Eye on Extremism: June 18, 2025
Top Stories
New York Times: How Trump Shifted on Iran Under Pressure From Israel
The intelligence left President Trump facing difficult choices. He had become invested in a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions, and had already swatted down one attempt by Mr. Netanyahu, in April, to convince him that the time was right for a military assault on Iran. During a strained phone call in late May, Mr. Trump again warned the Israeli leader against a unilateral attack that would short-circuit the diplomacy. But over the last several weeks, it became increasingly apparent to Trump administration officials that they might not be able to stop Mr. Netanyahu this time, according to interviews with key players in the administration’s deliberations over how to respond and others familiar with their thinking. At the same time, Mr. Trump was getting impatient with Iran over the slow pace of negotiations and beginning to conclude that the talks might go nowhere.
CNN: Trump increasingly warm to using US military to strike in Iran, sources say
President Donald Trump is growing increasingly warm to using US military assets to strike Iranian nuclear facilities and souring on the idea of a diplomatic solution to end Tehran’s escalating conflict with Israel, two officials familiar with the ongoing discussions told CNN. The new, more hawkish posture represents a significant shift in Trump’s thinking, though the sources said Trump remains open to a diplomatic solution — if Iran makes significant concessions. Over the weekend and into Monday, discussions among Trump administration officials had continued to center on trying to find a diplomatic solution to serve as an off-ramp, sources familiar with the talks said.
CEP Mentions
Süddeutsche Zeitung: Right-wing extremism: Brutally young
Alexander Ritzmann from the think tank "Counter Extremism Project" observes these groups closely. He says that in the spring of 2024, the party "Die Heimat" (formerly the NPD) with its up-and-coming organization Young Nationalists" (JN) changed its strategy because it was running out of members. Instead of being a party cadre factory, they want to bring people onto the streets – and is founding new local groups under the under the label "Revolt", such as the Elblandrevolte in Dresden.
Analysis
Times of Israel: Iran’s nuclear program has been hit hard, but won’t be knocked out if Fordo remains
On the nuclear front, Netanyahu also has much he can point to. Israel has killed 10 senior nuclear scientists, and promises to reach more. It has caused extensive damage to key nuclear sites as well. But – as Israel has learned in Gaza – impressive tactical achievements do not automatically amount to operational success, and damage to some core elements of Iran’s nuclear program does not necessarily mean Israel has set it back very far. “The blow is not yet critical,” said Raz Zimmt, director of the Iran and the Shiite Axis research program at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.
Jerusalem Post: How IDF intelligence outmaneuvered Iran
While all kinds of political and strategic stories in Israel, the US, and Iran led to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give the order to go to war with Iran, there is a specific one regarding operational intelligence that needed to happen to green light this. In October 2024, the IDF began to fixate on establishing a real operation plan that could actually take down Iran’s nuclear program and any other elements of its national power that could severely threaten Israel. Already in mid-2023, IDF intelligence and the Israel Air Force had pinpointed hundreds of potential targets to strike in a hypothetical war.
United States
Reuters: US pulls out of two more bases in Syria, worrying Kurdish forces
U.S. forces have pulled out of two more bases in northeastern Syria, visiting Reuters reporters found, accelerating a troop drawdown that the commander of U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces said was allowing a resurgence of Islamic State. Reuters reporters who visited the two bases in the past week found them mostly deserted, both guarded by small contingents of the Syrian Democratic Forces - the Kurdish-led military group that Washington has backed in the fight against Islamic State for a decade. Cameras used on bases occupied by the U.S.-led military coalition had been taken down, and razor wire on the outer perimeters had begun to sag. A Kurdish politician who lives on one base said there were no longer U.S. troops there. SDF guards at the second base said troops had left recently but declined to say when. The Pentagon declined to comment.
Reuters: Trump's bid to bar foreign students from Harvard threatens Kennedy School's lifeblood
When 35-year-old Oscar Escobar completed his term as the youngest elected mayor in his Colombian hometown in 2023, he was accepted into a program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government tailored to aspiring global leaders like him. If the Trump administration gets its way, Escobar may be among the last foreign students for the foreseeable future to attend the Kennedy School, widely considered one of the world's best schools for preparing future policymakers.
Reuters: US senators seek more security following Minnesota assassination
U.S. senators on Tuesday demanded tighter security in the wake of last weekend's assassination of a Minnesota state legislator and threats against members of Congress, in what one lawmaker called a "spreading virus" of political violence. Law enforcement officials responsible for securing the U.S. Capitol complex and its 535 members of Congress briefed Republican and Democratic senators for over an hour in a closed session, according to senators who attended. They said the review covered steps already undertaken and those being considered to enhance safety.
