Iran and 'Israel' exchange fire as US weighs direct military intervention
LIVE UPDATES | Iran and 'Israel' exchange fire as US weighs direct military intervention
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'Israel' and Iran continue exchanging fire in aerial attacks since Friday morning, in a massive escalation that evolved into a direct confrontation between the longtime enemies after years of shadow wars.
US President Donald Trump said Thursday he will decide whether to join 'Israel's' strikes on Iran within the next two weeks as there is still a "substantial" chance of negotiations to end the conflict.
Iran and European diplomats said nuclear talks will be held in Geneva on Friday, bringing together top diplomats from Britain, France, Germany and the European Union as well as Tehran's Abbas Araghchi.
The Wall Street Journal reported Trump has told aides he has approved attack plans but is holding off to see if Iran will give up its nuclear programme.
Netanyahu told 'Israeli' public broadcaster Kan that 'Israel' had destroyed "more than half" of Iran's missile launchers since Friday.
The death toll from Iranian missile strikes has risen to 25, after the body of a Ukrainian woman was recovered on Thursday from a building struck by an Iranian missile four days earlier in Bat Yam.
Iran said Sunday that 'Israeli' strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. Authorities have not issued an updated toll since.
Reports from observers estimate the Iranian death toll to be between 500-700.
23 minutes ago
'Very bad decision': US envoy warns Hezbollah of involvement in Iran-'Israel' war
The US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack warned Lebanese group Hezbollah on Thursday against getting involved in the war between its main backer Iran and 'Israel'.
Barrack, who is also the US ambassador to Turkey, is on his first visit to Beirut, where he met top Lebanese officials including parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.
"I can say on behalf of President (Donald) Trump... that would be a very, very, very bad decision," Barrack said after his meeting with Berri, responding to a question on what the US position would be on any involvement by Hezbollah in the war.
In a statement, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said the group will "act as we see fit".
"Tyrannical America and criminal Israel will not be able to subjugate the Iranian people and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," Qassem said.
Hezbollah, he added, still had "the responsibility to stand by Iran and provide it with all forms of support that contribute to putting an end to this tyranny and oppression".
Hezbollah suffered devastating losses in its war against 'Israel' last year, which ended with a ceasefire agreement in November.
36 minutes ago
WHO chief says 'attacks on health' in Iran-'Israel' conflict appalling
The WHO's leader on Thursday denounced attacks on health facilities in the Iran-'Israel' war as "appalling", urging all sides to protect hospital buildings, staff and patients.
"The escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran is putting health facilities and access to health care at risk. The reports on the attacks on health so far are appalling," World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.
37 minutes ago
Netanyahu says 'all help welcome' in striking Iran's nuclear sites
Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he welcomed "all help" with destroying Iran's nuclear sites, nearly a week into major 'Israeli' air raids on the Islamic republic.
'Israel' is "capable of striking all of Iran's nuclear facilities" but "all help is welcome", Netanyahu told public broadcaster Kan, also saying that US President Donald Trump "will do what is good for for the United States, and I will do what is good for the State of Israel".
38 minutes ago
Iran able to produce nuclear bomb in 'a couple of weeks': White House
Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in the space of a "couple of weeks," the White House said Thursday, as US President Donald Trump debated whether to take military action against the Islamic republic.
"Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon. All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that, and it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
39 minutes ago
Hezbollah chief says group will 'act as we see fit' in Iran-'Israel' war
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Thursday that the group would "act as we see fit" in response to the ongoing war between its main backer Iran and 'Israel'.
In a statement, Qassem said Hezbollah was "not neutral" in the conflict between the two regional superpowers, saying that the group would "act as we see fit in the face of this brutal Israeli-American aggression".
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European powers urge Iran to pursue diplomacy amid 'Israeli' bombardment
European powers on Friday urged Iran to continue diplomatic efforts to resolve the standoff over its nuclear programme, as 'Israel' maintains its military strikes on the Islamic Republic. 'The good result today is that we leave the room with the impression that Iran is ready to discuss these questions further,' said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, speaking alongside his British, French, and EU counterparts after talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy emphasized the importance of continued dialogue: 'We are keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the United States.' French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot added, 'There can be no definitive solution through military means to the Iran nuclear problem.' For his part, Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi expressed readiness to support the 'continuation' of nuclear talks with European nations, but signaled that diplomatic progress would depend on a halt in aggression, saying Iran is prepared to "consider" diplomacy 'once the aggression is stopped.'
