News from North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States will see its war against Iran through to its logical conclusion, claiming that Iranian leaders, military forces and defense systems have been severely weakened and vowing that Tehran will never obtain a nuclear weapon.
President Donald Trump is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the Pentagon, where one of the hijacked planes crashed, as the United States remembers the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks.
A United Nations report says links between Afghanistan-based militant networks and terrorist attacks in Pakistan are growing, with Al-Qaeda providing the outlawed TTP and other militant groups with training, strategic guidance, propaganda and logistical support.
The US says its forces destroyed five Iranian crude-oil tankers after the IRGC twice targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles, while Iran claimed a retaliatory missile strike on a US base in Jordan.
The U.S. State Department has approved a $5 billion military equipment sale to Saudi Arabia, including guidance systems for thousands of bombs and long-range missiles. Washington said the deal would strengthen Saudi Arabia’s air-defense capabilities and contribute to stability and economic development in the Gulf.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could soon strike Iran’s Mount Kolang, an underground complex near the Natanz nuclear facility known as “Pickaxe Mountain.” The site’s depth, limited public information and lack of access for IAEA inspectors have raised concerns over its potential role in Iran’s nuclear program, although there is no verified evidence that nuclear material or enrichment activities are currently being carried out there.
U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed a “strong response” to Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claims the strikes were retaliation for U.S. attacks on Lark Island. Jordan says its air defenses intercepted eight Iranian missiles, as Trump kept open the possibility of diplomacy with Tehran.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced visit to Moscow for talks with Russian intelligence officials, in a rare high-level U.S.-Russia contact. President Donald Trump said the discussions could produce results and reiterated Washington’s desire to end the war in Ukraine, while the Kremlin confirmed the intelligence contacts but said Ratcliffe did not meet President Vladimir Putin.
The military trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused of being a principal architect of the September 11, 2001 attacks, is scheduled to begin on June 5, 2028, nearly 27 years after the attacks. The case has faced repeated delays over evidence, CIA interrogation practices and pretrial plea agreements, while Khalid Sheikh Mohammed remains detained at Guantanamo Bay.
The United States has launched a sweeping economic campaign against Iran, targeting key sectors and imposing sanctions on dozens of entities, individuals and vessels, while Tehran has vowed retaliation and warned of consequences for U.S. interests and energy routes.
The United States has removed Syria from its State Sponsors of Terrorism list after nearly 47 years, saying the move will encourage investment, support economic recovery and facilitate Syria’s reintegration into the global economy.
