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Nahar Net
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Latest developments: Israeli airstrikes target Iranian city of Rasht
by Naharnet Newsdesk 20 June 2025, 11:51 Israel and Iran exchanged strikes a week into their war Friday as new diplomatic efforts appeared to be underway. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared headed to Geneva for meetings with the European Union's top diplomat and counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany. A plane with his usual call sign took off from the Turkish city of Van, near the Iranian border, flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed. Iran typically acknowledges his departure hours afterward. The Israeli military said Thursday that Iran used a missile with multiple warheads, posing a new challenge to its defenses. Instead of having to track one warhead, missiles with multiple warheads can pose a more difficult challenge for air defense systems, like Israel's Iron Dome. A week of Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 657 people and wounded 2,037 others, the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said Friday. Here's the latest: Foreign minister says Iran not seeking negotiations during strikes Iran's foreign minister says his country is not seeking negotiations with anyone as long as Israel continues its strikes on Iran. "In the current situation, as the Zionist regime's attacks continue, we are not seeking negotiations with anyone," said Abbas Araghchi during an interview aired Friday by Iranian state television. He added: "I believe that as a result of this resistance (by Iran), we will gradually see countries distancing themselves from the aggression carried out by the regime, and calls for ending this war have already begun, and they will only grow stronger." Spain says citizens evacuated safely Spanish citizens who requested to be evacuated from Iran landed safely in Armenia, Spain's Foreign Minister José Albares said Thursday night. They would soon be flown to Spain, Albares said on X. Israeli airstrikes reach into the city of Rasht Israeli airstrikes reached into the Iranian city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early Friday, Iranian media reported. Social media video posted online appeared to show explosions around the city. The semiofficial Fars news agency reported local air defense systems were firing into the night sky against the Israelis. Ahead of the strikes, the Israeli military put out a warning urging the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, which sits a few kilometers (miles) southwest of the city's downtown. The Israelis did not immediately describe what they sought to destroy in the area. However, with Iran's internet being shut off to the outside world, it was unclear how many people in Iran would be able to see the message. French foreign minister speaks to US secretary of state French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday evening. A French diplomatic official said Barrot detailed the purposes of the Geneva meeting and Rubio "stressed the U.S. was ready for direct contact with the Iranians at any time." The official, who was not allowed to speak publicly on the issue, said they "jointly stressed the threat posed by Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program to Israel, the region and Europe." Tehran fires anti-aircraft weapons Anti-aircraft batteries began firing Friday morning in Iran's capital, Tehran. It wasn't immediately clear what they were firing at. Khamenei adviser in stable condition A key security adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is now in stable condition, a week after being seriously wounded in an Israeli airstrike, a media outlet close to him reported Friday. Nour News quoted Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani as saying: "I am alive and ready to give my life away." Nuclear agency says Israel damages heavy water reactor The International Atomic Energy Agency, in an update Friday, said an Israeli strike at the Arak heavy water reactor also damaged key buildings there, "including the distillation unit" there. That makes the heavy water at the site. Aircraft transporting Iranian foreign minister to talks An Iranian aircraft bearing a call sign associated with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is now airborne over Turkey. The Airbus A321 of Meraj Airlines took off from the Turkish city of Van, near the Iranian border, flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed. It bore the call sign IRAN05, which Araghchi uses on his official travel. Iran did not immediately acknowledge his departure, though it typically only does so hours later. Araghchi is due for talks with European diplomats in Geneva on Friday, the first face-to-face negotiations he has conducted since the Israeli airstrikes began June 13. German foreign minister says Iran can avoid escalation Germany's foreign minister says there is a chance of avoiding further escalation in the conflict if Tehran shows "serious and transparent readiness" to refrain from developing nuclear weapons. "It is our commitment once again to undertake a very intensive attempt to dissuade Iran permanently from pursuing such plans," Johann Wadephul said in a podcast released by broadcaster MDR Friday. "If there is serious and transparent readiness by Iran to refrain from this, then there is a real chance of preventing a further escalation of this conflict, and for that every conversation makes sense." Wadephul plans to meet Iran's foreign minister in Geneva Friday along with his French, British and EU counterparts. Wadephul said U.S. officials support the plan to hold talks, "so I think Iran should now know that it should conduct these talks with a new seriousness and reliability." Israel says missile systems and radar destroyed The Israeli military said it has destroyed missile systems and radar installations around Isfahan. That corresponds to the sound of anti-aircraft fire heard in the area of Isfahan into Friday morning. Iran has not offered any acknowledgment so far of its military losses in the war. Czech Republic closes its Iran embassy The Czech Republic's Foreign Ministry says it has closed its embassy in Tehran due to security reasons amid the military conflict between Iran and Israel. The measure is in place until further notice. The Slovak Foreign Ministry announced the same step over the escalation of the conflict. It said the remaining diplomats and staffers of the embassy are leaving Iran on Friday Russia dismisses US nuclear claims Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed claims the U.S. might use nuclear weapons in Iran as "speculation" in comments to state news agency Tass on Friday morning. "There is a lot of speculation now," Tass quoted Peskov as saying. "Such a turn of events would be catastrophic, but there is so much speculation that it is impossible to really comment on it." Australia closes its embassy in Tehran Australia closed its embassy in Tehran and evacuated staff and their families due to the "deteriorating security environment," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that also urged Australian citizens still in Iran to leave quickly. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and they agreed to work "closely" to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and to pursue peace. "There is an opportunity … over the next two weeks for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy," Wong said from Adelaide on Friday. Britain's foreign secretary says situation in Middle East 'remains perilous' British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the "situation in the Middle East remains perilous," after meeting Thursday at the White House with his U.S. counterpart, Marco Rubio, and presidential envoy Steve Witkoff. "We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon," Lammy wrote in a post on X. "We discussed how a deal could avoid a deepening conflict. A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," he added.
