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The Israeli military has now said Israeli can leave their shelters after sirens sounded not long ago to warn of an impending Iranian missile attack.
So far there have been no reports of direct impact or injuries.
Israeli aid massacres in Gaza continue as world's attention turns to Iran
Just after midnight on Thursday morning, Abdullah Ahmed left his sleeping wife and children in their small and crowded home in the battered al-Bureij camp in central Gaza and headed north.
The 31-year-old vegetable seller had heard that the nearby food distribution site recently opened by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a secretive Israeli- and US-backed private organisation that began operations in the territory last month, would be handing out food at 2am.
To get there early and maximise his chance of grabbing a box of flour, oil, beans and other basics, Ahmed and some friends set out across the dangerous rubble-strewn roads.
Just reaching the vicinity of the centre, one of four run by the GHF, was dangerous. “All the time we could hear the sound of shells and stray bullets flying over us. We kept taking cover behind the ruins of houses. Whoever doesn’t take cover is exposed to death,” he said.
All last week, every night and most mornings, there were similar scenes across Gaza, as tens of thousands of hungry, desperate people converged on the GHF sites or waited at points where trucks loaded with UN flour were expected.
Every day, somewhere in the devastated territory, these gatherings had a similarly lethal conclusion when Israeli forces open fire.
The exact toll over the last 12 days is unclear. Medical authorities in Gaza say about 450 have died and thousands more have been injured. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) admit that some have been hurt by their fire but have not admitted any deaths in shootings, which they say are directed at “suspects” who have posed a threat to their forces and only ever follow warning shots.
The Israeli military says it has detected missiles launched from Iran and warned Israelis to seek shelter.
Oil prices surged in early trade on Monday, AFP reports, after the US joined Israel’s campaign against Tehran’s atomic programme by bombing Iranian nuclear sites.
Brent and the main US crude contract WTI both jumped more than 4% to hit their highest price since January. They then pared gains and at 2335 GMT Sunday Brent was up 2.4Z% up at $78.83 per barrel and WTI was up 2.5% at $75.66.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Moscow a few hours ago, Iranian news agencies have reported, where he will discuss “common threats” with President Vladimir Putin.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi arrives in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin pic.twitter.com/YQJpSPUjEG
— Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) June 22, 2025
Russia has condemned the US strikes on Iran. Speaking at the UN security council meeting Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia recalled former US secretary of state Colin Powell making the case at the UN security council in 2003 that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein constituted an imminent danger to the world because of the country’s stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons.
“Again we’re being asked to believe the US’s fairy tales, to once again inflict suffering on millions of people living in the Middle East. This cements our conviction that history has taught our US colleagues nothing,” he said.
Air defences have reportedly been activated in Tehran, Iranian news agencies have reported, as the Israeli military claimed it had carried out attacks on “military targets”.
The US Department of State has issued a worldwide warning regarding “demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad” after the US strikes on Iran.
The body said in a post on X:
The conflict between Israel and Iran has resulted in disruptions to travel and periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East.
There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. The Department of State advises U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution.
New Zealand is sending a C-130J Hercules aircraft to the Middle East as part of efforts to evacuate New Zealand citizens, once airspace reopens.
Foreign affairs minister Winston Peters said on Sunday he was “seriously concerned” about the risks to New Zealanders in Iran and Israel.
He said:
Airspace has been closed since the beginning of the current conflict, and it is highly uncertain when it will reopen. That is why we continue to recommend that New Zealanders do everything they can to leave now if they can find a safe route.
Peters said it will not be safe for everyone to leave Iran and Israel and many people will not have access to transport or fuel.
He added:
If you are in this situation you should shelter in place, follow appropriate advice from local authorities and stay in touch with family and friends where possible.
Defence minister Judith Collins said the Hercules aircraft will be on stand-by to assist, and the government is also in discussion with commercial airlines to assess how they can help.
She said:
Airspace in Israel and Iran remains heavily restricted, which means getting people out by aircraft is not yet possible. But by positioning an aircraft and defence and foreign affairs personnel in the region, we may be able to do more when airspace reopens.
The ministers called for diplomacy and dialogue in the region and said it was critical further escalation was avoided.
UN chief António Guterres warned on Sunday against yet “another cycle of destruction” and retaliation after the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which he said marked a “perilous turn” in the region, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
The secretary-general told an emergency meeting of the UN security council:
I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East.
The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation.
Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), also called for restraint as he voiced fears over “potential widening” of the conflict.
He said:
We have a window of opportunity to return to dialogue and diplomacy.
If that window closes, violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels and the global non-proliferation regime as we know it could crumble and fall.
France is to send military A400M aircraft to Israel to fly any of its citizens who wish to leave out to Cyprus, the foreign and defence ministries announced on Sunday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
The flights will be carried out subject to Israel’s clearance and will supplement the chartered civilian flights already operating, the ministries added.
France has approximately 250,000 of its citizens in Israel, of whom 100,00 are registered on consular lists.
A crisis team at the foreign ministry has received more than 4,500 phone calls over the last week.
Earlier on Sunday, 160 French nationals, most of them vulnerable or in urgent situations, were flown back to Paris from Jordan accompanied by a ministry doctor.
The ministry said more flights will follow.
Israeli airline El Al on Sunday said it had received applications to leave the country from approximately 25,000 people in about a day, Reuters reports.
Israel’s Airports Authority said rescue flights to the country would expand starting on Monday, with 24 a day from various destinations, although each flight would be limited to 50 passengers.
El Al said it would start servicing eight international destinations on Monday after getting the big wave of requests to leave the country.
Air France KLM said it has cancelled flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh on Sunday and Monday. Singapore Airlines said it cancelled flights from Singapore to Dubai after a security assessment and British Airways cancelled flights to and from Dubai and Doha.
Those cancellations were only for Sunday, but Singapore Airlines said other flights between Singapore and Dubai may be affected as the situation remains “fluid”.
The Israeli army said on Sunday that it attacked a surface-to-air missile launcher in Tehran in its latest wave of attacks in west Iran and the country’s capital.
The army said in a post on X:
About 20 IAF fighters recently attacked military targets in Iran under the precise guidance of the Intelligence Directorate, using more than 30 weapons.
In addition, a surface-to-air missile launcher was attacked in the heart of Tehran.
Iran’s ambassador to the UN on Sunday criticised the United States for its strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
Amir Saeid Iravani told the UN security council:
The United States, a permanent member of this Council … has now once again resorted to illegal force, waged a war against my country, under a fabricated and absurd pretext: preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Updated
Israeli strikes attacked several parts of north-west Iran on Sunday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
The strikes targeted “two locations in the south-western part of Tabriz” city, capital of the East Azerbaijan province, ISNA news agency reported, quoting Majid Farshi, the province’s crisis management authority chief.
It was not immediately clear what locations were targeted but Farshi said the air-defence systems had been activated to counter the attack.
Reuters reports that the office of UK prime minister Keir Starmer said that he had spoken to US president Donald Trump this evening.
A Downing Street spokesperson said Starmer and Trump discussed the situation in the Middle East, and the need for Iran to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible.
Trump suggests regime change to 'make Iran great again'
US president Donald Trump on Sunday questioned the possibility of regime change in Iran following US military strikes against key Iran military sites over the weekend.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said:
It’s not politically correct to use the term, “Regime Change,” but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!
The president said in another post that the damage to the nuclear sites in Iran was said to be “monumental”. He described the hits as “hard and accurate” while thanking the US military for the “great skill” it had shown.
Trump added that the B-2 pilots that had conducted the strikes had recently landed safely in Missouri.
Updated
At least three people were killed on Sunday after an ambulance was hit in an Israeli strike in central Iran, local media reported, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The ISNA news agency reported, quoting Hamidreza Mohammadi Fesharaki, the governor of Najafabad county in the central Isfahan province:
The ambulance … was en route to transfer a patient when it was severely damaged by a drone strike.
All occupants of the ambulance – including the driver, the patient, and the patient’s companion – were martyred.
The impact of the drone caused the ambulance to veer off course and collide with a passing vehicle.
Updated
Summary
Here’s a look at where things stand:
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is very close to meeting its goals in Iran of removing the threats of ballistic missiles and the nuclear programme. Speaking to Israeli reporters, he said: “We won’t pursue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve them, but we also won’t finish too soon. When the objectives are achieved, then the operation is complete and the fighting will stop.”
The UK, France and Germany have released a joint statement following American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying that they call upon Iran to engage in negotiations leading to agreement that addresses all concerns associated with its nuclear program. The three countries also urged Iran “not to take any further action that could destabilize the region”, adding: “We have consistently been clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and can no longer pose a threat to regional security.”
Iran’s health ministry said that the US strikes on its nuclear facilities had wounded an unspecified number of people but that none “showed any signs of radioactive contamination”. “For years, the ministry of health has set up nuclear emergency units in the nearest medical facilities to nuclear sites,” ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour said on X.
Israel said that its fighter jets had struck “dozens” of targets across Iran on Sunday, including a long-range missile site in Yazd in the centre of the country for the first time, Agence France Presse reports. A military statement said that “approximately 30 IAF (air force) fighter jets struck dozens of military targets throughout Iran” - including “the ‘Imam Hussein’ Strategic Missile Command Center in the Yazd area, where long-range Khorramshahr missiles were stored”.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that “there are no planned military operations right now against Iran.” In a new interview with CBS, Rubio added that “no one will know for days” whether Iran had moved some of its nuclear materials prior to the strikes.
Iran’s parliament has reportedly approved the closing of the key strait of Hormuz shipping lane. Reuters reported Iran’s supreme national security council will make the final decision on the move, which could hamstring global trade by shutting the narrow passage between Iran and Oman.
Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of defence, said the impact of the air strikes was still being assessed, but that the bombing had hit the areas that had been identified in the planning of the operation. Hegseth said: “The battle damage assessment is ongoing, but our initial assessment as the chairman said is that all of our precision munitions struck where we wanted them to strike, and had the desired effect.”
Pete Hegseth praised Donald Trump’s leadership, and said he had overseen the “obliteration” of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Hegseth said: “Many presidents have dreamed of delivering the final blow to Iran’s nuclear program, and none could until President Trump.”
Updated
JD Vance has said the US is “not at war” with Iran – but is with its nuclear weapons program, holding out a position that the White House hopes to maintain over the coming days as the Iranian regime considers a retributive response to Saturday’s US strike on three of its nuclear installations.
In an interview Sunday with NBC News’ Meet the Press, the US vice-president was asked if the US was now at war with Iran.
“We’re not at war with Iran,” Vance replied. “We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program.”
But Vance declined to confirm with absolute certainty that Iran’s nuclear sites were completely destroyed, a position that Donald Trump set out in a Saturday night address when the president stated that the targeted Iranian facilities had been “completely and totally obliterated” in the US strikes.
Vance instead said that he believes the US has “substantially delayed” Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon.
Entrances to tunnels at Iran’s sprawling Isfahan nuclear complex were hit in US military strikes overnight, the UN nuclear watchdog said in a statement on Sunday.
“We have established that entrances to underground tunnels at the site were impacted,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said, Reuters reports.
Netanyahu: Israel 'very, very close' to removing Iran's threats of ballistic missiles and nuclear programme
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is very close to meeting its goals in Iran of removing the threats of ballistic missiles and the nuclear programme.
Speaking to Israeli reporters, he said: “We won’t pursue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve them, but we also won’t finish too soon. When the objectives are achieved, then the operation is complete and the fighting will stop.
“I have no doubt that this is a regime that wants to wipe us out, and that’s why we embarked on this operation to eliminate the two concrete threats to our existence: the nuclear threat, the ballistic missile threat. We are moving step by step towards achieving these goals. We are very, very close to completing them,” Netanyahu added.
Updated
Asal* had been expecting the US to bomb Iran, just not so soon. The 22-year-old Tehran University student had believed Donald Trump when his administration said on Thursday that it would wait up to two weeks before deciding whether to attack Iran, apparently to give diplomacy a chance.
The Guardian’s William Christou, Shah Meer Baloch and Deepa Parent report:
And so at 4am when the newscaster announced the bombing on TV, Asal was in disbelief. She rushed to wake her father and the rest of the family, who huddled together in front of the set as the sounds of the news blended with those of bombings elsewhere in the city.
“We weren’t expecting it yet. But we knew one way or another the US would take part in it,” Asal told the Guardian from Tehran. “We are dead worried. You know, sleep doesn’t come so easy these past few days.”
Iranians woke to the news on Sunday morning that the unthinkable had finally happened: the US had attacked Iran. In the early hours of the morning, American warplanes dropped so-called bunker busters weighing 13,500kg (30,000lb) on the nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
The news was met with panic in Iran. It prompted a renewed wave of displacement in Tehran as people feared a more intensified assault on the city now that the US was involved.
For the full story, click here:
The UK foreign minister David Lammy said that he has spoken to his Iranian and Israeli counterparts on Sunday and said that he “urged a diplomatic, negotiated solution to end this crisis”.
“Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. The US has now taken action to alleviate that threat,” Lammy added.
Updated
Iran’s parliament has voted to shut down the vital Hormuz shipping channel in retaliation against Donald Trump’s attack on the country, prompting fears of a sharp spike in oil prices that could cause a global recession.
A barrel of Brent crude was selling for about $77 on Friday, having risen by more than 10% since mid-June when Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear sites prompted missile strikes from Tehran against Tel Aviv.
But Trump’s decision to follow Israel by launching a US attack on Iran has set off a chain of events that analysts warned could drive prices up much further when markets open at 11pm UK time on Sunday.
A fifth of the world’s oil consumption flows through the strait of Hormuz, which is a gateway out of the Persian Gulf.
The vote, reported by Reuters, is not binding because the final decision rests with Iran’s supreme national security council. But analysts were already predicting an spike of up to $5 before the result of the vote was known.
For the full story, click here:
An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that the country still had its stockpile of enriched uranium despite attacks by the United States on key nuclear sites.
“Even if nuclear sites are destroyed, game isn’t over, enriched materials, indigenous knowledge, political will remain,” said Ali Shamkhani in a post on X.
He added that the “political and operational initiative is now with the side that plays smart, avoids blind strikes. Surprises will continue!”
Updated
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a US representative of Georgia and a staunch Donald Trump ally, condemned Trump’s decision to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities.
In a post on X, Greene said:
“Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war. There would not be bombs falling on the people of Israel if Netanyahu had not dropped bombs on the people of Iran first. Israel is a nuclear armed nation. This is not our fight. Peace is the answer.”
UK, France and Germany urge Iran 'not to take any further action that could destabilize the region'
The UK, France and Germany have released a joint statement following American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying that they call upon Iran to engage in negotiations leading to agreement that addresses all concerns associated with its nuclear program.
The three countries also urged Iran “not to take any further action that could destabilize the region”, adding:
“We have consistently been clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and can no longer pose a threat to regional security.”
Updated
Here are some images coming through the newswires from Iran:
Updated
Key event
Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian said that the US must “receive a response” to attacks on its nuclear sites.
“The Americans must receive a response to their aggression,” Pezeshkian told French president Emmanuel Macron, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Updated
British Airways cancelled flights between London’s Heathrow airport and Dubai and Doha on Sunday following US strikes on Iran and fears that the situation in the Middle East could deteriorate.
Agence France-Presse reports:
“As a result of recent events, we have adjusted our flight schedule to ensure the safety of our customers and crew,” a BA spokesperson said, confirming that outgoing and incoming flights between Heathrow and Dubai or Doha were cancelled.
A British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Dubai was diverted to Zurich on Saturday night, according to the tracking website Flightradar24.
The BA website showed no flights available for Sunday or Monday when AFP checked for those routes, but flights were still available from Tuesday onward.
BA did not confirm when the flights would resume, but said it would keep the situation under review.
The airline typically flies three times a day between London Heathrow and Dubai, and two times to the Qatari capital.
Updated
Iran said that it is ready to defend itself by “all necessary means” following the US’s bomb strikes on its nuclear facilities in the early hours of Sunday.
In a post on X, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei condemned the “unconscionable act of aggression - perpetrated by a nuclear-armed state... against a non-nuclear weapon country.”
Iran health ministry: None of wounded 'showed any signs of radioactive contamination'
Iran’s health ministry said that the US strikes on its nuclear facilities had wounded an unspecified number of people but that none “showed any signs of radioactive contamination”.
“For years, the ministry of health has set up nuclear emergency units in the nearest medical facilities to nuclear sites,” ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour said on X.
“Fortunately, none of the injured individuals who were transferred to these centres following the American bombardment showed any signs of radioactive contamination,” he added.
Updated
Israel strikes 'dozens' of targets across Iran on Sunday
Israel said that its fighter jets had struck “dozens” of targets across Iran on Sunday, including a long-range missile site in Yazd in the centre of the country for the first time, Agence France Presse reports.
A military statement said that “approximately 30 IAF (air force) fighter jets struck dozens of military targets throughout Iran” - including “the ‘Imam Hussein’ Strategic Missile Command Center in the Yazd area, where long-range Khorramshahr missiles were stored.”
The statement also confirmed strikes on missile launchers in Bushehr province, where a “massive explosion” was reported by Iranian media on Sunday, as well as in Ahvaz in the south-west and central Isfahan.
Updated
Donald Trump was quick to claim that US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities had “completely and totally obliterated” them. Still, it remains unclear how much physical damage has been done or what the longer-term impact might be on Iran’s nuclear programme.
What was the target?
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) confirmed that attacks took place on its Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz sites, but insisted that its nuclear programme would not be stopped. Both Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination around the three locations after the strikes.
The Iranian Red Crescent also reported no deaths in the US strikes on the nuclear sites, appearing to confirm Iranian claims they had been evacuated in advance. In the immediate aftermath, US military officials suggested the three sites had suffered “severe damage” after an operation that had been weeks in planning, suggesting that it was fully coordinated in advance with Israel.
The Pentagon said a battle damage assessment was still being conducted.
What do we know about the strike on Fordow?
Long regarded as the most difficult military target among Iran’s nuclear sites, the uranium enrichment facilities at Fordow – the primary target of the operation – are buried beneath the Zagros mountains. Reports have suggested that the site was constructed beneath between 45 and 90 metres of bedrock, largely limestone and dolomite.
For the full explainer, click here:
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has announced that it will set up a ministerial contact group to establish regular contact with regional and international parties to support de-escalation efforts and “stop the aggression against Iran”.
On Sunday, in a joint declaration following a meeting of OIC foreign ministers in Istanbul, the 57-member group condemned “the aggression of Israel”, as well as emphasized “the urgent need to stop Israeli attacks and their great concern regarding this dangerous escalation”.
The joint statement, which did not mention the US’s bombs against Iran, also urged the international community to take “deterrent measures to stop this aggression and make Israel accountable for crimes committed”.
Updated
US secretary of state: 'There are no planned military operations right now against Iran'
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that “there are no planned military operations right now against Iran.”
In a new interview with CBS, Rubio added that “no one will know for days” whether Iran had moved some of its nuclear materials prior to the strikes.
