Latest news with #Israeli
San Francisco Chronicle
11 minutes ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
UN: Violence against children in conflict reached 'unprecedented levels' in 2024, with Gaza worst
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Violence against children caught in multiple and escalating conflicts reached 'unprecedented levels" last year, with the highest number of violations in Gaza and the West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti, according to a United Nations report released late Thursday. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' annual report on Children in Armed Conflict detailed 'a staggering 25% surge in grave violations' against children under the age of 18 from 2023, when the number of such violations rose by 21%. In 2024, the U.N. chief said, 'Children bore the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks, and were affected by the disregard for ceasefires and peace agreements and by deepening humanitarian crises.' He cited warfare strategies that included attacks on children, the deployment of increasingly destructive and explosive weapons in populated areas, and 'the systematic exploitation of children for combat.' Guterres said the United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations against children — 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed earlier but verified last year. The violations include killing, maiming, recruiting and abducting children, sexual violence against them, attacking schools and hospitals and denying youngsters access to humanitarian aid. The U.N. kept Israeli forces on its blacklist of countries that violate children's rights for a second year, citing 7,188 verified grave violations by its military, including the killing of 1,259 Palestinian children and injury to 941 others in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported much higher figures, but the U.N. has strict criteria and said its process of verification is ongoing. Guterres said he is 'appalled by the intensity of grave violations against children in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel,' and 'deeply alarmed' by the increase in violations, especially the high number of children killed by Israeli forces. He reiterated his calls on Israel to abide by international law requiring special protections for children, protection for schools and hospitals, and compliance with the requirement that attacks distinguish between combatants and civilians and avoid excessive harm to civilians. The U.N. also kept Hamas, whose surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on the blacklist. Israel's U.N. Mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In Congo, the U.N. reported 4,043 verified grave violations against 3,418 children last year. In Somalia, it reported 2,568 violations against 1,992 children. In Nigeria, 2,436 grave violations were reported against 1,037 children. And in Haiti, the U.N. reported 2,269 verified grave violations against 1,373 children. In the ongoing war following Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations kept the Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups on its blacklist for a third year. The secretary-general expressed deep concern at 'the sharp increase in grave violations against children in Ukraine' — 1,914 against 673 children. He expressed alarm at the violations by Russian forces and their affiliates, singling out their verified killing of 94 Ukrainian children, injury to 577 others, and 559 attacks on schools and 303 on hospitals. In Haiti, the U.N. put a gang, the Viv Ansanm coalition, on the blacklist for the first time. Gangs have grown in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. They are now estimated to control 85% of the capital and have moved into surrounding areas. In May, the U.S. designated the powerful coalition representing more than a dozen gangs, whose name means 'Living Together,' as a foreign terrorist organization. Secretary-General Guterres expressed deep 'alarm' at the surge in violations, especially incidents of gang recruitment and use, sexual violence, abduction and denial of humanitarian aid. The report said sexual violence jumped by 35% in 2024, including a dramatic increase in the number of gang rapes, but stressed that the numbers are vastly underreported. 'Girls were abducted for the purpose of recruitment and use, and for sexual slavery,' the U.N. chief said. In Haiti, the U.N. reported sexual violence against 566 children, 523 of them girls, and attributed 411 to the Viv Ansanm gang. In Congo, the U.N. reported 358 acts of sexual violence against girls — 311 by armed groups and 47 by Congo's armed forces. And in Somalia, 267 children were victims of sexual violence, 120 of them carried out by Al-Shabab extremists. According to the report, violations affected 22,495 children in 2024, with armed groups responsible for almost 50% and government forces the main perpetrator of the killing and maiming of children, school attacks and denial of humanitarian access. The report noted a sharp rise in the number of children subjected to multiple violations — from 2,684 in 2023 to 3,137 in 2024. 'The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball — but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings — should keep all of us awake at night,' said Virginia Gamba, the U.N. special representative for children and armed conflict. 'We are at the point of no return,' she said, calling on the international community to protect children and the parties in conflict 'to immediately end the war on children.'
Mint
15 minutes ago
- Politics
- Mint
Iran uses cluster bombs in missile strike, aiming to maximise civilian harm, says Israel: Why are they controversial?
