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Here’s where things stand on Thursday 12 June 2025:
- Iranian long-range missiles have targeted sites across Israel, injuring at least 40 people, in retaliation for deadly Israeli attacks on nuclear sites and military leaders.
- Iran says Israeli attacks killed 78 people, including senior military officials, and wounded more than 320 people in Iran, as the Israeli military continues to launch strikes against Iranian military and nuclear sites, as well as major cities.
- Explosions in Tel Aviv as sirens sound across Israel amid Iranian missile attacks in response to Israeli strikes.
- The Israeli military continues to launch waves of strikes against Iranian military and nuclear sites, as well as major cities.
- US President Donald Trump says it’s not too late for Tehran to halt the bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear programme.
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has 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.
- United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US is “not involved” in the strikes and warns Iran against attacking American bases in the 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 site 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.”
Israel’s UN envoy says country ‘acted to prevent its destruction’
Danny Danon has framed the deadly Israeli attacks on Iran, which have plunged the Middle East into a dangerous escalation, as a response to years of anti-Israel rhetoric by Iranian leaders.
“This is not only defining moment for Israel, it is a defining moment for the global security order and the credibility of the international system,” the Israeli envoy told the Security Council.
Danon said Israel’s strikes aimed to “dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme” as well as “neutralise the regime’s ability to follow through on its repeated public promise to destroy the State of Israel”.
The Israeli envoy – whose country has been widely accused of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and whose prime minister faces an arrest warrant for war crimes – described Iran as “genocidal” and Israel as a “democracy under siege”.
Number of Israelis injured rises: Report
We now have more for you on Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel.
At least 40 people have been injured, Israeli media outlet Haaretz is reporting, citing emergency services.
Air defences activated in Tehran to intercept new Israeli attacks, IRNA says
Air defences in Iran’s capital Tehran have been activated to intercept new Israeli strikes, state media IRNA reported a day after Israel initiated a number of attacks on Iran’s nuclear programme and military command.
Pro-Iran militias in Iraq demand US troops leave the country
Accusing US President Donald Trump of having “authorised” the Israeli attack on Iran, Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement that “the American forces in Iraq have enabled this aggression by opening the Iraqi airspace to Zionist aircraft”.
To stop Iraq from becoming “a battlefield”, Kataib Hezbollah said the government in Baghdad “must urgently remove these hostile foreign forces from the country in order to avoid additional wars in the region”.
Akram al-Kaabi, the leader of another pro-Iran militia, al-Nujaba, decried the alleged “coordination” between Israel and the “American occupier” and called for the “complete withdrawal” of US forces.
US forces stationed in Iraq at Baghdad’s invitation have supported the fight against the ISIL (ISIS) group.
78 people have been killed in Israel’s attacks on Iran: UN ambassador
Amir Saeid Iravani says so far, 78 people, including senior military officials, have been killed by Israel’s attacks in Iran, and more than 320 others have been injured.
The overwhelming majority of them are civilians, including women and children, he told the ongoing UNSC session.
Israel ‘bombing Iranian moderation’
Israel has been dictating, manipulating, deceiving its population about various threats, especially the “Iranian threat”, for as long as I can remember.
Since Netanyahu became deputy foreign minister in the early 1990s, he has been putting Iran on the top of the agenda, sometimes as a deflecting mechanism, but mostly as an existential threat against Israel.
So that has planted a seed of hatred and fear, and disgust among Israelis against the Iranian regime. And hence, when such a [military] campaign is launched, it certainly will have popular appeal in Israel.
The problem with all of this is that there had been – there was and still is – a diplomatic alternative to all of that. There was a nuclear deal.
Just in the last couple of years, the Iranians elected a leader who is so pragmatic, he wanted to sit down with the Americans to cut a deal and lift the sanctions and normalise relations with various countries in the region.
What Israel is doing now is not just simply bombing the Iranian nuclear programme, it’s bombing Iranian moderation.
US threatens Iran of ‘dire consequences’ if American troops targeted in region
A US representative at the UN has defended Israel’s attacks on Iran, saying the Israeli government told Washington that its bombardment was “necessary for its self-defence”.
“Every sovereign nation has the right to defend itself, and Israel is no exception,” McCoy Pitt told the Security Council.
“The United States was informed of the strikes ahead of time, but was not military involved in these strikes. Our absolute, foremost priority is the protection of US citizens, personnel and forces in the region.”
