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Here’s where things stand on Saturday 14 June 2025:
- Iranian missiles have targeted sites across Israel, injuring at least 40 people, in retaliation for ongoing Israeli attacks on Iran.
- Iran says Israel has killed 78 people, including senior military officials, and wounded more than 320 people in Iran, as the Israeli military continues to launch strikes on cities, military sites and nuclear facilities.
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel that it “must expect severe punishment” following the “crime” of attacking Iran and killing several top-level military commanders and six nuclear scientists.
- Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the military operation will continue as long as necessary.
- The United States has tried to distance itself from Israel’s onslaught while warning Iran against attacking American bases in the region.
Israeli army says still targeting Iranian missile sites
The Israeli army says it continues to attack “dozens of surface-to-surface missile launchers” in Iran.
The announcement comes after the military said it had targeted dozens of Iranian sites overnight, including surface-to-air missile infrastructure.
‘Everything was shaking’: Israelis recount Iranian strikes on Tel Aviv
Following Iran’s retaliatory attacks, Israeli firefighters worked for hours to free people trapped in a high-rise building in Tel Aviv.
Resident Chen Gabizon said he ran to an underground shelter after receiving an alert.
“After a few minutes, we just heard a very big explosion. Everything was shaking, smoke, dust, everything was all over the place,” he said.
Iranian missiles targeted sites across Israel, killing at least three people and injuring dozens more.
Iran’s strikes against Israel will continue: Officials
Attacks against Israel will continue, senior Iranian military officials were quoted as saying.
“This confrontation will not end with last night’s limited actions and Iran’s strikes will continue, and this action will be very painful and regrettable for the aggressors,” Fars news agency cited one unnamed official as saying.
Iran and Israel targeted each other with missiles and air strikes overnight after Israel launched its biggest-ever air offensive against its longtime foe early on Friday.
Israel bombs fighter jet hangar at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport: Report
Israel has targeted an Iranian fighter jet hangar at Mehrabad airport in an early morning attack, reports Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA.
“The attacks caused explosions at the airport but did not affect any runways, buildings or facilities,” the agency said.
Iranian air defence systems engaged in “fending off the hostile attacks at dawn”, it added.
‘No aggression goes unpunished’: Hamas official
Izzat al-Risheq, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, says “the strong Iranian response [to Israel] proves that no arrogance goes unanswered, no aggression goes unpunished” after Tehran carried out retaliatory strikes on Israel.
“Dozens of precision missiles and drones successfully hit their targets deep inside the entity, despite all the hype about” Israel’s defence systems, he said in a statement shared on Hamas’s official Telegram account.
“The message of the response is clear: whoever attacks will pay the price.”
Alarms sound in northern Israel, drones spotted
We’ve seen reports of alarms sounding in northern Israel, likely in response to what appear to be drones near the Lebanese border.
Over the past few hours, drones have been spotted in the Jordan Valley, northern Israel, and in the Eilat area in the south. That’s in addition to the volleys of ballistic missiles that have hit, especially in the Tel Aviv area, where three people were killed and at least nine buildings were reported either damaged or destroyed.
The Israeli government was very clear from the beginning of this assault on Iran that this will take as long as necessary, days or possibly more. It has warned the Israeli public it will need to be in or near shelters for prolonged periods, and that’s exactly what happened overnight.
It is not something that Israelis are used to, certainly not in this kind of ferocity. This is a different kind of confrontation. Iran is a formidable counterpart.
Israel claims it struck dozens of targets in Tehran overnight
A military update says the targets “included surface-to-air missile infrastructures as part of an effort to dismantle” air defence capabilities around Iran’s capital.
The Israeli army said dozens of fighter jets took part in the strikes. “For the first time since the beginning of the war, over 1,500km from Israeli territory, the [Israeli air force] struck defence arrays in the area of Tehran.”
It was the second wave of overnight attacks carried out by Israel after the country started its recent direct strikes early on Friday, escalating the regional tensions.
Trump shifts stance from warning to supporting Israel’s attack
President Trump has shifted his stance on Israel’s strikes on Iran, calling them “excellent” after initially warning Prime Minister Netanyahu against action that could jeopardise nuclear talks.
Trump has blamed Iran for rejecting US proposals on uranium enrichment and warns of more brutal strikes to come.
Venezuelan president condemns Israel’s attacks on Iran as ‘neo-Nazi Zionism’
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has condemned Israel’s bombardment of Iran, describing it as a “criminal assault” that “violates international law and the United Nations Charter”.
“No to war, no to fascism, no to neo-Nazi Zionism,” Maduro said in a statement.
Maduro also accused France, Germany, Britain and the US of supporting “the 21st-century Hitler”, referring to Prime Minister Netanyahu, “against the noble and peaceful Iranian people”.