Israel accused Iran of launching a missile at Tel Aviv armed with cluster munitions – marking the first reported use of such weapons since the conflict between the two countries started seven days ago. According to the Israeli military and its embassy in Washington, the missile scattered small bomblets designed to increase civilian casualties. According to the Reuters, the embassy said, 'Today, the Iranian Armed Forces fired a missile that contained cluster submunitions at a densely populated civilian area in Israel.' It further explained that cluster bombs are designed to spread over an area to maximise the chances of more casualties during a conflict. 'Cluster weapons are designed to disperse over a large area and maximize the chances of a harmful strike,' the email to Reuters mentioned. 'Iran unlawfully fired deliberately at civilian population centers, and seeks to maximize the damage to civilians in them by using wide-dispersal munitions.' According to Israel, the Iranin missile carrying cluster bombs split open at an altitude of about 7 km and released around 20 submunitions in a radius of around 8 km over central Israel. While there have been no reports of any casualty so far, the first reported use of cluster bombs are sure to raise some eyebrows in the international community. Cluster bombs are controversial because they release multiple submunitions over a wide area, often hitting unintended targets. These bombs don't have any steering. They just fall to the ground and are meant to explode when they hit. While they are designed to cover a wide area, each cluster bomb has a much smaller explosion on its own. Some fail to detonate on impact, posing deadly risks long after the fighting is over. The Israeli military has said that many of the cluster bombs have not detonated. The Israeli military released a graphic as a public warning of the dangers of unexploded ordnance. 'The terror regime seeks to harm civilians and even used weapons with wide dispersal in order to maximize the scope of the damage,' Israel's military spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, told a briefing. Iran and Israel declined to join a 2008 international ban on the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster bombs that has been signed by 111 countries and 12 other entities. After multiple efforts to bring Iran to the negotiating table, US President Donald Trump has disclosed whether the United States would launch a direct attack on Iran, despite Tehran's stern warning for Washington to stay out of the conflict. Donald Trump said he would decide in two weeks whether the US military would be a part of the conflict and Iran given the 'substantial chance' for renewed diplomatic negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program.
The Advertiser
16 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Australia's Iran embassy staff leave after US warning
Australia has closed its embassy in Tehran, as Iran and Israel continue to bomb each other and after President Donald Trump signalled the US could enter the conflict. All foreign affairs staff and their dependents in the Iranian capital have been told to leave "based on advice about the deteriorating security environment". The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is deploying consular staff to Azerbaijan, including its border crossings, to support Australians departing Iran. "We urge Australians who are able to leave Iran to do so now, if it is safe," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday. "Those who are unable to, or do not wish to leave, are advised to shelter in place. "We are continuing planning to support Australians seeking to depart Iran, and we remain in close contact with other partner countries." Overnight Mr Trump, who has kept the world guessing about whether the US might join the war on Israel's side, said he would make a decision within the next two weeks. "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," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in Washington, quoting a message from the president. The conflict between Israel and Iran erupted a week ago, when the former launched an attack against the Islamic republic's missile capabilities, claiming it was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 639 people and wounded 1300 others, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Israel says Iran's retaliatory strikes have killed at least 24 and wounded hundreds more. Mr Trump has demanded that Iran unconditionally surrender, saying he knew where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was hiding. Iran has warned of "all-out war" if the US joins the fray. There are now more than 2000 Australians who have registered for assistance to leave Iran, up from 1500 on Thursday. "It's a difficult, hard situation, the airspace is still closed," Health Minister Mark Butler told Seven's Sunrise program on Friday. "We'll be exploring every opportunity we can to support people getting out in other ways." The government has already helped Australians flee Israel using a border crossing to Jordan, and some of those people only got 55 minutes to get moving. "When the opportunity arises to get people out, we take that opportunity," Mr Butler said. There are still more than 1200 Australians registered for assistance to depart Israel, where the airspace is also closed. with Reuters Australia has closed its embassy in Tehran, as Iran and Israel continue to bomb each other and after President Donald Trump signalled the US could enter the conflict. All foreign affairs staff and their dependents in the Iranian capital have been told to leave "based on advice about the deteriorating security environment". The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is deploying consular staff to Azerbaijan, including its border crossings, to support Australians departing Iran. "We urge Australians who are able to leave Iran to do so now, if it is safe," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday. "Those who are unable to, or do not wish to leave, are advised to shelter in place. "We are continuing planning to support Australians seeking to depart Iran, and we remain in close contact with other partner countries." Overnight Mr Trump, who has kept the world guessing about whether the US might join the war on Israel's side, said he would make a decision within the next two weeks. "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," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in