Iran, Saudi Arabia discuss defense ties as US and Riyadh stage counter-drone drills

“Our defensive and combat readiness has reached a level that deters enemies from committing miscalculations, including thoughts of renewed invasion of the country,” Mousavi said.

“We thank God that, thanks to the vigilance and wisdom of the armed forces and the use of historical experience, our defensive and combat preparedness has reached a stage that prevents enemies from making calculation errors.”

He described boosting defensive and offensive capabilities across the military as an “undismissable strategic priority” and called for greater use of the IRGC’s paramilitary Basij volunteer force to expand Iran’s deterrent power and operational reach.

“These strategies will guarantee lasting security and Iran’s deterrent defensive power against any aggression,” he added.

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  US urges Iran to cease war rhetoric, address people's needs

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  US B-2 bomber commander details 'flawless' attack on Iran

Israel launched a 12-day campaign that killed Iranian nuclear scientists and hundreds of military personnel and civilians and was followed by US bombings of key nuclear sites, while Iranian counterattacks killed 31 Israeli civilians and an off-duty soldier.

US and Israeli officials said the strikes were intended to block Iran from developing nuclear weapons. European powers have pressed for renewed diplomacy and the restoration of UN sanctions, while Tehran denies pursuing a bomb and describes the measures as diplomatic coercion.

“Number one, Hamas is a terrorist organization. We recognize Israel is going to go after every single one of those terrorists," said senator Mike Rounds.

"But at the same time, Qatar is a different country, and this took place in a different country that was our ally, and it is a country which was allowing for a peace process to try to proceed."

The senator stressed that while he backs what he called Israel’s right to target Hamas, he was concerned by the assassination attempts on the soil of a US ally at the heart of ongoing mediation.

“I think the President of the United States is correct in addressing his concern with Israel’s decision to literally attack individuals, even if they were terrorists, in a foreign country. And I think this is going to cause problems for any peace process to move forward in a timely fashion now.”

The White House has said it was notified of the strike only after missiles were already in the air, giving President Trump no chance to intervene. However, Axios, citing unnamed Israeli officials, reported that Washington had earlier notice and had informed the president.

On September 9, 2025, Israel carried out an airstrike in Doha, Qatar, targeting a meeting of Hamas political officials. At least five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer were killed.

The attack was the first known Israeli strike on Qatari soil — a state that has long hosted Hamas’ political leadership while also mediating ceasefire and hostage talks.

Israel defended the strike as a necessary step to eliminate Hamas leaders it accused of orchestrating attacks against Israeli civilians. For Qatar, however, the attack represented a violation of sovereignty and a blow to its credibility as a mediator.

The fallout was immediate and sharp. Qatar denounced the strike as “cowardly and treacherous,” vowing to raise the issue at the United Nations. The United Arab Emirates, despite its normalized ties with Israel, summoned Israel’s deputy ambassador and described the attack as “blatant and cowardly.”

Turkey accused Israel of adopting “state terrorism as policy.” The UN Security Council, with US support, condemned the operation as a violation of international law and a threat to peace talks.

Iran seized on Israel’s strike in Doha to portray itself as the defender of Arab sovereignty and Palestinian resistance, with President Masoud Pezeshkian and other officials condemning the attack as illegal and anti-peace. Officials in Tehran argue that this could push regional states closer to Iran.

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  Tehran seizes on Israel’s Doha strike to bolster regional narrative

Leaders of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation convened an emergency summit in Doha on Monday, where a draft communiqué warned Israeli operations on foreign soil risk unraveling normalization efforts across the Arab world.

Rounds’ remarks underscore Washington’s delicate balancing act — supporting what it calls Israel’s right to defend itself while also defending the sovereignty of a Persian Gulf ally critical to US diplomacy.

“No rational and patriotic Iranian would ever believe the claim of friendship and sympathy by a regime with a long history of meddling in Iran’s affairs and committing crimes against Iranians,” the foreign ministry said in its statement.

