Foreign

Trump orders new round of strikes after calling Iranian leaders ‘scum’

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1 month ago

July 9, 2026

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U.S. forces on Wednesday attacked Iran for a second consecutive day, officials said, hours after President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran “over” and predicted that additional U.S. military action “probably” would occur.

American forces carried out the strikes at the direction of the president “to further degrade [Iran’s] ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” according to a statement from U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the region. The waterway has been a source of friction both militarily and economically in recent weeks, as Iranian forces have been accused of attacking commercial vessels and the United States has responded.

Trump, writing on social media, characterized the renewed assault as “retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran.”

“If it happens again, it will get much worse!” the president warned in his Truth Social post, which was accompanied by an image of a billowing fire.

Speaking in Turkey earlier Wednesday, Trump said that “I think” a tenuous ceasefire agreement reached between U.S. and Iranian officials in June was “over.” However, he later qualified his remarks, saying that any military action would end “very quickly” and that he didn’t think the U.S. military would return to full-scale war.

Trump’s remarks, at a meeting of NATO leaders here in Ankara, followed a separate U.S. assault on Iranian territory — involving more than 80 strikes — ordered in response to attacks on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said the U.S. hit Iran “very hard last night” and would “probably hit them hard again tonight.”

The president also suggested that the U.S. could reimpose a naval blockade on Iran and that Washington was “not attacking at the highest level,” repeating previous threats to strike infrastructure such as bridges, desalinization facilities and electricity plants. U.S. officials declined to detail what might be planned but said in a social media post later in the day that more than 20 U.S. warships remain in the Middle East.

Oil prices had eased but quickly spiked on Wednesday. Brent crude futures rose more than 5 percent to over $78 per barrel on fears that a renewed war would further disrupt energy supplies.

But Trump offered an evolving account of his plans in multiple appearances over the course of the day, by nightfall suggesting that any additional fighting was likely to remain contained.

“I don’t think it’s going to start again,” he said at a news conference before returning to the United States. “I think it’s going to go very quickly. They hit a couple of ships, and so we hit them much harder. … We use their language. We speak their language.”

The president spoke after Iran launched heavy retaliation overnight, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps saying it had targeted 85 U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday, according to the semiofficial media outlet Fars.

“They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people, and they’re vicious, violent people,” Trump said in his comments earlier Wednesday. “Far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them. They’re liars … there’s something wrong with them. They’re cuckoo. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.”

Trump said that talks with Iran could continue but that he was deeply skeptical they would be productive.

“They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time. They’re a bunch of lying guys,” Trump said. “They’re bad people, and frankly, I don’t want to waste my time with them. Now, I’ll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don’t see it.”

Later in the day, Trump declared that he was Iran’s top target for assassination.Ask The Post AIDive deeper

“I’m their number-one target. It’s out all over the place,” he said. “Because they’re scum. That’s the way they act, and that’s the way they’ve done it for 47 years.”

Adding to speculation about Iranian threats to his life, Trump also abruptly announced Wednesday that he would not be departing Turkey on the new Qatari luxury 747 that he debuted as Air Force One last week. Instead, he said he would depart on one of the older, smaller 747s that have been in service since 1990, jumping back on the fancier plane in Britain.

The Qatari jet — whose $400 million overhaul was accelerated by the U.S. Air Force when it took possession of the plane last year — is unlikely to have the same self-defense capabilities as the older, highly modified plane. That could pose a problem when flying out of Turkey, which shares a border with Iran.

Trump framed the move as a chance for U.S. service members based in Britain to explore the new jet. But asked Wednesday whether he had changed his plans because of security concerns, he didn’t answer directly.

The president’s tone about Tehran was a marked change from his assessment of Iranian leaders just weeks ago, when he praised their interest in making a deal shortly after they agreed to the ceasefire.

Asked why he was now dismissing them as scum, Trump said that “I got to know ’em.”

The secretary general of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, in a statement Wednesday urged shipowners to avoid exposing their crews to danger by crossing the Strait of Hormuz “as long as the safety and security of crews cannot be assured.”

The U.S. and Iran reached a preliminary peace deal last month to reopen the strait to shipping traffic while continuing to discuss the thornier nuclear issue and possible lifting of U.S. sanctions against Tehran. The strait is a crucial shipping choke point through which 20 percent of global oil products normally flow.

