U.S. President Donald Trump urged all of Iran’s capital to evacuate “immediately,” saying in a social media post that Iran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

Israel on Monday had warned about 300,000 people in Tehran to evacuate ahead of airstrikes. Israeli forces then struck Iran’s state-run television station during a live broadcast. Israel has been hitting Iran with airstrikes and drones throughout the day, while Iran fired a pre-dawn wave of missiles at Israel that killed at least eight people.

The tit-for-tat strikes began when Israel attacked Iran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, and the fighting has raised fears of a wider, more dangerous regional war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Monday that the strikes have set Iran’s nuclear program back “years” and said he is in touch daily with Trump.

Here’s the latest:

Mourners carry the flag-draped coffins of Ali Hatefi (left) and Abbas Zarei (rright) who were reportedly killed in Israeli strikes during their funeral in the city of Asadabad, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdolrahman Rafati/Tasnim News Agency) Photo:

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G7 leaders call for de-escalation but insist Iran must not get nukes

Leaders of the Group of Seven countries meeting in Canada signed a joint statement calling for de-escalation of fighting between Israel and Iran while reaffirming that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear bomb.

The statement reads:

“We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.

“In this context, we affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel.

“We also affirm the importance of the protection of civilians.

“Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror.

“We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.

“We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.

“We will remain vigilant to the implications for international energy markets and stand ready to coordinate, including with like-minded partners, to safeguard market stability.”

Hegseth heads to Situation Room

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is headed to the White House Situation Room to meet with President Donald Trump and his national security team amid tensions in the Middle East.

It comes as the U.S. has repositioned both warships and military aircraft in the region to respond if the conflict between Israel and Iran further escalates.

Hegseth didn’t provide details on what prompted the meeting but said on Fox News late Monday that the movements were to “ensure that our people are safe.”

Hegseth’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, tweeted that “American Forces are maintaining their defensive posture.” The U.S. has helped Israel shoot down Iranian missiles.

Trump to depart G7 early as Israel-Iran conflict shows signs of intensifying

“President Trump had a great day at the G7, even signing a major trade deal with the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on social media. “Much was accomplished, but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State.”

The summit is scheduled to continue on Tuesday, when Trump had scheduled his first one-on-one meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Trump was also supposed to meet Tuesday in Canada with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump urges all of Tehran to evacuate ‘immediately’ in new social media post

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday posted an ominous message calling for the immediate evacuation of the Iranian capital of Tehran while he’s in Canada attending the G7 summit.

Trump had said more than once during the day that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. He emphasized that again on his social media site, writing “IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.”

He said Iran should have agreed to the “deal” he told them to sign to prevent what he called “a shame, and waste of human life,” referring to Israel’s attacks in recent days.

Trump ended the post with, “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

Airports are closed across the Mideast, stranding tens of thousands

“The domino effect here is massive,” said retired pilot and aviation safety expert John Cox, who said the disruptions will have a huge price tag.

“You’ve got thousands of passengers suddenly that are not where they’re supposed to be, crews that are not where they are supposed to be, airplanes that are not where they’re supposed to be,” he told the AP.

Iran’s airspace is completely closed, and Israel has closed its main international Ben Gurion Airport “until further notice.”

Although airspace is still partially open in Lebanon and Jordan, the situation is chaotic at airports there. Neighboring Iraq’s airports have all closed due to its close proximity to Iran. Some Iraqis stranded there have opted to leave by land.

Israel says more missiles from Iran are on their way

The military said defense systems were operating to intercept the missiles. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

In an Israeli city hit by missile fire, many support attacking Iran

While no opinion polls have been released since Israel launched a surprise attack Friday, much of the Israeli public seems to be lining up behind the operation in these early days.

As they surveyed the damage and moved to hotels or the homes of loved ones, some Petah Tikva residents said Israel must keep up its attacks to survive.

One woman said four of her neighbors were killed and much of her apartment destroyed.

Miryam, who spoke to the AP on condition that her last name not be used because she serves in the military, called it the scariest thing she’s experienced.

“But the right thing is to attack Iran; I don’t want them to have this power over us,” she said.

As Israel-Iran conflict dominates the headlines, Gaza sees deadliest day of Israeli shootings near new food hubs

Medics in Gaza say at least 34 Palestinians were killed Monday when Israeli troops opened fire as crowds tried to reach new food distribution centers, according to witnesses.

“Fire was coming from everywhere,” said Heba Jouda, one of thousands trying to feed her family. Gaza’s Health Ministry says hundreds have been killed in similar shootings since the Israeli- and U.S.-supported aid system began last month.

Israel claims the new system prevents Hamas from diverting aid, but U.N. agencies and groups like Doctors Without Borders argue it has failed to meet urgent needs and turned food into a weapon. The nearby Red Cross field hospital in Rafah reported treating 200 wounded Monday, the highest single mass casualty event it has seen. Aid groups warn Gaza is nearing famine after months of near-total siege and say the current system creates “lethal chaos.”

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on Monday’s shootings.

Iran faces barriers to rebuilding its air defenses after Israeli strikes, expert says

Rebuilding Iran’s air defenses will be difficult due to both logistics and geopolitics, according to Hinz. He described Iran’s air defenses as a “hodgepodge” of Russian, Chinese, Iranian and outdated American systems.

Russia, once a key supplier, is unlikely to sell Iran more systems amid its war in Ukraine and because Moscow doesn’t want to hurt its “working relationship” with Israel, Hinz said. Any Russian air defense deliveries to Iran would likely be attacked by Israel, he said, and wouldn’t offer an immediate fix because training and setup take time.

