Israel welcomes 'all help' in striking Iran
Key Updates-
- Iranian nuclear sites targeted, Israeli hospital hit
- Netanyahu vows to 'remove' Iran nuclear, ballistic missile threat
- Iran's supreme leader warned Trump of "irreparable harm" if the US joins Israeli attacks
- 'I may do it. I may not do it,' Trump says on joining attacks
- Putin: Don't want to discuss possibility of Iran leader killing
- Iran to impose temporary restrictions on internet access
Iran and Israel traded further air attacks on Thursday as President Donald Trump kept the world guessing about whether the United States would join Israel's bombardment of Iranian nuclear facilities.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed two dozen civilians in Israel.
Here are the real-time updates -
1:40am
Iranian police announced the arrest on Thursday of 24 people accused of spying for Israel and "trying to disturb public opinion and to tarnish and destroy the image of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran", according to a statement carried by Tasnim news agency.
Authorities in both Israel and Iran have announced arrests for espionage and other charges since the war began on Friday.
Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights said at least 223 people have been arrested nationwide on charges related to collaboration with Israel, cautioning that the actual figure was likely higher.
1:20am
Israel welcomes 'all help' in striking Iran
Israel on Thursday welcomed "all help" in striking Iran's nuclear sites as President Donald Trump dangled the prospect of US involvement in the war, saying he will decide "within the next two weeks".
Israel, claiming Iran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon, launched air strikes against its arch-enemy last week, triggering deadly exchanges.
After an Iranian missile hit an Israeli hospital on Thursday, in an attack that Tehran said targeted a military and intelligence base, Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a threat against Iran's supreme leader, spiking tensions in the week-old war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran would "pay a heavy price" for the strike on Soroka Hospital in the southern city of Beersheba that left 40 people injured and the facility in flames.
In an televised interview later on Thursday, Netanyahu said Israel is "capable of striking all of Iran's nuclear facilities" but "all help is welcome".
AFP
1:00am
Govts scramble to evacuate citizens from Israel and Iran
Governments around the world are evacuating thousands of their nationals caught up in the rapidly spiralling Israel-Iran conflict, organising buses and planes and in some cases assisting people crossing borders on foot.
Foreigners have rushed to leave both countries after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Friday targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities, sparking retaliation from Tehran.
With Israel's air space closed and the two countries exchanging heavy missile fire, many people are being evacuated via neighbouring countries.
AFP
12:40am
US envoy says Hezbollah involvement in Iran-Israel war would be 'very bad decision'
The US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack warned Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Thursday against getting involved in the war between its main backer Iran and Israel.
Barrack, who is also the US ambassador to Turkey, is on his first visit to Beirut, where he met top Lebanese officials including parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.
"I can say on behalf of President (Donald) Trump... that would be a very, very, very bad decision," Barrack said after his meeting with Berri, responding to a question on what the US position would be on any involvement by Hezbollah in the war.
In a statement, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said the group will "act as we see fit".
"Tyrannical America and criminal Israel will not be able to subjugate the Iranian people and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," Qassem said.
AFP
12:20am
Israeli hospital had taken patients underground hours before missile hit
Shattered glass and piles of rubble littered the floors of Soroka Medical Center on Thursday, after an Iranian missile ripped through the hospital in Israel's south, injuring dozens.
The major public hospital, which serves around 1 million people living in southern Israel, sustained extensive damage in the strike. Several wards were completely destroyed, with debris scattered across the parking lot and surrounding walkways.
"We knew from the noise that it wasn't like anything we were used to, that it wasn't like anything we had seen before," said Nissim Huri, who was working in the kitchen and took refuge in a concrete shelter during the strike.
"It was terrifying," Huri said, describing the scenes as she emerged from the shelter as "complete destruction.
AFP
12:15am
Iran able to produce nuclear bomb in 'a couple of weeks': White House
Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in the space of a "couple of weeks," the White House said Thursday, as US President Donald Trump debated whether to take military action against the Islamic republic.
"Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon. All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that, and it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
AFP
12:04am
Trump to decide on US action in Israel-Iran conflict within 2 weeks: White House
The White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump will make a decision on whether the U.S. will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks.
Citing a message from Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks."
Leavitt told a regular briefing that Trump was interested in pursuing a diplomatic solution with Iran, but his top priority was ensuring that Iran could not obtain a nuclear weapon.
