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Here’s where things stand on Monday 16 June 2025:
- Iran launches a new wave of ballistic missile attacks on Israel – including Tel Aviv and Haifa – killing at least eight people hours after the Israeli military again bombed the Iranian capital, Tehran.
- The death toll from Israel’s attacks on Iran has risen to more than 220, including 70 women and children. The intelligence chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and two other generals were killed in Israeli attacks on Sunday.
- UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi says there is no sign of further damage at Iran’s Natanz or Fordow enrichment sites following Israel’s attacks.
- Meanwhile, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 55,362 people and wounded 128,741, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive.
World on the cusp of a new nuclear arms race: Monitor
The world is becoming more unstable and the likelihood that nuclear weapons may one day be used is increasing. That is the broad conclusion of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) Yearbook published on Monday.
“We are at a step change, which has been going on since just before the pandemic,” SIPRI director Dan Smith told Al Jazeera.
“It’s not just little bits and pieces here and there. It’s everybody moving in that direction of upgrading, including the new nuclear weapon state of North Korea and the relatively new ones of Pakistan and India, who went nuclear in the ’90s.”
World military spending rose by 37 percent in the past decade, and by 9.4 percent last year alone, to $2.7 trillion, said SIPRI.
Read our full story here.
US intervention in Iran could ignite ‘major escalation’ in Gulf region
Andreas Krieg, associate professor in security studies at King’s College London, warns that direct US involvement in the conflict would risk unleashing a new level of regional fighting.
“If the US joined the fight over Iran, it would lead to a major escalation of strikes and IRGC activities across the Gulf against shipping and energy infrastructure,” Krieg told Al Jazeera, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) . “Iran would also try to strike US bases in the Gulf.”
Krieg said the US would only get involved if it was “willing to bear the costs of regime change”, which would contradict Trump’s so-called “America First” agenda.
“It is still unlikely at this point that the US will do that as it would undermine the entire narrative of Trump’s agenda to withdraw from the Middle East,” he noted.
Nevertheless, Krieg sees a possible diplomatic off-ramp if Trump reins in Netanyahu and pressures Israel “to cease operations and return to the negotiation table”.
“Iran would have to be able to build a victory narrative and then trust the Americans enough to keep Netanyahu in check,” he noted.
Dozens of women and children killed in Israeli strikes, Iran says
The Iranian government’s spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani has provided an update on Israeli attacks in the country, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Here is a summary of her translated comments:
- This war was imposed on us. We did not want it.
- Forty-five women and children were killed in recent attacks and another 75 women and children injured.
- The targeting of women and children proves that Israel’s claims of only striking military sites are false.
- The attack on Farabi Hospital in Kermanshah was in line with the regime’s brutal nature.
- Mosques will be available as shelters for the people. Crisis rooms have been formed in the provinces.
‘We cannot accept the situation in Iran’
Yossi Beilin, Israel’s minister of justice between 1999 and 2001, says Netanyahu made “a huge mistake” by inviting far-right “lunatics” into his government.
“They should’ve never been part of the government. They represent a small proportion of the Israeli public opinion. It’s very problematic,” Beilin told Al Jazeera.
“Netanyahu has made huge mistakes in the last years, and one of them was convincing Trump to withdraw from the [nuclear] agreement with Iran.”
He added, however, “the Iranian threat is a real threat”.
“In the past, we were friendly countries. Since 1979, we became the devil for whatever reason – because they hate the Jews and they want us to disappear. They don’t want to negotiate with us. This is the view of the enemy that you cannot tolerate. We cannot accept the situation in Iran,” Beilin said.
UN rights chief speaks out on Israel’s attacks on Iran, war on Gaza
Volker Turk has expressed deep concern over the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran and urged them to engage in “urgent diplomatic negotiations to end these attacks and find a way forward”.
“The military escalation between Israel and Iran is deeply worrying,” the UN rights chief said as he presented his annual report to the 59th Human Rights Council in Geneva.
He also called “for full respect of international law by both sides, in particular the protection of civilians in densely populated areas”.
Separately, the UN high commissioner for human rights slammed Israel’s conduct in the besieged Gaza Strip.
“Israel’s means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza,” he said.
“Israel has weaponised food and blocked lifesaving aid. I urge immediate, impartial investigations into deadly attacks on desperate civilians to reach food distribution centres,” he added. “Disturbing, dehumanising rhetoric from senior Israeli government officials is reminiscent of the gravest of crimes.”