China has sold Iran short-range air defense systems, anti-drone lasers, and missile-related chemicals in the past, he said. But future sales are uncertain, since Beijing may be unwilling to risk diplomatic fallout with the West or Israel.

An expert explains why Iran’s options for striking back are limited

Iran has few viable options for striking back at Israel, largely because its key regional proxy Hezbollah has been “decapitated,” according to Fabian Hinz of the International Institute of Strategic Studies.

The Houthi rebels in Yemen, another of Iran’s allies, depend on long-range Iranian missiles but supplies are limited, Hinz said. If Iran chose to strike using short-range missiles, he speculates it could transfer them to Shiite militias in Iraq, which are nearer to Israel.

Iran says Israeli drones hit Persian Gulf gas refinery

Three Israeli mini-drones struck South Pars, the country’s main gas production center, according to the state-run IRINN television channel. The report did not specify the extent of the damage.

No official word yet on casualties from Israeli strike on TV station

Videos circulating on social media show the Iranian state TV building, known as “the glass building,” is still burning.

Following the attack, live programs have been transferred to another studio that resembles those used for radio broadcasts.

Netanyahu’s comments come just days after UN atomic agency says strikes didn’t damage underground nuclear facility

U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi has said Iran’s main underground enrichment site at Natanz was untouched by Israeli strikes.

Grossi told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground didn’t appear to be hit, but the loss of power could have damaged infrastructure there, he said.

Grossi said Monday that radiation levels outside the complex are presently normal.

He is the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Israel warns that anyone helping Iranian forces is a target, after striking state TV

Journalists at the United Nations are pressing Israel’s ambassador on why Iran’s state television was attacked.

His reply: “Whoever is cooperating with this terror regime should be considering steps,” adding that Israel now has “very good control over the skies of Tehran.”

Ambassador Danny Dannon sidestepped questions about U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi’s claim that Iran’s underground Natanz facility was untouched by Israeli strikes, but said Israel had “pushed back the nuclear program” and stressed the current operation is more complex than past strikes on reactors in Iraq or Syria.

As for peace talks, Danon said Iran must prove it’s serious about dismantling its “machine of terror” before Israel would engage.

Explosions echo across Tehran in another wave of Israeli strikes

A significant number of explosions have been ringing out in Tehran for minutes on end.

It’s unclear where the Israeli strikes may have hit in the Iranian capital, and there were no official announcements about the latest round of attacks.

Netanyahu says Israeli strikes have set Iran’s nuclear program back a ‘very, very long time’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israeli strikes against Iran have set Iran’s nuclear program back a “very, very long time.” He added that Israel was not attempting to topple the Iranian government, but said he would not be surprised if that happened as a result of the strikes.

Netanyahu also said he is in touch with Trump daily.

Israel’s opposition leader rallies behind Netanyahu’s Iran operation

Roughly 24 hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a blistering assault on Iran, Israel’s opposition was scheming to bring down his government.

Now, just days into the ongoing operation against Iran, the opposition has closed ranks behind the effort, suspending months of bitter criticism against Netanyahu and his handling of the war in Gaza.

It’s a sharp about-face for a constellation of parties that have criticized Netanyahu throughout the war for what they have charged is his politically motivated decision-making.

“It’s not the right moment to do politics,” opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid told The Associated Press on Monday in his first international media interview since the start of the operation against Iran.

Website for Iranian state TV remains offline

The website for Iranian state TV, iribnews.ir, which was targeted by an Israeli strike hours ago, is currently inaccessible.

The site displays a message saying: “The website server is temporarily unavailable.”

UK signals it doesn’t want to topple Iran’s government

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman, Tom Wells, told reporters that “significant destabilization in the region is in nobody’s interests.”

Speaking Monday on the sidelines of a G7 summit where conflict in the Middle East is the dominant issue, Wells said “this summit is an opportunity to try and press for de-escalation and that is the priority, certainly for the prime minister and I believe for other world leaders too.”

Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country’s ongoing strikes on Iran could result in the government’s overthrow, and on Friday urged Iranians to rise up against their leaders.

Iranian news anchor says there were ‘bodies of reporters’ after Israeli strike

Anchor Sahar Emami came back on-air from another studio soon after rushing off-camera when Israel struck the state-run Iranian TV station.

Speaking with another anchor, Emami said that “bodies of reporters” were at the site of the initial broadcast, and images showed smoke and flames in the sky.

Israel’s defense minister takes credit for striking Iranian TV station

“The Iranian regime’s propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority was attacked by the IDF after a widespread evacuation of the area’s residents,” Israel Katz said in a statement. “We will strike the Iranian dictator everywhere.”

Human rights groups say deliberately targeting journalists is a war crime.

Germany offers to evacuate its citizens from Israel via neighboring Jordan

The German Foreign Office said Monday a charter flight from the Jordanian capital of Amman to Frankfurt is scheduled for Wednesday. Those who want to get on the flight must independently arrange their travel from Israel to Amman.

Iran calls Israeli strike on state TV station a ‘war crime’

The spokesperson for the Iranian foreign minister condemned the Israeli strike on Iran’s state TV broadcaster and called on the international community to demand justice for the attack on media.

“The world is watching: targeting Iran’s news agency #IRIB‘s office during live broadcast is a wicked act of war crime,” Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on X.

After the strike, the Israeli military released a statement saying it struck “a communication center that was being used for military purposes by the Iranian Armed Forces.” It was not immediately clear if that referred to the state TV building.

Throughout the war in Gaza, Israel has struck hospitals, U.N. facilities and schools, accusing Palestinian militants of operating from within civilian infrastructure, often without providing visual evidence.