The Telegraph: School shootings have become routine – political assassinations are next
For a long time, the only attacks you were likely to face as an American politician would come at the hands of the press or political rivals. But with a rising tide of political violence across the country, lawmakers now have to confront the increasing likelihood they could be targeted by a gunman or have their homes burned down. By comparison, a stinging opinion column does not look so bad. Attacks on politicians have become a regular occurrence – much like school shootings, which in other countries would have prompted a national reckoning, but in the US now struggle to make the news.
WIRED: Far-Right ‘Appeal to Heaven’ Flag Flown Above Government Agency in DC
A controversial “Appeal to Heaven” flag that has recently become associated with the “Stop the Steal” movement and Christian nationalism was flown above the Small Business Administration (SBA) agency last week in Washington, DC.
Newsweek: Laura Loomer Says MAGA Crowd Has Turned on Her With Antisemitic Slur
Far-right activist Laura Loomer has slammed “fake” MAGA supporters in a series of posts on X claiming her conservative critics are using an antisemitic slur against her. Loomer, who labels herself a “feisty Jewess” on her X account, has been targeting critics of Trump in right-wing circles in previous days surrounding the Israel-Iran conflict.
Accused assassin Vance Boelter was a popular high-school athlete before becoming born again in his teens, moving into a tent in the park to preach and eventually morphing into an apparent far-right Christian. Boelter — a 57-year-old married dad of five accused of murdering Minnesota Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband and trying to assassinate Dem state Sen. Mark Hoffman and his wife early Saturday — gave few hints in his childhood of the seeming religious radicalization he would undergo.
MPR News: Former Minnesota ISIS member granted early release after helping terrorism investigators
A Twin Cities man who joined the Islamic State group a decade ago left prison Tuesday after providing extensive help to the government in prosecuting other terrorism cases. In a rare move, a federal judge in Minneapolis cut Abdelhamid Al-Madioum’s 10-year sentence to time served with 15 years of supervised release. Al-Madioum, 28, was born in Morocco and grew up in St. Louis Park as a naturalized American citizen in a culturally Muslim but non-religious family. After getting radicalized online, he absconded from a family trip to Morocco, traveled to Syria, and joined ISIS.
CBS News: San Francisco DA charges man in connection with antisemitic attack
The San Francisco District Attorney on Tuesday announced charges against the suspect in an antisemitic attack that happened in the Marina District. DA Brooke Jenkins said 36-year-old Juan Diaz-Rivas was charged with two counts of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, an allegation on one assault that he personally inflicted great bodily injury on one of the victims, and that the assault was a hate crime.
Cops are searching for an elderly cane-wielding goon who bashed a helpless woman wearing traditional Jewish garb at a Brooklyn subway station in an apparent antisemitic attack. “Stupid b–tch. Go back to your country,” the cowardly thug snapped at the woman at the Kings Highway and East 16 Street subway station shortly before 1 p.m. on Thursday, according to the NYPD.
Under scrutiny over his positions on Israel, the ascendant New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani declined to condemn the phrase “Globalize the intifada” while speaking on a podcast on Tuesday. Asked by the host of “The Bulwark,” which bills itself as being for moderate liberals, what he thought about the phrase and another widely used at pro-Palestinian protests, “From the river to the sea,” that have been criticized as antisemitic, Mamdani denounced antisemitism but rejected the critique.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams came under fire from Jewish groups and others after sitting for an interview on the porch of the mayoral mansion Saturday with Sneako, an influential antisemitic streamer. Adams is seeking to run for reelection on the ballot line “EndAntiSemitism.” He has also signed an executive order to recognize the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and delivered multiple speeches about antisemitism and in support of Israel.
Canada
British Columbia Premier David Eby says he wants a gang based in India declared a terrorist organization in Canada. The premier said Tuesday the Lawrence Bishnoi gang had been linked to extortions and other crimes against South Asian community members in B.C., Alberta and Ontario. He said he would write to Prime Minister Mark Carney to ask that the gang be given the terrorist designation "to enable police to be able to use the necessary tools to investigate."
Czech Republic
Euractiv: Czech far right gains ground, reigniting talk of ‘Czexit’
A newly energised far-right alliance in Czechia is gaining ground ahead of October’s parliamentary elections, putting anti-EU sentiment back on the agenda and potentially positioning one of Europe’s most eurosceptic parties as a kingmaker. At the centre of the shift is the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party, led by nationalist firebrand Tomio Okamura. Known for its hardline positions on immigration and the EU, the SPD has recently joined forces with three smaller nationalist parties – Trikolora, PRO, and the Free Citizens Party – in a move that has helped reverse a period of declining support.
