France urges restraint, diplomacy after "concerning" US strikes on Iran

PARIS, June 22 (Reuters) - France's foreign minister said on Sunday that Paris was concerned by U.S. air strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites overnight and urged all sides to show restraint and move to towards a negotiated solution to the crisis.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X that France, which had held talks with Iran on Friday in Geneva along with its European partners, had neither participated in these strikes nor in their planning.
"France has noted with concern the strikes carried out last night by the United States against three Iranian nuclear programme sites," Barrot, who spoke with his U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio on Saturday evening, said.
"France is convinced that a lasting resolution to this issue requires a negotiated solution within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty," Barrot wrote on X.

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Sky News

38 minutes ago

• Sky News

Iranian nuclear sites sustained 'extremely severe damage' after US strikes, Pentagon says

Iranian nuclear sites sustained "extremely severe damage and destruction" in air strikes, the US has said - a stance mostly supported by the UN's nuclear watchdog. General Dan Caine, chairman of America's joint chiefs of staff, told reporters that the destruction wrought by Operation Midnight Hammer will take "some time" to assess. But he added that "initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction". The sites are Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Fordow is a secretive nuclear facility buried about 80m below a mountain and one of two key uranium enrichment plants in Iran, along with Natanz. Isfahan features a large nuclear technology centre and enriched uranium is also stored there, diplomats say. At Fordow, satellite images taken after the attack show holes in the mountain in which the nuclear site was situated. Other images of Natanz, which is also suspected of having an underground facility, appear to show a new hole in a rocky area. Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, said the initial assessment was that "all of our precision munitions struck where we wanted them to strike and had the desired effect". "Which means, especially in Fordow, which was the primary target here, we believe we achieved destruction of capabilities there," he added. America's attack brings the US into direct involvement in the war between Israel and Iran, which started on 13 June. It prompted threats of reprisals from Tehran, raising fears of a wider regional conflict. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the facility at Natanz had been "completely destroyed", while its underground halls "suffered a lot" because of cuts to electricity as the result of Israeli attacks. He also told CNN that the Isfahan site had suffered "very significant damage". At Fordow, which is deep underground, he said it was difficult to know how much damage had been done. Satellite images appear to show major damage at Isfahan. Natanz was believed to have possibly already suffered extensive damage in Israel's strikes earlier this week. Fourteen bunker buster bombs were used in the attacks on Fordow and Natanz, and numerous Tomahawk cruise missiles were also used in operation, which was described by Donald Trump as "very successful". However, a senior Iranian source told the Reuters news agency that most of the highly enriched uranium at Fordow was moved to an undisclosed location ahead of the attacks. Personnel numbers were said to have been cut, too. The IAEA said there had been "no increase in off-site radiation levels" after the strikes. Donald Trump said no further attacks were planned and he hoped diplomacy would take over. 1:15 Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, warned that the US strikes "will have everlasting consequences", adding that his country "reserves all options" to retaliate. Mr Hegseth said the United States "does not seek war" but would "act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners, or our interests are threatened". Iran has repeatedly denied it is seeking a nuclear weapon, and Mr Grossi said this month the IAEA had no proof of a "systematic effort to move into a nuclear weapon". However, the IAEA said last month that Iran had amassed 408.6kg of uranium enriched up to 60% - a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Since the war broke out more than a week ago, Iranian authorities say more than 400 people have been killed since Israel's bombardment began, mostly civilians. Israel has taken out much of Iran's military leadership with attacks targeting air defences and military bases. Iran has been launching missiles back at Israel, and at least 24 people have been killed over the past nine days. US Senator Chris Murphy, posting on X after the US strikes, said he and other senators received a classified briefing last week indicating that Iran did not pose an immediate threat through its nuclear programme. "Iran was not close to building a deliverable nuclear weapon," Senator Murphy said. "The negotiations Israel scuttled with their strikes held the potential for success." 2:36 The Iranian foreign minister told journalists on Sunday morning that he was flying to Moscow to have "serious consultations" with Vladimir Putin. He described Moscow as a "friend of Iran", adding: "We always consult with each other." Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that "invaders must now await responses that will bring regret" after the US strikes. Gulf states like Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, all home to US military bases, are on high alert after the strikes, with Bahrain urging drivers to avoid main roads and Kuwait setting up shelters. The UK has also further increased "force protection" measures for its military bases and personnel in the Middle East to their highest level. Iran has requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to "maintain international peace and condemn the US strikes", according to state media. 3:33 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the "bold decision" by Mr Trump, saying it would "change history". The IRGC said it had launched 40 missiles at Israel on Sunday morning, including its biggest ballistic missile, the Khorramshahr-4. Iranian missiles hit sites in northern and central Israel, including in Haifa, Ness Ziona, Rishon LeZion and Tel Aviv. The UK is preparing to fly British nationals out of Israel. The and reach "a diplomatic solution to end this crisis". "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," said Sir Keir Starmer.

