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First Post
5 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Iran president says nuclear activity ‘will not halt under any circumstances', warns of ‘more devastating' response to Israel
Pezeshkian warned that his country's response to continued Israeli 'aggression' will be 'more devastating', as fighting raged between the two foes for a ninth day. read more Rocket trails are seen in the sky above the Israeli coastal city of Netanya amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks on June 21, 2025. Photo- AFP Iran will not halt nuclear activity 'under any circumstances', Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday amid ongoing fighting with Israel which hit nuclear sites. 'We are ready to discuss and cooperate to build confidence in the field of peaceful nuclear activities, however, we do not agree to reduce nuclear activities to zero under any circumstances,' said Pezeshkian during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the official IRNA news agency. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pezeshkian warned that his country's response to continued Israeli 'aggression' will be 'more devastating', as fighting raged between the two foes for a ninth day. 'Our response to the continued aggression of the Zionist regime will be more devastating,' said Pezeshkian during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the official IRNA news agency. He also said that his country's right to pursue a civilian nuclear programme cannot be taken away by war, as it traded fire with Israel for a ninth day. 'Iran has always announced that it is ready to provide guarantees and build confidence in its peaceful nuclear activities within the framework of international law,' Pezeshkian told French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call, according to the official IRNA news agency. 'The rights granted to countries and nations by international law cannot be taken away from them by threats or war.' Talks in Geneva on Friday failed to produce a breakthrough. European officials expressed hope for future discussions. Iran's foreign minister said he was open to further dialogue while emphasizing that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the U.S. while Israel continues to attack. '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 a new round of talks. For many Iranians, updates remained difficult. Internet-access advocacy group said Saturday that limited internet access had again 'collapsed.' A nationwide internet shutdown has been in place for several days. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
Global News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Global News
Israel-Iran conflict enters a second week with renewed strikes
The second week of the Israel–Iran war started with a renewed round of strikes targeting an Iranian nuclear research facility near Isfahan. Talks in Geneva on Friday between European foreign ministers and Iran's top diplomat failed to produce a breakthrough. U.S. President Donald Trump continued to weigh his country's military involvement as concerns spiked over potential strikes on Iranian nuclear reactors. Still, European officials expressed hope for future negotiations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue but stressed Tehran wasn't interested in negotiating while Israel continued attacking. Iranians are left with no internet access again Internet-access advocacy group reported on Saturday that the limited internet access that had come back up in Iran has once again 'collapsed.' Story continues below advertisement The group said on X that the disconnect came after 'a brief period when residents could exchange messages with the outside world.' ⚠️ Update: Internet connectivity has again collapsed in #Iran following a brief period when residents could exchange messages with the outside world; Iran's nation-scale internet shutdown remains in effect, limiting access to information as the conflict with Israel continues — NetBlocks (@netblocks) June 21, 2025 A nationwide internet shutdown has been in place for several days, isolating Iranians. Iran cited concerns about Israeli cyberattacks for the shutdown of mobile and web services. But many Iranians and activists see it as another example of state information control and targeted internet shutdowns the Islamic Republic has deployed during periods of protests and unrest. Internet slowly trickles back in Iran Iranians on Saturday began to see some internet access restored, giving people the opportunity to call friends and family for the first time in days. Story continues below advertisement Those in the diaspora posted on social media about connecting to FaceTime or WhatsApp to call relatives they had been worried about. Government officials had disconnected phone and web services earlier in the week for the more than 90 million people who live in Iran, citing cybersecurity threats from Israel. That left civilians unaware of when and where Israel would strike next and if their family or friends were among the victims. Tasnim News Agency, closely affiliated with Iran's government, quoted the information minister as saying that access to 'international' internet should be restored across the country by 8 p.m. Turkey urges Islamic unity against 'Israeli problem' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says the Middle East is faced with an 'Israeli problem' and called on Islamic countries to take a collective stand and show solidarity with Iran. 'Israel's ongoing aggression and occupation policies clearly show that there is an Israeli problem in our region that needs to be addressed,' Fidan said in an opening speech at a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul on Saturday. He also warned that Israel's actions could trigger broader regional instability. 2:26 Is Iran close to a nuclear weapon? Why Israel's Netanyahu thinks they are Italians evacuated from Iran arrive in Azerbaijan The Italian foreign ministry said the 24 Italians are the second group to evacuate via Azerbaijan's Baku. Story continues below advertisement 'After about nine hours of travel and a very long wait at the border, the group was welcomed by representatives of the Italian Embassy in Baku, and then moved to the airport of the Azerbaijani capital to wait to return to Italy with the first available flights,' the ministry said. The group included an Italian doctor and his partner, an Iranian woman, and their 18-month-old child, the ministry said. Another convoy from Iran could depart from Tehran as early as Monday. The first group that arrived in Italy via Baku in recent days had 34 Italian nationals. Italy's foreign ministry also said it chartered a flight to help evacuate its citizens from Israel via Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Sunday. 