Slain Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s bodyguard was killed in an Israeli strike in Tehran, Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar said Saturday.

The bodyguard, Abu Ali Khalil, was the son-in-law of Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last year.

Abu Ali headed Nasrallah’s security apparatus for many years and was considered his “shadow.”

After the Israeli assassination of Nasrallah in September, many assumed that Abu Ali was killed with him, but he was eventually seen at his funeral.

Israel-Iran conflict live updates: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has identified three senior clerics as potential successors in the event of his death, according to a report by The New York Times, which cited three Iranian officials familiar with the matter. read more

Israeli air strikes hit several parts of Iran, including Isfahan, which houses a key nuclear facility. While authorities in Iran have said that the nuclear site was targeted, no major leaks have been reported from the area. Additionally, Israeli attacks in the city of Qom have killed two IRGC commanders, one of whom was responsible for the October 7 attacks.

The Israel-Iran conflict has entered its ninth day. Here’s what has happened so far:

All the three injured people are being treated in the hospital.

Israeli news outlet Haaretz has said that the Iranian missile attack in the Israeli city of Haifa on Friday has wounded three people, one of whom remains in critical condition.

🔴ELIMINATED: Saeed Izadi, a founder of the Iranian regime’s plan to destroy Israel, was eliminated in a precise IDF strike in the area of Qom. Izadi was also the commander of the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force, a key coordinator between the Iranian regime and Hamas, and… pic.twitter.com/ICPna4O4no

“Izadi was also the commander of the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force, a key coordinator between the Iranian regime and Hamas, and one of the main orchestrators of the October 7 massacre. He was responsible for military coordination between the senior commanders of the IRGC and the Iranian regime with key figures in Hamas,” IDF said on X.

The Israel Defense Forces have confirmed that Saeed Izadi, the chief of the IRGC’s Palestinian wing, has been “eliminated” in Israeli attacks earlier today.

“Israel should not be happy about the decrease in the number of missiles fired and better keep silent and merely become an observer in the face of the new balance of Iranian superior power,” the official added.

A senior official told CNN that Iran has rejected claims made by Israel about its missile stockpile. Iran has revised its missile strategy, shifting focus from quantity to quality. Rather than launching large volleys, Iran is now deploying more advanced precision missiles aimed at sensitive military and security targets, the official said.

Meanwhile, sirens have been triggered in the Arava and Beit She’an Valley following a new suspected drone infiltration.

The IDF reports that two additional drones launched from Iran toward Israel were intercepted and shot down over the Arava region in southern Israel a short time ago.

People, mostly Iranians, who left the country due to Israeli strikes on Iran, walk at the border crossing point on Armenia-Iran border near Agarak village in the Meghri Municipality of the Syunik Province in southern Armenia, Thursday, June 19, 2025. AP

People, mostly Iranians, who left the country due to Israeli strikes on Iran, walk at the border crossing point on Armenia-Iran border near Agarak village in the Meghri Municipality of the Syunik Province in southern Armenia, Thursday, June 19, 2025. AP

People, mostly Iranians, who left the country due to Israeli strikes on Iran, gather at the border crossing point on Armenia-Iran border near Agarak village in the Meghri Municipality of the Syunik Province in southern Armenia, Thursday, June 19, 2025. AP

Iranians have started leaving the country as Israeli attacks intensify. Many countries around the world are taking measures to evacuate their citizens from Israel and Iran.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Turkey, Araghchi said, “It is obvious, I cannot go to negotiations with the United States when our people are under bombardment, under the support of the United States. They deny, they keep saying they are not involv[ed], but we have many indications they have been involved from day one. And now the interviews by the US president is quite clear, that he’s talking about a US leadership on this.” question.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that US involvement in the conflict would be “unfortunate” and “dangerous for everybody.”

“A drone strike hit a two-storey residential building in northern Israel”, the Magen David Adom said in a statement, adding that its rescue teams found no visible casualties as they arrived.

Israel’s first responders have said that a residential building in north Israel had been hit by a drone after the army reported an intrusion in the Beit She’an valley.

“The longer a war takes, the more dangerous it becomes,” he told journalists in a briefing on Friday. “I think any extended confrontation or war between Israel and Iran will only bring a very difficult aftermath.”

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE’s president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said that the war between the two nations was a setback for the region.

