US President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi - a longtime ally and fierce defender of his administration - from her post as America's top law enforcement officer.

Trump praised her in a post on Truth Social and said she would be "transitioning" to a role in the private sector.

Bondi's time leading the justice department was often overshadowed by its handling of the release of files relating to Jeffrey Epstein and its investigation into the convicted sex offender.

She is the second Trump administration official in recent weeks to be cut from her post, after Kristi Noem was ousted as homeland security chief in March. Bondi will be replaced by her former deputy, Todd Blanche.

Bondi said she would be "working tirelessly" to transfer her work to Blanche, adding that the job had "been the honour" of a lifetime.

Bondi added that in her new private sector position - which she did not identify - she would "continue fighting for President Trump and this administration".

The announcement comes less than two months after a combative congressional hearing in which Bondi was peppered with questions from lawmakers - at times descending into shouting matches in which she called one Democrat a "washed up loser".

As recently as Thursday morning, Trump was defending Bondi, saying: "She is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job."

But hours later, Trump confirmed her departure on Truth Social, saying that her new private sector role would be "announced at a date in the near future". The news was first broken by Fox.

Trump lauded Bondi's performance as attorney general in his post, saying she had done "a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in crime across our country."

But Trump reportedly had grown increasingly frustrated with Bondi, in particular over her handling of the Epstein files.

When she was sworn into the post in February 2025, she vowed transparency on the Epstein case and promised to release an alleged client list associated with the disgraced financier, who died in 2019.

The department later said no such list existed.

In the end, millions of files related to Epstein were released, but under pressure - including from Trump supporters - and only after Congress passed a law requiring the Department of Justice to make unclassified records public.

Some lawmakers say Bondi and the justice department have redacted victims' names as required by law.

Others have said the department has failed to fully comply with the law and is inappropriately withholding documents, which it denies.

The agency, and subsequently Bondi, faced bipartisan backlash, with lawmakers accusing the justice department of failing to obscure some identifying information about survivors while protecting the identities of those who were not victims.

A handful of Republicans who worked with her closely over the years praised her on Thursday.

"Pam Bondi led this Department with strength and conviction and I'm grateful for her leadership and friendship," Blanche wrote on X. "We will continue backing the blue, enforcing the law, and doing everything in our power to keep America safe."

Others quickly celebrated her departure.

Among them was Kentucky lawmaker Thomas Massie, a regular critic of Bondi's handling of the Epstein files.

"I hope the next AG will release all the Epstein files according to the law and follow up with investigations, prosecutions and arrests," he wrote on X.

California Democrat Ro Khanna - who worked with Massie on a bipartisan effort to compel the release of the files - posted that the "the Senate must fight to make sure Bondi is not replaced with another lawless sycophant."

Another Republican critic of Bondi's, South Carolina representative Nancy Mace, accused her of having "stonewalled every effort to hold the guilty accountable" and "seriously undermined President Trump" with her handling of the files.

Survivors also told the BBC that Bondi had yet to meet them or respond to their emails about Epstein's wrongdoing, and the matter has become a political liability for Trump.

Bondi has called Epstein a "monster" and told the victims she was sorry for the abuse they endured.

Most recently, a congressional committee formally summoned Bondi to answer questions over her handling of the Epstein investigation. She was expected to appear before them this month.

Under her leadership, the justice department has pursued a number of criminal investigations into political opponents of the president, including California Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey.

In September, Trump pushed Bondi to more aggressively investigate his political adversaries. In a social media post addressed directly to Bondi, he said: "We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility."

The justice department under her tenure faced questions over its handling of the investigation into federal immigration agents fatally shooting two people during confrontations in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide demonstrations in January.

Bondi was part of Trump's legal team during his first impeachment trial and when he made false claims that the 2020 election had been stolen from him due to voter fraud.

She also publicly supported him by showing up at court during his hush money trial in New York, which ended in May with a conviction of 34 counts of fraud. Trump is appealing.

