| | Smoke rises after strikes on Tabriz in northern Iran |  | Henry Bodkin Jerusalem Correspondent | Donald Trump escalated the US’s air war against Iran yesterday, attacking the regime’s underground missile facilities with bunker-busting bombs.
The White House confirmed that B-2 stealth bombers had deployed 2,000 bombs on the secret sites, despite the president having declared the war “very complete” the previous day.
It comes as American stealth bombers – B-1Bs – were photographed taking off from a British base for the first time since Sir Keir Starmer approved their use to carry out defensive strikes against Iran, reversing his previous position.
Meanwhile, HMS Dragon, a Type 45 air-defence destroyer, set sail from Portsmouth to help defend Cyprus from attack, more than a week after the island was attacked and the Prime Minister announced its deployment. | Families wave off HMS Dragon as it sets sail from Portsmouth | The news came as it emerged that Iran had begun placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, further attempting to strangle the flow of oil.
In Tehran, Iran’s police chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan, warned citizens on state TV that protesters would be treated as “enemies”.
“All of our men have their fingers on the trigger and are ready to defend their revolution,” he said.
Iran fired three salvos of missiles at Israel overnight, with no casualties reported. The IRGC said it also fired two missiles at a US base in Kuwait.
Israel continued its ground campaign in southern Lebanon and attacked targets throughout the country from the air, including in Beirut. | A fireball rises after an Israeli air strike in Beirut | It reportedly rejected diplomatic overtures for a ceasefire, demanding that negotiations take place only “under fire”.
Read the full story here ➤
Go deeper with our full coverage of the Iran war:
• Follow the latest updates on the conflict ➤
• How Iran’s tactic could trap Trump in another Vietnam ➤
• Emirati tycoon’s criticism of Trump mysteriously disappears ➤ | | Before and after the missile strike on the girls’ school in southern Iran | Credit: Planet Labs | | The missile strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school killed more than 150 people. This much is certain. The US has claimed it attacked a naval base and barracks nearby, but not the school. Some blame a defective Iranian missile. Iranian authorities have presented wreckage marked “made in USA” as proof that America is to blame, but it is not conclusive. Here, The Telegraph examines the available evidence.
Continue reading ➤
Plus, in war, all kinds of things can happen, but people also say all kinds of wild things, and governments lie, writes Roland Oliphant, our Chief Foreign Analyst. That is why the voices of ordinary people on the ground are so important. So here is the story of the tragedy as told by the people of Minab.
Read their testimonies here ➤ | |  | | JD Vance, a prolific social media presence, was notably silent for almost 72 hours after the US launched strikes on Iran | | JD Vance’s silence on the Iran war is prompting speculation of a rift between him and Donald Trump. For 72 hours after the US first launched strikes on Tehran, there were no social media posts nor interviews from Vance, which is unusual for a vice-president with such a prolific media presence. He eventually broke his silence to defend the president, but in doing so, it signalled a clear change in tone and shift from his previously isolationist foreign policy. If we rewind to 2023, he wrote: “Trump’s best foreign policy? Not starting any wars.” As Maga heir apparent, how will Vance balance what is polling as an unpopular war with the political brand he has built? Natasha Leake reports. Continue reading ➤ | | | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard The US president is manifestly unprepared for the economic fallout from his attack on Iran Continue reading ➤ Brendan O’Neill Sally Rooney’s God complex has just reached a terrifying level Continue reading ➤ Sketch by Patrick Kidd We’re on the road to Hell, warns Reform’s high priest in a flat cap Continue reading ➤ | | To make sure you don’t miss our newsletters when they land in your inbox, click here. | | Gillian Anderson has been hired as M&S’s chief compliments officer | | I’ve seen Gillian Anderson play Margaret Thatcher with uncanny accuracy in The Crown and make every woman in Britain want a silk blouse as DCI Stella Gibson in The Fall, writes Lisa Armstrong, Head of Fashion. However, her new gig as M&S’s chief compliments officer might be one of her most compelling yet. When I met her at the store’s HQ last week, she was emboldened by her mission to make Britons, typically wary of giving and receiving praise, loosen up and spread the love. We also discussed her red carpet faux pas, the Iron Lady’s high style standards and how she dresses to flatter her petite frame. Continue reading ➤ | | | | | Steve Higgs, 39, has been forced to live in a makeshift cabin on his own property after his builders suddenly encountered ‘financial troubles’ | | Six years after buying his forever home in Surrey, Steve Higgs found himself living in a plasterboard shack and £200,000 out of pocket. Rogue builders had taken his money, demolished his house and then claimed their company had gone bust. Higgs’s story is depressingly familiar, with cowboy builders having cost homeowners a collective £14bn over the past five years. Continue reading ➤ | | | | | It has been nearly 30 years since “Islamophobia” entered the political lexicon with the first attempt to define it. Despite fears it will have a chilling effect on free speech, Labour has finally adopted an official version. Charles Hymas, our Home Affairs Editor, charts how the debate turned toxic.