Trump ‘flips’ position from negotiating to bombing Iran in matter of hours
We’ve really heard a flip in position as far as how Donald Trump has talked about these strikes.
Just hours before these strikes were launched, if you remember, Trump was telling reporters how he did not want Israel to go in because it would “blow up” the nuclear talks that Iran was having with the US.
Then, almost immediately after the strikes, Trump changed that to say that these strikes were, in his words, “excellent”.
And then blamed Iran for those strikes, saying it was because that country did not accept the deal offered by the US to completely stop enriching uranium.
He’s also warning on Truth Social that further strikes will happen that will be more brutal, saying that this is time for Iran to come back to make a deal.
So what we are seeing here is Trump caught between two conflicting impulses that are really also embodied by the different sides of the Republican Party.
We have those who want Trump to be the peace-making diplomatic president that he promised he would be during his inauguration speech.
There is also the impulse from the war hawks for the US to be more involved in potentially bombing Iran directly, which Trump has also threatened to do.
As far as which side he is on, it really appears to be whatever sounds more impressive to him at the moment.
Military says drones downed over central Israel
Israel’s military said it has intercepted a number of aerial drones over the country’s central region.
The drones were detected and air raid alerts were activated in several areas of the country, the military said.
No details were given on possible damage, casualties or where the drones originated.
Iran downs Israeli reconnaissance drones
The Iranian forces have shot down drones on a reconnaissance mission over northwestern Iran, according to state media.
“Islamic fighters [Iranian forces] in the Salmas border region successfully shot down Israeli drones that had violated the country’s airspace,” state television said, adding the “drones had entered Iranian airspace on espionage and reconnaissance missions”.
Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel into Saturday morning, killing at least two people and wounding dozens after a series of Israeli attacks.
Israel hopes US ‘dragged into’ conflict, pushes for regime change in Iran – analyst
Shahram Akbarzadeh, the director of the Middle East Studies Forum at Alfred Deakin Institute, says he believes there are “more attacks to come” as Israel and Iran “settle in for the long haul”.
“There is every chance this could spread out to the whole region and draw in the United States,” he told Al Jazeera.
“Israel is actually banking on this dynamic that once a conflict starts, the US has an obligation and commitment to Israeli security. So the US will be dragged into the conflict,” Akbarzadeh added.
Jordan reopens airspace after Iran-Israel tensions prompted closure
The country’s civil aviation commission says Jordanian airspace reopened at 7:30am local time (04:30 GMT).
The move comes a day after the commission suspended flights amid Israel-Iran tensions.
Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani had said the country would not allow its airspace to be violated, nor would it “be a battlefield for any conflict”.
Israel continues to launch attacks at Iranian military and nuclear sites
Iran said it has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles towards Israel in retaliation for Israel’s attacks on its nuclear facilities and military leaders.
Several Iranian missiles evaded Israel’s Iron Dome defence systems overnight and hit central Tel Aviv and other parts of the country.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said Tehran had crossed a red line by targeting civilian areas.
Oman’s foreign minister working to contain ‘dangerous escalation’
The Omani Foreign Ministry says Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi has held a series of phone calls with his counterparts around the world “as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to contain the dangerous military escalation and tensions” in the Middle East.
Those tensions were “triggered by Israel’s direct attacks on Iranian territory”, the ministry said in a statement shared on social media.
It added that Albusaidi stressed during the calls “the importance of halting the aggression … in order to prevent further bloodshed, destruction, and loss of life, and to safeguard the security, stability, and the supreme interests of the region and its peoples”.
On Friday, the minister condemned Israel’s attack on Iran as “illegal, unjustifiable and a grave threat to regional stability”.
Fire raging after Israeli strike in Iranian city of Zanjan
Israeli fighter jets have reportedly bombed an army base in the city of Zanjan, about 325km (200 miles) from Tehran in northern Iran, according to UK-based outlet Iran International.
Footage published by the outlet shows thick smoke and a fire raging hours after the attack.
We will bring you
Photos: Aftermath of strike that killed 2 in central Israel
‘Drop Israel’: How military escalation with Iran divides Trump’s base
After taking the oath of office for his second term in January, US President Trump had said he would push to “stop all wars” and leave a legacy of a “peacemaker and unifier”.
But six months in, missiles are flying across the Middle East after Israel attacked Iran, risking an all-out regional war that could drag US troops into the conflict.
The Israeli strikes on Iran, which Trump has all but explicitly endorsed, are now testing the president’s promise to be a harbinger of peace.
They are also dividing his base, with many right-wing politicians and commentators stressing that unconditional support for Israel is at odds with the “America First” platform on which Trump was elected.
“There is a very strong sense of betrayal and anger in many parts of the ‘America First’ base because they have truly turned against the idea of the US being involved in or supporting any such wars,” said Trita Parsi, executive vice president at the Quincy Institute, a US think tank that promotes diplomacy.