Germany
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expresses strong support for Israel in its attacks on Iran, speaking on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada. “This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us. We are also victims of this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world,” Merz says in an interview with the ZDF broadcaster. “This regime is very weakened and will probably not return to its former strength, making the future of the country uncertain. We will have to wait and see,” he says. He adds that the Europeans’ offer of diplomatic assistance, should talks resume, still stands as it did before the attacks.
Reuters: German minister to Iran: never too late to negotiate
Germany's foreign minister appealed to Iran's leaders to make credible assurances that it is not seeking a nuclear weapon and to show it is willing to find a negotiated solution as fears mount of further military escalation between Iran and Israel. "We are still ready to negotiate a solution. However, Iran must act urgently ... it is never too late to come to the negotiating table if one comes with sincere intentions," Johann Wadephul said at a news conference with his Jordanian counterpart on Wednesday.
Poland
TVP World: Poland’s centrist experiment ends as new far-right force gains ground
The centrist Third Way alliance, part of Poland’s government, has collapsed after the leaders of its two component parties confirmed they will run separately in the next parliamentary election, a split that boosts the prominence of a right-wing radical in national politics.
United Kingdom
Reuters: Legacy of past hangs over anti-immigrant violence in Northern Ireland
Bullets and bombs were a part of life in the Belfast that Raied al-Wazzan moved to from Iraq in 1990, but he never felt threatened as a member of one of the divided region's tiny ethnic minorities. But after a week when masked anti-immigrant rioters attacked police and set the homes of migrants on fire, fear has set in.
Reuters: UK removes family members of foreign office staff in Israel
Britain said on Wednesday it was temporarily withdrawing the family members of staff who work at the country's embassy and consulate in Israel due to the significant risks posed from the conflict between Iran and Israel. "Family members of staff at the British embassy in Tel Aviv and the British consulate in Jerusalem have been temporarily withdrawn as a precautionary measure," Britain's foreign office said on its travel advice page for Israel.
Reuters: Hundreds support Irish group Kneecap at UK court over terrorism offence charge
A member of Irish rap group Kneecap appeared in a London court on Wednesday charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah, as hundreds of people gathered outside in support. Liam O'Hanna, whose stage name is Mo Chara, is alleged to have waved the flag of banned militant group Hezbollah during a Kneecap gig in London in November 2024.
Iran
Kurdistan24: Iran Launches Over 400 Ballistic Missiles at Israel Since June 13
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday that Iran has launched more than 400 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones toward Israel since the outbreak of hostilities on June 13. According to the statement, Iranian missiles have struck at least 40 sites across Israel, inflicting substantial damage to infrastructure and civilian property. The ongoing attacks have resulted in the deaths of at least 24 people and injured around 800 others. Approximately 3,800 residents have been displaced as a result of the continuing hostilities.
Reuters: Iran's Khamenei rejects Trump's call for surrender as thousands flee Tehran
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's demand for unconditional surrender on Wednesday, as Iranians jammed the highways out of Tehran fleeing from intensified Israeli airstrikes. In a recorded speech played on television, his first appearance since Friday, Khamenei, 86, said the Americans "should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage."
Iran has conveyed to Washington that it will respond firmly to the United States if it becomes directly involved in Israel's military campaign, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said on Wednesday. Ali Bahreini told reporters that he saw the U.S. as "complicit in what Israel is doing". Iran would set a red line, and respond if the United States crosses it, he said, without specifying what actions would provoke a response.
Reuters: Former Iranian minister calls for Iranian control over Strait of Hormuz
Former Iranian Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi has said that tankers and LNG cargoes should only transit the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian permission and this policy should be carried out from "tomorrow [Wednesday] for a hundred days." It was not immediately clear whether Khandouzi was echoing a plan under the Iranian establishment's consideration or sharing his personal opinion.
Reuters: Iran leader Khamenei sees his inner circle hollowed out by Israel
Khamenei has seen his main military and security advisers killed by Israeli air strikes, leaving major holes in his inner circle and raising the risk of strategic errors, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process. Several senior military commanders have been killed since Friday including Khamenei's main advisers from the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's elite military force: the Guards' overall commander Hossein Salami, its aerospace chief Amir Ali Hajizadeh who headed Iran's ballistic missile program and spymaster Mohammad Kazemi. These men were part of the supreme leader's inner circle of roughly 15-20 advisers comprising Guards commanders, clerics, and politicians, according to the sources who include three people who attend or have attended meetings with the leader on major issues and two close to officials who regularly attend.
Iranian security forces on Tuesday arrested a "terrorist team" linked to Israel with explosives in a town southwest of the capital Tehran, Iranian state media reported.
Israel
Times of Israel: Iran fires two overnight missile barrages at Israel; Khamenei: ‘The battle begins’
Iran fired a pair of ballistic missile barrages at Israel early Wednesday, as Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that “the battle begins” and called for showing “no mercy” toward Israelis. The Israeli Air Force, meanwhile, carried out a wave of airstrikes in Tehran, targeting an Iranian centrifuge production site and several weapon-production facilities, according to the military.