1:54 How Iranian-Canadians feel about Israel's war Evacuees in Cyprus recall missiles flying overhead Noah Page says it's one thing to watch missiles crisscrossing the sky on the news and another to experience it firsthand. Story continues below advertisement 'You see it on the news, you see everything, but you never really expect it to actually hit you when you're there,' the Ohio-native told the Associated Press. 'As someone who grew up in Canada, it's so foreign to me to even think about missiles or a war and you hear about it on the news and it's just so separate from you,' said Pe'er, a 23-year-old who didn't want to give her last name. 'It sort of felt like fireworks at first until the reality of the situation set in. I need to run or I might end up hurt.' Page and Pe'er were among an estimated 1,500 other young people from around the world visiting Israel who were evacuated by cruise ship on Saturday to Cyprus, the closest European country to Israel, at around 270 kilometers. It was the second such trip by the cruise ship bringing people out while ferrying stranded Israelis back to their homeland. Florida native Alex Rosenblum had been in Israel before in times of war, when the sounds of sirens urging citizens to rush to shelters had become almost routine. But he says this time it was different. 'This situation with Iran has been a lot scarier because there's a big difference between a rocket and a missile,' he said. The three young people found safety in underground shelters when digital alerts were sent out. Story continues below advertisement Iran's Araghchi says it will be 'very dangerous' if US gets involved in warIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it would be 'very, very dangerous for everyone' if the United States becomes actively involved in the war with Israel. View image in full screen Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi listens to speeches as he attends the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, June 21, 2025. Khalil Hamra / The Associated Press He spoke to reporters in Istanbul on his way home from talks in said American military involvement 'would be very unfortunate.' UN refugee agency calls for de-escalation The UNHCR said Saturday that the intensity of the attacks is already triggering population movements in Israel and Iran: Some from Tehran and other parts of Iran have crossed into neighboring countries while shelling has caused people in Israel to seek shelter elsewhere in the country and, in some cases, abroad. The agency urged states in the region to respect the right of people to seek safety where needed and to facilitate humanitarian access. 'This region has already endured more than its share of war, loss, and displacement — we cannot allow another refugee crisis to take root,' the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said. 'The time to de-escalate is right now. Once people are forced to flee, there's no quick way back — and all too often, the consequences last for generations.' Story continues below advertisement Tehran vows to make Grossi 'pay' A senior adviser for Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, vowed in a social media post Saturday to make the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency 'pay' once the war with Israel is over. Ali Larijani's threat comes as IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has become a major target for many Iranian officials who say his conflicting statements about the status of Iran's nuclear program incited the Israeli surprise attack last week. Grossi told the United Nations' Security Council Friday that while Iran has the material to build a nuclear bomb, it appears they have no plans to do so.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Latest: Israel-Iran war enters a second week with renewed strikes
The second week of the Israel-Iran war started with a renewed round of strikes targeting an Iranian nuclear research facility near Isfahan. Talks in Geneva on Friday between European foreign ministers and Iran's top diplomat failed to produce a breakthrough. U.S. President Donald Trump continued to weigh his country's military involvement as concerns spiked over potential strikes on Iranian nuclear reactors. Still, European officials expressed hope for future negotiations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue but stressed Tehran wasn't interested in negotiating while Israel continued attacking. Here is the latest: Macron voices deep concern over Iran's nuclear program The French president said Saturday this happened during a call with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, who initiated the call. 'Here again, my position is clear: Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons, and it is up to Iran to provide full guarantees that its intentions are peaceful,' Macron posted on social media, adding that diplomatic efforts should continue to resolve the current crisis. 'To achieve this, we will accelerate the negotiations led by France and its European partners with Iran.' Macron said he also asked for the release of two French citizens being held in Iran on espionage charges since 2022. Iranians are left with no internet access again Internet-access advocacy group reported on Saturday that the limited internet access that had come back up in Iran has once again 'collapsed.' The group said on X that the disconnect came after 'a brief period when residents could exchange messages with the outside world.' A nationwide internet shutdown has been in place for several days, isolating Iranians. Iran cited concerns about Israeli cyberattacks for the shutdown of mobile and web services. But many Iranians and activists see it as another example of state information control and targeted internet shutdowns the Islamic Republic has deployed during periods of protests and unrest. Internet slowly trickles back in Iran Iranians on Saturday began to see some internet access restored, giving people the opportunity to call friends and family for the first time in days. Those in the diaspora posted on social media about connecting to FaceTime or WhatsApp to call relatives they had been worried about. Government officials had disconnected phone and web services earlier in the week for the more than 90 million people who live in Iran, citing cybersecurity threats from Israel. That left civilians unaware of when and where Israel would strike next and if their family or friends were among the victims. Tasnim News Agency, closely affiliated with Iran's government, quoted the information minister as saying that access to 'international' internet should be restored across the country by 8 p.m. Turkey urges Islamic unity against 'Israeli problem' Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says the Middle East is faced with an 'Israeli problem' and called on Islamic countries to take a collective stand and show solidarity with Iran. 