IAEA chief Grossi 'must be held accountable,' Iranian judiciary official says

“The loading of the mines... suggests that Tehran may have been serious about closing one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes,” the officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Reuters also reported that Iran’s military “could have also simply been making necessary preparations in the event that Iran’s leaders gave the order.”

The activity was detected after Israel launched missile strikes on Iranian territory on June 13, the officials said.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically vital waterway bordered by Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas trade passes through the route.

Iran’s parliament approved a measure to close the strait last month following US airstrikes, state media reported. The measure was not binding, and the final decision rests with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the country’s highest security authority, a lawmaker said last month.

Iran has long threatened to shut the strait but has never followed through. A closure would likely disrupt global energy markets and risk triggering a broader conflict.

A White House official said the waterway remains open and credited President Trump’s military operations, pressure campaign, and efforts to restore maritime security.

“One of the tools used by the Zionist enemy to harm public security, residential areas, and specific parts of the country was the use of civilian drones for military purposes,” Reza Talaei-Nik, spokesperson for the defense ministry, said in a televised interview.

He blamed a lack of legal and structural frameworks governing the drone industry and its use in Iran, saying that a new law passed by Iran’s parliament aims to regulate the drone sector.

“This law will oversee the process of drone manufacturing, their operational system, and their import and export."

“Drone use must be treated like cars, with ownership documents issued by the police and flight permits obtained from the Civil Aviation Organization. The law also defines regulations for domestic drone production,” Talaei-Nik added.

Israeli media previously reported that Mossad had established a drone base inside Iran as part of a broader infiltration operation.

“We had tremendous success with Iran. They were not happy… They’re so bombed out. That place was decimated. It’ll be years before anyone can even get down there," Trump told reporters in Florida.

When asked about the possibility of the US signing a nuclear agreement with Tehran, Trump said "that’s not a priority" after the successful strikes.

"But we’ll get whatever we want, whatever we want from Iran,” he said.

“I think—and I hope—they want to have a good country. You know, they’re under massive sanctions right now. Biting sanctions. It’s very hard for them to do anything under those sanctions. I look forward to maybe a time when we can get along, and they can rebuild their country."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS News earlier, “I don’t think negotiations will restart as quickly as that... but the doors of diplomacy will never slam shut.”

US envoy Steve Witkoff previously said that talks with Iran are ongoing through both direct and indirect channels.

In his Tuesday remarks, Trump also said he will celebrate the success of the Iran operation when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the White House next week.

“It’s going to be a very quick celebration. We had a great hit—it was an obliteration.”

Trump praised the US military’s operation on the three nuclear sites and said those involved in the mission would be invited to the White House.

Iran, however, has rejected the notion that its nuclear program was destroyed, insisting that its knowledge and scientific capabilities remain intact.

“One cannot obliterate the technology and science of enrichment through bombings,” Araghchi said. “If the will exists on our part—and it does—we will be able to repair the damage and recover lost time quickly.”

Iran remains under international sanctions not only for its nuclear program, but also over its human rights record and its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“A hostile foreign adversary is threatening to illegally exploit purportedly stolen and unverified material in an effort to distract, discredit, and divide,” the Department of Homeland Security wrote on X.

“This so-called cyber ‘attack’ is nothing more than digital propaganda, and the targets are no coincidence.”

The department warned that any individuals responsible would be held accountable.

Hackers affiliated with Iran, using the pseudonym "Robert," have threatened to release additional stolen emails from associates of Trump, Reuters reported.

The group, which leaked an earlier batch of documents ahead of the 2024 presidential election, claims to possess roughly 100 gigabytes of emails from accounts linked to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan, adviser Roger Stone, and Stormy Daniels, a well-known Trump critic.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi called the breach “an unconscionable cyberattack,” while FBI Director Kash Patel vowed that anyone involved in national security violations would face full prosecution.

“This is a calculated smear campaign meant to damage President Trump and discredit honorable public servants who serve our country with distinction. These criminals will be found and brought to justice,” the DHS said.

Despite earlier comments to Reuters suggesting that no further leaks were planned and that the group had “retired,” Robert re-emerged following the recent 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which culminated in US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

“Let this be a warning to others: there will be no refuge, tolerance, or leniency for these actions,” the DHS said.

The report said images captured over the weekend by Maxar Technologies show a newly built road leading up the mountain to the Fordow site, along with several vehicles, including an excavator and a mobile crane.

The Wall Street Journal cited an analysis by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) that said the excavator was likely preparing a staging area to lower cameras or personnel into bomb impact points to inspect the damage to the underground facility.

On Monday, ISIS president David Albright said that Maxar’s imagery shows Iran is preparing for downhole inspections at two impact sites, starting with the one where a crane is already positioned.

In a post on X, he said that the terrain at one site is too unstable for normal crane access, and that Iran may need to install a larger crane to reach that area safely.