Telegraph

an hour ago

• Telegraph

‘Enjoy the fireworks': Cautious optimism on the streets of Tel Aviv

Alerts blared out on phones across Israel at 7.30am on Sunday and, just a minute or so after the blast doors were pulled tight, deep percussive thuds reverberated through the Tel Aviv bomb shelter. It was one of the largest salvos of recent days, with at least 40 ballistic missiles fired at the Jewish state from Iran. All across the country, people were hunkering down, most unaware of the overnight US strikes on Fordow and Iran's other nuclear facilities. Sleep has been hard enough for most Israelis over the last week, with phones often inundated with missile alerts and news notifications in the dead of night. The 15 to 20 people in the Tel Aviv hotel shelter sucked in a collective breath with the thud of the impacts but quickly turned to their phones to peruse reports on the night's action. One by one, smiles spread across sleepy faces with the knowledge that the US had joined Israel in its fight against Iran. This is a country where people have long believed that 'strength' is all. 'For me, the biggest message this sends is that no one f---s with us,' a young South African-born Israeli told me after the blast doors opened. Seven kilometres to the north, a ballistic missile had slammed into the densely compacted residential neighbourhood of Ramat Aviv. Others caused devastation in Ness Ziona, south of Tel Aviv, and the northern city of Haifa. There were no deaths, but more than 100 people were reported injured. The shockwave at the Tel Aviv housing estate sheared off the outside wall off an old but smart-looking concrete apartment block and destroyed multiple neighbouring houses. That block alone contained 34 apartments and an adjacent high-rise had its windows blown out from top to bottom on the blast-facing side, making hundreds homeless. It is thought that at least 20 were injured there. A senior police officer said at the scene that tragedy was averted because everyone got to their safe rooms. The contents of the apartments – clothes, kitchen implements, children's toys – were strewn across the rubble, as hundreds of residents evacuated with what belongings they could save. They join nearly 9,000 Israeli civilians who are now homeless because of the missile strikes, according to the Israel Defense Forces. With the US strike and Iran's retaliation came new emergency lockdown orders from the government, which once again closed most shops and businesses. Nevertheless, the mood on the streets of the city was upbeat, if muted. People nodded knowingly as Telegraph reporters made their way to the blast scene, with several offering fist bumps. 'It's good, but I'm not sure', said one woman of the US strikes. 'Every day, it's a new adventure here. You don't know what comes next. We just want to live.' At a local Mizrahi-run cafe, the owner offered your correspondents a complimentary shot of arrack. 'Congratulations', he said. 'Enjoy the fireworks'. Excitement – good and bad – comes in quick succession in Israel, and no one pretends to know how things will pan out. Over the past week, there had been real anxiety that Donald Trump would decide against military action and leave Israel hanging. Now the mood has lifted, but the country remains under attack. Eldad Shavit, a former head of Mossad's research division, warned on Sunday that Iran was 'ideologically driven' and no one should expect it to give up. It could continue firing missiles at Israel for a 'month or more' based on estimates of its remaining stocks and there was some tentative evidence to suggest it was firing new missiles that were better at evading Israel's celebrated defence systems. Terrorism could also not be ruled out through its proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah, which were badly damaged but not entirely degraded, she said. The war is also costing Israel economically and politically. The government is coming under mounting pressure over the provision of bomb shelters and temporary accommodation for the 9,000 Israelis whose homes have been destroyed in the past week. Although most of the missiles and drones targeted at Israel have been intercepted, many have got through, causing considerable damage and spreading anxiety and fear. At least 24 Israelis have been killed in the attacks and the number of wounded now exceeds 900, with thousands of homes destroyed and their occupants displaced. 