A senior United Arab Emirates (UAE) official has warned that a prolonged conflict between Israel and Iran might lead to “difficult aftermath”, reports AFP.

“We don’t know how we can trust them [the US] anymore.”

He signalled that their trust in Washington had eroded following the developments of the past two weeks.

“We have come to the conclusion that negotiations by the US was in fact a cover for what the Israelis did,” he said.

He said Tehran had reached the conclusion that the talks with the US were a “cover” for Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Washington of “a betrayal to diplomacy,” saying American officials “must show their determination for negotiating a solution,” in an interview with NBC News.

“I call on countries with influence over Israel not to listen to its poison. A solution must be found via dialogue,” said Erdogan, referring to attacks on Iran and Gaza.

Addressing the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that the Israeli government, under Prime Minister Netanyahu, represents the primary barrier to achieving regional peace.

According to Iran’s state-run Nour News, citing the health ministry, at least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since the Israeli-Iranian conflict began on June 13.

“Netanyahu’s Zionist ambitions have no other purpose than to drag our region and … the whole world into a big disaster.”

“This incident also shows that Netanyahu [and his government] …. do not want any issues or any matters to be solved diplomatically,” he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that Israeli attacks on Iran were intended to undermine ongoing nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran.

“The time to de-escalate is right now. Once people are forced to flee there’s no quick way back, and all too often the consequences last for generations.”

“This region has already endured more than its share of war, loss, and displacement – we cannot allow another refugee crisis to take root,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said.

The United Nations has urged for peace efforts to prevail in West Asia after years of war have led to a massive displacement of people.

Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency reported that Israel has carried out strikes on a military installation in the city of Shiraz in the Fars province. The agency said that while heavy smoke could be seen billowing out from the impact site, no casualties were reported so far.

“Four people have died as martyrs and three others were wounded in an Israeli attack against a training camp of the Revolutionary Guards in Tabriz,” ISNA reported. The city has been repeatedly targeted since Israel began striking Iran more than a week ago.

Four fighters from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in an Israeli attack on a training centre in northwest Iran, the ISNA news agency reported.

He called for an end to the “unlimited aggression” against Iran.

“There is no Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian, Yemeni or Iranian problem but there is clearly an Israeli problem,” Fidan said.

“Israel is now leading the region to the brink of total disaster by attacking Iran, our neighbour,” he told a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday accused Israel of leading the Middle East towards “total disaster” by attacking Iran on June 13.

He added that 14 members of the emergency services were injured in the incidents, with two currently hospitalised due to severe trauma.

According to Jafar Miadfar, speaking to state news agency IRNA, “three relief bases and eight emergency centre ambulances in different parts of the country have been seriously damaged and destroyed.”

The head of Iran’s national emergency organisation has stated that recent Israeli airstrikes affected medical and relief infrastructure, as well as residential areas in various parts of the country.

Iran has not provided a complete update on the overall casualties in recent days. On Sunday, the Iranian Health Ministry reported 224 total fatalities. In comparison, Israeli authorities have placed their death toll at 24.

The state-affiliated Tasnim News Agency cited Mohajerani saying that an additional 94 women and children have been injured since Israel launched its military operations against Iran on June 13.

Israeli airstrikes in Iran have resulted in the deaths of 54 women and children, according to Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani, as reported by state media.

Italy’s foreign ministry also said it chartered a flight to help evacuate its citizens from Israel via Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Sunday.

The first group that arrived in Italy via Baku in recent days had 34 Italian nationals.

Another convoy from Iran could depart from Tehran as early as Monday.

The group included an Italian doctor and his partner, an Iranian woman, and their 18-month-old child, the ministry said.

“After about nine hours of travel and a very long wait at the border, the group was welcomed by representatives of the Italian Embassy in Baku, and then moved to the airport of the Azerbaijani capital to wait to return to Italy with the first available flights,” the ministry said.

The Italian foreign ministry said the 24 Italians are the second group to evacuate via Azerbaijan’s Baku, on their way back home.

“Israel’s ongoing aggression and occupation policies clearly show that there is an Israeli problem in our region that needs to be addressed,” Fidan said in an opening speech at a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul on Saturday.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says the Middle East is faced with an “Israeli problem” and called on Islamic countries to take a collective stand and show solidarity with Iran.