Read more about the latest developments in Israel’s war on Gaza here.
Israel says last 3 Madleen ship activists deported to Jordan
Israel’s Foreign Ministry says the remaining activists from an aid ship that Israeli forces seized in international waters last week as it attempted to reach the besieged Gaza Strip have been sent to Jordan.
In a statement, the ministry said the trio – one Dutch and two French nationals – were transferred to the kingdom via the Allenby crossing.
The Madleen – carrying 12 activists, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg – was intercepted by the military last Monday as it approached Israeli waters in an attempt to break the suffocating siege on Gaza.
Thunberg and three other activists agreed to be deported immediately, while eight others were detained by Israeli authorities, appearing before an immigration tribunal on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said those remaining in Israel would be flown to their home countries later that week.
Five of the activists, including Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament, left on Thursday.
Israeli minister changes tone on targeting Tehran residents
Defence Minister Israel Katz says Israel has no intention of deliberately harming people in Tehran, walking back threatening comments he made earlier.
“I wish to clarify the obvious: there is no intention to physically harm the residents of Tehran as the murderous dictator does to the residents of Israel,” Katz said in a statement on X.
“The residents of Tehran will have to pay the price of dictatorship and evacuate their homes from areas where it will be necessary to attack regime targets and security infrastructures in Tehran.”
Katz warned earlier that people in Iran’s capital will “pay the price – and soon” for deadly Iranian retaliatory strikes on Israel.
IAEA chief says no further sign of damage at Iran’s nuclear sites
Rafael Grossi is providing an update to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors in Vienna on the situation at Iran’s nuclear facilities following Israel’s ongoing attacks.
He said there was no sign of further damage at the Natanz or Fordow enrichment sites.
“The agency is and will remain present in Iran. Safeguards inspections in Iran will continue as soon as safety conditions allow, as is required under Iran’s NPT safeguards obligations,” he said in the statement.
Grossi has previously said Israeli attacks have destroyed the above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz and that Iran had reported attacks on sites in Fordow and Isfahan.
He said the electricity infrastructure at Natanz was also destroyed, and the loss of power to a cascade hall may have damaged centrifuges there. But he said the level of radioactivity outside Natanz remained unchanged and normal.
Israeli army claims it destroyed 30% of Iran’s missile launchers
More than 50 jets carried out air raids and destroyed at least 120 surface-to-surface missile launchers, the military says, as fighting between the two arch foes entered a fourth day.
“This amounts to one-third of the surface-to-surface missile launchers possessed by the Iranian regime,” military spokesman Brigadier-General Effie Defrin said in a televised statement.
After days of attacks on Iranian air defences and missile systems, the Israeli army said its aircraft now control the skies from western Iran to Tehran.
“Now we can say that we have achieved full air supremacy in the Tehran airspace,” said Defrin.
If you’re just joining us
Here’s what’s been happening:
- President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged Iranian people to unite as waves of Israeli missiles continue to cause extensive damage across the country, including the city of Kermanshah, where a hospital was hit.
- Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says residents of Tehran will “pay the price” for Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel.
- The death toll from Iran’s overnight attacks on Israel rose to eight, with dozens more transferred to hospital for treatment for minor injuries, according to medics.
- An Iranian missile hit near a US Embassy building in Tel Aviv, causing minor damage, according to Washington’s envoy.
- A Foreign Ministry spokesman says Iran’s parliament is working on legislation to pull Tehran out of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Israeli attacks on Gaza intensify as fighting with Iran rages
We are still witnessing another round of escalation on the ground today after repeated Israeli attacks.
Much of the fighting has been concentrated in the northern part of Gaza, where Israeli ground operations are intensifying in all towns near Israel.
It has become clear that Israel’s strategy in this part of Gaza is aimed at destroying what remains of residential buildings and pushing civilians further towards the western edge of Gaza City.
It is increasingly obvious to everyone that these attacks are no longer about the defeat of Hamas, but rather inflicting further destruction on the already-battered Gaza Strip.
According to the latest update shared by the Gaza Government Media Office, more than 60 percent of the territory’s buildings have been destroyed.
Israel says 24 killed in Iranian missile attacks since Friday
The Israeli military’s Home Front Command has updated the death toll from days of Iranian attacks, saying most of those killed were not in bomb shelters.
Iran has fired about 350 missiles at Israel so far, and each barrage consisted of about 30 to 60 projectiles, it said.
