Iran-Israel Conflict LIVE | Israel And Iran Accept Ceasefire

Israel and Iran on Tuesday accepted a ceasefire plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to end their 12-day war that roiled the Middle East, after Tehran launched a retaliatory limited missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar.

The acceptance of the deal by both sides came after Tehran launched a final onslaught of missiles targeting Israel that killed at least four people early Tuesday morning, while Israel launched a blitz of airstrikes targeting sites across Iran before dawn. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with Iran in coordination with Trump.

Netanyahu said that he had reported to Israel’s security cabinet Monday night that Israel had achieved all of its war goals in the 12-day operation against Iran, including removing the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Israel also damaged Iran’s military leadership and several government sites and achieved control over Tehran’s skies, Netanyahu said.

“Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire,” Netanyahu said. Heavy Israeli strikes continued in Iranian cities until shortly before 4 a.m., followed by Iranian barrages that sent Israelis hurrying into bomb shelters as the sun rose, killing at least four people and injuring eight others, Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue services said. Writing over an hour after a deadline passed for Iran to halt its attacks, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!”

Iranian state television reported that the ceasefire went into effect at 7:30 a.m., but Iranian officials have not commented since Trump’s announcement. Hours earlier, Iran’s top diplomat said the country was prepared to halt airstrikes.

“As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X. “However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.”

(AP)

WASHINGTON: The whipsaw chain of events involving Iran, Israel and the United States that culminated in a surprise ceasefire has raised many questions about how the Trump administration will approach the Middle East going forward.

Yet, the answer to the bottom line question — “what’s next?” — remains unknowable and unpredictable. That is because President Donald Trump has essentially sidelined the traditional US national security apparatus and confined advice and decision-making to a very small group of top aides operating from the White House.

While there is uncertainty about whether the ceasefire between Iran and Israel will hold, it opens the possibility of renewed talks with Tehran over its nuclear program and reinvigorating stalled negotiations in other conflicts.

Watching for next steps on Trump’s social media

Outside experts, long consulted by presidential administrations on policy, have been forced like the general public to follow Trump’s social media musings and pronouncements for insights on his thinking or the latest turn of events.

Even Congress does not appear to be in the loop as top members were provided only cursory notifications of Trump’s weekend decision to hit three Israeli nuclear facilities and briefings on their impact scheduled for Tuesday were abruptly postponed.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, whose agency has played a key role in formulating Iran policy for decades, repeatedly on Tuesday deferred questions to the White House and Trump’s posts.

“The secretary of state was in a dynamic with the president that is a private dynamic as that team was addressing a war and the nature of how to stop it,” she told reporters. “I can’t speak to how that transpired or the decisions that were made.”

Trump’s announcement Monday that Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire took many in the administration by surprise — as did his post Tuesday that China is now free to import Iranian oil.

It’s an apparent 180-degree shift from Trump’s “maximum pressure campaign” on Iran since he withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement during his first term. US officials were left wondering if that meant wide-ranging sanctions aimed at cutting off Iran’s energy revenue were being eased or reversed.

Assessing the damage to Iran’s nuclear program

While the extent of the damage from 11 days of Israeli attacks and Saturday’s strikes by US bunker-buster bombs is not yet fully known, a preliminary assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency said the nuclear program had been set back only a few months and was not “completely and fully obliterated” as Trump has said.

According to people familiar with the report, it found that while the strikes at the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites did significant damage, they were not totally destroyed.

Still, most experts believe the facilities will require months or longer to repair or reconstruct if Iran chooses to try to maintain its program at previous levels.

Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, deputy commander of US Central Command, who has been nominated to lead forces in the Middle East, told lawmakers Tuesday that Iran still possesses “significant tactical capability” despite the American strikes. He pointed to Iran’s attempt to retaliate with missile launches at a US base in Qatar.

In response to a question about whether the Iranians still pose a threat to US troops and Americans worldwide, Cooper replied, “They do.”

Trump, after announcing the ceasefire, boasted that Iran will never again have a nuclear program.

However, there are serious questions about whether Iran’s leadership, which has placed a high premium on maintaining its nuclear capabilities, will be willing to negotiate them away.

Restarting US-Iran nuclear talks is possible

Another major question is what happens with negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. It is not entirely clear who in Iran has the authority to make a deal or even agree to reenter talks with the US or others.

Ray Takeyh, a former State Department official and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Iranian leadership is at a moment of disarray — making it difficult to return to the table.

“The country’s leadership and the regime is not cohesive enough to be able to come to some sort of negotiations at this point, especially negotiations from the American perspective, whose conclusion is predetermined, namely, zero enrichment,” he said.

Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, agreed, saying that “the biggest challenge right now is who is in charge in Tehran.”

“Is there an Iranian negotiation team empowered to make consequential decisions?” he said. “The issue is that (Trump) is dealing with an Iranian government whose longtime identity has been based on hostility toward the the United States.”

Still, a US official said Tuesday that special envoy Steve Witkoff is ready to resume negotiations if Trump tells him to and Iran is willing. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic matters.

Witkoff has maintained an open line of direct communication via text messages with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

In the aftermath of the US strikes, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both stressed that diplomacy is still Trump’s preferred method for ending the conflict permanently.

“We didn’t blow up the diplomacy,” Vance told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “The diplomacy never was given a real chance by the Iranians. And our hope … is that this maybe can reset here. The Iranians have a choice. They can go down the path of peace or they can go down the path of this ridiculous brinksmanship.”

Rubio echoed those comments.

“We’re prepared right now, if they call right now and say we want to meet, let’s talk about this, we’re prepared to do that,” he said. “The president’s made that clear from the very beginning: His preference is to deal with this issue diplomatically.”

The Israel-Iran ceasefire could affect Trump’s approach to other conflicts

If it holds, the ceasefire could offer insight to the Trump administration as it tries to broker peace in several other significant conflicts with ties to Iran.

An end — even a temporary one — to the Iran-Israel hostilities may allow the administration to return to talks with mediators like Egypt and Qatar to seek an end to the war between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas.

In Syria, a further shift away from now-weakened Iranian influence — pervasive during ousted leader Bashar Assad’s reign — could open new doors for US-Syria cooperation. Trump already has met the leader of the new Syrian government and eased US sanctions.

Similarly, tense US relations with Lebanon also could benefit from a reduced Iranian role in supporting the Hezbollah militant group, which has been a force of its own — rivaling if not outperforming the Lebanese Armed Forces, particularly near the Israeli border.

If an Iran-Israel ceasefire holds, it also could allow Trump the time and space to return to stalled efforts to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

Russia and Iran have substantial economic and military cooperation, including Tehran providing Moscow with drones that the Russian military has relied on heavily in its war against Ukraine.

Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine in recent days as Israel attacked sites in Iran, perhaps expecting the world’s attention to shift away from its three-year-old invasion.

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The U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend eradicated Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon, despite media reports saying the opposite, Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration’s special envoy to the Middle East, said Tuesday.

The strikes ordered by President Donald Trump targeted three sites – one each in Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow.

“All three of those had most, if not all, the centrifuges damaged or destroyed in a way that it will be almost impossible for them to resurrect that program, in my view and in many other experts’ views who have seen the raw data, it will take a period of years,” Witkoff told “The Ingraham Angle.”

Witkoff described media reports contradicting claims that Iran’s nuclear sites were obliterated “completely preposterous.”

He also called for whoever leaked documents about the damage assessment of the three targeted sites to be held accountable.

“Leaking that type of information, whatever the information, whatever side it comes out on, is outrageous,” he said. “It’s treasonous. So, it ought to be investigated. And whoever did it, whoever is responsible for it, should be held accountable. It could hurt lives in the future.”

“It was never going to be a forever war. It was never gonna be a war just for war’s sake. It was a war to achieve an objective that I think most Americans should be very, very satisfied with,” Witkoff told the “Ingraham Angle.” “I can tell you that I was in those discussions. I watched our commander in chief. He is, he’s got this uncanny ability to understand exactly when to push the button and when to pull out. He achieved his objective and that was the end of it.”

A man poses next to apparent remains of a ballistic missile following today’s missile attack by Iran on Israel, in northern Israel, June 24, 2025. Photo: Reuters/Avi Ohayon

Key updates-

US President Donald Trump says a ceasefire is in effect

Netanyahu says Israel has agreed to Trump’s ceasefire proposal

After ceasefire, Iran media report explosions in country’s north

Iran denies firing missiles at Israel after ceasefire announcement

Iran fired its last missiles early Tuesday before ceasefire

Iran targeted the US Al Udeid airbase in Qatar on Monday

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was now in place and asked both sides not to violate it, raising hopes of an end to the 12-day war even as deadly attacks were reported in both countries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to Trump’s ceasefire proposal, declaring that Israel had achieved its goal of removing Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile threat, but warning that it would respond forcefully to any violations, his office said.

As the Iran-Israel war took a new turn, here are the real-time updates:

1:30am

Iran toll from Israel strike before ceasefire reaches 16 dead: media

An Israeli strike on northern Iran before the start of a ceasefire on Tuesday killed 16 people, according to a revised toll from an official cited by the ISNA news agency.

The strike hit a residential area of Astaneh-ye-Ashrafiyeh, in Gilan province on the Caspian Sea coast. The earlier toll was nine dead.

AFP

1:15am

Iranian air defences activated against drones in Tabriz: Iranian media

Iranian air defences were activated on Tuesday evening against drones in the northwestern city of Tabriz, two Iranian news sites reported, amid a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

There was no official confirmation from Iranian authorities.

Reuters

1:10am

Early US intel assessment suggests strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, CNN reports

An early US intelligence assessment indicated that the US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last week did not destroy the core components of Tehran’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing three people briefed on it.

“This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong,” CNN quoted White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as saying.

Reuters

1:00am

Netanyahu declares historic win, commits to campaign against Iran axis, Hamas

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel had achieved a historic victory that would stand for generations, but it must complete its campaign against Iran’s axis, defeat Hamas and bring about the return of all the hostages in Gaza.

In video remarks issued by the prime minister’s office, Netanyahu said Israel never had a better friend in the White House than President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu vowed to crush any attempt by Iran to rebuild its nuclear programme in a national address to the country after 12 days of war.

“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” Netanyahu said after a ceasefire put a halt to airstrikes by the two countries against each other.

“We have thwarted Iran’s nuclear project. And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity, to foil any attempt,” he added.

Reuters/AFP

12:00am

Iran willing to return to talks as ceasefire with Israel takes hold

Iran said on Tuesday that it was ready to return to negotiations with the United States, as a fragile ceasefire in its war with Israel took hold after 12 days of strikes that pummelled the Islamic republic’s nuclear facilities.

