Closing summary
It’s just after 7.30am in Tehran, where a short while ago the Israeli air force said they had launched a wave of new strikes. We’re still waiting to hear Donald Trump’s decision on whether he will bring the US into Israel’s conflict with Iran, but tit-for-tat strikes between the two regional enemies show no sign of slowing down.
We’re going to pause our live coverage here, but will return when there are fresh updates to bring you.
You can read the latest from our correspondents in the region here.
Donald Trump told reporters that “a deal could still happen” and that he thinks “Iran was a few weeks away from having a nuclear weapon.” The news came shortly before several US media outlets reported that Trump approved plans to attack Iran on Tuesday, but has not yet given the final order to do so. US intelligence sources briefed US senators on Monday that Iran was not working to develop a nuclear weapon.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel had made a “huge mistake” by launching the war and warned the US against becoming involved, in his first comments since Friday. “The Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage,” he said in a statement read out by a presenter on state TV.
European leaders are pushing for diplomacy between Israel and Iran, with officials set to meet with Iran’s foreign minister in Geneva on Friday. The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain, as well as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, will join the nuclear talks.
Israel’s military has warned people to evacuate the area around the Iranian city of Arak’s heavy water reactor. The warning came in a social media post and included a satellite image of the plant in a red circle. In the past week, Israel’s campaign has targeted Iran’s enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan.
Iran announced that it had fired ultra-heavy, long-range, two-stage missiles at Israel, while Israeli strikes hit targets across Iran, including the police central command building in Tehran. French president Emmanuel Macron has voiced concerns that Israeli strikes are “increasingly targeting sites unrelated to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs”, leading to “a growing number of civilian casualties”. So far, more than 224 people in Iran and more than 24 in Israel have been killed in the conflict. Rights groups suspect the death toll in Iran may actually be closer to 600.
Longtime supporters of Donald Trump have voiced their disapproval of the possibility that the president may seek to involve the United States in the Israel-Iran conflict, a rare break within the deeply loyal Make America Great Again coalition. Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon said “this is not something you play around with” while Republican senator Rand Paul told reporters that Trump would need congressional approval to bomb Iran. At the same time, some Trump allies voiced their support for the president, with Republican senator Ted Cruz saying the US could “quite reasonably” strike an underground nuclear facility in Iran, but that “there is zero possibility of American boots on the ground”.
Internet connection across all of Iran has slowed to a near halt. The reduction in internet speeds comes after an anti-Iranian government hacking group with potential ties to Israel claimed that it hacked Iran’s state-owned Bank Sepah. Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokesperson for Iran’s government, said on X that officials in Tehran had restricted internet access to ward off additional cyberattacks.
Stock markets in Asia edged lower on Thursday, while safe havens such as gold gained as investors remained on edge over the possible entry of the United States into the Israel-Iran conflict.
US S&P 500 futures pointed 0.4% lower, although most US markets - including Wall Street and the Treasury market - are closed on Thursday for a national holiday.
“Market participants remain edgy and uncertain,” said Kyle Rodda, a senior financial markets analyst at Capital.com.
Speculation remains rife - fed probably strategically by the Trump administration - that the US will intervene ... Such a scenario would raise the risk of a greater regional conflict, with implications for global energy supply and probably economic growth.”
Australia has evacuated a small number of citizens from Israel, and New Zealand embassy staff have left Iran, but the two governments warned that closed airspace limited how they can assist thousands of citizens requesting help to leave the conflict zone.
Around 1,500 Australians in Iran have registered for assistance, with another 1,200 Australians in Israel seeking to leave, Australian foreign minister Penny Wong said on Thursday.
The Australian government evacuated a small group from Israel through a land border crossing on Wednesday, and would look for more opportunities over the next day, Wong told reporters.
There are real limits, hard limits, on what the government can do. The airspace remains closed … We’ve been hoping to get the capacity for aircraft to get in and out, but at this stage airports and the airspace are still closed. In Israel we have additional options, whereas in Iran it is very difficult.”
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand was doing all it could to help its citizens in the face of “very serious practical constraints”, and was providing advice on overland border exits.
New Zealand has temporarily closed its Tehran embassy and evacuated two staff and their family by land to Azerbaijan, he said.
Here are some of the latest pictures from the Israel-Iran conflict.
As we reported earlier, Israel’s military has warned people to evacuate the area around Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor. The warning came in a social media post and included a satellite image of the plant in a red circle.
The Arak heavy water reactor is 250km southwest of Tehran.
Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors, the Associated Press reports, but it produces plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. That would provide Iran another path to the bomb beyond enriched uranium, should it choose to pursue a weapon.
Iran had agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to relieve proliferation concerns.
As part of negotiations around the 2015 deal, Iran agreed to sell off its heavy water to the west to remain in compliance with the accord’s terms.
Britain at the time was helping Iran redesign the Arak reactor to limit the amount of plutonium it produces, stepping in for the US, which had withdrawn from the project after president Donald Trump’s decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw America from the nuclear deal.
In the last week, Israel’s campaign has targeted Iran’s enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan.
CBS news reports that Donald Trump will be in the White House situation room for an intelligence briefing at 11.30am ET on Thursday.
Trump will be in the Situation Room for an intelligence briefing at 11:30 am on Thursday.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 19, 2025
On Wednesday, the US president told reporters he had not yet made a final decision about entering the war.
UK foreign secretary to meet Marco Rubio in Washington
The UK foreign secretary is set to meet his US counterpart in Washington after Donald Trump said he was mulling whether to join Israeli strikes against Iran.
David Lammy and secretary of state Marco Rubio will discuss the Middle East as potential American involvement in the conflict looms, the Press Association reports.
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer convened a Cobra meeting of senior ministers on Wednesday to give updates on ongoing diplomatic efforts and UK support for British nationals in the region.
The Foreign Secretary’s talks in Washington will cover the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine, as well as the UK-US trade deal, parts of which were finalised by Starmer and Trump at the G7 in Canada.
If the US decides to go ahead with strikes, it could seek to use the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, which the UK would need to sign off on. Under the recently agreed deal to hand back the Chagos Islands, the UK leases the base from Mauritius, while the US pays for its operating costs.
Asked whether the Starmer was confident that Trump would not involve US forces in the conflict, a Number 10 spokesperson on Wednesday said the UK’s position was still that “we want to de-escalate rather than escalate”.
Five top senate Democrats said in a statement on Wednesday that Donald Trump “must consult Congress and seek authorization if he is considering taking the country to war” against Iran, and demanded “a clear, detailed plan outlining the goals, risks, cost, and timeline for any proposed mission”.
The joint statement, from senators Chris Coons, Chuck Schumer, Patty Murray, Jack Reed and Mark Warner expressed strong support for Israel, but cast doubt on the Trump administration’s preparations for war.
As President Trump reportedly considers expanding U.S. engagement in the war, we are deeply concerned about a lack of preparation, strategy, and clearly defined objectives, and the enormous risk to Americans and civilians in the region.
By law, the president must consult Congress and seek authorization if he is considering taking the country to war. He owes Congress and the American people a strategy for U.S. engagement in the region.”
Among the specific questions the Democrats demanded answers to were these: “What is the Intelligence Community’s current assessment of Iran’s nuclear program, its leaders’ intent, and its capabilities?” and, “What would be the objective of U.S. military intervention against Iran? President Trump has called for Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ – what does that mean?”
Republican senator and Donald Trump loyalist Lindsey Graham has said the US president should “finish the job” and authorise a strike on Iran’s nuclear facility at Fordow.