She said any deal would have to prohibit enrichment of uranium by Tehran and eliminate Iran's ability to achieve a nuclear weapon.
"The president is always interested in a diplomatic solution ...he is a peacemaker in chief. He is the peace through strength president. And so if there's a chance for diplomacy, the president's always going to grab it," Leavitt said. "But he's not afraid to use strength as well I will add."
Reuters
[9:59pm]
WHO chief says 'attacks on health' in Iran-Israel conflict 'appalling'
The WHO's leader on Thursday denounced attacks on health facilities in the conflict Iran-Israel war as "appalling", urging all sides to protect hospital buildings, staff and patients.
"The escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran is putting health facilities and access to health care at risk. The reports on the attacks on health so far are appalling," World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.
AFP
[9:20pm]
Iran held direct talks with US amid intensifying conflict with Israel, diplomats say
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi have spoken by phone several times since Israel began its strikes on Iran last week, in a bid to find a diplomatic end to the crisis, three diplomats told Reuters.
According to the diplomats, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, Araqchi said Tehran would not return to negotiations unless Israel stopped the attacks, which began on June 13.
They said the talks included a brief discussion of a US proposal given to Iran at the end of May that aims to create a regional consortium that would enrich uranium outside of Iran, an offer Tehran has so far rejected.
U.S. and Iranians officials did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the matter.
This week's phone discussions were the most substantive direct talks since the two began negotiations in April. On those occasions, in Oman and Italy, the two men exchanged brief words when they encountered each other after indirect talks were held.
A regional diplomat close to Tehran said Araqchi had told Witkoff that Tehran "could show flexibility in the nuclear issue" if Washington pressured Israel to end the war.
A European diplomat said: "Araqchi told Witkoff Iran was ready to come back to nuclear talks, but it could not if Israel continued its bombing."
A second regional diplomat who spoke to Reuters said "the (first) call was initiated by Washington, which also proposed a new offer" to overcome the deadlock over clashing red lines.
Reuters
[8:49pm]
Israel stands down alert after Iran missile launch
Israel's military stood down an alert of incoming Iranian missile fire on Thursday, telling citizens they could now leave their shelters.
Air raid sirens had sounded across large parts of northern Israel after the latest launch on Thursday afternoon, the army's Home Front Command said.
But around 20 minutes later, the army released a statement saying people were permitted to leave their shelters.
AFP
[8:28pm]
Israel minister says Khamenei 'can no longer be allowed to exist'
Israel's defence minister said Thursday that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "can no longer be allowed to exist", just days after reports that Washington vetoed Israeli plans to assassinate him.
The comments from Defence Minister Israel Katz came after the Soroka Hospital in the southern city of Beersheba reported 40 people injured following a fresh salvo of Iranian missiles.
"Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed -- he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals," Katz told journalists in the city of Holon near Tel Aviv.
"Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist."
When asked about Khamenei on a visit to Beersheba on Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "I have made it clear that no one is immune.
But he added: "In war, I believe one must choose words carefully and execute actions with precision."
A senior US official told AFP on Sunday that President Donald Trump had "found out that the Israelis had plans to hit Iran's supreme leader".
"President Trump was against it and we told the Israelis not to," said the US official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Netanyahu has neither confirmed nor denied the claim.
AFP
[7:56pm]
Israel army says sirens sound in north after Iran missile launch
Israel's military said sirens sounded in the country's north on Thursday after missiles were fired from Iran, on the seventh day of war between the two countries.
A military statement said that "sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel", with the army's Home Front Command saying air raid warnings were activated in large parts of the north.
AFP
[7:54pm]
Iranian diplomat to Reuters: Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant was not hit by Israel, dismisses Israeli claims as 'psychological warfare'
Reuters
[7:43pm]
Iran's armed forces will continue to pummel the 'criminals' who target our people: Iran FM Araqchi
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi posted on X (formerly Twitter), saying its armed forces will continue to pummel the "criminals" who target the Iranian people until they cease and pay for their "criminal aggression" against Iran.
"We call on Israelis to heed our evacuation orders before strikes and to avoid proximity to military and intelligence sites," he wrote.
Reuters
[7:43pm]
'Appalling' to see civilians treated as 'collateral damage' by Iran, Israel: UN
AFP
[07:40pm]
Israel's Netanyahu vows to 'remove' Iran nuclear, ballistic missile threat
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Thursday to "remove" the nuclear and ballistic missile threat posed by Iran, on the seventh day of war between the arch foes.