Iran's two largest steel plants have been shut down due to multiple rounds of US-Israeli air strikes, the companies operating them say.

"Our initial estimate is that restarting these units will take at least six months and up to one year," Mehran Pakbin, deputy head of operations at the Khuzestan Steel Company in south-western Iran, was quoted as saying by Iranian media.

Mobarakeh Steel Company said its production lines in the centre of the country had "completely shut down following the high volume of attacks".

The strikes, which Israeli media and Iran's foreign minister said were first launched by Israel in co-ordination with the US last Friday, could cause major damage to Iran's economy.

Iran is the 10th biggest producer of steel globally, according to data from the World Steel Association. In addition to using steel domestically for construction and manufacturing, it exports the material across the world.

Any halt to production could have major implications to supply chains and businesses across the country, which for years have been affected by comprehensive Western sanctions.

The BBC has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the US military's Central Command (Centcom) for comment.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a social media post on Friday: "Israel has hit two of Iran's largest steel factories, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites among other infrastructure. Israel claims it acted in co-ordination with the US."

Israeli media reported that an Israeli security source had said the strikes were expected to cause billions of dollars in damage to the Iranian economy, and that the steel plants were linked to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).

The IRGC said it had targeted US-linked steel and aluminium facilities in Gulf states in response.

On Thursday, the Israeli military reported several new incoming missile attacks from Iran, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said its military had "engaged with" 19 missiles and 26 drones launched from Iran.

The IRGC also targeted an Amazon cloud computing centre in Bahrain, according to Iranian state media.

US and Israeli forces look to have been hitting a wider range of targets in Iran in recent weeks, with US President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth saying on Wednesday that the US would bring Iran "back to the stone ages".

The comments sparked concern among Iranians - even those who support US-Israeli intervention against the Islamic Republic - that the scope of the offensive is broadening beyond the Iranian government and military.

There have also been attacks on health-linked facilities, with a spokesperson for Iran's health ministry confirming on Thursday that a medical research centre in Tehran - the Pasteur Institute of Iran - was attacked on 23 March. The spokesman described it as "a direct assault on international health security" and said it breached the Geneva Conventions.

On Tuesday, the Iranian government said there was an attack on one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Iran - Tofigh Daru Research & Engineering Company - which produces anaesthetic and cancer drugs.

The IDF said in a statement that it had carried out the strike and alleged that the company had transferred "chemical substances, including fentanyl, that were used for research and development of chemical weapons".

Separately, on Thursday, a highway bridge linking the capital Tehran to the nearby city of Karaj was hit by air strikes, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported. Two people were killed, according to the deputy for security at the Alborz governor's office.

There was no immediate comment from the US military, but Trump wrote on Truth Social: "The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again."

"Much more to follow! IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY!" he added.

The IDF told the BBC it was "not aware" of any strikes on Karaj.

Iran has been under internet blackout for 34 days, with connectivity to the outside world at 1% of normal levels on Thursday, according to NetBlocks - making it difficult to verify information from the country.

Additional reporting by Ghoncheh Habibiazad

US President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi - a longtime ally and fierce defender of his administration - from her post as America's top law enforcement officer.

Trump praised her in a post on Truth Social and said she would be "transitioning" to a role in the private sector.

Bondi's time leading the justice department was often overshadowed by its handling of the release of files relating to Jeffrey Epstein and its investigation into the convicted sex offender.

She is the second Trump administration official in recent weeks to be cut from her post, after Kristi Noem was ousted as homeland security chief in March. Bondi will be replaced by her former deputy, Todd Blanche.

Bondi said she would be "working tirelessly" to transfer her work to Blanche, adding that the job had "been the honour" of a lifetime.

Bondi added that in her new private sector position - which she did not identify - she would "continue fighting for President Trump and this administration".

The announcement comes less than two months after a combative congressional hearing in which Bondi was peppered with questions from lawmakers - at times descending into shouting matches in which she called one Democrat a "washed up loser".

As recently as Thursday morning, Trump was defending Bondi, saying: "She is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job."