In a post on X he says the deeply buried site “must be dealt with to achieve the common objective of making sure Iran’s nuclear enrichment program ends.”
The capabilities possessed by the United States for such a deep underground attack are unique to us and us alone. Overwhelmingly Americans view the Iran nuclear threat as existential to both the U.S. and Israel.”
Graham has been a staunch ally to the president over both terms and is known in Washington as a foreign policy “hawk.”
Updated
CNN reports that discussion are underway among Donald Trump’s top officials over whether the US would be able to strike Iran’s deeply buried nuclear facilities, without becoming embroiled in a wider conflict.
The president is reported to be “receptive to arguments” that the US military could end Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but he is “wary of becoming bogged down in the type of foreign conflict he vowed to avoid”, sources told CNN.
People close to the president have reportedly argued that a decisive strike on Iran’s Fordow nuclear site would not necessarily lead to a prolonged conflict.
David Friedman, Trump ambassador to Israel during his first term, posted on X yesterday that “America might just drop a few MOAB’s [Massive Ordnance Air Blast] on Fordow, destroy the last nuclear asset, and then leave.”
The air space already is clear. How is that being dragged into anything?”
What in the world are you talking about? America might just drop a few MOAB’s on Fordow, destroy the last nuclear asset, and then leave. The air space already is clear. How is that being dragged into anything?
— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) June 17, 2025
This is a serious issue and you are supposed to be a serious person,… https://t.co/qvj6f9ie4k
America’s B-2 bombers are the only plane certified to carry the 13.6-tonne bunker-buster bombs – designed to penetrate 60 metres of rock - which would be needed to attack Iran’s deep-lying nuclear enrichment site at Fordow.
Updated
Israel issues new evacuation orders for areas in Iran
Israel’s military has issued evacuation order for areas within the Iranian city of Arak and Khandab.
“For your safety and health, we ask that you leave the designated area on the map within the cities of Arak and Khandab as soon as possible,” an IDF spokesperson wrote on Twitter.
Arak is the site of a heavy water reactor – one of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Earlier the Israeli air force announced fresh strikes across Iran.
Updated
US preparing for scenario of strike on Iran in "coming days", Bloomberg reports
The US is preparing for the possibility of a strike on Iran in the coming days, Bloomberg has reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he had not yet made a final decision about entering the war.
Officials told the US outlet that “the situation is still evolving”, but leaders of federal agencies have begun “getting ready for an attack.”
Earlier we brought you reports from The Wall Street Journal that Trump had told aides on Tuesday he had approved attack plans for Iran, but was holding off to see if Iran would give up its nuclear program.
The US is understood to be keeping all its options open to exert maximum pressure on Tehran.
The foreign ministers of the UK, France and Germany are planning to meet their Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Geneva on Friday in what could represent a potential diplomatic breakthrough after five days of Israeli bombing.
Final confirmation from Tehran is still pending, but if confirmed it would represent the first face-to-face diplomatic meeting since the crisis began.
In a social media post late on Wednesday, Araghchi wrote that Iran “remain[s] committed to diplomacy. As before, we are serious and forward-looking in our outlook.”
The Trump administration had initially distanced itself from the war, saying Israel had acted alone, but in recent days it has stepped up its rhetoric and its military presence in the Middle East.
Israeli air force carrying out fresh strikes on Iran
The Israeli air force has announced it is carrying out a fresh wave of strikes on Tehran and other areas in Iran.
Earlier we reported Iranian media as saying air defences around Tehran were “active”.
חיל-האוויר החל כעת בגל תקיפות בטהראן ובמרחבים נוספים באיראן.
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) June 19, 2025
Iranian news agencies are reporting that the country has arrested 18 ‘enemy agents’ who were building drones in the northeastern city of Mashhad for Israeli attacks.
On Friday, Israeli officials released footage they said showed agents of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency deep inside Iran assembling missiles and explosive drones aimed at targets near Tehran.
According to unnamed security officials who briefed Israeli media, similar precision weapons were launched from trucks smuggled into the country and a “drone base” hidden somewhere near Tehran. This was established well in advance of Friday’s first strike on Tehran and used to destroy Iran’s air defences, the officials said.
Since the conflict broke out last week, Iran has claimed a number of arrests of suspected agents of Mossad. The Guardian has been unable to verify these claims.
Tehran air defences active - Iranian media
Iranian air defences activated again in central Tehran, the country’s semi-official news agency SNN reports.
The report claims that drones have been intercepted at the cities outskirts.
Israeli officials have previously stated that Israel has complete control of Iran’s airspace, thanks to the destruction of “dozens and dozens” of air defence batteries.
Updated
As Donald Trump mulls whether to directly engage the US military in the Israel-Iran conflict, a fracture is widening within the presidents coalition of supporters over whether such a move is wise.
There’s a growing Republican backlash to the president’s threats to utilise American firepower in the region, evidenced by a wide-ranging Economist/YouGov poll conducted over the weekend.
When asked whether the US military should “get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran”, just 19% of 2024 Trump voters said yes. Fifty-three percent said no, while 28% were unsure.
Among all Americans, just 16% backed US involvement, with 60% against.
A Chicago Council on Global Affairs-Ipsos survey in April found eight in 10 Americans favoured diplomatic steps or tightening economic sanctions to limit Iran’s further nuclear enrichment.
Updated
China’s embassy in Israel will assist Chinese citizens who want to evacuate to leave in batches beginning on Friday, the embassy said in a notice on Thursday.
The evacuation operation will bring Chinese nationals to the Taba Border Crossing into Egypt via bus, about 360 km from Tel Aviv.
“The Israel-Iran conflict continues to intensify, with increasing casualties, the possibility of further deterioration cannot be ruled out,” the embassy warned.
Over recent days thousands of Iranians inched have their way through miles-long traffic to escape Israel’s bombardment of Tehran.
Arezou, a 31-year-old Tehran resident, told Reuters by phone that she had made it out of the city to the nearby resort town of Lavasan.
My friend’s house in Tehran was attacked and her brother was injured. They are civilians. Why are we paying the price for the regime’s decision to pursue a nuclear programme?”
The prospect of imminent US involvement in an Israeli bombing campaign has laid bare deep divides in Iran’s population, even among the opposition. Many are deeply suspicious of the US’s intentions in Iran, while others do not care who is the one to topple the government.
A large portion of Iran’s population is bitterly opposed to the government, which has only grown more repressive as the country slips deeper into economic crisis.
One resident of Tehran told the Guardian: “Yes, we’ll probably have massive destruction in Tehran and other cities, but this regime will fall – and then we can rebuild everything again.”
The toll of fighting – now entering its seventh day – is growing. Israeli strikes have killed at least 585 people and wounded 1,326 others in Iran, according to Iranian media. At least 24 people have been killed and 600 injured by Iranian strikes in Israel.
While Donald Trump says he is still deciding whether to join Israel’s strikes on Iran, reports indicated that there are still a number of diplomatic avenues available to forestall any potential US attack.
As we reported earlier the foreign ministers of the UK, France and Germany are expected to meet with the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, in Geneva on Friday. The substance of those talks – which would be coordinated with the US – would focus on how Iran is willing to reduce or close its nuclear program.
A senior Iranian official from the country’s foreign ministry has also told the New York Times that Iran would accept Trump’s offer to meet with his special envoy Steve Witkoff. “The Iranian official said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi would accept such a meeting to discuss a cease-fire with Israel and Iran’s nuclear program,” the Times reported.