The US state department has ordered the departure of family members and non-emergency US government personnel from Lebanon, according to state department notice reviewed by Reuters.
The order comes after the US bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities early Sunday morning, marking a drastic escalation in regional tensions.
Marco Rubio went on to say that Iran has highly enriched uranium in sufficient quantities to make at least nine or 10 bombs, the secretary of state told Fox News.
He added that he encourages China to call Iran regarding its potential decision to close the Hormuz Strait, adding that the US does not have evidence that China was involved in anything.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio added that “Iran is not going to play [Donald] Trump.”
Rubio, who also serves as the national security adviser, also said that the US is prepared to talk to Iran and that the offer is still there.
US secretary of state: US 'is not looking for war in Iran'
US secretary of state Marco Rubio spoke on Fox News, saying that the US “is not looking for war in Iran”.
He added that the “world is safer and more stable than it was 24 hours ago” and that if Iran retaliates, “It’ll be the worst mistake they’ve ever made.”
Rubio also said that regime change in Iran is not the US’s goal.
Updated
Following JD Vance’s earlier comments to NBC (see post), the US vice president has also been talking to ABC, telling the broadcaster that US air strikes on Iran had significantly delayed its nuclear programme, but Americans were not at war with the country itself.
He said
“I don’t want to get into sensitive intelligence here, but we know that we set the Iranian nuclear program back substantially last night, whether it’s years or beyond.
We’re not at war with Iran – we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear programme. And I think the president took decisive action to destroy that programme last night.”
The UN security council will meet later on Sunday - at the request of Tehran - after the US strikes, diplomats said. We will bring you more on this when we have it.
Our graphics team have produced this interactive showing the effect of the strikes on Iran’s Fordow facility.
Following the US overnight attacks on its nuclear facilities, Iran responded with further strikes against Israel. The news wires are carrying some images of the impact.
Iran said its knowledge in the nuclear field “cannot be destroyed” after the US strikes on Sunday.
“They should know that this industry has roots in our country and the roots of this national industry cannot be destroyed,” said Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, according to Tasnim news agency in comments reported by Agence France-Presse.
He added:
Of course, we have suffered damage, but this is not the first time that the industry has suffered damage.
Iran's parliament approves strait of Hormuz closure
Iran’s parliament has reportedly approved the closing of the key strait of Hormuz shipping lane.
Reuters reported Iran’s supreme national security council will make the final decision on the move, which could hamstring global trade by shutting the narrow passage between Iran and Oman.
The decision to close the strait, through which about 20% of global oil and gas demand flows, is not yet final.
However according to Reuters, lawmaker and Revolutionary Guards Commander Esmail Kosari told the Young Journalist Club on Sunday that doing so is on the agenda and “will be done whenever necessary.”
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it was assessing the threat to US commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, near Iran, as “high”.
Updated
While Pete Hegseth and Gen Caine were speaking, US vice-president JD Vance was talking to broadcaster NBC.
Vance said the US wants to pursue a diplomatic process in Iran. He said the United States had successfully set back Iran’s nuclear weapons program, adding that President Donald Trump now hopes to pursue a diplomatic solution.
“We do not want to protract this or build this out any more than it’s already been built out. We want to end their nuclear program,” Vance said, speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker, Reuters reports.
“We want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here,” he added.
He also told NBC he did not believe the conflict with Iran would become a protracted war, said the US had no interest in sending further US troops to the Middle East, and added the US did not want to see regime change in Iran.
Gen Dan Caine, the most senior US military official, praised the levels of secrecy and “operational security” over the attack.
Caine said he was proud of the “discipline” of those involved in planning Operation Midnight Hammer, and said details had been kept to a small group of people.
It comes nearly three months after claims that secretary of defence Pete Hegseth, who Caine spoke alongside at the Pentagon on Sunday morning in the US, leaked details of a bombing operation on Yemen in group chats.
Caine said: “I am particularly proud of our discipline related to operational security, something that was of great to concern to the president, the secretary, Gen Kurilla and me, and we will continue to focus on this.”
He had said the decoy efforts were known “only to an extremely small numbers of planners and key leaders in Washington and in Tampa”.
Updated
Strikes hit targets and destroyed capabilities at enrichment plant- Hegseth
Pete Hegseth said the impact of the air strikes was still being assessed, but that the bombing had hit the areas that had been identified in the planning of the operation.
Hegseth said: “The battle damage assessment is ongoing, but our initial assessment as the chairman said is that all of our precision munitions struck where we wanted them to strike, and had the desired effect.
“Which means effectively in Fordow, which was the primary target here, we believe we achieved destruction of capabilities there.”
Hegseth: 'mission not about regime change'
Responding to questions from reporters at the Pentagon, secretary of defence Pete Hegseth said the strikes did not have regime change in mind, and President Trump had given Tehran “every opportunity” to have a negotiated settlement.
Hegseth said: “This mission was not, and has not been, about regime change. The president authorised a precision operation to neutralise the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program and the collective self-defence of our troops and our ally Israel.”
He later added: “As the president has directed and made clear, this is most certainly not open ended. It doesn’t mean it limits our ability to respond, we will respond if necessary.”
In response to another reporter, Hegseth said: “[Trump] was fully committed to the peace process, wanted a negotiated outcome, gave Iran every single opportunity and unfortunately was met by stonewalling, which is why he gave them plenty of time to continue to come to the table and give up enrichment, give up the nuclear program.”
He told reporters both “private and public” messages were being sent to Iranians “giving them every opportunity to come to the table”.
He added: “They understand precisely what the American position is, precisely what steps they can take to allow for peace, and we hope they do so.”
Updated
US military chief warns Iranian retaliation would be an 'incredibly poor choice'
The US most senior military official has warned strongly against any retaliation from Iran, as he gave details of the strikes against Iran in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Speaking at a press conference at the Pentagon alongside secretary of defence Pete Hegseth after Operation Midnight Hammer, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen Dan Caine said: “Our forces remain on high alert, and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks which would be an incredibly poor choice. We will defend ourselves. The safety of our service members and civilians remains our highest priority.”
Caine said the attack was the largest B2 strike in history, and was met by no Iranian resistance, either from surface to air missiles or from fighter jets. He told reporters some planes were still in the air as he spoke on Sunday morning from the east coast of the US.
He said the US used deception manoeuvres into the Pacific at the early stages of the operation, and later with jets flying ahead of the main attack group, to allow jets to get to the three nuclear sites in Iran.
He said 14 30,000lb Mops (massive ordinance penetrator) bombs were used on two nuclear sites, the first time they have been deployed.
Seven B2 spirit bombers were deployed on the main operation to Iran, flying eastwards from continental US, he told reporters.
As well as the bombs being dropped by the US air force, a US submarine launched more than 24 Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles on targets at Isfahan Gen Caine confirmed.
The entire operation involved more than 125 US aircraft, he added.
“This was a complex and high risk mission carried out with exceptional skill and discipline by our joint force,” he said.
Updated
Hegseth: 'When Trump speaks the world should listen'
US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth praised President Trump’s leadership, and said he had overseen the “obliteration” of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Hegseth said: “Many presidents have dreamed of delivering the final blow to Iran’s nuclear program, and none could until President Trump.
“The operation President Trump planned was bold and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back. When this President speaks, the world should listen, and [with] the US military, we can back it up.”
He said the B2 bomber mission was the longest distance since 2001, and it was the first deployment of the MOP (massive ordinance penetrator) bomb.
Hegseth added: “As President Trump has stated, the United States does not seek war, but let me be clear, we will act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners or our interests are threatened. Iran should listen to the president of the United States and know that he means it, every word.”
Updated
Hegseth: strikes on Iran were 'incredible and overwhelming success that devastated Iran's nuclear program'
US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth has said the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites were an “incredible and overwhelming” success that “devastated” the country’s nuclear program.
At a press conference at The Pentagon, Hegseth said the “precision strikes” were “focused, powerful and clear”.
He said the operation solely targeted Iranian nuclear sites, rather than Iranian troops or civilians.
He said: “Last night on President Trump’s orders, US central command conducted a precision strike in the middle of the night against three nuclear facilities in Iran … in order to destroy or severely degrade Iran’s nuclear program.
“It was an incredible and overwhelming success. The order we received from our commander in chief was focused, it was powerful, and it was clear. We devastated the Iranian nuclear program.”
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the US of being the “main cause” behind Israel’s attacks on Iran, according to comments reported by Al Jazeera.
Pezeshkian accused the US of being the responsible for Israel’s actions towards Iran.
“Although they initially tried to conceal their role, after the decisive and deterrent response of our country’s armed forces and the observation of the Zionist regime’s [Israel’s] obvious inability, they inevitably came to the fore,” he said, referring to the US.
He said despite the losses suffered by the country, it was now time to set aside differences and “activate the great capacities of the people”.
Pope Leo has said the international community must work to avoid opening an “irreparable abyss”.
During his weekly prayer with pilgrims, the pope told worshippers: “Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility: to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss.”
“No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, the stolen future. Let diplomacy silence the weapons, let nations chart their future with peace efforts, not with violence and bloody conflicts,” he added.
“In this dramatic scenario, which includes Israel and Palestine, the daily suffering of the population, especially in Gaza and other territories, risks being forgotten, where the need for adequate humanitarian support is becoming increasingly urgent.”
China 'strongly condemns' US bombing of Iran
China has accused the US of breaking international law with its airstrike, and increasing tensions in the Middle East.
In a statement posted on X, the foreign affairs ministry called for a ceasefire.
China strongly condemns the US attacks on Iran and bombing of nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the IAEA.
The actions of the U.S. seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and have exacerbated tensions in the Middle East.