Read more in our story here.
Emergency service says 1 killed, 19 injured in central Israel
We reported a short while ago that an Iranian missile struck central Israel, resulting in at least 10 injuries.
A spokesperson from the national emergency service, Magen David Adom, has now told Israel’s Channel 12 that one person has been killed and 19 others injured following a direct missile strike on residential buildings in the area.
Three of the injured are in serious condition, according to the source.
The exact location of the attack is not immediately clear. We will bring you more information when we have it.
Israel hopes US ‘dragged into’ conflict to push for regime change in Iran: Analyst
Shahram Akbarzadeh, professor of Middle East politics at Deakin University in Australia, said both Israel and Iran appear to be “settling in for the long haul” and more attacks can be expected.
“At the moment, Iran has simply responded like a tit-for-tat to see how Israel responds. But it is very clear that Iran is not going to tolerate an attack by Israel targeting its military commanders and scientists as well as the military establishment and nuclear facilities,” Akbarzadeh told Al Jazeera.
“This is a very dangerous turn of events for the whole region because, as many observers have pointed out, there is every chance this could spread out to the whole region and draw in the United States,” Akbarzadeh said.
Iran does not seek to have a confrontation with the US, and in terms of military might, Tehran would not “stand a chance”, he said. But Israel appears to be hoping for such a scenario.
“When Israel launches attacks on Iran, Iran has to respond, and I think Israel is actually banking on this dynamic – that once the conflict starts, the United States has an obligation and a commitment to Israeli security,” he said.
“So the United States would be dragged into the conflict, and that is what Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying to achieve. To have the US dragged into the conflict and resulting in some kind of regime change in Iran”.
Israeli military says it downed 3 drones launched from Yemen
Israel’s air force has said it shot down three drones reportedly fired towards the country from Yemen.
The drones were successfully intercepted and did not set off any sirens in Israel.
Israeli authorities say 10 ‘lightly to moderately’ injured in latest firings
Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical and paramedic service, has provided an update after the latest missile firings towards Israel
If you’re just joining us
Let’s bring you up to speed on the latest developments:
- Iran has launched several missile salvoes at Israel in retaliation for earlier Israeli attacks on residential and nuclear sites across Tehran that killed dozens of people, including top military leaders.
- Several explosions also have been heard in Iran, with the country’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency sharing footage of fires at Mehrabad international airport in the Iranian capital.
- Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reports that a woman who was critically injured during Iran’s first missile barrage has died from her injuries.
- UN chief Antonio Guterres has called for de-escalation amid the continuing attacks, saying on social media that “peace and diplomacy must prevail”.
China’s UN Envoy says Israel has crossed ‘another red line’ with Iran attacks
China’s UN ambassador, Fu Cong, has condemned Israel’s violation of Iran’s sovereignty, security and “internal integrity”.
In comments to state-run outlet CCTV, Fu said he is “particularly concerned” that Israel is attacking nuclear facilities, describing it as “another red line that Israel has crossed”.
Fu said Beijing opposes the expansion of conflicts in the Middle East and is deeply concerned about the consequences of Israel’s actions.
Nine minor injuries reported in central Israel
That’s according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan, which reported that buildings were hit by an Iranian missile.
We’ll bring you more on the situation when we can.
Trump in ‘uncomfortable place’ as his ‘America First’ promise was to end wars
We do know that two destroyers that were positioned in the Mediterranean are being repositioned to the east.
Those are capable of shooting down missiles, and the US has made it clear that it did help Israel try to strike down those Iranian missiles.
The president said that they had replenished the Iron Dome missiles – those air defence protections in Israel.
Just to put this in context, this is a very uncomfortable place for US President Donald Trump.
He ran for office saying he would put “America First”. That he would end all the wars.
Remember, he said that he was going to end the Ukrainian war in 24 hours. The war on Gaza was going to end.
He always says, without explaining, that if he had been president, neither of those wars would have started.
He is president now. So, of course, the question is going to be is if he is willing to step in if it looks like a broader war is about to break out in the region.
Five Palestinians injured by shrapnel in occupied West Bank: Report
Palestinian news agency Wafa is reporting that three children were among those injured as rocket shrapnel fell near the town of Sa’ir near Hebron in the southern West Bank.
The five injured people – including the children, aged six, seven and 12 – were taken to hospital, according to Wafa, which cited the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
As we’ve been reporting, Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire for several hours after Israel launched attacks on residential and military sites across the Iranian capital.
Wafa reported earlier today that Israel has imposed widespread closures across the occupied West Bank amid the escalating conflict with Iran. Israeli forces have shut down roads, set up checkpoints and prevented Palestinian freedom of movement.