3 killed in Israeli oil refinery hit by Iranian missiles

Early Monday morning, Iranian missiles hit an oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa for the second night in a row.

Now Israel’s fire and rescue services are saying the strike killed three workers, ignited a significant fire and damaged a building.

The workers were sheltering in the building’s safe room when the impact caused a stairwell to collapse, trapping them inside. Firefighters tried to extinguish the fire and rescue them, but were too late.

Lebanese leaders indirectly urge Hezbollah to stay out of the Israel-Iran conflict

Lebanon’s president and prime minister say any engagement would be detrimental to the small nation, which is already engulfed in an economic crisis and struggling to recover from the latest war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, funded and armed by Iran, has long been considered Tehran’s most powerful ally in the region but its latest war with Israel also saw much of Hezbollah’s political and military leadership killed in Israeli airstrikes.

The remarks from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam during a Cabinet meeting Monday amounted to a message to Hezbollah to stay out of the fray.

US Air Force moves refueling tanker aircraft to Middle East

The movements provide President Donald Trump additional options to defend U.S. bases and personnel in the region in wake of the ongoing ballistic missile attacks by Iran and Israel’s continued air operations against Tehran, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press.

The refueling tankers are vital to supporting any major U.S. air operation, whether it would be evacuations or a potential strike by U.S. fighter jets. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details not announced publicly.

Trump demurs on US involvement on Iran

The U.S. president declined to answer what it would take for U.S. to be directly involved in the growing conflict between Israel and Iran, saying he did not want to talk about the issue.

Instead, he continued to press Iran on negotiations on its nuclear program.

“They should talk, and they should talk immediately,” Trump said during a bilateral meeting with the Canadian prime minister during the G7 summit.

Trump added: “I’d say Iran is not winning this war.”

Iran hints at US role in ending fighting with Israel, says ‘one call’ could shift course

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi appeared to make a veiled outreach Monday for the U.S. to step in and negotiate an end to dayslong hostilities between Israel and Iran.

In a post on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, Araghchi wrote that if Trump is “genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential.”

“It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu,” Iran’s top diplomat continued. “That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy.”

The message to Washington comes as the most recent round of talks between U.S. and Iran was canceled over the weekend after Israel targeted key military and political officials in Tehran on Thursday.

Iranian state TV halts live broadcast after Israeli strike

During a live broadcast, an Iranian state television reporter said the studio was filling with dust after “the sound of aggression against the homeland, the sound of aggression against truth and righteousness.”

Suddenly, an explosion occurred, cutting out the screen behind her as she hurried off camera amid dust and debris wafting in the air, and sounds of “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) were heard from off-screen. The broadcast quickly switched to pre-recorded programs.

Israel had issued a warning the evacuate the area of Iran’s capital where the TV studios are located an hour earlier.

US warships help shoot down Iranian missiles

Two American warships, the USS The Sullivans and the USS Arleigh Burke, were used to shoot down Iranian ballistic missiles over the weekend, according to a U.S. official.

The Sullivans and the USS Thomas Hudner are currently in the Mediterranean, while the Arleigh Burke has moved away from the area. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.

The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier is in the Arabian Sea with the four warships in its strike group. They are not participating in the defense of Israel.

The USS Nimitz has been long scheduled to take over for the Carl Vinson and is heading west from the Indo-Pacific region. The official said it is slated to arrive in the region by the end of the month, and the two carriers would likely overlap in the Middle East at least for a short time before the Vinson heads home to San Diego.

— By Lolita C. Baldor in Washington.

Germany backs Israel’s defense, warns Iran on nukes ahead of G7 summit

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters Monday ahead of the G7 summit in Canada that together with his European colleagues at the summit, Germany is planning to draw up a final communique proposal on the Israel-Iran conflict in which the European will stress that “Iran must under no circumstances be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons-capable material.”

The chancellor added the communique would also emphasize Israel’s right to defend itself, and that he and the other European leaders would discuss possible further steps to reach a diplomatic solution.

Merz rejected the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be involved in mediating a diplomatic solution for the hostilities between Israel and Iran and said that instead “it would be good if Russia ended its war in Ukraine.”

Calm is returning to Wall Street after last week’s Israeli attacks

U.S. stocks are rallying Monday, while oil prices are giving back some of their initial spurts following Israel’s attack on Iran at the end of last week.

The S&P 500 climbed 1.1% and was on track to reclaim nearly all of its drop from Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 449 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.4%. They joined a worldwide rise in stock prices, stretching from Asia to Europe.

The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. oil fell by more than 3%, while gold’s price eased.

Iran’s nuclear program

The Trump administration revived efforts to negotiate limits on Iran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. But the indirect talks between American and Iranian diplomats have hit a stalemate.

The latest round of talks between the U.S. and Iran on the future of Tehran’s nuclear program had been scheduled Sunday in Oman but were canceled after Israel’s attack.

Iran said last Thursday that it had built and would activate a third nuclear enrichment facility. The announcement came less than two weeks after the IAEA censured Iran for failing to comply with nonproliferation obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. It was the first such censure in two decades.

Israel warns residents in part of Iran’s capital to evacuate ahead of strikes

Israel said Monday it planned to strike military sites in Tehran. The Israeli military has issued similar evacuation warnings for civilians in parts of Gaza and Lebanon ahead of strikes.

The warning affected up to 330,000 people in a part of central Tehran that includes the country’s state TV and police headquarters, as well as three large hospitals, including one owned by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

A Democratic US senator says he’ll force a vote to give Congress more of a say over military force against Iran

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is filing a resolution to require that Congress authorize a declaration of war or any specific use of military force against Iran. Congress passed a similar resolution in 2020 during Trump’s first term.

