(LONDON) — Israel is considering taking military action against Iran in the coming days, according to three sources familiar with the situation.
The sources were not aware of a specific U.S. role in an Israeli strike on Iran, though it is possible the U.S. could play a logistical role and share intelligence with Israel that could be used for such a strike.
The U.S. currently has planned nuclear talks with Iranian officials this weekend.
“Senior Advisor and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff plans to travel to Muscat on Sunday for a sixth round of talks with Iran,” according to a source familiar with his plans. “Discussions are expected to be both direct and indirect, as in previous rounds.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday his country will continue to enrich uranium and vowed to rebuild facilities should they be destroyed, as tensions in the Middle East around a potential U.S.-Iran nuclear deal and a possible Israeli strike if there is no deal both hang in the balance.
“We will go our own way, and we will have the enrichment,” Pezeshkian said during remarks in Ilam, a western province of Iran.
“We will build this country with these very young people. It’s not like if, for example, someone bombs our place, that’s the end of it. All this is in mind. Whatever they do, we will rebuild,” Pezeshkian added.
ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston and Othon Leyva contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — The high-profile Democratic governors of Illinois, Minnesota and New York are defending their states’ immigration policies in a Republican-led House Oversight Committee on Thursday — weighing in on the ongoing Los Angeles protests over immigration enforcement.
JB Pritzker of Illinois, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Kathy Hochul of New York are taking questions from the House panel — many dealing with their policies as so-called “sanctuary states.” Their testimony comes as another Democratic-led state — California — is grappling with a slew of immigration-related protests that triggered President Donald Trump to deploy U.S. Marines and the National Guard to the area.
The governors slammed Trump’s decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles, with Hochul saying it “undermines sovereignty.”
“It’s basically saying the highly training individuals … can’t handle their jobs,” Hochul said, adding it’s an “overreach of epic proportions.”
Pritzker added that the decision goes against typical protocol, which “tends to have an inflaming effect.”
The hearing kicked off with a fiery statement from Ranking Member Stephen Lynch attacking Trump and his administration for their immigration policies. Referencing the Los Angeles protests, Lynch said deploying the military against civilians is “wrong.”
“If we don’t step up, it will continue. If we don’t step up, other citizens will meet the same fate,” the Massachusetts Democrat said.
During the hearing, House Republicans have slammed the governors, citing examples where illegal immigrants committed crimes in their states and the governors didn’t assist in effectively removing them.
Sanctuary states still enforce U.S. federal immigration laws, but the term often refers to a limited collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while enacting policies that are more favorable to undocumented people.
The governors have fired back, saying immigration in the country is managed by the federal government.
House Oversight Chair James Comer requested in April that these Democratic governors testify, claiming that the “Trump administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal illegal aliens from our nation, but reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement.”
“The governors of these states must explain why they are prioritizing the protection of criminal illegal aliens over the safety of U.S. citizens, and they must be held accountable,” Comer said in a media advisory for the upcoming hearing.
A spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association also suggested that their leaders are focused on governing rather than spending time on “political stunts.”
“While Republicans in D.C. spend their time pulling political stunts, Democratic governors are busy getting real things done for their states, lowering costs, and keeping people safe,” Johanna Warshaw, a spokesperson for the group, said in a statement.
In March, the Oversight Committee held another newsy hearing with “sanctuary city” mayors including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Those leaders defended their actions on immigration enforcement while Republicans on the committee accused them of increasing crime by defying Trump administration immigration policies.
On Wednesday, House Oversight Republicans released a three-minute digital ad to show “how sanctuary polices do not protect Americans,” which features buzzy news broadcasts about immigration-adjacent crimes, testimony from mayors earlier this spring at the “sanctuary cities” House hearing and video clips of Pritzker, Walz and Hochul speaking about immigration policy.
“Sanctuary governors are shielding CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS, then pretending the consequences don’t exist. Tomorrow Hochul, Walz, and Pritzker will be in the hot seat as their policies cause CHAOS in their states. Here’s what they don’t want you to see,” the Committee’s official account posted on X.
(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a unanimous decision in favor of a Georgia family whose home was wrongly raided by the FBI and was unable to sue for damages because of law enforcement immunity.
The court said their case can proceed under an exception in the law. Justice Neil Gorsuch delivered the opinion.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Craig Hudson For The Washington Post via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are pushing for an investigation into top Justice Department official Ed Martin over his stated plans to “shame” political opponents of President Donald Trump who he’s unable to charge criminally, as well as a host of other politically charged matters Martin has publicly pledged to pursue in his new position.