Barak Ravid, from US publication Axios, says Witkoff has been in communication with Araghchi over recent days.
Trump held his second Situation Room meeting in two days with his national security team on Wednesday, and also spent more than an hour unveiling two giant new flagpoles at the White House.
At the ceremony he said that “the next week is going to be very big” when it comes to determining Iran’s fate.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that Trump had told aides on Tuesday he had approved attack plans for Iran but was holding off to see if Iran would give up its nuclear program.
“All options are on the table,” a White House official told the AFP news agency when asked about the report.
US moving military infrastructure from Middle East bases that may be vulnerable - report
The US military has moved some aircraft and ships from bases in the Middle East that may be vulnerable to any potential Iranian attack, two US officials have told Reuters.
The officials, who were speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the move was a part of planning to protect US forces. They declined to say how many aircraft or ships had been moved and where they would be going.
One of the officials said US naval vessels had been moved from a port in Bahrain, where the military’s 5th fleet is located, while aircraft that were not in hardened shelters had been moved from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
“It is not an uncommon practice. Force protection is the priority,” the official said.
Iran has said 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.
US not involved in European talks with Iran in Geneva - reports
A US official has told the Associated Press there are no plans for US involvement in nuclear talks set between senior European diplomats and Iran in Geneva, although that could change.
The official also noted that the Europeans have been wanting to play a role in the negotiations for months but have been held back by the US.
That position, the official said, may be changing as the hostilities intensify
Speaking to the Associated Press, a UK official has said that the US is mounting a “very strong defensive response,” which allows a lot of choice “whichever way this goes,” but emphasised that the US is framing the current operation as “primarily defensive.” That includes protecting US bases and personnel in the Middle East.
The official said they understand the US is still debating what to do but believe that “all options” are on the table.
The official said Trump wants to put pressure on Iran to do a deal and suggested he does not want to go to war.
Earlier we reported that Donald Trump had not decided whether or not to take his country into Israel’s new war. He told reporters on the White House lawn that he felt “it’s very late to be talking” but he had not yet made a final decision about entering the war. “I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” he said.
In the last hour, Israel’s Home Front Command has said it is safe to leave shelter’s after an earlier air alert.
Earlier, Iran issued an evacuation warning for residents of the Israeli city of Haifa, with state TV subsequently reporting launches of Fattah hypersonic missiles. Israel’s air defence systems appear to have been largely successful in intercepting the daily barrages of Iranian missiles and drones.
Although the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims the Fattah is hypersonic missile, military experts remain skeptical about its actual hypersonic capabilities, according to the BBC.
An Israeli military official told the AFP news agency that Iran had fired around 400 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones since Friday.
US intelligence briefed senators that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon, Democratic senator says
Despite Donald Trump’s recent claim that Iran was “very close” to making a nuclear weapon when Israel launched its bombing campaign, Mark Warner, the vice-chairman of the US Senate intelligence committee, said on Wednesday that senators were briefed on Monday, after Israel’s attack, that US intelligence agencies still see no evidence that Iran is trying to make nuclear weapons.
In an interview with MSNBC, Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, said that Trump’s director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, had testified to the Senate in March “that Iran had taken no action towards, moving towards a bomb”.
“And we got reconfirmed … Monday of this week, that the intelligence hasn’t changed,” Warner added.
In her written, opening testimony to the Senate select committee on intelligence on 25 March, Gabbard summarised the collective assessment on Iran of the 18 US intelligence elements that comprise the US intelligence community, which she referred to using the acronym IC:
The IC continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamanei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003. The IC is closely monitoring if Tehran decides to reauthorize its nuclear weapons program.”
When Trump was reminded on Tuesday of Gabbard’s testimony that Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon, he told reporters: “I don’t care what she said, I think they were very close to having one.”
“Foreign policy by tweet is insane. And that’s what this guy is doing,” Warner told MSNBC about Trump’s social media posts on Iran.
“Then you’ve got the president basically dismissing all of the intelligence,” he added. “I have no foggy idea what American policy is right now towards this circumstance. I’m the vice-chair of the intelligence committee; if I don’t have the foggiest idea, what do the American people know?”
Two US officials have told the Associated Press that a government plane evacuated a number of diplomats and family members who had asked to leave Israel on Wednesday.
The evacuation apparently took place shortly before US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on X that the embassy was making plans for evacuation flights and ships for private American citizens.
There’s no indication of how many diplomats and family members departed on the flight.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Iranian society was consolidating around the Islamic Republic’s leadership when asked by Reuters if he agreed with Israeli statements about possible regime change in Tehran.
Asked about Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks that regime change
in Iran could be the result of Israel’s military attacks, Putin said: “We see that today in Iran, with all the complexity of the internal political processes taking place there ... that there is a consolidation of society around the country’s political leadership.”
Putin said Iran’s underground uranium enrichment facilities were still intact.
“These underground factories, they exist, nothing has happened to them,” Putin said, adding that all sides should seek a resolution that ensured the interests of both Iran and Israel.
A bit more now on the planned meeting with the foreign ministers of the UK, France and Germany, and the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.
The meeting is due to take place in Geneva on Friday but final confirmation from Tehran is still pending; if confirmed it would represent the first face-to-face diplomatic meeting since Benjamin Netanyahu launched Israel’s attack on Iran’s military and nuclear sites.
Before the planned Geneva meeting, the British foreign secretary, David Lammy, will meet the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, in Washington for discussions focused “on addressing the current situation in the Middle East”.
The substance of Friday’s talks – which would be coordinated with the US – will focus on how Iran is willing to reduce or close its nuclear program.
The Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour has more here.
Today So Far
As we await news from Donald Trump’s ongoing Situation Room meeting, and perhaps a decision on whether the United States will join the Israel-Iran conflict, here are the headlines we’ve been following so far today.
Donald Trump told reporters this afternoon that “a deal could still happen” and that he thinks “Iran was a few weeks away from having a nuclear weapon” before entering a White House Situation Room meeting. The news came shortly before the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump approved plans to attack Iran yesterday, but has not yet given the final order to do so. Expert and US intelligence sources have said Iran was not working to develop a nuclear weapon. The Associated Press reports that three top officials at the Arms Control Association, a nonpartisan membership organization based in the US, strongly urge the US “to choose nuclear nonproliferation diplomacy over war”. They added that military strikes cannot destroy Iran’s nuclear knowledge, but could encourage the country to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The head of the United Nations urged foreign countries to stay out of the Israel-Iran conflict. In a statement calling for a ceasefire, Secretary General Antonio Guterres said: “I strongly appeal to all to avoid any further internationalization of the conflict.” Later, the UN security council announced it will meet Friday to discuss the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
European leaders are pushing for diplomacy between Israel and Iran, with Reuters reporting that European officials will meet with Iran in Geneva on Friday. The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain, as well as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, will join the nuclear talks.
Iran announced that it had fired ultra-heavy, long-range, two-stage missiles at Israel, while Israeli strikes hit targets across Iran, including the police central command building in Tehran. French president Emmanuel Macron has voiced concerns that Israeli strikes are “increasingly targeting sites unrelated to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs”, leading to “a growing number of civilian casualties”. So far, more than 224 people in Iran and more than 24 in Israel have been killed in the conflict. Rights groups suspect the death toll in Iran may actually be closer to 600.