But the tentative agreement appeared to collapse less than halfway through the 60 days that negotiators had allotted to reach a more durable accord. Trump previously expressed hope that the negotiations would lead to strict controls on Iran’s nuclear program.

The renewed hostilities were a setback for the president, who cited his concern about becoming a new Herbert Hoover as a major reason for seeking peace when he announced the initial deal last month. Hoover was president at the start of the Great Depression in 1929.

Iranian leaders, too, had seemed to be interested in peace. The country has been focused on days of mourning and funeral rites for its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an airstrike during the first hours of the war.

But negotiations have stalled. Talks began with days of delays before Vice President JD Vance flew to Switzerland to kick them off. And the two sides traded barbs, and sporadic strikes, from the get-go. Trump expressed frustration on Wednesday that Iran’s public representation of what was being discussed differed from his understanding.

“We make a deal. Everyone’s agreed. No nuclear weapon. We make a deal. They go outside, joke to the press, they say we never even talked about it,” Trump said.

Iran’s leaders in recent days have appeared emboldened, with several senior officials appearing in public for the first time since the start of the war as part of the mourning rituals for Khamenei.

The possible resumption of war sparked some concern in Congress, which has sought to restrict Trump’s ability to keep fighting.

In June, the House and Senate passed a resolution to block Trump from resuming military action in a bipartisan effort to rein in the Iran war. The White House has argued that the measure does not have the force of law, setting up a clash with congressional Democrats who sponsored the legislation.

Foreign

U.S. Deports 3 Million Foreign Nationals

Published

23 hours ago

August 13, 2026

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The United States government announced that it has completed 15 consecutive months without releasing any undocumented immigrants into the country, citing over 3 million deportations alongside a series of tightened visa and citizenship regulations.

According to an official fact sheet released by the Department of State, the measures form part of a broader framework aimed at prioritizing American citizens and overhauling federal immigration enforcement following record-breaking border crossings under the previous administration:

“President Trump has delivered on his promise to fix the immigration system, prioritize American citizens, and protect U.S. citizenship. The border is sealed. The results are undeniable.”

Official figures indicate that more than 3 million foreign nationals have been deported, including thousands of individuals convicted of violent offenses. Alongside border enforcement, federal authorities launched an unprecedented denaturalization campaign targeting individuals accused of obtaining citizenship through fraudulent means, with legal claims already filed against 88 individuals.

The policy shift also extends to social welfare, election integrity, and international travel. Federal agencies terminated public assistance benefits for over 1.4 million ineligible individuals, barred non-citizens from more than a dozen taxpayer-funded healthcare programs, and paused visa processing for 75 high-risk nations.

Furthermore, the administration initiated measures to remove tens of thousands of non-citizens from state voter rolls while introducing a revised naturalization exam designed to evaluate applicants’ understanding of American history and government institutions.

Highlighting the continuation of strict enforcement measures initiated via executive order early in the presidential term, officials underscored the operational shift:

“For 15 straight months, no illegal aliens have been released into the country.”

The broader policy push carries significant international implications, particularly in nations with high visa volumes. The U.S. Mission has issued repeated advisories urging visa applicants and holders to adhere strictly to immigration rules, warning that violations, including overstays, fraudulent claims, or criminal conduct—will result in immediate visa revocation and deportation.

With immigration remaining a central focal point ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, the administration continues to position its hardline enforcement strategy as a necessary restoration of national security, legal order, and fiscal discipline

Foreign

Colombia quake kills 224, leaves 700 injured

Published

2 days ago

August 12, 2026

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At least 224 people have been killed after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, with rescue teams continuing to search collapsed buildings for survivors on Tuesday.

The earthquake struck at 7:34 am local time on Monday, with Cali, Pereira and parts of the Choco region among the worst affected areas.

Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as emergency teams reach more affected communities and assess the extent of the destruction.

Cali authorities reported 35 deaths, while officials in the Risaralda region, where Pereira is located, confirmed at least 40 deaths. Nine people were also reported killed in Choco, two in Caldas and one in Antioquia.

At least 700 people were injured in Valle del Cauca alone, according to President Abelardo de la Espriella, who declared a national state of emergency and said the government’s priority was to rescue people trapped under rubble.

More than 1,600 buildings were reportedly damaged or destroyed, including parts of a historic cathedral in Manizales.

Several upper floors of a hospital in Cali also collapsed, trapping some patients and forcing about 600 others to receive treatment outside amid the debris.

Rescue operations continued overnight and into Tuesday, with soldiers, firefighters, emergency workers, volunteers and relatives searching through collapsed buildings.