But even as he appeared to express willingness to revisit nuclear talks derailed by Israel’s surprise attack, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country would continue to “assert its legitimate rights” to the peaceful use of atomic power.

AFP

10:00pm

Iran says not seeking nuclear weapons but will assert ‘legitimate rights’

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that his country was not seeking nuclear weapons but will continue to defend its “legitimate rights” as a ceasefire took hold with Israel.

“We expect you to explain to them, in your dealings with the United States, that the Islamic Republic of Iran is only seeking to assert its legitimate rights,” Pezeshkian said during a phone call with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed, according to the official IRNA news agency.

He added that Iran was “ready to resolve the issues… at the negotiating table.”

AFP

9:55pm

Iran president says Israel, US ‘cannot impose unjust aspirations by force’

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that Israel and the United States “cannot impose unjust aspirations by force”, as a fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel took hold after 12 days of fighting.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran was forced into the military conflict to defend itself, and I hope that we will never be forced to fight again,” Pezeshkian said during a phone call with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed, according to the official IRNA news agency.

AFP

9:45pm

Damscus blast was controlled detonation of UXO: official media

A loud blast heard in Damascus on Tuesday was caused by a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance by authorities, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported.

“The explosion heard a short while ago in the vicinity of the capital resulted from the detonation of war remnants by the competent authorities,” SANA said on messaging network Telegram.

Syrian authorities had not issued any warning ahead of the detonation.

The official Alekhbariah TV channel initially reported “a loud explosion of unknown origin in the city of Damascus” without giving further information.

Two AFP correspondents also heard the blast.

AFP

9:30pm

Iran says not seeking nuclear weapons but will assert ‘legitimate rights’

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that his country was not seeking nuclear weapons but will continue to defend its “legitimate rights” as a ceasefire took hold with Israel.

“We expect you to explain to them, in your dealings with the United States, that the Islamic Republic of Iran is only seeking to assert its legitimate rights,” Pezeshkian said during a phone call with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed, according to the official IRNA news agency. He added that Iran was “ready to resolve the issues… at the negotiating table.”

AFP

9:00pm

Life returns to Tehran, but residents wary ceasefire won’t hold

Tehran was far from its usual hustle and bustle on Tuesday, but life was regaining some colour despite concerns from residents that a tentative ceasefire between Iran and Israel may not hold, after nearly two weeks of war.

In Tajrish bazaar in north Tehran, everyone had their own opinion on whether the end to the fighting announced by US President Donald Trump would last.

“I don’t think it is sustainable,” said Ahmad Barqi, a 75-year-old vendor of electronics. “We would like a ceasefire… but they don’t implement it, they don’t keep to their promises,” he said, referring to the Israelis.

“It seems Israel is violating the truce,” said Alireza Jahangiri, another merchant, who heard state media reporting that Israel had carried out three rounds of strikes after the ceasefire was announced.

AFP

8:33pm

Iran says it will not violate ceasefire deal unless Israel does

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that Tehran would not violate the ceasefire deal unless Israel does, Iran’s state-run Nournews said.

US President Donald Trump earlier announced that the ceasefire deal had been reached between Israel and Iran.

Tehran is prepared to talk and defend the rights of the Iranian people at the negotiating table, Nournews cited Pezeshkian as saying.

Reuters

8:15pm

Iran says to start rebuilding homes, facilities damaged in Israel strikes

Iran said Tuesday it had begun efforts to rebuild residential areas and public infrastructure damaged in Israeli strikes over 12 days.

“We witnessed attacks on residential areas, as well as on scientific centres, research institutes, healthcare facilities and civilians… therefore we are facing a major task ahead in terms of reconstruction,” government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told state TV, adding that the authorities have begun to assess the extent of the damage.

AFP

7:45pm

Israel says it hit Iranian radar, but refrained from other strikes after Trump call

Israel acknowledged striking a radar installation near Tehran hours after the start of a ceasefire on Tuesday, in retaliation for Iranian missile launches, but said it had refrained from further attacks beyond that after US President Donald Trump spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The prime minister’s office acknowledged the strike in a statement after Trump publicly expressed frustration that Israel had launched strikes on Iran after the ceasefire agreement was reached but before it took effect.

Tehran has rejected accusations that it breached the truce, which was meant to start at 7am Israeli time (0400 GMT), and instead said Israel had continued its attacks on Iran for an hour and a half after the ceasefire came into effect.

Netanyahu’s office said that Israel had carried out a strike in Tehran targeting Iranian security forces at 3am (midnight GMT), four hours before the ceasefire was due to start.

Reuters

7:16pm

Trump says Iran-Israel truce holds after berating both countries

President Donald Trump criticized both Iran and Israel for what he said were violations of a ceasefire between the two adversaries in the hours after he announced the truce would go into force https://t.co/wn5k4XAU10 pic.twitter.com/QGbr9ijlkV — Reuters (@Reuters) June 24, 2025

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was holding, shortly after he lashed out at both countries and cursed as he accused them of violating the truce.

In a fast-moving series of declarations, the 79-year-old Republican, who was on his way to attend a NATO summit in The Hague, posted on his Truth Social app that “the Ceasefire is in effect!”

“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt,” Trump wrote.

Minutes earlier, he had castigated Iran and also close US ally Israel for violating a ceasefire he had originally announced late Monday.

The two countries have been “fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing, do you understand that?” the president told reporters at the White House.

Iran violated the ceasefire, “but Israel violated it too,” Trump told reporters on the White House’s South Lawn as he departed for the NATO summit.

“So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran either. But I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning.”

“I’ve got to get Israel to calm down,” he said. “Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before.”

If it holds, the truce would be a big political win for Trump in the wake of his risky decision to send US bombers over the weekend to attack three nuclear facilities in Iran that Israel and the United States say were being used to build an atomic bomb in secret.

The US leader had said the truce would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations first. He said Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.

AFP

6:54pm

Iran arrests European spying for Israel at military sites in Southern Hormozgan province, Fars news reports.

Reuters

6:52pm

Fragile Israel-Iran ceasefire should get parties back at the table, EU’s Kallas says

The fragile announced reprieve in fighting between Israel and Iran is good news and should make all parties return to the negotiating table, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday.

“All sides should refrain from further violence. This is the moment to return to the negotiating table,” Kallas said in a post on X.

Reuters

6:34pm

Israel refrained from further strikes on Iran after Trump-Netanyahu call, PM’s office says

Israel destroyed a radar installation near Tehran on Tuesday in response to Iran violating the ceasefire but refrained from further strikes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump, Netanyahu’s office said.

Reuters

6:30pm

Trump says he does not want “regime change” in Iran

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he does not want to see “regime change” in Iran, which he said would lead to chaos.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to a NATO summit, Trump said Iran is not going to have a nuclear weapon and that Russian President Vladimir Putin had called him and offered to help with Iran.

Reuters

6:24pm

Iran media report explosions in country’s north

Several Iranian media outlets reported on Tuesday afternoon the sound of explosions in the country’s north, after US President Donald Trump said an Iran-Israel ceasefire was now “in effect”.

The Etemad and Ham Mihan newspapers said explosions were heard and air defences were activated in Babol and Babolsar, two towns about 200 kilometres (124 miles) northeast of Tehran on the Caspian Sea.

The source of the explosions was not immediately clear.

AFP

6:22pm

New Israeli strikes reported by media despite Trump’s command to stop

Iranian and Israeli media reported new Israeli airstrikes on Iran on Tuesday, despite US President Donald Trump having said Israel had called them off at his command to preserve an hours-old ceasefire.

Two explosions were heard in the capital, the judiciary news outlet Mizan reported. Israeli army radio said Israel had struck an Iranian radar site near Tehran.

The strikes took place minutes after Trump said Israel had called off its attack in response to his command.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had said earlier on Tuesday that he had ordered the military to mount new strikes on targets in Tehran in response to what he said were Iranian missiles fired in a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire.

Iran denied launching any missiles and said Israel’s attacks had continued for an hour and a half beyond the time the ceasefire was meant to start.

Reuters

6:19pm

Trump says Iran-Israel ceasefire now ‘in effect’

A ceasefire between Iran and Israel is now “in effect”, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday, moments after he accused both countries of violating the truce.

“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, shortly after telling reporters at the White House that he was “really unhappy” with Israel for breaking the deal.

AFP

5:02pm

Trump tells Israel ‘do not drop those bombs’ on Iran

AFP

4:57pm

Iran defuses two unexploded missiles near prison targeted by Israel: media

AFP

4:56pm

Iran says at least 610 killed since start of war with Israel

AFP

4:49pm

Iran tells Qatar attack on US airbase ‘not action’ against Doha

Iran’s foreign minister said Tuesday his country’s attack on a US airbase in Qatar was not against its Gulf neighbour but an act of “self-defence” after US strikes on nuclear sites.

“The missile operation by the Iranian Armed Forces targeting Al-Udeid base was carried out within the framework of Iran’s legitimate right to self-defence,” Araghchi said in a phone call with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.

The Iranian attack “should in no way be interpreted as an action against the friendly and brotherly government of Qatar”, he said, quoted in a statement from his ministry.

AFP

4:46pm

Iran says attack on US airbase in Qatar was ‘self-defence’

AFP

03:47pm

Prisoners at Tehran’s Evin ‘transferred’ after Israeli strike: judiciary

Iran’s prison authority has “transferred” prisoners out of Evin prison after it was hit by Israeli strikes, the judiciary said on Tuesday.

The prison authority “transferred the inmates who were serving their sentences in this prison (Evin) to other facilities within Tehran province… to safeguard the rights of the prisoners and to provide space for emergency response teams”, the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said.

Local media reported the process had been completed, but it was not clear how many prisoners were transferred.

AFP

03:45pm

Russia welcomes Iran-Israel ceasefire, hopes it will last

Russia said on Tuesday that it would welcome a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, after both sides and US President Donald Trump announced a halt in hostilities.

“If a ceasefire has indeed been achieved, this can only be welcomed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that Moscow hoped “that this will be a sustainable ceasefire”.

AFP

03:25pm

Iran denies firing missiles at Israel after ceasefire announcement

Iran on Tuesday denied it launched missiles at Israel in the “last few hours”, after Israel accused it of doing so following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire.

The general staff of the Iranian army “denied the launch of missiles from Iran to the occupied territories (Israel) in the last few hours”, state television reported.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had earlier said Israel would “respond forcefully to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire” after the military reported incoming Iranian missiles.