“It is not in our national security interest to get into a war with Iran unless that war is absolutely necessary to defend the United States. I am deeply concerned that the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran could quickly pull the United States into another endless conflict,” Kaine said.

The resolution requires that any hostilities with Iran must be explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force, but would not prevent the United States from defending itself from imminent attack.

Cyprus says Portugal and Slovakia have asked for its help with evacuations

Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos says Portugal and Slovakia will be bringing their citizens from the area of the Israeli-Iran conflict home through Cyprus.

The island nation is the nearest European Union country to Israel, lying just 268 kilometers (167 miles) across the Mediterranean Sea.

Cyprus has acted as a transfer point for evacuees following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the militant group Hamas that led to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Moscow still not announcing plans to evacuate Russians from Israel and Iran

The Kremlin says Russia is ready to do “everything necessary” to resolve the “root causes” of the “dangerous escalation of tensions” between Iran and Israel.

Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters he was unaware if a decision had been made by Moscow to organize a full evacuation of its citizens from Israel and Iran.

“All agencies are monitoring the situation with the utmost care,” Peskov said.

Poland will evacuate around 200 of its citizens stranded in Israel

The evacuations will be overland to neighboring Jordan and will take place within the next two days, according to a deputy foreign minister, Henryka Mościcka-Dendys.

She says there will be a bus convoy to Amman, the Jordanian capital, where evacuees — tourists and short-term visitors — will board a government plane to return home.

“Poland will be the first country to organize such an evacuation,” Mościcka-Dendys said, emphasizing the move is precautionary and aims to avoid escalating tensions. No military escort is planned.

Putin and Erdogan condemn Israeli attacks on Iran

The Russian and Turkish presidents called for an immediate end to hostilities and the use of diplomatic means to settle contentious issues.

Both Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israeli attacks on Iran. They spoke in a phone call on Monday, the Kremlin said.

Russians urged to leave Israel

Speaking with Russian state media Monday, Russia’s Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov reiterated Moscow’s advice to Russian citizens to leave Israel if possible.

Viktorov said that Russian citizens could independently cross Israel’s border with Egypt in order to catch commercial flights home. He also said that a wider, state-organized evacuation of citizens from Israel could be carried out “if necessary.”

“The threat that is being posed to the lives and health of both diplomats and Russian citizens in Israel is quite real,” he said.

Iran is on its own, analyst says

“Iran is battling it out alone,” said Lina Khatib, a Middle East expert at the Chatham House think tank in London.

Russia will not come to Iran’s aid, Khatib told AP, pointing out that Russia did not help Iran last year when Israel destroyed Russian-supplied air defenses or when Iran’s ally, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was ousted.

Russia is likely to limit its support for Iran to “strongly worded statements” and will use the conflict to present itself as a mediator, Khatib said.

Turkey’s Erdogan offers mediation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in a telephone call Monday that Turkey was ready to act as a “facilitator” for the resolution of the Israel-Iran conflict and resumption of the nuclear negotiations.

A statement from Erdogan office said Erdogan emphasized Turkey’s commitment to peace and stability in the region.

The Turkish leader has been engaged in telephone diplomacy since Saturday in an effort to reduce tensions. It was Erdogan’s second call with Pezeshkian since the outbreak of the conflict.

Azerbaijan helps evacuate foreign citizens from neighboring Iran

Azerbaijani media reports said that following the evacuation of citizens of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, citizens of Portugal, the Philippines, Finland and some other countries have crossed the Astara border checkpoint and headed to the airport in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizade said that 41 of its citizens, including family members of its diplomats in Iran, also have returned to Azerbaijan, said. He added that Azerbaijan’s diplomatic missions in Iran have continued to operate as usual.

UN warns of ‘unprecedented’ food crisis in Gaza

A new U.N. food crisis report released on Monday said the resumption of military operations in Gaza was escalating the food crisis in Gaza “to unprecedented levels.”

The Hunger Hotspots report by the World Food Program and Food and Agricultural Organization said that no adequate humanitarian aid or commercial supplies have reached the Gaza Strip since the end of the eight-week cease-fire, the longest interruption since the start of the conflict.

According to the latest projections, released in May, the whole of Gaza’s 2.1 million people are at risk of falling into acute food insecurity by September.

UN human rights chief decries ‘unconscionable suffering’ in Gaza

The U.N. human rights chief said Israel’s warfare in Gaza is inflicting “horrifying, unconscionable suffering” on Palestinians and urged government leaders to exert pressure on Israel’s government and the militant group Hamas to end it.

“Israel’s means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza,” Volker Türk told the 47-member Human Rights Council in an address that raised concerns about the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, the fallout from sweeping U.S. tariffs, and China’s human rights record among other topics.

Israeli authorities have regularly accused the council of anti-Israel bias, and the Trump administration has kept the United States out of the its proceedings.

Egypt arrests 2 members of Global March to Gaza, group says

Egyptian authorities arrested two members of the international coordination committee of the Global March to Gaza, the group said Monday.

The group said in a statement it hasn’t heard from French citizen Hicham El Ghaoui and Spanish national Manuel Tapial for around a day since their arrest and it has no details about their whereabouts.

Demonstrators from 80 countries planned to march to Egypt’s border with Gaza to spotlight the deepening humanitarian crises facing Palestinians since Israel began blocking aid trucks from entering the coastal enclave in March.

“Our commitment remains unchanged: We stand with Gaza, call for the opening of a humanitarian corridor, and demand an end to the genocide against the Palestinian people. Governments must act now,” the statement said.