Iran, meantime, announced it launched some 100 missiles and pledged further retaliation for Israel’s sweeping attacks on its military and nuclear infrastructure, which have killed more than 220 people since Friday, including dozens of civilians.
Iran-Israel confrontation to top G7 agenda in Canada
All those attending have made it very clear, the most important topic of conversation among the world leaders is the conflict between Iran and Israel.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has indicated that a G7 statement will take the form of calling for a de-escalation, but also including the right of Israel to defend itself.
This is going to be a common theme, it would appear at this particular meeting. On the one hand, G7 leaders are highly critical of this conflict, but on the other, leaving aside the fact that this was a unilateral action carried out by Israel against Iran.
‘Huge amount of anger’ against Israel in Iran
The footage we’ve seen indicates that the Israelis are not just striking military and nuclear facilities, but also civilian infrastructure.
In the past two days, we’ve seen Israelis hit at least two oil depots, as well as a building related to university professors here in Tehran. And so, this unprecedented escalation is triggering a huge amount of anger among Iranian citizens.
In one case, authorities reported that at least 20 children were killed, and you also had the Health Ministry saying yesterday that the death toll has risen to 224, with a considerable amount of the victims being civilians.
These strikes have also disrupted the lives of ordinary citizens, and that’s what’s making people really angry about what the Israelis are doing in Iran.
Poland to evacuate citizens from Israel via Amman
Poland is preparing to evacuate approximately 200 of its citizens visiting Israel, with plans to route them through Jordan’s capital, according to the deputy foreign minister.
“We assume we will be ready in the next few dozen hours, [the evacuation] will concern those who are stuck as tourists and those staying for a short stay,” Henryka Moscicka-Dendys told reporters.
What is the likelihood of Israel-Iran conflict spilling over?
We’ve been speaking to Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.
He explained why the Israel-Iran conflict could easily expand across the region.
“The Iranians decided after Israel struck South Pars, the gas facility in the Gulf region, that they’re going to return ‘the favour’ by hitting energy infrastructure in Israel. And that’s the sort of thing that might get us to a point where things go from nuclear and military sites and assassinations to any targets – essentially, energy and economic assets becoming a fair game. That’s when you have to be fearful that it could spill over,” Vatanka said from Washington, DC.
The analyst added that he believes Iran wants to see an end to the war.
“I don’t sense they have the confidence that they can stay in this game for long. Remember, Iran is alone. It’s got no friends, it’s on its own. Israel’s got the US, most of Europe and plenty of other friends … and that should obviously be of concern for Tehran.”
Israeli military says it intercepted drone ‘from the east’
The military says in a post on X that the drone crossed into Israeli territory “from the east” and was intercepted.
The “hostile aircraft” triggered air-raid sirens in the southern Golan Heights, it added.
Iran pledges quick trials for alleged Israeli collaborators
Iran’s Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei has assured swift trials for people arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Israel as intense fighting rages between the two countries.
“If someone is arrested for having ties to and collaborating with the Zionist regime, their trial and punishment should be carried out and announced very quickly, in accordance with the law and given the war conditions,” Ejei was quoted by Tasnim news agency as saying.
Earlier, an undercover agent working for the Israeli spy agency Mossad was executed. Ismail Fikri was hanged for passing classified and sensitive information “to the enemies of” Iran, Mizan Online reported.
On Sunday, Iranian media reported that police in Alborz province, west of Tehran, arrested two people suspected of links to the Mossad.
Israel ‘thought this was going to be easy’ like ‘bombing refugees in tents’
Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, says it’s clear Israel’s vaunted missile defence systems are showing cracks as the casualty toll from Iranian attacks continues to rise.
“What appears to have happened is the Iranians have degraded the Israeli air defence systems, and as a result, with a fewer number of missiles, they’re actually getting more missiles through,” Parsi told Al Jazeera.
He said video evidence shows “the inefficiency” of the David’s Sling, Arrow, Iron Dome, and even the US defence systems, THAAD.
“By and large, the Israelis clearly miscalculated. They thought this was going to be easy – the same as bombing refugees in tents [in Gaza] as they’ve done for a year-and-a-half now. Instead, they’re getting a real fight back. And the question is to what extent that’s changed the Israeli government’s calculations?”
Parsi noted the only move Israel has made so far is to ask the US to enter the war, “but we’ve not seen any other indications of them trying to make an exit”.