But hours later, Trump confirmed her departure on Truth Social, saying that her new private sector role would be "announced at a date in the near future". The news was first broken by Fox.

Trump lauded Bondi's performance as attorney general in his post, saying she had done "a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in crime across our country."

But Trump reportedly had grown increasingly frustrated with Bondi, in particular over her handling of the Epstein files.

When she was sworn into the post in February 2025, she vowed transparency on the Epstein case and promised to release an alleged client list associated with the disgraced financier, who died in 2019.

The department later said no such list existed.

In the end, millions of files related to Epstein were released, but under pressure - including from Trump supporters - and only after Congress passed a law requiring the Department of Justice to make unclassified records public.

Some lawmakers say Bondi and the justice department have redacted victims' names as required by law.

Others have said the department has failed to fully comply with the law and is inappropriately withholding documents, which it denies.

The agency, and subsequently Bondi, faced bipartisan backlash, with lawmakers accusing the justice department of failing to obscure some identifying information about survivors while protecting the identities of those who were not victims.

A handful of Republicans who worked with her closely over the years praised her on Thursday.

"Pam Bondi led this Department with strength and conviction and I'm grateful for her leadership and friendship," Blanche wrote on X. "We will continue backing the blue, enforcing the law, and doing everything in our power to keep America safe."

Others quickly celebrated her departure.

Among them was Kentucky lawmaker Thomas Massie, a regular critic of Bondi's handling of the Epstein files.

"I hope the next AG will release all the Epstein files according to the law and follow up with investigations, prosecutions and arrests," he wrote on X.

California Democrat Ro Khanna - who worked with Massie on a bipartisan effort to compel the release of the files - posted that the "the Senate must fight to make sure Bondi is not replaced with another lawless sycophant."

Another Republican critic of Bondi's, South Carolina representative Nancy Mace, accused her of having "stonewalled every effort to hold the guilty accountable" and "seriously undermined President Trump" with her handling of the files.

Survivors also told the BBC that Bondi had yet to meet them or respond to their emails about Epstein's wrongdoing, and the matter has become a political liability for Trump.

Bondi has called Epstein a "monster" and told the victims she was sorry for the abuse they endured.

Most recently, a congressional committee formally summoned Bondi to answer questions over her handling of the Epstein investigation. She was expected to appear before them this month.

Under her leadership, the justice department has pursued a number of criminal investigations into political opponents of the president, including California Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey.

In September, Trump pushed Bondi to more aggressively investigate his political adversaries. In a social media post addressed directly to Bondi, he said: "We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility."

The justice department under her tenure faced questions over its handling of the investigation into federal immigration agents fatally shooting two people during confrontations in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide demonstrations in January.

Bondi was part of Trump's legal team during his first impeachment trial and when he made false claims that the 2020 election had been stolen from him due to voter fraud.

She also publicly supported him by showing up at court during his hush money trial in New York, which ended in May with a conviction of 34 counts of fraud. Trump is appealing.

"I think he was living beyond his means," says Patrick Moore about disgraced undertaker Robert Bush.

Moore is trying to explain why his former boss hoarded 30 bodies and half a tonne of human ashes at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull.

A judge at the city's crown court earlier told Bush he is going to prison for preventing the burials of 30 people and giving grieving families the wrong ashes.

He also fraudulently sold funeral plans and stole from 12 charities, including the Salvation Army and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Moore, 65, says he was a "general dogsbody" at Legacy.

And he insists he did not know Bush had kept 30 bodies after their families had held funeral services. He says he knew of only three deceased people on the premises.

But the father-of-two says it became clear to him that "there was something wrong" in Bush's business affairs.

"Every time the phone rang, Rob was real jumpy… but I knew that was because he'd been getting phone calls and threats to be cut off from his electric.

"He'd put his laptop in one of these places [a pawnbroker] for a couple of days to get some money.

"Anything that he could sell, he'd sell it."

Although his Facebook account has since been deleted, posts showed Bush was selling a hearse, cars and even trying to give away a mortuary fridge that, according to the advert, "ran cool not cold".

