European Sources

THE exiled Iranian crown prince has urged citizens to stage a national uprising to oust the Ayatollah as the regime sits on the brink of collapse. Ali Khamenei, 86, and his family are believed to have bolted to a fortified underground hiding place in a suburb of capital Tehran. X / @PahlaviRezaThe exiled Iranian crown prince has urged citizens to stage a national uprising[/caption] AFPA building in Tehran hit in an Israeli strike on the Iranian capital early in the morning[/caption] ReutersSmoke rises from a fire, as the Israel-Iran air war continues, in Tehran, Iran[/caption] ReutersIran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is believed to have bolted to a fortified underground hiding place in a suburb of capital Tehran[/caption] Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi is the eldest son of the former Shah of Iran – the last leader before the dynasty was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He urged Iranians in a video posted to X on Tuesday: “[The] Islamic Republic has reached its end and is in the process of collapsing.” Pahlavi called Khamenei a “frightened rat” who “has gone into hiding underground” and “lost control of the situation”. He added: “What has begun is irreversible.” Pahlavi – who fled Iran as a teen and has been living just outside of Washington DC since 2001 – believes that Iran’s “future is bright” despite the spiralling conflict. He also shared how his “heart is with all the defenceless citizens who have been harmed and have fallen victim to Khamenei’s warmongering and delusions”. Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 585 people across Iran and wounded 1,326 others, a human rights group has said. Iran has not been publishing regular death tolls during the conflict and has a history of minimising casualties. Pahlavi added: “The end of the Islamic Republic is the end of its 46-year war against the Iranian nation. “The regime’s apparatus of repression is falling apart.” He then called for a “nationwide uprising” to “put an end to this nightmare once and for all”. Continuing his plea for a revolution, Pahlavi stressed that “now is the time to rise; the time to reclaim Iran,” urging Iranian citizens to “all come forward and bring about the end of this regime”. He assured that if an uprising were to occur, Iranians shouldn’t fear “the day after the fall” of Khamenei’s rule” and promised the nation wouldn’t “descend into civil war or instability”. The exiled crown prince said: “We have a plan for Iran’s future and its flourishing. “We are prepared for the first hundred days after the fall, for the transitional period, and for the reestablishment of a national and democratic government – by the Iranian people and for the Iranian people.” Addressing Iranian security and state officials, Pahlavi urged them not to “stand against the Iranian people,” adding that the regime’s “fall has begun and is inevitable”. He said: “Do not sacrifice yourselves for a decaying regime. “By standing with the people, you can save your lives.” AFPIranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi, activist, advocate, and oldest son of the last Shah of Iran, gives a speech[/caption] AFPIsraeli air defence systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Wednesday[/caption] AFPIranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s waving during a ceremony on the occasion of 36rd death anniversary of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran[/caption] AFPSmoke billows in the distance from an oil refinery following an Israeli strike on the Iranian capital Tehran[/caption] Pahlavi concluded: “A free and flourishing Iran lies ahead of us. “May we be together soon.” Pahlavi has relentlessly spoken out about Iran’s regime and pressed for change, urging President Donald Trump to put “maximum pressure” on the regime. Iran fired several missile barrages into Tel Aviv in the early hours of Wednesday. They are now reportedly preparing to launch missiles and other military equipment on US bases in the Middle East should Trump join Israel’s war, say American officials who have reviewed intelligence reports. In response, Israel fired back with their own tactical strikes and left much of Tehran up in smoke. Iran initially had roughly 2,000 missiles capable of hitting Israel, but a significant number were destroyed after Israel launched its surprise attack early Friday, Israeli intelligence officials said In the past six days of the spiralling conflict, Iran has retaliated against Israeli airstrikes by launching some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. Terrified Tehran citizens have been fleeing in the thousands since Friday, with Trump later urging everyone to immediately evacuate the city. Trump has already ramped up his threats towards the Iranian regime as he claimed on Wednesday the US and Israel know exactly where Iran‘s Supreme Leader is hiding. The US president called him an “easy target” but said he won’t order any assassination plot “for now”. Israel threatened Khamenei hours earlier saying he will face the same grisly fate as Iraq’s Saddam Hussein who was hanged by his own people if he doesn’t start to negotiate soon. Khamenei went to ground after swathes of military top brass and nuclear scientists were wiped out in simultaneous surgical strikes at the start of Israel’s Operation Rising Lion on Friday.  Who was the Shah? By Annabel Bate, Foreign News Reporter THE last Shah of Iran was Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He ruled from 1941 to 1979, having succeeded his dad Reza Shah. Mohammad Reza had a pro-Western foreign policy and encouraged economic development in the nation. What led to his downfall initially however was 1963 The White Revolution – a series of social, political and economic reforms that Mohammad Reza initiated. This looked to both modernise and westernise Iran. But the reforms were perceived as controversial and led to some resistance from various religious and political factions. On February 11, 1979, Iran’s army declared its neutrality, paving the way for the fall of US-backed Shah Mohammad Reza. He died in exile in Egypt in 1980.