Iran wants to try ‘all paths of diplomacy’
Analyst Setareh Sadegi says Iran is unlikely to receive international support during its fight with Israel, based on its experience during Iraq’s invasion in the 1980s, and more recently on Israel’s war against Gaza.
“The international community and Arab states did nothing to prevent this [Gaza] genocide or stop it,” Sadegi, a researcher at Tehran University, told Al Jazeera from the city of Isfahan.
“Iran is showing the world that it would work very hard to try all paths of diplomacy and avoid aggression, but once its lands and airspace have been violated and targeted, it has the right to defend itself.”
Domestically, Israeli actions have triggered a rallying effect, Sadegi added.
“Once the aggression starts, it’s not going to distinguish between a pro-government, pro-Iran citizen and an anti-Iran citizen. It affects everyone equally. I would say it definitely strengthens the unity among the population.”
Iran says will take ‘appropriate decision’ as MPs preparing bill to exit NPT
Members of Iran’s parliament are preparing a bill that could push the country towards exiting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Foreign Ministry has been quoted as saying.
“In light of recent developments, we will take an appropriate decision. Government has to enforce parliament bills but such a proposal is just being prepared and we will coordinate in the later stages with parliament,” spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, according to Reuters, when asked at a news conference about Iran potentially leaving the NPT.
He added, however, that Iran remains opposed to developing weapons of mass destruction.
Separately, IRNA said no NPT-related bill was discussed in Parliament on Monday and quoted a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission as denying social media reports about Iran’s withdrawal from treaty.
The 190-member NPT, which was signed in 1968 and came into effect in 1970, bans signatories other than the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France from acquiring nuclear weapons – in return for allowing them to pursue peaceful nuclear programmes for power generation, overseen by the UN.
Iran has gradually stepped back from its obligations under the accord after US President Donald Trump quit the Iranian nuclear deal in 2018, and reimposed crushing sanctions that have severely harmed the Iranian economy.
‘Fight hand in hand’: Iran leader addresses the nation
As we’ve been reporting, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has been addressing the country’s Parliament.
“Every fallen martyr will be followed by hundreds who will continue the banner,” he said.
“All our countrymen should stand together hand in hand” in fending off the attack by Israel,” added Pezeshkian.
“We must be united in the face of this belligerence. It’s our people’s right to seek justice. We will hold our ground.”
US unlikely to ‘join the battle’ against Iran
We’ve been speaking to Ori Goldberg, an Israeli political commentator.
He spoke to us from Tel Aviv about possible US involvement in the escalation and how some Israelis are feeling.
“Well, there’s certainly a desire for the US to get involved, prominently, among officials whose plans lack a clear end game or strategy… But since nobody is clear about the real goal, it’s just as obvious that the US will, certainly at this stage, refrain from getting involved,” Goldberg said.
Many Israelis believe the hostilities will continue for the foreseeable future because the government has not spoken of an “off-ramp” or an “end-game”, said Goldberg.
However, “there’s a lot of support for this war with Iran” but that could erode over time, he added.
“I think most Israelis who still care enough to try and consider what happens mid- or long-term will understand that Israel is in a problem. As time goes by, it will become clear that not only will the United States not join the battle, but that other prominent world powers are also not prepared to make the leap and join Israel in Iran in the actual fighting.”
Missile launched from Yemen falls before reaching Israel: Army
An earlier military update said that Israel’s defence systems were activated to shoot down the ballistic missile, and warning sirens sounded in various parts of the country.
“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen fell prior to crossing into Israeli territory,” the military said in a statement.
Middle East ‘first to suffer’ if escalation continues
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a livestreamed news conference in Beijing that China “is deeply concerned about Israel’s attacks on Iran which cause abrupt escalation of military conflict”.
“We call on parties to immediately take measures to ease the tensions as soon as possible … prevent the region from falling into greater turmoil, and create conditions for returning to right track for solving through dialogue and consultation,” Guo said.
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to escalate, or even enlarge, the Middle Eastern countries will be the first to suffer.”
![Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun [File: Florence Lo/Reuters]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/RC2V4CAGOTYM-1738835488.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Smoke billows after multiple explosions in western Iran
Videos shared online and verified by Al Jazeera, show heavy plumes of smoke rising in the city of Kermanshah.
In one video, thick smoke is seen rising around the Dieselabad area of the western Iranian city after an Israeli strike.
Israel argues its assault on Iran’s top military leaders, uranium enrichment sites and nuclear scientists was necessary to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Iran has always insisted that its nuclear programme is peaceful, and the US and others have assessed that Tehran has not pursued a nuclear weapon since 2003.
