✕ Close Trump to decide on Iran action ‘in two weeks’

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Iran and Israel launched a new round of strikes early on Saturday, a day after Tehran ruled out nuclear talks while under threat and European powers continued efforts to revive diplomacy.

The Israeli military said it had carried out a wave of attacks on missile storage and launch sites across Iran, with Israel’s foreign minister claiming Iran’s suspected nuclear programme has now been set back years.

The Guardian reported Gideon Saar told the German newspaper Bild on Saturday: “According to the assessment we hear, we already delayed for at least two or three years the possibility for them to have a nuclear bomb.”

The Israeli military said on Saturday that it had killed two Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders, while an official said two centrifuge production sites were struck in Isfahan overnight.

Iran’s Fars news agency reported that Israel had targeted the Isfahan nuclear facility, one of the country’s largest, but said there was no leakage of hazardous material.

Iranian media also reported an Israeli strike on a building in the city of Qom, where a 16-year-old was reportedly killed and two others injured.

The attacks comes as a magnitude 5.5 earthquake rattled parts of Iran on Friday, according to Iranian state-run media.

Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump slammed the US intelligence Community’s assessment of Iran’s nuclear weapons program and claimed Tehran could produce a working weapon within a “matter of weeks”.

Israel Iran war Live Updates: Israeli attacks aim to sabotage Iran nuclear talks, says Erdogan

By CNBCTV18.COM | Jun 21, 2025 4:51 PM IST (Updated)

Israel Iran War Updates:US President Donald Trump is contemplating if his nation should join Israel in its war against Iran in two weeks. His uncertainty to join the war has deepened, signalling he may back a ceasefire but also warned that he could order military action sooner than the two-week deadline as well.

Israel Iran War Updates: Israel and Iran continued to trade attacks on Saturday as US President Donald Trump is contemplating if his nation should join Israel in its war against Iran in two weeks. His uncertainty to join the war has deepened, signalling he may back a ceasefire but also warned that he could order military action sooner than the two-week deadline as well.

Despite hours of talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough, the war entered its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran’s top diplomat met for four hours Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh U.S. military involvement and worries rose over potential strikes on nuclear reactors.

European officials expressed hope for future negotiations, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasizing that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the U.S. while Israel continued attacking.

“Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes,” he told reporters. No date was set for the next round of talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s military operation in Iran would continue “for as long as it takes” to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran’s nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. Israel’s top general echoed the warning, saying the Israeli military was ready “for a prolonged campaign.”

But Netanyahu’s goal could be out of reach without U.S. help. Iran’s underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered to be out of reach to all but America’s “bunker-buster” bombs. Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel’s air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks.

The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13, with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.

Stay tuned to catch all the LIVE Updates from the ongoing war between Israel and Iran

European discussions yield no breakthrough, but Iran ready to keep talking

Lyse Doucet

Chief international correspondent, reporting from Geneva

Yesterday, European foreign ministers met with their Iranian counterpart in Geneva. Here are the key takeaways from the discussions:

More than three hours of discussions in Geneva yielded no breakthrough.

But European ministers emerged convinced that Iran was ready to keep talking, and more willing to put issues on the table which hadn’t been there before.

They all emphasised that Iran has to resume its talks with the United States.

In his statement, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was ready to meet with the Europeans again, but would only consider diplomacy with the US once Israeli attacks stopped and, in his words, the aggressor was held accountable.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who flew straight to Geneva after meetings in Washington with US officials, came with tough messages – that the threat of U.S. military action was real, but a window for diplomacy was still open.

No one can say for sure for how long.

Lammy warned it was “a perilous moment”.

The message from Europe’s top diplomats was that only a negotiated agreement – not more military action – could provide a lasting solution to Iran’s nuclear programme, and to regional stability.