China calls on the parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible, ensure the safety of civilians, and start dialogue and negotiation.
China stands ready to work with the international community to pool efforts together and uphold justice, and work for restoring peace and stability in the Middle East.
Starmer warns of 'risk beyond the region' from conflict after airstrikes
Sir Keir Starmer has called for restraint in the response to US strikes on Iran, warning of the possibility of escalation beyond the Middle East.
The prime minister said on Sunday there was a “risk of escalation” after the US strikes against Iran, including “beyond the region.”
“It is important that we now de-escalate the situation, stabilise the region, and get the parties back around the table to negotiate,” he told broadcasters on Sunday morning.
“I’m very clear in my own mind that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon that is the greatest threat to stability in the region.”
“There is a risk of escalation. There’s a risk to the region. It’s a risk beyond the region, and that’s why all our focus has been on de-escalating, getting people back around to negotiate what is a very real threat in relation to the nuclear program.
“We were not involved in the attack. We were given due notice as we would expect as close allies to the US. And we have been moving assets to the region to make sure that we’re in a position to protect our own interests, our personnel and our assets and of course those of our allies.”
Starmer said it was “clearly a fast-moving situation” and much had changed since the G7 summit when he had said he did not think the US would strike Iran.
The prime minister will convene a COBRA meeting of ministers and senior officials later on Sunday. The prime minister said on Sunday there was a “risk of escalation” after the US strikes against Iran, including “beyond the region.”
Starmer spoked to both the king of Jordan and the Sultan of Oman on Sunday morning, stressing in read-outs of the call that “wider regional stability in the Middle East must be a priority.”
In the call with Oman, Number 10 said the leaders agreed “escalation of the conflict is in no one’s interests and the focus must be on de-escalation.”
France will hold an emergency defence cabinet meeting on Sunday to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, the French presidency said on Sunday.
President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke to several leaders, including the Saudi Crown Prince on the issue, will hold further talks with European and regional leaders during the day, Reuters reports.
It added that everything would now be done to speed up the departure of French citizens who wished to leave Iran and Israel.
Russia: US airstrikes on Iran 'irresponsible'
Russia has strongly condemned the US attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, calling it “irresponsible”.
In a statement from the foreign ministry, it said: “The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the UN security council.”
In comments reported by Reuters, it said it “significantly” increased the risk of conflict in the Middle East.
Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi is due to travel to Moscow on Sunday.
The statement continued: “We call for an end to aggression and for increased efforts to create conditions for returning the situation to a political and diplomatic track.”
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said he spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday to express “deep concern at the recent escalations” after US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Penelope MacRae in Delhi reports.
“Spoke with President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian,” Modi posted on X. “We discussed in detail about the current situation … reiterated our call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability.”
New Delhi has become increasingly worried about the risks from a widening Middle East conflict – from oil market turmoil to broader instability in the Gulf, home to a large Indian diaspora and important Indian economic interests.
India and Iran share a long relationship, shaped by what both sides call “civilisational links”, cold war alignment, and economic ties.
Iran was one of India’s largest crude oil suppliers until US sanctions forced a halt. New Delhi has also invested heavily in Iran’s port of Chabahar, which offers India a direct route to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
India’s diplomatic balancing act has become more delicate in recent years, as it pursues closer US and Israeli ties while seeking to preserve links with Tehran.
India has consistently abstained on UN Gaza ceasefire resolutions while calling for a two-state solution.
Starmer to chair Cobra meeting on the US Iran strikes
Sir Keir Starmer will chair a Cobra meeting of ministers and senior officials this afternoon on the US strikes on Iran.
It comes after Starmer urged Iran to return to the negotiating table and said that stability in the region remained a priority, in the aftermath of the attacks.
Iranian foreign minister refuses to rule out restricting global trade or pulling out of nuclear treaty
Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declined to say whether Tehran would seek to restrict global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, or pull out of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Speaking in Istanbul, he said: “There are a variety of options available to us- and that’s it ... of course the way for diplomacy should always remain open, but we are not in a situation right now to decide how to engage in diplomacy once again and with whom, so let’s wait for our response.
“First and when aggression is ended, we decide how to engage in diplomacy once again.”
Araghchi missed no opportunity to lash out at Washington and the Trump administration in particular, closing by describing how he will fly to Moscow this afternoon and meet Russian president Vladimir Putin tomorrow morning.
“While president Trump elected on a platform of putting an end to America’s costly involvement in forever wars in our part of the world, he has betrayed not only Iran by abusing our commitment to diplomacy, but also deceived his own voters who are submitting to the wishes of a wanted war criminal,” Araghchi said, in reference to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Iran's foreign minister warns US attack to have 'far-reaching implications'
Here’s more information from our correspondent in Turkey, Ruth Michaelson, on Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi’s press conference in Istanbul on Sunday morning.
Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said the American airstrikes last night were a violation “of every red line”, as he warned of “far-reaching implications” of its attack on Sunday.
Araghchi was in Istanbul for talks with regional counterparts on the conflict between Iran and Israel. Speaking on the sidelines of meetings as part of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, Araghchi said: “We were suddenly faced with aggression by American forces towards our nuclear facilities: The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns in the strongest terms the US brutal military aggression against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities,” he said.
“This is an outrageous, grave and unprecedented violation of the principles of the UN charter and international law, and the war-mongering and lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of this act of aggression.”
The Iranian foreign minister gave few details about the impact of the strikes on three nuclear facilities. He brushed specific details aside and instead focused on the impact on international diplomacy as well as shared agreements regulating nuclear weapons.
Araghchi said that he had spoken to officials in Tehran since the strikes, and “I don’t have exact information about the level of damage. But I don’t think it matters how much damage was made. Attacking a nuclear facility by itself is an unforgivable violation of international law and should be condemned.”
He framed the US attack as potentially perilous to negotiations intended to curb Iran’s nuclear programme, calling for intervention by the UN, the UN security council and other bodies like the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“It cannot be emphasised enough how much of a devastating blow that the US, a permanent member of the UN security council, has dealt to the global nonproliferation regime,” he said.
“Silence in the face of such blatant aggression would plunge the world into an unprecedented level of danger and chaos …humanity has come too far to allow a lawless bully to take us back to the law of the jungle.”
“The door for diplomacy should always be kept open, but this is not the case right now. My country has been under attack, and we have to respond based on our legitimate right to self-defence. We will do that for as long as needed and necessary. I think it is irrelevant to ask Iran to return to diplomacy - because we were in the middle of diplomacy and talks with the US when the Israelis blew it up. We were in the middle of talks with the Europeans, only two days ago in Geneva, when this time the Americans decided to blow it up.”
Despite emphasising that the option for further diplomacy remains open, Araghchi strongly implied that Tehran will respond militarily to the US attacks before any potential return to the negotiating table.
“Iran reserves all options to defend its security, its interests and its people,” he said.
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Turkey has warned the US attack on Iran could turn a regional conflict into a global one, as the foreign ministry said Ankara was deeply concerned about possible repercussions after the attacks.
In a statement, the ministry said that a spread of the conflict into a wider global war must not be allowed, calling on all parties to act with responsibility and end attacks immediately.
It repeated the sentiment from others that only negotiations could resolve the nuclear dispute between Tehran and Washington
Residents in Tel Aviv suburb emerge to view wreckage
A row of apartment buildings in Ramat Aviv, a northern suburb of Tel Aviv, took a direct hit from an Iranian missile on Sunday morning.
The attack blasted a large hole in the neighbourhood beside a major shopping mall, but caused only light casualties.
The local residents had all taken shelter after the sirens went off at about 7.30am, either in underground bunkers or in reinforced secure rooms in their buildings.
By mid-morning, the area was flooded with first responders combing through the rubble, and the clean-up had begun.
Yael Luggassi had stuck to her daily routine and had come to a corner coffee shop as she always does. From a cafe table, she watched the salvage work even as glass was being swept up around her feet.
“The boom was so loud I told my son that it felt like it had come down almost on top of us,” Luggassi said. She was delighted with the US bombing of Iran that had preceded the retaliatory strikes on Sunday morning, arguing that America and Israel were acting in the interests of the whole world.
“We are doing the work, because we know that the Muslim fundamentalists want to destroy all the West. It’s not just us,” she said.
“It’s necessary for the defence of the world. Really, it’s very simple. It’s not complicated to understand.”
The shop windows of a row of stores leading away from the blast site had all been blown out by the shock wave and the pavement was covered with what looked like a snowdrift of greenish white glass.
Yaacov Noosel was sitting at the entrance of his luggage store. As soon as he heard about the US bombing of nuclear sites in Iran before dawn, he had told his staff not to bother to come in, as he knew that Iran would strike back hard.
“Even if they don’t really want to retaliate, the ego plays a big part in the Middle East,” Noosel said, suggesting the retaliatory strike on his neighbourhood was part of Iran’s insistence on saving face.
He too was in total agreement with Trump’s decision to bomb.
“I think it was the right move. Otherwise [the war] would have continued for ever. We cannot eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons by ourselves,” Noosel said.
He thought Iran could respond by trying to block Gulf shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but predicted it would backfire by drawing in more countries.
Noosel argued: “If they do that, it’s not only America’s problem, but it’s also Britain’s problem, Germany’s problem. Everyone’s trade is going through those channels.”
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More reaction from Europe, as the French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, said France had learned of the US strikes with “concern”.
France “did not take part in these strikes or the planning of them,” he said.
France urged “restraint from all parties to avoid any escalation that could lead to an escalation of the conflict.”
Barrot said negotiations were the way forward for a lasting solution.