Pitt said Tehran should not target American troops in the region.
“The consequences for Iran would be dire,” he warned.
UK urges de-escalation at UNSC session amid rising tensions
The United Kingdom’s UN envoy has called for calm as tensions escalated between Israel and Iran.
“We have urged both sides to show restraint and de-escalate tensions. We continue to engage partners across the region to ensure we are collectively doing our utmost to push for a peaceful outcome,” Barbara Woodward added.
She said the UK had spoken at the highest levels to both Israeli and Iranian officials and reaffirmed its commitment to preventing further conflict.
“The UK, in partnership with the E3, has always championed a diplomatic solution to address Iran’s nuclear escalation, which has no credible civilian justification,” Woodward added.
Iran’s president tells Putin nuclear arms not part of Tehran’s plans
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has told his Russian counterpart that Tehran did not seek nuclear weapons, in a phone call after a wave of Israeli strikes.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always maintained that it does not seek to acquire nuclear arms and that it is always ready to provide guarantees on this issue to the competent international authorities,” Pezeshkian told Vladimir Putin, according to a statement from the Iranian presidency.
Fears that building in Tel Aviv could collapse: Report
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz is reporting that police are evacuating residents from a Tel Aviv building that was hit in Iran’s retaliatory attacks over concerns it could collapse.
We will bring you more information as we get it.
Israeli attacks could push Iran to pursue nuclear weapon
Jim Walsh, a US-based nuclear expert, says he expects back-and-forth firings between Israel and Iran over the next few days.
But the most important thing, he explained, will be if the Iranian authorities decide to pursue a nuclear weapon in response to Israel’s attacks on the country. “For 20 years, they’ve refused to cross that line,” Walsh told Al Jazeera.
“I think there’s strong scholarly evidence – and certainly, if you look at the politics of the moment – to believe that in this attack, Israel will get the exact opposite of what it wanted, which is Iran is going to decide to go for the bomb.”
Walsh said that would spell disaster not just for the Middle East, but for the world.
“What is it that Iran can do? It doesn’t have an air force. It doesn’t have Hezbollah and Syria to launch missiles. It cannot invade … and so all it really has is missiles, and a decision to be able to pursue nuclear weapons – having been forced into this position by the [Israeli] attack,” he said.
That “is just bad news all around, for the region and globally”.
Putin urges diplomacy in calls with Iranian and Israeli leaders
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held separate phone conversations with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid escalating tensions following Israeli military strikes on Iran, according to a statement from the Kremlin, Interfax news agency is reporting.
“The Russian president expressed condolences to the leadership and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran in connection with the numerous human casualties, including among civilians, as a result of Israeli strikes,” a statement from the Kremlin said.
According to the statement, Russia “condemns Israel’s actions taken in violation of the UN Charter and international law”.
“The Russian side fully supported efforts to resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear programme peacefully, put forward specific initiatives aimed at finding a solution to the conflict between Iran and Israel. Russia will continue to contribute to the de-escalation of the conflict between Iran and Israel.”
In his phone call with Netanyahu, Putin said it was vital to return to the negotiation process and resolve “all issues related to the Iranian nuclear programme exclusively by political and diplomatic means”.
Iran closes airspace until tomorrow afternoon: Report
Iran airspace will be closed until 2 pm (1100 GMT) on Saturday, state media IRNA is reporting, citing the country’s civil aviation authority.
There is radiological and chemical contamination at Nantaz: Grossi
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, says Israel’s attack on Natanz may have damaged centrifuges, but there is no indication of an attack on underground enrichment halls.
He said there was radiological and chemical contamination inside the facilities at Natanz, but that contamination is manageable with “appropriate measures.
“At present, the Iranian authorities are informing us of attacks on two other facilities, namely the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan,” Grossi told the Security Council on Friday.
“At this moment we do not have enough information beyond indicating that military activity has been taken place around these facilities as well.”
Officials say US military helped stop Iranian missiles heading to Israel: Report
The US military has helped shoot down Iranian missiles that were headed toward Israel, two US officials told Reuters.
The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not provide further information, including whether fighter jets or warships carried out the defensive operation.
France would help defend Israel if attacked by Iran, says Macron
France’s President Emmanuel Macron says that France would take part in the defence of Israel in the event of an Iranian attack.