What we know about Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel
Iran announced on Friday evening local time that it had launched a barrage of missiles targeting locations across Israel in response to Israeli attacks on Iranian military and nuclear targets.
Here’s what we know about Tehran’s retaliatory attacks:
- The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-run Fars News Agency said Tehran launched two salvoes on Friday night, before launching a third wave of air strikes in the early hours of Saturday morning.
- Sirens were activated across Israel following the missile barrages, and Israelis were ordered to seek shelter.
- Israel’s military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles on Friday, and most were intercepted or fell short. The US military also helped shoot down Iranian missiles, two unnamed US officials told the Reuters news agency.
- Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reports that Iran has fired more than 150 missiles in total.
- A high-rise building was hit in a densely populated area of central Tel Aviv, damaging the lower third of the structure. Nine buildings were also destroyed in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan, according to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper.
- A loud boom was also heard in Jerusalem, according to Reuters. It was unclear whether Iranian strikes or Israeli defensive measures caused the explosion.
- The Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv has treated seven people wounded in Iran’s second barrage, with all but one of them suffering light injuries. Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services said they were injured when a projectile hit a building in the city.
- Israel’s ambulance service said 34 people were injured in total on Friday night in the Tel Aviv area, most with minor injuries.
- Israeli police have also confirmed that one woman has died after suffering severe injuries in a bombardment in Tel Aviv.
Israeli army says working to intercept more missiles
It has urged Israelis to get to protected areas and follow instructions.
‘Shifting narratives’ from US administration on who knew what about Israeli attack
It’s really been a conflicting story when it comes to the Trump administration.
Just 24 hours before Israel struck Iran, we saw the president saying that he didn’t want to see that happen. He wanted to see diplomacy have a chance. It could “blow up” the diplomacy, is what he said.
Don’t forget his special envoy was scheduled to meet Iranian counterparts in Oman on Sunday.
But then we heard Secretary of State Marco Rubio – as the strikes were happening – come out and say this is a unilateral decision by Israel. We were not involved. The US should not be targeted.
Now we are hearing from US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters off camera, and he was saying, “I’ve known about this for a very long time,” and he is seeing this as a chance to get Iran back to the bargaining table.
So very shifting narratives from the Trump administration.
Iran’s hardliners ‘have best case yet’ for weaponising nuclear programme
Mohsen Farshneshani, a lawyer and sanctions adviser at the US-based think tank DAWN, says nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington have failed because of a lack of trust between the parties.
Israel and its neoconservative allies “knew exactly how to exploit that” distrust, Farshneshani wrote in a post on X. “Years of US coercion taught Iran to doubt the sincerity of negotiations – and this latest episode only reaffirms that lesson,” he said.
Farshneshani added that US President Trump could have taken a different path by providing Iran with “proactive sanctions relief” to overcome the lack of trust in diplomacy.
Instead, Israel strikes, Trump gloats – and Iran’s hardliners now have their best case yet for weaponizing the nuclear program: that restraint invites aggression, and engagement with the United States offers no guarantees.”
As we’ve been reporting, US and Iranian delegations had been set to hold nuclear talks in Oman on Sunday, but the Iranian government withdrew from the negotiations in the aftermath of Israel’s attacks on the country.
Trump stays out of ‘public eye’ as Israel-Iran conflict escalates
This has been an unusual day in that US President Donald Trump has really stayed out of the public eye.
We do believe that he has been working the phones. We believe that he has spoken to the Israeli prime minister, the emir of Qatar, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, the prime minister of Japan and the prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Those conversations are obviously going to be important. But I think the focus is now going to shift to the G7 meeting – the leading industrial democracies meeting in Canada.
I believe the president is headed there on Sunday. It tends to be, with this president, to really influence his decision-making. It’s much better to do that in person.
So it will be interesting to see the messages we are hearing on this conflict from those other world leaders as they meet in Canada.
New wave of Israeli attacks targeting Isfahan: Report
London-based news outlet Iran International is reporting that Iranian air defences are attempting to shoot down a new wave of Israeli projectiles attacking the city of Isfahan.
On Friday, the Israeli air force said it had struck an Iranian nuclear facility near the city, located 450km (280 miles) south of Tehran.
It’s currently unclear if the same site is being attacked. We will bring you more information when we have it.
Israeli army says detected several missiles launched from Iran
The army says alerts were activated in several parts of the country.
“At this time, the Air Force is working to intercept and attack wherever necessary to eliminate the threat,” the military said in a statement.
We’ll bring you more on this as soon as we can.
Photos: Injuries and damage in Tel Aviv after missiles fired
UN chief urges Israel and Iran to stop firings
Antonio Guterres has called for an end to Israel’s bombardment of Iran and Iranian missile strikes targeting Tel Aviv.