Iran's foreign minister to meet Putin on Monday
Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said he will fly to Moscow on Sunday to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Araghchi said he would be looking to meet Putin on Monday, according to Reuters.
He said the US had shown it had no respect for international law, and had crossed a “very big red line” by attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“They only understand the language of threat and force,” he said.
It comes as the Kremlin said there were no plans for Putin to speak to US president Donald Trump after the attacks.
Speaking during a visit to Turkey, Araghchi said Tehran reserved all options to defend its “security, interest and people”. The country’s armed forces are on full alert, he told reporters.
“Wait for our response first. When aggression ends, then we can decide,” he added.
More reaction from the Gulf, as the United Arab Emirates has told all sides to stop escalating the conflict or else there would be a risk of more instability.
In a statement from the Foreign Ministry, it warned countries should “avoid serious repercussions” in the region.
It warned that such actions could lead the region to “new levels of instability,”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the buildings targeted at Isfahan contained either no nuclear material or low levels of enriched uranium.
Reuters reports comments that any radioactive contamination is limited to the buildings that were damaged or already destroyed.
The IAEA said six buildings were hit, along with four that had been previously targeted. One of the buildings that had been attacked was a fuel rod production facility, it added.
“The facilities targeted today either contained no nuclear material or small quantities of natural or low enriched uranium, meaning any radioactive contamination is limited to the buildings that were damaged or destroyed,” the IAEA said.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said its attacks on Israel will continue, as it said it will respond to the US airstrikes overnight.
In comments reported by Reuters, it said US bases in the Middle East are a “point of vulnerability”.
It said the US had placed itself directly “at the front line of aggression” by attacking nuclear facilities that Iran claims are peaceful. The IRGC said the program cannot be destroyed by an attack.
The statement added the US cannot escape consequences of its airstrikes, and said Iran would not be intimidated by Israel or the US, terming them “criminal gangs ruling the White House and Tel Aviv”.
The IRGC said its operations will be targeted against Israeli infrastructure, strategic centres and interests.
UK to organise Israel repatriation flight
The UK will organise a repatriation flight out of Israel next week for British nationals, the Foreign Office has confirmed, inviting UK citizens and dependants to register their details on a booking portal.
Further flights will be considered depending on demand, the FCO said, taking into account the security situation.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “This is a perilous and volatile moment for the Middle East.
“The safety of British Nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories continues to be our utmost priority – that’s why the UK government is preparing flights to help those wanting to leave.
“Working closely with the Israeli authorities, our staff are continuing to work at pace to assist British Nationals on the ground and ensure they receive the support they need”.
British nationals who have already completed their details on the FCDO’s Register Your Presence portal will get a link to the booking portal. Those with greatest need will be prioritised for flights, the FCDO said, with non-British immediate family members travelling with British nationals also eligible as long as all have valid visas or permission to enter or remain in the UK.
Those eligible for the flights will be expected to pay for their seat – and payment will be taken on registration via the flight booking form. The FCDO said it was also possible to return to the UK on commercial flights from Egypt and Jordan, entering those countries via international land border crossings which remain open.
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US and Israel have 'blown up' diplomacy, says Iran's foreign minister
Iran’s foreign minister said Israel and the US have “blown up” diplomacy with their airstrikes in recent weeks.
Seyed Abbas Araghchi responded to calls from the UK and EU for Iran to “return” to the negotiating table, by saying Iran had never left it, nor “blew [it] up”.
In a post on X, he said: “Last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy.
“This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy. What conclusion would you draw?
“To Britain and the EU High Rep, it is Iran which must “return” to the table. But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?”
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Israel recovers bodies of two hostages and soldier from Gaza
Israel has announced that it has recovered the bodies of two hostages and one soldier from Gaza on Sunday, amid its ongoing war with Iran.
The Israeli military said that it recovered the remains of hostages 71-year-old Ofra Keidar, 21-year-old Yonatan Samerano and 19-year-old staff sergeant Shay Levinson in an operation in Gaza on Saturday.
The hostage families forum said in a statement that the return of the bodies “provides some comfort to the families who have waited in agony, uncertainty, and doubt for 625 days.”
The group further urged the Israeli government to return the remaining 50 hostages from Gaza, which it said was the “key to achieving complete victory.”
The return of the hostages came as some of the families feared that Israel’s war with Iran which started on 13 June would distract from efforts to return hostages. Hamas-led miltiants took 251 hostages during its 7 October 2023 attack in Israel, as well as killed 1,200 people. Of the remaining hostages, Israel believes 30 to be dead.
Some families of the hostages protested against the Israeli government’s resumption of the war in Gaza in March and have said that a ceasefire is the only way to safely recover the remaining hostages.
Fighting resumed in Gaza in March after Israel declined to move to a second phase of an agreed-upon ceasefire which could have led to a permanent end to the war.
As Israel fought with Iran, it continued its operations in Gaza, which has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, most of which are women and children, over the last 20 months.
Over the last two weeks, the Israeli military has shot and killed crowds of people desperate for aid in Gaza on an almost daily-basis. In one instance last Tuesday, Israeli tanks fired into crowds trying to get aid from trucks, killing at least 59 people. Many Gazans fear that the war with Iran has shifted media attention away from the war there and would lead to a further stalling in ceasefire efforts.
In a post on X, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families, and share in their deep sorrow. “
He added: “The campaign to return the kidnapped continues continuously and is taking place in parallel with the campaign against Iran.
“We will not rest until we bring all our captives home – both the living and the dead.”
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Iran's nuclear programme 'substantially' reduced by strikes - Israeli president
Israel’s president Isaac Herzog has told the BBC Iran’s nuclear programme has been hit “substantially”.
Herzog told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg Show he did not know whether Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been destroyed completely.
However, he said: “It’s quite clear to me that the Iranian nuclear programme has been hit substantially”.
Herzog said he did not know the US was going to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, and added Israel would continue to do “whatever it takes to defend ourselves against missiles”.
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Gulf states which are allies of the US are responding after the US attack on Iran.
Bahrain, which is home to a US military base, urged people to only use main roads when necessary to “allow relevant authorities to use roads efficiently”.
Meanwhile Kuwait’s finance ministry said it has set up shelters in government ministries. The country also has US bases. The shelters can accommodate about 900 people, it said in a statement posted on X.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has said the crisis in Iran risk “engulfing the region and world in war”.
Its president Mirjana Spoljaric said: “The intensification and spread of major military operations in the Middle East risk engulfing the region – and the world – in a war with irreversible consequences.”
She added that civilians should not be targeted and medics should be able to carry out their duties safely.
Spoljaric said delegations in Iran and Israel are mobilising teams and supplies. However, she added: “No humanitarian response can substitute for political will to prioritise peace, stability and human life.”
President of the European Council António Costa has joined the widespread calls for calm after the strikes by the US on Iran.
Costa, in a post on X, said he was “deeply alarmed” after the overnight bombing.
He said: “I call on all parties to show restraint and respect for international law and nuclear safety.
“Diplomacy remains the only way to bring peace and security to the Middle East region. Too many civilians will once again be the victims of a further escalation.
“The EU will continue engaging with the parties and our partners to find a peaceful solution at the negotiating table.”
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UK did not take part in US strikes on Iran, minister confirms
UK business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has said the British government was aware of the US’ plans to launch airstrikes on Iran, but did not take part.
Speaking to the broadcaster Sky News on Sunday morning, he said the UK did not get a request by the US to use its Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.
Reynolds said: “We support the prevention of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. We had proposed a diplomatic course of action, as other European countries had done, the Iraians had rejected that.
“I know people will be waking up this morning, and they’ll be worried. They’ll want to know what this means, and I do want to give them reassurance that whilst the British government, the UK has not been involved in these attacks, we have been making extensive preparations for all eventualities, including how we look after British nationals in the region and how we get them out, and the assets we have in the region to protect British infrastructure, British bases, British personnel, if we need to do that.”
He added: “I can’t tell you exactly when we did know but we were informed, as you might expect, by a key ally, of this action.”
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More reaction is coming in from the Middle East to the US’ strikes on Iran overnight.
Saudi Arabia has expressed its “great concern” according to a statement posted on X. Its foreign ministry posted on X that it wanted a “political solution to end the crisis”, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile Oman said the US targeting of Iran threatened to “widen the war”, and is a violation of international law, according to state media. Oman had been mediating nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran.
Qatar said it “deplores deterioration” and “dangerous tensions” after the US bombing would lead to “catastrophic repercussions” on regional and international levels, its foreign ministry posted on X.
The head of Iran’s atomic energy organisation, Mohammad Eslami, has written to the International Atomic Energy Agency asking for an investigation into the US attacks on Iran.
Eslami said the “illegal action” should be examined and said the IAEA’s head Rafael Grossi should stop his “inaction”, condemn US strikes, and take “appropriate” measures.
Reuters reports Eslami has also told Grossi that Iran had taken necessary measures to defend its “sovereign rights” and “will pursue appropriate legal measures”.
Israel said it has attacked two Iranian fighter jets overnight, as part of a range of operations against Iranian military sites.
In a post by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) on X, it said dozens of locations were targeted in central Iran.
The two F5 Iranian fighter jets were hit at the Dezful airport.
The IDF added eight launchers were destroyed in operations, as well as a military site containing “components for the production of explosives”.
It added the air force: “Attacked military infrastructure at the airport in Isfahan, in order to prevent the Iranian air force from using military infrastructure at the site”.
Ness Ziona, a town to the south-east of Tel Aviv was hit by an Iranian missile at about 8am this morning.
The missile destroyed or damaged about a dozen two-storey homes in a residential area, but there were no serious injuries.
