Jakub Mensik receives a warning after throwing his racket at the ground and seeing it bounce into the stands during his defeat by Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut at Queen’s.
WATCH MORE: ‘ Exciting ‘ Alcaraz executes brilliant drop shot
Returning early from the Group of Seven summit in Canada early on Tuesday, United States President Donald Trump told reporters he believed Iran was “very close” to building nuclear weapons.
His comments were in keeping with increasingly threatening social media posts and language from Trump against Iran in recent days during Israel’s escalating conflict with its longtime Middle Eastern rival.
Since Friday, Israel has bombed Iran’s top nuclear facilities and has killed at least 14 Iranian nuclear scientists. Israel’s armed forces said the scientists “were key factors in the development of Iranian nuclear weapons” and “their elimination is a significant blow to the regime’s ability to acquire weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).”
Iran insists that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and for civilian purposes. It points to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s edict against nuclear weapons to back up its assertion.
But Trump’s comments on Monday echoed the claims made on multiple occasions by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for more than two decades – and repeated by him during the current conflict – to justify military action against Iran.
“In recent months, Iran has taken steps that it has never taken before: steps to weaponise enriched uranium,” Netanyahu said on Friday after the first wave of missiles struck Iranian nuclear facilities.
So is Iran indeed close to building a nuclear bomb as Trump and Netanyahu claim? And are there parallels between the accusations against Iran and the fraudulent allegations of nonexistent WMDs used by the US and its allies to attack Iraq in 2003?
We look at the facts and assessments of the US’s own intelligence community and the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
On March 25, Trump’s director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, unambiguously told members of the US Congress that Iran was not moving towards building nuclear weapons.
“The IC [intelligence community] continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons programme he suspended in 2003,” she said, referring to a collection of US spy agencies that collaborate to make such assessments.
But Gabbard also said there had been an “erosion of a decades-long taboo in Iran on discussing nuclear weapons in public, likely emboldening nuclear weapons advocates within Iran’s decision-making apparatus”.
Iran’s “enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons,” she added.
On Monday, when reporters quoted Gabbard’s testimony to Trump, he said: “I don’t care what she said. I think they were very close to having” a nuclear weapon.
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple,” he added.
Gabbard, when asked about Trump’s comments, told reporters that she and the US president were aligned – but did not explain how, given their differing assessments of Tehran’s nuclear programme.
On June 10, three days before Israel launched its attacks on Iran, Erik Kurilla, the commander of the US military’s Central Command, told a Senate committee that Tehran was “continuing to progress towards a nuclear weapons” programme.
On the surface, that assessment appears to be at odds with Gabbard’s from March. But Kurilla did not say that the US military thought Iran currently had a programme to develop nuclear bombs – but that it was progressing towards such a stage.
What the general did do was to question why Iran had high levels of enriched uranium. “Stockpiles of enriched uranium continue to accumulate in facilities across the country under the guise of a civilian nuclear programme,” he said. “Iran continues to gain knowledge and skills directly linked to nuclear weapon production.”
Iran has been enriching uranium at up to 60 percent purity – and that has concerned the IAEA and critics of Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Uranium enrichment is the process of increasing the concentration of the uranium-235 isotope in natural uranium, which normally contains only about 0.7 percent U-235. To build a nuclear weapon, uranium must be enriched to about 90 percent U-235. Once enriched to those levels, uranium is considered “weapons-grade”.
Once uranium is enriched to 60 percent, it reduces the time required to reach weapons-grade, which is why higher enrichment levels attract greater scrutiny from watchdogs like the IAEA.
Iran denies pursuing nuclear weapons and asserts its legitimate right, as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including uranium enrichment.
Addressing the UN watchdog’s Board of Governors on June 9, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Iran had accumulated 400kg (880lb) of uranium enriched to 60 percent.
“While safeguarded enrichment activities are not forbidden in and of themselves, the fact that Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon State in the world that is producing and accumulating uranium enriched to 60 percent remains a matter of serious concern,” he said in a report to the Board of Governors.