Foreigners are being evacuated from Iran and Israel

Some 120 people, including diplomats and their families, were evacuated from Iran via Turkmenistan, the country’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. Many of those evacuated were from fellow Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, officials said.

Turkmenistan, a gas-rich nation that has remained largely isolated under its autocratic rulers since it became independent following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, shares a 1,148-kilometer (713-mile) border with Iran.

The Czech Republic is also sending a plane for Czechs who want to leave Israel amid the conflict with Iran, the Czech Foreign Ministry said. Other Czechs will use another plane sent by the government of Slovakia headed to Jordan to return home.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it helped 14 Taiwanese leave Israel by bus for Jordan on Sunday and will help them travel onward. The ministry is in touch with another nine Taiwanese currently in Iran and will assist them if they need help departing, the ministry said in a statement Monday.

Concussion of Iranian missile causes minor damage to US Consulate in Tel Aviv

The American Consulate in Tel Aviv suffered minor damage from the concussion of an Iranian missile landing nearby, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said on Monday.

Huckabee said in a post on X there were no injuries to American personnel but that the consulate in Tel Aviv and Embassy in Jerusalem would remain closed through the day as a precaution.

The damage came amid a new wave of Iranian missile attacks on Israel in retaliation for Israel’s sweeping attacks on Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure.

Iran’s health ministry says 224 killed since Israel’s attack began Friday

Iran’s health ministry says 224 people have been killed since Israel’s attack began Friday.

Spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said on social media that 1,277 other people were hospitalized, and asserted that over 90% of the casualties were civilians.

Israel has said 14 people have been killed there since Friday and 390 others wounded.

Trump vetoed Israeli plan to kill Iran’s supreme leader, US official says

U.S. President Donald Trump vetoed a plan presented by Israel to the U.S. to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.

The Israelis informed the Trump administration in recent days that they had developed a credible plan to kill Khamenei. After being briefed on the plan, the White House made clear to Israeli officials that Trump was opposed to the Israelis making the move, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the sensitive matter.

The Trump administration is desperate to keep Israel’s military operation aimed at decapitating Iran’s nuclear program from exploding into an even more expansive conflict and saw the plan to kill Khamenei as a move that would enflame the conflict and potentially destabilize the region.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Israel Iran Conflict LIVE Updates: Israel and Iran continued their deadly exchange as a new wave of missiles and drones as strikes struck key targets across Iran, pushing the nationwide death toll to nearly 600. The strikes have triggered alarm across the region. read more

US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Iran and Israel to “make a deal” and bring their deadly exchange of strikes to an end. “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal,” Trump said on his Truth Social media platform, adding that there are “many calls and meetings now taking place” on the issue and that peace could be achieved “soon” between the longtime adversaries.

“Following the shameful statements made by the German Chancellor in support of Tel Aviv’s aggression against our country, the country’s (Germany’s) ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry,” state TV reported.

Iran’s foreign ministry summoned Germany’s ambassador to Tehran on Wednesday over remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz supporting Israel’s attacks on the Islamic Republic.

“Following the irresponsible and threatening statements of the American president, the Swiss ambassador, as the guardian of this country’s interests in Tehran, was summoned to the ministry of foreign affairs,” state TV reported, without elaborating.

Iran’s foreign ministry summoned on Wednesday the Swiss ambassador, who represents US interests in the Islamic republic, over recent remarks by President Donald Trump.

“Temporary restrictions have been imposed on users’ access to the internet,” the communication ministry said in a statement carried by Fars news agency, adding that the decision was due to “the aggressor’s abuse of the country’s communication network for military purposes.” Iran already began restricting the internet after Israel’s surprise attack on Friday.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has not yet made a decision on whether to join Israel in bombing Iran and warned that the country’s current leadership could fall as a result of the war.

“It’s a delicate issue,” Putin told reporters, adding, “in my view, a solution could be found.” When asked how Russia would respond if Israel were to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Putin declined to comment, saying, “I don’t even want to discuss such a possibility.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Moscow is willing to act as a mediator between Iran and Israel to help de-escalate tensions and potentially broker a deal. He suggested that Russia could help facilitate an agreement allowing Tehran to pursue a peaceful nuclear program while also addressing Israel’s security concerns.

The president’s remarks highlight the delicate balancing act he faces—avoiding another war while ensuring Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon.

Trump’s comments come as tensions soar in the region, with Iran warning of severe retaliation if attacked. While the US embassy in Israel has begun evacuating some diplomats and their families, European officials are preparing for talks with Iran in Geneva on Friday in a bid to ease tensions.

“I’m not looking to fight,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “But if it’s a choice between fighting and having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do.”

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he does not seek a military conflict with Iran but signaled he is prepared to take action if necessary to halt Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

The evacuation was carried out under ‘Operation Sindhu’ after tensions flared in the Middle East due to escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. As part of the operation, 110 students were moved out of Tehran and crossed into Armenia on Tuesday with assistance from the Indian Embassy.

Responding to the development, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Dannon said, “Israel not only defended itself, it eliminated a major threat facing the entire free world.”

The meeting was requested by Iran, Russia, China, Pakistan, and Algeria and is scheduled for 10:00 am EDT.

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency session on Friday to discuss the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, CBS News reported.

The closed-door session included top military and national security advisers, signaling the seriousness with which Washington is monitoring the crisis in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump concluded a high-level meeting in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday as he weighed potential responses to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

Amid the ongoing conflict, the IDF also reported successfully intercepting the majority of Iranian missiles launched toward Israeli territory, according to the BBC.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced it carried out strikes on more than 20 military sites in Tehran on Wednesday night, targeting what it described as key nuclear and missile facilities that support Iran’s weapons program and attacks on Israeli civilians.