"We are committed to destroying the nuclear threat, the threat of a nuclear annihilation against Israel," Netanyahu told reporters in the southern city of Beersheba, where a hospital was hit during an Iranian missile attack.
"Our goal is twofold -– nuclear, ballistic missile. We're going to remove them. We are in the process of completing the (removal of) this threat."
AFP
[06:51pm]
Guardian council warns US of 'harsh response' if it intervenes
A key Iranian body warned the United States on Thursday that any intervention in support of its ally Israel would be met with a "harsh response".
"The criminal American government and its stupid president must know for sure that if they make a mistake and take action against Islamic Iran, they will face a harsh response from the Islamic Republic of Iran," the Guardian Council said in a statement carried by state television.
AFP
[06:17pm]
Iran's options against foreign aggression include closing Strait of Hormuz, lawmaker says
Iran could shut the Strait of Hormuz as a way of hitting back against its enemies, a senior lawmaker said on Thursday, though a second member of parliament said this would only happen if Tehran's vital interests were endangered.
Iran has in the past threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure, and shipping sources said on Wednesday that commercial ships were avoiding Iran's waters around the strait.
"Iran has numerous options to respond to its enemies and uses such options based on what the situation is," the semi-official Mehr news agency quoted Behnam Saeedi, a member of the parliament's National Security Committee presidium as saying.
"Closing the Strait of Hormuz is one of the potential options for Iran," he said.
Reuters
[05:50pm]
Russia warns strike on Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant could cause 'Chernobyl-style catastrophe'
The head of Russia's nuclear energy corporation warned on Thursday that an Israeli attack on Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant could lead to a "Chernobyl-style catastrophe".
An Israeli military spokesperson said Israel had struck the site, but an Israeli military official later called this statement "a mistake" and said he could neither confirm nor deny that the Bushehr site on the cost of the Gulf had been hit.
Bushehr is Iran's only operating nuclear power plant and was built by Russia.
Reuters
[05:30pm]
Israeli official says 'it was a mistake' to say Bushehr was hit
An Israeli military official said on Thursday that "it was a mistake" for a military spokesperson to have said earlier in the day that Israel had struck the Bushehr nuclear site in Iran.
The official would only confirm that Israel had hit the Natanz, Isfahan and Arak nuclear sites in Iran.
Pressed further on Bushehr, the official said he could neither confirm or deny that Israel had struck the location, where Iran has a reactor.
Reuters
[05:03pm]
Israeli military official: estimated to have struck two thirds of Iran's missile launchers, Iran still has more than 100 missile launches
Reuters
[04:58pm]
Russia urges Israel to stop attacks on Bushehr plant where Russian staff are working
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday urged Israel to immediately halt air attacks on the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran where Russian specialists work.
Bushehr, Iran's only operating nuclear power plant, uses Russian fuel that Russia then takes back when it is spent in order to reduce nuclear proliferation risk.
Maria Zakharova, the ministry's spokeswoman, repeated a Russian warning to the United States not to get involved militarily in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying this would have unpredictable and negative consequences.
Reuters
[04:28pm]
Xi tells Putin Iran-Israel ceasefire is 'top priority' in phone call: state media
China's President Xi Jinping said Thursday a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was the 'top priority' during a phone call with Russia's Vladimir Putin, Chinese state media reported.
"Promoting a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities is the top priority. Armed force is not the correct way to resolve international disputes," Xi said, according to Xinhua.
AFP
[04:08pm]
Israeli military spokesperson says military struck nuclear sites in Bushehr, Isfahan, and Natanz, and continue to target additional facilities
Reuters
[04:00pm]
US envoy says Hezbollah involvement in Iran-Israel war would be 'very bad decision'
The US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack on Thursday warned Hezbollah against getting involved in the war between its main backer Iran and Israel.
"I can say on behalf of President (Donald) Trump... that would be a very, very, very bad decision," Barrack said, responding to a question on what the US position would be on any involvement by Hezbollah in the war.
AFP
[03:34pm]
Iran's military command says direct US involvement will expand conflict to the region, Tasnim reports
Direct US involvement in the Israel-Iran war will expand the conflict to the region, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters (KACH) said on Thursday in a statement shared by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Khatam al-Anbiya is the military command in charge of coordinating the armed forces' operations.
