- FMs from France, Britain, Germany and EU urge Iran to continue diplomacy to find a solution in standoff over its nuclear programme
- Iran fires missiles on Israeli military sites in Beersheba, Tel Aviv, the Negev and Haifa
- Israel says it struck dozens of military targets overnight, including missile production sites
- US President presided over a national security meeting about Iran with top aides at the White House
- Israel’s military chief says his country should be ‘ready for a prolonged campaign’ against Iran
- Two German air force planes evacuated 64 nationals from Israel, stressing it was not a military evacuation operation
- Putin denies seeking to be a mediator between Iran and Israel, saying only suggesting ideas for how to resolve the escalating crisis
TEHRAN/GENEVA/TEL AVIV: European foreign ministers said on Friday they are ready for more talks with Iran after discussions to try to restore a diplomatic path over its nuclear programme as both Iran and Israel continued fierce attacks on each other, with missiles, drones, threats and claims in the now week-old escalation.
In fresh attack, Iran fired missiles at Beersheba in southern Israel early on Friday and Israeli media said initial reports pointed to missile impacts in Tel Aviv, the Negev and Haifa after further attacks hours later.
About 20 missiles were fired in those latest Iranian strikes, an Israeli military official said, and at least two people were hurt, according to the Israeli ambulance service.
Fars news agency quoted an Iranian military spokesman as saying Tehran’s missile and drone attacks on Friday had used long-range and ultra-heavy missiles against military sites, defence industries and command and control centres.
A week into its campaign, Israel said it had struck dozens of military targets overnight, including missile production sites, a research body it said was involved in nuclear weapons development in Tehran and military facilities in western and central Iran.
After three hours of talks, the ministers from France, Britain, Germany and the European Union made brief remarks, while AFP reported that they urged Iran to continue diplomacy to find a solution in the standoff over its nuclear programme.
“The good result today is that we leave the room with the impression that Iran is ready to further discuss these questions,” said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in a statement alongside his British, French and EU counterparts after talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said, “We are keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the United States,” while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said there “can be no definitive solution through military means to the Iran nuclear problem”.
President will decide how to proceed with negotiations: US State Dept
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has said that President Donald Trump will decide how to proceed with the negotiations with Iran.
“We are still in a dynamic where there are still hostilities … people in bunkers, where there is still a danger,” Bruce said.
“We’re working on many different fronts … leading the nature of finding a solution to this problem. The president has made it very clear: he would allow two weeks because of the potential. Those efforts are still going on, how we’re pursuing those efforts is up to the president and he is making those decisions.”
Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying its longtime enemy was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes, retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel.
Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons. It neither confirms nor denies this.
Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a US -based human rights organisation that tracks Iran. The dead include the military’s top echelon and nuclear scientists.
In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed in Iranian missile attacks, according to authorities. Trump has alternated between threatening Tehran and urging it to resume nuclear talks. His special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, has spoken to Araqchi several times since last week, sources say.
The Trump administration announced on Friday fresh Iran-related sanctions against various entities with the aim of disrupting Tehran’s efforts to obtain dual-use technology.
Western and regional officials say Israel is trying to shatter the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian opposition groups think their time may be near, but activists involved in previous protests say they are unwilling to unleash mass unrest with their nation under attack. Iranian state media reported rallies in several cities, describing them as rallies of “solidarity and resistance”.
Europeans urged Iran to talk ‘without awaiting’ end to Israel strikes: France FM
European powers urged Iran to hold nuclear talks “without awaiting” an end to Israeli air strikes, AFP reports quoting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
“We invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for,” he said after he and his British, German and EU counterparts held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva.
“It is illusory and dangerous to want to impose a regime change from the outside. It is up to the people to decide their own destiny,” Barrot added, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
France’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot makes a statement following a meeting with Iran’s foreign minister on Tehran’s nuclear programme at the Intercontinental Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland on June 20. — AFP
Iran ready for diplomacy ‘once aggression is stopped’: Araghchi
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Geneva that Iran will be ready to pursue diplomacy once Israeli aggression ends, Al Jazeera reports.
“Iran’s nuclear programme is peaceful and has always been under the IAEA safeguards and monitoring. Hence, armed attacks against safeguarded nuclear facilities by a regime which is not a party to any WMD treaties is a serious crime and violation of international law,” he said.
He said he expressed “grave concern” about the failure of Germany, the UK, France and the European Union to condemn those attacks.
“Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again — once the aggression is stopped and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes committed,” Araghchi said. “In this regard, I made it crystal clear that Iran’s defence capabilities are not negotiable.”
He added: “We support the continuation of discussion with the E3 (Germany, France and the UK) and EU, and expressed our readiness to meet again in the near future.”
German air force evacuates 64 citizens from Israel
Two German air force planes evacuated 64 nationals from Israel, Berlin has announced, stressing that it was not a military evacuation operation, AFP reports.