Longtime supporters of Donald Trump have voiced their disapproval of the possibility that the president may seek to involve the United States in the Israel-Iran conflict, a rare break within the deeply loyal Make America Great Again coalition. Today, former Trump advisor Steve Bannon said “this is not something you play around with” while Republican senator Rand Paul told reporters that Trump would need congressional approval to bomb Iran. At the same time, some Trump allies voiced their support for the president, with Republican senator Ted Cruz saying the US could “quite reasonably” strike an underground nuclear facility in Iran, but that “there is zero possibility of American boots on the ground”.
Internet connection across all of Iran has slowed to a near halt. The reduction in internet speeds comes after an anti-Iranian government hacking group with potential ties to Israel claimed that it hacked Iran’s state-owned Bank Sepah. Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokesperson for Iran’s government, said on X that officials in Tehran had restricted internet access to ward off additional cyberattacks.
A rights group reports that the death toll in Iran may be nearer 600 than the reported 224.
Human Rights Activists, a Washington-based group focused on Iran, said at least 585 people had been killed in Iran. It had identified 239 of those as civilians and 126 as security personnel.
On Sunday, Iran’s Health Ministry reported that 224 people had been killed in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
Israeli strikes have killed another 22 people and inured 90 sheltering in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, the Associated Press reports, citing records from the hospital where the bodies were taken. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 144 people have died in Gaza over the last 24 hours – even as the world’s attention turns to Israel’s new conflict with Iran.
The AP also reports that communications and internet service has been disrupted in south and central Gaza for the second day in a row, due to an Israeli attack on the telecommunications infrastructure.
Donald Trump approved plans to attack Iran yesterday, but has not yet given the final order to do so, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing senior aides to the president.
At a press briefing earlier today, Trump said: “I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due, you know, because things change.”
Russian president Vladimir Putin said that he is in contact with Israel and Donald Trump on the Israel-Iran conflict.
Putin, speaking on Wednesday, said that Iranian society is “consolidating around its political leadership” and that “it would be right to search ways for fighting to stop and find ways for agreement over Iran.”
He also added that “it would be right to ensure the security of Israel as well as Iran’s interests,” adding that Russia and Iran “would be able to continue work in nuclear energy.”
The UK government will have to sign off on the US use of its Diego Garcia base in any bombing raid on Iran, it has emerged, as ministers gathered to discuss a range of scenarios amid further increasing tensions in the region.
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Dan Sabbagh report:
The prime minster, Sir Keir Starmer, chaired an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss the UK’s response to the crisis in the Middle East which could escalate further should the US enter the conflict between Israel and Iran.
After the prime minister landed back in Britain following the G7 summit in Canada, he brought together ministers and senior officials to update the UK’s response beyond urging de-escalation.
But with Donald Trump still not revealing what action he may take, the UK government is working on a series of options dependent on whether the US pursues military action, and if it asks allies for support at any stage.
For the full story, click here:
UN security council to convene on Friday to discuss Iran-Israel conflict
The UN security council will meet on Friday to discuss the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, the south American country Guyana and UNSC president said.
This second session was requested by Iran with support from Russia, China and Pakistan, a diplomat told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday.
Republican senator Ted Cruz says the United States could “quite reasonably” strike an underground nuclear facility in Iran, but that “there is zero possibility of American boots on the ground”, the Associated Press reports.
The senator from Texas told reporters he believes Iran was working to build a nuclear weapon, despite expert and US intelligence reports that Iran was not.
European officials will meet with Iran in Geneva on Friday, Reuters reports, citing a German diplomatic source.
The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain, as well as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, will join the nuclear talks with Iranian diplomats.
Trump says Iran deal 'could still happen' and claims Tehran was 'a few weeks away' from nuclear weapon
Donald Trump told reporters this afternoon that “a deal could still happen” and that he thinks “Iran was a few weeks away from having a nuclear weapon”.
The president added that he will attend a meeting in an hour on the evacuation of US citizens from Israel, Reuters reports.
“They should have made the deal, I had a great deal for them... in the end they decided not to do it, and now they wish they did it”, Trump said. He added that Iranian officials “want to come to the White House”.
Although many of his allies have voiced reticence at the possibility of the United States entering another foreign conflict, Trump said “his supporters don’t want to see Iran get a nuclear weapon.”
Expert and US intelligence sources have said Iran was not working to develop a nuclear weapon. The Associated Press reports that three top officials at the Arms Control Association, a nonpartisan membership organization based in the US, strongly urge the US “to choose nuclear nonproliferation diplomacy over war”. They added that military strikes cannot destroy Iran’s nuclear knowledge, but could encourage the country to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Updated
In a video message to Israeli citizens, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Donald Trump for “standing by our side” as a “great friend” to Israel, and said he and the US president are in regular contact.
“I wish to thank President Trump for the backing,” Netanyahu said, adding that the United States had lent support “defending Israel’s skies”.
He added that he and Trump “had a very warm conversation” last night.
Iran goes into near-total internet blackout
Internet connections across all of Iran have been slowed to a near halt, according to firms monitoring online traffic.
Real-time monitoring from Georgia Tech University showed a “near Internet blackout” around 5 pm local time in Iran. Two internet-tracking companies, Kentinc and Netblocks, told NBC News that the internet went down around 5:30 PM as Israel continued to bombard the country. Cybersecurity company Cloudflare gave an assessment to TechCrunch that internet traffic levels in Iran “are now ~97% below where they were at the same time a week ago.” The lack of internet connectivity will likely severely limit Iranians’ access to news and updates as Iran and Israel continue to trade barbs.
The reduction in internet speeds comes after an anti-Iranian government hacking group with potential ties to Israel claimed that it hacked Iran’s state-owned Bank Sepah. Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokesperson for Iran’s government, said on X that officials in Tehran had restricted internet access to ward off additional cyberattacks.
Iran had already slowed down internet access in the aftermath of Israel’s attacks, which killed more than 220 people, according to government estimates. Cloudfare published data on Tuesday that showed two different Iranian mobile networks were effectively shut down.
Updated
During a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said “we have plans for everything” in regards to a question about the military’s plans for a “day after” in Iran.
Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan who served three tours in Iraq, raised the question, the Washington Post reports. She noted that inadequate preparations for a “day after” in Iraq and Afghanistan had left many Americans “deeply concerned” about the United States’s potential involvement in another conflict.
French president Emmanuel Macron has voiced concerns that Israeli strikes are “increasingly targeting sites unrelated to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs”, leading to “a growing number of civilian casualties”, the Associated Press reports, citing a statement the president’s office issued following a crisis meeting in Paris.
The news came just minutes before Iran’s police announced their central command buildings had been struck by an Israel.
Macron also asked his foreign minister to collaborate with other European countries to negotiate a settlment to end the conflict.
The head of the United Nations is urging foreign countries to stay out of the Israel-Iran conflict.
In a statement calling for a ceasefire, Secretary General Antonio Guterres said: “I strongly appeal to all to avoid any further internationalization of the conflict. Any additional military interventions could have enormous consequences, not only for those involved but for the whole region and for international peace and security at large.”
Guterres’s statement comes as the world awaits Donald Trump’s decision on whether the United States will join the conflict by aiding Israel in its attempts to strike Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran fires missiles at Israel - Reuters
Iran has fired ultra-heavy, long-range, two-stage missiles at Israel, Reuters reports, citing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
In a statement, the guards told Israel the skies over its “occupied lands” are open to Iranian attacks, and that Israelis must choose between a “slow death” in underground bunkers or fleeing the state.