Reuters
[03:23pm]
China evacuates 1,600 from Iran and hundreds from Israel, warns of border congestion
China has evacuated more than 1,600 citizens from Iran and hundreds more from Israel, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, as evacuees clog border crossings amid the intensifying conflict between the two countries.
Evacuation efforts are continuing and China has maintained communication with Iran, Israel, Egypt and Oman, spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press conference while calling for immediate measures to cool down tensions as soon as possible.
China urges parties to the conflict, especially Israel, to immediately cease fire, Guo said.
Reuters
[02:52pm]
IAEA reports strike on Iran's Khondab site but sees no radiological effects
Reuters
[02:47pm]
Iran foreign ministry spokesperson criticises UN nuclear watchdog chief
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei criticised UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi on Thursday and accused the International Atomic Energy Agency of being a partner to an "unjust war of aggression" initiated by Israel.
In a post on X, Baghaei responded to an interview with CNN in which Grossi said there was no evidence of a systematic Iranian effort to develop nuclear weapons.
"This is too late, Mr Grossi," Baghaei wrote, adding that an IAEA resolution declaring Iran in breach of its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty had been used as a pretext for Israel to strike Iran.
"Misleading narratives have dire consequences, Mr Grossi, and demand accountability. You betrayed the non-proliferation regime; You've made IAEA a partner to this unjust war of aggression," he wrote.
Reuters
[02:23pm]
Iran says 'main target' of attack that hit Israel hospital was military site
Iran said Thursday the main target of a missile attack that hit a hospital in southern Israel was an Israeli military and intelligence base, not the health facility.
A hospital in southern Israel and two towns near Tel Aviv were struck after a barrage of Iranian missiles, with Israeli rescuers reporting at least 47 people injured in Iran's latest attacks.
"The main target of the attack was the Israeli Army Command and Intelligence Base (IDF C4I) and the Army Intelligence Camp in Gav-Yam Technology Park, located in the vicinity of the Soroka Hospital," state news agency IRNA said.
It said the hospital was "exposed only to the blast wave", and that the "direct and precise target" was the military facility.
AFP
[02:20pm]
European FMs aim to meet Iran for nuclear talks Friday in Geneva: diplomats
Foreign ministers from key European powers France, Germany and Britain and the EU's top diplomat are aiming to meet their Iranian counterpart for nuclear talks in Geneva on Friday, European diplomats said.
The meeting being planned comes as European countries call for de-escalation in the face of Israel's bombing campaign against Iran's nuclear programme.
AFP
[02:06pm]
Iran foreign minister to attend OIC meet in Turkey on Saturday, source says
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is expected to attend a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Saturday, a Turkish foreign ministry source said on Thursday, as war rages between Israel and Iran.
The source said a special session of the 51st OIC Council of Foreign Ministers is expected to focus on Israel's recent strikes against Iran, including Thursday's attack on the Khondab nuclear site in Arak.
The Israeli military said it targeted a partially built heavy-water reactor at the site, which experts say could produce weapons-grade plutonium.
Reuters
[01:56pm]
Kremlin says US intervention in Iran-Israel conflict would be 'terrible spiral of escalation'
Any intervention by the United States in the Iran-Israel conflict would mark a "terrible spiral of escalation", Interfax news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Thursday.
Reuters
[01:47pm]
Iran says 'all options on the table' in case of US intervention
Iran's deputy foreign minister warned the United States on Thursday against intervening in the war to back up its ally Israel, adding that his country was ready to defend itself in case of escalation.
"If the United States wants to actively enter the field in favour of the Zionist regime, Iran will have to use its tools to both teach a lesson to aggressors and defend its national security and national interests," said deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi, according to state TV.
"Naturally, our military decision makers have all the necessary options on the table," he added.
AFP
[01:33pm]
Israel says it targeted nuclear sites in Iran's Natanz and Arak overnight
The Israeli military said on Thursday it had targeted the Arak nuclear reactor in Iran overnight and struck what it said was a nuclear weapons development site in the area of Natanz.
Among its nuclear sites, Iran had a partially built heavy-water research reactor originally called Arak and now Khondab.
Iranian media reported on Thursday morning that air defences were activated in the area of the Khondab nuclear facility, with two projectiles hitting an area close to it.
Officials told Iranian state TV that evacuations were made prior to the strikes and that no risks of radiation or casualties were detected. There was no mention of any damage.