The country’s foreign and defence ministries said in a joint statement that two Airbus A400Ms had flown to Israel for the operation to bring home “families with children and other vulnerable people”.
The ministries’ statement stressed this had been a diplomatic operation carried out in close cooperation with the Israeli authorities, as any military operation would have required the approval of Germany’s parliament.
Germany’s foreign ministry has already organised the evacuation of 345 people on two chartered flights via Amman. Another such flight is due to leave the Jordanian capital on Saturday.
Trump presided over national security meeting on Iran, US official says
United States President Donald Trump has presided over a national security meeting about Iran with top aides at the White House, Reuters reports quoting a US official.
The official also said US special envoy Steve Witkoff is in regular contact with the Iranians, both directly and indirectly, with Qatar acting as an intermediary.
Series of blasts heard in Tehran
A series of blasts has been heard in Tehran at 8:45 pm (10:15pm PKT), an AFP journalist reports, with the explosions coming a few minutes after Iran’s Fars news agency reported that air defences had been activated in the heart of the capital.
Putin denies trying to be Iran-Israel mediator
Putin has said he is not seeking to be a mediator between Iran and Israel, and is only suggesting ideas for how the countries could resolve the escalating crisis, AFP reports.
“We are by no means seeking to act as a mediator, we are simply suggesting ideas,” Putin said at an economic forum in Saint Petersburg.
“If they turn out to be attractive to both sides, we will only be happy.”
Pressed multiple times to comment on Israel’s apparent threats to kill Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Putin said: “I really hope that the things you mention remain at the level of rhetoric.”
Iraq says 50 Israeli warplanes planes violated its airspace
Iraq’s representative to the United Nations has said 50 Israeli warplanes violated Iraqi airspace shortly before a UN meeting on the Israel-Iran conflict, Reuters reports.
Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al-Fatlawi, charge d’affaires of Iraq’s UN mission, told the UN Security Council the aircraft came from the Syrian-Jordanian border areas.
“Twenty airplanes started, followed by 30 airplanes heading to the south of Iraq, and they flew over Basra, Najaf and Karbala cities,” he said.
“These violations are violations of international law and the UN Charter,” he said, adding: “They also constitute a threat to the sacred sites and regions which might cause strong popular reactions, considering the importance of these holy sites for our peoples.”
Israel tells UN Security Council ‘we will not stop’ Iran attacks
Iran has said it will continue to defend itself against Israel during a UN Security Council session, while Israel’s UN ambassador has vowed that his country will not stop its attacks until Iran’s nuclear threat is dismantled, Reuters reports.
“We will not stop,” Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon said. “Not until Iran’s nuclear threat is dismantled, not until its war machine is disarmed, not until our people and yours are safe.”
Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani urged the Security Council to take action.
“Israel apparently declared that it will continue this strike for as many days as it takes. We are alarmed by a credible report that the United States … may be joining this war,” he said.
Iran’s UN ambassador urges Security Council to stop Israeli strikes
Iranian Ambassador to the UN Amir-Saeid Iravani has stressed the civilian toll of Israel’s attacks on the country during the UN Security Council meeting in New York, at one point holding up photos of Iranian children killed in the bombings, Al Jazeera reports.
“At least two pregnant women and their unborn children were killed on the same day Israel struck the national broadcaster IRIB during a live broadcast,” Iravani told the council.
The Iranian ambassador said Israel’s attacks constitute “gross violations of international law” and urged the UN to take action.
“Israeli strikes are an assault on the global non-proliferation regime,” he added. “If the council fails to act now, it will send a message that international law and resolutions apply selectively. If the non-proliferation regime collapses, this council will share responsibility with the Israeli regime.”
Afghanistan turns to Russia for some food supplies amid Iran-Israel war
Afghanistan is in discussions with Russia to import certain foodstuffs as the conflict between Israel and Iran, one of its largest trading partners, risks cutting off supplies, its agriculture minister told Reuters.
As relations between Russia and the Taliban government have been improving, an Afghan delegation is visiting Russia’s main economic conference in St. Petersburg this week, meeting Russian agriculture officials.
“Afghanistan is definitely aiming for self-sufficiency in its agricultural products. However, we still rely on some food items that come from Iran, and if problems arise there, it will undoubtedly have its effects,” Ataullah Omari said on the sidelines of the conference.
Putin says he is worried when asked if he is concerned world is heading towards World War Three
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he is worried when asked if he is concerned that the world is heading towards World War Three, Reuters reports.
Putin, speaking at an economic forum in St Petersburg, said there was a lot of potential for conflict in the world and that it was growing.
He mentioned Russia’s own war in Ukraine, the conflict between Israel and Iran, and said he was concerned by what was happening around nuclear facilities in Iran where Russian specialists are building two new nuclear reactors for Tehran.