Tasnim News Agency, which is closely affiliated with Iran’s government, quoted the information minister as saying that access to “international” internet should be restored across the country by 8 p.m.

When the missiles landed, lack of internet connection meant not knowing for hours or days if their family or friends are among the victims.

Government officials had disconnected phone and web services earlier in the week for the more than 90 million people who live in Iran, citing cybersecurity threats from Israel. That left civilians unaware of when and where Israel would strike next, despite Israeli forces issuing warnings through their Persian-language online channels.

Those in the diaspora posted on social media about connecting to FaceTime or Whatsapp to call relatives they had been worried about.

Iranians on Saturday began to see some internet access restored, giving people the opportunity to call friends and family for the first time in days.

The air war began on June 13 when Israel attacked Iran and has alarmed a region that has been on edge since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023.

President Donald Trump and the White House said on Thursday he will decide in the next two weeks whether the U.S. will get involved in the Israel-Iran war. Trump has kept the world guessing on his plans, veering from proposing a swift diplomatic solution to suggesting Washington might join the fighting on Israel’s side.

The internal cable dated June 20 underscores the challenge Washington is facing in trying to protect and assist its citizens in a country with which it has no diplomatic relations and in a war in which the United States may soon get involved.

While many left without problem, “numerous” citizens had faced “delays and harassment” while trying to exit, the cable said. It said, without giving further details, that one unidentified family had reported that two U.S. citizens attempting to leave Iran had been detained.

Hundreds of American citizens have departed Iran using land routes over the past week since an aerial war between the Islamic Republic and Israel broke out, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters on Friday.

Ahvaz is the capital of Khuzestan province, which is situated on the Iraqi border and is Iran’s main oil-producing region. The Israeli military had previously announced it was striking “military infrastructure” in the southwest.

Several “powerful explosions” were heard Saturday afternoon in southwestern Iran’s Ahvaz, the daily Shargh reported, on the ninth day of hostilities between the Islamic republic and Israel.

At least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel began its attacks on June 13, Iranian state-run Nour News said, citing the health ministry.

Iranian media said earlier on Saturday that Israel had attacked a building in Qom, with initial reports of a 16-year-old killed and two people injured.

The Revolutionary Guards said five of its members died in attacks on Khorramabad, according to Iranian media. They did not mention Izadi, who was on U.S. and British sanctions lists.

Calling his killing a “major achievement for Israeli intelligence and the Air Force”, Katz said in a statement that Izadi had financed and armed the Palestinian militant group Hamas ahead of its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza.

Saeed Izadi, who led the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ overseas arm, was killed in a strike on an apartment in the Iranian city of Qom, said Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz.

Israel said on Saturday it had killed a veteran Iranian commander during attacks by both sides in the more than week-long air war, while Tehran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear programme while under threat.

Macron said he also asked for the release of two French citizens being held in Iran on espionage charges since 2022.

“To achieve this, we will accelerate the negotiations led by France and its European partners with Iran.”

“Here again, my position is clear: Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons, and it is up to Iran to provide full guarantees that its intentions are peaceful,” Macron posted on social media, adding that diplomatic efforts should continue to resolve the current crisis.

The French president said Saturday this happened during a call with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, who initiated the call.

The report states that Khamenei’s intention is to help facilitate a smooth and swift transition should the need arise.

Under Iran’s constitution, the Assembly of Experts—an 88-member clerical body—is responsible for selecting the country’s next supreme leader. This process has only occurred once since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Khamenei was appointed in 1989.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has identified three senior clerics as potential successors in the event of his death, according to a report by The New York Times, which cited three Iranian officials familiar with the matter.

“As of this morning, Israeli attacks have claimed the lives of over 400 defenseless Iranians and left 3,056 others wounded by missiles and drones,” health ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said in a post on X.

Israeli strikes on Iran have killed more than 400 people since they began last week, Iran’s health ministry said in an updated toll on Saturday, as fighting raged between the two foes.

A large column of smoke had also risen above the port city of Mahshahr, Fars news agency said, while “frightening explosions” were heard in the provincial capital of Ahvaz.

Shortly after, Iranian state media reported that the sound of large blasts was heard in two cities in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan. Air defenses were reported to be activated in both locations.

It was unclear what the targeted sites were.

