President Donald Trump has fired a Democratic commissioner for the federal agency that oversees nuclear safety as he continues to assert more control over independent regulatory agencies. Christopher Hanson, a former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said in a statement Monday that Trump terminated his position as NRC commissioner without cause, “contrary to existing law and longstanding precedent regarding removal of independent agency appointees.” The firing of Hanson comes as Trump seeks to take authority away from the independent safety agency, which has regulated the U.S. nuclear industry for five decades.

In the early hours of Tuesday, the Israeli military detected the firing of two missiles originating from Iranian territory, aimed at Israel. The country’s air defense systems were swiftly activated to intercept the threat.

The Israeli military recently executed a covert mission aimed at disrupting Iran’s nuclear ambitions, hitting a location thought to play a key role in sustaining the country’s nuclear weapons development.
According to a report aired Monday by Channel 12’s Amit Segal, one of the primary objectives of this mission was to eliminate a duplicate version of Iran’s nuclear archive. This archive reportedly held a comprehensive collection of documents detailing the Islamic Republic’s expertise and strides in the realm of nuclear arms.

A pair of European satellites have created the first artificial solar eclipses by flying in precise and fancy formation, providing hours of on-demand totality for scientists. The European Space Agency released the eclipse pictures at the Paris Air Show on Monday. Launched late last year, the orbiting duo have churned out simulated solar eclipses since March while zooming tens of thousands of miles (kilometers) above Earth. Flying 492 feet (150 meters) apart, one satellite blocks the sun like the moon does during a natural total solar eclipse as the other aims its telescope at the corona, the sun’s outer atmosphere that forms a crown or halo of light. It’s an intricate, prolonged dance requiring extreme precision by the cube-shaped spacecraft, less than 5 feet (1.5 meters) in size.

President Donald Trump said Iran missed a crucial opportunity by not agreeing to a nuclear deal with the United States prior to Israeli military strikes, but said he is optimistic that Tehran may now be willing to come to the negotiating table. “As I’ve been saying, I think a deal will be signed, or something will happen, but a deal will be signed,” Trump said Sunday on the sidelines of the G7 summit. “And I think Iran is foolish not to sign.” The President reiterated his administration’s objective of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, a long-standing concern that has escalated following recent hostilities in the region. “I want to see no nuclear weapon in Iran and we’re well on our way to making sure that happens,” Trump said.

WATCH: Amid the last rocket barrage from Iran, Israel’s missile interceptor malfunctioned and crashed in Tel Aviv.

Operations at all BAZAN installations in Haifa Bay were completely halted Monday night after a missile struck the complex earlier that day, resulting in the deaths of three individuals.
According to a statement from BAZAN Group, the missile hit a section of the power plant that generates steam and electricity for multiple facilities across the company. The impact caused serious disruptions, prompting a full shutdown of the refinery and its affiliated businesses until further notice.
The company noted that it is working closely with the Israel Electric Corporation to reestablish a stable energy supply at the site as soon as possible. Simultaneously, BAZAN is conducting a detailed evaluation of the destruction and planning how to proceed with necessary repairs.