A county court hearing in May 2024 highlighted Bush had debts amounting to almost £55,000, including to local councils for unpaid cremation and burial fees.

According to Moore, Bush had been making his own coffins to save money – on occasion staying up all night at the firm's Hessle Road parlour.

He advertised these on social media as being "handcrafted" and "special".

Several local funeral businesses have told the BBC they would not supply Legacy with coffins, for fear they would not be paid.

Kevin Moxon, a former police officer who opened a funeral home in Hull six months before the investigation, claims he was warned about Bush.

"Other people within the funeral profession have said, 'don't get involved with him, don't lend cars, don't supply coffins'.

"The rumour was that you wouldn't get paid."

Bush oversaw about 2,000 funerals during his career. He began by working for other undertakers before setting up his own business.

So what happened to the money, paid by bereaved families?

Bush spent it, according to Moore.

He invested in racing bikes and splashed out on expensive track days, often posting videos of his lap times on social media.

His family home was in an exclusive street where property values reach half a million pounds.

And he enjoyed holidays abroad.

Despite his debts, Bush flew to Los Angeles in March 2024 to watch motorcycle racing.

"Rob was in America and I was looking after things for about four days," says Moore.

"He said if anybody comes just don't answer the door. Simple as that, that was what I got.

"Don't answer the door."

Bush's crimes may never have come to light, but for what happened when he was in America.

Moore says he used a stretcher, borrowed from another funeral service, to collect a body from a local nursing home.

Two men, who came to retrieve the stretcher, saw inside Legacy's premises.

Moore recalls: "While I was talking to one of them, the other one went in the fridge.

"They had seen it shouldn't be like this."

One of the men rang the police. Shortly afterwards, Moore went to the station.

The father-of-two says he had previously challenged Bush about practices at Legacy.

"Just the state of everything and I could see, when I was working with Rob, I could see there's something wrong here."

But Moore says his boss "always had an answer for everything".

"He was good at that."

Moore's account was integral to the investigation – one of the most intricate in Humberside Police's history.

Thirty-five bodies and half a tonne of human ashes were discovered at Legacy's premises by officers in March 2024.

In contrast to the air of respectability which greeted grieving families, Moore says the rear of Legacy's premises was like "something out of a horror movie".

Thirty-one of the remains discovered by police were those of loved ones whose families had already held funerals.

Those families had been told by Bush their relatives had been cremated.

More than 100 families had been presented with the ashes of strangers.

One of those families was that of baby Sunny Beverley-Conlin, who was born prematurely in May 2022. They held a funeral and were given ashes.

In March 2024, police found their son's body, still at the funeral home, and the family were told the ashes were not Sunny's.

Moore insists he had never seen Bush mixing up ashes.

"If I had have known, I would have been [to the police] a lot earlier," he says.

'Good actor'

Bush was the only person charged in relation to the Legacy investigation.

One victim's family says Bush operated behind a veneer of respectability.

"He genuinely seemed like a lovely guy. He seemed sad for us. Sympathetic.

"He was a good actor."

Emma Hardy MP, who represents many of the victims in the constituency of Hull West and Haltemprice, describes Bush as a "complete conman" who "made out that he cared".

"Anyone who treats people in that way is utterly without compassion," she adds. "He's a completely selfish individual who was thinking about his business, his money [while] disregarding human life."

Hardy says she does not accept the excuse that Bush was struggling financially, pointing out that he had a "large house" and enough money for holidays "while knowing all the time he was enjoying himself that he had left 35 human bodies in his funeral parlour".

The Legacy case has led to calls for the funeral industry to be regulated. Currently, it is not.

According to Hardy, there are more checks and regulations to set up a sandwich shop.

"You can set up tomorrow as a funeral director. Pop your name on the front of the shop and off you go. And nobody comes to look at anything."

Bush, formerly of East Yorkshire and now living in West Yorkshire, was granted conditional bail until he is sentenced on 27 July.

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