Continue reading ➤
The Government claims its new definition of “anti-Muslim hostility” will promote social cohesion while still allowing “criticism of religion or belief”. Nonsense, says Allison Pearson. It has been deliberately engineered to appease extremists and win Muslim votes.
Read Allison’s column here ➤ | | | | | Tom Rubython with the clones of his deceased cocker spaniel, Daisy | | When Tom Rubython’s beloved dog Daisy died, he couldn’t quite let her go. So, he hatched an extreme plan. After stumping up £80,000 by selling his two Mercedes sports cars, he enlisted a South Korean laboratory to clone her. Eight months later, he picked up Myrtle and Mabel, two exact genetic copies, from Heathrow. There was just one tiny hitch... he hadn’t told his wife. Continue reading ➤ | | | In this week’s column, Dr Oscar Duke advises on the causes of morning headaches and what we can do to prevent one | Starting the day with a throbbing head? There can be a number of elements at play, says Dr Oscar Duke. Poor sleep can reduce pain thresholds, making headache symptoms more severe, so keeping consistent bedtime and wake times and reducing your caffeine and alcohol intake can help. Meanwhile, posture issues can strain the muscles of the neck, causing radiation of pain up into the head, so investing in a comfortable pillow is vital. Read more of our expert’s solutions to common sleep problems below. For subscribers only ➤ Below are two more helpful articles for you this morning: | Blackpool Every week, one of our writers argues that their hometown is the best in Britain – but will their case convince you? This week, Marc Padgett explains why Blackpool, while not for the faint-hearted, deserves the top spot.  | Marc Padgett Deputy Head of Sport | The Pleasure Beach, the Tower Ballroom, seven miles of golden sand. I could go on. In fact, I will. Blackpool also has the Illuminations, the trams, and the Winter Gardens. Like a giant stick of rock, the word “fun” runs right through the town. I was born and bred in Blackpool and, although it often now gets bad press, I can guarantee to anyone who cares to listen that it was an absolute blast growing up there. How could it not be when a different hen do turned up every weekend?!
It was recently ranked as the best of Britain’s largest towns in a superb article written by Chris Moss, and I found myself constantly sticking up for the place as guffawing colleagues took the proverbial.
Of course there is the brashness of the promenade and I understand it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but away from the bright lights, you have the majesty of Stanley Park, an excellent zoo and a beautiful cricket club. It is also a gateway to places like Lytham and Lancaster, while the Lake District and Forest of Bowland are right on the doorstep. | Marc with his son, Toby, and his father, Kevin | I still have a huge affinity for Blackpool Football Club, once flying back from Australia for a weekend to go to a League Two play-off final. We went 1-0 down after 15 seconds and I questioned my sanity, but it turned out fine.
I have even brainwashed my teenage son to follow the Tangerines and we have enjoyed – OK, enjoyed is a bit strong – watching them lose at lots of new grounds around the south east of England. I’ve found the longer I have been away from “home”, the stronger my bond is.
So instead of sniggering and dismissing the town as a place of drug addicts and benefit cheats, actually go there and you will find it is full of Northern friendliness, warmth, humour, hospitality and, above all, fun.
I’m proud to tell people I’m from Blackpool (it’s a running joke with my wife that I always tell strangers “well, I live in Kent but I’m from Blackpool”) and I always will be.
What do you think of Blackpool? Let us know here. | What’s in a name? Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
I’m not even going to attempt to guess how many rounds of negotiations my wife and I went through before finally, exhaustedly, settling on a name for our daughter. We stopped just short of calling in the mediators. Perhaps, who knows, we should have relaxed a little. After all, as Heather Main explains, it’s no longer especially unusual for parents to choose a different name for their child after a couple of months.
I’ve enjoyed your responses to her article. Melissa Bean described another case of the best-laid plans falling by the wayside: “My parents decided that I was to be James Edward and decorated the nursery blue. Then I arrived: a baby girl. It took them around three weeks to come up with a new name. I was ‘Baby Bean’ for a while.”
Another reader revealed: “We have friends from Singapore who changed their son’s name after six years. He was hot-tempered, so they were advised to choose a new name to ‘cool him down’. Apparently, it worked, as he is a sweet lad now.”
Of course, it’s entirely possible that my daughter will have different ideas about what she wants to be called, so my wife and I were liberal with the middle names. Maria Smith approved of this policy: “It took us two weeks to decide what to call our son. It shouldn’t be rushed. In the end, he was given three names. I’ve known people to go by their second name. My grandad was always called John; I only learnt that his first name was Alfred after he died. John was his second name.”
Ian Woodier, however, was given no such choice: “My mother just called me Ian because everything was still rationed at the end of the war. Couldn’t afford a middle name.” What’s your take on name-changing? Send your responses here, and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of From the Editor PM, for which you can sign up here.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. | | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was TABLEMATE. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here. | |
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