Air defence systems were activated over Tehran early Thursday morning, according to a post by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Telegram. The alert was issued just before 4 am local time, amid heightened regional tensions.

Human Rights Activists previously gained attention for documenting deaths during the 2022 protests over Mahsa Amini’s death. Iran, which has not regularly released updated tolls during the current conflict, last reported 224 deaths and 1,277 injuries on Monday.

The group reported that among the dead are 263 civilians and 154 security personnel. The casualty data, which covers the entire country, is based on cross-verified local reports and a network of sources within Iran.

At least 639 people have been killed and 1,329 injured in Israeli strikes across Iran, according to figures released Thursday by Human Rights Activists, a Washington-based group.

When asked whether he had decided to launch an attack, Trump said, “I may do it, I may not.” He added, “The next week is going to be very big — maybe even sooner.” He also reiterated that Iran must completely abandon its nuclear ambitions without any conditions.

One possible US target is Iran’s Fordow enrichment facility, a heavily fortified site built deep underground. Experts say only extremely powerful bombs would be capable of destroying it.

US President Donald Trump has told his top aides that he has approved a plan to strike Iran but has not yet given the final order, according to The Wall Street Journal. Trump stated that he wants to see whether Iran will halt its nuclear programme before taking further action.

In a post on X, the Israeli Air Force announced that it had initiated “a wave of attacks in Tehran and other areas,” though it did not provide further details about the specific targets.

The Israeli Air Force has confirmed that the military is currently carrying out a series of strikes in Tehran and other parts of Iran, as reported by the BBC.

The reason for the warning has not been officially disclosed, but it comes amid ongoing Israeli military operations inside Iranian territory.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued an evacuation warning to residents of Arak and Khandab in Iran, according to a report by Reuters.

“This is not an uncommon practice. Force protection is the priority,” the official said.

One official confirmed that US naval vessels were relocated from a port in Bahrain, home to the Navy’s 5th Fleet, while aircraft not sheltered in hardened structures were moved from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the move was part of precautionary steps to protect American forces in the region. They did not disclose how many assets were moved or their new locations.

The United States has moved some of its military aircraft and naval vessels from bases in the Middle East that could be vulnerable to an Iranian attack, two US officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

The strikes come shortly after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that air defence systems had been activated over the capital.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed that the Israeli Air Force is conducting multiple airstrikes on Tehran and several other locations across Iran, CNN reported early Thursday.

The statement, published by state-run KCNA, described Israel’s actions as “state-sponsored terrorism” and warned they were increasing the risk of a full-scale war in the Middle East.

North Korea on Thursday strongly condemned Israel for launching strikes that it says sparked the current conflict with Iran, warning the United States and European powers against “fanning the flames of war,” according to a statement from its foreign ministry.

“Our Iranian friends have not asked us about this,” Putin told an AFP reporter during a televised press conference in Saint Petersburg.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Iran has not sought military assistance from Moscow amid its escalating conflict with Israel.

Wong described the situation as “increasingly dangerous” and urged Iran to halt its nuclear weapons programme and return to negotiations. “Iran has a choice here… to discontinue its programme and to return to talks,” she said.

Australia has begun evacuating its citizens from Israel amid rising tensions in the Middle East, CNN reported. Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that a small group was evacuated by land on Wednesday, with more expected to follow within the next 24 hours.

Citing growing violence, the embassy warned, “The Israel-Iran conflict continues to intensify, with increasing casualties. The possibility of further deterioration cannot be ruled out.”

The operation will transport Chinese nationals by bus to the Taba Border Crossing into Egypt, located about 360 kilometres from Tel Aviv.

China will begin assisting its citizens in evacuating from Israel to Egypt starting Friday, the Chinese embassy in Israel announced in a notice on Thursday.

A source familiar with the matter said the intelligence community’s position remains unchanged since Gabbard’s testimony. However, the president’s public rebuke has raised questions about whether Gabbard has been sidelined from key decision-making.

Tensions became public this week when Trump pushed back on Gabbard’s March testimony to Congress, in which she stated the U.S. intelligence community did not believe Iran was building a nuclear weapon. That assessment contradicts Trump’s recent warnings about the Iranian nuclear threat.

While Gabbard’s allies acknowledge some friction with the White House, they say the backlash has been exaggerated and do not expect her to resign over Trump’s Iran policy, NBC News reported.

CIA Director Tulsi Gabbard, known for her criticism of past US military interventions, appears to have lost favour with President Donald Trump as he considers military action against Iran, according to multiple senior administration officials.

“They cannot have the weapons that can destroy Israel, which they claim and which they want to do every day,” he added.

Leiter warned of the destructive power of Iranian missiles, saying, “They come cruising out of the sky and create incredible damage. That production capacity has to be eliminated as well.”

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, said on Wednesday that Iran’s capacity to produce ballistic missiles must be eliminated alongside its nuclear weapons programme, CNN reported.

The July contract expires on Friday. The more actively traded August contract declined 21 cents, or 0.29 per cent, to $73.29 a barrel.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for July delivery fell 28 cents, or 0.37 per cent, to $74.86 a barrel. The contract had risen 0.4 per cent in the prior session, despite an earlier drop of 2.4 per cent.

Brent crude futures dropped 37 cents, or 0.48 per cent, to $76.33 a barrel by 0110 GMT, after gaining 0.3 per cent in a volatile previous session that saw prices swing by as much as 2.7 per cent.