Reuters
[01:27pm]
China says opposes 'use of force' after Trump Iran warning
AFP
[01:17pm]
Iran's Khamenei 'will be held accountable' over hospital strike: Israeli minister
Israel's defence minister said Thursday that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be "held accountable" after an Iranian strike on a hospital in Israel, adding he had ordered the army to "intensify strikes" on the Islamic republic.
"These are some of the most serious war crimes -- and Khamenei will be held accountable for his actions," Israel Katz said, adding that he and the prime minister ordered the military "to intensify strikes against strategic targets in Iran and against the power infrastructure in Tehran, in order to eliminate the threats to the state of Israel and to shake the Ayatollahs' regime".
AFP
[12:50pm]
Iranian official warns US against involvement in Israel-Iran conflict
Iran's deputy foreign minister warned against any direct US involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran, saying Iran had "all the necessary options on the table", in comments reported by Iranian state media on Thursday.
"If the US wants to actively intervene in support of Israel, Iran will have no other option but to use its tools to teach aggressors a lesson and defend itself ... our military decision-makers have all necessary options on the table," Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to state media.
"Our recommendation to the US is to at least stand by if they do not wish to stop Israel's aggression," he said.
Reuters
[12:20pm]
Israel's Netanyahu says Iran will 'pay heavy price' after hospital strike
AFP
[12:17pm]
Iraq's top Shiite cleric warns against any targeting of Iran's leadership
AFP
[12:15pm]
Israel army says struck 'inactive nuclear reactor' in Iran's Arak; targeted Iran's Natanz nuclear site again
The Israeli army said Thursday it had struck Iran's Natanz nuclear site again, as well as an "inactive nuclear reactor" in Arak during overnight raids.
The air force "struck a nuclear weapons development site in the area of Natanz", the military said, adding that "the nuclear reactor in the area of Arak in Iran was targeted, including the structure of the reactor's core seal, which is a key component in plutonium production".
AFP
[12:05pm]
Israeli military says it targeted nuclear sites in Iran's Natanz and Arak overnight
The Israeli military said on Thursday it had targeted the nuclear reactor in the area of Arak in Iran overnight and what it called a nuclear weapons development site in the area of Natanz.
Reuters
[11:50am]
At least 32 injured in Israel after Iran missile attack: rescuers
Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said Thursday that at least 32 people were injured following Iran's latest missile strikes, which an Israeli military official said involved "dozens of ballistic missiles".
In a statement, an MDA spokesperson said that medics were "providing medical treatment and evacuating to hospitals two people in serious condition... as well as 30 people in mild condition with blast and shrapnel injuries".
It added that additional MDA teams were treating "several injured individuals at multiple scenes."
AFP
[11:35am]
US moves military assets, limits access to its largest Middle East base
The US military has moved some aircraft and ships from bases in the Middle East that may be vulnerable to any potential Iranian attack, two US officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
The moves come as President Donald Trump kept the world guessing whether the United States would join Israel's bombardment of Iran's nuclear and missile sites, as residents fled its capital on the sixth day of the air assault.
Separately, the US embassy in Qatar issued an alert on Thursday temporarily restricting its personnel from accessing the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military installation in the Middle East, which is located in the desert outside Doha.
Reuters
[11:25am]
Heavy damage reported at four sites in Israel after Iran missile attack
There were four impact sites. Three in central Israel, in the Gush Dan area as it is called. So that is the larger Tel Aviv area.
There was Heavy damage sustained to some buildings. One in Holon is reported to have collapsed. There was also an impact site … near Soroka hospital.
Al Jazeera
[10:58am]
Iranian media reports new salvo of missiles fired at Israel
Iranian media reported a new salvo of missiles fired at Israel Thursday, as the rivals traded fire for a seventh day.
"The missiles roared over Tel Aviv," the Iranian news agency Fars reported, while state television broadcast live images of the commercial hub.
AFP
[10:55am]
Israel says hospital in south hit after Iran missile attack
Israel's foreign ministry reported a direct hit on a hospital in the south on Thursday, after Iran fired a fresh salvo of missiles at the country.
"BREAKING: A direct hit has been reported at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, southern Israel. More details to follow," the foreign ministry posted on X.
A spokesperson for the hospital reported "damage to the hospital and extensive damage in various areas. We are currently assessing the damage, including injuries. We ask the public not to come to the hospital at this time."