Updated
Israelis are increasingly seeking to leave – or reeenter – their country on ships through Cyprus, a large Mediterranean island.
The Associated Press reports that thousands of people are now transiting through Cyprus, trying to flee Israel before its conflict with Iran escalates further or return home after being stranded abroad.
The Mediterranean island, located off the coast of Turkey and Syria, became a similar transit point for thousands of Syrian refugees trying to reach Europe during that country’s civil war.
Republican senator Rand Paul has told reporters that Donald Trump would need congressional approval to bomb Iran, Reuters reports.
“Let’s say President Trump decides that he’s going to bomb Iran. He needs to come to a joint session of Congress and ask for permission, and Congress would have to declare war on Iran. That is war on Iran,” said the junior senator from Kentucky. “He would have to come and ask permission. Otherwise, he’d be acting in an unconstitutional manner.”
Paul has been a longtime supporter of the Tea Party movement, often seen as a predecessor to Trump’s Make America Great Again movement.
The US Constitution vests the power to declare war in Congress, not the president. However, in recent days, Democratic and progressive lawmakers, including Tim Kaine and Bernie Sanders, have called for Congress to adopt a war powers resolution that would prohibit US armed forces from taking direct action against Iran without explicit authorization from Congress or a declaration of war.
Trump ally Steve Bannon disapproves of US involvement in Iran-Israel conflict
Longtime supporters of Donald Trump have voiced their disapproval of the possibility that the president may seek to involve the United States in the Israel-Iran conflict, a rare break within the deeply loyal Make America Great Again coalition.
Joining their ranks today is Steve Bannon, former chief strategist during Trump’s first term.
“This is not something you play around with,” Bannon told reporters, including the Associated Press. “You have to think this through. And the American people have to be on board. You can’t just dump it on them.”
Trump campaigned on ending the United States’s “forever wars” and in recent days his vice president, JD Vance, has met with Republican senators to dispell fears that the US may be entering another such conflict.
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With strikes ongoing in both Israel and Iran, Iran’s mission to the United Nations says the nation will not “grovel at the gates of the White House”.
In a social media post, the mission wrote, “No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than [Trump’s] lies is his cowardly threat to ‘take out’ Iran’s Supreme Leader.”
The post appeared to be in response to Donald Trump’s recent comments that Iranian officials have reached out to negotiate: “They’ve suggested that they come to the White House — that’s, you know, courageous”, the Associated Press reports.
Currently, the AP reports, powerful explosions can be felt across Tehran, while air raid sirens are urging Israeli citizens to seek shelter as the Israeli military detects incoming missiles.
The day so far
Iran is set to impose temporary restrictions on internet access, the communications ministry said in a statement relayed by Iranian media on Wednesday, as the country continues to exchange missiles with Israel.
The statement said the move was to prevent “the enemy from threatening citizens’ lives and property”.
A handout photo made available by the Iranian Army on 18 June 2025 shows the wreckage of a downed Israeli drone near the city of Isfahan, Iran.
Qatar and Oman are trying to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, after the latter conveyed a message to the Qataris, the Jerusalem Post reported.
“We are willing to talk, in order to reach an agreement with the US, but Israel needs to “calm things down,” the Iranians said, according to the source.
At least one – and perhaps as many as three – aircraft associated with the Iranian government appear to have flown to Muscat in Oman on Wednesday afternoon where cancelled talks on Iran’s nuclear programme were supposed to take place on Sunday but were cancelled amid Israel’s attack.
The Guardian was able to identify apparent tracking data one flight – identified as JJ-25 – which had previously been used by the Iranian government, which appeared sporadically on Wednesday during its flight on the FlightRadar24 tracking service.
The aircraft appeared briefly in south eastern Iran before disappearing and then reappearing near the coast with its destination listed as Muscat.
Later reports in some Israeli media suggested three government flights had left Oman including a presidential plane, which until recently was used by president Masoud Pezeshkian.
The appearance of at least one listed flight was highly unusual in an airspace closed because of Israel’s military assault on Iran.
The destination, however, led to immediate speculation that Iran – which has reached out to neighbours in the Gulf and Moscow to mediate and end to the conflict – may have sent officials to Oman related to the cancelled nuclear talks.
'Nobody knows what I'm going to do,' says Trump when asked about potential of US strikes on Iran
President Donald Trump has declined to answer reporters’ questions on whether the US is planning to strike Iran or its nuclear facilities.
He said the Iranians had reached out but he felt “it’s very late to be talking … there’s a big difference between now and a week ago. Nobody knows what I’m going to do”.
Updated
The United States is working to evacuate US citizens from Israel by arranging flights and cruise ship departures, US ambassador Mike Huckabee said in a post on X on Wednesday.
The US embassy in Jerusalem was working on the evacuation arrangements, he said, urging Americans in the country to sign up for updates through the state department’s Smart Traveler programme.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejected US calls for surrender and warned that joining the war would lead to ‘irreparable damage’, as Israel ramped up rhetoric about regime change and ordered civilians to evacuate a district in Tehran.
Iran and Israel accused each other of endangering commercial activity in sea lanes around the Gulf and the Red Sea at the UN’s shipping agency on Wednesday, as their military conflict escalated.
Iran’s delegation told a session of the International Maritime Organization’s security committee that Israel had in recent days extended its “unlawful attacks” to include petrochemical and gas infrastructure in Asalouyeh along Iran’s Gulf coast.
“These actions directly endanger international maritime security and the global energy supply chain,” Iran said in a statement to IMO delegates, which was livestreamed.
“If the international community fails to take urgent and concrete measures to halt this unlawful aggression, the risk of escalation at sea becomes imminent.”
Iran has previously threatened to close the strait of Hormuz to traffic in retaliation for western pressure. Any closure of the strait could restrict trade and affect global oil prices.
Commercial ships are being advised by maritime agencies to avoid Iran’s waters around Hormuz, shipping sources said on Wednesday.
US Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday said that he has asked the Trump administration to provide all 100 senators a classified briefing on the situation unfolding between Israel and Iran that has resulted in days of the two countries trading missile attacks.
“We’ve gotten briefings and I have requested that we get an all-senators classified briefing,” Schumer said, adding that he believes it will be granted.
An Israel strike targeted a building of the Iranian Red Crescent Society in Tehran, Iranian media including the official IRNA news agency reported on Wednesday.
The US military is “prepared to execute” any decision President Donald Trump might make on matters of war and peace, defence secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday, even as he declined to confirm preparations of strike options on Iran.
“If and when those decisions are made, the Department (of Defense) is prepared to execute them,” Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Gaza rescuers say 33 killed by Israeli fire
Gaza’s civil defence agency said 33 people were killed by Israeli fire in the Palestinian territory on Wednesday, including 11 who were seeking aid.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 11 people were killed and more than 100 wounded “after the occupation forces opened fire and launched several shells... at thousands of citizens” who had gathered to queue for food in central Gaza.
The military told AFP that its forces operating in central Gaza identified “a group of suspicious individuals” approaching “in a manner that posed a potential threat to the forces.”
It said its troops then fired “warning shots”, but that it was “unaware of injuries”.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to answer reporters’ questions on whether the US was planning to strike Iran or its nuclear facilities, and said the Iranians had reached out but he feels “it’s very late to be talking.”
“There’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. “Nobody knows what I’m going to do.”
Trump said that Iran had proposed to come for talks at the White House. He did not provide details. He described Iran as totally defenceless, with no air defence whatsoever.