Oil prices edged lower on Thursday as investors remained cautious following mixed signals from US President Donald Trump regarding possible American involvement in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

“There are real limits, hard limits, on what the government can do. The airspace remains closed,” Wong told reporters. She advised Australians in Iran to leave if it is safe to do so or otherwise shelter in place.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday that around 1,500 Australians in Iran and 1,200 in Israel have registered for help. A small group was evacuated from Israel via a land crossing on Wednesday, and further options are being explored.

Australia has evacuated a small group of its citizens from Israel, while New Zealand has withdrawn embassy staff from Iran, as both governments face challenges in assisting thousands more due to restricted airspace in the region.

Authorities have urged residents to take shelter immediately and remain in bomb shelters “until further notice.”

“Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the IDF said in a statement.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported a new wave of missiles launched from Iran on Thursday, triggering air raid sirens across the country.

The IDF stated that the Israeli Air Force is actively working to intercept the incoming missiles and strike where necessary to neutralise the threat.

Loud explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, AFP reported, shortly after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed missile launches from Iran and activated sirens across several areas.

In response, Israeli authorities instructed civilians to remain in bomb shelters until further notice for their safety.

🚨Millions of Israel across the country are currently running to shelter as sirens sound due to a missile launch from Iran🚨 pic.twitter.com/5HqmbUOmtZ

The Israeli military said the latest round of airstrikes targeted Tehran and other locations in Iran. Following the strikes, Iran launched a fresh wave of missiles at Israel, prompting authorities to instruct the public to take shelter.

Earlier in the day, Israel had issued a warning via a post on X, urging civilians to leave the area. The message included a satellite image of the reactor marked in red, similar to past strike alerts.

Israel has attacked Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, Iranian state television reported on Thursday. Authorities stated there was “no radiation danger whatsoever” and confirmed the facility had been evacuated before the strike.

Several hits were identified as a result of the missile barrage—one of them hitting the largest hospital in southern Israel. https://t.co/G29iJqGyiH

“Several hits were identified as a result of the missile barrage — one of them hitting the largest hospital in southern Israel,” the IDF said in a post on X, shortly after air raid sirens were activated across the country

Iranian missiles struck several locations in Israel late Thursday, including the largest hospital in the country’s south, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

With over 1,000 beds, Soroka serves around one million residents across southern Israel, according to its website.

A spokesperson for the hospital, located in Be’er Sheba, confirmed that multiple areas of the facility were damaged and urged the public not to come in for treatment.

Israel’s Soroka Medical Center, the largest hospital in the country’s south, suffered a direct hit from an Iranian missile on Thursday, causing extensive damage and injuring several people, officials said.

Footage from Reuters showed a damaged multi-storey building in Tel Aviv, with debris scattered on the road and emergency responders cordoning off the area.

Israeli search and rescue teams are active across multiple locations following reports of fallen projectiles from Iran’s latest missile barrage, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, Israel had issued a public warning urging civilians to evacuate the site ahead of the strike.

Iranian state television confirmed on Thursday that Israel struck the Arak heavy water reactor but said there was “no radiation danger whatsoever.” Authorities added that the facility had already been evacuated before the attack.

Israel’s Soroka Medical Center, the largest hospital in the country’s south, sustained heavy damage after being hit by Iranian missiles, officials confirmed. The hospital, located in Be’er Sheba, serves nearly one million residents.

The Israel Defense Forces said Homefront Command Search and Rescue teams have been deployed to multiple impact sites across the country to assess damage and assist civilians.

Iran launched “dozens” of ballistic missiles at Israel on Thursday morning, resulting in “several hits” on civilian areas, including the Soroka Medical Center in southern Israel, according to an Israeli military official.

IRNA claimed that the hospital sustained only minor damage from the shockwave, emphasising that “the military infrastructure was a precise and direct target.”

Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that Thursday morning’s missile barrage was aimed primarily at the Israeli army’s Command and Intelligence (IDF C4I) headquarters and a military intelligence camp located in the Gav-Yam Technology Park near Soroka Hospital in Beersheba.

Israel, Iran exchange fresh rounds of missile strikes as the UK gets dragged into the conflict

According to a Tel Aviv hospital, three of the injured are in serious condition.

At least 16 people were injured in Tel Aviv after Iranian missiles struck a high-rise apartment building and other locations in central Israel, the Associated Press reported.

Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA) said 32 people were injured in the Iranian missile attacks. Reports say that a 60-year-old man was in critical condition following the strikes.

Sharren Haskel, posting on X, said the site that was struck is “not a military base” but “a hospital”, adding that this was the main medical centre for Israel’s entire Negev region.

The Reuters news agency reported that the site had been hit shortly after Israel warned residents in the Arak-Khondab region to evacuate.

In response, Israeli forces launched strikes at Iran’s Arak heavy-water nuclear reactor, a facility long viewed with concern by Western powers due to its potential to produce plutonium for weapons.

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The death toll grew Sunday as Israel and Iran exchanged missile attacks for a third consecutive day, with Israel warning that worse is to come.

Israel targeted Iran’s Defense Ministry headquarters in Tehran and sites it alleged were associated with Iran’s nuclear program, while Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defences and slammed into buildings deep inside Israel.

In Israel, at least 10 people were killed in Iranian strikes overnight and into Sunday, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service, bringing the country’s total death toll to 13. The country’s main international airport and airspace remained closed for a third day. There was no update to an Iranian death toll released the day before by Iran’s UN ambassador, who said 78 people had been killed and more than 320 wounded.

The region braced for a drawn-out conflict after Israel’s strikes hit nuclear and military facilities, killing several senior generals and top nuclear scientists. President Donald Trump said the US had “nothing to do with the attack on Iran” and warned Tehran to expect “the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces” if it retaliates against the United States.