AFP
[10:50am]
US embassy in Qatar temporarily limits airbase access for its personnel
The US embassy in Qatar curbed access on Thursday to the Al Udeid Air Base for its personnel, urging greater vigilance by US citizens in "an abundance of caution" amid regional hostilities.
The US base is its largest such military facility in the Middle East.
Reuters
[10:40am]
Israel has struck near Khondab heavy-water facility, Iran news agency says
An area near the heavy-water research reactor in Khondab, part of Iran's nuclear programme, was hit by Israel, the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) reported on Thursday.
Officials announced the facility was evacuated prior to the attack and there is no radiation risk, ISNA added.
The research reactor was partially built and previously known as Arak, with Tehran informing the UN nuclear watchdog that it plans operating the facility next year.
Reuters
[10:10am]
Israel army says sirens sound after missiles launched from Iran
AFP
[09:30am]
Japan prepares planes for Iran, Israel evacuations
apan has ordered military planes to be on standby to evacuate its nationals from Iran and Israel, Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said Thursday.
"In view of the increasingly tense situation in the Middle East, we have decided to move Self-Defense Forces aircraft to Djibouti," he told reporters.
Around 1,000 Japanese nationals are believed to live in Israel, and around 280 in Iran, defence minister Gen Nakatani said, citing the foreign ministry.
AFP
[09:00am]
Iran-Israel war: latest developments
Israel and Iran exchanged fire again on Thursday, the seventh day of strikes in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East.
Here are the latest developments:
- New attacks -
Israel's military said it was carrying out new strikes on Tehran and other parts of Iran on Thursday morning. It told two villages, Arak and Khondab, to evacuate.
Air raid sirens sounded in northern Israel meanwhile, and the military said shortly afterwards it had intercepted a drone launched from Iran.
The fresh exchanges came a day after Iran said it had fired Fattah hypersonic missiles at Israel.
Israel's military said it was "flying over surface-to-surface missile launch and storage sites... (and) striking those attempting to reactivate sites that have already been hit".
Israel's air defence systems appear to have been largely successful in intercepting the daily barrages of Iranian missiles and drones.
An Israeli military official, who asked not to be named, said that Iran had fired around 400 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones since Friday.
About 20 missiles had struck civilian areas in Israel, the official added.
- Near-total internet blackout -
Iran was in a "near-total national internet blackout", London-based watchdog NetBlocks wrote on X.
Iran announced last week that it was placing temporary restrictions on the internet, with the communication ministry saying Wednesday that heavier limits were being imposed due to Israel's "abuse of the country's communication network for military purposes".
Iranian media later reported that Israel briefly hacked the state television broadcast, airing footage of women's protests and urging people to take to the streets.
Numerous sites and apps have remained at least partially inaccessible.
State television appealed to Iranians on Tuesday to delete WhatsApp from their phones, charging that the messaging app gathers users' location and personal data and "communicates them to the Zionist enemy".
A WhatsApp spokesperson expressed concern the "false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked".
- Trump on strikes, talks -
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was considering whether to join Israel's strikes, and that Iran had reached out seeking negotiations on ending the conflict.
"I may do it, I may not do it," Trump told reporters. "I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate."
Trump said Iran had even suggested sending officials to the White House for talks, an assertion Iranian officials denied.
Asked if it was too late for negotiations, Trump said: "Nothing is too late."
The Wall Street Journal reported Trump has told aides he has approved attack plans but is holding off to see if Iran will give up its nuclear programme.
He is due to receive an intelligence briefing on Thursday, a US holiday, the White House said, while top US diplomat Marco Rubio will meet his UK counterpart for talks expected to focus on the conflict.
- Khamenei warns US -
Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech read on state television: "This nation will never surrender."
"America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage," he said.
Trump had said on Tuesday that the United States knows where Khamenei is located but will not kill him "for now".
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday his country was committed to "diplomacy" and was acting in "self-defence" against Israel's assault.
- Israel says hit security HQ -
AFP journalists heard blasts across Tehran throughout the day on Wednesday, with smoke billowing over parts of the city.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in the afternoon that air force jets had "destroyed the internal security headquarters of the Iranian regime -- the main arm of repression of the Iranian dictator".
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to end strikes on targets in Iran not linked to nuclear activities or ballistic missiles, his office said.