Trump: Iran has 'reached out' and 'wants to negotiate'
US president Donald Trump has said that Iran has “reached out” and “wants to negotiate”.
He went on to say that the country has “a lot of trouble” and that no decision has been made on whether the US will join Israel in launching airstrikes in Iran.
More to follow.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that air force jets had destroyed Iran’s “internal security headquarters” after the army announced it was striking military targets in Tehran, AFP reports.
“Air Force jets have just destroyed the internal security headquarters of the Iranian regime - the main arm of repression of the Iranian dictator,” Katz said in a statement, vowing to “strike symbols of governance and hit the Ayatollah regime wherever it may be”.
Israel’s military said it was striking military targets in Tehran on Wednesday, as AFP journalists reported hearing blasts in the north and east of the Iranian capital.
The Israeli air force “is currently striking military targets belonging to the Iranian Regime in Tehran,” the military said in a statement.
A new explosion was heard in northern Tehran adding that a main road has been partially closed, an AFP journalist said.
The blast followed a series of other explosions heard in the eastern quarters of the city.
The Valiasr Street, which cuts from north to south, was also partially closed, the journalist said.
Updated
Below is an map showing reported Israeli and Iranian airstrikes since 12 June.
Israel to ease domestic restrictions imposed due to Iran war - minister
Israel will ease domestic restrictions imposed on its population due to the ongoing war with Iran and will “reopen its economy”, defence minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday.
“While we continue our intense fight against Iran until the threats are removed, we will also reopen the economy, ease restrictions, and restore Israel to paths of creativity, activity, and security,” Katz was quoted as saying in a statement after approving the changes for most of the country starting Wednesday evening.
Germany calls for Iran to resume nuclear talks
Germany’s foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, on Wednesday called on Iran to resume talks over its nuclear programme, AFP reports.
Wadephul said he had delivered the message to his Iranian counterpart in a phone call on Monday together with the French and British foreign ministers and the European Union’s chief diplomat.
“We, the E3 states, remain ready to negotiate a solution,” Wadephul said, with reference to the European grouping of Britain, France and Germany.
“Iran must now act urgently,” he said, calling for “verifiable and confidence-building measures”, such as a commitment from the government in Tehran not to pursue nuclear weapons capabilities.
“It is never too late to come to the negotiating table if you come with honest intentions,” Wadephul said in a press conference alongside the Jordanian foreign minister.
PA News is reporting that UK prime minister Keir Starmer will chair a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday to discuss the security situation in the Middle East
Israeli gunfire and strikes kills 140 people across Gaza in past 24 hours - local health officials
Israeli gunfire and strikes have killed at least 140 people across Gaza in the past 24 hours, local health officials said in an update, AFP reports.
At least 40 of the total number killed in the past day died as a result of Israeli gunfire and airstrikes on Wednesday, Gaza’s health ministry said.
Medics said separate airstrikes on homes in the Maghazi refugee camp, the Zeitoun neighbourhood and Gaza City in central and northern Gaza killed at least 21 people, while five others were killed in an airstrike on an encampment in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Fourteen more people were killed in Israeli fire at crowds of displaced Palestinians awaiting aid trucks brought in by the United Nations along the Salahuddin road in central Gaza, medics said.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, called the current system for distributing aid “a disgrace & a stain on our collective consciousness”, in a post on X on Wednesday.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was looking into the reported deaths of people waiting for food. Regarding the other strikes, it said it was “operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities” and “feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.”
Putin makes Iran-Israeli mediation pitch in call with UAE president
The leaders of Russia and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday warned of “extremely negative consequences” from the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict , as President Vladimir Putin pushed himself as a possible mediator, AFP reports.
In a phone call with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Putin “confirmed Russia’s readiness to provide mediation assistance to promote dialogue between the parties to the conflict,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
The two leaders “expressed deep concern over the continuing escalation of the Iranian-Israeli conflict, which could have extremely negative consequences for the entire region,” Moscow added.
UK 'temporarily' withdraws embassy staff families from Israel
The family members of British diplomatic staff in Israel have been “temporarily withdrawn”, the UK Foreign Office said on Wednesday.
Relatives of staff working at the UK embassy in Tel Aviv and consulate in Jerusalem were “temporarily withdrawn as a precautionary measure”, the it said, adding that staff at the mission remain.
Updated
Multiple explosions have been heard in different areas of East Tehran, Reuters is reporting, citing Iran’s Nournews.
AFP reports that black smoke is visible in east.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described on Wednesday as “unacceptable” an ultimatum from US president Donald Trump calling for the nation’s “unconditional surrender”, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“The president of America in an unacceptable statement explicitly urged Iranians to surrender but we tell him: first threaten those who are afraid of being threatened. Threats will not affect the thinking and behaviour of the Iranian nation,” Khamenei said in a speech read on state television.
Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi, who won the top prize at the Cannes film festival this year for his drama It Was Just an Accident, has called on the United Nations and the global community to “immediately and decisively, and without consideration or deal, to force the two regimes” to “halt military attacks and end the killing of civilians”.
In a post on Instagram, written in Farsi and translated by the platform into English, Panahi said attacks on Iran were “in no way acceptable” and that Israel had “violated” his home country. He added that Israel should be tried in “an international war trial as an aggressor”.
However, he also criticised the Iranian government and appeared to push for Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to be toppled, reports Variety. According to the translated Instagram post, Panahi wrote:
This position does not mean in any way ignoring four decades of mismanagement, corruption, oppresssion, tyranny and incompetence of the Islamic Republic. This government has neither the power, will, nor legitmacy required to run the country or manage crises.
Staying in this regime means the continued fall, the continuation of the repression, and the continuation of the flock! The only way to escape is the immediate dissolution of this system and [to] initiate a people’s, responsive and democratic government.
He added that “both regimes” should be condemned “for their persistence of violence, warfare, and absolute indifference to human dignity”.
Updated
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that the world was “millimetres away from catastrophe” due to daily Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, Russia’s RIA state news agency reported, according to Reuters.
Israel military raids West Bank camps
Israeli troops raided two Palestinian refugee camps in the occupied West Bank’s north overnight, the military told Agence France-Press (AFP), as Israel presses offensives on multiple fronts.
The military told AFP that at “around 4am Israeli forces entered Balata camp”, near the northern city of Nablus, for “a routine counter-terrorism operation”. It added that the troops had been deployed to the nearby Askar camp prior to the operation in Balata camp.
Imad Zaki, head of the popular services committee of Balata camp, also told AFP that the military began its raid at 4am (1am GMT) on Wednesday.
“They closed all entrances to the camp, seized several homes after evicting their residents, and ordered the homeowners not to return for 72 hours. These homes were turned into military outposts and interrogation centres,” Zaki said.
“The soldiers are conducting house-to-house and neighbourhood-to-neighbourhood searches, destroying the contents of homes and physically assaulting the residents,” Zaki told AFP. He added that life had been “largely paralysed” for the camp’s residents but that no injuries were reported.
According to AFP, in a separate statement, the military said that its forces had “neutralised” one Palestinian overnight in the West Bank village of al-Walaja near Jerusalem.
They said that as the troops were deployed in the area, a Palestinian armed with a knife “attempted to stab (Israeli) soldiers who were operating in the area and steal their weapons”. “The soldiers responded with fire and neutralised the terrorist,” the army said, using a term it normally uses when someone has been killed.