Adam Hezy of the fire department from the neighbouring town of Rehovot, said he and his colleagues had rescued 20 people who had survived the blast inside their reinforced secure rooms, which are compulsory in modern Israeli homes.
Clayton Rucaly, a Brazilian who had arrived in the neighbourhood just seven months ago, was in a nearby shelter when the missile fell. “This one was so close, we were all scared it had hit our homes,” he said.
Asked what he thought about the US intervention in the war, Rudely said it was hard not to be ambivalent after the missile strike.
“In part, I feel like it’s necessary,” Rucaly said. “It seems like it’s going to be good for Israel, because the war can end now perhaps, especially with the help of the US,” he said, but added there is apprehension over the possible Iranian response.
“There is a kind of double fear: about what can happen to us now.”
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EU's Kallas calls for negotiations
EU foreign ministers will meet on Monday to discuss the US strikes on Iran.
The EU’s foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas posted on X that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear bomb, and urged calm.
Kallas, who is also a vice-president of the European Commission said: “Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as it would be a threat to international security.
“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation.
“EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation tomorrow.”
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Highly enriched uranium 'moved from Fordow', Iranian sources claim
Senior Iranian sources have told Reuters most of the highly enriched uranium at the Fordow site had been moved away before the US attack.
The news agency reported comments that the number of staff at the underground facility at Fordow had also been reduced to a minimum.
Fordow was the second enrichment site to be hit by the US, along with Natanz.
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will meet on Monday after the United States’ bombing of Iranian nuclear sites.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, its head Rafael Grossi said: “In light of the urgent situation in Iran, I am convening an emergency meeting of the IAEA board of governors for tomorrow.”
The IAEA said earlier it had detected no increase of radiation at the sites which had been bombed by the US. (see 6.14am)
Iran has asked the UN security council to condemn the US airstrikes on its nuclear sites.
In a letter to UN secretary general António Guterres and the body’s president, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Iran’s ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani called for an urgent meeting of the security council.
He said: “The United States, acting in full coordination with the Israeli regime, which at the time was already bombarding Iranian civilians and vital infrastructure, carried out deliberate, premeditated and unprovoked aerial strikes against three safeguarded Iranian nuclear sites and facilities.”
Iravani added: “In light of the grave and far-reaching consequences of the United States’ savage and criminal actions for international peace and security, the Islamic Republic of Iran urgently requests the security council to convene an emergency meeting without delay to address this blatant and unlawful act of aggression, to condemn it in the strongest possible terms, and to take all necessary measures under its charter-mandated responsibilities that the perpetrator of such heinous crimes is held fully accountable and does not go unpunished.”
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Summary so far
If you are just joining us, there have been major developments over the last few hours, with the US launching a surprise bombing attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities. The action was praised by Israel, and condemned by Iran and its allies. Iran soon launched missiles at Israel, who then fired back with their own air raids on Iranian targets.
You can catch up on the key details below.
Donald Trump announced on Saturday the US had successfully completed strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran, and claimed that key enrichment facilities there had been “totally and completely obliterated”. The sites struck were Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
Iranian officials downplayed the claim, saying there was no danger to the residents living near the nuclear facilities hit by US strikes, according to Iranian state media. Quoting the Crisis Management Headquarters in the province of Qom, where the Fordow facility is located, the IRNA news service said “there is no danger to the people of Qom and the surrounding area”. Al Jazeera reported earlier that another official said Fordow has “long been evacuated and has not suffered any irreversible damage”.
The International Atomic Energy Agency says there is currently no increase in off-site radiation levels at the three nuclear sites hit by US strikes. Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority has said no radioactive effects have been detected in Gulf states.
Trump said Iran must now make peace, adding: “If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. For 40 years, Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel.” He said there were “many targets left” in the country for the US to hit. He later warned that any retaliation by Tehran against the US would be met with “force far greater than what was witnessed tonight”.
He praised Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they “worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before”, and gone a long way towards “erasing this horrible threat to Israel”.
Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, said Iran “reserved all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people” against the “outrageous” attack which he said would have “everlasting consequences”.
A Yemeni Houthi official said a response by the group to the US strikes on Iran were “only a matter of time” and that the ceasefire agreement made with the US was before Trump decided to bomb the Iranian nuclear facilities.
Hours after the attack on its nuclear facilities, Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel. Sirens were reported in north and central Israel, reportedly hitting some sites including in Tel Aviv and Haifa, and injuring at least 10 people according to Israeli rescue services.
Netanyahu praised the US attack, saying that the “awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history”. The Israeli prime minister said in a video address, the US “has done what no other country on Earth could do”.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday branded the US strikes on Iran as a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.” He added: “There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control - with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.”
British prime minister Keir Starmer has urged Iran to return to the negotiating table and said that stability in the region remained a priority.
The Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation called the US attack “a barbaric act that violated international law, especially the nuclear non-proliferation treaty”.
The decision to directly involve the US comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. Iran has retaliated with strikes against Israel.Israel launched the attacks on Iran saying that it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. Iran has argued that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian had warned earlier on Saturday of a “more devastating” retaliation should Israel’s nine-day bombing campaign continue, saying the Islamic republic would not halt its nuclear program “under any circumstances.”
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday that US strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them”.
The attack has divided opinions among US lawmakers. Most – but not all – Republicans have supported Trump’s action, while most – but again, not all – Democrats have condemned it. Some Democrats have called for the War Powers act to be enforced against Trump and his “unconstitutional” act taken unilaterally without Congress approval.
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The Australian government has called for “de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy” after the US bombed Iran, as almost 4,000 Australian citizens attempt to escape the conflict zone.
A statement issued after Trump’s White House address, which was not attributed to any specific Australian minister or spokesperson, did not explicitly endorse the strikes, but reiterated Australia’s position on the risk posed by Iran’s nuclear program.
“We have been clear that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security,” the government spokesperson said.
“We note the US president’s statement that now is the time for peace. The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.”
Read more here:
Starmer urges Iran to negotiate
British prime minister Keir Starmer has urged Iran to return to the negotiating table and said that stability in the region remained a priority.
In a statement Starmer suggested some support for the US actions, saying:
“Iran’s nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat. The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.
Updated
Analysis from the Guardian’s senior international correspondent:
Iran had sought to deter Donald Trump from joining Israel’s bombing campaign with dire threats of retaliation, but its options now are limited and fraught with risk.
Iranian officials have said specifically that US ships and military bases would be targeted, but much of the capacity it had relied on as a deterrent has been stripped away over the past few days by Israeli strikes. Those strikes however, have focused on long-range ballistic missile launchers. Iran still has a formidable arsenal of shorter-range missiles and drones.
The US has taken precautions over the past few weeks, dispersing its naval presence in the region and beefing up air defences, to try to ensure it presents as hard a target as possible.
Furthermore, Trump warned on Sunday of broader US involvement in Israel’s war if Iran attempts to strike back, and in recent days suggested that one of the targets for US bombers would be the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s other principal weapon, built up over decades, is its network of alliances with regional militias, its “axis of resistance” but that too has been depleted. Hezbollah’s extensive missile arsenal was pulverised by the Israeli air force last year. Israeli planes have returned to keep the Lebanese Shia force in check, bombing an alleged missile stockpile in south Beirut in April.
A Tehran-backed Shia militia in Iraq, Kata’ib Hezbollah, has threatened to target “US interests” in the Middle East in response to Washington’s participation in Israel’s support. One of its commanders, Abu Ali al-Askari, was quoted on CNN as saying that US bases in the region “will become akin to duck-hunting grounds”.
The United States has military facilities across at least nineteen sites across the Middle East, some eight of them permanent.
Another Iranian partner, the Houthi forces in Yemen, agreed a ceasefire with the US in May but they have warned they would regard the truce to be broken if Trump decided to take part in attacks on Iran, and would target US ships in the Red Sea, something the Houthis have done with mixed results in the past.
The entry of any of these militias into the war would draw a devastating response from the US, which has been preparing for just such a contingency over the months that Israel has been preparing its attack.
Updated
Israel launches counter strikes on Iran
Israel’s military says it has launched a wave of attacks on western Iran, shortly after Iran hit several Israeli cities with missiles.
A spokesman said on social media:
The Air Force has begun a wave of raids on Iranian military targets in western Iran. This morning, the Air Force also struck missile launchers which were ready to launch toward Israel, along with Iranian military personnel. Missile launchers used to launch missiles toward Israeli territory were also targeted.”
Iranian missiles hit 10 Israeli locations - report
Israeli emergency services have said about 10 sites were hit by Iran’s missiles, including in Tel Aviv, Carmel, and Haifa – which reportedly did not hear any alert sirens.
About 14 people are believed to have been injured, most not seriously. Rescuers are continuing to search the impact sites. Some buildings in Tel Aviv have been destroyed, Haaretz reports.
Updated
No radiation increase detected at struck nuclear sites
The International Atomic Energy Agency says there is currently no increase in off-site radiation levels at the three nuclear sites hit by US strikes.
“IAEA will provide further assessments on situation in Iran as more information becomes available,” it said.
Israeli media is reporting several Iranian missiles breached air defences to hit parts of the country. The locations and number of strikes are not clear, and Israeli authorities also instruct people not to publish or share information or recordings of direct hits.
Citing rescue services, the Haaretz media outlet there are some initial claims of casualties in central Israel, as well as strikes in Haifa where missile alerts reportedly did not go off.
Meanwhile the Israeli Defence Force says it has detected a second barrage of missiles from Iran. Iranian state TV is claiming 30 missiles have been fired at Israel today.
Updated
A Yemeni Houthi official said on Sunday that the Iran-aligned group’s response to the U.S. attack on Iran was “only a matter of time”.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi movement’s political bureau, told Al Jazeera Mubasher TV that its ceasefire deal with Washington was before the “war” on Iran.