Speaking at a news conference after Israel launched attacks, Macron also ruled out French participation in operations targeting Iran and said that France did not recommend attacking Iran’s nuclear sites, saying there was still a “diplomatic route” to resolve the issue.
He added that France’s support for Israel was not unconditional or without limits.
Macron indicated that the information France had on the Iranian nuclear programme was concerning, adding that the programme was close to a critical stage.
Photos: Security officers react in Tel Aviv after Iran launches missiles
Iranian missile attacks injure at least 21 people in Israel, ambulance service says
Two seriously injured people were trapped in a building in the greater Tel Aviv area, the Israeli ambulance service added.
Russia’s UN envoy condemns Israel’s ‘unprovoked attack’ on Iran
Vasily Nebenzya says Israel’s attacks on Iranian territory, including the strikes on nuclear sites, “cannot be justified in any way”.
“The international community cannot, and should not, stand idly by when such a provocation presents itself,” Russia’s UN ambassador said during the Security Council meeting.
“Tolerating such actions is a sure way to large-scale war and a serious threat to global security.”
Nebenzya called on the Security Council to conduct an assessment of Israel’s attacks and “call for an immediate halt to any kind of pressure by force”.
Threat from Iran is part of Israel’s ‘foundational narrative’
Israeli political commentator Ori Goldberg, who is currently in a shelter in Tel Aviv, tells Al Jazeera that even though hundreds of missiles have been launched at Israel, the impact on Israeli civilians will be much less than that felt by Iranians from Israel’s attacks.
He said there is a consensus within Israeli society that Israel’s attack on Iran is justified and the threat from Iran is “part of the foundational narrative” of Israel.
Goldberg said that his opinion is that Israel’s attack on Iran is “pointless” and is being used to distract the world from what is happening in Gaza.
More than 200 targets struck in Iran: Israeli army
The Israeli military said it had so far struck more than 200 targets across Iran since it began its wave of air strikes on Iran.
“So far we have struck more than 200 targets and we are continuing to strike,” military spokesperson Brigadier-General Effie Defrin told journalists.
Attacks on Tel Aviv show Iranian military can regroup to some extent, says analyst
Iran’s retaliatory attacks in Tel Aviv demonstrate that Iran’s military has been able to regroup quickly following the loss of several top commanders, says military analyst Elijah Magnier.
The barrages of missiles, fired in waves, have made them much harder to intercept, he told Al Jazeera.
“Iran is showing that by sending so many missiles in one day, [whether or not all of them get though] … they have enough missiles and that the Israelis failed to destroy all the missiles warehouses and failed to deter Iran.”
Netanyahu says ‘more is on the way’
In a video address to the Iranian people, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says the objective of attacks on Iran, which he labelled Operation Rising Lion, was to “thwart the Islamic regime’s nuclear and ballistic missile threat”.
He claimed that in the past 24 hours, Israeli forces have eliminated “top military commanders, senior nuclear scientists, the Islamic regime’s most significant enrichment facility, and a large portion of its ballistic missile arsenal”.
“More is on the way. The regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them,” he posted on X.
UN meeting under way
An emergency Security Council meeting on Israel’s attacks on Iran is happening now at UN headquarters in New York.
We’ll bring you details from some of the speeches shortly.
If you’re just joining us
Let’s get you up to speed with the latest developments:
- Iran’s state news agency IRNA says the country has begun what it called a “crushing” retaliation against Israeli attacks.
- Live footage from Tel Aviv showed plumes of smoke rising into the air after explosions were around the Israeli city.
- Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing emergency services, reports that 15 people have been wounded in central Israel, including one with moderate injuries.
- Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says Iranian forces “carried out its crushing and precise response against dozens of targets, military centres and airbases”.
- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said in a statement that Israel initiated a war and said it will not be allowed to do “hit and run” attacks without grave consequences.
- IRNA reports that Iran has shot down at least two Israeli jets.
More than a dozen people injured in Tel Aviv: Report
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing emergency services, reports that 15 people have been wounded in central Israel, including one with moderate injuries.
Explosions heard in Jerusalem: Report
Multiple explosions have been heard in Jerusalem, the Reuters news agency is reporting.
We will bring you more shortly.