On Thursday, a day before Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the IAEA board passed a resolution censuring Tehran and accusing it of violating its safeguards-related commitments to the UN agency.
But in an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Grossi was emphatic that Iran’s alleged violations of its assurances had not led his agency to conclude that Tehran was building bombs.
“We did not have any proof of a systematic effort to move into a nuclear weapon,” he said.
“We did not have any proof of a systematic effort to move into a nuclear weapon.” @iaeaorg Director General affirms his agency’s findings about Iran’s nuclear program. pic.twitter.com/TmHx7rtfjJ
Meanwhile, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Atomic Energy Organization have rejected the IAEA’s resolution, insisting that Tehran remained committed to its safeguards obligations.
In his June 10 testimony, Kurilla claimed that if Iran were to decide to “sprint to a nuclear weapon”, it had enough stockpiles and centrifuges to produce up to 25kg (55lb) of weapons-grade uranium in “roughly one week” and enough to build up to 10 weapons in three weeks.
But Grossi, in the CNN interview on Tuesday, suggested a very different timeline.
“Certainly, it was not for tomorrow, maybe not a matter of years,” he said. “I don’t think it was a matter of years.”
And neither Kurilla, a military commander, nor Grossi, the boss of the UN’s nuclear regulator, have indicated how long they think it might take a country to actually build atomic weapons once they have a stockpile of weapons-grade uranium, even if that were Iran’s intention.
Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the US-based nonprofit Arms Control Association, suggested Israel also knows that Iran has no imminent ability to build a bomb.
“If there was truly an imminent proliferation risk, if Israel really thought that Iran was dashing towards a nuclear weapon, I think there would have been a much more sustained campaign trying to disrupt activities at Fordow and other activities at the Natanz site,” she told Al Jazeera, referring to Iranian nuclear facilities.
To several observers of the Middle East, there are.
In the lead-up to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, the US and the United Kingdom asserted that Iraq possessed WMDs, including chemical and biological weapons, and that it was pursuing a nuclear weapons programme.
These claims were central to justifying military action under the argument that Iraq posed an imminent threat to regional and global security. The US intelligence assessments at the time, including the 2002 National Intelligence Estimate, supported this view although with varying degrees of confidence.
After the invasion, extensive searches found no active WMD programmes in Iraq.
As hundreds of his supporters gathered outside the building, an Irish rapper group called Kneecap, who is accused of “terrorism” allegedly, made an appearance in court in London.
One month after being accused of allegedly waving the flag of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah at a concert in the UK’s capital in November, Liam O’Hanna, who performs under the name Mo Chara, entered Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning.
It is against British law to display articles that promote extremist organizations like Hezbollah.
The charge of “terrorism” has been dropped by Kneecap, a Belfast-based group that raps in English but mostly uses Gaeilge, the Irish language.
We vehemently defend ourselves and deny this “offence.” Political policing is involved here. The band wrote on X last month that this is a carnival of distractions.
Last month, O’Hanna claimed the event was an attempt to “silence us” at London’s Wide Awake Festival.
The band has long criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, claiming that it is “genocide,” which the Israeli government denies.
The rapper’s alleged stance on Israel and Palestine was made known in court on Wednesday, according to the prosecution.
According to prosecutor Michael Bisgrove, “he is well within his rights to express his opinions and show his solidarity, just like everyone else.”
The video recording shows that Mr. O’Hanna wore and displayed the Hezbollah flag while yelling “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” in November of last year.
The defendant’s attorney, Brenda Campbell, disputed that the charge was brought too late because it occurred more than six months after the alleged crime was committed at a concert in Kentish Town, north London.
If we are correct, Campbell argued, “This court has no jurisdiction, and the case is over,” and that is what happened.
A second hearing would be held on August 20 to evaluate whether the defense’s assessment was accurate.
Kneecap took to X to report that dozens of Palestinians had been killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza on Tuesday while waiting for aid truck drivers.