In Cali, volunteers formed human chains to remove concrete and other debris by hand, while rescue teams repeatedly stopped to listen for survivors.

Firefighters rescued two women and two children from a collapsed building, while rescuers in Pereira were reportedly in contact with a boy trapped beneath a bakery as cranes were used to remove unstable sections of the building.

Authorities have also deployed engineers, rescue workers and search dogs to Choco, where the scale of the destruction remains unclear because many communities are remote and difficult to reach.

The United States Geological Survey identified San Jose del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people, as the epicentre. The area is about 400km west of the capital, Bogota.

Colombia’s Geological Service reported 21 aftershocks by late Monday and warned that further tremors were possible.

The rescue effort has been complicated by the geography of Choco, where some communities can only be reached by boat or aircraft.

The government has also imposed nighttime curfews in Cali, Armenia and Manizales, while hospitals in five cities were placed on red alert.

Operations at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura were suspended temporarily to allow structural inspections.

Authorities postponed the Petronio Alvarez Music Festival in Cali, which was scheduled to begin on Wednesday, as well as professional football matches.

International assistance has also begun. The United States announced $15.5m in emergency aid for shelters, food and other relief, while the European Union activated its Copernicus satellite service to support rescue operations.

El Salvador and Mexico also offered to provide rescue teams, medical personnel, supplies and other assistance.

Rescuers are expected to face a critical window in the coming hours as they continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble.

Foreign

Trump Hid In Catering Truck During Secret Plane Swap Over Iran Threat – Report

Published

2 days ago

August 12, 2026

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United States President Donald Trump secretly switched aircraft after leaving a NATO summit in Turkey last month amid a reported Iranian threat to target his plane, according to the BBC.

The elaborate security operation reportedly involved Trump being moved from Air Force One to a smaller military aircraft using a catering truck, while journalists and some White House staff travelling with him were unaware of the switch.

US officials told CBS News that American intelligence had detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at the aircraft.

The White House has not directly confirmed that the secret plane switch was carried out because of an Iranian missile threat.

Trump had earlier warned during the summit in Ankara that he was Iran’s “number one target”.

The reported operation took place on 8 July, a day after the US resumed military strikes against Iran following the collapse of negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 aircraft donated by Qatar. However, he announced that he would leave Turkey aboard the older Air Force One “for old time’s sake”.

Footage showed Trump boarding the presidential aircraft at Ankara airport. However, according to a report by the Washington Post cited by the BBC, he was later secretly transferred to a C-32A military aircraft, a modified Boeing 757 commonly used by the vice-president.

The transfer was reportedly carried out using a catering truck that had been raised to the level of the aircraft on the opposite side of the plane from where Trump had initially boarded.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly boarded the C-32A separately using external stairs, helping make the operation appear routine.

Meanwhile, journalists and some White House staff boarded Air Force One and were instructed to keep the aircraft’s window shades closed. They reportedly did not know that Trump was no longer on board.

Trump flew aboard the C-32A to the UK before returning to the older Air Force One. He was later seen leaving the aircraft after it landed at RAF Mildenhall.

It remains unclear how Trump was transferred back to the older presidential aircraft.

He subsequently boarded the Qatar-donated Boeing 747-8 for the final leg of his journey to Washington.

During that flight, Trump spoke to reporters about the security threat but did not reveal details of the earlier aircraft switch.

When asked why reporters had been instructed to lower the window shades during the flight from Turkey, Trump said they were “probably on a dangerous flight” because of threats he faced.

He also said he faced a threat “all the time” and described himself as “number one” on Iran’s list.

US intelligence had previously warned of a specific threat against Trump or his aircraft, according to earlier CBS News reporting.

The New York Times had also reported concerns about the security of the Qatar-donated aircraft, including claims that the Secret Service had urged Trump to switch planes after the NATO summit.

The reports come amid wider scrutiny of the $400m Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. The aircraft is undergoing modifications to prepare it for presidential use.

Older Air Force One aircraft are equipped with advanced defensive systems, including technology designed to counter incoming missiles. It remains unclear what comparable systems are currently installed on the Qatar-donated aircraft.

White House communications director Steven Cheung did not directly confirm or deny the reported plane switch. He said the new aircraft was equipped with advanced security measures to protect the president and his staff.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said the new Air Force One was “perfectly safe” for the president’s travels, while noting that additional upgrades were planned.