
Israel-Iran conflict LIVE: Trump says two weeks is ‘maximum' for Iran decision
Israel and Iran traded strikes a week into their war on Friday (June 20, 2025) as President Donald Trump weighed U.S. military involvement and key European ministers met with Iran's top diplomat in Geneva in a scramble to de-escalate the conflict.
But the first face-to-face meeting between Western and Iranian officials in the weeklong war concluded after four hours with no sign of an immediate breakthrough.
To give diplomacy a chance, Mr. Trump said he would put off deciding for up to two weeks whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran. U.S. participation would most likely involve strikes against Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility, considered to be out of reach to all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs.
Whether or not the U.S. joins, 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.
Meanwhile, Tehran is ready to 'consider diplomacy' again only once Israel's 'aggression is stopped', Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said following talks in Geneva with his European counterparts on Iran's nuclear programme.

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United News of India
17 minutes ago
- United News of India
Iran accuses US of using Tehran's talks with Trump as ‘cover' for Israeli strikes
Tehran, June 21 (UNI) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbass Araghchi has said that Iran is no longer certain if it can trust the United States in mediating peace talks with Israel, alleging that President Donald Trump's negotiations were a 'cover' for Israeli attacks on his country. Araghchi accused Washington of 'betrayal to diplomacy,' saying US officials 'must show their determination for negotiating a solution,' in an on-camera interview with NBC News on Friday. 'We have come to the conclusion that negotiations by the US was in fact a cover for what the Israelis did,' he added. 'We don't know how we can trust them (the US) anymore.' Israel recently carried out a series of aerial strikes on Iran, hitting its Isfahan nuclear research complex – the country's largest nuclear complex. While there was some infrastructure damage, no hazardous leaks occurred, confirmed Iranian authorities. The IDF also allegedly targeted a residential building in Iran's Qom province, which led to the deaths of two civilians, four injuries, and strong property damage. Araghchi arrived in Turkey on Friday night, ahead of a Saturday meeting of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, where he condemned 'Israeli aggression.' Speaking to Iranian media in Istanbul, Araghchi said he would 'make full use of this opportunity in order to make the innocent and righteous voice of the Iranian people heard.' Araghchi said that he had also planned to meet with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials.


Hans India
18 minutes ago
- Hans India
Israel-Iran War: Trump weighs U.S. strikes as Tehran warns of ‘Dangerous' escalation
As Israel and Iran continued their escalating conflict into its second week, tensions deepened on Friday, June 20, with U.S. President Donald Trump indicating he may authorize airstrikes on Iran — giving Tehran a two-week window to avert potential military action. This comes as diplomatic talks in Geneva between Iranian officials and European ministers ended with no breakthrough. President Trump said any American involvement would target Iran's Fordo nuclear site, a hardened underground facility believed to be accessible only via U.S. 'bunker-buster' munitions. While Trump is holding off on a final decision, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue military operations "for as long as it takes" to neutralize Iran's nuclear and missile threat. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, following the Geneva talks, warned that U.S. intervention would be 'very, very dangerous for everyone.' Tehran, he added, will not resume diplomatic dialogue unless Israel halts its 'aggression.' Meanwhile, on the ground, Israel carried out a second strike on Iran's nuclear site in Isfahan, reportedly inflicting heavy damage to centrifuge infrastructure. In retaliation, drones struck a residential building in northern Israel, though no casualties were reported. Russia weighed in as well, with President Vladimir Putin stating there's no evidence that Iran seeks nuclear weapons — aligning with IAEA's assessment. Putin said Moscow supports Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear program and is urging both nations to end the bloodshed. Amidst this chaos, misinformation has become rampant. AI-generated deepfakes and manipulated footage are blurring fact and fiction, fueling online disinformation campaigns. This digital fog is compounding the already tense information war surrounding the conflict. A bizarre moment occurred when a British-Iranian woman trying to reach her mother in Tehran was answered by a robotic voice in broken English — further highlighting the surreal intersection of war and technology. In a dramatic statement, a senior aide to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, vowed that IAEA chief Rafael Grossi would 'pay' after the war, accusing him of making conflicting statements that gave Israel a pretext for its surprise attacks. With diplomacy faltering and military actions intensifying, the region remains on a knife's edge — and global leaders are scrambling to contain a conflict that risks spiraling far beyond the Middle East.


Scroll.in
18 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Pakistan nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize, cites ‘pivotal' role during conflict with India
Pakistan announced on Saturday that it has nominated United States President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize 'in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership' during the recent conflict with India. 'The Government of Pakistan also acknowledges and greatly admires President Trump's sincere offers to help resolve the longstanding dispute of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan – an issue that lies at the heart of regional instability,' Islamabad stated in a social media post. It also described Trump as a 'genuine peacemaker'. The winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is expected to be announced in October 2026. Pakistan to recommend US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize 2026: Pakistan statement — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) June 21, 2025 Pakistan's announcement came days after Trump claimed that he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for multiple global peace efforts, The Hindu reported. 'I should have gotten it four or five times,' the US president was quoted as saying by AP. 'They won't give me a Nobel Peace Prize because they only give it to liberals.' In a social media post on Saturday, Trump reiterated that he would never receive a Nobel Peace Prize, 'no matter what I do'. He also repeated his claim that he had helped 'stop the war' between India and Pakistan. New Delhi has rejected Trump's assertions. On Wednesday, New Delhi stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told the US president that India will never accept mediation to resolve tensions with Pakistan. Trump was also told that New Delhi had agreed to the ceasefire only on Islamabad's request, said India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Hours after the statement, Trump hosted Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at the White House. Speaking afterwards, Trump thanked both Munir and Modi for their roles in 'ending the war', and noted ongoing trade discussions with both countries, The Hindu reported. The tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad escalated on May 7 when the Indian military carried out strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes were in response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 persons on April 22. The Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 22 Indian civilians and eight defence personnel were killed. On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an 'understanding' to halt firing following a four-day conflict. New Delhi's announcement on the decision to stop military action had come minutes after Trump claimed on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to the ceasefire. However, India has said that the decision to stop firing was taken bilaterally and that there was no intervention by the US. The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The five-member panel is appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. According to the Nobel Prize website, a nomination for the Peace Prize is valid if submitted by qualified individuals such as government officials, judges, professors, former laureates or members of recognised peace organisations. This includes 'members of national Assemblies and national governments of sovereign states as well as current heads of state'. Self-nominations are not accepted.