'After the first deaths, everything changed,' the South African-born Israeli told The Telegraph. 'People saw what a ballistic missile really means. The blast is enormous. From then, everyone is trying to go to a shelter, but there are not enough.' Some 57 per cent of Israel's homes do not have a 'mamad' or safe room as of last year, according to the Israeli Builders Association. And about a quarter of Israelis do not have access to any hardened shelter. The shortage – concentrated in poorer areas often dominated by Arab Israelis or new immigrant communities – is leading to overcrowding and growing discontent. Stories documenting the problem have become a mainstay of local media. Video footage and pictures shared with The Telegraph show a shelter in a down-at-heel district of Tel Aviv so crowded that its blast door could not be closed during an air raid alert on Thursday. Dozens of other people were left standing outside the entrance to the shelter without access to any hardened protection, the person who provided the images said. In response to mounting pressure, the Israeli government approved a plan on Friday to renovate 500 public bomb shelters and deploy 1,000 new mobile roadside shelters across the country. 'In light of the security situation, the government approved via a phone vote a plan to accelerate home front defence,' the defence ministry said. The provision of temporary accommodation for those left homeless by Iran's assault on civilian infrastructure has also become a pressing issue for the Israeli state. Such is the power of some of Iran's ballistic missiles that they can cause hundreds of homes in Israel's densely packed cities to be destroyed in a single blast. The Telegraph witnessed one such strike in the city of Holon, just south of Tel Aviv, on Thursday morning where 746 people from 250 families had to be relocated after their homes were classified as uninhabitable. Sunday's strike on Ramat Aviv was of a similar magnitude in terms of damage. As of Friday at 3pm, 30,735 damage claims had been received by the Israel Tax Authority, including 25,040 related to buildings, 2,623 related to vehicles and another 3,006 related to other property. Most of the displaced are being put up in hotels if they cannot stay with friends or relatives. Caroline Molcho was relocated temporarily to the Dan Panorama hotel in Tel Aviv after her home was destroyed in a strike last week. The French-Israeli had been in a safe room in her apartment when the missile hit. 'I feel so lucky – it really saved my life, but now we have no idea how long this process will last, how long will I stay here. The future is now really uncertain,' she said.

The Sun

an hour ago

• The Sun

Border crisis deepens as over 1,000 migrants cross Channel in just 48 hours despite France upping patrols

MORE than 1,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats in just 48 hours. They arrived in 15 dinghies — despite French police ramping up beach patrols and deploying tear-gas to deter launches. 2 2 Home Office figures show 437 crossed in seven small boats on Friday, followed by 583 in eight the next day. It brought the total for the week to 2,083, and the tally for the year so far to 18,400 — up nearly 6,000 compared with this time in 2024. The surge heaps huge pressure on PM Sir Keir Starmer, who last week admitted the situation was 'deteriorating'. French officers were seen ramping up tactics on the beaches, firing gas at groups preparing to launch. But some stood by as migrants waded into the sea and clambered aboard dinghies unchallenged. The PM and French leaders Emmanuel Macron are expected to hold a summit next month focused on tackling the problem. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said Labour has 'totally lost control of our borders' after scrapping the Rwanda deterrent 'before it even started'. He added: 'Every single immigrant needs to be removed to a location outside Europe the minute they arrive. 'We need to repeal the Human Rights Act to stop illegal immigrants and foreign criminals abusing our rules to stay. 'And we should suspend the fishing deal until the French actually do what they are supposed to and stop these boats at sea.'