First Thing: Trump talks of regime change in Iran and insists US ‘obliterated’ nuclear sites

US president says strikes led to ‘monumental damage’ and questioned if the regime could ‘make Iran great again’. Plus, the dolls that have sparked moral panic in Brazil

Good morning.

Donald Trump raised the prospect of regime change in Iran and defended his claim that its nuclear enrichment sites had been “totally obliterated” by US strikes over the weekend, insisting it was an “accurate term” even as a US damage assessment was still under way.

The US president said in a social media post that the sites sustained “monumental damage”, adding: “The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!”

Trump also highlighted the possibility of regime change in Tehran if the country’s leaders were unable to “make Iran great again”, going further than remarks by his senior officials. The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said the mission “was not and has not been about regime change” but instead “a precision operation” targeting Iran’s nuclear programme.

How effective was the US attack on Iran’s nuclear sites? It remains unclear how much physical damage has been done. Iranian media reported on Monday that Israel hadcarried out a fresh strike on the underground Fordow nuclear site, with the Tasnim news agency quoting a spokesperson for the crisis management authority in Qom province, where the site is located.

What are the longer-term effects on Iran’s nuclear programme? Again, unclear. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran insisted its nuclear programme would not be stopped. Here’s a visual guide to the attacks.

Could the US become involved in a full-blown war with Iran? The vice-president, JD Vance, had said the US was “not at war with Iran, we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear programme”, while the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the US was “not looking for war in Iran”.

This is a developing story. Follow our updates here.

Mahmoud Khalil renews devotion to Palestinian freedom at New York rally

Mahmoud Khalil, the Palestinian rights activist freed from Ice detention on Friday, returned to Columbia University yesterday to renew his commitment to the cause of Palestinian freedom. Khalil was freed after more than 100 days in detention in Louisiana by a federal judge who ruled that punishing someone over a civil immigration matter was unconstitutional and ordered his immediate release on bail.

Reunited with his wife, Noor Abdalla, Khalil thanked his supporters and legal team and saluted “the courage of all students at Columbia and across the nation who had continued to protest”.

What happened to Khalil? He was seized by plainclothes US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents in the lobby of his university residence in front of his heavily pregnant wife, who is a US citizen, in early March.

Republican representative’s ectopic pregnancy clashes with Florida abortion law

A Florida Republican congresswoman is blaming fearmongering on the left for the reluctance of hospital staff to give her drugs to end an ectopic pregnancy that threatened her life.

In May 2024, Kat Cammack was told that she was five weeks into an ectopic pregnancy, that there was no heartbeat and that her life was at risk. Doctors determined she needed a shot of methotrexate to help expel her pregnancy, but since Florida’s six-week abortion ban had just taken effect, medical staff were worried about losing their licenses or going to jail if they did.

Cammack looked up the state law on her phone to show staff and even attempted to contact the governor’s office. Doctors eventually agreed to give her the medication.

What did Cammack say? The abortion opponent and co-chair of the House pro-life caucus told the Wall Street Journal she blamed messaging from abortion rights groups for delaying her treatment, which is not banned under Florida’s restrictive statutes.

In other news …

The Thunder became NBA champions yesterday evening, topping the Indiana Pacers 103-91 to capture Oklahoma City’s first major pro sports title.

Wealthy Americans are leading the charge in applications for New Zealand’s “golden visas” after rules were relaxed, with many applying because of the actions of the Trump administration.

A Tennessee judge yesterday ordered the release of Kilmar Ábrego García, whose mistaken deportation has become a flashpoint in Trump’s immigration crackdown, while he awaits a federal trial on human smuggling charges. He is not expected to be allowed to go free.

Don’t miss this: How ‘annotating’ books went from big no-no to BookTok’s next trend

There are two kinds of readers: those who would choose death before dog ears, and those whose books bear the marks of a life well-read. But a new generation of readers are finding a way to combine both approaches: reviving the art and romance of marginalia – the notes and annotations people write in the margins of text.

Climate check: Tens of millions in US face dangerously hot weather in rare June heatwave

Tens of millions of people across the midwest and east experienced another sweltering day of dangerously hot temperatures yesterday with more hot weather expected today as a rare June heatwave continued to grip parts of the US. Forecasts called for a heat index (a measure of what the temperature feels like when humidity is accounted for) of 100F (38C) in Philadelphia yesterday, with a 108F (42C) heat index today.

Last Thing: Hyper-realistic baby dolls spark moral panic and legislation in Brazil

On social media, in soap operas and even in newly proposed laws, a moral panic has erupted in Brazil – over the rising popularity of hyper-realistic baby dolls, known as “reborn dolls”. About 30 new bills (proposed by rightwing and far-right politicians) have been introduced across the country, including proposals to ban them from receiving public healthcare or to prohibit collectors from using them to claim priority in queues for public services. The controversy reached a disturbing peak recently when a man slapped a four-month-old baby on the head, claiming he had mistaken the infant for one of the dolls.

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