US quietly sent hundreds of Hellfire missiles to Israel before Iran attack

US quietly sent hundreds of Hellfire missiles to Israel before Iran attack

By Sean Mathews

Posted on June 18, 2025

The US quietly delivered hundreds of Hellfire missiles to Israel before its unprecedented attack on Iran on Friday, Middle East Eye can reveal.

The US sent around 300 Hellfire missiles to Israel on Tuesday in a large-scale stock-up of supplies before its attack, and as the Trump administration was saying it was ready to continue engaging Iran in nuclear talks.

The transfer of such a large quantity of Hellfires suggests that the Trump administration was well-informed of Israel’s plans to attack the Islamic Republic of Iran, two US officials told MEE on the condition of anonymity.

The US’s delivery of Hellfires or other large quantities of weapons in the lead up to Friday’s attack has not been previously reported.

The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles that were headed towards Israel, two US officials told Reuters on Friday.

Hellfires are laser-guided air-to-ground missiles. They would not be useful for Israel to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, but for precision strikes.

Israel’s military used more than 100 aircraft in its attack on Friday, which used precision tracking to target senior military officials, nuclear scientists, and command centres.

“There is a time and place for Hellfires. They were useful to Israel,” one senior US defence official told MEE.

Israel killed scores of senior Iranian officials and nuclear scientists on Friday.

The dead include: the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami; Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces; and Ali Shamkhani, a close aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Trump administration knew about Israel’s attack plans for months.

MEE revealed earlier this month that the CIA was briefed in April and May on Israeli plans to unilaterally attack Iran’s nuclear sites. Israel’s Target Systems Analysis and battle plan for cyberattacks combined with precision strikes without any direct US involvement “impressed” the administration.

But Trump’s behaviour in recent months gave observers, and potentially the Iranians, the impression that he would continue to resist Netanyahu’s very public lobbying to go along with strikes.

Axios reported on Friday, citing two Israeli officials, that the Trump administration was only “pretending” to resist Israel’s attack plans, but privately did not resist them.

Trump has since framed his approach as saying that he gave Iran a 60-day window to agree to a new nuclear agreement with his administration before launching strikes. Israeli media reported the 60-day deadline in March 2025.

The Trump administration began talks with Iran on 12 April 2025, and the Israeli attack took place exactly 61 days later.

The talks in recent weeks hit a wall over the US’s insistence that Iran agree not to enrich any uranium, while Tehran said that preserving its right to a low level of enrichment was a red line.

Throughout the negotiations, the Trump administration continued a steady supply of arms and weapons to Israel in recent months, two US officials told MEE.

The US did not have to provide public notification of the transfer because it was already approved as part of a $7.4bn arms deal that included bombs, missiles, and related equipment that Congress was notified of in February 2025.

Sean Mathews

• https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-us-quietly-sent-hundreds-hellfire-missiles-israel-iran-attack

8 Signs Someone Is Pretending to Care about You

8 Signs Someone Is Pretending to Care about You

By Sherrie Hurd, A.A.

learning-mind.com

Posted on October 29, 2023

 

Have you ever felt like someone is pretending to care about you? Well, if you have, there’s a chance you could be right. Not all people have good intentions.

I live in the southern United States, and I can tell you from experience that some people are just pretending to care about you. Where I live, there’s this thing called “southern hospitality” and basically, it means,

“I’m going to make you feel comfortable while I figure you out.”

I’m serious. I’ve had to learn this as I’ve grown up, and then roll my eyes when I watch the surrounding people welcome outsiders. I felt bad for these newcomers.

And for the rest of you who do not live in the southern United States, this is also the case. There are people around you who really don’t care. I know that’s hard to hear, but it’s true. And while it may manifest differently according to where you live, the signs will be universal or very close.

Are they pretending to care about you?

Have you ever felt like someone you care about is saying all the right things, but there’s just something off? Well, it could be that they are playing pretend. Let’s take a look at a few signs that someone is pretending to care about you.