Washington, quoting a message from the president. The conflict between Israel and Iran erupted a week ago, when the former launched an attack against the Islamic republic's missile capabilities, claiming it was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 639 people and wounded 1300 others, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Israel says Iran's retaliatory strikes have killed at least 24 and wounded hundreds more. Mr Trump has demanded that Iran unconditionally surrender, saying he knew where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was hiding. Iran has warned of "all-out war" if the US joins the fray. There are now more than 2000 Australians who have registered for assistance to leave Iran, up from 1500 on Thursday. "It's a difficult, hard situation, the airspace is still closed," Health Minister Mark Butler told Seven's Sunrise program on Friday. "We'll be exploring every opportunity we can to support people getting out in other ways." The government has already helped Australians flee Israel using a border crossing to Jordan, and some of those people only got 55 minutes to get moving. "When the opportunity arises to get people out, we take that opportunity," Mr Butler said. There are still more than 1200 Australians registered for assistance to depart Israel, where the airspace is also closed. with Reuters Australia has closed its embassy in Tehran, as Iran and Israel continue to bomb each other and after President Donald Trump signalled the US could enter the conflict. All foreign affairs staff and their dependents in the Iranian capital have been told to leave "based on advice about the deteriorating security environment". The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is deploying consular staff to Azerbaijan, including its border crossings, to support Australians departing Iran. "We urge Australians who are able to leave Iran to do so now, if it is safe," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday. "Those who are unable to, or do not wish to leave, are advised to shelter in place. "We are continuing planning to support Australians seeking to depart Iran, and we remain in close contact with other partner countries." Overnight Mr Trump, who has kept the world guessing about whether the US might join the war on Israel's side, said he would make a decision within the next two weeks. "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," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in Washington, quoting a message from the president. The conflict between Israel and Iran erupted a week ago, when the former launched an attack against the Islamic republic's missile capabilities, claiming it was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 639 people and wounded 1300 others, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Israel says Iran's retaliatory strikes have killed at least 24 and wounded hundreds more. Mr Trump has demanded that Iran unconditionally surrender, saying he knew where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was hiding. Iran has warned of "all-out war" if the US joins the fray. There are now more than 2000 Australians who have registered for assistance to leave Iran, up from 1500 on Thursday. "It's a difficult, hard situation, the airspace is still closed," Health Minister Mark Butler told Seven's Sunrise program on Friday. "We'll be exploring every opportunity we can to support people getting out in other ways." The government has already helped Australians flee Israel using a border crossing to Jordan, and some of those people only got 55 minutes to get moving. "When the opportunity arises to get people out, we take that opportunity," Mr Butler said. There are still more than 1200 Australians registered for assistance to depart Israel, where the airspace is also closed. with Reuters Australia has closed its embassy in Tehran, as Iran and Israel continue to bomb each other and after President Donald Trump signalled the US could enter the conflict. All foreign affairs staff and their dependents in the Iranian capital have been told to leave "based on advice about the deteriorating security environment". The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is deploying consular staff to Azerbaijan, including its border crossings, to support Australians departing Iran. "We urge Australians who are able to leave Iran to do so now, if it is safe," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday. "Those who are unable to, or do not wish to leave, are advised to shelter in place. "We are continuing planning to support Australians seeking to depart Iran, and we remain in close contact with other partner countries." Overnight Mr Trump, who has kept the world guessing about whether the US might join the war on Israel's side, said he would make a decision within the next two weeks. "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," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in Washington, quoting a message from the president. The conflict between Israel and Iran erupted a week ago, when the former launched an attack against the Islamic republic's missile capabilities, claiming it was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 639 people and wounded 1300 others, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Israel says Iran's retaliatory strikes have killed at least 24 and wounded hundreds more. Mr Trump has demanded that Iran unconditionally surrender, saying he knew where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was hiding. Iran has warned of "all-out war" if the US joins the fray. There are now more than 2000 Australians who have registered for assistance to leave Iran, up from 1500 on Thursday. "It's a difficult, hard situation, the airspace is still closed," Health Minister Mark Butler told Seven's Sunrise program on Friday. "We'll be exploring every opportunity we can to support people getting out in other ways." The government has already helped Australians flee Israel using a border crossing to Jordan, and some of those people only got 55 minutes to get moving. "When the opportunity arises to get people out, we take that opportunity," Mr Butler said. There are still more than 1200 Australians registered for assistance to depart Israel, where the airspace is also closed. with Reuters
The Advertiser
16 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Trump making decision on Middle East war 'in two weeks'