“Time to stop,” the UN secretary-general wrote on X. “Peace and diplomacy must prevail.”
‘A disgrace’: Canada’s PM says Israel has ‘right to defend itself’
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has released a statement on the escalation in the Middle East that begins by saying that “Iran’s nuclear program has long been a cause of grave concern, and its missile attacks across Israel threaten regional peace”.
Carney said he convened his security council to receive an update on the situation in the region.
“Canada reaffirms Israel’s right to defend itself and to ensure its security. We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and move towards a diplomatic resolution,” he wrote on X.
The Canadian leader’s statement was slammed by rights group Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East as a “disgrace”.
“There you have it. Canada supports Israel’s unprovoked attack on Iran, a blatant violation of the UN Charter [and] crime of aggression. Instead of pushing for de-escalation, Carney is enabling Israel’s genocidal leadership as they drag the region further into hell,” it said.
Iranian official says countries that try to defend Israel will become targets: Report
A US broadcaster has quoted an unnamed Iranian official as saying Iran will target the regional bases of countries that attempt to defend Israel.
“Iran reserves the right – under international law – to respond decisively to this regime,” the unnamed official told CNN.
“Any country that attempts to defend the regime against Iran’s operations will, in turn, see its regional bases and positions become new targets,” the official added.
Can Israel thwart Iran’s nuclear programme?
Israeli officials have defended the country’s attacks on Iran as seeking to dismantle the country’s nuclear programme.
But is it really possible for Israel to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities? And is it risking a nuclear disaster by trying?
Explosions heard in eastern Tehran: Report
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency now reports that explosions have been heard in the Hakimiyeh and Tehranpars neighbourhoods in eastern Tehran a short while ago.
The cause of the explosions is not immediately clear.
Earlier, we reported that Tehran’s Mehrabad international airport was struck by two projectiles, resulting in major fires.
China ‘indirectly’ criticises Israel’s attacks on Iran, proposes mediator role
Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, said China is watching the situation in both Iran and Israel closely, having warned its citizens living in both countries to take security precautions.
China’s Foreign Ministry also said it was extremely concerned about the consequences of Israel’s attack on Iran and pointed out that it does not benefit any of the parties involved, while also calling for a de-escalation in the conflict.
“It’s also indirectly criticised Israel, saying that it opposes any violation of Iran’s sovereignty, of its territory, and it’s also – interestingly – offered itself up as a possible mediator, saying that China is willing to play a constructive role in easing the situation,” Yu said.
Beijing previously mediated a successful detente between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023, Yu said, adding that while China has relations with both Israel and Iran, it remains closer to Tehran and had signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with the country in 2016. China is also Iran’s biggest trading partner and largest customer of oil.
Ties with Israel have also become strained more recently as China has been deeply critical of its war on Gaza and continually calls for a two-state solution for Palestine, Yu added.
Photos: Protesters say ‘no war with Iran’ at New York rally
Israeli PM hopes attacks will widen existing ‘divisions’ in Iranian society: Analyst
The Soufan Center’s Kenneth Katzman, a senior fellow focused on Iran and the geopolitics of the Middle East at the New York-based think tank, said Netanyahu hopes his attacks on Iran will undermine the government in Tehran and increase antigovernment sentiment.
“Obviously, firing missiles at Iran isn’t going to make the Iranian people like Israel any more than they do, which they don’t – most of them. Though there is a lot of support actually for Israel and the United States inside Iran,” Katzman told Al Jazeera.
“I think Netanyahu is trying to play on these divisions within Iran … and he’s targeting regime hardliners, regime security people who the people dislike greatly,” Katzman said.
“The Iranian people don’t like to be attacked, but after a period of time … it’s going to reinforce the anger the population has at the regime … The regime has already brought comprehensive sanctions. The regime has brought them isolation. Now the regime has brought the war directly to Iran.”
US played role in defending Israel amid Iranian attacks: Sources
What we’re hearing from some of our sources here in Washington is that while the United States was not involved in direct strikes on Iran, we do understand now that there has been a role for the US in defending Israel.
Now, we know already that the military equipment that the Israelis use in their defence is paid for by US taxpayers to the tune of billions annually.
But now we know, in terms of positioning assets, as well as the existing assets of the US military in the region, that there has been at least some role played by the US military with regard to having the ability to defend Israel against some of these Iranian attacks.
According to what we’ve been hearing here in Washington, the US army has also employed the THAAD missile defence system again in an effort to try and defend Israel against the retaliatory attacks.
Mehrabad airport hit with projectiles, new explosions reported west of Tehran
We have been reporting on new explosions in the Iranian capital over the past hour, including at Tehran’s Mehrabad international airport.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-run Fars News Agency has now confirmed that at least two projectiles have hit the airport area.