AFP

02:22pm

Israel will respond forcefully to Iran’s “violation of ceasefire”, defence minister says

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he had ordered the military to strike Tehran in response to what he said were missiles fired by Iran in a violation of the ceasefire announced hours earlier by U.S. President Donald Trump.

However, Iran’s ISNA student news agency said reports that Iran had fired missiles at Israel after the ceasefire took effect were false.

The developments raised early doubts about the ceasefire, intended to end 12 days of war.

Reuters

01:34pm

Israel army warns ‘danger persists’ despite ceasefire with Iran

Emergency personnel work at an impacted residential site, following a missile attack from Iran on Israel, amid the Israel-Iran conflict, in Be’er Sheva, Israel June 24, 2025. REUTERS

Israel’s military warned Tuesday that “danger persists” despite the government earlier announcing it had agreed to a ceasefire with Iran on the 12th day of war between the foes.

“The Chief of Staff instructed all of the army to maintain a high level of alertness and preparedness for a powerful response to any violation of the ceasefire,” army spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a televised press conference.

“I want to stress that at this stage there is no change to the Home Front command instructions. The instructions must be obeyed. The danger persists.”

AFP

01:04pm

Iran state TV says Israeli strike killed nuclear scientist

Iranian state television said Tuesday an overnight Israeli strike killed a nuclear scientist in northern Iran, before US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire was taking effect between the Middle Eastern foes.

Citing sources, the broadcaster reported the killing of Mohammad Reza Seddighi Saber at his parents’ residence in Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh in northern Iran.

Mohammad Reza Seddighi Saber was under US sanctions. Several days ago, his 17-year-old son was reported killed in a strike on their home in Tehran, the broadcaster said.

AFP

12:35pm

Israel opposition leader calls for end of Gaza war after Iran ceasefire

Israel’s opposition leader on Tuesday called for an end to the more than 20-month war with Hamas in Gaza, after Israel announced it had agreed to a ceasefire with Iran.

“And now Gaza. It’s time to finish it there too. Bring back the hostages, end the war,” Yair Lapid wrote on X.

AFP

12:24pm

Netanyahu says Israel has agreed to Trump’s proposal for ceasefire with Iran

Israel has agreed to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire with Iran after it achieved its goal of removing Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile threat, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement posted by his office on Tuesday.

Reuters

11:44am

Nine people were killed early Tuesday in Israeli strikes on residential buildings in northern Iranian province of Gilan, Deputy Provincial Governor tells Tasnim

Reuters

11:04am

Trump on Israel-Iran conflict: Ceasefire is now in effect; “please do not violate it”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran “is now in effect” and urged both countries to not violate it.

“THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

Reuters

10:44am

Israel rescuers say death toll from Iran strike in south rises to 4

Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said an Iranian strike in the country’s south killed four people on Tuesday, revising a previous toll of three dead.

The missile struck a residential building in the city of Beersheba, where rescue workers were searching through the rubble, an AFP journalist at the scene reported.

AFP

9:44am

3 killed in Iranian missile strike on southern Israel, says MDA

Israeli emergency service MDA confirms 3 killed in Iranian missile strike on southern Israel, first reported deaths in Israel since Trump-announced ceasefire.

Reuters

8:24am

Israeli army says Iranian missiles fired at Israel ‘short while ago’

Israel’s military said early Tuesday that it was working to intercept Iranian missiles launched a “short while ago”, without specifying the exact time of the attack.

“A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel,” the Israeli military said in a statement posted to Telegram around 5:00 am (0200 GMT).

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a staggered ceasefire between Israel and Iran would begin around 0400 GMT, with Tehran halting operations first.

AFP

8:22am

Iran FM says ‘no agreement’ as of now on ceasefire with Israel

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that there was no ceasefire agreement with Israel as of now, but if it stopped its attacks then Tehran would also stop firing.

“As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” Araghchi posted on social media, shortly after the US president announced a deal would begin around 0400 GMT.

Araghchi added that if “the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.”

AFP

8:20am

‘Unidentified’ drone hits Baghdad base: Iraq security officials

An “unidentified” drone struck a military base in Baghdad early Tuesday while another fell in the west of the capital, Iraqi security sources said.

The first attack hit a radar system at the Taji base, causing only material damage, a security source told AFP.

Another drone fell in the Radwaniya district, ten kilometres west of Baghdad International Airport, where US troops are deployed in a base as part of an anti-jihadist coalition, the source added.

A government security spokesman Saad Maan confirmed that at Taji “an unidentified drone struck the radar”, adding that another drone “fell near a generator”, without providing further details.

Lieutenant General Walid al-Tamimi told the official Iraqi News Agency that no casualties were reported.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack.

The strikes come hours after Iran launched missiles at a US military facility in Qatar in retaliation for the American bombing of Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

Iraqi security sources told AFP that “so far” Iran had not attacked bases hosting US troops in Iraq.

AFP

6:10am

Fresh series of explosions rock Tehran: AFP journalists

A series of powerful explosions rocked Tehran early Tuesday morning, according to AFP journalists.

Warplanes buzzed overhead as explosions shook the north and centre of Iran’s capital around 3:00 am (2330 GMT).

The blasts occurred just hours before a staggered ceasefire was due to take effect around 0400 GMT, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations, according to an announcement by US President Donald Trump.

AFP

5:55am

Iraqi military official says unknown drone targeted Taji military base north of Baghdad, no casualties: state news agency

Reuters

5:50am

Trump brokered ceasefire agreement in contact with Israel, Iran: White House official

President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran on Monday in a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with Trump’s team in contact with Iranian officials, a senior White House official said.

The official, providing details of the ceasefire on condition of anonymity, said Israel agreed to the ceasefire so long as Iran does not launch fresh attacks. Iran signaled it would abide by the agreement, the official said.

In direct and indirect contact with the Iranians were U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, the official said.

Reuters

5:45am

Fresh series of explosions rock Tehran: AFP journalist

AFP

5:43am

Trump tells NBC News he expects Israel-Iran ceasefire to last forever

US President Donald Trump told NBC News he expects an Israel-Iran ceasefire that he announced on Monday to last “forever.”

“I think the ceasefire is unlimited. It’s going to go forever,” he told the network.

Reuters

5:40am

Israel agreed to ceasefire so long as Iran does not launch further attacks; Iran has signalled to the US no further attacks will take place: White House official

Reuters

5:00am

Senior Iranian official confirms to Reuters Tehran agreeing to Qatar mediated, US-proposed ceasefire with Israel

While an Iranian official confirmed that Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire, there was no immediate comment yet from Israel.

Neither Iran’s UN mission nor the Israeli embassy in Washington immediately responded to separate requests for comment from Reuters.

Reuters

5:00am

US stock futures rise after Trump says ceasefire reached between Israel and Iran

US stock futures rose on Monday after President Donald Trump said a ceasefire has been agreed to between Israel and Iran.

S&P 500 emini futures rose 0.3% and Nasdaq futures added 0.5%, suggesting traders expect Wall Street to climb when it opens on Tuesday.

Reuters

4:56am

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Tehran’s agreement to the US proposal for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Iran during a call with Iranian officials held after Iran’s strikes on a US air base in Qatar on Monday, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters early on Tuesday.

The phone call came after US president Donald Trump told Qatar’s emir that Israel had agreed to the ceasefire and asked for Doha’s help persuading Tehran to also agree to the ceasefire deal, the official said.

Reuters

4:52am

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say US will ‘regret’ any further attacks

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday promised that the United States would regret any further attacks on Iran.

“We warn the foolish and stupid American president…that in case of the repeat of an aggression or attack against the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the proud martyr-bearing land of Iran, he will receive more crushing and regrettable responses that will serve as a lesson,” the Guard’s commander Mohammad Pakpour was quoted as saying by state television.

AFP

4:40am

Israeli military issues new evacuation warning for residents of two areas in Tehran: post on X

Reuters

4:10am

US President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation, accompanied by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, at the White House in Washington, DC, US June 21, 2025, following US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. File photo: Reuters

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that a “complete and total” ceasefire between Israel and Iran will go into force with a view to ending the conflict between the two nations.

Trump appeared to suggest that Israel and Iran would have some time to complete any missions that are underway, at which point the ceasefire would begin in a staged process.

“On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, ‘THE 12 DAY WAR’,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.

Reuters

4:10am

Several loud explosions heard in Iran’s Karaj and Rajai Shahr: semi-official YJC news

Reuters

4:00am

Several powerful explosions heard in Tehran: AFP

A series of powerful explosions rocked the Iranian capital in early hours of Tuesday, according to AFP correspondents on the scene.

The blasts came around 2155 GMT, after the Israeli army called for residents of an area in central Tehran to evacuate, publishing a map showing an evacuation zone covering part of District 7.

AFP

4:00am

Iran calls for evacuation of city of Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv

Iran has called on residents of the Israeli city of Ramat Gan, east of the commercial capital Tel Aviv, to evacuate, local Iranian media reported late on Monday.

“Urgent warning from Iran to evacuate the zone of Ramat Gan in the occupied territories,” said the Mehr news agency, referring to Israel.

AFP

3:45am

US Vice President Vance says Iran is now incapable of building a nuclear weapon: Fox

US Vice President JD Vance said on Monday Iran was no longer able to build a nuclear weapon after US strikes destroyed its infrastructure.

“Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon,” Vance said in an interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier.”

“Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it,” Vance said.

Reuters

3:30am

Qatar re-opens airspace after Iran attack on US base

Qatar on Tuesday announced the re-opening of its airspace, the Qatari aviation authority said, after Iran fired a series of missiles at the Gulf state targeting the US’s Al Udeid base hosted there.

“The General Civil Aviation Authority announces the resumption of air traffic in the airspace of the State of Qatar and the return of the atmosphere to normal,” it said in a statement on X.

AFP

3:00am

UN chief condemns strikes by Iran, calls to ‘stop fighting’: spokesman

UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned Iran’s attack Monday against a US base in Qatar and urged again for diplomacy to end the conflict between Iran and Israel, his spokesman said.

“From the outset of the crisis, the Secretary-General has repeatedly condemned any military escalation in this conflict, including today’s attack by Iran on the territory of Qatar,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Guterres “further reiterates his call on all parties to stop fighting,” he added.

AFP

3:25am

Iran says ready to respond to any new US attack

Iran is ready to retaliate for any new attack by the United States, the Islamic republic’s top diplomat said late Monday after Tehran launched a strike at Washington’s largest military base in the region.

“Iran’s missile attack on Al-Udeid military base was a response to America’s blatant aggression against Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty,” Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi was quoted as saying by his ministry, adding that Tehran “will be prepared to respond again” to any new strikes by Washington.