THIS is the heartbreaking moment the miracle Brit lone survivor of the Air India crash carries his brother’s coffin at the funeral. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, staggered away from the plane just before it exploded, whilst all other 241 onboard – including his brother Ajay – were killed. ViralPressVishwash Ramesh with plasters on his face carries the coffin of his brother Ajay, who died in the Air India crash[/caption] ViralPressThe battered Brit has been in hospital for most of the time since the crash[/caption] Vishwash, left, and his brother Ajaykumar Ramesh, 35, had been in India on a business trip Footage shows Vishwash walking solemnly at the rear of the coffin with visible cuts and bruises, surrounded by other pallbearers. The battered Brit has plasters on his face and walks with a limp as he holds the casket at the ceremony in Gujarat – where the crash happened. There is a constant commotion around the procession, but Vishwash appears lost in his own thoughts. The tragic parade made its way through the streets less than a week after the plane came down. Vishwash has been in hospital for most of that time recovering from his ordeal – and was even visited by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sitting in 11A – a window seat by an emergency exit – he was able to crawl out of the Boeing 787 when it smashed down shortly after takeoff, and was filmed walking into the street. Ajay was at the far end of the same row on the other side of the aisle – seat 11J. Vishwash’s family from Leicester – including his wife and son – have flown out to India to be with him. An incredible video surface this week of Vishwash heading back to the blazing wreck in an attempt to rescue his brother. He was captured walking unsteadily towards the blazing students’ hostel as black smoke billowed in the sky. Family members revealed recently that he was recovering well. Cousin Hiren said: “He is getting better day by day. “Relatives have been to see him and he was able to speak to his son by phone yesterday on Father’s Day.” Shortly after the tragedy, Vishwash told Hindustan Times: “Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.” The seating plan of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner shows the seat 11A near the emergency exit – while Ajay was in 11J Reuters The plane was left wedged in a building[/caption] He said: “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. “Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.” A relative back in England said Vishwash called home on the day of the crash to say he was “fine” and had “no idea” how he escaped alive. Another revealed that his main concern when speaking to his dad had been the welfare of his brother, asking: “Where’s Ajay?” Vishwash’s death-cheating escape has baffled the world, and aviation experts have weighed in with theories on how he managed to survive the “unsurvivable”. HT PhotoVishwash, a British national, was the only survivor of the crash[/caption] He was heard saying he needs to go back and rescue his brotherTwitter Former senior crash investigator, Tony Cable, told the Guardian that the position in which the jet came to rest may have helped Vishwash escape. He explained: “The aircraft was pretty nose up when it hit the buildings. “It has presumably broken open in an area of the fuselage adjacent to this guy and fortuitously he has popped out without major injury.” Another expert also emphasised the importance of Vishwash’s seat position. Rescuers work to remove parts of the wreckage from the rubble Engineering safety professor John McDermid said the choice may have won the lucky Brit more time to escape. Seat 11A is on the left side of the aircraft’s body, right next to an emergency door, and has extra leg room because it is the first row of economy seats behind business class. And this specific location on board the plane may have meant that Vishwash was given seconds more to get out of the burning jet. Other passengers sat in regular seats may have been crushed on impact due to their proximity to the seats in front of them, according to the expert. Professor McDermid also said: ” My suspicion is that because of the nature of the impact, he was in a strong part of the airplane at the front edge of the wing. “There is not just the fuselage, but the extra structure of the wing to protect from the compression of the fuselage.” He added, highlighting the importance of seat 11A: “It’s possible that the impact loosened the door and he could kick it out and get out. “The external door was only just in front of him so he didn’t have far to go.” Another analyst doubled down on the seat’s crucial location within the jet. Fire evacuation expert professor Ed Galea said: “The fact that anyone has survived is miraculous.” But he put Vishwash’s fortune down the seats proximity to the emergency exit. HT PhotoVishwash’s boarding pass[/caption]