“It is disturbing. I am speaking without any irony, without any jokes. Of course, there is a lot of conflict potential, it is growing, and it is right under our noses, and it affects us directly,” said Putin.
“And this requires, of course, not only our careful attention to the events taking place, but also the search for solutions, the search for solutions, preferably by peaceful means, in all directions.”
Army chief tells Israelis to prepare for ‘prolonged’ Iran war
Israel’s military chief Eyal Zamir has said that his country should be “ready for a prolonged campaign” against Iran, as the longtime foes exchanged fire for the eighth day, AFP reports.
“We have embarked on the most complex campaign in our history to remove a threat of such magnitude, against such an enemy. We must be ready for a prolonged campaign,” Zamir said in a video statement to Israelis, adding that “the campaign is not over. Although we have made significant achievements, difficult days still lie ahead.”
Israel has shown ‘blatant disregard’ for a diplomatic solution: Russia’s UN ambassador
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya assailed Israel for showing “blatant disregard” for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis with Iran, Al Jazeera reports
During his address to the UN Security Council, Nebenzya said that Iranian civilian nuclear facilities continue to be targeted, warning that this could “plunge us into a hitherto unseen nuclear catastrophe”.
“The UN Security Council … must provide an objective assessment of the situation and devise an appropriate solution,” he stated. “It is Israel which attacked Iran on the eve of the latest planned round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran.
“Israel not only demonstrated blatant disregard for the efforts that have been undertaken to seek a diplomatic solution to issues around the Iranian nuclear programme but also demonstrated contempt for its key ally, the United States, which, up until recently, had been declaring an intent to reach a compromise solution.”
Britain’s UN ambassador urges restraint in Israel-Iran conflict
Britain’s ambassador to the United Nations has urged all parties in the Israel-Iran conflict to protect civilians and said restraint was vital to prevent further escalation, Reuters reports.
“This is a dangerous moment for the entire region, and further escalation is in no one’s interest. Civilians must never be targeted, and we deplore the loss of civilian life,” Ambassador Barbara Woodword told the UN Security Council.
“Restraint is vital to protect further escalation and loss of life … Military action cannot put an end to Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” Woodword said.
US envoy to UN says Iran ‘must abandon nuclear ambitions’
Dorothy Camille Shea, the US ambassador to the UN, has again blamed Iran for the unfolding conflict, saying the country should have agreed to a deal “that would have prevented them from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon”, Al Jazeera reports.
“While the United States was not involved in Israel’s strikes, let there be no doubt that the United States continues to stand with Israel and supports its actions against Iran’s nuclear ambitions,” Shea told the Security Council. “The Iranian government must abandon its nuclear ambitions so that there is no more destruction.”
Iran says Geneva talks ‘respectful, serious’, not the end of diplomacy
Iran’s IRNA news agency is reporting that Iranian and European officials have taken a break in their talks in Geneva “for internal consultations by the European parties”, Al Jazeera reports.
IRNA said the Iranian delegation to the talks emphasised “that only a halt to aggression can open the path to diplomacy”.
“The first round of talks was held with a respectful and serious approach, encompassing the perspectives of all parties involved,” IRNA’s report said. “Some of the issues raised could benefit from greater clarity to help pave the way for diplomacy.”
“In particular, the E3 countries (the UK, Germany and France) and Europe, who were initiators of the nuclear talks with Iran, still hope to play a historic role and gain another opportunity to advance diplomatic efforts.”
IRNA added that the Iranian delegation “stressed that Iran has not walked away from the negotiating table, and this round of talks does not mark the end of dialogue”.
Iran missile barrage leaves 19 injured in Israel’s Haifa: hospital
A local hospital has said that missiles fired from Iran have left at least 19 people injured in the northern Israeli port of Haifa on the second week of war between the arch foes, AFP reports.
At least one projectile appeared to evade Israel’s air defences, slamming into an area by the docks of Haifa where it damaged a building and blew out windows, littering the nearby ground with rubble, AFP images showed.
A spokesman for the city’s Rambam hospital said 19 people had been injured, with one in a serious condition.
Israeli military says hit missile launchers in new Iran attacks
The Israeli military has said it has carried out a fresh wave of attacks on Iran, targeting missile launchers in the southwest of the country, AFP reports.
“A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force struck surface-to-air missile batteries in southwestern Iran,” it said in a statement.
Other attacks targeted the capital Tehran, the central city of Isfahan and western areas of the country, military statements said.
Israeli military says hit missile launchers in new Iran attacks
The Israeli military has said it has carried out a fresh wave of attacks on Iran, targeting missile launchers in the southwest of the country, AFP reports.
“A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force struck surface-to-air missile batteries in southwestern Iran,” it said in a statement.
Other attacks targeted the capital Tehran, the central city of Isfahan and western areas of the country, military statements said.