Trump quiet, meeting with experts in White House Situation Room
After a flurry of activity by the US president, not only in his platform Truth Social, but also giving various interviews to American journalists, he’s been largely quiet in the last couple of hours.
And we think that’s because he is in the Situation Room still with his team of security experts.
Now, [it] has been confirmed by the US president, as well as by the Israeli Prime Minister, that the United States did know in advance that this was going to take place.
The US president [has been] reminding people of that 60-day deadline he gave Iran to come to some agreement to limit its nuclear programme, but not being able to get there.
What does he mean by get there?
He means that Iran wanted – and this is the sticking point – to have a nuclear programme for civilian purposes, something that the US president suggested was a possibility initially, but then later changed his mind and said there would not be that opportunity, and there could be no path to a nuclear weapon.
Israel denies Israeli pilot captured in Iran
Avichay Adraee, the Arabic spokesperson of the Israeli military, denies repots that Iran has downed an Israeli jet and captured its pilot.
“The Iranian media is lying,” Adraee wrote in a social media post.
Footage emerges from site of impact in Tel Aviv
A modern apartment block has been hit in central Tel Aviv, and according to live footage from the scene, fires still appear to be raging inside some of the apartments, with smoke billowing from the building.
Another residential building, next to the apartment block, also appears to have suffered significant damage, with windows blown out and pieces of twisted metal hanging from its exterior.
Emergency services are at the site, and the streets around the building appear to be cordoned off from the public,c who have been instructed to remain in shelters.
Iranian media reports ‘massive explosion’ in central city of Isfahan
A “massive explosion” was heard in Isfahan, a major city in central Iran, in a province that is home to several nuclear facilities, Mehr news agency said.
“A few minutes ago, a massive explosion was heard in Isfahan,” said Mehr, without immediately elaborating.
As we reported earlier, an Israeli military spokesperson said it had “attacked the nuclear facility in Isfahan today”.
Missile injures three Palestinian children in Hebron: Red Crescent
Earlier, we reported the Israeli military saying a missile fired from Yemen had fallen inside the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society is now saying three children were injured by shrapnel in the incident.
“Three children, aged six, seven and 12, were injured by shrapnel from a missile that fell in the town of Sair near Hebron,” the Red Crescent said in a statement.
IRGC says Iranian response targeted Israeli military bases
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says Iranian forces “carried out its crushing and precise response against dozens of targets, military centres and airbases” in Israel at the command of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
‘Our revenge will be painful’: Iranian senior official
An Iranian senior official has told Reuters that “nowhere in Israel will be safe, our revenge will be painful”.
The official is reported to have told the news agency that Israel “will pay a high price for killing our commanders, scientists and people”.
Photos: Iran launches missile attack on Tel Aviv
Fire reported near Israel’s Defence Ministry: Media
There are a number of unconfirmed reports appearing in Israeli media following Iran’s retaliatory attacks.
Israel’s Channel 13 reports a fire near Israel’s Defence Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, while Israel Hayom reports that rockets fell across seven areas in central Israel.
Iran vows decisive response to Israel’s ‘hit and run’ attacks
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said in a statement that Israel initiated a war and said it will not be allowed to do “hit and run” attacks without grave consequences.
“The Zionist regime [Israel] will not remain unscathed from the consequences of its crime. The Iranian nation must be guaranteed that our response will not be half-measured,” Khamenei said in a statement.
Israel says ‘another volley’ of Iranian missiles launched
The Israeli military says Iran is continuing to fire missiles at Israel.
“Another volley of dozens of missiles was launched towards the State of Israel,” it said in a statement.
“The explosions you hear are from interceptions or crashes. The air defence system constantly identifies and intercepts threats.”
In Amman, we could see some attempts at interceptions
There have been sirens and warnings across the territory of Israel, and even in the occupied West Bank.
Israelis have been instructed to take shelter and to be in safe rooms.
Even here in Amman, we could see some attempts at interceptions over the skies, we heard sirens and instructions from the Jordanian armed forces to citizens to stay in their homes.
We are aware of at least one impact in Tel Aviv.
Emergency services report five ‘active scenes’ in Tel Aviv: Report
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing the emergency services in Israel, reports that at least one person has been wounded in an Iranian missile attack.
Iran launches second wave of attacks towards Israel: Report
We have been reporting on Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel.
State news agency IRNA is now saying reports indicate a second wave of Iranian attacks towards Israel.