A FEARSOME 15-ton mega bomb could soon be dropped to destroy Iran’s most secure underground nuke facility as the US prepares to join the war. Donald Trump is all but poised to join Israel’s campaign of bombing Iran as they both seek to obliterate Tehran’s nuclear program. USAFB-2 Spirit drops a GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb[/caption] APThe US Air Force airmen look at a GBU-57 at Whiteman Air Base in Missouri[/caption] His statements yesterday, along with America’s military movements, give us the clearest sign that the US is preparing to get involved in the Middle East. Israel said its airstrikes on Iran will not stop until it destroys the regime’s capability of enriching uranium to weapon-grade and making a nuclear weapon. At the heart of its nuclear program is the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which is encased in steel more than 300 feet beneath solid rock – and has so far escaped serious damage. Israel’s arsenal lacks huge bunker buster bombs needed to destroy the underground enrichment facility – some 125 miles from capital Tehran. Only America currently has the fearsome GBU-57 bombs capable of blitzing Fordow. It’s a Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb that can penetrate deep inside the ground before blowing up. The 20-foot-long monster bomb can explode to obliterate enemy targets that are often hidden beneath mountains and massive layers of rocks. Its 30,000lb weight means that its sheer kinetic force enables it to reach deeply buried targets – almost 200ft beneath the surface. It also means only the B-2 strategic bombers currently in the US fleet are capable of dropping them. Multiple strikes would still be needed to reach the fortified underground laboratories of Fordow, packed with centrifuge technology at the heart of Iran’s Doomsday programme. Defence Analyst Paul Beaver told The Sun: “Israel will need literally to move a mountain to hit the plant. “It’s protected by at least 90 metres of solid rock and has so far escaped serious damage. “Options are to repeatedly bomb it for weeks until a breakthrough is achieved or a frontline is hit.” Israel needs the US help to bomb Fordow, which is protected by troops and banks of Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile batteries. President Trump is understood to have offered the crucial strike option in a conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before Rising Lion was launched. And as Washington considers joining the war against Iran, a B-2 bomber strike using the GBU-57 is more likely than ever. Bunker buster air strikes have hammered key uranium enrichment and conversion sites in Natanz and Isfahan, atomic energy watchdogs have confirmed. Israeli officials admitted that Operation Rising Lion will not succeed unless the heavily fortified plant is taken out. Will Trump strike Iran? By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter DONALD Trump is all but poised to join Israel’s campaign of bombing Iran as they both seek to obliterate Tehran’s nuclear program. It comes as Tel Aviv has been carrying out air strikes targeting various nuclear and military facilities in Tehran and other parts of Iran. The goal, as they say, is to thwart the Iranian regime’s efforts to produce nuclear weapons. The Trump administration previously said it had no plans to join the conflict. However, winds in Washington began blowing the other way after Trump cut short his G7 visit in Canada and said he needed to focus on the Middle East. And has repeatedly insisted it was not to pursue peace talks with Iran “in any way, shape or form” – a stark shift in his previous policy of striking up a nuclear deal. Don also went on to share a slew of posts on Truth Social suggesting he may be considering strikes against Iran. He wrote: “Our patience is wearing thin,” before calling out Tehran for an unconditional surrender. Trump also called for an emergency situation room meeting yesterday with his top Washington aides, though details of those meetings have not yet been revealed. But Trump’s statements, coupled with America’s military movements, suggest the US forces may soon strike Iran. As Trump rushed back meet his National Security Council, he vowed he was chasing something “better than a ceasefire”, which will force Iran into a “complete give up”. He refused to specify the endgame, but ominously warned: “You’re going to find out over the next two days.” A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry said that a US intervention in the Middle East would be “a recipe for all-out war in the region. Getty Iran’s ballistic missiles are seen heading towards Tel Aviv[/caption] REXNEWSIran State Radio and Television (IRIB) building was smoking after a direct Israeli strike[/caption] ReutersTrump gestures after returning early from the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Canada[/caption] Meanwhile, the US military is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes as the war between Israel and Iran rages. The Pentagon scrambled at least a dozen F-22 and F-35 fighter bombers to reinforce troops in Europe and the Middle East. Experts said the F-22s and F-35s would most likely be used to bolster Israel’s air defence amid fears Tel Aviv could run low on its Iron Dome and interceptor missiles – the Arrow and THAAD. At least 30 large air-to-air refuellers swooped across the Atlantic this week followed by at least a dozen F-22 Raptors and F-35 Lightning jets. The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier is also steaming towards the Gulf to reinforce the carrier USS Carl Vinson. The hulking $4.5billion nuclear-powered supercarrier, nicknamed Old Salt, is the flagship of the deadly Carrier Strike Group 11. The strike group includes Carrier Air Wing Seventeen and Destroyer Squadron Nine – a potent combination of military hardware that will strike fear into Iran. Dozens of USAF KC-135 Stratotanker refuelers and KC-46 Pegagus tankers swooped into bases in Prestwick, Scotland, Ramstein, Germany, Moron in Spain and Chania in Crete. The KC-135s and KC-46s are designed to refuel fighter jets so they can stay airborne for longer and fly further to hit targets. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said he had ordered “the deployment of additional capabilities” to the Middle East amid spiralling fears of World War Three. But he insisted their role was “defensive”. Trump has also given a two-day deadline for a “REAL end” to Iran’s nuclear programme. The US President has already warned the “full strength and might” of the military would be used if America was attacked. He has also urged Tehran to evacuate “everyone”. Israel’s ambassador also hinted at something big on the horizon – promising lethal “surprises” on Thursday that would dwarf its operations to date. As Trump rushed back to meet his National Security Council, he vowed he was chasing something “better than a ceasefire”, which will force Iran into a “complete give up”. He refused to specify the endgame, but ominously warned: “You’re going to find out over the next two days.” YouTube/Daniel SanderFootage shows one of the four KC-135 Stratotankers landing at Glasgow Prestwick Airport on Monday[/caption] Jordan CastelanThe Pegasus jets and Stratotankers are designed to refuel fighter jets in mid-air[/caption]

A BRAIN-dead mum’s baby has been delivered after her family’s torturous struggle with doctors to switch off her life support. Adriana Smith, 31, was nine weeks pregnant when doctors discovered she had blood clots in her brain and tragically declared her brain-dead. GoFundMeAdriana Smith was nine weeks pregnant when she was declared brain dead[/caption] ReutersHer mum, April Newkirk, said the last few months have been torturous[/caption] GoFundMeThe 31-year-old was kept on life support because of Georgia’s abortion laws[/caption] But despite her family begging for a say in her future, doctors insisted she couldn’t be taken off life-support due to Georgia‘s ban on abortion. After four months of agony, Adriana’s baby – named Chance – was born prematurely on Friday with his mum’s life-support machine expected to be switched off on Tuesday. The little boy is being kept in the neonatal intensive care unit. Adriana’s mum, April Newkirk, told local news: “He’s expected to be OK. He’s just fighting. We just want prayers for him.” The boy’s birth comes amid mounting fears he would be born with severe disabilities because of his mum’s health complications. Just a couple months ago, April revealed how the foetus had hydrocephalus, otherwise known as fluid on the brain. She said at the time: “He may be blind, may not be able to walk, may not survive once he’s born. “Right now, the journey is for baby Chance to survive. “Whatever condition God allows him to come here in, we’re going to love him just the same.” Tragic discovery Adriana Smith, 30, was nine weeks pregnant when she went to hospital in Georgia seeking treatment for agonising headaches three months ago. The young nurse was sent home by doctors with medication after not receiving a CT scan. Adriana woke up the next day with a shortness of breath and making gargling sounds, with the hospital later discovering she had blood clots in her brain. After unsuccessful surgery to relieve the pressure they were causing, Adriana was tragically declared brain-dead. The nurse has a seven-year-old son who is now without his mum, leaving Adriana’s already-grieving family devastated. But the already-harrowing circumstances turned into “an absolute horror show” after Emory University Hospital told Adriana’s family that despite her being legally dead, she wasn’t allowed to die. This is because the hospital – where Adriana previously worked – say it’s acting “in compliance with Georgia’s abortion laws”. The hospital demanded Adriana’s body was kept alive on breathing and feeding tubes until medical staff determined the male foetus was sufficiently developed to be delivered by cesarean section. Health officials in Georgia reportedly believe that removing her from life support would violate the state’s strict anti-abortion laws. The laws prohibit termination once a foetal heartbeat is detected at roughly six weeks. Despite Georgia’s contentious law dubbed the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act containing an exception to save the life of the mother, according to the hospital, this didn’t apply to Adriana. ReutersHer mum has asked for ‘prayers’ following the birth of her daughter’s son Chance[/caption] GoFundMeAdriana was rushed to hospital with headaches which turned out to be blood clots[/caption] They say this was because her life was beyond saving. Adriana’s heartbroken family hadn’t made a decision on whether to switch off her life support, but were left devastated that the choice was no longer theirs. Adriana’s mum heartbreakingly told 11Alive: “This is torture for me. “I see my daughter breathing by the ventilator but she’s not there.” Despite Georgia’s LIFE Act being passed in 2019, it didn’t come into effect until 2022 when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. This is the 1973 case that determined a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion. Doctors anticipated that there would be even more problems as the fetus grew, with life-support systems not designed for long-term treatment of brain-dead patients. And with blood no longer running to Adriana’s brain, the organ was already beginning to decompose. Director of maternal fetal medicine division at George