'Israel's ongoing aggression and occupation policies clearly show that there is an Israeli problem in our region that needs to be addressed,' Fidan said in an opening speech at a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul on Saturday. He also warned that Israel's actions could trigger broader regional instability. Italians evacuated from Iran arrive in Azerbaijan The Italian foreign ministry said the 24 Italians are the second group to evacuate via Azerbaijan's Baku. 'After about nine hours of travel and a very long wait at the border, the group was welcomed by representatives of the Italian Embassy in Baku, and then moved to the airport of the Azerbaijani capital to wait to return to Italy with the first available flights,' the ministry said. The group included an Italian doctor and his partner, an Iranian woman, and their 18-month-old child, the ministry said. Another convoy from Iran could depart from Tehran as early as Monday. The first group that arrived in Italy via Baku in recent days had 34 Italian nationals. Italy's foreign ministry also said it chartered a flight to help evacuate its citizens from Israel via Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Sunday. Evacuees in Cyprus recall missiles flying overhead Noah Page says it's one thing to watch missiles crisscrossing the sky on the news and another to experience it firsthand. 'You see it on the news, you see everything, but you never really expect it to actually hit you when you're there,' the Ohio-native told the Associated Press. 'As someone who grew up in Canada, it's so foreign to me to even think about missiles or a war and you hear about it on the news and it's just so separate from you,' said Pe'er, a 23-year-old who didn't want to give her last name. "It sort of felt like fireworks at first until the reality of the situation set in. I need to run or I might end up hurt.' Page and Pe'er were among an estimated 1,500 other young people from around the world visiting Israel who were evacuated by cruise ship on Saturday to Cyprus, the closest European country to Israel, at around 270 kilometers. It was the second such trip by the cruise ship bringing people out while ferrying stranded Israelis back to their homeland. Florida native Alex Rosenblum had been in Israel before in times of war, when the sounds of sirens urging citizens to rush to shelters had become almost routine. But he says this time it was different. 'This situation with Iran has been a lot scarier because there's a big difference between a rocket and a missile,' he said. The three young people found safety in underground shelters when digital alerts were sent out. Iran's Araghchi says it will be 'very dangerous' if US gets involved in war Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it would be 'very, very dangerous for everyone' if the United States becomes actively involved in the war with Israel. He spoke to reporters in Istanbul on his way home from talks in Geneva. Araghchi said American military involvement 'would be very unfortunate.' UN refugee agency calls for de-escalation The UNHCR said Saturday that the intensity of the attacks is already triggering population movements in Israel and Iran: Some from Tehran and other parts of Iran have crossed into neighboring countries while shelling has caused people in Israel to seek shelter elsewhere in the country and, in some cases, abroad. The agency urged states in the region to respect the right of people to seek safety where needed and to facilitate humanitarian access. 'This region has already endured more than its share of war, loss, and displacement — we cannot allow another refugee crisis to take root,' the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said. 'The time to de-escalate is right now. Once people are forced to flee, there's no quick way back — and all too often, the consequences last for generations.' Tehran vows to make Grossi 'pay' A senior adviser for Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, vowed in a social media post Saturday to make the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency 'pay' once the war with Israel is over. Ali Larijani's threat comes as IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has become a major target for many Iranian officials who say his conflicting statements about the status of Iran's nuclear program incited the Israeli surprise attack last week. Grossi told the United Nations' Security Council Friday that while Iran has the material to build a nuclear bomb, it appears they have no plans to do so.
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Iran without internet for 60 hours as war with Israel continues
The internet shutdown in Iran continues amid its ongoing conflict with Israel, and it has largely been 60 hours now, a graph shared by cybersecurity watchdog showed this morning. Vehicles drive on Islamix revolution square in Tehran, Iran.(AP File) The shutdown, announced by Iranian authorities on Wednesday, is affecting the Iranian public's ability to express political viewpoints, and follow safety alerts amid Israeli airstrikes. According to NBC, access to WhatsApp, Instagram, Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, had been blocked in the country. Track latest updates on Israel Iran conflict here The graph shared by the internet-access advocacy group shows internet restrictions starting in the country somewhere around June 16, with a nearly complete blackout from mid-Wednesday, June 18. Despite the internet shutdown, some users maintained connectivity through virtual private networks, earlier said. The shutdown is not affecting Iranians just in terms of voicing their political opinions, but is also restricting communication with their loved ones in times of distress. Before its strikes, Israeli forces are issuing alerts through their Persian-language online channels in Iran, but civilians are still left unaware due to the internet shutdown. Activists are looking at the move as psychological warfare, calling it an attempt by Iran to control the narrative. 'We know why the Iranian regime shuts down. It wants to control information. So their goal is quite clear," Marwa Fatafta, the policy and advocacy director for digital rights group Access Now, was quoted by news agency AP. However, an Iran government spokesperson has said that the internet access restrictions come in response to Israel's cyberattacks, NBC reported. Iran and history of internet shutdowns Iran has a history of shutting down internet services during protests and unrest, the most recent example being 2019, when Iran announced a 50% fuel hike plan leading to protests. The internet shutdown back then lasted six days. The country has been tied in a conflict with Israel for over a week now since June 13, after "preemptive" Israeli airstrikes targeted nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists in Iran. In retaliation, Iran fired 450 missiles and 1,000 drones towards Israel, most of which were shot down.
