Israel says conducted 'extensive strikes' in Iran's west
Getty Images Smoke rises after a reported Israeli strike on a building used by Islamic Republic of Iran News Network, part of Iran's state TV broadcaster, on June 16, 2025 in Tehran, Iran. Over recent days, Iran has been hit by a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting military and nuclear sites, as well as top military officials, and launched its own counterattack on Israel. Israel's military said Tuesday it conducted "several extensive strikes" on military targets in western Iran overnight, as the arch-foes traded fire for a fifth straight day."During the strikes, dozens of surface-to-surface missile storage and launch infrastructure were struck," the military said in a statement."In addition, surface-to-air missile launchers and UAV storage sites were struck in western Iran," it added.The statement included footage which the army said showed the moments surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missile launchers were hit.One clip appeared to show a strike on a surface-to-air launcher holding three missiles.
Despite growing calls for the longtime foes to end hostilities, neither Israel nor Iran showed any signs of cutting short the missile blitz kicked off Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented series of aerial raids targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities.After a new wave of Israeli strikes on Iran's capital -- including a dramatic attack on a state TV building -- both countries activated their missile defence systems overnight, with Israel's army briefly urging residents to seek shelter from incoming Iranian missiles.
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Mint
19 minutes ago
- Mint
Israel's military hits at Iran's nuclear research facility in Isfahan, Tehran warns against US involvement
Tel Aviv:Israel's military said Saturday it struck an Iranian nuclear research facility overnight and killed three senior Iranian commanders in targeted attacks, while emphasizing it was preparing for the possibility that the war could turn into a lengthy campaign. Early Saturday, smoke could be seen rising from an area near a mountain in Isfahan, where a local official said Israel had attacked the nuclear research facility in two waves. The target was two centrifuge production sites, and the attacks came on top of strikes on other centrifuge production sites elsewhere in recent days, according to an Israeli military official speaking on condition of anonymity under army guidelines to brief reporters. It was the second attack on Isfahan, which was hit in the first 24 hours of the war as part of Israel's goal to destroy the Iranian nuclear program. Akbar Salehi, Isfahan province's deputy governor for security affairs, confirmed the Israeli strikes had caused damage to the facility but said there had been no human casualties. Iran launched a new wave of drones and missiles at Israel but there were no immediate reports of significant damage, and the Israeli official called it a 'small barrage' that was largely intercepted by Israel's defenses. The official said part of the reason that Iran's overnight attack had been relatively small was that the military had been targeting its launchers, and estimates it has now taken out more than 50% of them. 'We've been able to take out a large amount of their launchers, creating a bottleneck — we're making it harder for them to fire toward Israel,' he said. 'Having said all that, I want to say the Iranian regime obviously still has capabilities.' Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said Saturday an Iranian drone hit a two-story building in northern Israel, but there were no casualties. Later, the Israeli military's chief spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, said the army had been told by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to be prepared for a 'prolonged campaign' to destroy its targets, including nuclear sites, enrichment facilities and missile infrastructure. 'We are deepening our strikes night after night and we have amazing achievements,' he said. 'We will continue until the threat is removed.' Talks in Switzerland fail to produce a breakthrough Talks in Geneva on Friday failed to produce a breakthrough. European officials expressed hope for future discussions, 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 once again and once aggression is stopped and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes committed,' he told reporters. No date was set for the next round of talks. U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing active U.S. military involvement in the conflict, which Araghchi said Saturday 'would be very unfortunate.' 'I think that it would be very, very dangerous for everyone,' he said in Istanbul, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13, with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 722 people, including 285 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,500 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Iran has retaliated by firing more than 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. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has 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. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without U.S. help. Barring a commando raid or even a nuclear strike, 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. In Israel's opening attack, it killed three of Iran's top military leaders: one who oversaw the entire armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri; one who led the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami; and the head of the Guard's ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh. The targeted killings of senior commanders continued, with Israel's defense minister saying Saturday that the military had killed a commander in Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the Iranian Quds Force, an elite arm of the Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran, and that he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. Iranian officials did not immediately confirm the death, but the Qom governor's office did say there had been an attack on a four-story apartment building and local media reported two people had been killed. Israel also said it had killed the commander of the Quds Force's weapons transfer unit, who it said was responsible for providing weapons to Hezbollah and Hamas. Behnam Shahriyari was killed in his car while traveling in western Iran, the military said. A commander of Iran's drone force was also killed overnight, the Israeli official who briefed reporters said. On Friday, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog warned at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council 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, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. '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. 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. Leaders in Iran have blamed Grossi's statements about the status of Iran's nuclear program for prompting Israel's attack. On Saturday, a senior adviser for Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei, Ali Larijani, said in a brief social media post without elaboration that Iran would make Grossi 'pay' once the war with Israel is over.