AFP

2:00am

Trump says Iran gave US notice before attack on Qatar military base

US President Donald Trump on Monday said Iran gave the United States notice prior to shooting missiles at its military base in Qatar, which he said made it possible for no lives to be lost.

“I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done. Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

“Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same,” Trump added.

Reuters

1:50am

Iraq warns of ‘broader confrontation’ after Iran attack on US base in Qatar

Iraq’s foreign ministry warned of a “broader confrontation” and heightened tension in the region after Iran attacked a US base in Qatar on Monday.

Iraq has repeatedly warned “against the danger of new parties getting involved in the conflict, which could lead to a broader confrontation and further regional tension,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

AFP

1:45am

Iranian demonstrators celebrate missile attack on US base in Qatar: state TV

Iranians gathered in central Tehran on Monday night, images on state TV showed, to celebrate a missile attack targeting a US base in Qatar in retaliation for American strikes on nuclear sites.

Demonstrators were seen waving the flag of the Islamic republic and chanting “Death to America”, while others honked their car horns in celebration, footage showed.

AFP

1:30am

Iran Guards say six missiles hit US base in Qatar: state media

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said six missiles had struck a US base in Qatar targeted on Monday in retaliation for American air strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.

“Six missiles hit the American base at Al Udeid in Qatar,” the official press agency IRNA said, citing a statement from the Guards, the ideological arm of the Iranian military.

AFP

1:25am

Americans worry conflict with Iran could escalate: Reuters/Ipsos poll

Americans are anxious over a brewing conflict between the U.S. and Iran and worry the violence could escalate after President Donald Trump ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday.

Some 79% of Americans surveyed said they worried “that Iran may target US civilians in response to the US airstrikes.”

The three-day poll, which began after the US airstrikes and ended early Monday before Iran launched missiles at a US air base in Qatar, showed Americans were similarly concerned about their country’s military personnel stationed in the Middle East.

Some 84% said they worried in general about the growing conflict.

The poll, which surveyed 1,139 US adults nationwide, underscored deep divisions in America over what Washington should do next and highlighted the political risks faced by Trump, whose presidential approval rating fell to 41%, the lowest level of his current term in office that began in January.

Reuters

1:15am

Iranian parliament committee approves general plan to suspend cooperation with IAEA, news agency reports

The national security committee of Iran’s parliament approved the general outline of a bill meant to fully suspend Tehran’s cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on, citing committee spokesperson Ebrahim Rezaei.

Rezaei said that according to the bill, installing surveillance cameras, allowing inspections, and submitting reports to the IAEA would be suspended as long as the security of nuclear facilities is not guaranteed. Parliament still has to approve the bill in a plenary.

Reuters

12:45pm

Iran will continue its retaliation in response to US attacks

Iran will continue its retaliation in response to the United States’ attacks, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.

He said Iran has the necessary rationality to begin diplomacy after punishing the aggressor, adding if the US seeks negotiations, Israeli and US attacks must stop.

Reuters

12:25pm

No Iranian missiles hit US base in Qatar, US official tells Reuters

No Iranian missiles hit the US military’s al Udeid airbase in Qatar, a US official told Reuters on Monday.

The initial assessment follows an attempted attack by Iran on the base using short- and medium-range missiles.

Reuters

12:10am

No US casualties from Iran missile attack on US base in Qatar, officials say

No US personnel were killed or injured in Iran’s attack against al Udeid air base, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Iranian attack was carried out by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Reuters

12:07am 24/06/2025

No Iranian attack detected at any US base other than Qatar, US military official says

There was no Iranian attack detected at any US military base other than in Qatar, a US military official told Reuters on Monday.

There was no impact on the US Al Udeid airbase in Qatar, the official said.

Military sources told Reuters on Monday that air defense systems were activated in the US Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq for fear of a potential attack.

Reuters

11:44pm

Kuwait shuts airspace amid escalation in the region

Kuwait has shut down its airspace starting Monday and until further notice amid regional developments, Kuwaiti news agency Kuna reported.

The suspension follows a closure of airspace by Qatar and Bahrain as Iran attacked the Al Udeid US military base in Doha.

The Gulf is home to several US military bases.

Reuters

11:30pm

Iran informed Qatar in advance of strikes on US bases, New York Times reports

Iran coordinated its strikes on U.S. bases in Qatar with Qatari officials in advance in a bid to minimize casualties, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing three Iranian officials.

Reuters

11:25pm

Traces are seen in the sky after Iran’s armed forces say they targeted The Al-Udeid base in a missile attack, as seen from Doha, Qatar, June 23, 2025. Photo: Reuters/Stringer

Iran’s military said on Monday it had carried out a “devastating and powerful” missile attack on the Al Udeid US airbase in Qatar, after explosions were heard across the Qatari capital following Tehran’s threat to retaliate for US airstrikes.

Iran had issued threats to retaliate against the United States after US bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear sites at the weekend, joining Israel’s air war against Tehran, and President Donald Trump mooted the possibility of the Iranian government being toppled.

Qatar’s defence minister, quoted by Al Jazeera TV, said its air defences had intercepted missiles directed at the Al Udeid airbase, the largest US military installation in the Middle East, situated across the Gulf from Iran.

Reuters

10:50pm

Iran launches six missiles toward US bases in Qatar: Axios

Axios, citing an Israeli official, reported on Monday that Iran had launched six missiles toward US bases in Qatar.

Axios had earlier reported that Iran was preparing to fire missiles at the bases.

Reuters

10:45pm

Several explosions heard over Qatar capital Doha, Reuters witness says

Sounds of several explosions were heard over Qatari capital Doha, a Reuters witness said on Monday, following Tehran’s threats to retaliate against the US’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

The blasts could be heard in central Doha and in Lusail north of the Qatari capital, and projectiles could be seen moving across the night sky, reports AFP.

Reuters/AFP

10:00pm

Qatar suspends air traffic as precautionary measure: statement

Qatar temporarily suspended air traffic around the country, its foreign ministry said Monday, after nearby Iran threatened retaliation for US strikes on its nuclear sites.

“The competent authorities announce the temporary suspension of air traffic in the country’s airspace, as part of a set of precautionary measures taken based on developments in the region,” the foreign ministry said. Qatar is home to the United States’ largest base in the region.

AFP

9:20pm

Explosions heard near Iranian city of Ahvaz: media

AFP

9:10pm

Israeli army urges Tehran residents to avoid military sites

The Israeli army said Monday that it would keep up its strikes on targets in the Iranian capital, urging residents to stay away from security installations for their own safety.

The army “will continue to strike military targets in the Tehran area in the coming days,” read a statement posted in Persian on X, adding: “For your safety, we urge you to keep your distance from the regime’s weapons manufacturing facilities, military headquarters, and the security institutions”.

AFP

9:00pm

France says strike on Evin prison, which put French prisoners in danger, is unacceptable

French Foreign Affairs minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday that the Israeli strike on Tehran’s Evin prison, which put French prisoners in danger, was unacceptable.

He added on X that he called for the immediate end of all strikes to enable negotiation and that he had asked for consular access to the two citizens.

Reuters

8:45pm

Trump tells everyone to keep oil prices down after Iran attacks

US President Donald Trump expressed a desire on Monday to see oil prices kept down amid fears that the aftermath of the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities could cause them to spike.

“Everyone, keep oil prices down, I’m watching! You’re playing into the hands of the enemy, don’t do it,” Trump wrote in all caps on his Truth Social platform.

Trump followed up with another post addressed to the U.S. Department of Energy, encouraging it to “drill, baby, drill” and saying, “I mean now.”

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright responded, “We’re on it!” in a post on X.

Reuters

7:41pm

Iranian foreign minister says he had good meeting with Putin and discussed in detail development of situation in Middle East: RIA

Reuters

7:40pm

Trump ‘still interested’ in Iran diplomacy: White House

Donald Trump thinks Iranians should overthrow their government if it refuses to negotiate on its nuclear programme, but the US president is “still interested” in diplomacy, the White House said Monday.

“If the Iranian regime refuses to come to a peaceful diplomatic solution, which the president is still interested and engaging in, by the way, why shouldn’t the Iranian people take away the power of this incredibly violent regime that has been suppressing them for decades?” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News.

US bombers attacked Iran’s heavily guarded and secretive nuclear enrichment sites over the weekend, joining Israel’s military campaign to destroy the Iranian nuclear programme.

AFP

7:30pm

Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, visits Hezbollah’s office in Tehran, Iran, October 1, 2024. File photo: Reuters

Mojtaba Khamenei is one of the most influential figures in the Iranian clerical establishment headed by his father, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and among the figures seen as a candidate to succeed him as leader of the Islamic Republic.

A mid-ranking cleric who studied under religious conservatives in the seminaries of Qom, Mojtaba is a hardliner with close ties to the Revolutionary Guards, the force mandated to safeguard the Islamic Republic led by Khamenei since 1989.

Carrying the clerical rank of Hojjatoleslam, Mojtaba, 55, has never held a formal position in the Islamic Republic’s government, exercising his influence behind the scenes as the gatekeeper to his father, according to Iran watchers.

Reuters

7:15pm

Israel power supplier reports damage near ‘strategic’ facility

Israel’s state power company reported supply disruptions on Monday after damage near a “strategic infrastructure facility” at an undisclosed location, as Iran launched a fresh wave of missiles.

“Due to damage near a strategic infrastructure facility of the Israel Electric Corporation… disruptions in electricity supply are being reported in several communities in the area,” the IEC said in a statement, without specifying the cause.

Avraham Rabukhin, head of the grid division for the Tel Aviv and Coastal district, later told AFP that a missile fell near one of the company’s facilities.

Journalists were allowed to film the area of the strike, but under Israel’s military censorship were ordered not to publish any information about the location.

AFP

7:10pm

Iran’s supreme leader sent his foreign minister to Moscow on Monday to ask President Vladimir Putin for more help from Russia after the biggest US military action against the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution over the weekend.

US President Donald Trump and Israel have publicly speculated about killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and about regime change, a step Russia fears could further destabilise the Middle East.

While Putin has condemned the Israeli strikes, he has yet to comment on the US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites though he last week called for calm and offered Moscow’s services as a mediator over the nuclear programme.

Reuters

7:05pm

Oil majors evacuate some personnel in Iraq, oil operations not affected

Oil majors Eni, BP, and Total Energies operating in Iraqi oilfields have evacuated a number of their foreign personnel, Iraq’s state-run Basra Oil Company said in a statement on Monday.

However, oil operations in Iraq’s southern oilfields have not been affected, with exports averaging 3.32 million barrels per day, two oil officials told Reuters.