Iranian media is also reporting that explosions have been heard in the Vardavard area, west of the airport.
We will bring you more information when we have it.
Israel strikes may make Iran more determined to pursue nuclear programme
Israel’s attacks on Iranian nuclear and military sites mark a significant escalation in regional tensions and may reshape Tehran’s nuclear calculus.
Iran has long had an internal debate among reformers and hardliners about whether to reach an agreement with the US on its nuclear programme.
The attacks “likely confirmed the position of hardliners and ultra hardliners who said that Iran was wasting its time to try and negotiate with the West … they said Iran can never negotiate from a position of weakness and appeasement”, said Reza H Akbari, an analyst on Iran at the Middle East Institute.
Read more in our story here.
Situation ‘can get very ugly, very quickly’
We’ve been speaking with Ali Vaez, the Iran Project director at the International Crisis Group, about the continued escalation between Israel and Iran.
Here’s some of what he had to say:
- “The region has never been as close to the edge of a full-fledged conflagration than it is right now.”
- If tit-for-tat attacks continue, “at some point, there will be more and more casualties, which could include Americans who live in Israel”; If that happens, it will be “very hard” for the US not to get more involved.
- It is unclear how many ballistic missiles Iran has, and how long it will be able to keep up its retaliatory attacks against Israel, but “the reality is that Iran has one of the most sophisticated and largest arsenals of ballistic missiles in the region”.
- “Iran still has offensive capabilities. It still has allies in the region who remain relatively strong, like the Houthis in Yemen or the Shia militias in Iraq. So this can still get very ugly, very quickly, if it continues.”
- Israel’s attacks constitute a “significant setback for the Iranian regime, but it doesn’t mean that it would create the kind of paralysis or regime implosion that Israel is seeking”.
Fires seen at Tehran’s Mehrabad international airport
We reported a short while ago that explosions have been heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency has now published footage reportedly showing fires raging at the city’s Mehrabad international airport, with smoke billowing into the air.
We will bring you further updates when we have them.
Israeli woman succumbs to injuries following Iranian missile barrage: Report
Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reports that a woman who was critically injured during Iran’s first missile barrage on the country has succumbed to her injuries.
If confirmed, it would be the first Israeli casualty since Iran launched its retaliatory assault on Israel.
We will bring you more information when we have it.
Israeli army spokesman taunts Iran in social media video
Avichay Adraee has posted an incendiary video on X taunting Iran and its backers in the Middle East as “dwarves”.
Israel lives “despite your aggressive missiles”, he wrote in the post.
EU’s Von der Leyen calls for restraint
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defence and the protection of its citizens in a call with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, while asserting the importance of maintaining “regional stability”.
“I urge all parties to act with maximum restraint and work to de-escalate the situation,” she said in a post on X.
Trump appears to be pursuing ‘profoundly misguided strategy’
Thomas Countryman, a former US State Department official, says civilians will likely be the main victims of “Israel’s reckless military action” against Iran.
“The United States for 25 years has discouraged the Israeli government and especially Prime Minister Netanyahu from attacking Iran,” Countryman told Al Jazeera from Washington, DC.
“Five US presidents, including Trump in his first term, resisted the Israeli effort to have the United States military fight Israel’s conflict with Iran.”
But Countryman said it’s unclear if Trump discouraged Israel from launching its attacks this week, as the US president instead appears to be trying “to use the threat of further Israeli military attacks on Iran as negotiating leverage with Iran”.
“If that’s what he’s doing, it is a profoundly misguided strategy.”
He added that Netanyahu is hoping that Iran will target US forces in the Middle East, thereby dragging Washington into an “active support role for Israel’s attacks”.
![US President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House in Washington, DC, on April 7, 2025. [Brendan Smialowski/AFP]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AFP__20250407__39FF77W__v1__HighRes__UsIsraelPoliticsDiplomacyTrumpNetanyahu_cropped-1744059097.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C514&quality=80)
New explosions heard in Tehran: Report
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reports that “several explosions” were heard in Tehran a short while ago.
Footage published by Tasnim shows smoke rising into the air in the Iranian capital. The cause of the explosions is not immediately clear.
We will bring you more information when we have it.
Oil markets are spooked as Iran-Israel tensions escalate
Israel’s strikes on military and nuclear sites, and Iran’s retaliation, have rocked already strained global supply chains.
As airlines suspend flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran, and other airports across the region, oil companies, shipping firms, and regulatory agencies face growing concerns that key trade routes like the Strait of Hormuz could be caught in the crossfire.
Merchant shipping is still passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but with increased caution.
Iran has previously threatened to close this critical trade route in response to Western pressure.
Even the suggestion of such a move has already sent shockwaves through global markets, and the price of oil has risen.
Read more here.