Washington University at the time said: “The chance of there being a healthy newborn at the end of this is very, very small.” Contentious law Legal experts have argued that the ways in which anti-abortion laws have been written have made doctors and hospitals fear potentially facing criminal charges. They also say lawmakers should have anticipated how the movement to establish what’s been dubbed “foetal personhood” – where a foetus would have legal rights – would end up putting the rights of the mum below those of their unborn child. Some of Georgia’s conservatives have even argued that the state’s LIFE law has been misinterpreted. The state’s Republican attorney general Chris Carr said in a statement that the law doesn’t require doctors to keep brain-dead patients alive as turning off life support “is not an action with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy”. But others like state Senator Ed Setzler have said that there’s a “valuable human life” and that “it’s the right thing to save it”. It is not the first time an American woman has been kept on life support due to a pregnancy. In 2014, Marlise Munoz became brain-dead due to a pulmonary embolism at 14 weeks pregnant. Hospital workers had refused to honour Marlise’s previously stated wish to not be kept alive on machines. The medical staff cited a state law that stopped hospitals from withdrawing or witholding “life-sustaining treatment from a pregnant patient”. But Marlise’s husband began a legal battle to get her taken off life support, with a judge ruling in his favour. Marlise was removed from life support before the foetus was born. What are the abortion laws in Georgia? By Annabel Bate ABORTIONS in Georgia are banned after around six weeks of pregnancy. They are not allowed after foetal cardiac activity, otherwise known as a heartbeat, is detected. The Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act prohibits abortions after this point, apart from if there are very limited circumstances like medical emergencies of if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. Doctors can face 10 years in prison for performing abortions illegally. When in Georgia who receive an abortion after six weeks won’t face criminal charges or punishments.

A BRITISH mum says she has been “trapped” in Turkey for almost seven weeks after smashing a hotel shower screen on a drunken night out. Georgia Harrison, 32, claims hotel staff chased her to the airport before she was arrested and stung with a £15,000 bill. Georgia Harrison and partner Arron Tighe were arrested while heading to the airport Georgia admitted she made the ‘worst mistake of her life’ after smashing a shower screensupplied The cleaner, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, admitted she had made the “worst mistake of my life” but said she needs to get back home to be with daughter Poppy, 12. Georgia and partner Arron Tighe, 32, flew to Antalya on May 2 and were due to leave on May 7. But as they celebrated Arron’s new veneers, Georgia downed vodka and cocktails before accidentally shattering a glass screen in the hotel bathroom. She thinks the booze mixed with prescribed antipsychotic medication caused her to black out. Georgia told The Sun: “I don’t even remember it but I smashed the screen.” Panicked, the couple left the Lexia Hotel the following morning and got a cab to the airport to fly back to the UK. Georgia said their taxi was blocked in by three cars before the worried cab driver called the police, who then arrested them. A hellish ordeal then erupted as they were put in a prison cell and questioned without a lawyer. The mum-of-one said she refused to answer questions until she had a British-speaking lawyer, which led to her being accused of resisting arrest. Georgia was then hauled into court after being left in a “cell with 300 men” and was banned from leaving the country until she coughs up £15,000 for the hotel. She said: “I’m trapped, I don’t have £15,000. “I’ve paid my lawyer, paid for hotels, I’ve paid for my rent back home. I’ve tried loads of ways to get out but I’m getting nowhere. I’m at a brick wall. “I know I’ve done wrong but it’s killing me. I need to get home for my daughter. She rings me and asks when I’m coming home. It’s heartbreaking. “There’s nothing I can do to change it, it’s horrible.” Georgia has been in contact with the British Embassy in Turkey, which told her they are unable to help lift the travel ban. But in fear of indefinitely being held, Georgia has tried other means of leaving the country including trying to get a boat to Greece. Each time, a passport check has stopped her. She added: “I need to get home to my child now. suppliedThe couple have been in Turkey for almost seven weeks[/caption] The mum said she is desperate to get home to her 12-year-old daughtersupplied “My lawyer said to wait until it goes to trial, but it’s waiting until then. We have no idea when they could be. “I can’t afford to keep living here. I’ve sat in silence for more than six weeks but I’ve suffered and nothing’s changing.” Her sister has set up a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise £9,000 to help get the mum back to the UK. Georgia said: “I can’t even click on it because I’m so ashamed. “But I don’t know what else to do. “My lawyer sent a surveyor to the hotel who said the damage is worth no more than £1,000 and that’s with labour. “My lawyer offered £3,000 to settle but they’ve refused it. “I just want to get home.”