The group has been launching attacks on shipping lanes and Israel in what it says is in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the Israeli war. It agreed on a ceasefire deal with the United States in May to stop attacking US ships in exchange for an end to Washington’s bombings of the group.
Missiles launched from Iran to Israel - Israel defence force
Israel’s air force says it has detected missiles launched from Iran into Israeli territory, prompting alerts “in several areas of the country”. Witnesses have reported hearing loud bangs or explosions in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
It is not clear yet if the sounds are from missile impacts or interceptions by Israel’s air defence system.
A Times of Israel reporter says medics and security forces are responding to reports of strikes in central and northern Israel.
Hours before Trump’s announcement of the strikes, tens of thousands of people were marching in European cities in support of Palestinians and to call for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza.
In London, tens of thousands of protesters were reported to have marched, waving Palestinian flags and clad in keffiyeh scarves. There have been monthly protests in teh city since the start of this 20-month long war.
In Berlin, more than 10,000 people gathered in the centre of the city, according to police figures, while large crowds were also photographed rallying in Rome.
And in the Swiss capital Bern, march organisers estimated that 20,000 people rallied in front of the national parliament, urging the government to back a ceasefire while in Paris thousands also gathered outside a trade fair attended by Israeli defence firms.
'Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people' - foreign minister
Iran’s foreign minister has condemned the US attack as a breach of international law which will have “everlasting consequences”.
In a statement posted to social media, Seyed Abbas Araghchi said:
The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations.
The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences.
Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behaviour. In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defence, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people.
Updated
The White House has released some pictures from the Situation Room:
Bruce Wolpe, a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre, said Trump’s public remarks confirming the strikes on Iran were the “toughest” statement a US president had made towards an enemy since 9/11.
Wolpe said:
Trump’s message was unyielding and decisive. Stop your attacks on Israel, or we will come back, stop your nuclear program, or we will come back.”
Wolpe is a former staffer to former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard, who also worked with the Democrats during US president Barack Obama’s first term.
He said an escalation in the conflict would have “indirect but serious” consequences for Australia, with any potential closure to the Strait of Hormuz to have major economic implications globally.
Wolpe said the best thing Australia could do was encourage Iran to return to the negotiating table and to stop its acts of aggression against Israel.
Asked if sending troops to the region should be considered, he said: “Goodness no”.
I think the best message right now is to tell Iran to stop and conduct diplomacy.”
Fordow not seriously damaged, Iranian official says
Iranian officials have disputed Trump’s claim that their nuclear facilities were “obliterated”.
Mohammad Manan Raisi, a lawmaker for Qom, near Fordow, told the semi-official Fars news agency the facility had not been seriously damaged.
Iranian media quoted Iran’s nuclear body as saying there were no signs of
contamination after the attacks, and no danger to residents living nearby.
Hassan Abedini, deputy political head of Iran’s state broadcaster, said Iran had evacuated the three sites some time ago.
“The enriched uranium reserves had been transferred from the nuclear centres and there are no materials left there that, if targeted, would cause radiation and be harmful to our compatriots,” he told the channel.
'Full coordination' between US and Israel - Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu has released another video statement, this time in Hebrew, saying there was “full coordination” between Israel and US governments and militaries on the strikes.
“In doing so, the United States continued, with greater intensity and with great force, the attacks of the IDF and the Mossad on Iran’s nuclear program. This program threatened our very existence and also endangered the peace of the entire world,” he said according to an Al Jazeera translation.
“President Trump is leading the free world with strength. He is a great friend of Israel, a friend like no other.”
Separately, CNN is reporting that Trump briefed Republican lawmakers before the strike, but not Democrats.
Updated
Donald Trump’s move to bomb three nuclear sites in Iran came as those inside his orbit who were opposed to US intervention in the conflict shifted their views in favour of a limited and one-off strike.
The US president had been under immense pressure from Republican anti-interventionists not to engage in any action against Iran out of concern that the US might be dragged into a protracted engagement to topple Iran’s leadership, or that strikes on facilities might have limited success.
Some advisers both inside and outside the White House tried to dissuade him from becoming entangled in what they characterised as a conflict started by Israel. They initially suggested the US could continue to help Israel with support from the intelligence community.
But in recent days, as Trump increasingly considered the prospect of strikes and told advisers he had no interest in a prolonged war to bring about regime change, some advisers shifted their public arguments to suggesting the US could do a quick bombing run if Israel could do nothing further.
Read more here:
Israel closes airspace
Israel’s airport authority has announced it is closing its airspace following the US attack on Iranian nuclear sites, but borders between Sinai and Jordan will remain active.
Democrats call on Senate to enforce War Powers act
More US domestic political reaction coming in, with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer calling on the Republican senate leader, John Thune to enforce the War Powers act and bring it to the floor of the Senate “immediately”.
“President Trump must provide the American people and Congress clear answers on the actions taken tonight and their implications for the safety of Americans. No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy. Confronting Iran’s ruthless campaign of terror, nuclear ambitions, and regional aggression demands strength, resolve, and strategic clarity. The danger of wider, longer, and more devastating war has now dramatically increased.
Democratic Senator Jack Reed, the ranking member of the Senate armed services committee, has called for an immediate classified briefing for Congress, “to ensure the American people get the facts and answers they deserve”. Reed said US military personnel involved “expertly supported and executed” the strike, but Trump’s move was “a massive gamble…and nobody knows yet whether it will pay off”.
The Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin has also called for a briefing to Congress.
“Americans do not want a president who bypasses our constitution and pulls us towards war without Congressional approval,” Martin said.
Meanwhile, Democratic representative for New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has raised the prospect of impeachment. She said:
“The president’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorisation is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers. He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”
Palestinian militant group Hamas condemned “blatant US aggression” against Iran with the strikes, AFP reports.
“The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) condemns in the strongest terms the blatant US aggression against the territory and sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the group said in a statement issued after Trump announced the United States had joined Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran.
“This brutal aggression is a dangerous escalation,” the Hamas statement added, calling the attack “a flagrant violation of international law, and a direct threat to international peace and security”.
Posting to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump has repeated his threat to Iran of further strikes if it decides to retaliate against the US.
ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT. THANK YOU! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Iranian officials have said there is no danger to the residents living near the nuclear facilities hit by US strikes, according to Iranian state media. Quoting the Crisis Management Headquarters in the province of Qom, where the Fordow facility is located, the IRNA news service said “there is no danger to the people of Qom and the surrounding area”.
Al Jazeera reported earlier that another official said Fordow has “long been evacuated and has not suffered any irreversible damage”.
Meanwhile Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority has said no radioactive effects have been detected in Gulf states.
The Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation has called the US attack “a barbaric act that violated international law, especially the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty”.
It accused the global watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), of indifference “or even complicity”., and said it expected the global community to support Iran and condemn “these lawless acts rooted in the law of the jungle”.
The organisation said that despite the “malicious conspiracies of the enemies”, it wouldn’t allow the development of the national industry to be stopped.
It also threatened potential legal action.
The Iranian response to US strikes on its nuclear facilities will depended on whether the attacks were as successful as Trump claims, a Middle East analyst says.
Speaking to the Australian national broadcaster, Mouin Rabbani, a nonresident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, said what happens next will depend on whether Iran directs its anger at Israel, or the US. The scale of the damage, he said, may create an incentive for Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz and seek to block the Bab Al-Manab to disrupt global oil and gas supplies.
On the prospect of Iranian retaliation, Rabbani said there were more questions than answers.
One thing that has distinguished the Iranians over the years is that they tend to act strategically rather than impulsively.
Rabbani said that in the context of an escalation by Israel and a direct strike on its facilities by the US, he would be “extraordinarily surprised” if Iran were to respond to the attack on its nuclear facilities by re-entering negotiations.
I think one thing we can exclude is seeing American and Iranian diplomats sitting around the negotiating table later this week.
Rabbani said that striking the Iranian nuclear program is not enough to end the program as the knowledge of how to construct the weapon remained. He added that the attacks are likely to create internal pressure within Iran for the regime to acquire nuclear weapons to defend itself.
Rabbani said that, unlike Israel, Iran was a signatory to the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty since 2015 and had been complying with requirements as part of its obligations.
He said a change of course by Iran followed a decision by the first Trump administration to rip up an earlier deal over the future of its nuclear program in 2018 that it changed.
I think it’s also important with all this talk about the Iranian nuclear weapon, which should, of course, be discussed. We often forget Iran is not a nuclear power. It is a nuclear threshold state. There is only one nuclear power in the Middle East, and that is Israel. And Israel is fighting this war very much to maintain its monopoly on the possession of these weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.
Updated
Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat leader in the House, says the strikes have “dramatically increased” the risk of war.
In a post on X, Jeffries said Trump “misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorisation for the use of military force, and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East”.
First, the Trump administration bears the heavy burden of explaining to the American people why this military action was taken.
Second, Congress must be fully and immediately briefed in a classified setting.
Third, Donald Trump shoulders complete and total responsibility for any adverse consequences that flow from his unilateral military action.
Updated
UN head Guterres calls strikes a threat to international security
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday branded the US strikes on Iran as a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge - and a direct threat to international peace and security.”
“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control - with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” Guterres said in a statement.
“At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace,” he said.
A quick summary of Trump’s main remarks:
“Massive precision strikes” on Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan have “completely obliterated” Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities
He called Iran “the bully of the Middle East” and said it must now “make peace” or face further attacks which would be “far greater and a lot easier”.
He said hundreds of thousands of people had died “as a direct result of their hate”.