- 'Painful losses' -
Foreign governments have scrambled to evacuate their citizens from both countries, with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announcing plans on Wednesday to get Americans out by air and sea.
Israel's attacks have hit nuclear and military facilities around Iran, as well as residential areas.
Residential areas in Israel have also been hit.
Netanyahu acknowledged "painful losses", but added: "The home front is solid, the people are strong."
The prime minister's office said Monday that at least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded since Iran's retaliatory strikes began Friday.
Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not updated the toll since.
- Putin eyes 'solution' -
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that a deal to end the war was possible.
He also claimed Israel's strikes on Iran had led to a "consolidation" of support in Iranian society around its leaders.
"This is a delicate issue, and of course we need to be very careful here, but in my opinion, a solution can be found," Putin told foreign journalists, including AFP.
He had previously proposed to act as a mediator, prompting both Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron to question his suitability given Russia's war in Ukraine.
AFP
[08:00am]
Iran, Israel trade fresh air attacks as Trump weighs US involvement
Iran and Israel traded further air attacks on Thursday as President Donald Trump kept the world guessing about whether the United States would join Israel's bombardment of Iranian nuclear facilities.
A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed two dozen civilians in Israel.
Reuters
[07:45am]
Israel warns Iranians in two villages to leave before it 'targets military infrastructure'
The Israeli military advised Iranians in two villages to leave early Thursday before it carried out strikes on "military infrastructure".
"The IDF issues an urgent warning to residents, workers and those present in the area of the two Iranian villages of Arak and Khondab, in the areas marked on the map, to evacuate immediately before the IDF targets military infrastructure belonging to the Iranian regime," it wrote in a Telegram post in Arabic and Farsi using the military's official acronym.
AFP
[07:20am]
US officials preparing for possible strike on Iran in coming days, Bloomberg reports
Senior US officials are preparing for the possibility of a strike on Iran in the coming days, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The report, citing the people, noted that the situation is still evolving and could change. Some of the people, according to Bloomberg, pointed to potential plans for a weekend strike.
Speaking to reporters earlier on Wednesday outside the White House, Trump declined to say if he had made any decision on whether to join Israel's campaign. "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said.
Reuters
[07:10am]
Trump faces uproar from MAGA base over possible Iran strike
The prospect of a US strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Donald Trump to power, with some of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war.
Some of Trump's most prominent Republican allies, including top lieutenant Steve Bannon, have found themselves in the unusual position of being at odds with a president who largely shares their isolationist tendencies.
Bannon, one of many influential voices from Trump's "America First" coalition, on Wednesday urged caution about the US military joining Israel in trying to destroy Iran's nuclear program in the absence of a diplomatic deal.
"We can't do this again," Bannon told reporters at an event sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington. "We'll tear the country apart. We can't have another Iraq."
Reuters
[03:34am]
Pakistan Army Chief Discusses Israel-Iran Conflict With Trump
President Donald Trump met with Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, in Washington to discuss various issues, including the possibility of US support for Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
The meeting came as the US considers joining Israel's attacks on Iran, and Pakistan has signaled its willingness to play a mediating role in the Middle East conflict.
The meeting between Trump and Munir has sparked concerns in India, which has strained ties with Washington, and has implications for regional security and trade relations.
Bloomberg
[12:00am]
Iran will not accept 'imposed war or peace'
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei yesterday said the nation would never surrender as demanded by President Donald Trump and warned the United States it would face "irreparable damage" if it intervenes in support of its ally.
The speech came six days into the conflict, with Trump demanding Iran's "unconditional surrender" while boasting the United States could kill Khamenei and fuelling speculation about a possible intervention.
Yesterday, Trump said he was considering whether the United States would join Israeli strikes on Iran and said that Tehran had reached out to seek negotiations on ending the conflict.
Trump added that his patience "had already run out" with Iran and repeated his call for the Islamic republic's "unconditional surrender."
Amid the escalating war, with attacks being carried out daily on Iran's nuclear and defence sites, Russia's foreign ministry yesterday warned that the world was "millimetres away from catastrophe".
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has warned that direct US military assistance to Israel could radically destabilise the situation in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said Beijing was "deeply concerned" that the conflict "may get out of control".
"Israel's acts of disregarding international law and international rules has caused the situation in the Middle East to suddenly become tense, and China is also deeply concerned that the situation may get out of control," Wang told his Egyptian counterpart in a phone call, China's foreign ministry said yesterday.
