they\u2019d use it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">He said he would allow negotiations to continue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Speaking on Air Force One, after a brief stop to change planes at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on his return flight from the Nato summit in Turkey, Trump said the US had \u201cwon militarily\u201d and that Iran wanted to make a deal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cThey want to make a deal so badly \u2013 I just don\u2019t know if they\u2019re worthy of making a deal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cI don\u2019t know that they\u2019re going to honour the deal. That\u2019s the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X that Trump\u2019s remarks \u201care not a sign of power but an admission of the failure\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">In a post on X, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said: \u201cThe era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don\u2019t fold.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 8 hours ago<\/p>\n<p>Trump says situation \u2018will get much worse\u2019 for Iran<img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Mourners pose for photos under a banner set up in a main thoroughfare near the Imam Reza Shrine on Thursday in Mashhad, Iran. Photograph: John Moore\/Getty Images\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/V6NMZ6R64FV6252EUIQHQAE7PE.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Mourners pose for photos under a banner set up in a main thoroughfare near the Imam Reza Shrine on Thursday in Mashhad, Iran. Photograph: John Moore\/Getty Images <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/united-states\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/united-states\">US<\/a> forces said they hit about 90 targets across <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/iran\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/iran\">Iran<\/a> on Wednesday with Donald Trump warning the conflict could \u201cget much worse\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Iran responded to a second day of renewed attacks by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar early on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">US Central Command said the strikes were aimed at hitting Iran\u2019s ability \u201cto threaten freedom of navigation\u201d through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Renewed hostilities broke out on Tuesday after Iran targeted three tankers in the vital waterway, which remains a flashpoint in the fragile truce.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cUS forces remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to execute operations directed by the Commander in Chief,\u201d the statement from Central Command said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">They said the targets included more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard small boats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Iranian state media reported explosions in Bushehr, home to the country\u2019s nuclear power plant complex, and the southern ports of Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Abbas and Sirik.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Bahrain \u2013 home to the US Navy\u2019s 5th Fleet \u2013 Kuwait and Qatar all sounded sirens early on Thursday amid retaliatory Iranian fire. Kuwait said it was intercepting drones and missiles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Trump also reposted on his Truth Social platform a picture of buildings in flames billowing thick black smoke, purportedly to be in Iran, with the message: \u201cThis is retribution for yesterday\u2019s bombing of ships. If it happens again, it will get much worse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph b-it-article-body__interstitial-link\">[\u00a0<a aria-label=\"Open related story\" class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/business\/markets\/2026\/07\/09\/oil-extends-gains-as-us-strikes-in-iran-rattle-markets\/\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Oil extends gains as US strikes in Iran rattle marketsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Main Points US forces fired at 90 Iranian military targets in a second day of attacks \u200balong Iran\u2019s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":541028,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,204041,94860,151033,150726,43,20673,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-541027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-iran-latest","tag-iran-news","tag-iran-war","tag-middle-east-crisis","tag-news","tag-oil-prices","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=541027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541027\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/541028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=541027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=541027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=541027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}