Israel undermined diplomacy, US should take firm stance: Iranian Foreign Ministry
Esmail Baghaei now addresses the issue of Iran’s negotiations with the US.
Here are his translated remarks:
- We should look at the realities on the ground.
- We were actively engaged in negotiations, and all of a sudden, we were taken by surprise by Israel’s belligerence.
- We wouldn’t have imagined that they would take such an action backed by the United States.
- It is the Zionist entity that undermined diplomacy; it is the responsibility of the US to take a firm stance.
- The contradictory stance adopted by the US in the face of this belligerence is not helpful.
- However, we do not have any doubt that the US administration and US officials are accomplices to this belligerence.
- Raising the issue of negotiations is pointless at this time.
- The Security Council must make it clear that this is an unlawful, unjustifiable belligerence.
More from the Iranian Foreign Ministry
The spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry says the Israeli attacks on Iran are not a war against the country but “against humanity”.
“It is a belligerence initiated by a criminal group, defying the international community and international law,” Esmail Baghaei told the news briefing in Tehran.
“All those who believe in the peaceful co-living and all those who believe in the international law are required to take action, to put an end to these brutal, ruthless crimes, to pressure this Zionist entity and bring it to account,” he says, in translated remarks.
Baghaei also called on “friendly countries” to step up their efforts for the passing of a binding resolution against Israel.
“This is the first step to begin with, it must be declared to the whole world, it is a baseless belligerence,” he said, reiterating that Israel’s actions are “an utter violation” of international law.
Israel accustomed to killing children, as in Gaza: Iranian Foreign Ministry
The spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry continues his news briefing by holding up pictures of several civilian victims of Israeli attacks, including children, and sharing their stories.
“It is the Zionist entity that is accustomed to killing innocent children, as they are doing in Gaza,” Esmail Baghaei said.
Predator cannot be put on equal footing with victim: Iranian Foreign Ministry
Here are some of Esmail Baghaei’s translated comments.
- All the member states of the United Nations must be reminded that if you believe in the UN Charter, in the rule of law, in international law, and in the collective security of the international community, you must act.
- It is time for the Security Council to take the necessary measures; enough with words, it is time for action.
- The predator cannot be put on equal footing with the victim. You cannot continue to adopt dual standards.
- They [Israeli forces] targeted residential areas. They targeted peaceful nuclear facilities in Isfahan and other areas in utter violation of international law, international practices and norms.
- It is the Zionist enemy that initiated this belligerence, assassinating our scientists and killing innocent civilians in their homes.
Iranian Foreign Ministry holds briefing
Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, has just begun a news conference in Tehran.
We’re following this and will bring you his most important lines shortly.
Israeli army says ballistic missile launched from Yemen
A military update says the country’s defence systems are working to intercept the missile.
Hostile aircraft sirens have been activated in several areas of the country.
China urges nationals in Israel to monitor developments
The Chinese Embassy in Israel is again reminding its nationals in Israel “to closely monitor ongoing developments and strictly follow safety alerts and emergency instructions issued by the relevant Israeli authorities”.
Although Israel’s main airport remains closed, the embassy noted that the three land border crossings between Israel and Jordan remain open: the Jordan River Crossing, the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge Bridge, and the Yitzhak Rabin crossings, adding travellers “may proceed to these points at their own discretion, provided it is safe to do so”.
More on the deaths, injuries from latest Iranian strikes on Israel
The eight deaths in the latest Iranian strikes on Israel included two women, three men in their 70s and 80s, and three others whose bodies were found in the rubble in the northern city of Haifa.
Israel’s Channel 14 quoted the country’s emergency service as saying that at least 87 wounded people were taken to hospital for treatment.
Among those injured was a 30-year-old woman reported to be in serious condition after sustaining facial injuries. Five Israelis suffered moderate injuries and 81 others were mildly hurt.
Also among the wounded were children hurt by broken glass following the impact of the Israeli strikes. Rescue operations are ongoing in several locations, the news report said.
IRGC commander, soldier killed in Israeli attack
The Ansar al-Mahdi Corp, a unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced that an Israeli attack in Zanjan province killed one of its commanders and one soldier.
Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with the IRGC, identified the dead as Reza Najafi, a commander of the IRGC in the Ijrud district of Zanjan, and Hassan Rasouli, a soldier.