The conflict began Friday, when Israel launched a massive bombing campaign that prompted Iran to respond with missiles and drones.
"This nation will never surrender," Khamenei said in a speech read on state television, in which he called Trump's ultimatum "unacceptable".
Iran "will stand firm against an imposed war, just as it will stand firm against an imposed peace", Khamenei said.
"Those who know Iran and its history know that Iranians do not answer well to the language of threat".
"America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage," he said.
Khamenei, in power since 1989 and the final arbiter of all matters of state in Iran, had earlier vowed the country would show "no mercy" towards Israel's leaders.
The speech followed a night of strikes, with Israeli attacks destroying two buildings making centrifuge components for Iran's nuclear programme near Tehran, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.
"More than 50 Israeli Air Force fighter jets... carried out a series of air strikes in the Tehran area over the past few hours," the Israeli military said.
It later added that its fighter jets attacked more than 40 missile infrastructures, missile storage sites, and military operatives of the Iranian regime.
Centrifuges are vital for uranium enrichment, the sensitive process that can produce fuel for reactors or, in highly extended form, the core of a nuclear warhead.
Iran also sent missile salvos at Israel overnight and yesterday, including hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles.
Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept.
No missile struck Tel Aviv overnight, though AFP photos showed Israel's air defence systems activated to intercept missiles over the commercial hub. It was not clear if the missiles sent later hit targets.
Iran also sent a "swarm of drones" towards Israel, while the Israeli military said it had intercepted a total of 10 drones launched from Iran.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military told Iranians to leave parts of the capital for their safety.
According to Reuters, traffic was backed up on highways leading out of the city of 10 million people fearing escalation.
A day after he urged Iran to surrender, Trump yesterday ramped up his threats.
"I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House when asked if he had decided whether to launch US air strikes.
Trump said Iran had even suggested sending officials to the White House for talks on Tehran's nuclear program in a bid to end Israel's air assault, but added that it was "very late."
"I said it's very late to be talking. We may meet. There's a big difference between now and a week ago, right? Big difference," Trump added.
Trump had favoured a diplomatic route to end Iran's nuclear program, seeking a deal to replace the one he tore up in his first term in 2018.
But since Israel launched strikes on Iran six days ago, Trump has moved in behind the key US ally and is now weighing whether to use US military power against Tehran too.
Asked what he had told Netanyahu in a call on Tuesday, he said: "Keep going. I speak to him every day, he's a good man, doing a lot."
The US president, however, rebuffed Russian President Vladimir Putin's offer to mediate in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying Russia should end its own war in Ukraine first.
"He actually offered to help mediate, I said, 'do me a favour, mediate your own. Let's mediate Russia first, okay? You can worry about this later," Trump said.
Iran later denied it had offered to send officials to Washington.
"No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House," Iran's mission to the UN said in a post on X.
"The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to "take out" Iran's Supreme Leader."
The US has so far taken only indirect actions, including helping to shoot down missiles fired toward Israel.
But Washington has important capabilities that Israel lacks, including massive bombs able to destroy Iran's nuclear enrichment plant, built deep under a mountain at Fordow.
Media reports have suggested that the US was deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes.
Amid the war of words, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said Iran had the "legitimate" right to defend itself in the face of Israel's "thuggery and state terrorism,".
Iran has been exploring options for leverage, including veiled threats to hit the global oil market by restricting access to the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important shipping artery for oil. Tehran has in the past threatened to close the strait but has never followed through.
Inside Iran, the biggest attacks since war with Iraq in the 1980s have wiped out an echelon of senior leadership.
Authorities are intent on preventing panic and shortages, and fewer images of destruction have been allowed to circulate than in the early days of the bombing, when state media showed pictures of explosions, fires and flattened apartments. A ban on filming by the public has been imposed.
Iranian officials have reported at least 224 deaths in Israeli attacks, mostly civilians, though that toll has not been updated for days.
However, AP quoting a Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 585 people, including 239 civilians, have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in Iran.
Since Friday, Iran has fired around 400 missiles at Israel, some 40 of which have pierced through air defences, killing 24 people, all of them civilians, according to Israeli authorities.
During the Gaza war, Israel dealt heavy blows to Iran's regional allies Hamas and Hezbollah, limiting Iran's ability to retaliate through strikes by its proxy fighters close to Israeli borders. Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, propped up by Iran through 13 years of war, was toppled last year.
Comments