While doing so, they will try to demonize Mo Chara as a terrorist tomorrow, Kneecap continued.
An Irish activist who used the name Patrick to refer to Patrick outside the courtroom in London on Wednesday referred to the charge against O’Hanna as “nonsense.”
He told Al Jazeera, “This case has all the characteristics of a political show trial.”
Sarah Cotte, age 21, claimed that the group was being “targeted because they have shown unwavering and unbowed solidarity with the Irish people and the Palestinian struggle.”
A semi-fictional film about the band won numerous awards, including one at the Sundance Film Festival, and the band rose to fame last year.
Paul Weller and Brian Eno, two well-known British musicians, have praised the Irish trio’s support, calling it a “concerted attempt to censor and de-platform Kneecap.”
Split rumors about Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry have recently gotten worse, and it might get worse if he attends Jeff Bezos’ wedding by himself. Orlando will not be attending the nuptials, according to reports.
Jeff is set to marry Lauren Sanchez in the coming weeks in a special days-long wedding celebration, which will take place in Venice, Italy. Orlando is reportedly expected to attend the nuptials alone and not alongside Katy Perry.
Katy and Orlando have been subjected to split rumours as of late and this is no doubt only going to intensify the rumours. However, Katy is not expected to attend the nuptials because she will be on tour in Australia at the time.
It has been reported by TMZ that Katy will miss the nuptials because of her pre-organised tour of Down Under. It was revealed by a source recently that the pair are waiting to announce their split.
It’s over, a source said. They simply aren’t waiting for the tour to end before they split. Katie recently made headlines when she and several other women boarded the New Shepard NS-31, a Blue Origin spacecraft, and went into space.
She continued, “I feel very, very connected to love,” after her return. I believe that no matter how much love you have for someone until the day you launch, you never know how much love is inside of you.
A daisy was seen in Katy’s hand as a nod to her daughter was displayed. But she also took a second, more significant position. Daisy flowers are common flowers, but they can survive any circumstance, she continued, adding that they can be resilient. They can be found in any location, in any climate, in any location, in any location. They are strong, powerful, and everywhere.
Flowers are a reminder of our beautiful Earth, the flowers here, and the beautiful magic that is everywhere, all around us, even in a basic daisy, but it’s also a reminder of that. so that I can truly appreciate it, keep it in mind, and take good care of it.
Katy and Orlando proposed splitting their time between London and the US in 2024 after Katy expressed her love for the city in the year.
We’ve been considering splitting our time between our time in London because we both adore it so much, and we think you guys are really sophisticated. My hometown, Orlando, and I both spend so much time there.
“We spent all day in Hyde Park yesterday, we went to the Princess Diana playground. It’s great for kids. She [her daughter] literally went to a dinosaur-themed high tea today, I mean, where else can you do that?”
Jamie Laing and his wife Sophie Habboo appeared to be having a disagreement earlier today. The Made In Chelsea stars who are expecting their first child together have been working alongside one another at BBC Radio 1, with Sophie stepping in for Vick Hope, who is currently on maternity leave.
But Sophie, 30, who is covering Vick on the drivetime show, was seen embroiled in a heated discussion with her husband, 36, close to their workplace. As the temperatures across the UK continue to soar, Sophie opted for a more relaxed and casual style as she donned a pair of flat shoes and a skirt, which she paired with a blue cardigan.
Jamie, the owner of Candy Kittens, wore a more edgy outfit while carrying a Louis Vuitton bag while sporting a pair of Nike New Balances, black pants, and a white T-shirt. After a tense-looking conversation, the couple, who are no strangers to one another, started to appear rather hopeless.
READ MORE: Boots’ No7 serum that ‘reverses’ signs of skin damage sold every 7 seconds
Sophie, who boasted a positive pregnancy glow, looked rather annoyed at her husband as she clung to a bottle of water while Jamie wafted his arms in the air. It is not known what the pair were talking about during their tense discussion but later appeared to be relaxed with one another.
Sophie recently admitted to struggling with some of her journey on her and Jamie’s podcast, NearlyParents, despite the fact that she is excited about having their first child.