“We know this facility well. There was no nuclear material at this site and therefore the attack on it will have no radiological consequences,” Grossi was quoted as saying

“A centrifuge manufacturing workshop has been hit in Esfahan, the third such facility that has been targeted in Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear-related sites over the past week,” the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement quoting its chief Rafael Grossi.

The UN nuclear agency confirmed on Saturday that a centrifuge manufacturing workshop at Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site had been hit, in the latest strike amid Israel’s bombing campaign.

Both sides signalled on Friday their readiness to keep talking, although no new date was set.

“In any case, Iran will review the European proposals in Tehran and present its responses in the next meeting,” the official said.

“The discussions and proposals made by the Europeans in Geneva were unrealistic. Insisting on these positions will not bring Iran and Europe closer to an agreement,” the senior official told Reuters, while speaking on condition of anonymity.

There were few signs of progress on Friday after the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, plus the EU met their Iranian counterpart in a bid to prevent the conflict between Israel and Iran from escalating.

A senior Iranian official said on Saturday that proposals put forward by European powers at talks in Geneva about his country’s nuclear programme were “unrealistic”, suggesting that if they stuck to them it would be difficult to reach an accord.

“We will do everything that we can do there in order to remove this threat,” Saar told German newspaper Bild, asserting Israel’s onslaught would continue.

As Israel continued to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and military targets, Saar said in an interview that by his country’s own assessment, it had “already delayed for at least two or three years the possibility for them to have a nuclear bomb”.

Israel’s military said a strike in Qom south of Tehran successfully targeted top Iranian official Saeed Izadi, in charge of coordination with Palestinian militant group Hamas, adding two other commanders from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were also killed overnight.

Israel said Saturday it had killed three more Iranian commanders in its unprecedented bombing campaign against the Islamic republic, which Foreign Minister Gideon Saar claimed had delayed Tehran’s alleged progress towards a nuclear weapon by two years.

The German news agency dpa reported the arrest took place last year and that the bicyclist is being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, home to Westerners and political prisoners.

The semiofficial Mehr news agency published footage of the unnamed man’s arrest, without saying when the arrest occurred. However, it described the cyclist as being detained in Markazi province, home to the Arak heavy water reactor.

Iran on Saturday acknowledged for the first time it had detained a German bicyclist on spying allegations, likely an effort by Tehran to pressure Germany amid its war with Israel.

The Turkish president expressed Turkiye’s readiness to facilitate the revival of nuclear talks, suggesting that diplomatic channels—both technical and at the leadership level—should be reopened as soon as possible.

The two officials met on the sidelines of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Istanbul. During the meeting, Erdogan also emphasized the need for an immediate halt to Israeli military actions.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has conveyed to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that resuming negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program is key to resolving the ongoing conflict, according to a statement from Erdogan’s office.

In an official update, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi noted that the workshop had been under IAEA surveillance as part of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear agreement between Iran and several world powers.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the facility was involved in manufacturing equipment used for uranium enrichment.

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has confirmed that a centrifuge workshop at Iran’s nuclear research facility in Isfahan sustained damage from recent Israeli airstrikes. However, the agency reported that there is no risk of radioactive or hazardous material leakage.

IRNA reported that “dozens” of drones were deployed and cited preliminary information suggesting that most reached their intended targets.

The Iranian army has announced the completion of the seventh and eighth phases of drone launches targeting Israel, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

“If the US gets involved in an attack and aggression against Iran with the Israeli enemy, the armed forces (Huthis) will target its ships and warships in the Red Sea,” the group’s military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement.

Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthi rebels threatened on Saturday to attack US vessels in the Red Sea in spite of a recent truce should Washington get involved in Israel’s campaign against Iran.

Araghchi was in Turkey to attend a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Erdogan said that the region cannot tolerate another war and said Israel must be “stopped immediately.”

A statement from Erdogan office said the Turkish president also told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a meeting in Istanbul on Saturday that Turkey was ready to take on the role of facilitator.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for technical and leadership-level talks between Iran and the United States to resolve tensions, during a meeting with Iran’s top diplomat.

The Hezbollah official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the airstrike that killed Abu Ali occurred earlier Saturday.

After Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstike in a Beirut suburb in September, his bodyguard was put in charge of his tomb in Beirut.

For many years, Abu Ali was seen behind Nasrallah during most of his public appearances.

