Latest news with #IranIsraelWar
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Israeli minister warns Hezbollah against entering Iran-Israel war
Israel's defence minister Israel Katz on Friday warned Hezbollah against entering the Iran-Israel war, after the Lebanese group said it would act "as we see fit". "I suggest the Lebanese proxy be cautious and understand that Israel has lost patience with terrorists who threaten it", Katz said in a statement, adding that "if there is terrorism; there will be no Hezbollah." In other statements, the group has made no explicit pledge to join the fighting and a Hezbollah official told Reuters last week that the group did not intend to initiate attacks against Israel. On June 13, Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. In response, Iran fired hundreds of missiles. The conflict has escalated, and prolonged for over a week.
UAE Moments
2 hours ago
- Politics
- UAE Moments
Trump to Decide in 2 Weeks If US Will Join the War
US President Donald Trump will decide in two weeks whether the US will join the Iran-Israel war, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed on Thursday, June 19. Iran will hold talks with European countries on Friday, June 20, in Geneva. The country's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, will meet with his counterparts from Britain, Germany, France, and the European Union. Quoting a message from President Trump, Leavitt said, "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks." Trump's decision came after Israel retracted a statement about striking Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant on Thursday, the seventh day of the Iran-Israel war. On Thursday, Israel targeted a heavy water reactor in Arak, which Iran responded to with a wave of missile attacks, which led to the damage of the Soroka hospital and a residential building in Tel Aviv.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
US top diplomat Rubio discussed Israel-Iran war with key partners
By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met British foreign minister David Lammy on Thursday and held separate calls with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to discuss the war between U.S. ally Israel and its regional rival Iran. KEY QUOTES The U.S. State Department said that Rubio and the foreign ministers agreed that "Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon." Lammy said the same on X while adding that the situation in the Middle East "remained perilous" and a "window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution." WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The air war between Iran and Israel - which began on June 13 when Israel attacked Iran - has raised alarms in a region that was already on edge since the start of Israel's military assault on Gaza in October 2023. President Donald Trump will decide in the next two weeks whether the U.S. will get involved in the war, the White House said on Thursday. Trump has kept the world guessing on his plans, veering from proposing a swift diplomatic solution to suggesting Washington might join the fighting on Israel's side. The White House said late on Thursday that Trump will take part in a national security meeting on Friday morning. CONTEXT Israel, which is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons, said it struck Iran to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, has retaliated with its own strikes on Israel. Iran is a party to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while Israel is not. Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, the Human Rights Activists News Agency says. Israel says at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian attacks. The foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and the European Union were due to meet in Geneva with Iran's foreign minister on Friday to try to de-escalate the conflict.
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US top diplomat Rubio discussed Israel-Iran war with key partners
WASHINGTON, June 19 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met British foreign minister David Lammy on Thursday and held separate calls with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to discuss the war between U.S. ally Israel and its regional rival Iran. The U.S. State Department said that Rubio and the foreign ministers agreed that "Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon." Lammy said the same on X while adding that the situation in the Middle East "remained perilous" and a "window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution." The air war between Iran and Israel - which began on June 13 when Israel attacked Iran - has raised alarms in a region that was already on edge since the start of Israel's military assault on Gaza in October 2023. President Donald Trump will decide in the next two weeks whether the U.S. will get involved in the war, the White House said on Thursday. Trump has kept the world guessing on his plans, veering from proposing a swift diplomatic solution to suggesting Washington might join the fighting on Israel's side. Israel, which is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons, said it struck Iran to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, has retaliated with its own strikes on Israel. Iran is a party to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while Israel is not. Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, the Human Rights Activists News Agency says. Israel says at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian attacks. The foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and the European Union were due to meet in Geneva with Iran's foreign minister on Friday to try to de-escalate the conflict.
Free Malaysia Today
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Iraq's top Shiite cleric warns against any targeting of Iran's leadership
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the top religious authority for millions of Shiite Muslims, holds the power to mobilise much of Iraq's Shiite base. (EPA Images pic) BAGHDAD : Iraq's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani warned against targeting Iran's leadership and said that the Iran-Israel war could plunge the whole region into chaos. Sistani said in a statement Thursday that any targeting of Iran's 'supreme religious and political leadership' would have 'dire consequences on the region'. He warned that it could spark 'widespread chaos that would exacerbate the suffering of its (the region's) people and severely harm everyone's interests'. Sistani urged the international community to 'make every effort to end this unjust war and find a peaceful solution' to Iran's nuclear programme. Sistani, an Iranian, is the highest religious authority for millions of Shiite Muslims in Iraq and around the world, with the power to mobilise a huge portion of that base in Iraq. With warnings of all-out regional war intensifying following Israel's surprise assault on Iran last week, fears are growing over an intervention by Iran-backed Iraqi factions, mostly against American interests in the region. Despite his Iranian roots, Sistani is seen as an essential figure in Iraq's recent history and has been known for pushing back against Tehran's growing clout in Iraq. Israel launched a devastating surprise attack on Friday targeting Iran's military and nuclear sites and killing top commanders and scientists, saying it is acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran denies. The assault has prompted Iran to retaliate wirh barrages of missiles on Israel. Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out plans to assassinate Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying it would 'end the conflict'. US President Donald Trump had earlier said his country would not kill Khamenei 'for now', but demanded Tehran's 'unconditional surrender'. Khamenei rejected Trump's demand, as the US president warned he was weighing military action in the conflict. Shiite Muslim clerics rallied late Wednesday, wearing military fatigues in southern Iraq, near the Iranian border. They held Iraqi and Iranian flags and shouted slogans condemning Israel's attack.