In a separate update, IRNA said two Israeli jets were downed in Iranian airspace.
‘Crushing’ Iranian response began, says official news agency
IRNA says Iran has started what it called a “crushing” retaliation against the Israeli attacks.
“A few minutes ago, the decisive response to the Zionist Regime’s brutal attack began with the firing of hundreds of ballistic missiles at the occupied territories,” it said.
UK FM urges ‘calm’ in conversation with Iranian counterpart
David Lammy says he has spoken to his Iranian counterpart to urge calm after Israel launched a barrage of strikes against Iran, in what Lammy described as a “unilateral act”.
“I spoke to my Iranian counterpart today to urge restraint at this time, and calm. I recognise that this is a moment of grave peril in the Middle East,” he told Sky News.
“We are advising against travel to Israel at this time.”
Explosions and plumes of smoke seen in central Tel Aviv
In live footage from Tel Aviv, explosions were heard moments ago followed by plumes of smoke rising into the air.
We will provide you with more information as we receive it.
Satellite images reveal extent of damage to Iran’s Natanz nuclear site: Think tank
The Institute for Science and National Security (ISISNS) has released new high-resolution satellite images purporting to show the aftermath of Israeli strikes on Iran’s Natanz nuclear site.
“The imagery shows damage and destruction to several buildings around the complex, most notably the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP), and the onsite electrical substation that provides power to the facility,” the Institute said.
Despite the widespread destruction above ground, some key facilities appear to have been untouched, it added.
“There is no visible damage to the below-ground enrichment facility (FEP), nor to the new complex being constructed under Mt Kolang Gaz La, just south of Natanz,” the ISISNS noted in its assessment.
However, it did say that the “complete destruction” of the PFEP was “significant”, adding that the facility holds more than “1,700 advanced centrifuges, including hundreds of IR-6, IR-4, IR-2m centrifuges, and research and development for new types of advanced centrifuges”.
Sirens blare across Israel
Several Israeli media outlets report that sirens are sounding across the country amid an incoming Iranian missile attack.
Explosions still ringing out around Tehran
I can hear people shouting “Allahu akbar” (God is great) across the street. Something is happening.
There has been a continuation of Israeli strikes for the past hours.
We are still in the middle of a developing story. We hear sounds of explosions, not only from the capital, here in Tehran, but also across the country, in different cities.
Israel says it detected missiles launched from Iran
The military says Israelis must remain in protected areas after it detected missiles launched from Iran.
“Exiting the protected area will be permitted only after receiving explicit instructions,” the military said in a statement.
Going after US bases in Iraq would be ‘really risky’ move
While it is possible that Iran would go after US bases in Iraq, that would be a “really risky” move that would doubtless escalate the conflict, says Adam Clements, a former Pentagon official who served as a US Army attache in Iraq.
Doing so would likely bring the US into the conflict, and “Iran does not want to face a combined US and Israeli military threat,” he said.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Clements noted that the US military has a range of assets across the region that could “very severely” hurt Iraqi Shia militias.
Clements said that while Iraq is particularly at risk of being drawn into conflict, given its location, “it doesn’t want to risk further escalation” for a range of political and economic reasons. That feeling is shared by other countries in the region, which have a variety of tools at their disposal to try to de-escalate the situation.
“Qatar, the Saudis, the Emirates and others will continue to signal … to try to contain this and not let this conflict to expand even further.”
‘Soon in Tehran’: Israeli minister poses with son of late Iranian monarch
Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli has shared a photo with Reza Pahlavi, an Iranian opposition leader and the country’s former crown prince.
Iranian monarchists – who are deeply aligned with Israel – see Pahlavi as the rightful heir to the throne of his father, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whose brutal rule was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which led to the establishment of the current Iranian government.
“Soon in Tehran,” Chikli wrote in a social media post that showed him shaking Pahlavi’s hand.
Israeli military attacked nuclear facility in Isfahan
An Israeli military spokesperson says it has “attacked the nuclear facility in Isfahan today”, Israeli Army Radio reports.
The spokesperson said there will be more attempts by Iran to “harm us”.
Israel seals off the occupied West Bank
Israel has closed all checkpoints to the Israeli-occupied West Bank as the country attacked Iran, a military official told The Associated Press.
The move sealed off entry and exit to the territory, meaning that Palestinians could not leave without special coordination.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military recommendations.
