Europeans see a window for diplomacy as they meet Iran's top diplomat
A man walks in the damaged headquarters of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Iranian state television, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: pubinfo.section: cms.site.custom.site_domain : thestar.com sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false firstAuthor.avatar :
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Toronto Star
3 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Diplomatic breakthrough elusive as Israel-Iran war stretches into second week
Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) LC flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Diplomatic breakthrough elusive as Israel-Iran war stretches into second week
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Hours of talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war entered its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met for four hours Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh U.S. military involvement and worries rose over potential strikes on nuclear reactors. European officials expressed hope for future negotiations, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasizing that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the U.S. while Israel continued attacking. 'Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes,' he told reporters. No date was set for the next round of talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue 'for as long as it takes' to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. Israel's top general echoed the warning, saying the Israeli military was ready 'for a prolonged campaign.' But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without U.S. help. Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered to be out of reach to all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs. Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13, with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's multitiered air defenses, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Worries rise over the perils of attacking Iran's nuclear reactors Addressing an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned against attacks on Iran's nuclear reactors, particularly its only commercial nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr. 'I want to make it absolutely and completely clear: In case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment,' said Rafael Grossi, chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog. 'This is the nuclear site in Iran where the consequences could be most serious.' Israel has not targeted Iran's nuclear reactors, instead focusing its strikes on the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, laboratories in Isfahan and the country's Arak heavy water reactor southwest of the capital. Grossi has warned repeatedly that such sites should not be military targets. After initially reporting no visible damage from Israel's Thursday strikes on the Arak heavy water reactor, the IAEA on Friday said it had assessed 'key buildings at the facility were damaged,' including the distillation unit. The reactor was not operational and contained no nuclear material, so the damage posed no risk of contamination, the watchdog said. Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% — and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60%. Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with a nuclear weapons program but has never acknowledged it. Israel says 'difficult days' ahead Israel said its warplanes hit dozens of military targets across Iran on Friday, including missile-manufacturing facilities, while an Iranian missile hit Israel's northern city of Haifa, sending plumes of smoke billowing over the Mediterranean port and wounding at least 31 people. Iranian state media reported explosions from Israeli strikes in an industrial area of Rasht, along the coast of the Caspian Sea. Israel's military had warned Iranians to evacuate the area around Rasht's Industrial City, southwest of the city's downtown. But with Iran's internet shut off — now for more than 48 hours — it's unclear how many people could see the message. The Israeli military believes it has destroyed most of Iran's ballistic missile launchers, contributing to the steady decline in Iranian attacks. But several of the roughly three dozen missiles that Israel said Iran fired on Friday slipped through the country's aerial defense system, setting off air-raid sirens across the country and sending shrapnel flying into a residential area in the southern city of Beersheba, a frequent target of Iranian missiles where a hospital was hit Thursday.
The Province
8 hours ago
- The Province
The decision to enter the war against Iran lies with Trump, Israeli minister says
'The U.S. has an excellent president who knows exactly what is in the best interest of his country,' Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli told JNS A member of the local emergency services watches of the destruction at site of an Iranian missile attack in a residential area in Beersheba in southern Israel, on June 20, 2025. Photo by MAYA LEVIN / AFP via Getty Images The United States will make its own decision about whether to enter the war against Iran, and Israel will not pressure the Trump administration to do so, Minister of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli told JNS on Thursday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The statement follows the White House's announcement that President Donald Trump will make a definitive decision on whether to enter the conflict within two weeks. Israeli soldiers search through the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central Israel, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner, File) 'The United States has an excellent president who knows exactly what is in the best interest of his country,' Chikli said. 'We don't make decisions for them.' 'But it's no secret that Iran is the enemy of the United States,' he continued. 'At every conference and parade of this regime, they shout, 'Death to America, Death to Israel.'' Chikli said that the world has not forgotten Iran's nefarious activities, such as the 1979-81 U.S. embassy hostage crisis in Tehran, where American diplomats were held captive for more than a year. He also referenced the 1983 Hezbollah attack on the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, which resulted in the deaths of 241 American service members and 58 French personnel. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Israeli flag flutters in front of a destroyed building at the site of an Iranian missile attack in Ramat Gan in central Israel near Tel Aviv, on June 19, 2025. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images) These events, he emphasized, are stark reminders of Iran's longstanding hostility toward the United States and its direct involvement in attacks on Americans. 'Iran is an enemy of America, an enemy of Israel, and an enemy of Western civilization,' Chikli said. 'It's up to each state, including the U.S., to decide if they want to join us,' he continued. 'We respect every decision. We are grateful for President Trump's diplomatic support in recent weeks and for his role in removing the arms embargo imposed by the Biden administration, which has allowed us to purchase the crucial weapons needed for these operations.' Chikli stressed that Israel is facing an existential threat, particularly from ballistic missiles, which are now being systematically neutralized. He added that the military is targeting missile factories, arsenals and launchers, having already eliminated two-thirds of the stockpile. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Regarding the nuclear threat, Chikli said, 'We're taking steps, one by one, targeting key sites like Natanz, Isfahan and Arak. Top scientists working on Iran's nuclear project have been eliminated, and we're determined to finish the job.' Debris fills a street a day after an Iranian missile struck an area in Ramat Gan in central Israel near Tel Aviv, on June 20, 2025. Photo by JOHN WESSELS / AFP via Getty Images Opposition lawmaker Karine Elharrar (Yesh Atid) told JNS that Iran represents a 'grave threat' not only to Israel but to the entire world. She highlighted Tehran's ballistic missile strike on Thursday that targeted Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva. 'The threat will only be neutralized if Iran is completely prevented from acquiring nuclear capabilities and if its ballistic arsenal is dismantled,' she said. 'Additionally, Iran must be deterred and made to understand that it cannot continue to act against us in the region without facing serious consequences.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Religious Zionism lawmaker Simcha Rothman told JNS that the world should not require an attack on a hospital to recognize Iran as a threat, pointing out that the Islamic Republic has been targeting civilian areas from the very beginning of the war. 'Iran was behind Hamas's vicious attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, both before and after, and has been behind Hezbollah's attacks as well. Iran has always directed its attacks at civilians in the most brutal ways, both then and now. The world sees this, and those who choose not to stand with Israel do so willingly, supporting evil,' he said. A picture taken from inside a damaged house shows a damaged building a day after an Iranian missile struck an area in Ramat Gan in central Israel near Tel Aviv, on June 20, 2025. Photo by JOHN WESSELS / AFP via Getty Images He emphasized that Israel is following the right course of action, saying that it is essential to dismantle Iran's missile and nuclear programs, as both pose a direct threat to Israel and global peace. The ultimate goal, he added, is to eliminate Iran's capacity to target Israel. 'I believe President Trump understands the situation,' said Rothman. 'We see how he speaks publicly, and he recognizes that this is an opportunity to make the world a better place. I believe he wants to be part of it and lead this effort.' Read More