San Francisco Chronicle
10 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Latest: Israeli airstrikes reach into Iranian city of Rasht
Israel and Iran exchanged strikes a week into their war Friday as new diplomatic efforts appeared to be underway. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared headed to Geneva for meetings with the European Union's top diplomat and counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany. A plane with his usual call sign took off from the Turkish city of Van, near the Iranian border, flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed. Iran typically acknowledges his departure hours afterward. The Israeli military said Thursday that Iran used a missile with multiple warheads, posing a new challenge to its defenses. Instead of having to track one warhead, missiles with multiple warheads can pose a more difficult challenge for air defense systems, like Israel's Iron Dome. A week of Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 657 people and wounded 2,037 others, the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said Friday. Here's the latest: Iran's foreign minister says his country is not seeking negotiations with anyone as long as Israel continues its strikes on Iran. 'In the current situation, as the Zionist regime's attacks continue, we are not seeking negotiations with anyone,' said Abbas Araghchi during an interview aired Friday by Iranian state television. He added: 'I believe that as a result of this resistance (by Iran), we will gradually see countries distancing themselves from the aggression carried out by the regime, and calls for ending this war have already begun, and they will only grow stronger.' Spain says citizens evacuated safely Spanish citizens who requested to be evacuated from Iran landed safely in Armenia, Spain's Foreign Minister José Albares said Thursday night. They would soon be flown to Spain, Albares said on X. Israeli airstrikes reach into the city of Rasht Israeli airstrikes reached into the Iranian city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early Friday, Iranian media reported. Social media video posted online appeared to show explosions around the city. The semiofficial Fars news agency reported local air defense systems were firing into the night sky against the Israelis. Ahead of the strikes, the Israeli military put out a warning urging the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, which sits a few kilometers (miles) southwest of the city's downtown. The Israelis did not immediately describe what they sought to destroy in the area. However, with Iran's internet being shut off to the outside world, it was unclear how many people in Iran would be able to see the message. French foreign minister speaks to US secretary of state French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday evening. A French diplomatic official said Barrot detailed the purposes of the Geneva meeting and Rubio 'stressed the U.S. was ready for direct contact with the Iranians at any time.' The official, who was not allowed to speak publicly on the issue, said they 'jointly stressed the threat posed by Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program to Israel, the region and Europe.' Tehran fires anti-aircraft weapons Anti-aircraft batteries began firing Friday morning in Iran's capital, Tehran. It wasn't immediately clear what they were firing at. Khamenei adviser in stable condition A key security adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is now in stable condition, a week after being seriously wounded in an Israeli airstrike, a media outlet close to him reported Friday. Nour News quoted Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani as saying: 'I am alive and ready to give my life away.' Nuclear agency says Israel damages heavy water reactor The International Atomic Energy Agency, in an update Friday, said an Israeli strike at the Arak heavy water reactor also damaged key buildings there, 'including the distillation unit' there. That makes the heavy water at the site. Aircraft transporting Iranian foreign minister to talks An Iranian aircraft bearing a call sign associated with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is now airborne over Turkey. The Airbus A321 of Meraj Airlines took off from the Turkish city of Van, near the Iranian border, flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed. It bore the call sign IRAN05, which Araghchi uses on his official travel. Iran did not immediately acknowledge his departure, though it typically only does so hours later. Araghchi is due for talks with European diplomats in Geneva on Friday, the first face-to-face negotiations he has conducted since the Israeli airstrikes began June 13. German foreign minister says Iran can avoid escalation Germany's foreign minister says there is a chance of avoiding further escalation in the conflict if Tehran shows 'serious and transparent readiness' to refrain from developing nuclear weapons. 'It is our commitment once again to undertake a very intensive attempt to dissuade Iran permanently from pursuing such plans,' Johann Wadephul said in a podcast released by broadcaster MDR Friday. 