United News of India
32 minutes ago
- United News of India
Iranian official says conflict with Israel could end with one call from Trump
Tehran, June 21 (UNI) Iran and Israel have launched a fresh round of air strikes as their conflict enters its second week, with diplomatic efforts on Friday yielding little progress. According to an Iranian official speaking to CNN, the crisis could be brought to an end with a single phone call from US President Donald Trump to Israeli leaders. The official added that Iran would only consider returning to negotiations with the United States if Israel halts its attacks. The remarks followed a failed attempt at de-escalation in Geneva on Friday, where senior European diplomats met Iran's foreign minister. The talks, involving representatives from the UK, France, Germany and the EU, concluded without any apparent breakthrough. On Saturday, Israeli military carried out a successful strike on the Isfahan nuclear research complex, Iran's largest nuclear facility. Confirming the attack, an Iranian said that while there was some infrastructure damage, no hazardous materials were released. Residents have been advised to stay away from the area to allow emergency teams to respond. In another attack by Israeli forces, two people were killed and four others injured in a direct strike on a residential building in Qom, a central and religiously significant city. Iranian state media reported the casualties shortly after the Israeli military confirmed it had launched a new wave of attacks. In response, Iran carried out missile strikes overnight, hitting the Israeli city of Holon. While the IDF intercepted the strikes, a building ended up catching fire after shrapnel from an intercepted missile ignited a blaze. The situation was contained successfully, with emergency services, including Magen David Adom, confirming no injuries. Reiterating the call for diplomacy, the Iranian official told CNN that the US could stop the conflict by urging Israel to cease its strikes. However, Trump, speaking from New Jersey, said: 'It's very hard to make that request right now if somebody is winning.' Meanwhile, intelligence disagreements emerged in Washington with Trump contradicting his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who previously told Congress that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapons programme-- contrary to both American to Israeli claims. 'Well then, my intelligence community is wrong,' Trump said. In Turkey, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, comprising 57 member states, is convening in Istanbul on Saturday. Iran's foreign minister will attend, stating that discussions will address 'the aggression perpetrated by' Israel. UNI ANV PRS
India.com
32 minutes ago
- India.com
US Envoys Fumble At UN: Blames Israel For Middle East Chaos By Mistake, Quickly Points To Iran
New Delhi: A US diplomat's verbal slip-up at a UN Security Council meeting has sparked controversy amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. Dorothy Shea, the US Chargé d'Affaires ad interim to the UN, accidentally blamed Israel for spreading "chaos, terror, and suffering" in the Middle East before swiftly correcting herself to attribute the chaos to Iran instead. During her speech, Shea initially stated, "Israel's government has also spread chaos, terror, and suffering throughout the region." However, she quickly realized her mistake, took an awkward pause, shook her head, and rephrased her words: "Iran's government has also spread chaos, terror, and suffering throughout the region." The momentary lapse drew significant attention, with the incident going viral on social media. Mrs. Dorothy Shea, United States ambassador to the United Nations: "We can no longer ignore that #Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon" #Israel #IsraeliranWar @USUN — Dean Shmuel Elmas (@ElmasDean) June 21, 2025 Despite the gaffe, Shea's message remained clear and firm in its condemnation of Iran's actions. She emphasized the US's unwavering support for Israel, stating, "Let there be no doubt that the United States continues to stand with Israel and supports its actions against Iran's nuclear ambitions." Shea reiterated the stance of US President Donald Trump, stressing that Iran "must completely abandon its nuclear enrichment program and all aspirations of acquiring a nuclear weapon." The US diplomat was unequivocal in her criticism of Iran, highlighting Tehran's hostile stance toward Israel. Shea noted that Iran has repeatedly called for Israel's destruction and "death to America." Furthermore, she cited the Group of Seven (G7) leaders' recent statement, which identified Tehran as the principal source of instability and terror in the Middle East region. Shea also addressed the ongoing conflict, stating that Iran's leadership could have avoided the current situation had they agreed to a deal that would have prevented them from obtaining a nuclear weapon. "Iran has all it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon; the only remaining thing it needs is a decision from its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei," she said. The US diplomat urged the UN Security Council to press Iran to change its course, emphasizing that escalating rhetoric would yield nothing for Tehran. In her speech, Shea reaffirmed that the US was not involved in the recent Israeli strikes against Iran. However, she made it clear that the US stands firmly with Israel, supporting its actions against Iran's nuclear ambitions. "Let us not forget that the Iranian government was an enabling and ideological material force behind Hamas's deadly assault on Israel," Shea added.