More than 220 people, including military officials, scientists, and women and children, have been killed across Iran since Israel launched its attack on Friday.
Israelis ‘now realising’ what Palestinians and Lebanese have been suffering
Elijah Magnier, a military and political analyst, says he believes the hostilities between Israel and Iran will only get worse, but that Israeli support for the war may wane if the destruction continues.
“I think it’s going to continue escalating because we are just in the first days of the war that Israel declared on Iran,” he told Al Jazeera.
“And also the Israeli officials, the prime minister and the army, have all warned Israeli society that this war is going to be heavy and … the price is going to be extremely high. But the society that stands behind Benjamin Netanyahu and supports the war on Iran did not expect this level of destruction because, since 1973, Israel has not waged a war on a country and never been attacked on this scale, right in the heart of Tel Aviv,” Magnier said from Paris.
“So now they are realising what the Palestinians have been suffering, what the Lebanese have been suffering, and they see the destruction in front of them, buildings in Tel Aviv, in Haifa destroyed, fire everywhere. The properties no longer exist. Eight people killed, 250 wounded in one day. That’s unheard of since a very long time in Israel. So, all that is not something that the Israeli society has been ready for,” he added.
‘We must stand strong’: Iran president
We now have more from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s address to parliament about the ongoing Israeli attacks.
He urged all citizens to put aside differences and unite against Israel as the conflict rages between the two arch foes.
“Every difference, issue and problem that has existed must be put aside today, and we must stand strong against this genocidal criminal aggression with unity and coherence,” Pezeshkian said.
India evacuates students in Iran as Israel strikes
New Delhi says its diplomats are helping some Indian students relocate out of harm’s way in Iran.
“The Indian Embassy in Tehran is continuously monitoring the security situation and engaging Indian students in Iran to ensure their safety,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.
“In some cases, students are being relocated with [the] Embassy’s facilitation to safer places within Iran,” it added.
Death toll in Israel rises to 8: Report
The official Israeli Army Radio is reporting that the death toll from the latest Iranian attacks has now risen to eight.
That’s after the three missing people in the city of Haifa were confirmed dead, the outlet said.
Earlier, another five people were reported killed in central Israel.
This means that more than 20 people have been killed in Israel since the country’s military launched the attacks on Iran four days ago. More than 300 others have also been wounded.
Israel says Tehran residents ‘will pay price soon’ for attacks
Defence Minister Israel Katz has warned that people in Iran’s capital will “pay the price” for Iranian strikes on Israeli civilians after overnight missile attacks killed at least five people and wounded dozens.
Referring to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Katz wrote on his Telegram channel: “The boastful dictator from Tehran has turned into a cowardly murderer, deliberately firing at Israel’s civilian home front in an attempt to deter the [Israeli military] from continuing the offensive that is crippling his capabilities.
“The residents of Tehran will pay the price – and soon.”
Iran executes alleged Mossad spy
A news agency affiliated with the Iranian judiciary says an undercover agent working for the Israeli spy agency has been executed after his sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.
Mizan Online reported that the suspect, Ismail Fikri, was hanged for passing classified and sensitive information “to the enemies of” Iran.
Fikri was reportedly in contact with two Mossad officers while working for Israel.
He was arrested and charged by the authorities in Iran in December 2023.
Mizan Online quoted the judiciary as saying that the execution was “a major intelligence blow” to Israel’s spy network.
Israelis beginning to ask, ‘How long is this going to last?’
Reporting from Amman, Jordan
Al Jazeera is reporting from Jordan because it has been banned from Israel and the occupied West Bank.
The search continues in the rubble, in Tel Aviv in particular, for more casualties. So the death toll could possibly rise. Five people have been confirmed dead in these overnight attacks by Iran.
One building has collapsed in the Tel Aviv area. The American embassy also sustained light damage from shrapnel. Damage was not just done to residential areas. The power grid in Haifa was also hit and the crews are still repairing it.
The Iranian attacks were successive. It wasn’t just one barrage of missiles, so Israeli residents in the centre and north went in and out of shelters throughout the night.
Everybody remains on high alert. You can’t really abandon your phone, for example, as you have to follow alert instructions and listen for sirens. Most Israelis get 10-15 minutes of advanced warning.
They’re being told they have to brace themselves for days, possibly more, of a life like this: no school, no businesses, no planes in and out. So this is a lot of stress on the society and the economy – and this is why we’re hearing Israelis beginning to say ‘Well, how long is this going to last?’”