Around 3 million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank under Israeli military rule. With the world’s attention focused on Gaza, Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank have grown in size, frequency and intensity.
The crackdown has also left tens of thousands of Palestinians unemployed, as they can no longer work the mostly menial jobs in Israel that paid higher wages.
UN conference on Palestinian statehood postponed, Macron confirms
French President Emmanuel Macron said a United Nations conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia to work towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed after Israel’s attack on Iran.
Macron told reporters that the conference, which had been planned for June 17-20, had been postponed for logistical reasons as members of the Palestinian Authority could not travel to New York and that it would be rescheduled as soon as possible.
Iran’s new military commanders need time to respond
Elijah Magnier, a military and political analyst, says that with several top-level military commanders now dead, it may take some time for Iran to respond to Israel’s attacks.
“These new commanders, they need their staff … They need to be familiarised with the capability, or what remains of the capability, following the several hundreds of Israeli bombardments,” he told Al Jazeera.
“They need time to familiarise with what they have under their command, what they can use for how long, and what Israel has destroyed. And that is extremely important to calibrate the response,” he added.
Magnier said that Israel’s not-so-effective attempt to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities were not its only aim – the army was also trying to destroy Iran’s missile production.
Attacks in Tabriz, for instance, were carried out at a location where both drones and missiles are produced.
“What the Israelis are doing is reducing the response of Iran,” he explained, adding that Israel has to think: “How many missiles they still have and for how long they can last because not even Benjamin Netanyahu knows how long this campaign is going to continue.”
Macron criticises Iran following Israeli attack
French President Emmanuel Macron says Iran bore a heavy responsibility for destabilisation in the Middle East and that it had pushed ahead with an unjustified nuclear programme, but he also urged restraint after Israel struck Iran.
Macron, speaking at a news conference, said he regretted that Iran had not taken up the overtures by the United States to find a diplomatic solution to its nuclear programme and hoped that these talks could resume.
‘Israel will not go unscathed,’ Khamenei says
Iran’s supreme leader says “Israel will not remain unscathed” and Tehran “will not go for half-measures” when it retaliates against Israel’s attacks.
In a televised address to the nation, he said Iran’s armed forces will leave Israel “helpless”.
Photos: The aftermath of Israeli strikes on Tehran
Internet blackout in Gaza impeding work of emergency services
As Israel attacks Iran, it has maintained its ferocious assault on the Gaza Strip – killing at least 44 people there so far since dawn today.
Meanwhile, an internet blackout across Gaza due to Israeli attacks is making communications very difficult and is impeding the work of emergency services, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary says.
“Ambulance [crews] are saying they’re facing a lot of obstacles and challenges to know what is happening and where,” she said, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.
They say they are not receiving [calls] from Palestinians because of this blackout, so it’s not only preventing Palestinians contacting each other, but it’s also affecting lives being saved.”
She said Israel has been launching intense air attacks in the north of Gaza, especially around Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoon, as well as in and around the southern city of Khan Younis, including in al-Mawasi, an area previously designated by Israel as a “safe zone” that has come under repeated Israeli attack.
Khoudary said that while today’s exact casualty figures are unknown in Gaza, the Strip’s few remaining hospitals and medical facilities are overwhelmed by injured people.
“The Israeli forces also open fire every single morning on Palestinians who try to collect aid from the [Israeli- and US-backed] Gaza Humanitarian Foundation,” she said.
“Earlier today, there were a lot of Palestinians killed [at the sites],” she said.
Israeli military says missile launched from Yemen falls on Hebron
The Israeli military says the missile has fallen inside the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, adding that no interceptors were involved.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz, quoting local medics, is reporting that three Palestinian children were wounded.
Explosions sound across Tehran
A few minutes ago, behind me, in the heart of Tehran, we saw the activation of the air defence systems as they tried to intercept incoming threats.
There were sounds of explosions, and further explosions were reported inside and outside of Tehran as well as in nearby cities.
‘It will get worse’: Ex-US official warns of further escalation
A former senior US official involved in previous Iran nuclear talks has warned that Israel’s assault on Iran will destabilise the region further while potentially dismantling the last remaining diplomatic checks on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
“There’s the probability the situation will destabilise, it will get worse,” Alan Eyre, a core member of the US nuclear negotiations team from 2010 to 2015, told Al Jazeera.