'If there is serious and transparent readiness by Iran to refrain from this, then there is a real chance of preventing a further escalation of this conflict, and for that every conversation makes sense.' Wadephul plans to meet Iran's foreign minister in Geneva Friday along with his French, British and EU counterparts. Wadephul said U.S. officials support the plan to hold talks, "so I think Iran should now know that it should conduct these talks with a new seriousness and reliability.' Israel says missile systems and radar destroyed The Israeli military said it has destroyed missile systems and radar installations around Isfahan. That corresponds to the sound of anti-aircraft fire heard in the area of Isfahan into Friday morning. Iran has not offered any acknowledgment so far of its military losses in the war. Czech Republic closes its Iran embassy The Czech Republic's Foreign Ministry says it has closed its embassy in Tehran due to security reasons amid the military conflict between Iran and Israel. The measure is in place until further notice. The Slovak Foreign Ministry announced the same step over the escalation of the conflict. It said the remaining diplomats and staffers of the embassy are leaving Iran on Friday Russia dismisses US nuclear claims Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed claims the U.S. might use nuclear weapons in Iran as 'speculation' in comments to state news agency Tass on Friday morning. 'There is a lot of speculation now,' Tass quoted Peskov as saying. 'Such a turn of events would be catastrophic, but there is so much speculation that it is impossible to really comment on it.' Australia closes its embassy in Tehran Australia closed its embassy in Tehran and evacuated staff and their families due to the 'deteriorating security environment,' the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that also urged Australian citizens still in Iran to leave quickly. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and they agreed to work 'closely' to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and to pursue peace. 'There is an opportunity … over the next two weeks for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy,' Wong said from Adelaide on Friday. Britain's foreign secretary says situation in Middle East 'remains perilous' British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the "situation in the Middle East remains perilous,' after meeting Thursday at the White House with his U.S. counterpart, Marco Rubio, and presidential envoy Steve Witkoff. 'We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon,' Lammy wrote in a post on X. 'We discussed how a deal could avoid a deepening conflict. A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution,' he added.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EU and UK reach accord on cross-border trade and travel in Gibraltar
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union and the U.K. announced Wednesday that they have reached an agreement to ease cross-border trade and travel in Gibraltar after years of post-Brexit wrangling over the contested territory at the tip of the Iberian peninsula. In a post on social media, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič raised the deal as 'a truly historic milestone: an EU-UK political agreement on the future relationship concerning Gibraltar. This benefits everyone and reinforces a new chapter in the relationship.' Britain left the European Union in 2020 with the relationship between Gibraltar and the bloc unresolved. Talks on a deal to ensure people and goods can keep flowing over the Gibraltar-Spain border previously had made only halting progress. Gibraltar was ceded to Britain in 1713, but Spain has maintained its sovereignty claim ever since. Relations concerning the Rock, as it is popularly referred to in English, have had their ups and downs over the centuries. In Britain's 2016 Brexit referendum, 96% of voters in Gibraltar supported remaining in the EU. The tiny territory on Spain's southern tip depends greatly on access to the EU market for its 34,000 inhabitants. The British government said the agreement 'resolves the last major unresolved issue from Brexit,' while Spanish Foreign Minister José Albares said the deal was historic and marked 'a new beginning' in the relationship between the U.K. and Spain. He said that Spain 'will guarantee free movement of people and goods,' adding that Gibraltar would now be linked to Europe's free travel zone known as the Schengen Area with Spanish authorities controling entry and exit. The deal, which must be ratified by parliaments in Spain and the U.K., will remove all physical barriers, checks and controls on people and goods moving between Spain and Gibraltar, the EU said in a statement. In order to preserve The EU's free travel zone and borderless single market for goods, entry and exit checks will instead be conducted at Gibraltar's airport and port by both U.K. and Spanish border officials. The arrangement is similar to that in place at Eurostar train stations in London and Paris, where both British and French officials check passports. The U.K. and Gibraltar had previously resisted Spain's insistence that Spanish border officials be based at the airport, which is also home to a Royal Air Force base. An agreement was also reached Wednesday for visas and travel permits. The U.K. said that half Gibraltar's population crosses the border each day and that without an agreement, new EU entry-exit rules mean every one would have to have their passports checked. The British government hailed the deal as a win in Prime Minister Keir Starmer's attempt to reset relations with the EU, five years after the U.K.'s acrimonious departure from the bloc. The U.K. said the agreement 'does not impact sovereignty' and ensures 'full operational autonomy of the U.K.'s military facilities in Gibraltar.' Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez noted that Spain maintains its claim of sovereignty over Gibraltar. 'After three centuries of no progress, the EU, the United Kingdom, and Spain have reached a comprehensive agreement that benefits citizens and our bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom. All this without renouncing Spanish claims to the isthmus and the return of Gibraltar,' he said on the social network X. Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo also hailed the agreement and said it 'will bring legal certainty to the people of Gibraltar, its businesses and to those across the region who rely on stability at the frontier.' —- Lawless reported from London, Naishadham from Madrid.