Bernie Sanders says US ‘must not be dragged into another Netanyahu war’
US Senator Bernie Sanders has noted that Israel’s strikes against Iran came just days before talks on the Iranian nuclear deal were expected to take place.
“The world is more dangerous and unstable as a result of the extremist Netanyahu’s government ongoing defiance of international law,” Sanders said in a statement.
“The US must make it clear that we will not be dragged into another Netanyahu war,” he added.
“Along with the international community, we should do everything possible to prevent an escalation of this conflict and bring the warring parties to the negotiating table.”
If you’re just joining us
Let’s bring you up to speed on the latest developments:
- The Israeli military says another round of missiles has been fired from Iran; explosions were heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
- The army also says it intercepted “hostile” aircraft that entered Israeli territory near the southern city of Eilat and in the Negev desert region.
- The Qatari emir has urged de-escalation and the need for a diplomatic solution in a phone call with US President Trump.
- Iran’s response to Israel will be “firm” and “lawful” to restore deterrence, the country’s UN ambassador says during a special meeting of the Security Council in New York.
- The Israeli envoy to the UN says Israel’s attacks on Iran aimed to “prevent its destruction”.
Dozens of missiles launched at Israel in last hour, army says
The military says “some” of the missiles were intercepted, without providing a precise figure.
Rescue and rescue forces are operating in several areas across the country where reports of casualties have been received,” it said in a statement.
Russia could play mediating role in de-escalating crisis
Giorgio Cafiero, an analyst and CEO of Gulf State Analytics, notes that Moscow has offered to play a mediating role and “it will be interesting to see if Tel Aviv and Tehran … decide to take the Kremlin up on this offer”.
But Cafiero told Al Jazeera that any potential de-escalation may be a while off.
“Right now, Iran is not interested in restraint or de-escalation … Iran is determined to send Israel, and by extension, the rest of the world, a message that sending such strikes against Iran meet very, very serious consequences,” he said.
“That is the message that Tehran is sending out right now.”
Israeli media report direct hits in central Israel
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing emergency services, is reporting that Iranian missiles fired in the latest round of retaliatory attacks hit several buildings in central Israel.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported loud explosions in several residential areas in central Israel and said that an Iranian missile landed directly in Tel Aviv.
Trump’s next move critical to prevent region falling ‘into the abyss’
The International Crisis Group (ICG) says “whether an open-ended war plunges the entire Middle East into the abyss will depend largely” on what US President Trump does next.
“Trump’s initial statements paint Israel’s strikes as useful leverage for nuclear talks, but to see them that way is a mistake,” the think tank said in a statement analysing the latest Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory firings by Iranian forces.
“Instead, he urgently needs to press Israel to stop ramping up its campaign and offer Iran incentives to stand down, while making clear to Tehran the ruinous costs of not doing so.”
The ICG added that Trump should press Netanyahu’s government to stop escalating the situation, possibly through a threat to block weapons transfers to the country. At the same time, the US president should offer Iran “a set of reasonable terms” on nuclear deal negotiations, such as sanctions relief.
“Such a course would require difficult diplomacy and for Trump to face down what would be fierce opposition in Washington. But moving in the opposite direction, as he appears to be doing now, is far worse.”
Photos: Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel
International community must act to prevent further escalation
Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House, says it is up to the UN, the US and other countries to pressure both Israel and Iran to de-escalate the situation.
“This event is still fresh, it’s less than 24 hours old and there is no sign of any of the sides [being] ready to climb down,” Mekelberg told Al Jazeera.
He explained that if tensions are not de-escalated, then there could be weeks of tit-for-tat attacks between Israeli and Iranian forces.
“In Israel, the general view [is] that Iran poses an existential threat – especially if it possesses nuclear weapons – and it is prepared [for] this moment,” Mekelberg said.
Explosions in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv
Live footage in Tel Aviv shows that it is currently under attack.
Interceptions can be seen in the sky, and there appears to have been an impact on the ground, but it remains unclear if it was from a piece of debris from an interception or a direct strike.
Israeli military says more missiles launched from Iran
Israeli defence systems “are working to intercept the threat”, the army says in a post shared on social media.
It called on Israelis to enter protected areas and stay there until further notice.
We’ll bring you more on the situation as soon as we can.
What are Israel’s air defence systems?
Israel’s air defence relies on what is known as the Iron Dome system, which is equipped with a radar that detects an incoming projectile, as well as its speed and direction.
The control centre then calculates whether the projectile poses a threat to Israeli population centres.
The projectiles that do not pose a threat are allowed to land in empty fields. If they pose a threat, the missile-firing unit launches missiles to shoot them down. The launcher contains 20 interceptor missiles.
Israel also has other systems to intercept medium and long-range missiles: the David’s Sling intercepts missiles ranging between 40km (25 miles) and 300km (186 miles) while the Arrow System intercepts missiles with a range of up to 2,400km (1,491 miles).