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Trump says 'two weeks maximum' for Iran decision
President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran had a "maximum" of two weeks to avoid possible US air strikes, indicating he could take a decision before the fortnight deadline he set a day earlier. Trump added that Iran "doesn't want to talk to Europe," dismissing the chance of success in talks between European powers and Iran in Geneva on resolving the conflict between 'Israel' and Iran. Trump also played down the possibility of asking 'Israel' to halt its attacks, after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would not resume talks with the United States until 'Israel' relented. "I'm giving them a period of time, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum," Trump told reporters when asked if he could decide to strike Iran before that. He added that the aim was to "see whether or not people come to their senses." Trump had said in a statement on Thursday that he would "make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks" because there was a "substantial chance of negotiations" with Iran. Those comments had been widely seen as opening a two-week window for negotiations to end the war between 'Israel' and Iran, with the European powers rushing to talks with Tehran. But his latest remarks indicated that Trump could still make his decision before that if he feels that there has been no progress towards dismantling Iran's nuclear program. Trump dismissed the chances of Europe making a difference, saying the talks between Britain, France, Germany and EU diplomats and Tehran's foreign minister "didn't help." "Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this," Trump told reporters as he arrived in Morristown, New Jersey. Asked if he would ask 'Israel' to stop its attacks as Iran had asked, Trump said it was "very hard to make that request right now."
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Iran rejects nuclear talks with US before 'Israeli aggression' stops
Iran said Friday it would not resume nuclear negotiations with the United States until 'Israel' halts its attacks, as 'Israel's' military chief warned the week-old war will be "prolonged". A series of blasts were heard in Tehran on Friday as Iran's Fars news agency said air defences had been activated, as 'Israel' kept up its bombardment and Iran launched missiles at its arch enemy. "We must be ready for a prolonged campaign," military chief Eyal Zamir told 'Israelis' in a video statement, eight days after his country launched a massive wave of strikes it said were aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran has denied. "The campaign is not over. Although we have made significant achievements, difficult days still lie ahead," he said. As US President Donald Trump mulls the prospect of entering the war between the two foes, top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany met with their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Geneva. Referring to nuclear negotiations with Washington that had been derailed by the war, Araghchi said after the meeting that "Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again and once the aggression is stopped". Tehran did "support the continuation of discussion with" the European countries and was willing "to meet again in the near future", Araghchi told reporters. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said "we invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for". Barrot said there "can be no definitive solution through military means to the Iran nuclear problem" and warned that it was "dangerous to want to impose a regime change" in Iran, after 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 450 missiles Since 'Israel' launched its offensive on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites but also hitting residential areas, Iran has responded with barrages which 'Israeli' authorities say have killed at least 25 people. A hospital in the 'Israeli' port of Haifa reported 19 injured, including one person in serious condition, after the latest Iranian salvo. More than 450 missiles have been fired at the country so far, along with about 400 drones, according to 'Israel's' National Public Diplomacy Directorate. Iran said on Sunday that 'Israeli' strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not updated the toll since. A US-based NGO, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, provided a toll on Friday based on sources and media reports, saying at least 657 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians. 'Israel's' military said it struck missile launchers in southwestern Iran after overnight air raids on dozens of targets including a nuclear research centre. In 'Israel', sirens sounded in the afternoon after missiles were launched from Iran for the second time on Friday. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted military sites and air force bases. Trump said on Thursday he will decide "within the next two weeks" whether to involve the United States in the fighting. A US Navy official said Friday that an aircraft carrier will be moved closer to the Middle East next week, making it the third in or near the region. 'Madness' "This is a perilous moment, and it is hugely important that we don't see regional escalation of this conflict," said Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who earlier stated "Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon". Western governments suspect Iran of seeking a nuclear weapons capability. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that while Iran is the only country without nuclear weapons to enrich uranium to 60 percent, there was no evidence it had all the components to make a functioning nuclear warhead. "So, saying how long it would take for them, it would be pure speculation because we do not know whether there was somebody... secretly pursuing these activities," the agency's chief Rafael Grossi told CNN. "We haven't seen that and we have to say it." In an interview with German publication Bild, 'Israel's' top diplomat Gideon Saar said he did not "particularly" believe in diplomacy with Iran. "All diplomatic efforts so far have failed," said Saar, whose country had supported Trump's 2018 decision to abandon a previous nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the escalating confrontation is quickly reaching "the point of no return", saying "this madness must end as soon as possible". UN chief Antonio Guterres meanwhile pleaded with all sides to "give peace a chance". Any US involvement in 'Israel's' campaign would be expected to involve the bombing of an underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordo, using powerful bunker-busting bombs that no other country possesses. Switzerland announced it was temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran, adding that it would continue to fulfil its role representing US interests in Iran.