Why India refused to join SCO condemnation of Israel’s attacks on Iran
India has distanced itself from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) condemnation of Israel’s ongoing attacks on Iran, signalling a potential rift in the influential Eurasian political bloc over the conflict.
World leaders have repeatedly called for de-escalation amid Israel’s unprecedented attacks on its regional rival, Iran, which threaten to destabilise the region. Last Friday, the latest round of fighting began after Israel launched attacks on Iran’s military and nuclear sites.
This follows two rounds of direct military conflict between Iran and Israel in 2024, which were triggered by Israeli strikes on Iranian targets and subsequent Iranian retaliation.
So, why did India refuse to take part in the discussions or endorse the SCO’s position on Israel’s attacks? Is India backing Israel? And what is at stake for these countries?
Read our full story here.
Death toll in Israel rises to 5: Reports
The Times of Israel and the Ynet News outlet are reporting that a body has been found in the city of Petah Tikva, taking the overall toll from Iranian strikes today to five.
As of now, the toll stands at four killed in Petah Tikvah and another in Bnei Brak.
The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service said a total of 92 people have now been transferred to the hospital, most of them with minor injuries.
Three others remain missing in the northern city of Haifa.
US envoy reports damage to embassy branch in Tel Aviv
Mike Huckabee says there’s been “some minor damage” to the US Embassy building in Tel Aviv after “concussions of Iranian missile hits” near the structure.
There were no injuries to US personnel, and the country’s embassies and consulates in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv will remain closed today, he added.
Pezeshkian says Iran has no intention of developing nuclear weapons
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has been speaking in the Parliament about the ongoing Israeli attacks, according to the official IRNA news agency.
“The enemy cannot remove us and the nation from the scene by beating, killing and assassinating. Because for every hero whose flag falls, there are hundreds of other heroes who will take up the flag and stand against the cruelty, injustice, crime and betrayal that these cowards are committing,” he said.
The Iranian leader said Iranians are “not aggressors”, and noted that his government has been negotiating with the US on its nuclear programme.
“We are not seeking nuclear weapons,” he continued, adding that the West is saying Iran should not obtain such weapons, “while we have no intention of obtaining these weapons at all”.
Pezeshkian promised, however, that the country would continue to enrich uranium for energy purposes, saying that Iran has the “right to benefit from nuclear energy”.
Iran vows more ‘devastating’ attacks on ‘vital targets’ in Israel
Iran has promised to carry out more “devastating” operations against Israeli targets following a new round of deadly attacks on the country.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency, warned that “effective, targeted and more devastating operations against the vital targets” in Israel “will continue until its complete destruction”.
At least four people have been killed and dozens more wounded following the latest wave of Iranian attacks on Israel.
How protected are Israelis from air attacks?
We have more from Gideon Levy, the Israeli journalist at the Haaretz newspaper.
He told Al Jazeera that most Israelis are “very well protected” from air attacks.
“First of all, the alarm system is extremely well-functioning. This time, we get alarms much before the siren. We can prepare ourselves. In most parts of Tel Aviv, for example, there are many shelters. All the new buildings have their own shelters and safe homes. So, from this point of view, you have the feeling that the population is protected.”
However, this is not true for other populations in Israel, such as the Bedouins or the Palestinian citizens of Israel, Levy said.
In the predominantly Palestinian town of Tamra in northern Israel, which has a population of 35,000 people and where an Iranian missile killed at least four people on Sunday, there are no bomb shelters, he said.
But the next Jewish village of 1,000 inhabitants has several, he said.
“I think that the more nights like this will take place, Israelis will start to not only be tired and frightened, but then we finally start to ask, is it worth it? And where are we heading to? From war to war? From bombarding to bombarding? Because this time, unlike in Gaza, unlike in Lebanon, the price of the civilian population might be much heavier than ever. So Israel can take it for few days. It cannot take it for a long period of time.”
If you’re just joining us
Let’s get you up to speed:
- Iran has launched a fresh wave of retaliatory attacks on Israel, hitting central Tel Aviv and northern Haifa, and killing at least four people.
- Medics say at least 74 more were transferred to hospital in central Israel and that most of the victims had minor injuries.
- The attacks came after Israeli forces bombed the Iranian capital, Tehran. The Israeli military says it bombed the headquarters of the IRGC’s Quds Force in the city as well as surface-to-surface missile sites in Iran.