Reuters: Israel-Iran air war enters sixth day, Trump calls for Iran's 'unconditional surrender'
Iran and Israel launched new missile strikes at each other on Wednesday as the air war between the two longtime enemies entered a sixth day despite a call from U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran's unconditional surrender. The Israeli military said two barrages of Iranian missiles were launched toward Israel in the first two hours of Wednesday morning. Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv. Israel told residents in the area of Tehran to evacuate so its air force could strike Iranian military installations. Iranian news websites said explosions were heard in Tehran and the city of Karaj west of the capital.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Israeli drone drops anti-Hezbollah leaflets on Aitaroun
An Israeli drone on Wednesday dropped leaflets resembling fake currency over the southern town of Aitaroun, the National News Agency said. “Do not miscalculate things; do not accept yellow (Hezbollah) cash,” says an Arabic-language warning on some of the fake bills.
Naharnet: Hezbollah's Qmati says Iran 'strong enough', doesn't need military support from anyone
Hezbollah political bureau member Mahmoud Qmati denied Tuesday in an interview with Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik that Hezbollah would get involved in the Iranian-Israeli war. "Israeli reports about Hezbollah preparing to intervene are merely false pretexts to justify Israel's ongoing aggression against Lebanon," Qmati said.
Syria
The Syrian interim authorities should earnestly fulfill their counter-terrorism obligations and take all necessary measures to combat all terrorist organizations listed by the Security Council, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, said Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, at the Security Council meeting on the Syria issue, according to a release published on the website of the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations on Tuesday local time.
New York Times: As Other Arab States Condemn Israeli Attacks on Iran, Syria Is Notably Silent
In the hours after Israel launched its most brazen attacks yet on Iran, Arab countries — many of which are no real friends of the Islamic republic — quickly condemned the Israeli aggression. Arab leaders denounced the Israeli strikes as “heinous attacks” and “violations of international law.” But amid the chorus of criticism, one key player in the region has remained notably silent: Syria.
Long War Journal: Iran-backed militias attack 3 US bases in Syria
Iran-backed Iraqi militias launched missile attacks against three US bases in northeastern Syria last weekend, according to a report from the region. A US defense official did not deny that the missile strikes took place. At least five US bases in Iraq and Syria have come under fire from Iran-backed militias since Israel launched strikes against Iran on June 13, 2025. While no group has taken responsibility for the attack, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq (IRI), a collection of Iran-supported militias, is the only entity that has carried out nearly 200 attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria in the past year and a half.
Yemen
Times of Israel: Houthi official says group will intervene to support Iran against Israel
A member of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebel group says on Al Jazeera Mubasher TV that the group will intervene to support Iran against Israel as it did in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi movement’s political bureau, also reiterates that the group is coordinating with Tehran during its ongoing military escalation with Israel.
India
United News of India: Five, including three militants, nabbed in Manipur
Five persons, including three militants, were apprehended by police and security personnel during the last 24 hours in three separate incidents, police said on Wednesday. Police said that security forces arrested a militant from Chingmeirong Mamang Leikai under Lamphel-PS, Imphal West District. The arrestee was involved in extortion from the general public.
On Day 2 of the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with world leaders centred around major global challenges, including terrorism, trade, and development. Addressing the G7 Outreach Session, PM reiterated India’s firm stand against terrorism, warning against double standards and calling for unified global action.
Algeria
Algeria Press Service: Army captures 9 terrorist supporters in one week
Detachments of the People’s National Army (PNA) apprehended nine individuals supporting terrorist groups during multiple operations conducted across the national territory from June 11 to 17, according to an operational report released by the National Defense Ministry on Wednesday.
Technology
Elon Musk blasted his own artificial intelligence platform, Grok, over a “major fail” after it highlighted the frequency of right-wing political violence versus left-wing violence. Grok, an AI tool that X users frequently ask to fact-check claims from prominent figures such as Musk, has been accused by conservatives in the past of favoring liberals in its responses.
In a TikTok video viewed more than 170,000 times, the eyes of senatorial candidates from the Philippines’ ruling coalition are blacked out with a caption that reads: “Liberal politics is the most corrupt thing you can get.” Another video, more ominous still, flashes the phrase “Fight them before they kill you” over symbols of Muslims, Jews, communists, Freemasons and the LGBTQ community – each struck through by a sword. They are just a few examples of an increasingly visible fringe movement brewing in the Philippines’ online underworld, where a new generation of far-right extremists is using social media platforms such as TikTok and Discord to recruit, radicalise and rally disaffected youth.
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