“I write to express my grave concern about Ed Martin’s stated intention to abuse his new roles as lead of the so-called “Weaponization Working Group” you constituted at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and as DOJ’s Pardon Attorney,” Sen. Dick Durbin, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, said in a letter transmitted to the Justice Department, which was first obtained by ABC News. “Following his disgraceful tenure as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Mr. Martin apparently plans to continue his misconduct in his new roles at DOJ.”
The DOJ did not immediately respond to an ABC News request for comment on the letter.
Martin’s controversial tenure as the interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., in the opening months of Trump’s presidency thrust the office into turmoil and led several Senate Republicans to state publicly they wouldn’t support his permanent confirmation in the role.
But once the White House announced they were pulling Martin’s nomination, Trump said Martin would instead be appointed to several top positions working out of DOJ’s main headquarters — serving as an associate deputy attorney general, the U.S. pardon attorney and director of the so-called “Weaponization Working Group.”
Martin celebrated the news on his X account, posting ‘Eagle Unleashed,’ and in various interviews celebrated what he described as a mandate from Trump directly to target the alleged ‘weaponization’ of the department under the Biden administration.
“It’s classic Donald Trump, right? That somebody tries to block him and block his pick, and he decides to double down,” Martin told Breitbart News last month. “This is probably the greatest job I could ever envision.”
In a news conference announcing his departure from the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Martin confirmed he planned to launch a probe of last-minute pardons issued by former President Joe Biden just before he left office — and suggested that officials he’s unable to charge would instead be publicly “shamed.”
“There are some really bad actors, some people that did some really bad things to the American people,” Martin said. “And if they can be charged, we’ll charge them. But if they can’t be charged, we will name them … And in a culture that respects shame, they should be people that are shamed. And that’s a fact. That’s the way things work. And so that’s how I believe the job operates.”
The approach would directly conflict with longstanding DOJ policy that prohibits prosecutors from naming or disparaging individuals who they don’t intend to charge criminally.
When asked about that policy by ABC News during the news conference, Martin said he would “have to look at what the provision you’re referring to, to see — we want to square ourselves with doing the things correctly.”
The letter from Senate Democrats said Martin’s statements “are a brazen admission that Mr. Martin plans to systematically violate the Justice Manual’s prohibition on extrajudicial statements by shaming uncharged parties for nakedly partisan reasons. Weaponizing DOJ in this manner will further undermine the public’s trust in the department in irreparable ways.”
In his early days as pardon attorney, Martin said he advised the president in his pardon of former Virginia county sheriff Scott Jenkins, who had been sentenced to ten years in prison for a federal bribery conviction.
“No MAGA left behind,” Martin posted on X in response to the pardon.
Durbin’s letter further cited reports Martin has “personally advocated” fast-tracking pardons for members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who were convicted of seditious conspiracy stemming from their roles leading up to the attack on the Capitol, after President Trump initially opted to commute their sentences in his sweeping clemency action for the nearly 1600 individuals charged in connection with Jan. 6.
Durbin’s letter requests Bondi provide a host of records related to Martin’s appointment and early days as head of the Weaponization Working Group and Pardon Attorney’s Office. It’s unclear whether DOJ will ultimately respond to Durbin’s demands given Democrats’ minority position on the committee.
(WASHINGTON) — The FBI is considering moving its training academy from Quantico, Virginia, to Huntsville, Alabama, according to sources familiar with the decision, as part of a broader effort to shift federal law enforcement resources out of the Capital region.
The FBI said in a statement that “any relocation options are being evaluated for budgetary reasons and to save money, while taking advantage of the best facilities available.”
Quantico has been the site of the FBI training facility since the 1970s.
The potential move is being spearheaded by FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, according to sources.
In recent months, Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel have visited Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, the FBI’s “innovation center,” and have publicly posted about it.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said on social media that the possible move is “GREAT NEWS” for Alabama.
(WASHINGTON) — Immigrant rights groups are asking a federal judge in Washington, D.C., to provide “emergency relief” and bar the Trump administration from continuing to ramp up its use of expedited removal.
The motion, filed on Tuesday, is part of an ongoing lawsuit that is challenging the administration’s expansion of the process which allows the government to quickly expel migrants sometimes without going before a judge.
The filing has taken a renewed sense of urgency for the groups. In recent weeks, there’s been a dramatic spike of arrests in courthouses after DHS moves to dismiss cases against migrants in removal proceedings.
“With no advance notice to the noncitizens, Defendants are moving for [immigration judges] to dismiss people’s removal proceedings; arresting and detaining people who have appeared for their court hearings as directed; and placing them in expedited removal proceedings, thereby denying them any meaningful opportunity to be heard before quickly removing them,” the groups wrote in the filing.