Trump thanked Israeli PM Netanyahu, saying the two have “worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before”.
He praised Israel’s efforts against Iran but said Saturday’s strikes could only be done by the US.
He warned Iran “there will either be peace or there will be tragedy”, saying there are “many targets left” in the country for the US to hit. “If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill.”
Senior officials from the Pentagon, including secretary of defence Pete Hegseth, will hold a press conference at 8am Sunday.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2025
Trump threatens to go after 'many' other targets in Iran
Trump is finishing up now, this appears to be a short speech.
“With all that being said, this cannot continue.
There will be either peace or tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left. Tonights were the most difficult by far… But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.
There’s no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight, not even close.”
And with that, he’s finished speaking.
Updated
Trump: US and Israel 'worked as a team'
Trump thanks Netanyahu, saying they “worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before”, and gone a long way towards “erasing this horrible threat to Israel”.
He says the Israeli military has done a “wonderful job”, and he praises the American military and particularly the pilots that flew the “magnificent machines tonight”.
“Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity.”
Updated
Trump to Iran: Make peace or face future attacks
Trump says Iran, which he calls “the bully of the Middle East”, “must make peace”.
“If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. For 40 years, Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel.”
Trump says Iran has been “killing our people, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs”, he says more than 1,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands of people in the Middle East and around the world “have died as a direct result of their hate”.
Updated
Trump speech - Iran facilities 'obliterated'
Donald Trump is now addressing the nation, confirming the strikes on the three nuclear facilities.
“Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horrible destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment facility.
“The strikes were a spectacular military success,” he says, saying the key enrichment facilities have been “totally and completely obliterated”.
Updated
The international law expert, Donald Rothwell, said it was “virtually impossible” to mount a case that the US’ reported strikes on Iranian nuclear sites were legal under international law.
Under article 51 of the UN charter, states are allowed to use force to defend themselves from an armed attack.
International law experts argue the charter does not provide a broader right to preemptive attacks, such as the strikes Israel launched on Iran on 13 June on the grounds of eliminating Tehran’s nuclear threat.
Rothwell, a professor at the Australian National University, said given there had been no direct threat from Iran towards the US then Trump’s reported attack could not be justified.
He told Guardian Australia:
“It’s virtually impossible, I think, for the United States to mount any credible legal argument (for the strikes) on that basis”
Rothwell said the US attacks could set a precedent for how other countries could use the self-defence argument as cover for pre-emptive attacks.
“The really concerning aspect of this is the precedent it sets. If the United States can do this, and this is a precedent that the United States is taking in terms of its interpretation of self defence, or the way in which you can use force, then other states will take that into account in terms of how they consider their own future conduct.”
Netanyahu praises 'awesome and righteous might' of US strikes
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delivered a short speech praising Trump’s strikes on Iran.
Published to his social media account, Netanyahu said the action would “change history”.
Congratulations, President Trump. Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history.
In Operation Rising Lion, Israel has done truly amazing things. But in tonight’s action against Iran’s nuclear facilities, America has been truly unsurpassed. It has done what no other country on Earth could do.
History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world’s most dangerous regime the world’s most dangerous weapons. His leadership today has created a pivot of history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace.
President Trump and I often say, “Peace through strength.” First comes strength, then comes peace. And tonight, President Trump and the United States acted with a lot of strength.
President Trump, I thank you. The people of Israel thank you. The forces of civilisation thank you. God bless America. God bless Israel. And may God bless our unshakable alliance, our unbreakable faith. Thanks for watching.
Updated
Israel raises alert level
Israel has raised its alert level, permitting only essential activities until further notice, the military announced on Sunday after US strikes on Iran.
“It was decided to shift all areas of the country from Partial and Limited Activity to Essential Activity,” including “a prohibition on educational activities, gatherings, and workplaces, except for essential sectors”, the Israeli military statement said.
In the US, New York’s police department says it is deploying additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across the city “out of an abundance of caution”.
Trump is picking up the phone to reporters.
The president famously is not that difficult to contact, compared to predecessors. So far tonight he’s spoken to both Axios and Reuters, reportedly telling the former “we had a great success tonight, Israel is much safer now”.
Trump has said he will make an address to the nation at 10pm, about 20 minutes from now.
Meanwhile Republican lawmakers are lining up to support the strikes.
Earlier we reported Senator Lindsey Graham said it was the right call, and “this regime deserves it”.
Since then, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said he stands with Trump “to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran”.
“The regime in Iran, which has committed itself to bringing ‘death to America’ and wiping Israel off the map, has rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace,” Thune said.
Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, said the strikes “should serve as a clear reminder to our adversaries and allies that President Trump means what he says”.
“The President gave Iran’s leader every opportunity to make a deal, but Iran refused to commit to a nuclear disarmament agreement. President Trump has been consistent and clear that a nuclear-armed Iran will not be tolerated. That posture has now been enforced with strength, precision, and clarity.”
Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says Trump took “decisive action” to do what “only American weapons could do”.
“This is not the start of a forever war. There will not be American boots on the ground in Iran. This was a precise, limited strike, which was necessary and by all accounts was very successful.”
Senator Ted Cruz commended the strike. “As long as Iran was able to access and conduct activities at Fordow, they could still rush to build a nuclear arsenal. Tonight’s actions have gone far in foreclosing that possibility, and countering the apocalyptic threat posed by an Iranian nuclear arsenal.”
Bernie Sanders was in Tulsa, Oklahoma at a rally on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour of the US on Saturday evening when the news of the strikes came through.
He read Trump’s announcement to the crowd, prompting immediate boos and chants of “no more war”.
“I agree,” replied Sanders.
“It is so grossly unconstitutional. All of you know that the only entity that can take this country to war is the US Congress. The president does not have the right.”
Here is the crowd reaction when Bernie announces Trump’s illegal attack on Iran at his rally in Tulsa pic.twitter.com/Dn6YNNbAEE
— Jeremy Slevin (@jeremyslevin) June 22, 2025
The sentiment was shared by Democrat Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who has also denounced the strikes as unconstitutional. In a statement, she said:
“President Trump sending U.S. troops to bomb Iran without the consent of Congress is a blatant violation of our Constitution. The American people do not want another forever war. We have seen where decades of endless war in the Middle East gets us—all based on the lie of ‘weapons of mass destruction.’ We are not falling for it again.
“Instead of listening to the American people, Trump is listening to War Criminal Netanyahu, who lied about Iraq and is lying once again about Iran. Congress must act immediately to exert its war powers and stop this unconstitutional act of war.
US strikes hit Fordow enrichment plant - Iran official
IRNA, the state-run news agency (whose website is currently down) has cited an unnamed provincial official in confirming that part of the Fordow nuclear facility was hit.
“Hours ago, after Qom’s air defenses were activated and hostile targets were identified, part of the Fordow nuclear site was attacked by enemy airstrikes,” said Morteza Heydari, a spokesman for the Qom Provincial Crisis Management Headquarters, according to a translation by Al Jazeera.
Separately, Iranian state media has said the sites struck by US bombings did not contain materials that cause radiation, according to Reuters.
Fordow is one of Iran’s two uranium enrichment sites, estimated to be about 80-90 metres underground below a mountain. Israel struck the site on the first day of its attacks, but no damage was seen at the time, according to the IAEA nuclear watchdog.
Updated
We’re also still awaiting reactions from the Democratic leadership in the US.
Trump’s closest supporters have posted their support for the attack on social media.
South Carolina senator Lindsay Graham says:
Good. This was the right call. The regime deserves it. Well done, President @realDonaldTrump
To my fellow citizens: We have the best Air Force in the world. It makes me so proud. Fly, Fight, Win.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a steadfast Trump supporter who advocated US involvement in Iran this week, posted a statement on Twitter / X:
The prospect of an Iranian regime acquiring nuclear weapons represents the most acute immediate threat to America and our allies.
President Trump has persistently and unequivocally stated that those threats cannot be countered without dismantling the Iranian regime’s enrichment capacity.
We’re still awaiting verified reports to help us understand the impact of the US strike, particularly the Fordow nuclear site that was a principal target of American B-2 bombers.
President Donald Trump has reposted an account on his Truth Social platform saying “Fordow is gone”.
Updated
Via Reuters, the Israeli state broadcaster Kan is citing an Israeli official saying Israel was “in full coordination” with the US on the Iran strike.
Updated
In a post on Truth Social announcing his 10pm address, President Donald Trump says:
This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!
Yoav Gallant, the former Israeli Minister for Defence, has posted on Twitter / X in support of the US Strike.
President Trump took a bold decision for the United States, for Israel, for all of humanity.
The world is now a safer place.
US Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, has posted on Twitter / X in support of the US strike on Iran.
He said:
As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS
Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.
President Donald Trump is expected to speak at the White House at 10pm local time “regarding our very successful military operation in Iran”.
Updated
U.S. B-2 bombers were involved in strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites announced by President Donald Trump on Saturday, a U.S. official told news agency Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Reuters had reported earlier on Saturday the movement of B-2 bombers, which can be equipped to carry massive bombs that experts say would be ideal to strike the sites.
US has struck three Iranian nuclear sites, Trump says
President Donald Trump said Saturday that the US military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel ’s effort to destroy the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.
The decision to directly involve the US comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But US and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-lb. bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.
We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.”
The strikes are a perilous decision for the US as Iran has pledged to retaliate if it joined the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally, having won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism.
"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.… pic.twitter.com/AqCLmaLYJb
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 21, 2025
Welcome and summary
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the Israel-Iran war.
Donald Trump has announced that the US has bombed nuclear sites in Iran, including the Fordow site.
In a post on Truth Social, he said “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space.”
A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.