The measures taken come as the world awaits Tehran’s response to the US attack on nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic with clashes between Israel and Iran, which borders Iraq, flaring up.

Reuters

7:00pm

Germany’s Merz sees no reason for him to criticise Israeli, US attacks on Iran

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that there was no reason for him to criticise attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran.

Reuters

5:40pm

Israel says striking Iranian security command centres

Israel’s military said Monday it was striking command centres of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards and other domestic security forces responsible for “maintaining the regime’s stability”.

“These forces consist of various corps and command centers and are responsible, on behalf of the Iranian regime’s military, for defending the homeland security, suppressing threats, and maintaining the regime’s stability,” it said in a statement.

AFP

4:50pm

Israel targeting Tehran’s Evin prison with air strikes: defence minister

Israel’s defence minister said the army was targeting Tehran’s notorious Evin prison Monday as it carried out fresh strikes on the Iranian capital.

The military “is carrying out strikes of unprecedented force against regime targets and agencies of government repression in the heart of Tehran. Among the targets… (is) Evin Prison (which holds political prisoners and dissidents)… and additional regime-related targets,” Israel Katz said in a post on X.

AFP

[03:50pm]

Iran foreign minister thanks Putin for condemning US strikes, says Russia is on ‘right side of history’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Monday thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for condemning U.S. strikes on Iran, telling him Russia stood on “the right side of history”.

Araqchi made the comments at the start of Kremlin talks with Putin and told the Russian leader that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian had asked him to convey their best wishes to Putin.

Reuters

[03:30pm]

Israel attacks Iran’s Fordo nuclear site: Iranian media

Israel carried out a fresh strike on Iran’s underground Fordo nuclear site south of Tehran, a media outlet in the country reported.

“The aggressor attacked the Fordo nuclear site again,” Tasnim news agency reported, quoting a spokesperson for the crisis management authority in Qom province where the site is located.

The latest attacks come a day after the United States launched unprecedented strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities including Fordo and sites at Isfahan and Natanz.

AFP

[03:25pm]

Russia ‘condemns’ and ‘regrets’ US strikes on Iran

The Kremlin Monday said it “condemns” and “regrets” US strikes on Iran over the weekend, as Russian President Vladimir Putin was set to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Moscow.

“There has been a new escalation of tensions in the region, and, of course, we condemn this and express our deep regret in this regard,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

AFP

[03:20pm]

IAEA chief expects ‘very significant damage’ at Iran’s Fordow site

U.S. bombing probably caused “very significant” damage to the underground areas of Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment plant dug into a mountain, though no one can yet tell the extent, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday.

“Given the explosive payload utilised and the extreme(ly) vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred,” Grossi said in a statement to an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors.

Reuters

[01:50pm]

Blasts heard in Jerusalem after Israel army warning of Iran missiles

Israeli security forces look on as a digger clears the rubble of a destroyed building at the site of an Iranian strike that hit a residential neighbourhood in the Ramat Aviv area in Tel Aviv on June 22, 2025. At least 16 people were hurt and at least one impact was reported in central Israel after Iran launched two waves of missiles at the country following the US bombing of its nuclear sites, rescue services and reports said. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP)

Loud explosions were heard in Jerusalem on Monday, after the Israeli military warned a fresh barrage of missiles had been launched from Iran.

Around 10 minutes after announcing the missiles had been identified, the military said “additional missiles were launched” towards Israel and urged people to take cover.

The Magen David Adom rescue service reported no immediate casualties.

AFP

[12:50pm]

Israeli military says it attacked 6 airports in Iran

The Israeli military carried out air strikes on at least six airports in western, eastern and central Iran.

In a statement posted on its Hebrew account on X, Israel said that remotely manned aircraft destroyed 15 Iranian aircraft and helicopters. An image attached in the post listed the Mehrabad, Mashhad and Dezful airports as among those targeted.

“The strikes damaged runways, underground bunkers, a refuelling plane and F-14, F-5, and AH-1 aircraft belonging to the Iranian regime,” it said.

“The air force disrupted the ability to take off from these airports and the operation of the Iranian army’s air power from them.”

[12:30pm]

Trump started this war, we will end it, says Iranian military

Recent hostile action by the United States expanded the scope of legitimate targets for Iran’s armed forces, a spokesperson for its Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a video shared on Monday.

Ebrahim Zolfaqari said the U.S. should expect heavy consequences for its actions.

“Mr. Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it,” Zolfaqari said in English at the end of his recorded statement.

Reuters

[11:30am]

Iran and Russia are coordinating their positions on the current escalation, Iranian foreign minister says

Iran and Russia are coordinating their positions on the current escalation in the Middle East, the TASS news agency reported on Monday citing Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi, who is visiting Moscow.

Reuters

[11:10am]

Israel says striking military sites in west Iran

Israel’s army said it was striking military sites in western Iran’s Kermanshah on Monday, as fighting between the two foes raged for the 11th day.

The Israeli air force “is currently striking military infrastructure sites in Kermanshah in Iran”, a military statement said.

AFP

[10:10am]

US urges China to keep Iran from shutting key trade route

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China Sunday to help deter Iran from shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial trade route, following American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

“I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that because they heavily depend on the Strait of Hormuz for their oil,” Rubio said on Fox News.

Analysts have said Iran may opt to retaliate to Washington’s early Sunday attack by shutting the Strait, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output passes.

AFP

[09:40am]

North Korea condemns US strikes on Iran: state media

North Korea condemned on Monday US strikes on Iran, calling it violation of the United Nations charter and blaming the tension in the Middle East on the “reckless valor of Israel”.

“The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea strongly denounces the attack on Iran by the US which severely violated the UN Charter with respect for sovereignty,” said a spokesperson of the North’s foreign ministry, according to a statement carried by the state news agency.

AFP

People hold signs as they demonstrate in front of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2025 against US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. AFP

[09:20am]

US issues ‘worldwide caution’ for Americans over Mideast conflict

The US State Department issued a “worldwide caution” for Americans on Sunday, saying the conflict in the Middle East could put those traveling or living abroad at an increased security risk.

“The conflict between Israel and Iran has resulted in disruptions to travel and periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East. There is the potential for demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad,” the State Department’s security alert said.

AFP

[08:20am]

Trump says US strikes caused ‘monumental damage’ to Iran nuclear sites

President Donald Trump insisted Sunday that US strikes had destroyed Iranian nuclear sites, after other officials cautioned that the extent of damage was still unclear.

“Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term!” Trump wrote on social media, without sharing the images he was referencing.

“The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!” he added.

AFP

US Marines from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, stand guard at a protest condemning the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, outside the Westwood Federal Building in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, on June 22, 2025. AFP

6:15am

Israel army says carried out strikes on military targets in Iran

The Israeli army said it carried out strikes on Iranian military targets, including missile launch and storage sites, on Sunday.

“Approximately 20 (Israeli airforce) fighter jets conducted intelligence-based strikes using over 30 munitions on military targets in Iran,” the Israeli army said in a statement posted to Telegram.

The attacks were carried out on “storage and missile launching infrastructure sites”, as well as “military satellites and radar sites”, it added.

It came after the United States carried out massive air strikes that Washington said had destroyed Tehran’s nuclear program, though some officials cautioned that the extent of the damage was unclear.

Israel also struck several parts of northwest Iran on Sunday, Iranian media reported, as fighting between the arch enemies raged.

At least three people were killed on Sunday after an Israeli strike hit an ambulance in central Iran.

AFP

6:05am

Israeli military says missiles launched from Iran towards Israel

Reuters

6:00am

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses delegates during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following US attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, at UN headquarters in New York City, US on June 22, 2025. Photo: Reuters/Eduardo Munoz

The UN Security Council met on Sunday to discuss U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites as Russia, China and Pakistan proposed the 15-member body adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East.

“The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States marks a perilous turn,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Sunday.

“We must act – immediately and decisively – to halt the fighting and return to serious, sustained negotiations on the Iran nuclear programme.”

5:45am

Air defences activated in Karaj, west of Tehran, to counter Israeli attack, explosions heard: Iranian news agencies

Reuters

5:40am

US issues ‘worldwide caution’ for Americans over Mideast conflict

The US State Department issued a “worldwide caution” for Americans on Sunday, saying the conflict in the Middle East could put those traveling or living abroad at an increased security risk.

“There is the potential for demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad,” and “the Department of State advises US citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution,” said the State Department’s security alert.

AFP

5:30am

Israeli air strikes hit Parchin, location of a large Iranian military complex southeast of Tehran, Nournews reports

Reuters

5:15am

Air defences activated in Iran’s central Tehran districts to counter ‘enemy targets’: Iranian news agencies

Reuters

5:00am

US clearly not interested in diplomacy: Russia’s UN envoy

Russia’s UN envoy today called for immediate cessation of aggressive actions by Israel and US.

He added that US was clearly not interested in diplomacy and has opened a pandora’s box. “No one knows what new catastrophes, suffering it will bring.”

He condemned the “irresponsible, dangerous, provocative actions by US against Iran”.

Reuters

4:30am

Iran tells UN that US has ‘waged a war’ under ‘absurd pretext’

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations on Sunday slammed the United States for its strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

“The United States, a permanent member of this Council… has now once again resorted to illegal force, waged a war against my country, under a fabricated and absurd pretext: preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,” Amir Saeid Iravani told the UN Security Council.

AFP

4:00am

Trump says ‘why wouldn’t there be a regime change’ in Iran

President Donald Trump hinted Sunday at interest in regime change in Iran, despite several of his administration officials earlier stressing that US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites did not have that goal.

“It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

AFP

3:30am

Israeli strikes attack northwest Iran: local media

Israeli strikes attacked several parts of northwest Iran Sunday, Iranian media reported, as fighting between the two foes raged for the 10th day.

The strikes targeted “two locations in the southwestern part of Tabriz” city, capital of the East Azerbaijan province, ISNA news agency reported, quoting Majid Farshi the province’s crisis management authority chief.

It was not immediately clear what locations were targeted but Farshi said the air-defence systems had been activated to counter the attack.

AFP

3:00am

3 killed after Israeli strike hit ambulance in Iran: media

At least three people were killed Sunday after an ambulance was hit in an Israeli strike in central Iran, local media reported, as fighting raged between the two foes for the 10th day.

“The ambulance… was en route to transfer a patient when it was severely damaged by a drone strike,” ISNA news agency reported quoting Hamidreza Mohammadi Fesharaki, the governor of Najafabad county in the central Isfahan province.

“All occupants of the ambulance — including the driver, the patient, and the patient’s companion — were martyred.”

He added: “The impact of the drone caused the ambulance to veer off course and collide with a passing vehicle.”

