US Approves $2 Billion ‘Drone Killer’ Weapons Sale to Kuwait
WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration has approved a possible $1.98 billion foreign military sale to Gulf ally Kuwait for counter-unmanned aerial systems platforms and related equipment, the State Department said.
Kuwait, which hosts US military assets, has often been the target of Iranian missile and drone attacks, including what Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned as "outrageous and unacceptable" attacks on the country's international airport that killed one person and injured 63 on June 3.
The proposed deal includes Roadrunner and Anvil counter-drone systems, launch boxes, command-and-control systems, long-range sentry towers, electromagnetic warfare equipment, tactical operations centers, training, software development and logistical support, according to a State Department notification to Congress.
Washington said the sale would support US foreign policy and national security objectives by strengthening the security of Kuwait, a major non-NATO ally, and enhancing its ability to counter current and future threats posed by unmanned aerial systems.
The State Department said Kuwait would be able to integrate the systems into its military police forces and that the proposed sale would not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The approval does not mean a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded. Congressional notification is required for major foreign military sales.
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Trump Says He Asked Netanyahu To Halt Further Strikes On Iran
US President Donald Trump said he warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel risked finding itself isolated if it further escalated its conflict with Iran, according to media reports.
Trump said during a phone call with Israel's Channel 12 late on June 7 that he asked Netanyahu not to respond to Iranian ballistic missile attacks.
According to a parallel report by Axios, Trump said: "Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon."
According to Channel 12, several Trump aides who were on the call believed the president had secured a few more days to allow US-Iran negotiations to continue. However, Netanyahu later informed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Israel would carry out strikes inside Iran.
Trump told Channel 12 that Washington was informed of the operation only at the last minute, when missiles were already en route, and claimed he succeeded in limiting its scope.
He also said five regional countries involved in mediation efforts had urged him to pressure Israel to avoid further escalation because they "love the deal that we have been negotiating."
Trump added that Iranian officials later told Washington they would not launch additional attacks and asked Israel to stop striking Iran.
He said he subsequently persuaded Netanyahu to halt further attacks and maintained that a US-Iran agreement remains within reach.
Netanyahu said on June 8 that “fire is on hold” against Iran after Tehran said it was halting its attacks on Israel.
With reporting by The Times Of Israel
Flights In Iran To Resume
Iran’s civil aviation authority said the country’s airspace has returned to normal conditions and flights will resume.
The announcement on June 8 came hours after the regulator said that all flights from the country's airports would be suspended until further notice.
The decision to reopen Iranian airspace came soon after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “fire is on hold” against Iran, after Tehran ended its attacks on Israel.
Netanyahu Says Israel Has Paused Fire Against Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a short video released by his office on June 8 that “fire is on hold” against Iran, after Tehran ended its attacks on Israel.
But Netanyahu, speaking for the first time since Iran launched missiles at Israel on June 7, warned that should Tehran “make the mistake of resuming attacks against us, we will respond with full force.”
Netanyahu said the Islamic republic had tried to “force a new equation” by firing at Israel in retaliation for its attacks in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, an armed group allied with Iran. “This equation is unbearable, and unacceptable to me,” he said.
The prime minister also stopped short of saying that US President Donald Trump had ordered Israel to halt attacks against Iran.
In his talks with Trump, Netanyahu said he argued for Israel’s “right to self-defense.”
“Israel has the full right to self-defense, and we are exercising it as required,” Netanyahu said in the video message to Israelis. “I’m saying this to you, just as I’ve said so with appreciation and respect in my good conversations with my friend President Trump.”
All Flights From Iranian Airports Suspended
The Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) has reported that all flights from the country's airports have been suspended until further notice.
Citing the Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company on June 8, ISNA said that the authority had also urged all passengers not to travel to airports until normal operations are officially announced in order to maintain order and prevent confusion.
Previously, Iran's aviation authority had imposed a flight ban only for parts of the country
Hours before announcement, Tehran said that operations by the Islamic republic's armed forces against Israel had been halted.
At the same time, the head of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization said that, due to disruptions affecting return flights for pilgrims, delays of up to 72 hours are possible on some flights.
With reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Israel Is Halting Strikes On Iran, Says Israeli Official
Shortly after Tehran announced it was halting operations against Israel, the Israeli outlet Channel 12 has quoted an unnamed senior official as saying that Israel would also pause its strikes on Iran, though there has been no official statement yet.
Earlier today, Iran’s military central command announced a halt to its strikes against Israel, declaring it had delivered a "painful response" to Israel over strikes on Beirut's Dahiyeh district -- but warned that any continuation of Israeli aggression would bring "far more intense and crushing" retaliation.
The announcement came shortly after US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that "both sides, Israel and Iran, are looking to do an immediate cease-fire," adding that final negotiations on a US-Israel peace deal were proceeding and that a US blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place until a final agreement is reached.
Iran Halts Strikes Amid Trump Cease-Fire Remarks
Iran has said it is halting its military operations against Israel.
The announcement follows multiple waves of strikes between Iran and Israel and comes shortly after US President Donald Trump stated that Iran and Israel were "looking to do an immediate cease-fire."
Iranian media citied the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which serves as Iran's joint military command, as adding that any further attacks, including those in southern Lebanon, will be met with "much more severe and crushing" retaliation.
Israel Says US Military 'Coordinated' On Intercepting Iranian Missiles
A spokesperson for the Israeli military said that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) had "coordinated" with Israel on defense and "participated" in intercepting missiles fired by Iran at Israel on June 7.
Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv on June 8, Israeli Army spokeswoman Efi Dufferin said that the cooperation between the two allied countries was in the "defense" sector.
A US defense official had previously stressed that his country was not involved in Israel's bombing operations in Iran on June 8.
An unnamed senior Israeli officer reportedly said on June 8 that Israel's attacks on Iran "were carried out without any American assistance" and that the United States only helped Israel defend itself and intercepted one of the 11 missiles that Iran fired on June 7.
The source added that Israeli Army Commander Eyal Zamir spoke with CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper "three times" in the past 24 hours, and that missile defense systems are on standby.
The officer also reported the presence of a delegation of Israeli military personnel in the United States, whose trip apparently began before Iran's missile attacks on Israel.
Dufferin also said on June 8 that Iran had violated the two-month cease-fire by firing missiles on June 7, which "may indicate the inability of Iranian officials to sign an agreement with the United States, and they violated the cease-fire to buy time."
Israel, Iran Looking For 'Immediate Cease-Fire,' Trump Says
In a new post on his social media platform Truth Social, US President Donald Trump wrote that both sides, Israel and Iran, are "looking to do an immediate cease-fire."
He said that final peace talks with Tehran are under way but warned they could be disrupted by "ignorance or stupidity."
Trump added that a US naval blockade will remain in place "until a final deal is reached."
Trump Urges Iran, Israel To 'Stop Shooting'
US President Donald Trump has urged Iran and Israel to de-escalate tensions as the two countries have exchanged air strikes over the past 24 hours.
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said simply: "Israel and Iran must immediately stop 'shooting.'"
Trump had previously warned against the resumption of retaliatory attacks, telling an Axios reporter on June 7 that he planned to tell Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from retaliating against an Iranian missile barrage.