She claimed that due to the dramatic change in her hormone levels, she felt like she was “dying” and was quickly becoming irritated during her second trimester. She said, “This girl has changed from a bit of a b***h to not come near me.”
She continued, “Up until week eight, I was smooth sailing.” I was like, “What is every talking about, this is unbelievable? There are no good aversions, no sickness, no energy.” Everyone is starting to let me down a little bit now that week eight has arrived. Is it against the law to punch him in the face while he is sat next to me on the plane, as that man is breathing?
If you’re a podcast fan, you’ll love me if you meet me at the moment, but I promise you won’t like me. While husband Jamie has been battling with Sophie’s ongoing mood changes, she explained, “No, the only craving I have is hating you.”
“I then spent an evening on Reddit looking at Why does your wife hate her husband so much when they’re pregnant?” Jamie went on to say: “Sophie is teaching me to drive and I’m a little bit nervous in the car and she goes ‘You’re a s**t driver’. I’m literally in my head going ‘Oh my God, she hasn’t eaten, this is really scary.’
Sophie then says to me, “I’m so angry I want to drive both of us into the backseat of this car and kill us.” She then began crying! Although “sophie stated that her” anger was temporary, she said it was uncontrollable. She also pointed out that she couldn’t fit into her clothes because of her pregnancy and body changes.
In addition, Jamie had previously joked that he would “leave Sophie as she had become” intolerable “due to her hormone changes.” He quickly addressed his criticism, saying, “I had no idea how your body changes and the emotional journey you go on.
“I just didn’t understand the extreme things that go on and since having read stuff on Instagram, I am awe of what you go through. The hormone change is wild.”
The Mirror has approached Jamie and Sophie’s spokesperson for comment.
Argentina vs. the British and Irish Lions
Dublin’s Aviva Stadium Date: Friday, June 20 Kick-off: 20:00 BST
The British and Irish Lions’ central partnership will be Sione Tuipulotu of Scotland and Bundee Aki of Ireland against Argentina in Dublin on Friday night.
Tuipulotu, a Glasgow international who injured himself during the Six Nations, will play his first international rugby match since Scotland beat Australia in November, despite the fact that both players appear to be more natural inside centers.
Leinster hooker Ronan Kelleher, who was the only player to feature for their club side last week and will be on display at the Aviva Stadium, is still without the majority of the players who made it to the domestic finals, according to head coach Andy Farrell.
Tadhg Furlong, who has only played nine games this season due to injuries, is making a welcome comeback. Leinster haven’t featured for them since last month’s Investec Champions Cup defeat by Northampton.
Finlay Bealham, the tight-head’s Ireland counterpart, will start on the bench when Zander Fagerson, the Scotland prop, is ruled out of the trip because of injury, is expected to wear the three jersey.
At nine and ten, Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith, two Northampton Saints teammates, will play.
The Lions will have two of the 23 players who will make their first appearance against the Lions.
The two Welshmen in the tour group are first-timers as well.
Wales’ captain Jac Morgan is in the back row, and Tomos Williams, the team’s scrum-half cover, is on the bench.
The tour to South Africa began four years ago with the participation of backs Aki, Marcus Smith, Duhan van der Merwe, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tadhg Beirne, and Tom Curry.
On that trip as well as the four-year visit to New Zealand, skipper Itoje and his replacement, Furlong and Elliot Daly, were present.
Although Andy Farrell has had his hands tense over the fact that 15 of his squad only arrived in camp on Monday, the first Lions selection of a tour is always highly anticipated, and this is no exception.
That indicates that he almost exclusively selected players from Portugal training last week. The centre pairing is intriguing, with Blair Kinghorn and Bundee Aki seen as rivals for the Test number 12 jersey but playing together, while Marcus Smith is at full-back and Hugo Keenan is at 23.
The starting XV features two of the Englishmen, two of whom are familiar, but Tadhg Furlong has been chosen as his replacement and makes the most of the bench.