Abu Ali Khalil, better known as Abu Ali Jawad, was killed after he went to Iran from neighboring Iraq, the official said.

The head of security to the late Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike while in Iran, a Hezbollah official said Saturday.

Meanwhile, Israel announced the killing of Saeed Izadi, a senior Quds Force commander, in a strike on Qom. Israeli officials say Izadi supported Hamas ahead of its October 2023 attack. The U.S. continues to weigh involvement as calls for de-escalation grow.

A senior Iranian official has dismissed European proposals on Iran’s nuclear program as unrealistic, amid escalating hostilities with Israel. Reports say Israeli strikes targeted a nuclear facility, while Iran and Western powers met in Geneva seeking a path to diplomacy and a potential ceasefire.

Load More

Israel and Iran’s air war entered a second week on Friday and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump said any decision on potential US involvement would be made within two weeks.

Iran has launched a fresh wave of attacks against Israel, with missiles targeting the southern city of Beersheba, where a hospital was struck yesterday. The air strikes reportedly hit a tech park in the city and fires were reported near a Microsoft office.

Meanwhile, Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Those killed include the military’s top echelon and nuclear scientists. Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks. Reuters could not independently verify the death toll from either side.

British, German and French foreign ministers will meet their Iranian counterpart Abbas Argachi in Geneva for nuclear talks, in a first diplomatic sit-down between Europe and Iran as Trump weighs US involvement.

Israel has targeted nuclear sites and missile capabilities, and sought to shatter the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Western and regional officials.

“Are we targeting the downfall of the regime? That may be a result, but it’s up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both condemned Israel and agreed that de-escalation is needed, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

The role of the United States remained uncertain. Lammy also met Trump’s special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, on Thursday in Washington, and said they had discussed a possible deal.

With inputs from Reuters

Analysis: If Israel breaks Iran it will end up owning the chaos that could ensue

By Dominic Waghorn, international affairs editor

Israelis are good at tactics, poor at strategic vision, it has been observed.

Their campaign against Iran may be a case in point.

Short termism is understandable in a region that is so unpredictable. Why make elaborate plans if they are generally undone by unexpected events? It is a mindset that is familiar to anyone who has lived or worked there.

And it informs policy-making. The Israeli offensive in Gaza is no exception. The Israeli government has never been clear how it will end or what happens the day after that in what remains of the coastal strip. Pressed privately, even senior advisers will admit they simply do not know.

It may seem unfair to call a military operation against Iran that literally took decades of planning short-termist or purely tactical. There was clearly a strategy of astonishing sophistication behind a devastating campaign that has dismantled so much of the enemy’s capability.

But is there a strategic vision beyond that? That is what worries Israel’s allies.

A senior Iranian official said on Saturday that proposals put forward by European powers at talks in Geneva about his country’s nuclear programme were “unrealistic”, suggesting that if they stuck to them it would be difficult to reach an accord, APA reports citing Reuters.

There were few signs of progress on Friday after the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, plus the EU met their Iranian counterpart in a bid to prevent the conflict between Israel and Iran from escalating.

“The discussions and proposals made by the Europeans in Geneva were unrealistic. Insisting on these positions will not bring Iran and Europe closer to an agreement,” the senior official told Reuters, while speaking on condition of anonymity.

US stealth bombers on the move – report

A group of US stealth bombers appear to be on the move as tensions increase over whether America will join the Israel-Iran conflict.

According to Fox News, flight tracking data shows the B-2 warplanes, which are designed for long-range strike missions, heading off the west coast of America.

The reports adds that the bombers apparently refuelled after launching from Missouri, indicating they launched without full tanks due to a heavy onboard payload.

The B-2 aircraft are capable of delivering the 30,000lb bunker buster bombs needed to attack Fordow, the Iranian nuclear facility buried 300ft inside a mountain.

On Thursday, Donald Trump said he would make a decision on whether to strike Iran “in the next two weeks”. The deployment of the bombers suggests the US president may be prepared to launch a strike sooner than expected.

It’s unclear where exactly the bombers are heading to, though. Reported destinations include either Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean or a US military base in Guam.

The US would need British permission to launch strikes from Diego Garcia, over which the UK maintains sovereignty.

This would not be necessary if they deployed from the base in Guam.