Iran and Israel’s ambassadors were the last to speak at the UNSC
This emergency Security Council meeting concluded after approximately two and a half hours, a very lengthy meeting.
We heard from the Iranian ambassador to the UN, who said that Israel’s attack on Iran is a declaration of war.
He said it was a premeditated act of aggression, calling it “barbaric and criminal” and a direct violation of the UN Charter.
So Iran’s ambassador was very clear and direct in his remarks.
Israel’s ambassador, on the other hand, said that this was an act of self-preservation for the state of Israel, saying they attacked Iran’s nuclear sites, but also military leaders, the nuclear programme and military infrastructure.
He claims that Israel waited for diplomacy to work, but it didn’t. That flies in the face of the fact that just this weekend, there were supposed to be more talks between the US and Iran to try to reach a peaceful resolution.
He said he came to the Security Council not asking for permission, but instead, recognition that the international community has failed to stop Iran’s nuclear programme.
Israeli military says it intercepted ‘hostile’ aircraft in Eilat, Negev region
The army says it intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” that was launched into the country, prompting sirens to sound in the southern city of Eilat.
In a separate statement, the Israeli military said it also intercepted two more suspicious targets launched into the country’s southern Negev desert region.
Questions swirling over status of Iran’s enriched nuclear material
We’ve been speaking with Miles Pomper, a senior fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Washington, DC, about the effects of Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Pomper said that while the scope of the damage remains uncertain, “clearly, the capability of Iran to enrich material at the same rate it was doing before has been affected.”
“One question that’s open is what’s happened to the material that was accumulated so far and where those stockpiles are and how many of those have been hit,” he told Al Jazeera.
The challenge for the UN’s nuclear agency (IAEA) going forward, if Iran allows inspectors back into the country, will be to account for that enriched material.
Israeli military claims to have destroyed dozens of Iranian air defence systems, airbase
In its latest war update, the Israeli military says that it has attacked and destroyed dozens of targets belonging to Iran’s air defence system.
It also claims to have destroyed Iran’s Tabriz airbase in today’s attacks.
It stated that it has a duty to act to “protect its citizens and will continue to do so wherever required”.
More sirens sound across Israel: Military
Alerts in the Eilat area of southern Israel have been activated following the “infiltration of hostile aircraft,” the Israeli army said in a post on X.
Moreover, alerts also sounded off in the Negev region, the military added, due to a “drone intrusion”.
We will bring you more shortly.
Qatar’s emir urges de-escalation in talks with Trump: Office
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has spoken to US President Donald Trump to discuss “the latest developments in the region” following Israel’s attack on Iran, the Amiri Diwan, the emir’s office, said in a statement.
The emir “stressed the need to work towards de-escalation and reaching diplomatic solutions,” it added.
According to the Amiri Diwan, President Trump said Washington was “ready to participate in efforts to resolve the crisis in order to preserve regional security and stability”.
Israeli public rattled by ‘extensive volley’ of Iranian missiles
This was an extensive volley of ballistic missiles, something that Tel Aviv is not used to.
Extensive damage was reported to buildings, but of course, because there was compliance with the instructions to head to shelters, to be in the safe rooms, the number of injuries among the residents was minimised.
For now, people have been told to stay close, but that they don’t have to be in shelters.
Psychologically, though, the sight of damaged buildings, of emergency service providers trying to get people out of those buildings and out of the shelters, this is quite powerful for the Israeli public.
Tel Aviv is thought of as the jewel, if you will, among the cities in Israel. It is politically and economically significant, and it is not used to this kind of military confrontation.
The intensity of the fire, the number of missiles, the kind of explosions that they saw, the impacts, the effects on the buildings – this is new to the Israeli public.
Iran’s response to Israel will be ‘firm, lawful’ to restore deterrence: Iran’s UN ambassador
Here is a summary of Amir Saeid Iravani’s main points at the UNSC session:
- Last night, Israel – with full intelligence and political support from the US – conducted a series of coordinated and premeditated military attacks across multiple sites in Iran.
- Iran “strongly and unequivocally” condemns the “barbaric and criminal attack” and the targeted assassinations of senior military officials, nuclear scientists and innocent civilians.
- These “deliberate and systematic killings” were not only “illegal, but inhuman”.
- These actions contravene numerous international legal instruments, including the IAEA Statute and the Geneva Convention.
- Iran affirms its inherent right to self-defence, as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter.
- Iran will respond “decisively and proportionately to this act of aggression at a time, in a place and by means of its choosing. This is not a threat. This is a natural consequence of an unprovoked military attack”.
- “Iran’s response will be firm, lawful and essential to restore deterrence, defend our sovereignty and uphold the principles of international law.”