Updated
Iran's Khamenei rejects Trump's call for unconditional surrender
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that his country will not accept US President Donald Trump’s call for an unconditional surrender.
In his first remarks since Friday, Khamenei said peace or war could not be imposed on the Islamic Republic, Reuters reports.
“Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation, and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender,” he said in a statement read by a television presenter on Wednesday.
“The Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage.”
Thousands of people were fleeing Tehran on Wednesday after Israeli warplanes bombed the city overnight, and a source said Trump was considering options that include joining Israel in attacking Iranian nuclear sites.
Under Israeli attack, Iran has ’legitimate’ right to self-defence - Erdoğan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday Iran had the “legitimate” right to defend itself in the face of Israel’s ongoing bombing campaign, AFP reports.
“It is a very natural, legitimate and legal right for Iran to defend itself against Israel’s thuggery and state terrorism,” the Turkish leader said, a day after referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “the biggest threat to the security of the region”.
“These attacks were organised while the Iranian nuclear negotiations were taking place,” Erdogan said.
“Israel, which possesses nuclear weapons and does not recognise any international rules … did not wait for the negotiations to end, but carried out a terrorist act without waiting for the result.
“We are closely following Israel’s terrorist attacks on Iran. All our institutions are on high alert regarding the possible effects of these attacks on Turkey.
He added: “We are making preparations for every kind of scenario.
“Nobody should dare to test us.”
On Monday, Erdogan said he had ordered the defence industry to increase production of medium and long-range missiles to “increase its level of deterrence” in light of the air war between Israel and Iran.
Russia cautions US against helping Israel militarily, Ifax reports
Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov warned on Wednesday that direct US military assistance to Israel could radically destabilise the situation in the Middle East.
Ryabkov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that Russia cautions the US against supplying such assistance to Israel - or even considering it. He said Moscow was in contact with both Israel and Iran, Reuters reports.
The first flight bringing stranded Israelis back home has landed at Ben Gurion airport after making the short journey from Cyprus.
The El Al carrier flew in from Larnaca where thousands of Israeli citizens have gathered since the conflict erupted early Friday. Cyprus is the nearest EU member state to the Middle East.
“It’s been crazy,” said Dimitris Michaelides, who owns Larnaca Marina’s Agistri seafood restaurant. “Hundreds have come here trying to get on private boats to get back to Israel too.” People were prepared to fork out “lots of money” for the sea journey, he said.
Israel’s Transportation Ministry estimates around a third of the 150,000 Israelis now stranded abroad want to get home.
After suspending flights last week, El Al announced it would start “rescue flights” to repatriate Israelis stranded in a number of capitals including Athens, Rome, Milan and Paris. Repatriation efforts will be managed in stages “based on the level of risk and current security assessments,” airport authorities said.
Some residents in Gaza have expressed concern that the latest escalations in the Israel-Gaza war that began in October 2023 would be overlooked as the focus moved to Israel’s conflict with Iran.
“People are being slaughtered in Gaza, day and night, but attention has shifted to the Iran-Israel war. There is little news about Gaza these days,” said Adel, a resident of Gaza City told Reuters via a chat app.
“Whoever doesn’t die from Israeli bombs dies from hunger. People risk their lives every day to get food, and they also get killed and their blood smears the sacks of flour they thought they had won.”
Iran tells US to expect strong response should it intervene in conflict
We have more comments from Ali Bahreini, the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations in Geneva (see earlier post), coming from AFP.
Ali Bahreini told a press conference:
“We will respond strongly and we will stop aggression from any side, be it Israel or the United States.
“And we have given a message to the United States that we will respond very firmly and will stop the aggression by anybody - including the United States.”
Updated
A televised message by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be aired shortly, Iran’s state media reported on Wednesday, Reuters reports.
Khamenei’s last appearance was on Friday shortly after Israel attacked Iran.
Thirty killed by Israeli fire in Gaza - local health authorites
Israeli gunfire and strikes killed at least 30 people across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, local health authorities said
The deaths included the latest in near-daily killings of Palestinians seeking aid in the three weeks since Israel partially lifted a total blockade on Gaza that it had imposed for almost three months, AFP reports.
Medics said separate airstrikes on homes in the Maghazi refugee camp and Zeitoun neighbourhood in central and northern Gaza killed at least 14 people, while five others were killed in an airstrike on a tent encampment in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Eleven others were killed in Israeli fire at crowds of displaced Palestinians awaiting aid trucks brought in by the United Nations along the Salahuddin road in central Gaza, medics said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was looking into the reported deaths of people waiting for food. Regarding the other strikes, it said it was “operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities” and “feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.”
Israeli military strikes have hit two facilities in Iran that made parts for centrifuges, the machines that enrich uranium, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday, identifying them as the TESA Karaj workshop and the Tehran Research Center, Reuters reports.
The International Atomic Energy Agency posted on X:
At the Tehran site, one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested. At Karaj, two buildings were destroyed where different centrifuge components were manufactured.
The Israeli military said on Wednesday that one of its drones had been downed by a surface-to-air missile while operating over Iran, AFP reports.
An army statement said the drone “fell in Iran. No injuries were reported and there is no risk of an information breach.”
Donald Trump is reportedly considering entering the Israel-Iran conflict and joining Israel’s strikes on Iran.
Only the Americans have a bomb capable of destroying the Fordo nuclear facility, which is located deep underground, and could be one potential target for the US.
In the past three days, at least 30 US military tanker aircraft, which are used to refuel fighter jets and bombers, have been flown to Europe, the BBC reported. The US has also ordered a second carrier group, the USS Nimitz, to the Middle East, part of preparations experts say would be necessary for the strike.
On Tuesday, Trump’s appetite for diplomacy appeared to be waning.
“I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate with Iran,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One, returning early from the Group of 7 summit in Canada to the focus on the escalating Israel-Iran conflict
Trump added that his objective in Iran was “an end, a real end, not a ceasefire”.
He then posted on Truth Social, calling for Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” adding that the US knew the location of Iran’s supreme leader, but it would not kill him “for now”.
CNN reported that his new “more hawkish posture” represents a significant shift in Trump’s stance. It is also dividing his advisers.
However, the outlet added that sources said the US president “remains open to a diplomatic solution - if Iran makes significant concessions”.
Greece has repatriated 105 of its citizens and foreign nationals from Israel, the foreign ministry said Wednesday, as the Iran-Israel conflict raged.
“The people repatriated were transported to Athens from Sharm El-Sheikh, in Egypt, onboard C-130 and C-27 Greek air force planes,” it said in a statement, AFP reports.
Along with Greek citizens and their families, other people on the flight included citizens of Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States, it said.
Iran will respond 'without restraint' to Israeli strikes, says ambassador to UN
Iran will respond to Israeli strikes “strongly” and “without restraint,” its ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.
“We will not show any reluctance in defending our people, security and land. We will respond seriously and strongly, without restraint,” Ali Bahreini, the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations in Geneva, told reporters.
Updated
Almost 800 Chinese citizens have been evacuated from Iran since Israel launched military strikes against the country last week, Beijing said on Wednesday.
“Currently ... 791 Chinese nationals have been relocated from Iran to safe areas,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news conference.
“More than 1,000 other people are in the process of relocating and withdrawing,” Guo added.
And some Chinese nationals have also safely evacuated from Israel, he said.
“China expresses its thanks to the relevant countries for providing full support and assistance,” Guo said.
The Israeli military says it is beginning a wave of attacks in the Tehran area, Reuters reports.