Eyre said the Israeli strikes, while tactically effective, are unlikely to achieve their intended goal of neutralising Iran’s nuclear programme in the longer term.
“This is not going to meet Israel’s objective of lessening or eliminating the nuclear threat,” he said.
“As to whether Iran decides to go back to the negotiating table, while it’s being bombed … I think from a domestic political perspective it would be hard for Iran to negotiate while it is still under attack from Israel.”
Houthi official says Yemeni group ‘will not abandon’ Iran
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti suggests that the Houthis, who have been carrying out missile and drone strikes against Israel, will respond to the Israeli attacks on Iran.
“As we did not abandon Palestine or Lebanon, we will not abandon Iran or any Muslim nation facing Israeli aggression,” al-Bukhaiti said in a statement.
Turkiye says Israel must halt efforts to ‘destabilise the region’
Israel must immediately abandon its “strategy to destabilise the region”, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says after Israel’s attacks on Iran, adding that nuclear negotiations initiated by Trump were the only way to resolve the conflict.
In a post on X after a four-hour security meeting with Turkiye’s defence minister and intelligence chief, Fidan said Ankara had been in close contact with the US, Iran, Iraq and Jordan.
He added that Turkiye had taken necessary measures at the highest level against regional security risks
Israel cannot totally destroy Iran’s nuclear programme, national security adviser says
Iran’s nuclear programme cannot be completely destroyed by means of a military campaign, Israel’s National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said on after Israel launched large-scale attacks against its arch foe.
But the military campaign could “create the conditions for a long-term deal, led by the United States, that will completely thwart the nuclear programme”, Hanegbi said in comments to Israel’s Channel 13 TV.
Air defences active in Tehran
Our colleagues in Tehran are reporting that Iran’s air defence systems are countering an attack on the capital.
We will bring you more information as we get it.
Timing of Israel’s strikes linked to Trump’s 60-day ultimatum
Yossi Beilin, a former Israeli Minister of Justice, says the ending of the 60-day period, during which US President Donald Trump had said he was open to negotiating with Iran, on Thursday, appeared to be a key factor in Israel’s decision to strike Iran now.
He said he hopes that this “confrontation will not go on for a very long while, because eventually it is the people on both sides who are suffering and [will pay] the price”.
“We are very good at bickering. We know how to blame each other, and it may be endless … I really hope that after a few days it will be possible to … return to the negotiating table,” Beilin said.
Explosions reported at Fordow nuclear site
Iran’s Fars News Agency is reporting that two explosions have been heard near the Fordow nuclear site.
The site at Fordow is dug into the mountains to protect it from potential attacks.
We will bring you more information as we get it.
Iran has to inflict significant costs on Israel to deter future attacks, academic says
Iran will feel that it has to hit Israel hard to deter future attacks and its targets will likely go well beyond military sites, Foad Izadi, professor of international relations at Tehran University, has told Al Jazeera.
“When Iran’s response comes, it will include heavy-duty ballistic missiles targeting Tel Aviv – not only military bases but other places,” he said, speaking from the Iranian capital.
“And I think the price has to be high enough to make sure that we don’t see a second round of [Israeli] attacks.
“Because if the Israelis feel they can attack Iran without cost, they will continue this process and Netanyahu has already said that he’s not done.”
Israel military claims to hit Iranian missile launchers, drone infrastructure
The Israeli army says its warplanes continue to attack Iranian “missile launchers”, as well as “infrastructure” used to launch unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones.
Earlier, the military said its navy and air forces had intercepted drones from Iran.
Missile launched at Israel from Yemen
The Israeli military said in a statement it was working on intercepting a missile launched from Yemen towards Israel, as air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem.
UN conference on Palestinian statehood postponed after Israeli strikes on Iran
A United Nations conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia aiming to set out a roadmap for recognising the state of Palestine has been postponed following Israel’s strikes on Iran, two sources told Reuters.
The high-level meeting had been scheduled to take place in New York between June 17 and 20 and was intended to bring together international delegations to discuss Palestine’s future and bring to an end the genocide in Gaza.
A Western diplomatic source in Riyadh said the conference would be delayed, citing the Israeli strikes as one of the reasons.
Another source familiar with the matter claimed some delegations from the Middle East were unable or unwilling to attend due to the regional developments.