AFP

1:40am

UN chief warns of cycle of retaliation after US bombs Iran

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned Sunday against yet “another cycle of destruction” and retaliation following the US strikes against Iran, which he said marked a “perilous turn” in the region.

“I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East,” the secretary-general told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. “The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation.”

AFP

1:30am

Netanyahu says Israel close to meeting its goals in Iran

Israel was very close to meeting its goals in Iran of removing the threats of ballistic missiles and the nuclear programme, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.

Speaking to Israeli reporters, he said: “We won’t pursue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve them, but we also won’t finish too soon. When the objectives are achieved, then the operation is complete and the fighting will stop.”

“I have no doubt that this is a regime that wants to wipe us out, and that’s why we embarked on this operation to eliminate the two concrete threats to our existence: the nuclear threat, the ballistic missile threat. We are moving step by step towards achieving these goals. We are very, very close to completing them,” he said.

Reuters

1:10am

IAEA says entrances to tunnels at Iran’s Isfahan site hit by US strike

Entrances to tunnels at Iran’s sprawling Isfahan nuclear complex were hit in US military strikes overnight, the UN nuclear watchdog said in a statement on Sunday.

“We have established that entrances to underground tunnels at the site were impacted,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said. Officials said before Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities on June 13 that much of Iran’s most highly enriched uranium was stored underground at Isfahan.

Reuters

1:00am

Israeli military says it is attacking military infrastructure in Tehran and Western Iran.

Reuters

12:40am

Iran’s army says brigade chief, three officers and two soldiers killed in Israeli attack in Western Iran – SNN news.

Reuters

12:30am 23/06/2025

Iran’s atomic energy agency says nuclear sites quickly being rebuilt, activity to continue with greater power – Iranian media.

Reuters

11:30pm

Over 200 places in Tehran hit in Israeli strikes since start of war: official

Over 200 places in the Iranian capital have been hit in Israeli strikes since the start of the war ten days ago, Tehran’s provincial governor said Sunday.

“More than 200 locations have been attacked by the usurping Zionist regime,” governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian told state TV.

He said over 120 residential housing units “have been fully destroyed” while 500 others suffered “damages.”

AFP

11:00pm

Iran must not take destabilising action, European leaders say

The leaders of Britain, France and Germany on Sunday urged Iran not to take any actions that would further destabilise the region following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities overnight.

“We have consistently been clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and can no longer pose a threat to regional security,” the government heads of Germany, Britain, France, known as the E3, said in a joint statement.

“We call upon Iran to engage in negotiations leading to an agreement that addresses all concerns associated with its nuclear program. We stand ready to contribute to that goal in coordination with all parties.”

Reuters

10:45pm

Seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards and two soldiers killed in Israeli attacks on two military sites in the city of Yazd on Sunday, state-run Mizan news agency reports.

Reuters

10:30pm

OIC member states to set up contact group to seek Israel-Iran de-escalation

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said on Sunday it would set up a ministerial contact group to establish regular contact with international and regional parties to support de-escalation efforts after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.

In a joint declaration following a meeting of the 57-member group’s foreign ministers in Istanbul, the OIC condemned “the aggression of Israel” against Iran, stressing “the urgent need to stop Israeli attacks and their great concern regarding this dangerous escalation”.

It also urged the international community to take deterrent measures against attacks on Iran and “make Israel accountable for crimes committed”.

Reuters

10:20pm

Iran president says US ‘must receive response to their aggression’

AFP

9:55pm

Pakistan condemns Trump’s bombing of Iran – a day after nominating him for Peace Prize

Pakistan condemned on Sunday the strikes ordered on its neighbour Iran by Donald Trump, a day after Islamabad had said it would nominate the US President for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Pakistan on Sunday said Trump’s decision to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities violated international law and that diplomacy was the only way to resolve the Iran crisis.

“The unprecedented escalation of tension and violence, owing to ongoing aggression against Iran is deeply disturbing. Any further escalation of tensions will have severely damaging implications for the region and beyond,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Reuters

9:45pm

Iran says ready to defend itself by ‘all necessary means’

Iran said on Sunday that it was ready to defend itself by “all necessary means” after unprecedented US strikes on its nuclear facilities.

“Iran is resolutely determined to defend its national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security and people by all necessary means,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei posted on X, condemning what he described as an “unconscionable act of aggression — perpetrated by a nuclear-armed state… against a non-nuclear weapon country”.

AFP

9:30pm

US willing to negotiate on Iran nuclear energy: Rubio

The United States would allow Iran to operate nuclear power plants but not enrich its own fuel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday, after a wave of American strikes aimed to wipe out Iran’s nuclear program.

“The Iranian regime should wake up and say ‘OK, if we really want nuclear energy in our country, there’s a way to do it.’ That offer’s still there, we’re prepared to talk to them tomorrow,” he told Fox News.

“Ultimately, they have to make a decision. It’s a very simple decision: if what they want is nuclear reactors so they can have electricity — there are so many other countries in the world that do that, and they don’t have to enrich their own uranium — they can do that,” Rubio added.

AFP

9:45pm

US bombing of Iran started with a fake-out

As Operation “Midnight Hammer” got underway on Saturday, a group of B-2 bombers took off from their base in Missouri and were noticed heading out toward the Pacific island of Guam, in what experts saw as possible pre-positioning for any US decision to strike Iran.

But they were a decoy. The real group of seven bat-winged, B-2 stealth bombers flew east undetected for 18 hours, keeping communications to a minimum, refueling in mid-air, the US military revealed on Sunday.

As the bombers neared Iranian airspace, a US submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles. US fighter jets flew as decoys in front of the bombers to sweep for any Iranian fighter jets and missiles.

Reuters

9:00pm

Ukraine says US strikes on Iran justified to stop nuclear ‘threat’

Ukraine said Sunday that US and Israeli strikes on Iran were justified to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, praising the military intervention as a “clear signal”.

“Ukraine is convinced that Iran’s nuclear programme must be stopped so that it never again poses a threat to the countries of the Middle East or any other state,” the Ukrainian foreign ministry said.

AFP

8:39pm

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic chokepoint for global maritime that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, and subsequently to the Indian Ocean. Photo: Screengrab from Google Maps

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council must make the final decision on whether to close the Strait of Hormuzfollowing US bombing raids, Iran’s Press TV said on Sunday, after parliament was reported to have backed the measure.

Iran has long used the threat of closing the Strait, through which around 20% of global oil and gas demand flows, as a way to ward off Western pressure which is now at its peak after the overnight U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities.

The decision to close the strait is not yet final and it was not officially reported that parliament had in fact adopted a bill to that effect.

Instead, a member of parliament’s national security commission Esmail Kosari was quoted on other Iranian media as saying: “For now, [parliament has] come to the conclusion we should close the Strait of Hormuz, but the final decision in this regard is the responsibility of the Supreme National Security Council.”

Reuters

8:22pm

Underground damage at Iran’s Fordow site is unclear, IAEA’s Grossi tells CNN

While it is clear that US airstrikes overnight hit Iran’s enrichment site buried into a mountain at Fordow, it is not yet possible to assess the damage done underground there, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told CNN on Sunday.

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency that Grossi leads have not been able to inspect Iran’s nuclear facilities since the first strikes on them by Israel on June 13, and Grossi said he hoped they would be able to return to Fordow and other sites as soon as possible.

Reuters

8:20pm

Iran has highly enriched uranium in sufficient quantities to make at least 9-10 bombs: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday warned Iran against retaliating against US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, saying such an action would be “the worst mistake they’ve ever made.”

He said Iran had highly enriched uranium in sufficient quantities to make at least nine or 10 bombs.

Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser, made the comments on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo” show.

Reuters

8:15pm

US used 7 B-2 bombers for ‘surprise’ Iran attack: top general

Seven stealth bombers were used in the US attack against Iranian nuclear sites, which apparently saw little response by Iran’s military, top general Dan Caine said Sunday.

Describing the complex operation, dubbed “Midnight Hammer,” Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine said the “main strike package comprised of 7 B-2 Spirit bombers” flying 18 hours from the US mainland to Iran with multiple aerial refuelings.

“Iran’s fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran’s surface to air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission. We retained the element of surprise,” Caine added.

AFP

8:00pm

US Vice President JD Vance gives a speech at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany February 14, 2025. REUTERS

US Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday the US was not at war with Iran but at war with its nuclear programme, adding the program had been pushed back by a very long time due to American strikes ordered by President Donald Trump.

Trump said he had “obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites in strikes overnight with massive bunker-busting bombs, joining Israel’s assault against its Middle East rival in a significant new escalation of conflict in the region.

“We’re not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program,” Vance said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker” show

“I think that we have really pushed their programme back by a very long time. I think that it’s going to be many, many years before the Iranians are going to be able to develop a nuclear weapon.”

Reuters

7:57pm

UN Security Council to meet Sunday over US strikes on Iran

The United Nations Security Council is due to meet later on Sunday, diplomats said, after the United States joined Israel’s assault on Iran and hit the country’s main nuclear sites overnight in strikes with massive bunker-busting bombs.

Iran requested the meeting, calling on the 15-member body “to address this blatant and unlawful act of aggression, to condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement on Sunday that the US and Israel “do not deserve any condemnation, but rather an expression of appreciation and gratitude for making the world a safer place.”

Reuters

7:45pm

Israeli military says 30 Air Force jets attacked dozens of military targets in Iran using more than 60 munitions on Sunday

Reuters

7:00pm

Tel Aviv shares hit record highs after US strikes Iran nuclear sites

Israeli stocks rose for a sixth session on Sunday to hit fresh all-time highs after US attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, which investors believe would likely prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons anytime soon.

The broad Tel Aviv 125 index .TA125 was 1.3% higher, while the blue-chip TA-35 .TA35 was 1.2% higher in afternoon trading.

On the heels of Israeli strikes in Iran, shares rose during all five sessions last week, gaining some 6%, as Israel hit Iranian nuclear and military targets prior to Saturday’s surprise US attacks.

“The destruction of Iran’s key nuclear facilities by the US military is, of course, a positive development … in terms of improving the regional security environment and reducing Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities,” said Mizrahi Tefahot chief markets economist Ronen Menachem. “It’s a game-changer.”

Reuters

6:45pm

An organisation that monitors flight risks warned on Sunday that U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites could heighten the threat to American operators in the region as some airlines cancelled flights to and from Dubai and Doha.

Airlines continued to avoid large parts of the Middle East due to ongoing missile exchanges between Israel and Iran, the latest upheaval to travel in the region.