Earlier, the Israeli military declared that it had achieved “full air superiority” over the city and had destroyed a third of Iran’s missile launchers.

It came after Iranian missiles struck four different areas in the northern and central Israel overnight, killing at least eight civilians, according to the military.

Iran’s health ministry said at least 224 people had been killed and more than 1,200 injured in Israeli air strikes since Friday, when Israel launched a large-scale air campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear programme and ballistic missiles.

Iranian missile strikes have killed at least 24 people and injured 592 others in Israel over the same period, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office.

On Monday afternoon, the Israeli military’s Persian-language spokesperson called on residents of western Tehran’s District 3 to evacuate immediately, saying it planned to target military infrastructure and that their lives were at risk.

Hours later, the Israeli strike on the building housing Iran’s state broadcaster was broadcast live on its TV network, IRINN.

Following the sound of several explosions, newsreader Sahar Emami said: “What you noticed is the sound of a clear aggression by the Zionist regime on IRIB.”

Another, much louder explosion then shook the studio, forcing Emami to leave.

The broadcast was cut off and replaced with news bulletins, before resuming minutes later.

Later, the head of IRIB, Peyman Jebelli, appeared on TV showing a blood-stained paper. He said the channel and its employees were “standing until the end”.

The semi-official Fars news agency reported that Masoumeh Azimi, an employee of the IRIB Secretariat, was killed in the attack.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baqai, condemned the strike, saying it was a “wicked act” and a “war crime”.

Iran said that Israel targeted its Arak heavy water nuclear reactor in a new strike on the country’s nuclear infrastructure, but reported no major damage.

Iranian state television confirmed the strike on the Arak facility, located about 250 kilometres southwest of Tehran, but said there was “no radiation danger whatsoever.” The site had been evacuated and no civilian areas were affected.

Earlier on Thursday, Israeli officials had warned of a planned strike on the facility and urged residents in the area to evacuate.

What to expect as Trump weighs whether to enter Israel-Iran conflict

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Israel’s main southern hospital sustained a direct hit Thursday from an Iranian missile, with officials reporting “extensive damage.”

Separate Iranian strikes hit a high-rise apartment building in Tel Aviv and other sites in central Israel. A hospital in Tel Aviv said it had received 16 wounded people, three with serious injuries.

Journalists with the French news agency AFP reported hearing “violent, sustained explosions” in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

The developments came as President Trump was mulling whether the United States would directly take part in Israel’s efforts to destroy Iran’s nuclear program.

A spokesperson for the Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheba said the hospital suffered “extensive damage” in different areas and people had been wounded in the attack. The hospital has requested that people don’t come for there for treatment.

Israeli officials said the part of the hospital that took a direct hit had been evacuated before the strike.

The director general of Magen David Adom — Israel’s emergency rescue service — said, “Last night, the Ministry of Health gave instructions to further clear the floor that was damaged in Soroka. Many lives were saved.”

Smoke rises from Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, Israel following a missile strike from Iran on June 19, 2025. Amir Cohen / REUTERS

Israeli Health Minister Uriel Bosso called the attack “an act of terrorism and a crossing of a red line. A war crime by the Iranian regime that was deliberately committed against innocent civilians and medical teams dedicated to saving lives. The Ministry of Health was prepared in advance, and thanks to the immediate actions we took, a very serious disaster was averted.”

The hospital has over 1,000 beds and provides services to the approximately 1 million residents of southern Israel, according to its website.

The strike came as Israel attacked Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, Iranian state television said Thursday.

The report said there was “no radiation danger whatsoever.” An Iranian state television reporter, appearing live in the nearby town of Khondab, said the facility had been evacuated and there was no damage to civilian areas around the reactor.

Israel had warned earlier Thursday morning it would attack the facility and urged the public to flee the area.

The Israeli military said Thursday’s round of airstrikes targeted Tehran and other areas of Iran, without elaborating. It later said Iran fired a new salvo of missiles at Israel and told the public to take shelter.

Israel’s seventh day of airstrikes on Iran came a day after Iran’s supreme leader rejected U.S. calls for surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause “irreparable damage to them.” Israel also lifted some restrictions on daily life, suggesting the missile threat from Iran on its territory was easing.

Already, Israel’s campaign has targeted Iran’s uranium enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan. Its strikes have also killed top generals and nuclear scientists.

A Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1,300 wounded. In retaliation, Iran has fired some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds. Some have hit apartment buildings in central Israel, causing heavy damage.

The Arak heavy water reactor is 155 miles southwest of Tehran.

Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors, but it produces plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. That would provide Iran another path to the bomb beyond enriched uranium, should it choose to pursue the weapon.

Iran had agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to relieve proliferation concerns.

In 2019, Iran started up the heavy water reactor’s secondary circuit, which at the time didn’t violate Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Britain at the time was helping Iran redesign the Arak reactor to limit the amount of plutonium it produces, stepping in for the U.S., which had withdrawn from the project after President Trump’s decision in 2018 to unilaterally pull America out of the nuclear deal.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, has been urging Israel not to strike Iranian nuclear sites. IAEA inspectors reportedly last visited Arak on May 14.

Due to restrictions Iran imposed on inspectors, the IAEA has said it has lost “continuity of knowledge” about Iran’s heavy water production — meaning it couldn’t absolutely verify Tehran’s production and stockpile.

As part of negotiations around the 2015 deal, Iran agreed to sell off its heavy water to the West to remain in compliance with the accord’s terms. Even the U.S. purchased some 32 tons of heavy water for over $8 million in one deal. That was one issue that drew criticism from the pact’s opponents.