Israel has accused Iran of using a cluster bomb with the aim of increasing civilian casualties, as the seven day old war between the two countries continues to escalate. "Today, the Iranian Armed Forces fired a missile that contained cluster submunitions at a densely populated civilian area," Israel's embassy in Washington said in an email to Reuters that did not identify the area. "Cluster weapons are designed to disperse over a large area and maximise the chances of a harmful strike," the email continued. "Iran unlawfully fired deliberately at civilian population centres, and seeks to maximise the damage to civilians in them by using wide-dispersal munitions." Israeli news reports quoted the Israeli military as saying the missile's warhead split open at an altitude of about 7 km and released around 20 submunitions in a radius of around 8 km over central Israel. There were no reports of casualties from the bomb. Iran and Israel declined to join a 2008 international ban on the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster bombs that has been signed by 111 countries and 12 other entities. There's still no sign of an exit strategy from the conflict for either side after Israel bombed nuclear targets in Iran and and Iranian missile hit an Israeli hospital. US President Donald Trump, who has kept the world guessing about whether the United States might join the war on Israel's side, said he would make a decision within the next two weeks. "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," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, quoting a message from the president. As president, Trump has commonly used "two weeks" as a timeframe for making decisions, meaning it may not be a firm deadline. Israel launched a sweeping aerial campaign against Iran a week ago, calling it a pre-emptive strike to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied plans to develop such weapons and retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price" for a strike that damaged the Soroka medical centre in Israel's southern city of Beersheba "Are we targeting the downfall of the regime? That may be a result, but it's up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom," Netanyahu said. Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilians in the hospital attack. "That is state-sponsored terror and a blatant violation of international law," Defrin told a press briefing. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near the hospital. An Israeli military official denied there were military targets nearby. Israel attacked the special forces headquarters of the internal security apparatus in Tehran in the last 24 hours, Defrin said. Earlier, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been instructed to intensify strikes on strategic-related targets in Tehran in order to eliminate the threat to Israel and destabilise the "regime" of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Netanyahu wants Iran weakened enough to be forced into fundamental concessions on permanently abandoning its nuclear enrichment, its ballistic missile program and its support for militant groups across the region. Earlier, Israel said it had struck Iran's Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. It also targeted the partially built Arak heavy-water research reactor that can produce plutonium, also used to make the core of an atom bomb. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and killed hundreds of people. Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel. On Thursday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said it had launched combined missile and drone attacks at military and industrial sites linked to Israel's defence industry in Haifa and Tel Aviv. Israel, which has the most advanced military in the Middle East, has been fighting on several fronts since the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas triggered the Gaza war. It has severely weakened Iran's regional allies, Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon's Hezbollah, and has bombed Yemen's Houthis. Israel has accused Iran of using a cluster bomb with the aim of increasing civilian casualties, as the seven day old war between the two countries continues to escalate. "Today, the Iranian Armed Forces fired a missile that contained cluster submunitions at a densely populated civilian area," Israel's embassy in Washington said in an email to Reuters that did not identify the area. "Cluster weapons are designed to disperse over a large area and maximise the chances of a harmful strike," the email continued. "Iran unlawfully fired deliberately at civilian population centres, and seeks to maximise the damage to civilians in them by using wide-dispersal munitions." Israeli news reports quoted the Israeli military as saying the missile's warhead split open at an altitude of about 7 km and released around 20 submunitions in a radius of around 8 km over central Israel. There were no reports of casualties from the bomb. Iran and Israel declined to join a 2008 international ban on the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster bombs that has been signed by 111 countries and 12 other entities. There's still no sign of an exit strategy from the conflict for either side after Israel bombed nuclear targets in Iran and and Iranian missile hit an Israeli hospital. US President Donald Trump, who has kept the world guessing about whether the United States might join the war on Israel's side, said he would make a decision within the next two weeks. "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," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, quoting a message from the president. As president, Trump has commonly used "two weeks" as a timeframe for making decisions, meaning it may not be a firm deadline. Israel launched a sweeping aerial campaign against Iran a week ago, calling it a pre-emptive strike to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied plans to develop such weapons and retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price" for a strike that damaged the Soroka medical centre in Israel's southern city of Beersheba "Are we targeting the downfall of the regime? That may be a result, but it's up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom," Netanyahu said. Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilians in the hospital attack. "That is state-sponsored terror and a blatant violation of international law," Defrin told a press briefing. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near the hospital. An Israeli military official denied there were military targets nearby. Israel attacked the special forces headquarters of the internal security apparatus in Tehran in the last 24 hours, Defrin said. Earlier, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been instructed to intensify strikes on strategic-related targets in Tehran in order to eliminate the threat to Israel and destabilise the "regime" of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Netanyahu wants Iran weakened enough to be forced into fundamental concessions on permanently abandoning its nuclear enrichment, its ballistic missile program and its support for militant groups across the region. Earlier, Israel said it had struck Iran's Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. It also targeted the partially built Arak heavy-water research reactor that can produce plutonium, also used to make the core of an atom bomb. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and killed hundreds of people. Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel. On Thursday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said it had launched combined missile and drone attacks at military and industrial sites linked to Israel's defence industry in Haifa and Tel Aviv. Israel, which has the most advanced military in the Middle East, has been fighting on several fronts since the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas triggered the Gaza war. It has severely weakened Iran's regional allies, Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon's Hezbollah, and has bombed Yemen's Houthis. Israel has accused Iran of using a cluster bomb with the aim of increasing civilian casualties, as the seven day old war between the two countries continues to escalate. "Today, the Iranian Armed Forces fired a missile that contained cluster submunitions at a densely populated civilian area," Israel's embassy in Washington said in an email to Reuters that did not identify the area. "Cluster weapons are designed to disperse over a large area and maximise the chances of a harmful strike," the email continued. "Iran unlawfully fired deliberately at civilian population centres, and seeks to maximise the damage to civilians in them by using wide-dispersal munitions." Israeli news reports quoted the Israeli military as saying the missile's warhead split open at an altitude of about 7 km and released around 20 submunitions in a radius of around 8 km over central Israel. There were no reports of casualties from the bomb. Iran and Israel declined to join a 2008 international ban on the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster bombs that has been signed by 111 countries and 12 other entities. There's still no sign of an exit strategy from the conflict for either side after Israel bombed nuclear targets in Iran and and Iranian missile hit an Israeli hospital. US President Donald Trump, who has kept the world guessing about whether the United States might join the war on Israel's side, said he would make a decision within the next two weeks. "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," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, quoting a message from the president. As president, Trump has commonly used "two weeks" as a timeframe for making decisions, meaning it may not be a firm deadline. Israel launched a sweeping aerial campaign against Iran a week ago, calling it a pre-emptive strike to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied plans to develop such weapons and retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price" for a strike that damaged the Soroka medical centre in Israel's southern city of Beersheba "Are we targeting the downfall of the regime? That may be a result, but it's up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom," Netanyahu said. Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilians in the hospital attack. "That is state-sponsored terror and a blatant violation of international law," Defrin told a press briefing. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near the hospital. An Israeli military official denied there were military targets nearby. Israel attacked the special forces headquarters of the internal security apparatus in Tehran in the last 24 hours, Defrin said. Earlier, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been instructed to intensify strikes on strategic-related targets in Tehran in order to eliminate the threat to Israel and destabilise the "regime" of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Netanyahu wants Iran weakened enough to be forced into fundamental concessions on permanently abandoning its nuclear enrichment, its ballistic missile program and its support for militant groups across the region. Earlier, Israel said it had struck Iran's Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. It also targeted the partially built Arak heavy-water research reactor that can produce plutonium, also used to make the core of an atom bomb. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and killed hundreds of people. Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel. On Thursday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said it had launched combined missile and drone attacks at military and industrial sites linked to Israel's defence industry in Haifa and Tel Aviv. Israel, which has the most advanced military in the Middle East, has been fighting on several fronts since the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas triggered the Gaza war. It has severely weakened Iran's regional allies, Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon's Hezbollah, and has bombed Yemen's Houthis. Israel has accused Iran of using a cluster bomb with the aim of increasing civilian casualties, as the seven day old war between the two countries continues to escalate. "Today, the Iranian Armed Forces fired a missile that contained cluster submunitions at a densely populated civilian area," Israel's embassy in Washington said in an email to Reuters that did not identify the area. "Cluster weapons are designed to disperse over a large area and maximise the chances of a harmful strike," the email continued. "Iran unlawfully fired deliberately at civilian population centres, and seeks to maximise the damage to civilians