The filing added, “This aggressive new implementation of the Rule and Guidance has sown fear in immigrant communities, as noncitizens who have been complying with their legal obligations now face the risk of arrest and summary deportation at their next court dates.”
The groups accuse ICE officers of coordinating with Department of Homeland Security attorneys and “stationing themselves in immigration courts” to “ambush noncitizens” after their cases are dismissed.
Even those who have pending asylum applications and other petitions for relief are being targeted for expedited removal, the groups say.
They claim that those who have been detained include “man whose partner was 8 months pregnant and who had applied for asylum, gay couple who feared persecution, asylum seeker married to a U.S. citizen, and 19-year-old who appears eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.”
The groups are asking the judge to halt expedited removals while the court battle continues.
A senior DHS spokesperson previously defended the courthouse arrests in a statement to ABC News, saying: “Most aliens who illegally entered the United States within the past two years are subject to expedited removals. Biden ignored this legal fact and chose to release millions of illegal aliens, including violent criminals, into the country with a notice to appear before an immigration judge. ICE is now following the law and placing these illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been.”
The statement added on the migrants, “If they have a valid credible fear claim, they will continue in immigration proceedings, but if no valid claim is found, aliens will be subject to a swift deportation.”
(WASHINGTON) — The House Oversight Committee is hearing from the high-profile Democratic governors of Illinois, Minnesota and New York on Thursday during a timely hearing about their states’ immigration policies that some members of the Republican-led committee call “sanctuary” policies that they claim shield criminal illegal aliens from immigration enforcement.
JB Pritzker of Illinois, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Kathy Hochul of New York are appearing at a closely watched hearing that comes as another Democratic-led state — California — is grappling with a slew of immigration-related protests that triggered President Donald Trump to deploy U.S. Marines and the National Guard to the area.
House Oversight Chair James Comer requested in April that these Democratic governors testify, claiming that the “Trump administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal illegal aliens from our nation, but reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement.”
“The governors of these states must explain why they are prioritizing the protection of criminal illegal aliens over the safety of U.S. citizens, and they must be held accountable,” Comer said in a media advisory for the upcoming hearing.
Sanctuary states still enforce U.S. federal immigration laws, but the term often refers to a limited collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while enacting policies that are more favorable to undocumented people.
The Democratic governors have been preparing to testify and getting ready to defend their records on immigration and public safety, according to hearing material reviewed by ABC News. They’ll also highlight how their states cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
“Despite the rhetoric of Republicans in Congress, Governor Pritzker will share facts about how this bipartisan public safety law is fully compliant with federal law and ensures law enforcement can focus on doing their jobs well,” a spokesperson for the Illinois governor said in a statement ahead of the hearing.
Also ahead of the hearing, the state of Illinois retained outside counsel to provide expertise in order to respond to the committee’s requests, the spokesperson said, claiming that “congressional Republicans are wasting taxpayer dollars all to find out that Illinois has always followed the law.”
A spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association also suggested that their leaders were focused on governing rather than spending time on “political stunts.”
“While Republicans in D.C. spend their time pulling political stunts, Democratic governors are busy getting real things done for their states, lowering costs, and keeping people safe,” Johanna Warshaw, a spokesperson for the group, said in a statement.
In March, the Oversight Committee held another newsy hearing with “sanctuary city” mayors including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Those leaders defended their actions on immigration enforcement while Republicans on the committee accused them of increasing crime by defying Trump administration immigration policies.
On Wednesday, House Oversight Republicans released a three-minute digital ad to show “how sanctuary polices do not protect Americans,” which features buzzy news broadcasts about immigration-adjacent crimes, testimony from mayors earlier this spring at the “sanctuary cities” House hearing and video clips of Pritzker, Walz and Hochul speaking about immigration policy.
“Sanctuary governors are shielding CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS, then pretending the consequences don’t exist. Tomorrow Hochul, Walz, and Pritzker will be in the hot seat as their policies cause CHAOS in their states. Here’s what they don’t want you to see,” the Committee’s official account posted on X.
(LONDON and DELHI) — An Air India airliner carrying 242 passengers and crew en route to the United Kingdom from India crashed shortly after takeoff, apparently killing all onboard the Boeing Dreamliner, local officials and the airline said.
“The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 13:38 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft,” the airline said in a statement posted on social media. “Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.”
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik told ABC News that it “appears that there are no survivors on the plane.”