More to follow …
Iran’s Khamenei vows 'no mercy' for Israel leaders
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed on Wednesday that his country would show “no mercy” towards Israel’s rulers, AFP reports.
“We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy,” Khamenei posted on X.
On Tuesday, Donald Trump boasted that the United States could easily assassinate Khamenei.
Iran says hypersonic missiles fired at Israel as Trump demands 'unconditional surrender'
Iran said early on Wednesday it had fired hypersonic missiles at Israel in the latest round of overnight strikes, hours after Donald Trump demanded the Islamic republic’s “unconditional surrender”.
The US president insists Washington has played no part in ally Israel’s bombing campaign, but also warned Iran his patience is wearing thin as the conflict enters a sixth day, AFP reports.
Here are some images coming to us over the wires.
Updated
Iran arrests five for 'tarnishing' country’s image - media reports
Iran said on Wednesday it had detained five suspected agents of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency on charges of “tarnishing” the country’s image online, Iranian news agencies reported.
“These mercenaries sought to sow fear among the public and tarnish the image of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran through their calculated activities online,” Tasnim and SNA news agencies quoted a statement from the Revolutionary Guards as saying.
They added that the arrests had been made in western Iran, AFP reports.
The US Embassy in Jerusalem will be shut from Wednesday through Friday due to the security situation in the region and to comply with Israeli guidance, the US State Department said.
“Given the security situation and in compliance with Israel Home Front Command guidance, the US Embassy in Jerusalem will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday, June 18) through Friday (June 20). This includes the Consular Sections in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv,” the State Department said on X.
Israeli strikes have not knocked out Iran’s nuclear programme - or its nuclear ambitions
In just a few days of war, Israel has killed more than a dozen of Iran’s top nuclear scientists, taken out much of its top military hierarchy and attacked key parts of its nuclear programme.
It has been a powerful display of Israeli military and intelligence dominance, but has not critically damaged Iran’s widely dispersed and heavily protected nuclear programme, Israeli military commanders and international nuclear proliferation experts agree.
And far from curbing nuclear proliferation, Israel’s gamble on force could drive Iran to speed up its efforts to get a bomb if the current conflict ends without full destruction of the programme or a deal with iron-clad controls and broad inspection powers.
Israel’s initial attacks have delayed by a few months Iran’s ability to “break out”, or make a functioning nuclear weapon, an Israeli military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
But US intelligence officials believe Tehran was up to three years away from being able to deliver a weapon and not actively pursuing a bomb, CNN reported on Tuesday – which would make that delay relatively inconsequential.
Read the full analysis here:
China has also begun organising the evacuation of the first batch of Chinese citizens from Iran, according to China News Service on Wednesday, as reported by Reuters.
The Chinese nationals departed from Tehran via land route into Turkmenistan on Tuesday, the state-run news agency said.
In his first public comments on the conflict, Chinese president Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that he was “deeply worried” about Israel’s military operation against Iran that has escalated tensions in the Middle East.
The first aircraft bringing home Israelis stranded abroad by flight cancellations resulting from the conflict with Iran landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday, the airports authority said, as reported by Agence France Presse.
“Just a short while ago, the first flight of Operation Safe Return landed at Ben Gurion Airport,” a statement said, adding that the flight had been operated by national carrier El Al and brought Israelis home from Larnaca in Cyprus.
In a clear indication of the strikes that have been occurring in the Middle East, there are gaping holes over the world’s most perilous air zones, as seen in this map published by flight radar.
This is what global air traffic looks like right now. Three clear gaps are limiting air traffic. pic.twitter.com/X7dV9KZv9f
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) June 17, 2025
Updated
In the span of a few days, Israel has killed more than a dozen of Iran’s top nuclear scientists, taken out much of its military hierarchy, and launched a wave of attacks against its nuclear programme, writes the Guardian’s chief Middle East correspondent, Emma Graham-Harrison, in this compelling analysis.
“It has been a powerful display of Israeli military and intelligence dominance, but has not critically damaged Iran’s widely dispersed and heavily protected nuclear programme, Israeli military commanders and international nuclear proliferation experts agree.”
Read the full piece below.
Updated
IDF claims hit on 'centrifuge production' site in Tehran
Posting on X, the IDF says that it has attacked “a centrifuge production site and several weapons manufacturing sites” overnight. The Guardian was unable to verify the claims and the Iranian government has not acknowledged the attacks.
The IDF wrote:
Over 50 Air Force fighter jets, guided by precise intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate, completed a series of strikes on military targets in the Tehran area in recent hours.”
“During the wave of attacks, several weapons manufacturing sites were targeted. Among the weapons production facilities attacked was a site for producing raw materials and components for assembling surface-to-surface missiles that the Iranian regime has launched and continues to launch toward the State of Israel.”
Major explosion heard in Tehran before dawn
The Associated Press has reported that a major explosion could be heard around 5 am in Tehran on Wednesday morning, following other explosions that boomed earlier in the predawn darkness.
Authorities in Iran offered no acknowledgement of the attacks, which has become increasingly common as the Israeli airstrike campaign has intensified since it began on Friday.
At least one strike appeared to target Tehran’s eastern neighbourhood of Hakimiyeh, where the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has an academy.
Traffic stood bumper to bumper on roads to the west and downtown Tehran emptied out, with many shops shuttered as well as the ancient Grand Bazaar. The Bazaar has closed only in times of crisis, such as during the 2022 anti-government protests and the coronavirus pandemic.
Major explosion reported in Tehran as Trump calls for ‘unconditional surrender’
Speculation is mounting about whether the US will directly engage by lending military support to Israel, or push for negotiations between the two countries.
If you are just tuning in, here is a quick summary of what you need to know.
Israel’s defence forces said they launched a fresh wave of strikes on Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday morning, warning residents in parts of the city to urgently evacuate. “Dear citizens, for your safety and well-being, we urgently request that you immediately evacuate the designated area in Tehran’s Area 18. Your presence in this area puts your life at risk,” the IDF posted on social media.
Residents in Tehran are fleeing the capital, with witnesses citing strong explosions hitting buildings in western and eastern parts of Tehran on Tuesday evening, the Associated Press reported. On the roads out of Tehran to the west, traffic stood bumper to bumper, and long lines also could be seen at gas stations. However, the impact and extent of any damage from the latest round of Israeli strikes remains unclear.
In Israel, the IDF said that families across the country had sought shelter due to missile launches from Iran. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that hypersonic missiles were used during the latest attack on Israel. The extent to which they caused any damage also remains unclear.
Responding to the ongoing conflict, Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei vowed on X that Iran would retaliate. “We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy,” he said.
Those messages were posted after Donald Trump wrote on social media that the United States knows the location of the Iranian Ayatollah Khamenei, adding that the US would not kill him “for now” but called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender”.
In an apparent response to the president’s post, senator Bernie Sanders said the president “must not take illegal military action against Iran”. Yesterday, Democratic senator Tim Kaine also introduced a war powers resolution that would prohibit US armed forces from taking direct action against Iran without explicit authorisation from Congress or a declaration of war.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said that Iran’s supreme leader could face the same fate as Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, who was toppled in a US-led invasion and was eventually hanged after a trial.
Following a Situation Room briefing with members of his national security team, Trump is evaluating whether to lend his support to Israel by targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility is located beneath a mountain that will be difficult for Israeli forces to penetrate without the assistance of the United States, which is the only country that possesses bombs that can break through the underground bunker.
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