Singapore Airlines said it cancelled scheduled flights from Singapore to Dubai following a security assessment and British Airways cancelled flights to and from Dubai and Doha.

Reuters

6:30pm

US strikes ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear ambitions: Pentagon chief

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that US military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities were an incredible and overwhelming success that have obliterated Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

“Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated,” Hegseth told reporters in a briefing, adding that said the strikes did not target Iranian troops or people.

“The operation President Trump planned was bold and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back. When this president speaks, the world should listen,” Hegseth said.

Reuters

[06:15pm]

US strikes against Iran nuclear facilities ‘incredible and overwhelming success,’ Pentagon chief says

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that U.S. military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities were an incredible and overwhelming success which took months and weeks of positioning to carry out.

Hegseth said the strikes did not target Iranian troops or people, but they did obliterate Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“The operation President Trump planned was bold and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back. When this President speaks, the world should listen,” Hegseth said.

Reuters

[06:04pm]

Iran president condemns US ‘aggression’ in first reaction to strikes

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned US strikes on nuclear sites Sunday, saying in his first response that the attack revealed Washington was “behind” Israel’s military campaign in the Islamic republic.

“This aggression showed that America is the main factor behind the Zionist regime’s hostile actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said, according to IRNA news agency, adding that the United States acted after seeing Israel’s “obvious inability”.

AFP

[05:15pm]

Iran Red Crescent says no deaths in US strikes on nuclear sites

The head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society, Pir Hossein Kolivand, said there were no fatalities in the US strikes Sunday on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“Fortunately, we did not have any martyrs in last night’s events of the US aggression against Iran’s nuclear facilities,” he said according to state television.

AFP

[03:55pm]

Iran FM says to meet Russia’s Putin on Monday for talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that he would travel to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday following the US strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“I’m going to Moscow this afternoon” and will hold “serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow” morning, Araghchi said at a press conference in Istanbul on the sidelines of an OIC summit.

AFP

[03:45pm]

Kremlin says Putin has no plans to speak to Trump after US strikes on Iran, but call can be arranged

The Kremlin said on Sunday that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had no plans to speak to U.S. President Donald Trump following U.S. attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, but added the call could be quickly arranged, state news agency TASS reported.

Reuters

[03:35pm]

Iran’s foreign minister Araghchi denounces US attack as ‘outrageous’

The Iranian foreign minister has condemned the US’s “brutal military aggression” against what he described as Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme.

“It is an outrageous, grave and unprecedented violation of the fundamental principles of the charter of the United Nations and international law,” Abbas Araghchi said during his speech in Istanbul at the OIC summit.

The US attack is a violation of the UN charter

US President Trump has betrayed not only Iran but deceived his own nation

Tehran will continue to defend its sovereignty and people

US is responsible for the consequences of its act of aggression

Tehran calls on UN Security Council to convene for an emergency meeting

The responsibility of the IAEA and its chief Grossi paved the way to this aggression

Calls on IAEA board of governors to condemn the attack on nuclear facilities

Tehran reserves all options to defend its security, interest and people

Reuters

[03:15pm]

Iran says US decided to ‘blow up’ diplomacy with strikes

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday the United States and Israel “decided to blow up” diplomacy when they launched strikes on his country’s nuclear sites.

In a post on X, Araghchi said Israel blew up negotiations between Tehran and Washington with its strikes on June 13, while the United States did the same to talks with European powers this week with its strikes on Sunday. Addressing European calls for Iran to return to negotiations, he asked “how can Iran return to something it never left”.

AFP

[03:05pm]

Russia’s Medvedev says Trump started new war for US after attack on Iran

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said on Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump had started a new war for the U.S. by attacking Iran.

U.S. forces struck Iran’s three main nuclear sites, Trump said late on Saturday, and he warned Tehran it would face more devastating attacks if it does not agree to peace.

“Trump, who came in as a peacemaker president, has started a new war for the U.S.,” Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel.

Reuters

[02:55pm]

US strikes on Iran risk ‘war with irreversible consequences’: Red Cross chief

The military escalation in the Middle East risks sparking warfare with irreversible consequences, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said Sunday, following US strikes on Iran.

ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric called for civilians and medical personnel to be spared after the US military hit three Iranian nuclear sites, joining its ally Israel’s bombing campaign.

“The intensification and spread of major military operations in the Middle East risk engulfing the region — and the world — in a war with irreversible consequences,” Spoljaric said in a statement.

“The world cannot absorb limitless war.

“Upholding international humanitarian law is not a choice — it is an obligation. Civilians must be spared from the conduct of hostilities.”

AFP

[02:40pm]

Germany calls on Iran to ‘immediately’ resume negotiations with US: govt spokesman

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday called for a swift return to diplomacy after the US struck three nuclear sites in Iran overnight, his spokesman said.

Iran must “immediately enter into negotiations with the US and Israel and to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict”, Merz said, according to his spokesman Stefan Kornelius.

The German government believes “large parts of Iran’s nuclear programme have been damaged by the airstrikes”, Kornelius said.

AFP

[02:20pm]

European Council president calls for restraint in Middle East

European Council President Antonio Costa said on Sunday he was deeply alarmed by the situation in the Middle East and urged restraint and diplomacy on all sides.

“I call on all parties to show restraint and respect for international law and nuclear safety,” Costa said in a post on social media platform X.

“Diplomacy remains the only way to bring peace and security to the Middle East region. Too many civilians will once again be the victims of a further escalation,” he said, adding that the EU will continue engaging the parties and partners.

Reuters

[01:40pm]

EU top diplomat urges ‘all sides to step back’ after US strikes

The European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas called Sunday for de-escalation and a return to negotiations after the United States carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,” Kallas wrote on X, adding Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation on Monday.

AFP

[01:30pm]

IAEA calls emergency board meeting after US bombs Iran nuclear sites

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Sunday he was calling an emergency meeting of his agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors after the United States said it carried out military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

“In light of the urgent situation in Iran, I am convening an emergency meeting of the (International Atomic Energy Agency) Board of Governors for tomorrow,” IAEA chief Grossi said on X.

Reuters

[01:19pm]

Iranian lawmaker says US strikes give Iran legal right to exit nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Iran has the legal right to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) based on its Article 10 following U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, Parliament Foreign Policy Committee Head Abbas Golroo said on X on Sunday.

Article 10 states that an NPT member has “the right to withdraw from the Treaty if it decides that extraordinary events have jeopardized the supreme interests of its country.”

Reuters

[01:09pm]

At least three impacts in Israel during Iran missile attacks, 23 hurt

Three areas of Israel including coastal hub Tel Aviv were hit Sunday morning during waves of Iranian missile attacks, with at least 23 people injured, according to rescue services and police.

Several buildings were heavily damaged in the Ramat Aviv area in Tel Aviv, with holes torn in the facades of apartment blocks.

“Houses here were hit very, very badly,” Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai told reporters at the scene. “Fortunately, one of them was slated for demolition and reconstruction, so there were no residents inside.

“Those who were in the shelter are all safe and well. The damage is very, very extensive, but in terms of human life, we are okay.”

AFP

[12:49pm]

UK’s Starmer calls for Iran to return to negotiations following US strikes

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Iran to return to the negotiating table and said that stability in the region remained a priority, according to a statement from Downing Street on Sunday, following US strikes on Iran’s three main nuclear sites.

“Iran’s nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the U.S. has taken action to alleviate that threat,” Starmer said in the statement.

Reuters

[12:45pm]

Iran says nuclear attacks show US ‘will stop at no illegality or crime’ to support Israel

Iran’s foreign ministry said the US attacks Sunday on nuclear facilities showed that Washington “will stop at no illegality or crime” to support Israel.

“It has now become abundantly clear to all that the very regime which enjoys permanent membership in the Security Council is beholden to no principle or morality and will stop at no illegality or crime to serve the aims of a genocidal, occupying regime,” the ministry said in a statement, referring to the United States and Israel respectively.

AFP

[12:30pm]

Iraq warns US attacks on Iran threaten regional peace

Iraq warned on Sunday that the US attacks on its neighbour Iran’s nuclear facilities threaten peace and stability in the Middle East.

Iraq “expresses its deep concern and strong condemnation of the targeting of nuclear facilities” in Iran, government spokesperson Basim Alawadi said. “This military escalation constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability,” he added.

AFP

[11:55am]

NATO official says watching situation closely after US strikes on Iran

A NATO official told Reuters on Sunday that the alliance is watching the situation closely after U.S. President Donald Trump said American forces struck Iran’s three main nuclear sites.

Reuters

[11:52am]

Israel military launches fresh wave of strikes in western Iran

Israeli security forces and first responders gather at the site of an Iranian strike that hit a residential neighbourhood in the Ramat Aviv area in Tel Aviv on June 22, 2025. At least 16 people were hurt and at least one impact was reported in central Israel after Iran launched two waves of missiles at the country following the US bombing of its nuclear sites, rescue services and reports said. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP)

AFP

[11:49am]

Kuwait does not detect increase in radioactive traces after US attacks on Iran nuclear sites

Kuwait said its nuclear defence center did not detect an increase in radioactive traces in Kuwaiti airspace and waters following U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, the country’s national guard said in a post on X.

Reuters

[11:45am]

Iran says targeted Ben Gurion airport, other sites in attack on Israel

Iran’s armed forces said Sunday they targeted multiple sites in Israel including Ben Gurion airport, after US attacks on key nuclear sites in the Islamic republic.

“The twentieth wave of Operation Honest Promise 3 began using a combination of long-range liquid and solid fuel missiles with devastating warhead power,” the armed forces said in a statement quoted by Fars news agency. The targets included the airport, a “biological research centre”, logistics bases and various layers of command and control centres, it added.

AFP

[11:25am]

11 hurt after Iranian missiles launched at Israel: rescue services

At least 11 people were hurt and at least one impact was reported in central Israel after Iran launched two waves of missiles following the US bombing of its nuclear sites, rescue services and reports said.

Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said in a statement that “11 people were taken to hospital, including one in moderate condition — a 30-year-old man wounded in the upper body by shrapnel.”

Public broadcaster KAN 11 showed images of a devastated building surrounded by mounds of rubble that it said was in central Israel, following the two waves of missiles launched at Israel from around 7:30 am (0430 GMT).

AFP

[11:15am]

Iran executes man convicted of being spy for Israel: judiciary

Iranian authorities executed on Sunday a man convicted of being an agent for Israel’s Mossad spy service, the judiciary said, as fighting raged between the two foes for a tenth day.

“Majid Mosayebi… was hanged this morning after going through the full process of criminal procedure and after his sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said, adding that he sought to provide “sensitive information … to Mossad.” Iranian authorities have carried out multiple arrests of people suspected of spying for Israel since its attack on June 13.

