US secures Israel-Lebanon ceasefire as House votes to curb Trump war powers - Fox News

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Only US, China can retrieve enriched uranium from Iran's 'obliterated' nuclear sites, says Trump

President Trump said Thursday that only the U.S. and China can retrieve enriched uranium from Iran’s buried nuclear sites, adding that the facilities were so badly damaged by strikes that recovering anything would be difficult.

“We attacked their nuclear sites and they were obliterated,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.

“It turned out that, you know, CNN was wrong. They said, ‘Well, maybe they weren’t hit that hard.’ They were hit so hard, nobody knows if you could even get it out,” he added.

Trump went on to argue that only the U.S. and China have the equipment capable of reaching it.

“But the only ones that have the capability of getting it out are us and China,” Trump said.

“We’re the only ones with that kind of equipment that’s powerful enough to go down that deep into a mountain, but that mountain crushed it.”

“That mountain literally collapsed on top of it.”

Referring to assessments by the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, he said the agency agreed.

“And now the atomic energy, as you know, has backed us up on that. They think it’s a very, very hard thing to get to, but we’ll get it anyway. But we’re the only ones — and China, I believe, does, too — that have the capability,” he said.

Follow the latest updates in the conflict with Iran

Click here to follow the latest updates in the conflict with Iran.

Oil prices steady despite Middle East tensions as Hezbollah rejects US-backed ceasefire

Oil prices steadied Friday after losses in the previous session, as markets assessed renewed tensions in the Middle East, according to Reuters.

Brent crude slipped 0.2% to $95.24 a barrel, while U.S. WTI crude fell 0.1% to $92.94.

Despite the declines, both benchmarks are on track for their first weekly gain in three weeks, with WTI up more than 6%, the outlet said.

Prices have been supported by regional tensions, uncertainty around U.S.- Iran talks and disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem also rejected a U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal between Israel and Lebanon with Tehran making the ceasefire a condition for any agreement with Washington.

Iranian lawmakers ask Mojtaba Khamenei to greenlight missiles that could reach US: report

Iranian lawmakers have asked Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to agree to the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, according to reports.

Citing Iran’s Asriran newspaper, The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday that a letter to Khamenei was signed by 85 officials who expressed skepticism about Washington’s role in ceasefire negotiations.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War also interpreted the letter as a call for missiles capable of reaching the United States.

Former Israeli national security adviser Yaakov Amidror told the outlet that any favorable economic terms in talks with Washington could provide Tehran with the resources needed to pursue such a capability.

The letter was also signed by several Iranian hard-liners, including former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who has opposed negotiations with the United States, the outlet said.

US urges citizens in Middle East to exercise 'increased caution,' know shelter locations

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a security advisory on Thursday, urging U.S. citizens in the region to exercise "increased caution", particularly in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

"Due to high tensions in the region, the security environment remains complex and can change quickly," the embassy said.

The advisory urged U.S. citizens in the Middle East to remain vigilant, monitor the news for breaking developments, and know the location of the nearest shelter" in the event of hostilities."

Iran, Russia strengthen alliance with nuclear projects, new trade corridor

Iran and Russia are cooperating more on transportation and nuclear energy projects, Iranian state media reported Thursday.

The partnership already includes a $25 billion memorandum of understanding signed in 2025 to build a power plant in Iran's Hormozgan Province, Iran's ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, said.

“This is Iran’s largest atomic energy project and is being carried out by Iran’s private sector in cooperation with Rosatom,” Jalali said at a conference Thursday.