in them by using wide-dispersal munitions." Israeli news reports quoted the Israeli military as saying the missile's warhead split open at an altitude of about 7 km and released around 20 submunitions in a radius of around 8 km over central Israel. There were no reports of casualties from the bomb. Iran and Israel declined to join a 2008 international ban on the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster bombs that has been signed by 111 countries and 12 other entities. There's still no sign of an exit strategy from the conflict for either side after Israel bombed nuclear targets in Iran and and Iranian missile hit an Israeli hospital. US President Donald Trump, who has kept the world guessing about whether the United States might join the war on Israel's side, said he would make a decision within the next two weeks. "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," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, quoting a message from the president. As president, Trump has commonly used "two weeks" as a timeframe for making decisions, meaning it may not be a firm deadline. Israel launched a sweeping aerial campaign against Iran a week ago, calling it a pre-emptive strike to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied plans to develop such weapons and retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price" for a strike that damaged the Soroka medical centre in Israel's southern city of Beersheba "Are we targeting the downfall of the regime? That may be a result, but it's up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom," Netanyahu said. Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilians in the hospital attack. "That is state-sponsored terror and a blatant violation of international law," Defrin told a press briefing. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near the hospital. An Israeli military official denied there were military targets nearby. Israel attacked the special forces headquarters of the internal security apparatus in Tehran in the last 24 hours, Defrin said. Earlier, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been instructed to intensify strikes on strategic-related targets in Tehran in order to eliminate the threat to Israel and destabilise the "regime" of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Netanyahu wants Iran weakened enough to be forced into fundamental concessions on permanently abandoning its nuclear enrichment, its ballistic missile program and its support for militant groups across the region. Earlier, Israel said it had struck Iran's Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. It also targeted the partially built Arak heavy-water research reactor that can produce plutonium, also used to make the core of an atom bomb. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and killed hundreds of people. Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel. On Thursday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said it had launched combined missile and drone attacks at military and industrial sites linked to Israel's defence industry in Haifa and Tel Aviv. Israel, which has the most advanced military in the Middle East, has been fighting on several fronts since the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas triggered the Gaza war. It has severely weakened Iran's regional allies, Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon's Hezbollah, and has bombed Yemen's Houthis.
Leader Live
18 minutes ago
- Politics
- Leader Live
Lammy to meet Iranian foreign minister as Trump steps back from military action
The Foreign Secretary is set to meet Abbas Araghchi alongside his counterparts from France, Germany and the EU as he seeks to negotiate a settlement before US President Donald Trump decides on whether to take military action against Tehran. In a statement read by his press secretary on Thursday, Mr Trump said there was still 'a substantial chance of negotiations' and said he would make a decision on deploying US forces 'within the next two weeks'. Mr Trump had previously said he 'may' join Israeli strikes against Iran and its nuclear programme, but added: 'I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.' Friday's meeting with the so-called E3 countries follows Mr Lammy's visit to Washington, where he met US secretary of state Marco Rubio in the White House on Thursday evening to discuss 'how a deal could avoid a deepening conflict'. The Foreign Secretary said: 'The situation in the Middle East remains perilous. We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.' The situation in the Middle East remains perilous. We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. Meeting with @SecRubio and @SteveWitkoff in the White House today, we discussed how a deal could avoid a deepening conflict. A window now exists within the next two… — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 19, 2025 Adding that a 'window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution', Mr Lammy said: 'Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one.' Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had urged the US to step back from military action, saying there was a 'real risk of escalation'. It remains unclear whether the UK would join any military action, although there has been speculation that US involvement could require using the British-controlled base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands. The B-2 stealth bombers based there are capable of carrying specialised 'bunker buster' bombs which could be used against Iran's underground nuclear facility at Fordo. Attorney General Lord Hermer is reported to have raised legal concerns about any British involvement in the conflict beyond defending its allies, which could limit the extent of any support for the US if Mr Trump decides to act militarily. Meanwhile, two Labour backbenchers pushed for a 'fresh, tough approach' to Tehran. Jon Pearce and Mike Tapp, chairman and vice-chairman respectively of Labour Friends of Israel, said the UK urgently needed 'a multifaceted diplomatic, economic and national security plan to guard against the Iranian threat and force the regime to change course'. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the pair called for tighter sanctions on Iran, the proscription of the country's Revolutionary Guard Corps and a 'comprehensive diplomatic solution' that 'eliminates once and for all' Iran's nuclear threat.
