Race to stop WW3 amid fears Israel-Iran conflict could spread as bombs rain down
World leaders are trying to prevent an all-out war in the Middle East as tensions between and Iran show no sign of stopping - and Donald Trump weighs whether to get involved
A major diplomatic push to stop all-out Middle East war was underway on Friday as both sides rained down deadly missiles on each other.
But Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said before a Geneva meeting of European ministers that Israel 's attacks on his country were 'war crimes' and that Tehran had the right to defend itself. And meanwhile a spat between Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon and his Iranian counterpart Amir Iravani broke out at the Un Security Council. Danny Danon stormed at the New York meeting: 'How dare you? - You are not a diplomat. You are a wolf.'
And he said of Iran: 'It is a war machine - all over the world. We do not apologise for striking Iran's nuclear sites.' Separately Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi was heading for urgent diplomacy talks with European ministers, including UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. As he made his way to Geneva, Abbas Araghchi spoke to the press as at least four Israeli cities were hit by blasts from Tehran's latest missile onslaught.
Araghchi said: 'We have clearly said that there is no room for talking until this aggression stops.' Later he accused America of 'betrayal' as he spoke to European ministers in Geneva, saying: 'We were attacked in the midst of an ongoing diplomatic process.
"We were supposed to meet with the Americans on 15 June to craft a very promising agreement for peaceful resolution of the issues fabricated over our peaceful nuclear programme. It was a betrayal of diplomacy and an unprecedented blow to the foundations of international law.'
In New York Israeli ambassador Danny Danon hit back at his Iranian counterpart furiously that Tehran had a regime that chants: 'Death to Israel, death to America, death to England and Israel is stopping this.' And he said Tehran had 'lied to the International Energy Agency.'
He added: 'While the Ayatollah shouts death to America and death Israel many here ignored it. This hypocrisy would allow Iran to get as far as it has,' in its nuclear programme. He added: 'It allowed Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, militia in Iraq.'
Earlier Iranian bombs hit multiple cities including Tel Aviv, Haifa, Beersheba and Negev, sending locals diving for cover and causing grey smoke in the air above communities. It is believed Tehran's latest onslaught included as many as 39 missiles and at least one of the weapons may have been a cluster bomb.
In one attack the city of Beersheba was hit by multiple impacts indicating that Tehran may be using ballistic missile carrying cluster weapons. It followed as many as 60 Israeli warplanes in waves targeting sites throughout Iran including the capital as the march towards major war failed to ease off.
US President Donald Trump is weighing up whether to launch US warplanes at Iran and join Israel's attacks on Tehran's nuclear programme. Before his flight, Araghchi said on Iranian state television that his country was "not seeking negotiations with anyone" as long as Israel's attacks continued.
He also accused the U.S. of collaborating with Israel, noting that Trump regularly used "we" in social media posts and interviews talking about the attacks on Iran. He added: "It is the Americans who want talks.
"They've sent messages several times - very serious ones - but we made it explicitly clear to them that as long as this aggression and invasion continue, there is absolutely no room for talk or diplomacy. We are engaged in legitimate self-defense, and this defense will not stop under any circumstances."
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK is arranging charter flights to return British nationals from Israel once Israeli airspace re-opens, the foreign secretary has said. David Lammy confirmed the government was working with Israel to provide flights out of Tel Aviv airport.
Israeli airspace is closed due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. The statement came as Lammy arrived in Geneva for talks with Iran, in the hopes of negotiating an agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme.
French President Emmanuel Macron said European diplomats in Geneva will make a "comprehensive, diplomatic and technical offer of negotiation" to Iran, as a key response to the "threat" represented by Iran's nuclear program.
He added: "No one can seriously believe that this threat can be met with Israel's current operations alone. We need to regain control on (Iran's nuclear) program through technical expertise and negotiation."
And former UK ambassador to Iran Sir Richard Dalton said that there was "no imminent threat" to Israel from Iran. He said strongly opposed the "appalling and unacceptable" rhetoric that Iran has used about Israel for many years.
But he added: "Decades of tolerance of Israeli defiance of international law has cemented Israeli belief that they are untouchable. Whatever their actions, they have a sense of impunity."
When asked about Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium - which is close to weapons-grade and something they have refused to explain for several years - the expert said: "They've done that in order to put leverage on the international community to revert to the deal which was working, and which President Trump foolishly scrapped in 2018. It was a highly questionable decision to do that".
Iran had previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors in to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief and other provisions. After Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the deal during his last term Iran began enriching uranium to higher levels and limiting access to its facilities.
Israel said it conducted airstrikes into Friday morning in Iran with more than 60 aircraft hitting what it said were industrial sites to manufacture missiles. It also said it hit the headquarters of Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, known by its acronym in Farsi, SPND.
It carried out airstrikes around Kermanshah and Tabriz in western Iran, where the military said 25 fighter jets struck "missile storage and launch infrastructure components.' Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said: "We are strengthening our air control in the region and advancing our air offensive. We have more sites to strike in Tehran, western Iran and other places."
Israeli airstrikes also reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early Friday. The Israeli military had warned the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, southwest of the city's downtown.
In Israel, the paramedic service Magen David Adom said Iranian missiles struck a residential area in southern Israel causing damage to buildings, including one six-story building. They have provided medical treatment to five people with minor injuries such as bruises, smoke inhalation, and anxiety, it said.
On Thursday, at least 80 patients and medical workers were wounded in a strike on the Soroka Medical Center in the southern city of Beersheba. After Iran hit a hospital in Beersheba Israeli defence minister Israel Katz threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , saying Israel's military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would "do what's best for America." Speaking from the rubble and shattered glass around the hospital, he added: "I can tell you that they're already helping a lot."
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 retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel. At least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. But it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
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