- Trump, speaking to reporters before heading to the G7 summit in Canada, says he hopes for a deal between Israel and Iran, but “sometimes, they have to fight out”.
- The Reuters and AP news agencies are reporting that Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel claims attack on Quds Force HQ in Tehran
The Israeli military, in a post on X, says it struck the headquarters of the Quds Force in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
The Quds Force is the IRGC’s overseas arm, which heavily influences its allied militias across the Middle East, from Lebanon to Iraq, Yemen and Syria.
There was no immediate comment from Iran.
Death toll in Israel rises to 4: Report
The Kan public broadcaster is reporting that the body of an 80-year-old man has been found in Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv following the latest Iranian strike on Israel.
The discovery raises the number of people killed in the latest round of Iranian attacks on Israel to at least four.
Three people also remain out of contact, and their “lives are in danger”, after areas in Israel’s northern city of Haifa were hit by Iranian strikes, Kan added.
The Magen David Adom emergency service also says it has now transferred a total of 74 people to hospital following the attacks. The majority of them had light injuries, it added.
We will keep you updated as soon as more details are available.
What’s the reaction in Israel to reports of US veto on hit on Khamenei?
We’ve been speaking to Alon Pinkas, a writer and former Israeli diplomat, about reports from the Reuters and Associated Press news agencies that Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the Iranian supreme leader.
Pinkas, speaking from Tel Aviv, said the reports, which were based on unnamed US sources, raise many questions.
“The first is, why would Israel ask the US to do something like this? And why would the US leak this? Was it delivered to scare the political leadership of Iran and show them that nothing is off the table? Or was it just someone trying to show that the US is involved in exercising restraint, or asking Israel, rather, to exercise restraint? I don’t think there was anything more than that,” the former diplomat said.
However, it does signal to Iran that Israel is considering such an assassination, he added.
“The way it is being interpreted [in Israel] is that… this piece of news that Israel is apparently thinking about this, that it consulted the US, and the US said not now, it does indicate to Iran that this is being considered,” he said.
Photos: Aftermath of Iranian missile strike on central Israel
Israeli police responding to reports of projectile debris
The police say they have received reports of projectile debris falling in multiple areas in Israel.
“Police and bomb disposal units are currently operating at the scenes,” the Police said on X.
“The Israel Police urges all residents to avoid gathering near impact sites to prevent danger to life and to enable emergency teams to work safely. Residents are instructed to continue cooperating with authorities and to follow all Home Front Command guidelines.”
Several buildings damaged in Israel after Iranian assault
A video posted by Israel’s Channel 12 News shows “extensive damage” to several buildings following the latest Iranian strikes across the country.
According to the latest reports from Israel, at least three people have been killed and dozens of others wounded in the strikes.
What can we expect from the G7 on the Israel-Iran conflict?
The UK prime minister is already here. The host, Mark Carney, the prime minister of Canada, and Frederick Merz, the chancellor of Germany, have also arrived.
I think the organisers are hoping to get some sort of joint statement on the situation in the Middle East right now. A statement calling for de-escalation and diplomacy. Because beyond that, I’m not sure there’s very much agreement among the figures attending this summit.
Remember that most of the G7 have said that Israel has the right to defend itself. Japan, however, very strongly condemned Israel’s attack on Iran on Friday.
And the other problem is, of course, US President Donald Trump. He does not like other leaders forcing him to accept their words. The last G7 summit that he attended in Canada, in Quebec, in 2018, ended up with a bit of a furious row, and in the end, Trump didn’t agree to the final summit communique and stormed off early. So I think many of these leaders will be trying to persuade Trump that a joint statement is a good idea.
Will that actually have any effect on events on the ground? Because neither Israel nor Iran are represented at the G7. Trump is the only person who has skin in the game, in the sense that he probably could persuade an Israeli prime minister, or at least make an effort to persuade an Israeli prime minister.
And I think that’s why, even though there are lots of other things that are going to be discussed at this G7 summit, there are going to be efforts to try and persuade Trump that de-escalation is the way forward. Because I think the other leaders know that the Israeli side would like the US to actively embolden itself militarily in this conflict.
More on the 3 victims in central Israel
The Ynet News outlet says the three people who were killed in Petah Tikvah in central Israel were all in their 70s. They were a man and two women.
The outlet says search and rescue efforts are continuing at the scene.
The Times of Israel is reporting that the building struck in Petah Tikvah was a 20-storey structure and that its fourth and fifth floors were badly damaged.
We’ll bring you more information when we have it.