The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed in the Meghaninagar area near Ahmedabad airport, in India’s Gujarat state, Malik said Thursday. Boeing’s Dreamliner planes had not previously been involved in an incident where passenger fatalities were reported. This plane had more than 41,000 hours of flying time, which is considered average for this aircraft, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics firm.
“We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information,” Boeing said in a statement.
The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the plane “fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter” immediately after it departed from the airport. Video from the site appeared to show the jet disappear below the tree line, which was followed seconds later by a ball of fire and a thick plume of gray smoke.
“Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” the Directorate General said in the statement.
India’s Central Industrial Security Force released photos from the site of the crash, which appeared to include civilians and emergency personnel working to put out flaming wreckage. One photo appeared to show the damaged tail of the airplane resting partially inside a hole in a building.
The Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he had “directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action” to respond to the crash.
“Rescue teams have been mobilized, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” the minister added.
GE Aerospace, the aircraft engine manufacturer, said in a statement they have also activated their emergency response team and are “prepared to support our customer and the investigation.”
The local governor, Bhupendra Patel, spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the crash to coordinate their emergency response, officials said. Patel said he ordered a so-called “green corridor” for emergency vehicles to travel between the crash site and local hospitals.
Modi in a statement confirmed that he’d been in touch with local officials.
“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” he said in a statement on social media. “It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”
The airline initially announced the crash in a statement on social media, saying the flight had been “involved in an incident,” adding that it was “ascertaining the details” of the incident. The airline updated its social media profiles to display all-black profile pictures.
The flight was scheduled to fly from Ahmedabad airport, which is officially Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, to London’s Gatwick Airport, according to FlightRadar24, a tracking site.
It had been scheduled to depart at 9:50 a.m. local time, with a planned arrival time in London at 18:25 p.m. local time. Gatwick in a statement confirmed the scheduled arrival time.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was being updated on the situation in Ahmedabad, adding that his “thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”
“The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating,” Starmer said in a statement.
The captain had 8,200 hours of experience and the copilot had 1,100 hours of flying experience, India’s Directorate General added.
The National Transportation Safety Board will be leading a team of U.S. investigators traveling to India to assist in the investigation of the crash.
All information regarding the investigation will be provided by the Indian government.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Ellie Kaufman, Clara McMichael, Sam Sweeney and Camilla Alcini contributed to this report.
(LONDON and DELHI) — An Air India airliner carrying 242 passengers and crew en route to the United Kingdom from India crashed shortly after takeoff in an area near the Ahmedabad airport, in India’s Gujarat state, local officials and the airline said.
“The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 13:38 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft, the airline said in a statement posted on social media. “Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.”
The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed in the Meghaninagar area near the airport, the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner said Thursday.
“We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information,” Boeing said in a statement.
The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the plane “fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter” immediately after it departed from the airport.
“Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” the Directorate General said in the statement.
The Indian Civil Aviation Minister said he has “directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” to respond to the crash.
“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” the minister added.
The local governor, Bhupendra Patel, spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the crash to coordinate their emergency response, officials said. Patel said he ordered a so-called “green corridor” for emergency vehicles to travel between the crash site and local hospitals.
Modi in a statement confirmed that he’d been in touch with local officials.
“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” he said in a statement on social media. “It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”
“It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it,” he said in a statement on social media. “Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.”
The airline initially announced the crash in a statement on social media, saying the flight had been “involved in an incident,” adding that it was “ascertaining the details” of the incident.
The flight was scheduled to fly from Ahmedabad International Airport to London Gatwick Airport, according to FlightRadar24, a tracking site. It had been scheduled to depart at 9:50 a.m. local time, with a scheduled arrival time in London at 18:25 p.m. local time. Gatwick in a statement confirmed the planned arrival time.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was being updated on the situation in Ahmedabad, adding that his “thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”
“The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating,” Starmer said in a statement.
The captain had 8,200 hours of experience and the copilot had 1,100 hours of flying experience, India’s Directorate General added.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Ellie Kaufman, Clara McMichael and Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The State Department is ordering the departure of all nonessential staff from its embassy in Baghdad due to concern over increased security risks in the region, according to two State Department officials familiar with the matter.
“President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad. In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies,” one of the officials said. “Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce our Mission in Iraq.”
The embassy already has a very limited number of nonessential employees, so the order is not expected to impact many individuals.
Under the current plan, one official said the U.S. military would not be involved in transporting the nonessential personnel out of the country, but that those plans could change if the situation on the ground calls for it.
Another U.S. official said that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations across the Middle East as tensions ratchet up between Israel and Iran.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez and Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.