Israel-Iran conflict live updates: Israel has launched multiple missile attacks on Iran targeting more military bases after Tehran ruled out nuclear talks at the UN read more

The damaged headquarters of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Iranian state television, is seen in Tehran, on June 19. The conflict between the two sides is in its second week now. AP

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

Iranian state media says that at least two people have died after Israeli strikes hit a residential building in the city of Qom, while 4 others have been left injured.

Iranian state media have said that blasts were heard in Isfahan, the Iranian town which houses a key nuclear facility. Israel has targeted Isfahan earlier, too, and UN’s nuclear watchdog has said that the atomic facility has been hit in strikes in the past week.

⚠️ Update: #Iran has now been largely offline for 60 hours; metrics show the internet shutdown continues to severely limit the public’s ability to express political viewpoints, communicate freely, and follow safety alerts amid ongoing conflict with Israel ⏱️ pic.twitter.com/EkYtbTvkiY

The outage is a result of Iran’s government orders to block access for residents to protect the country from Israeli cyberattacks.

Iran has not been connected to the global internet for over 60 hours, according to the NetBlocks monitor. It said that the internet shutdown “continues to severely limit the public’s ability to express political viewpoints, communicate freely, and follow safety alerts”.

Cracks seemed to appear between US President Donald Trump and his US National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard over Iran’s nuclear programme, compelling the latter to backtrack on her assessment. For the second time this week, Trump publicly undermined Gabbard and rejected her analysis of Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Turkey to attend a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The meeting comes after Araghchi went to Geneva to hold nuclear talks with his European counterparts. The discussions in Geneva, however, did not yield any result and Iran has said that it won’t discuss nuclear programme unless Israel stops its aggression.

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

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

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

In a statement posted on social media, the Israeli military said its Air Force warplanes had targeted a commander identified as Amin Pour Jodkhi, accusing him of directing the launch of “hundreds” of UAV drones toward Israel from southwestern Iran.

The Israeli military has said that a second commander in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has been killed.

The Israel Defense Forces have said that a Hezbollah operative has been killed in a strike targeting the town of Baraachit in southern Lebanon. Yesterday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Hezbollah, saying that it will be wiped out if it continues to support Iran.

It’s past 7 am in Iran and Israel and here’s what has happened so far:

“22 people were identified and arrested on charges of being linked to the Zionist regime’s spy services, disturbing public opinion, and supporting the criminal regime,” the agency stated, citing the head of police intelligence in Iran’s Qom province.

Police in Iran’s Qom province has said that 22 people “linked to Israeli spy services” had been arrested since June 13, Fars news agency reported.

According to Fars News Agency, Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site was targeted by Israel’s early morning attacks, although there are no reports of leakage of hazardous materials.

Meanwhile, a plane carrying 250 Indian students landed in New Delhi late at night as part of rescue efforts under Operation Sindhu.

⚠️ On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy’s evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka. https://t.co/eHIOhmNN7M

“On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy’s evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka,” the Indian Embassy in Iran said.

India will now carry out the evacuations of Nepali and Sri Lankan citizens from Iran after the governments of these two nations requested to repatriate them from the conflict zone.

Israel targeted the Isfahan nuclear site but authorities have not reported any leak or casualties from the area.

The Israel Defense Forces have said that the army intercepted an Iranian drone that triggered sirens in the Golan Heights earlier today.

“[Izadi’s assassination is] a huge achievement for Israeli intelligence and air force, justice for the murdered and kidnapped. Israel’s long arm will reach all its enemies,” Katz said.

Israeli strikes targeted an apartment in the city of Qom early morning, killing at least two people, including a teenager.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said that the commander of the Palestinian Corps, Saeed Izadi, was assassinated in Iran’s Qom earlier today.

US representative to the UN Dorothy Shea: “Israel’s government has also spread chaos, terror and suffering throughout the region…” Awkward pause. “Iran’s government has also spread chaos, terror and suffering throughout the region…” It’s always foreign policy that brings… pic.twitter.com/W5UMV52rVn

“Israel’s government has also spread chaos, terror and suffering throughout the region,” she said.

US Ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Shea, accidentally named Israel as the country that is spreading “chaos” in West Asia before she corrected herself as she gave a statement in the Security Council meeting.

“What truly matters now is that the world must first acknowledge that a genuinely aggressive regime attacked Iran, targeting our military commanders, children, women, scientists, and ordinary citizens in the middle of the night,” Moha’Jerani added.

Iran’s government spokeswoman, Fatemeh Moha’Jerani, has said that while Tehran remains open to dialogue, the country would give a “proportional response” if Israeli attacks escalate. “We believe in listening to the other side. That’s why our diplomats are present in Geneva, to hear the other side out,” she told Al Jazeera.

A resident prepares to spend the night in an old reopened nuclear shelter under Tel Aviv’s central bus station in the southern area of the city, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, in Tel Aviv, Israel, June 20, 2025. REUTERS

A Filipino migrant family gathers between rows of tents in an old nuclear shelter under Tel Aviv’s central bus station in the southern area of the city, recommissioned by Israeli volunteers Brothers and Sisters in Arms, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, in Tel Aviv, Israel, June 20, 2025. REUTERS

A migrant family from the Philippines arrives to spend the night in an old nuclear shelter under Tel Aviv’s central bus station recommissioned by Israeli volunteers Brothers and Sisters in Arms, in the southern area of the city, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, in Tel Aviv, Israel, June 20, 2025. REUTERS

Israelis in Tel Aviv have been taking shelter in old nuclear bunkers under a dilapidated bus station as Iran continued to launch air attacks in full force.

It’s not uncommon for Iran to arrest alleged spies tied to the Israeli intelligence agencies. Iranian authorities have intensified the crackdown on ‘spy network’ in the country over the past few weeks.

Iranian media reported that authorities have arrested a European national for ‘spying for Israel’, without revealing the nationality of the person.

The site was used by Hezbollah “to promote terrorist plots against the citizens of the State of Israel”, it said.

“A naval vessel attacked overnight a military structure belonging to the ‘Radwan Force’ of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Naqoura area in southern Lebanon,” Israel’s military said.

As the Israel-Iran conflict continues, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced Saturday they had carried out attacks at a military structure belonging to the ‘Radwan Force’ of Hezbollah.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has revealed in an interview he repeatedly assured Israel that Iran was not seeking to build a nuclear bomb. Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that Putin made this remark while talking to Sky News Arabia.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed that five of its members were killed in Israeli strikes on a missile site in Khorramabad in Lorestan Province, Reuters reported, citing Iranian media.

His response on Pakistan came when asked at a media briefing about Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s meeting with US President Donald Trump in the White House on Wednesday.

Mohammad Javad Hosseini, the deputy chief of mission at the Iranian embassy, also hoped that Pakistan would not do anything that will harm Iran’s interests.

Iran expects India and other like-minded nations to condemn Israeli “military aggression” against it as such actions are a “breach” of international law, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Friday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Load More

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With inputs from Reuters

Israel and Iran traded strikes a week into their war on Friday (June 20, 2025) as President Donald Trump weighed U.S. military involvement and key European ministers met with Iran’s top diplomat in Geneva in a scramble to de-escalate the conflict.

But the first face-to-face meeting between Western and Iranian officials in the weeklong war concluded after four hours with no sign of an immediate breakthrough.

To give diplomacy a chance, Mr. Trump said he would put off deciding for up to two weeks whether to join Israel’s air campaign against Iran. U.S. participation would most likely involve strikes against Iran’s underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility, considered to be out of reach to all but America’s “bunker-buster” bombs.

Whether or not the U.S. joins, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s military operation in Iran would continue “for as long as it takes” to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran’s nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles.

Meanwhile, Tehran is ready to “consider diplomacy” again only once Israel’s “aggression is stopped”, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said following talks in Geneva with his European counterparts on Iran’s nuclear programme.