1. Pretending to listen

Just because you socialize with someone doesn’t mean they give a crap about what you say. They may nod their head and say, “mm-hmm” but this doesn’t mean they get it or agree. One tip-off is that they never disagree with you, and this is because they’re not really listening. This is a HUGE red flag.

Another way to recognize that they don’t really care about the things you say is that they don’t remember any of it. To them, what you say is unimportant because they don’t care about you at all.

2. They’re only around during your success

If your friend is supporting you while you are successful, but when you fail, they disappear, they’re not your real friend. This is an enormous sign.

Fake friends feed off the positive energy of others. If you are making loads of money, getting attention, or receiving expensive gifts, they are going to be there to thrive off your blessings. You can tell when someone is pretending to care about you by when they are present in your life.

3. Odd body language

Maybe you’re not an expert at body language, but even the novice can tell when someone isn’t genuine. When someone is pretending to care about you, they will have open body language. This means arms outstretched, good eye contact, and thoughtful expressions. There will be a hint of a deep connection between genuine friends.

However, those who aren’t real friends will have exaggerated expressions, and fake laughs, and may even be more closed off physically. Not all these indicators apply to every situation, but you will know when someone’s body language is shady.

4. They use subtle gaslighting

I’m sure you’re tired of hearing about gaslighting by now. This manipulative technique strikes so often that it seems as if it’s spreading like wildfire.

When someone is pretending to like you, they will check off all the boxes of a friendship, oh yes. But, they will sprinkle elements of gaslighting throughout your life. It’s so thin and subtle that it will take you a while to recognize it. Well, now that you have this list, you can watch out for it, and call them on this action.

5. They say the same thing to everyone

Don’t get excited when that questionable friend says you are special. You might find out that they say that to all their acquaintances, even strangers. When someone cares about you, and I mean truly cares, they will have things that they only say to you. These are things that have a deep meaning in your relationship.

You will know a fake friend by the way they use “cookie-cutter” statements. They will praise and adore you while using the same words to praise and adore someone else later on.

6. Never remember the important things

You may notice how your friend is always forgetting important things you need them to remember. They will use excuses like,

“You know my memory is getting bad”, or “I can’t remember everything!”

Do not be fooled by this. Fakers don’t care about the things you want them to remember. They probably forget right after you tell them. While some people truly have trouble remembering things, oh yes, these people who pretend to care about you only remember what benefits them the most.

7. Inconsistency

Real friends usually help you just as you help them, right? Well, a person who is pretending to care about you will not be consistent in this area.

For instance, if they need someone to talk to, you’d probably be more than happy to be supportive. However, when you’re having problems, they will always be too busy to talk with you. This relationship will be one-sided most of the time, with just enough reciprocation to keep you hanging on in case they need to use you.

8. They are self-absorbed

If all these other indicators didn’t point toward self-centeredness, then I would just have to say it. They only truly care about themselves.

One sign of this is when you notice how everything has to come back to what they need, what they want, and what they think. It may take some time to pick up on this, but you will. It will be easy to see, as the spotlight will be glaring down on them.

Don’t entertain fake people!

Whether it’s your friends, loved ones, or coworkers, just don’t entertain their nonsense. They do not really care about you the way you think. In fact, they usually don’t care at all. To them, you are simply a background for their poop show. I know I sound harsh, but it is what it is.

When someone is pretending to care about you, they will waste your time, steal your other friends, and eventually damage your self-esteem. And remember, this isn’t just about people in the southern United States, with their fake hospitality. Fake people are everywhere.

So, it would help if you made it your goal to recognize them and then stay away.

Sherrie Hurd

 

 

About the author:

 

Sherrie Hurd, A.A.

Staff writer at Learning Mind
Sherrie Hurd is a professional writer and artist with over 20 years of experience. As a survivor of childhood trauma and multiple types of abuse, she is an advocate for mental health awareness. Sherrie manages multiple mental illnesses, including anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and PTSD. With this background and personal experience, she strives to help others overcome trauma and abuse, cope with mental illness, and heal over time.

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