AFP

[11:05am]

IAEA says no increase in radiation levels reported after US strikes on Iran

The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Sunday there had been no increase in off-site radiation levels reported following U.S. strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran, including the Fordow site.

Reuters

[10:55am]

Iran launches 30 missiles at Israel: state television

Iran’s state TV announced on Sunday new missile launches against Israel after Tel Aviv’s closest ally the United States bombed several Iranian nuclear sites.

“These live images you are seeing are of a new salvo of Iranian missiles fired on the occupied territories,” said a presenter on air, referring to Israel. Citing “sources”, a presenter said that “30 missiles have been launched at Israel from Iran”.

AFP

[10:45am]

Yemeni Houthi’s response to US attack on Iran ‘only a matter of time’, official says

A Yemeni Houthi official said on Sunday that the Iran-aligned group’s response to the U.S. attack on Iran was “only a matter of time”.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi movement’s political bureau, told Al Jazeera Mubasher TV that its ceasefire deal with Washington was before the “war” on Iran.

The group has been launching attacks on shipping lanes and Israel in what it says is in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the Israeli war. It agreed on a ceasefire deal with the United States in May to stop attacking U.S. ships in exchange for an end to Washington’s bombings of the group.

Reuters

[10:25am]

Iran’s Araghchi says US attack will have ‘everlasting consequences’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. AFP file photo

In his first public remarks after the US strikes, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Washington of breaching international law.

“The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations,” Araghchi said in a social media post.

“The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.”

He added that Iran “reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people”.

[10:05am]

Airlines keep avoiding Middle East airspace after US attack on Iran

Airlines continued to avoid large parts of the Middle East on Sunday after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, with traffic already skirting airspace in the region due to recent missile exchanges.

“Following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, commercial traffic in the region is operating as it has since new airspace restrictions were put into place last week,” FlightRadar24 said on social media platform X.

Its website showed airlines were not flying in the airspace over Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel. They have chosen other routings such as north via the Caspian Sea or south via Egypt and Saudi Arabia, even if it results in higher fuel and crew costs and longer flight times.

Reuters

[09:25am]

Iran says ‘no signs of contamination’ after US attacks on key nuclear sites

AFP

[09:15am]

Saudi regulator says no radiation detected after US strikes on Iran

No radioactive traces have been detected in the environment of Saudi Arabia or other Arab Gulf states following the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Saudi Arabia’s nuclear regulator said in a post on X on Sunday.

Reuters

[09:11am]

Hamas condemns ‘blatant US aggression’ against Iran

Palestinian group Hamas condemned “blatant US aggression” against Iran after President Donald Trump said American warplanes bombed Tehran’s main nuclear enrichment facilities.

“The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) condemns in the strongest terms the blatant US aggression against the territory and sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the group said in a statement issued after Trump announced the United States had joined Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran.

“This brutal aggression is a dangerous escalation,” the Hamas statement added, calling the attack “a flagrant violation of international law, and a direct threat to international peace and security”.

AFP

[08:51am]

Trump warns Iran against any retaliation after US strikes

President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Iran to not respond after US strikes targeted its main nuclear enrichment facilities in attacks he called a “spectacular military success.”

“Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight,” Trump posted on social media after making an address to the nation from the White House.

AFP

[08:26am]

UN chief Guterres says US strike on Iran a dangerous escalation

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday branded the U.S. strikes on Iran as a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.”

“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” Guterres said in a statement.

Read more

[08:19am]

Trump says Iran must make peace or “we will go after” other targets

US President Donald Trump addresses the nation, alongside US Vice President JD Vance (L), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2nd R) and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (R), from the White House in Washington, DC on June 21, 2025, following the announcement that the US bombed nuclear sites in Iran. AFP

President Donald Trump said US air strikes on Sunday had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facilities, and warned of more attacks to come if Tehran does not seek peace.

In a televised address to the nation from the White House after the United States joined Israel’s air campaign against Tehran, Trump called the US attacks a “spectacular military success.”

Read more

[08:17am]

Netanyahu congratulates Trump, says US ‘unsurpassed’ after attack on Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the annual ceremony at the eve of Israel’s Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers (Yom HaZikaron) at the Yad LaBanim Memorial in Jerusalem, 29 April 2025. File photo: Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Donald Trump on Sunday after the president said the US military bombed three nuclear sites in Iran.

“Congratulations President Trump. Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history,” Netanyahu said in a video message, adding that the attacks demonstrated “America has been truly unsurpassed.”

Netanyahu added that Trump had created a “pivot of history” that will “help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace”.

AFP

[07:15am]

Iranian media says nuclear sites ‘attacked by enemy strikes’

Iranian media said on Sunday that part of the Fordo uranium enrichment facility as well as the Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites were attacked, after Donald Trump said the US had bombed them.

“A few hours ago, after Qom’s air defenses were activated and hostile targets were identified, part of the Fordo nuclear site was attacked by enemy airstrikes,” Tasnim news agency reported, quoting Morteza Heydari, spokesperson for the Qom Provincial crisis management department.

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[06:30am]

US B-2 bombers involved in Iran strikes, US official says

US B-2 bombers were involved in strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites announced by President Donald Trump on Saturday, a US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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[06:25am]

Trump says US forces bombed Iran nuclear sites; says ‘Fordow is gone’

US forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites in a “very successful attack,” President Donald Trump said on Saturday, adding that the crown jewel of Tehran’s nuclear program, Fordow, is gone.

After days of deliberation, Trump’s decision to join Israel’s military campaign against its major rival Iran represents a major escalation of the conflict.

“All planes are safely on their way home,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, and he congratulated “our great American Warriors.”

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Israel’s assault on Iran, including its nuclear and ballistic weapons programme, is unlikely to secure its long-term strategic objectives, even if Benjamin Netanyahu manages to persuade the Trump administration into joining the conflict in the coming days and weeks, experts have said.

According to diplomats, military specialists and security analysts, Israel – and its prime minister – is likely to face mounting headwinds in the campaign, amid warnings that it risks dangerously destabilising the region.

There is mounting scepticism over whether even the US’s use of massive ground-penetrating bombs would be able to knock out Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, which is buried deep beneath a mountain, and questions have emerged about Israel’s ability to sustain a long-range offensive that has exposed its cities to counterattack by ballistic missiles.

Experts make the distinction between Israel’s operational success in targeting key Iranian sites and individuals, and its strategic objectives which appear to have expanded to regime change in Tehran, on top of destroying its nuclear programme.

“There is a dominant trend in Israel going back to the formation of the state that has suggested to politicians that violence will deliver a solution to what are political problems,” said Toby Dodge, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics.

View image in fullscreen Iranians take part in an anti-Israel rally in Tehran. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

“My gut feeling is Iranian regime is more stable than has been suggested. And because Iran has a long history of commitment to technological modernisation and proliferation, well, that’s something you can’t simply remove with a bomb.”

Analysts are also puzzled by an Israeli strategy that appears to have gambled on triggering a conflict in the hope of pushing a highly erratic US president in Donald Trump to join, supplying the firepower that Israel lacks in terms of massive bunker-busting bombs.

Experts assess that the US would probably have to use several of these bombs, which would need to be dropped relatively close to the Fordow plant, protected by up to 90 metres of bedrock, in a complex and risky operation that is not guaranteed to succeed, and would probably draw retaliation from Iran against US bases, risking further escalation.

“Subcontracting the Fordow job would put the United States in Iran’s sights,” Daniel C Kurtzer, a former US ambassador to Israel, and Steven N Simon, a veteran of the national security council, wrote in Foreign Affairs this week.

“Iran would almost certainly retaliate by killing American civilians. That, in turn, would compel the United States to reciprocate.

“Soon enough the only targets left for Washington to hit would be the Iranian regime’s leaders, and the United States would again go into the regime-change business – a business in which exceedingly few Americans want to be involved any longer.”

The prospect of regime change, perhaps by killing Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which has been raised by Israeli officials (and reportedly vetoed by Trump) is already causing profound alarm in the region.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the senior Iraqi cleric, made a rare intervention, warning of the profound dangers to the region.

Another sceptic is Andreas Krieg, an associate professor in the Department of Defence Studies at King’s College London, who has worked widely in the Middle East and is doubtful that air power can alone can make the kind of impact being sought by Israel, both in terms of destroying Iran’s nuclear knowhow or removing the clerical regime.

“It’s not the holy grail. We’d learned the lesson that air power alone doesn’t work. And then we learned in Iraq and Afghanistan that even massive numbers of boots on ground doesn’t work,” he said.

“What we’re seeing is not a strategic approach but one that is operational using air power, and the operational approach is starting to consume the strategic one which is about the political endgame.

“The best Israel can best can hope for is something like the campaign against Hezbollah, which has probably delivered a short-lived success, in that it was very successful in degrading Hezbollah’s network.

“Iran is very similar in that its defence strategy is built around a decentralised mosaic. Decapitation doesn’t work against that kind of network. You can take out key nodes, but the best [Israel] can hope for in killing Khamenei would be to trigger the succession crisis which in any case had been anticipated.”

And if Netanyahu has miscalculated, it is in an area where he has long claimed expertise: in reading and playing US politics.

With American support for US intervention polling dismally, and the issue threatening to split Trump’s Maga movement, Israel may find itself on the wrong side of a toxic argument that has far more salience for Trump than helping Netanyahu.

Failing a US intervention to support Israel’s campaign, Israel is likely to face growing challenges amid indications it is running low on some missile interceptors.

Crew fatigue for the long-range sorties, aircraft maintenance cycles and the exhaustion of prepared target lists are all likely to militate against Israel’s ability to maintain a prolonged conflict at the current high level of intensity.

Any drop-off will be used by Tehran to suggest to Iranians that it has weathered the worst of the storm.

There is a third possibility. Writing in his book Waging Modern War, in the aftermath of the Nato air campaign in Kosovo in 1999 – seen as one of the more successful uses of air power – the organisation’s former supreme allied commander Wesley Clark, described the campaign as having one objective – to force the Serbs to the negotiating table.

With contacts now re-established with Iranian negotiators, including talks in Geneva on Friday with European countries, Trump himself has suggested there is more time for diplomacy to run.

Even if Iran is forced to a nuclear deal, Israel may find it comes with heavy hidden costs, not least the potential for survival of a clerical regime with every reason to be even more hostile to Israel and Israelis, and the limitations of Israeli military power, perhaps, exposed.

“If Khamenei has the sense to step back, if America doesn’t come in,” says Dodge, “then Israel has stuck its finger in a hornets’ nest.”