It cited grievances ranging from a CIA-orchestrated 1953 coup and US support for Saddam Hussein during the 1980–1988 war to the downing of an Iranian passenger jet in 1988, years of sanctions and joining Israel in attacks on nuclear sites in June.

Tehran also argued that the US, as Israel’s main supporter and a country it described as steeped in racism, has “no credibility to speak on human rights.” It vowed that Iranians “will never forget or forgive” America’s actions.

Mahsa "Jina" Amini, 22, died in morality police custody on September 16 2022, igniting nationwide protests under the slogan “Woman, Life Freedom” that remain a rallying point for calls for systemic change in Iran.

In its message on the eve of the anniversary, the US State Department said it “stands with the people of Iran in their calls for dignity and a better life,” adding, “Mahsa’s name will never be forgotten” and accusing Tehran’s leaders of “crimes against humanity.”

The statement charged that Iran’s rulers had squandered the nation’s wealth on exporting ideology abroad while leaving citizens to endure “shortages of water and electricity, poverty, and crumbling infrastructure.”

In Larijani's meeting with the Crown Prince, discussions focused on strategic regional issues and the situation in Islamic countries, with both sides exchanging views on the future of the region.

The meetings come amid heightened regional tensions following an Israeli airstrike in Doha on September 9 which targeted Hamas leaders. Qatar and other Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, condemned the attack as a violation of sovereignty.

Larijani and Bin Salman also explored ways to expand economic cooperation between Tehran and Riyadh, including resolving obstacles facing traders and examining opportunities for joint investments, Iranian official media reported.

Larijani later held a meeting with Saudi Defense Minister Khalid Bin Salman, during which both sides discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation in the defense field as part of broader efforts to consolidate ties between the two countries, according to IRGC-affiliated Fars News.

Following talks with Larijani, Khalid bin Salman said he had reviewed bilateral relations and regional developments.

“In my meeting, we discussed Saudi-Iranian relations and addressed a number of issues of mutual interest, as well as regional developments and efforts to achieve security and stability,” the Kingdom's defense minister said.

Khalid bin Salman in April paid a rare visit to Tehran, where he met with Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. It was the first time Khamenei had received a Saudi official since 2006.

The planes are based at Whiteman Air Force Base, just south of Knob Noster, Missouri, home to all 19 operational B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.

Colonel Josh Wiitala, who commands the base, showed the reporters the bombers used in the roughly 30-hour mission dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer. Along with submarine-launched missiles, the American air attack targeted the Iranian nuclear facilities of Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan.

“It was just flawless performance,” Wiitala said. Shortly after the strikes, US President Donald Trump said they had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program.

The mission marked the first known US deployment of 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs or Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) called the GBU-57.

“This team had flown Red Flag after Red Flag, major exercise after major exercise. I was watching the crews prepare and thinking about how many repetitions they’d had, how long they’d trained for this. It was a very seasoned crew,” Col. Wiitala said.

Each B-2 flew with two pilots so one could rest during the long mission.

“When I knew the crews were safe, when I knew they were in friendly airspace and secure, that was the biggest thing for me. In terms of mission success, it was 14 weapons on target. Again, it was just flawless performance,” Col. Wiitala added.

The B-2 is the only long-range stealth aircraft capable of carrying the 30,000-pound MOP and each aircraft carried two GBU-57s in their attack on Iran.

“We’ve used penetrators in the past, same concept as the penetrators you saw during the Iraq war, just on a much larger scale. The bigger the weapon, the deeper it penetrates,” Chief Master Sergeant Frank Espinoza said.

“We keep all the munitions on the far side of the base to ensure we meet explosive-safety standards,” Espinoza added. Weapons loaders undergo 21 days of training to become certified to maintain and load the 30,000-pound bombs, which secure to the aircraft at two steel touchpoints.

Of the 14 bombs carried by the B-2s, 12 were dropped on the Fordow nuclear site in Iran, a facility reportedly buried under roughly 300 feet of rock inside a mountain.

The US Air Force has ordered a new generation of advanced bunker-busting weapons as it seeks successor technology to the massive ordnance used in the strikes.